2026 Iran war

The 2026 Iran War (or the Operation Epic Fury of the United States) is a military conflict that commenced on February 28, 2026. The war was initiated by the major wave of surprise airstrikes made by the United States and Israel on Iran. The war is the biggest combat in the Middle East since 2003 Invasion of Iraq.

The war was preceded by conflict of several years regarding the nuclear program of Iran and its assistance to the actions of such groups as Hezbollah and Hamas. At the beginning of 2026, Iran experienced the most widespread demonstrations in decades domestically, which the Iranian government broke down with violence.

In the initial 12 hours on February 28, the U.S and Israeli forces targeted almost 900 strikes. Such attacks assassinated some of the senior Iranian leaders including the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The U.S. claimed that it aimed at ensuring Iran did not acquire a nuclear weapon and it would be stopping imminent threats in the region.

The attacks were retaliated by Iran firing hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles. These targeted: 

* Israel: Bombing Tel Aviv, Haifa.
* U.S. Military Bases: Particularly the ones in Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait and UAE.
* Neighboring Countries: Jordan and Saudi Arabia were reported to have gone on strike.

The Iranian military too tried to shut the Strait Of Hormuz which is a narrow waterway through which 20 percent of the oil in the world flows. This has resulted in a significant shock of energy which has seen a tremendous increase in the price of oil and gas globally.

The war is still on as of the end of March 2026. Although the U.S. and Israel have demolished most of the military installations in Iran, the Iranian regime has replaced Ali Khamenei by Mojtaba Khamenei and is still struggling. Peace talks have not been successful yet as the United Nations and many countries have demanded a ceasefire. These have seen the killing and injury of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the region.

## Background 
In 2018, the United States left the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (Iran nuclear deal). The Donald Trump government put back sanctions on Iran and used a "maximum pressure" plan.

The sanctions hurt Iran’s economy. The Iranian rial lost value, falling from 35,000 to 42,000 per US dollar in 2021. Banks that traded with Iran paid big fines. European companies stopped business with Iran. The sanctions made millions of Iranians poor, raised prices of food and medicine, and caused inflation and unemployment.

Tensions grew after the 7 October attacks in Israel and the Gaza war in 2023. Israel attacked Iran-backed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. In 2024, Israel and Iran exchanged strikes, and in 2025 they fought a short armed conflict for twelve days. The US joined in alongside Israel and bombed Iran’s nuclear sites on 22 June.

In late 2025, large protests started in Iran because of economic crisis and rising prices. These were the biggest since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The government used violence, killing thousands. Estimates of deaths range from 3,117 to 32,000. AP News said the violence made many Iranians hope for US help.

On 13 January 2026, Trump supported the protesters. On 23 January, he said a US "armada" was going to the Middle East, including aircraft carriers  and USS Gerald R. Ford.

## Casualties 
### Assassination of Ali Khamenei 
On 28 February 2026, an Israeli official said that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been killed in air strikes and that his body was identified. Benjamin Netanyahu also said there were signs Khamenei was dead, but Iran’s foreign ministry denied this. 

Iran International reported that Khamenei was dead, and Israeli officials said his body was found in rubble. Hours earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were alive "as far as I know". Some Iranian sources said Khamenei was "commanding the field". 

Western and Iranian media, citing Israeli sources, also reported Khamenei was dead. Donald Trump and Netanyahu both said they believed he was dead, but Iran did not confirm. CIA reports said that if Khamenei was dead, a hardliner from the IRGC would replace him.

### Military 
Reuters said some commanders in the IRGC may have been killed, but could not confirm. Later, it reported that defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour were likely killed. Araghchi admitted losses but said they were "not such a big problem". Iran International reported that Ali Shamkhani was killed, along with four senior intelligence officials. The IDF later confirmed seven Iranian leaders were killed, including Shamkhani, Nasirzadeh, and Pakpour. Other officials reported killed include Sal

ah Asadi, Mohammad Shirazi, Hossein Jabal Amelian, and Reza Mozaffari-Nia.

In Iraq, two members of the Popular Mobilization Forces were killed and three injured in an Israeli attack. A later report from *The New York Times* said three were dead. United States Central Command said it had no casualties and only light damage, while stopping hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles.

### Civilians 
At 17:30 CET on the first day of strikes, the Red Crescent said 201 civilians were killed and 747 injured in Iran.

Iranian strikes also caused casualties. The first Iranian air strike hit a building in Israel, injuring one civilian. Magen David Adom said 89 people were injured in Iran’s first attacks, three directly and the rest indirectly. Later, a strike in Tel Aviv killed one woman and injured 20 others. In the United Arab Emirates, one man was killed in an Iranian attack. In Syria, four people were killed when an Iranian missile hit a building. In Dubai, four people were injured in strikes on residential areas. In Tehran, two students were killed in a strike.

#### Minab school airstrike 
A girls' elementary school in Minab was hit in Israeli and American attacks. Reports said 201 students were killed and 747 wounded.

## Related pages 
* Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)
* Iran–Israel war
** June 2025 Israeli strikes on Iran
** United States strikes on Iranian nuclear sites
*2026 United States strikes in Venezuela
## Notes 
## References