The United States and Israel launched a sustained military attack on Tehran and other Iranian cities on February 28, 2026, according to multiple reports. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the attack, research indicates, with up to 200 senior military and civilian figures, including two generations of Khamenei's family, also perishing in what has been described as a decapitation strike. 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, according to research. Israeli officials told the US that Khamenei was killed in the strikes, research confirms.
Footage shared by Donald Trump showed US bunker-buster bombs destroying an ammunition depot in Iran, according to major media reports. The footage captured multiple enormous explosions illuminating the night sky above the Iranian city of Isfahan in the early hours of Tuesday morning, major media reports indicate, with a mushroom cloud rising from the impact zone. US President Donald Trump declared the aim of the attack was regime change in Tehran, according to research.
The US and Israel unleashed Operation Epic Fury against Iran, research indicates. The operation is codenamed 'Epic Fury' by the Pentagon and 'Roaring Lion' by Israel, according to research.
Following Khamenei's death, Iran's war is being run by the Supreme National Security Council, chaired by Ali Larijani, with a Provisional Leadership Council convened, research shows.
In retaliation, Iran has launched waves of ballistic missiles at Israel, research indicates. Iranian forces launched missiles and armed drones against Israel and US military facilities in all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, according to research. Iran struck civilian infrastructure in the Gulf, including ports and airports, research confirms.
The hostilities forced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which at least 20% of the world's oil supply passes, research indicates. Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused a global energy shock, prompting the International Energy Agency to release 400 million barrels from its strategic reserve, according to research.
Satellite images reveal new damage to Iran's Fordo enrichment facility, Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre, and Natanz enrichment complex from US and Israeli strikes, research shows. Satellite imagery shows Iran's Taleghan 2 site, tied to its nuclear program, has been struck in the latest military operations, according to research. Taleghan 2 had been reinforced with concrete and soil before the strike, research indicates, and the strike on Taleghan 2 may have involved 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs.
There will be no negotiations with the United States.
A leaked US intelligence document cast doubt on the overall impact of the strikes, research indicates. In contrast, the Israel Defense Forces said several senior Iranian officials were killed, including IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Ali Shamkhani, and Mohammad Bagheri, according to research.
A strike hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh all-girls' primary school in Minab, killing at least 165 students, staff, and others, research shows. The US and Israel have denied deliberately targeting the civilian school, according to research.
Casualty figures from the conflict vary significantly. According to Al Jazeera, citing Iran's Red Crescent, at least 201 people were killed across 24 provinces, and 747 were injured.
At least three US jets were shot down in the first two days of fighting, research indicates. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense stated that 'several' US warplanes had crashed over their territory. The US claims the jets were shot down by friendly fire, according to research.
Iran has received MiG-29, Su-35 fighter jets, and Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters from Russia, according to research.
Israel and the US said strikes were aimed at preventing Iran from building a nuclear weapon, according to research. Iran has consistently denied allegations of building nuclear weapons, insisting its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, research indicates.
The US-Israeli attacks on Iran cannot be legally justified under international law, according to expert Susan M. Akram.
Key unknowns persist in the conflict. The current status of the Strait of Hormuz, whether fully closed, partially open, or under military control, remains unclear. Specific evidence supporting the US and Israeli claim that strikes were aimed at preventing Iran from building a nuclear weapon has not been publicly detailed. It is unclear who is currently in effective control of Iran's government and military operations following Khamenei's death. The extent of damage to Iran's nuclear facilities and its impact on their nuclear capabilities is not yet fully assessed.