The United States and Israel, on February 28, 2026, launched an attack on Iran with a series of strikes. The US and Israel states this was to induce regime change after multiple protests by the Iranian citizens against the regime. This attack killed many Iranian officals including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was the supreme leader for nearly 37 years. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is now one of the leading choices for a successor.
For some background, this attack comes when the Iranian regime is at a weak point, as there have been multiple protests in 2026, which were stopped by extensive use of force. These protests shone a spotlight on the Iranian regime globally. President Trump had threatened Iran for weeks before that they would strike Iran unless it agreed to their demands, which mainly concerned Iran’s nuclear program.
According to the New York Times, the attacks began on the 28th, across multiple Iranian cities such as Karaj, Isfahan, Tehran, Kermanshah, and Qom. As of February 28th, according to the NY Times, at least 133 civilians have been killed, and 200 others were injured.
The strikes were aimed at a gathering of senior Iranian officials. The secretary of the defense council, Ali Shamkhani, and the commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Mohammad Pakpour, were both confirmed dead by Irans states news agency.
The U.S. states that the military carried out dozens of strikes with attack planes based in the Middle East. Similarly, the Israeli military stated its air force carried out a wave of strikes in western Iran. The Israeli military said on March 1st that it had begun another wave of strikes. These strikes are said to target Iran missle array and defense systems in the Middle East.
In retaliation, Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel, and neighboring countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, and more. However, the U.S. Central Command said the damage to U.S. bases in the region has been minimal.
It seems likely that Congress will vote on whether to enter further conflict with Iran and whether the US can go to war.
