Coordinated Military Strikes Target Iran
In a major escalation, the United States and Israel launched coordinated military operations, codenamed 'Epic Fury' and 'Roaring Lion,' against Iran on the night of February 28, 2026. The strikes targeted key military sites of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), uranium enrichment facilities, air defense systems, and government quarters in Tehran. The operation resulted in the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had held power for 36 years. In response, Iran declared a 40-day period of national mourning and a seven-day holiday.
Iran's Retaliation and Regional Fallout
Iran retaliated with its own operation, 'True Promise 4,' firing hundreds of ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones at Israeli airbases Nevatim and Tel Nof, as well as infrastructure in Tel Aviv, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan. The conflict quickly spread across the region: Lebanon's Hezbollah fired on Galilee and Haifa; Yemen's Houthis attacked US ships in the Red Sea and the port of Eilat; and Shiite militias in Iraq struck US bases in Iraq and Syria. The US and UK responded by bombing Houthi positions in Yemen and pro-Iranian groups in Iraq, while Israel struck southern Lebanon. This regional flare-up represents a significant shift in the long-standing, often covert, conflict between these powers.
This escalation occurred despite US intelligence assessments concluding that Iranian forces were unlikely to pose a direct threat to the US mainland within the next decade. The Saturday attack on Iran marked a dramatic break from years of US policy deliberation that had favored restraint against pursuing full-scale regime change in a nation of over 90 million people, as reported by The Washington Post.
Currently, a temporary Leadership Council is governing Iran, as a new ayatollah has not yet been appointed. Furthermore, Russia and Iran had signed a strategic partnership treaty in April 2025, and in December of that year, Russia agreed to provide Tehran with portable missiles worth 500 million euros. Despite these agreements, there were no reports of Russia providing direct military aid to Iran during the height of the crisis.
In the lead-up to the strikes, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made several private phone calls to US President Donald Trump over the preceding month, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued his campaign for US strikes against Iran. The situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile, with civilian air traffic over much of the region suspended.
The escalation between the US and Iran stands as one of the most significant regional confrontations in recent years, with potential consequences extending far beyond the Middle East to global geopolitics. The killing of Ayatollah Khamenei and the subsequent military actions underscore the severity of a situation that risks sparking new conflicts and worsening relations among states involved in regional disputes. It is also crucial to note that these developments could significantly impact global energy markets and stability in other parts of the world.