The US and Israel launched joint military strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026. These strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with other high-ranking Iranian officials including Ali Larijani, Esmail Khatib, and Gholamreza Soleimani. This initial action has escalated into a broader war, with US Central Command stating that US forces have struck more than 7,000 targets in Iran since February 28.
In the wake of Khamenei's death, Mojtaba Khamenei was named as his successor on March 8, 2026. However, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed Mojtaba Khamenei was injured and likely disfigured, a statement Iran denied. The status and condition of Mojtaba Khamenei as successor remains disputed, with Iran's war now being run by the Supreme National Security Council chaired by Ali Larijani, with a Provisional Leadership Council convened.
The scale of the US-Israeli strikes was extensive, targeting Iran's missile infrastructure, military sites, leadership, nuclear program sites, and oil and gas sites like Kharg Island and South Pars. US Central Command reported that US forces have struck more than 7,000 targets in Iran since February 28, indicating a sustained and large-scale military campaign.
A controversial incident involved an attack on a girls' school near an IRGC base on February 28, with Iran accusing the US and Israel of killing 168 people, including around 110 children. The US said it was investigating the school incident, while Israel said it was not aware of any military operations in the area. BBC Verify reported expert video analysis shows a US Tomahawk missile hit a military base near the school, adding to conflicting accounts that highlight confusion over civilian casualties and potential war crimes.
Iran's retaliation strategy is to escalate strikes on neighbors' energy and economic infrastructure to create pressure for diplomacy. Iranian retaliatory strikes have hit targets in Israel, Gulf states, Cyprus, and Turkey. Iran's IRGC says it has launched attacks on at least 27 bases in the Middle East with US troops and Israeli military facilities, and Iran has launched strikes across nine countries: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and a UK base in Cyprus.
Iran has launched waves of ballistic missiles at Israel, with reports of higher casualties than Tel Aviv claims. Gulf states reported new missile and drone attacks after Iran threatened to widen its campaign, and Iranian strikes have killed at least a dozen civilians in Gulf states, mostly migrant workers. In the UAE, specific incidents included a drone strike sparking a fuel tank fire near Dubai airport, a missile killing a civilian in Abu Dhabi, and a drone igniting a fire in an oil infrastructure area.
Casualty reports in Iran are conflicting, with Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) reporting 3,220 people killed as of March 20, 2026, including 1,165 military personnel, 1,398 civilians with at least 210 children, and 657 unclassified. In contrast, Iran's Health Ministry says at least 1,500 people killed and 18,551 injured since February 28, with victims aged 8 months to 88 years, including 200 women and 168 children killed in a girls' school in Minab. The International Committee for the Red Cross said more than 1,300 people killed in Iran, further complicating the picture.
In Israel, casualty figures from Iranian attacks also show disagreements, with Israeli authorities saying 15 civilians were killed by Iranian missile fire as of March 19, 2026. However, at least 18 people killed and 3,730 injured, including 9 killed in a ballistic missile strike on Beit Shemesh on March 1, and Magen David Adom reported 12 dead in Israel from Iranian missile fire.
There will be no negotiations with the United States.
US military losses include at least three US jets shot down in the first two days of fighting, according to Iran, with the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense stating several US warplanes crashed over their territory. The US claims the jets were shot down by friendly fire, and at least 13 US military members killed, including 7 in combat and 6 in a plane crash over Iraq. The US military confirmed 13 fatalities from Iranian attacks across the region.
Additional Iranian naval losses include an Iranian warship sunk by a US submarine in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka on March 4, 2026, killing at least 87 people. The IRGC said it hit an Israeli F-16 in central Iranian airspace and attacked fuel tanks at Ben Gurion Airport, indicating ongoing aerial engagements.
Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused a global energy shock, prompting the International Energy Agency to release 400 million barrels from its strategic reserve.
Military resource strain is evident, with Iran receiving MiG-29, Su-35 fighter jets, and Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters from Russia. Operation Epic Fury is consuming vast quantities of air defense interceptors, draining Western stockpiles, and the US has reportedly begun diverting air defense assets from other regions, such as South Korea, to the Middle East.
Iran's leadership structure after Khamenei's death involves the Supreme National Security Council chaired by Ali Larijani, with a Provisional Leadership Council convened.
Diplomatic tensions have escalated, with Iran accusing the US of using UAE ports to launch strikes on Kharg Island. Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned of strikes on UAE's Ras Al-Khaimah if attacks continue from its territory.
The humanitarian impact extends beyond Iran and Israel, with Lebanon's crisis deepening as over 820 killed and 850,000 displaced due to Israeli strikes. More than 1,800 people have been killed so far, including 8 US service members and at least 175 students killed by a reported US strike on an Iranian elementary school.
Iran officially condemned the US-Israeli strikes as unprovoked, illegal and illegitimate, and the US military confirmed 13 fatalities from Iranian attacks across the region.