On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a joint military attack on Iran, according to multiple reports. Iran retaliated by launching missile and drone strikes against Israel and U.S. military facilities in the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the aim of the attack on Iran was regime change. This marked a dramatic escalation in long-standing tensions, setting the stage for a widening regional war.
The scale of the U.S.-Israeli military operations has been extensive, with U.S. forces striking more than 7,000 targets in Iran since February 28, according to CENTCOM. Legal experts have challenged the justification for these attacks; Susan M. Akram argued that the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran cannot be legally justified under any theory of the laws of war. Casualty figures from the strikes in Iran vary significantly, complicating assessments of the human cost. Iran's Health Ministry reported at least 1,500 people killed by U.S.-Israeli attacks, while Human Rights Activists in Iran documented at least 1,443 civilian deaths from airstrikes between February 28 and March 23. More broadly, research from multiple sources indicates more than 1,800 people have been killed overall, including 8 U.S. service members, though the U.S. military has confirmed 13 fatalities from Iranian attacks across the region, highlighting a discrepancy in the perceived cost for the United States.
Iran's military response has been coordinated and widespread. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has launched attacks on at least 27 bases in the Middle East where U.S. troops are deployed. In Israel, multiple reports indicate at least 18 people have been killed and more than 3,730 wounded in Iranian attacks. The U.S. military confirmed 13 fatalities from Iranian attacks across the region, underscoring the regional nature of the retaliation.
The civilian impact has been severe, with a strike hitting the Shajareh Tayyebeh all-girls' primary school in Minab, Hormozgan province, killing students and staff, according to multiple reports. The United States and Israel denied deliberately targeting the civilian school. The conflict has also caused massive displacement, with approximately 3.2 million people displaced from their homes in Iran, according to UN figures cited by Human Rights Activists in Iran.
Internally, Iran has imposed security measures including internet blackouts, checkpoints, and arrests, according to multiple reports. Israel has said it recently targeted several Basij checkpoints, indicating these sites are considered military objectives.
A controversial aspect of Iran's response is the recruitment of children as young as 12 for security patrols and checkpoints. Human Rights Watch condemned the recruitment of children as a war crime. This practice has had deadly consequences, with an 11-year-old Iranian boy, Alireza Jafari, killed while manning a security checkpoint in Tehran, according to multiple reports.
The true scale of child recruitment in Iran remains unclear, with an online portal linked to Iran's recruitment campaign claiming more than five million registrations, according to major media reports.
Uncertainty also surrounds Iran's leadership transition following reports about Ali Khamenei's status. Multiple reports indicate Iran's Assembly of Experts appointed Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, to succeed him, but conflicting reports state the Assembly of Experts is working to select a replacement for Khamenei, and a Provisional Leadership Council is being convened.
The global economic impact has been immediate, with Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz causing a global energy shock, according to multiple reports.
Military unknowns persist, including the specific objectives and endgame of the U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran, as well as how effective Iran's retaliation has been in degrading U.S. and Israeli military capabilities.
Diplomatic and internal stability unknowns also loom large, with questions about what diplomatic efforts, if any, are underway to de-escalate the conflict, and who is involved. The sustainability of Iran's internal security crackdown is uncertain given reported public dissatisfaction and economic strain.