2026 Iran war

On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting military and government sites, assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials, and inflicting civilian casualties. The surprise attacks were launched during negotiations between Iran and the US. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes against Israel, US bases, and US allies in the Middle East, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global trade.

After the Middle Eastern crisis began in 2023, Iran and Israel exchanged missile strikes in 2024, and again during the Twelve-Day War in June 2025, which resulted in a US airstrike on Iranian nuclear sites. In January 2026, Iranian security forces massacred thousands of civilians in their crackdown on the largest Iranian protests since 1979. US president Donald Trump responded by threatening military action and starting the largest US military buildup in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Israeli–US airstrikes damaged military bases, government buildings, schools, hospitals, and heritage sites. In retaliation, Iran launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel and at US military bases in neighbouring Arab countries including Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Iran and its proxies launched strikes on Iraq's Kurdistan. A drone struck Britain's Akrotiri military base on Cyprus, and missiles were shot down over Turkey. Civilian infrastructure was struck, including in Oman and Azerbaijan. Iran denied attacking Azerbaijan, Oman, and Turkey, saying they were false-flag attacks. The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel escalated into the 2026 Lebanon war, killing more than 2,000 civilians and militants.

The Trump administration gave diverse and changing explanations for starting the war: to forestall Iranian retaliation after an expected Israeli attack, to stop an imminent Iranian threat, to destroy Iran's missile capabilities, to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon, to seize Iran's oil resources, and to achieve regime change by bringing the Iranian opposition to power. Iranian and some US officials rejected claims that Iran had been preparing an attack. The International Atomic Energy Agency said that while Iran has an "ambitious" nuclear program and refused to allow inspections of its damaged sites after the 2025 war, there was no evidence of an ongoing nuclear weapons program. United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres and several uninvolved countries condemned the US–Israeli strikes; the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning Iran's retaliatory strikes on the Gulf states. Critics of the war, including legal and international relations experts, described the US attacks as illegal under US law, an act of imperialism and a violation of Iran's sovereignty under international law.

The war's economic impact includes the world's biggest oil supply disruption since the 1970s energy crisis, surges in oil and gas prices, disruptions in aviation and tourism, and volatility in financial markets. Oil and gas shipments were disrupted by Iran's closure of the Hormuz Strait and Israeli and Iranian attacks on energy facilities. On 19 March, the cost of the war to the US military was estimated at US$18 billion, and the Pentagon requested a further US$200 billion. By 31 March, the cost to Arab countries was estimated at over US$120 billion. The Iranian government assessed the damage to their own economy as at least $300 billion and possibly as much as $1 trillion by 11 April.

President Trump claimed victory several times and stated the Iranian military had been "destroyed". Trump then continued to repeatedly threaten destruction of Iran's infrastructure and "civilization" if they did not make a deal with the US and re-open the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, the US and Israel agreed to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, beginning on 8 April. The ceasefire came under strain as Iran refused to re-open the Hormuz strait, blaming the Israeli strikes in Lebanon. After the failure of the Islamabad Talks, Trump said he no longer cared about negotiations, and announced a naval blockade of Iran to start on 13 April. On 16 April, President Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day truce.

Background

Iran's relations with the United States and Israel

A US- and UK-backed coup d'état in 1953 deposed democratically elected Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh due to his nationalization of the oil industry, strengthening the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Israel maintained ties with Iran as part of its alliance of the periphery strategy. Resentment of the Shah's deference to Western interests and his autocratic rule led to the 1979 revolution in which the Pahlavi was overthrown and replaced by an Islamic republic. The new regime viewed both the United States and Israel (themselves close allies) as meddling in regional affairs.Iran sees Israel as an occupier of Palestine, and severed diplomatic ties with both and held the American embassy staff hostage for over a year.

During the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s, the US supported Iraq. In 1988, a US warship was struck by an Iranian mine; US responded by attacking Iran's navy. A few months later, the US mistakenly shot down a civilian Iranian flight. Iran started a ballistic missile program to deter Iraqi missile attacks on Iranian cities and to compensate for its lack of a modern air force due to sanctions.

Also in the 1980s, Iran began in engaging in proxy conflicts in the region, backing Hezbollah in Lebanon. In 2002, Iran's nuclear program was exposed, triggering economic sanctions and a US–Israel cyberattack on Iran. In the 2000s, Iran supported militias fighting the US in Iraq. These proxies became part of an informal Axis of Resistance committed to countering US and Israel influence in the region. The conflict escalated in January 2020 when President Trump ordered the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force.

Tensions escalated following Hamas' 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel and the start of the Gaza war. Israel decimated Iran-backed militias across the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis,[citation needed] and others. Israeli strikes on the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh were met with limited strikes on Israel in April and October. Israel waged the Twelve-Day War on Iran in June 2025, which included an American airstrike targeting Iran's nuclear facilities.

Iran nuclear issue

Iran suspended its AMAD Project pursuant to Ali Khamenei's fatwa against nuclear weapons in 2003. Khamenei banned nuclear weapons of any kind. Iran said it was not seeking nuclear weapons, and that its enrichment efforts were to generate nuclear power for civilian use. Analysts in the UK and US have characterized Iran’s strategy as nuclear hedging, developing the technical infrastructure to assemble a weapon on short notice while stopping short of actual production.

UN Security Council (UNSC) concerns about Iran's nuclear program from 2006 led to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the US in 2015. Despite Iran's compliance with the JCPOA, Trump withdrew the US from the deal in 2018, re-imposed sanctions, and adopted a "maximum pressure" strategy. The Biden administration kept most of these sanctions in place, further damaging Iran's economy. Trump continued the "maximum pressure" approach in his second term. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent labelled the collapse of the Iranian currency in December 2025 as the strategy's "grand culmination". At his State of the Union Address on 24 February 2026, Trump claimed that Iran had restarted its nuclear program and was developing missiles capable of striking the US.

A few days later, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran had stored highly enriched uranium in an underground facility that was undamaged by US bombings in 2025. Subsequently, Iran denied the IAEA access to nuclear facilities that had been bombed, but did provide access at least once to all unaffected facilities since June 2025. Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said Iran would not permit inspections of facilities struck by the US until the IAEA established rules for the post-war situation, insisting on codified protocols for internationally protected facilities subjected to military attacks, and that the IAEA condemn the attacks.

In February 2026, Iran informed the IAEA that normal safeguards were "legally untenable and materially impracticable," as a result of threats and "acts of aggression," leaving the IAEA unable to verify whether Iran had suspended enrichment or confirm the status of its current stockpile, though it found no evidence Iran was weaponizing. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists said that Iran was using its enrichment program and uranium stockpiles for leverage in international negotiations, and was willing to dilute or export its higher-level enriched uranium in exchange for sanctions relief and prevention of future attacks.

Prelude

Tensions between Iran and the US over Iran's nuclear program began to intensify in January 2026 amid Iran's ongoing massacres of Iranian civilians in their crackdown of the 2025–2026 anti-government protests. The US and Iran began indirect negotiations in February in Oman, but produced no agreement. The US began amassing air and naval assets in the region at a level not seen since the outset of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The US government signaled that airstrikes remained an option, emphasizing that all responses were under consideration while maintaining that diplomacy was still preferred. Regional actors, including Qatar, cautioned that any escalation could have severe consequences for the Middle East. Negotiations regarding the Iranian nuclear program were held in February, on 28 February 2026 the US and Israel conducted military strikes in Iran.

Hostilities

First week (28 February – 6 March)

On 27February at 3:38 p.m. EST (11:08 p.m. IRST), Donald Trump, traveling on Air Force One to Corpus Christi, Texas, gave the order to proceed with Operation Epic Fury. US missiles, drones, and Israeli fighter jets began striking Iran the next day, around 9:45 a.m. IRST (1:15 a.m. EST). The strikes took place during active negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. The attacks coincided with the holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast from dawn to sunset.

The operation was codenamed Operation Roaring Lion by Israel. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) said that it had struck 500 military targets in western and central Iran in the largest combat sortie in its history. Iranian naval vessels were also targeted. Israel later said its initial strikes used over 1,200 bombs in 24 hours. A US official said dozens of USstrikes were carried out by planes based around the Middle East and from one or more aircraft carriers.

According to Iran International, quoting the Iranian Students' News Agency, thousands of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel, including several senior officials, were killed or wounded[vague] as several military bases were attacked. Several strikes hit Tehran's Pasteur Street district, where the presidential palace is, and the National Security Council.

The strikes were coupled with cyberattacks on Iranian infrastructure, media, and phone apps, with messages calling on Iranians to rise up against their government. The cyberattacks resulted in a near-total internet blackout in Iran, lasting over 60hours with connectivity dropping to as low as 1%of normal levels, disrupting government communications, state media, and public services. Iran has since restricted internet access to its people, allowing access only for government-approved users.

Israeli military officials said months-long planning preceded their strikes, allowing them to pinpoint their targets, attain "tactical surprise", and gain US support. Attacking during the morning, rather than at night which was when most of Israel's previous attacks on Iran took place, added to the element of surprise. After the strikes began, Israel declared a state of emergency, citing expectation of an Iranian retaliation, and warned its citizens to remain in protected areas. Israel called up 20,000 reservists in addition to the 50,000 already on duty. The Israeli Ministry of Health moved its hospital operations underground. Israel warned Iranian civilians residing near military industries and infrastructure to evacuate immediately.

At 2:30a.m.EST on 28February, Donald Trump released an eight-minute video statement on Truth Social, saying that the purpose of the USstrikes in Iran was effectively[vague] regime change. Trump said that Iran's "menacing activities" endangered the US and its allies. He cited the Iran hostage crisis, support for proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and its killings of protesters. Trump cited Iran calling "Death to America" and its alleged history of attacking US civilians and soldiers as evidence of Iran's intent against the United States.

Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu both warned of the potential threat of nuclear weapons in Iran and called on the Iranian people to overthrow their government. The Times of Israel reported that Defense Minister Israel Katz labeled the strikes a "pre-emptive attack" intended to "remove threats to the State of Israel". Iran rejected claims that it intended to attack the United States, citing the aggressive posture of the US armed forces as evidence.

Iranian forces reacted within hours by launching missiles and drones. Iran codenamed its military response Operation True Promise IV. Iranian state media also dubbed the events as the Ramadan War, as the US-Israeli attacks coincided with the holy month of Ramadan.

Iran struck Israeli targets in Tel Aviv and Haifa as well as multiple countries throughout the Persian Gulf region. Major targets included Bahrain's capital Manama, Kuwait International Airport, the United Arab Emirates' capital Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia, and Erbil International Airport and the US Consulate General in Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Iran reported striking the US bases of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and the US Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. Local sources said Iran used Shahed drones, which are among the weapons most used by Iran and its proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah. On 1 or 2 March, Iran struck the radar bases for US THAAD missile defense systems in Jordan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, destroying at least one of them.

Israel launched a new wave of strikes against Iranian targets. Iran launched missiles and drones on Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The United Kingdom reported "two missiles fired in the direction of Cyprus", but that they "don't believe they were targeted at Cyprus". However, the presidents of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus both denied the claims that any missiles were fired at Cyprus. Two oil tankers, the Palau-flagged Skylight and the Marshall Islands-flagged MKD VYOM, were targeted off the coast of Oman. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a standstill, with 150 freight ships, including many oil tankers, stalled.

To avert further Iranian strikes, the E3 (the UK, France, and Germany) resolved to back, if needed, "proportionate military defensive measures" against drones and ballistic missiles, signaling the potential for direct involvement. British prime minister Keir Starmer said that US can use British bases for "defensive" strikes on Iran and disclosed that Ukrainian and other specialists would aid Gulf efforts to foil Iranian drone strikes. CNN reported that Saudi Crown Prince Salman, with US backing, vowed to employ military force against further Iranian incursions, calling Iranian strikes "cowardly" due to Saudi airspace being closed to US and Israeli attackers. On 1 March, Trump announced that the US had accepted an Iranian proposal to further negotiations. However, Ali Larijani subsequently ruled out talks.

On 2 March, the US embassy in Kuwait was struck and subsequently closed indefinitely; no casualties were reported. The US-flagged tanker Stena Imperative and the Honduras-flagged tanker Athe Nova were also struck. A senior official and advisor to the IRGC commander said he would set fire to any ship coming through the Strait of Hormuz, and added that no oil will leave the area.

Qatar shot down two Iranian Su-24bombers, making it the first nation to shoot down an Iranian aircraft in the conflict. The Qatari Ministry of Defense announced that Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial Area were struck by two Iranian drones. On 6March, it was reported that according to satellite imagery analysis by both Bloomberg and the Energy Economics and Society Research Institute in Tokyo, Ras Laffan, the main gas facility in Qatar, appeared to have not been damaged before the "unprecedented shutdown" which sent fuel prices higher.

The United States and Israel attacked the Natanz Nuclear Facility and the Iranian media reported damage to the Khatam-al-Anbia and Gandhi hospitals. A friendly fire incident took place when the pilot of an F/A-18 of the Kuwait Air Force shot down three US F-15Efighters. Israel and Hezbollah exchanged strikes. Hezbollah began firing rockets and missiles on Israel in retaliation for the killing of Khamenei. Hezbollah later claimed that the attack was a "defensive act" after over a year of Israeli attacks despite a 2024 truce. It added that it restarted fighting to force Israel to stop its aggression and evacuate from seized Lebanese territories, emphasizing that the move was unrelated to the war.

Lebanon banned military activities by Hezbollah after the attacks. An IDF spokesperson issued an emergency statement stating that the attack is to be considered "an official declaration of war by Hezbollah", vowing to "neutralize" the threat. Israel struck southern Lebanon, Beirut, and the Beqaa Valley. The IDF said that it killed the head of Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters Hussein Makled in the strikes. In Lebanon, the IDF killed Adham Adnan al-Othman, the head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad's armed wing, Al-Quds Brigades, in Lebanon.

The Royal Air Force station at Akrotiri, Cyprus, was targeted by a drone strike around midnight local time, with one causing minor damage. Another strike on Cyprus led to Greece announcing that they would deploy frigates and F-16s to defend Cyprus from any further strikes by Iran. The pro-Iran militant group Guardians of the Blood Brigade claimed responsibility for attacks on the US Victory Base near Baghdad International Airport and Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for over 23drone strikes on USassets in Erbil.

On 3 March, US and Israeli strikes reportedly destroyed the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) headquarters, the Expediency Discernment Council building in Tehran, and what Israeli officials described as an underground nuclear weapons facility called Min Zadai. The proximity of these strikes to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (about 12 km (7.5 mi) away) prompted the Russian agency Rosatom to suspend construction on new units and evacuate non-essential staff due to a loss of communication with Iranian officials.

US officials said US forces severely damaged Iran's naval capabilities, mainly in the Gulf of Oman, where several Iranian warships have reportedly been destroyed and key bases hit. Debris from an airstrike damaged Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, causing UNESCO to issue a statement that damaging UNESCO property is against international law.

Israel Katz authorized a ground invasion of Lebanon on 3 March. They were later followed by a ground incursion in southern Lebanon with forces from the 91st Division with the goal to establish a "security layer" for the Israeli residents of northern settlements against Hezbollah, expecting to destroy their infrastructure in the Israel-Lebanon border. The Lebanese government reported that such Israeli preventive attacks reached Kfarkela and Qouzah, provoking the Lebanese army to do a redeployment from newly established border posts amid escalating Israeli activity in violation of the 2024 Israel–Lebanon ceasefire agreement. Israel also reported that it killed Daoud Alizadeh, the commander of the Quds Force's Lebanon branch, in Tehran.

Western diplomats and other sources told The Jerusalem Post that Qatar had struck Iran after Iran had attempted to strike Doha's airport and Qatar shot down two Iranian Su-24 bombers; Channel 12 also reported Qatari strikes. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari denied the accusation that Qatar had joined the "campaign targeting Iran". An IRGC general warned it would hit all economic hubs in the Middle East, and Abbas Araghchi said that any defensive European military involvement would be considered an act of war.

On 4March, US secretary of state Marco Rubio announced that the US-Israeli attacks on Iran would increase in their intensity. Israel attacks hit the Basij headquarters. Mojtaba Khamenei survived an airstrike. The IDF announced that an F-35I "Adir" shot down a Russian-made Iranian Yak-130 fighter jet over Tehran, the first time that an F-35 has ever shot down a crewed fighter jet in air-to-air combat and the first time the Israeli Air Force shot down an aircraft since 1985.

Iran launched strikes against the Al Udeid Air Base, as well as Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refining facility. The United States ordered the evacuation of non-essential workers in Cyprus in anticipation of Iranian strikes and issued a travel warning for the country.[unreliable source?] A ballistic missile launched from Iranian territory was intercepted by NATO integrated air defense systems as it entered Turkish airspace, marking a significant escalation in the regional conflict. Turkey asserted its right to self-defense after the missile landed in Dörtyol, Hatay Province, and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte stated that the alliance was committed to defending Turkey.

An Iranian Navy frigate, IRIS Dena, was sunk in the Indian Ocean by United States Navy submarine USS Charlotte, about 40 nautical miles (74 km; 46 mi) south of Galle, Sri Lanka. The vessel was returning to Iran following its participation in the International Fleet Review 2026 and the multilateral Exercise MILAN at Visakhapatnam, India. The exercise required participating ships not to carry any ammunition, and the US likely knew the Dena was defenseless, since it also sent a maritime patrol aircraft to participate. It was the first ship sunk by a submarine in active combat since the Falklands War, and the first by an American submarine since World War II. According to the Iranian army, 104 Iranians were killed and 32 were injured from this attack.

The government of Azerbaijan said on 5 March that two drones from Iran struck Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave damaging an airport and injuring two civilians. Keir Starmer confirmed that the UK's bases on Cyprus would be used to defend the airspace of Jordan from Iranian drones, while Italy, the Netherlands and Spain confirmed that they would be sending warships to defend Cyprus. Ireland stated that they would be willing to protect Cyprus and join the European defense coalition that had mobilized around the island if requested. The IDF killed Hamas official Wassim Attallah al-Ali in Beddawi, Lebanon.

Trump said on 6 March that there are "no time limits" for how long the war will continue for, and Hegseth stated that the war has "only just begun". The Iranian tanker IRIS Bushehr was interned by the Sri Lanka Navy, marking the first instance of a warship being interned in a neutral country since World War II.

Second week (7–13 March)

On 7 March, the US sent a third aircraft carrier, USS George H. W. Bush, to the Middle East. The British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales was placed on advanced readiness to defend British interests in the region. Pezeskhian told reporters on 7 March that Iran would stop striking neighbors from 7 March onwards unless an attack originated from there. Despite this, Dubai International Airport was later attacked by Iranian drones. NDTV reported that following a week's hostilities, Iran might only have around one thousand ballistic missiles left. On 7 March, ballistic missiles were fired from Bahrain toward Iran, likely by US forces.

On 8 March, Khamenei's second son, Mojtaba, was designated as Iran's new supreme leader. Also on 8 March, US Central Command posted a message on X in Persian and Arabic which "strongly urge[s] civilians in Iran to stay at home" and alleging that "[t]he Iranian regime is knowingly endangering innocent lives by using heavily populated civilian areas to conduct military operations, including launching one-way attack drones and ballistic missiles".

Israeli airstrikes hit some of Iran's oil storage facilities, killing four people. Strikes on fuel depots near Tehran caused a "river of fire" to pour out along the streets in the surrounding area, and the city became engulfed in a cloud of thick black smoke, causing black toxic acidic rain to fall in the surrounding area. Residents were advised by Iranian authorities to stay indoors, wear masks when outside, and conserve food and fuel. Kuwait reported that two of its officers were killed while performing duties. The Saudi Civil Defense agency said that a strike on a compound in Al-Kharj killed two people and injured 12 others. US Central Command announced the death of a seventh US service member from an Iranian attack.

The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense confirmed that its forces had intercepted an Iranian drone headed towards Iraq. Additionally, the Ministry declared their intention to send a Merlin helicopter to the region to help aid in detecting future aerial threats. According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, a total of 65 schools and 32 medical facilities (such as hospitals and pharmacies) have been targeted since the war started, and more than 10,000 civilian sites have been damaged. On 9 March, NATO confirmed the interception of a second ballistic missile over Turkish air space, landing in the area of Gaziantep. Meanwhile, Turkey deployed six F-16s and air defence systems to Northern Cyprus to ensure its security.

Trump claimed that "the war is very complete, pretty much", after speaking with Russian president Vladimir Putin, and said "we already won the war in many ways." He additionally claimed that the Strait of Hormuz was open but also expressed interest in taking it over from Iran. Trump later went back on some of his comments during a press conference held later that day, supporting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in stating that the war was just the "beginning of building a new country" and that it would end "soon". However, Trump also said that the US will have the "most intense day" of strikes on Tuesday. Following Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa's support for the Lebanon's objective to disarm Hezbollah, the group targeted the city of Inkhil in Syria. About a dozen B1-B bombers arrived at bases in Europe. Five landed at the Fairford Royal Air Force base, UK, joining three B-52 bombers, while three others were redirected to Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

GPS jamming of uncertain origin has disrupted navigation of ships near the Strait of Hormuz, which may lead to disastrous accidents for oil tankers. The United States Department of State (supported by Saudi Arabia) designated the Muslim Brotherhood branch in Sudan (a Sudanese Islamist organization) as a terrorist organization due to its nexus with the Axis of Resistance.[failed verification] Members of their militia fought alongside the IRGC due to the contacts established with the Al-Bara' ibn Malik Battalion during the Iranian intervention in Sudan. On 10 March, a senior IRGC commander stated that Iran was only firing missiles with payloads of 1,000 kg or more. AFP reported that Iran's attacks were the "most intense and heaviest" since the start of the war. This shows a shift in tactics from saturating air defences to high-impact penetration strikes.

Following the Syrian presidency's support for the disarmament of Hezbollah and a campaign of mobilization by the Syrian army on the Lebanese border, shells from Lebanon landed in the town of Serghaya, 20 km (12 mi) from Damascus where the Syrian Armed Forces forces presided. The strikes were confirmed by the Operations Authority of the Syrian Army. Later in the day, Israel issued an urgent evacuation notice to southern suburbs of Beirut.

US admiral Brad Cooper reported that Iran's ballistic missile launch rate fell 90% from day one of the war and their drone launch rate fell 83%. Defense analyst AJ Jaff reported that the missile launch rate fell 92% (480 to 40) and the drone launch rate fell 92% (720 to 60). On 11 March 11 B-1 and three B-52 US bombers were deployed to RAF Fairford in the UK, where long-range photography showed bombs being prepared for loading. This followed US war secretary Pete Hegseth's statement that it was the "most intense day of strikes inside Iran", though the targets of the mission remain unknown.

A branch of Bank Sepah in Tehran was hit by a strike, prompting the IRGC to warn that in the future, they could retaliate by striking US or Israeli banks in the region. Iran hit Stryker, a US-based medical supply company with a cyber attack. On 12 March, UNICEF reported that more than 1,100 children were injured or killed (200 reportedly killed in Iran, 91 in Lebanon, 4 in Israel, and 1 in Kuwait), hundreds of thousands displaced, and millions unable to attend schools from the violence of the war since it started. It also noted that these numbers will likely increase.

Iranian deputy intelligence minister Akbar Ghaffari was killed in an airstrike. An Iranian attack set two oil tankers on fire off the Iraqi coast, killing one person and prompting Iraq to suspend all oil terminal operations. The historical Safavid-era building of Rashk-e Jenan, also known as the Rashk Palace, was destroyed by direct US-Israeli strikes. Other buildings that were damaged according to Ruhollah Seyed al-Asgari, the deputy director of cultural heritage for Isfahan province, include Chehel Sotoun pavilion, the Rakib Khaneh Mansion, the Timurid Hall, the Ashraf Hall and the windows of Ali Qapu palace. Many of the affected buildings and monuments were legally protected by the Blue Shield International, which called damaging such sites a war crime. Six French soldiers were injured in a drone strike at a base in Mala Qara, Iraqi Kurdistan. French president Emmanuel Macron announced on 13 March that one French soldier was killed in the attack.

Also on 13 March, to help deal with the economic costs of the war, the US temporarily lifted restrictions on the sale of Russian oil. However, oil prices have barely been affected by this. Iran announced a coordinated offensive by IRGC Navy, the Iranian Army, and Hezbollah against Israel and US bases. Israel reported that 58 people have been hospitalized due to injuries following a missile strike. Iran again targeted Gulf countries with missiles and drones, causing oil prices to rise. Bahrain reported attacks on fuel tanks. Two people were injured when a "hostile drone" struck a residential building in Kuwait. The Kuwaiti authorities also stated that defense equipment and the country's main international airport were attacked, and six power lines were reported to have gone out of service. AFP reported that explosions were heard in downtown Dubai. At the same time, the British Maritime Trade Operations Agency said a container ship was attacked 35 nautical miles (65 kilometers) north of Jebel Ali in the UAE. According to Al Jazeera Arabic, sirens went off in every city across Jordan.

For the third time in the war, ballistic missiles entered Turkish air space and were intercepted, with explosions heard in the proximity of the city of Adana as well as sirens from Incirlik Air Base. Israel struck several IRGC checkpoints in Iran. According to Reuters, Israel attacked the checkpoints after receiving tip-offs by on the ground informants. Reuters also reported Israel had struck positions of the Basij used to suppress Iranian protests.

Third week (14–20 March)

As of the third week, analysts found little evidence of significant defections or desertions in the Iranian military; military defections have been considered a necessary condition for regime change. The US conducted a large-scale attack on Kharg Island, a key oil export hub home to 90 percent of Iran's oil exports. Over 90 military sites were targeted while the oil infrastructure was not targeted "for reasons of decency", according to Trump. Oil prices have risen over 40percent since the start of the war. According to CENTCOM, around 90military targets were struck, while the island's oil infrastructure was not targeted. On 14March, Kata'ib Hezbollah security commander Abu Ali al-Askari was killed in an airstrike in Baghdad, according to the group.

The first two floors of the Royal Tulip Al Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad's Green Zone were hit by a drone whilst hosting a European Union and Saudi Arabian delegation. The attack was not claimed by anyone; however, due to the proximity of a similar attack that had happened 48hours earlier on the US embassy in Baghdad, there were suspicions of it being an Iranian attack.

On 16 March, both China and US-aligned NATO nations in Europe rejected Trump's call to provide military support to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump rebuked his NATO allies, calling their decision a "very foolish mistake". On 17 March, Trump made a statement on Truth Social renouncing NATO's assistance, and unexpectedly, US allies in the Indo-Pacific, namely Japan, South Korea, and Australia, for refusing to join US-led attacks on Iran during the war. In the same statement, Trump declared that the United States "[does] not need the help of anyone" regarding the war.

In the early morning of 17 March, several senior Iranian officials, including Ali Larijani and Basij chief Gholamreza Soleimani were targeted by Israeli airstrikes. Both their deaths were later confirmed by Iranian state media. In response, Iran launched a missile barrage that killed two Israeli civilians in Ramat Gan. The same day, Israel launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

On 18 March, in a major escalation, Israel struck the South Pars natural gas field in the Persian Gulf and its neighboring refineries in Iran with US coordination. In retaliation, Iran attacked the world's largest LNG production facility in Qatar. Trump claimed he was not aware of the South Pars attack, promised that there would be no more Israeli attacks on Iranian oil infrastructure, and threatened Iran not to continue attacking Qatari energy infrastructure. On the same day, Israel said it had killed Iranian intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib in an overnight airstrike. Pezeshkian confirmed Khatib's killing on the same day. A hair salon in Beit Awwa was struck by a projectile, killing four women and injuring six, with Israeli authorities stating that it was most likely cluster munitions and Palestinian authorities saying it was an errant Israeli interceptor.

On 19 March, a US F-35 made an emergency landing after a suspected hit by Iranian forces. A BAZAN Group refinery in Haifa was hit during a broader Iranian missile attack on the area as a retaliation for Israeli attacks on South Pars gas facilities. Netanyahu insisted that "You can't make a revolution from the air" and that "there must be a ground component — I won't share with you all the options", implying that there was a potential for limited assault operations involving soldiers on the ground in Iran. The US began an aerial campaign against Iranian vessels and drones in the Strait of Hormuz as part of an effort to reopen it to international shipping.

Fourth week (21–27 March)

Admiral Brad Cooper said that the US military had so far struck more than 8,000 Iranian military targets, including 130 vessels. On 21 March, the US conducted strikes on the Natanz Nuclear Facility using bunker buster bombs to target the site. Russia condemned the strikes on Natanz as a "blatant violation of international law," while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urged military restraint "to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident". In response, Iran struck the southern Israeli town of Dimona, injuring at least 78 people. Iran said that it targeted the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center.

Citing unnamed US officials, CNN and The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran unsuccessfully attempted to strike the joint US–UK military base at Diego Garcia on the Chagos Islands in the British Indian Ocean Territory. The report said one of the missiles broke apart mid-flight, while another was intercepted by a SM-3 air defence missile launched by a US warship. Israel said that Iran used a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile to target the island. Iran denied launching missiles towards Diego Garcia, saying that it was an Israeli false flag attack. No evidence has been presented that the alleged Iranian missiles neared Diego Garcia or that one was intercepted.

The Houthi movement in Yemen warned that it would respond to any escalation against Iran, including efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It specifically warned the two Arab countries offering to join the Strait of Hormuz campaign—Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates—that they "will be the first to lose in this battle". The Houthis further threatened to join the war in the event that US allies joined the attack on Iran or if the US and Israel used the Red Sea to carry out operations. Lebanon's government expelled the Iranian ambassador.

Trump issued an ultimatum to Iran, threatening to strike its power plants unless it opened the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Iran doubled down, threatening to "completely" close the Strait of Hormuz and strike vital infrastructure across the region such as energy and desalination facilities critical for drinking water. Iranian opposition figure and former crown prince Reza Pahlavi called on Trump and Netanyahu to target the military while sparing civilian infrastructure which "Iranians will need to rebuild our country." Halfway through the deadline, Trump announced that he was postponing strikes against Iranian power plants for five days, and said the US was negotiating with Iran to end the war. Iran denied the talks ever took place or were taking place and called the president "deceitful". Iran rejected the 15-point peace plan presented by the US. Iran asserted that Lebanon must be included as part of a ceasefire deal, thereby making a ceasefire conditional on an end to the 2026 Lebanon war against Hezbollah.

On 24 March, Israel or its allies shot down an Iranian missile crossing above Lebanon at high altitude, according to the Lebanese army, which also confirmed that the missile was not targeting Lebanon. This was the first time during the current conflict when a shootdown of an Iranian missile took place over Lebanese territory.

A US strike on the Habbaniya military base—which hosts units from the Popular Mobilization Forces—in Al Anbar Governorate killed seven members of the Iraqi Armed Forces and injured 13 others. In response, Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani summoned the US embassy's chargé d'affaires in Baghdad. Iranian state media threatened that Iran could seize Bahraini and Emirati territory if the US "makes any mistakes", while signaling its readiness to open a new front in Yemen by closing the Bab al-Mandab with the Houthis. Israel said it killed Iran's top naval commander, Alireza Tangsiri, purportedly as part of an effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Katz said Tangsiri was "directly responsible" for the closure of.

On 27 March, a day after Trump and Hegseth announced the "neutralization" of Iran's military, an Iranian missile and drone strike on Prince Sultan Air Base damaged several US refueling aircraft and injured at least 15 US soldiers. An E-3 Sentry was also damaged by the strike. Military analyst Cedric Leighton described the attack as a "a serious blow to [US] surveillance capabilities". Iran showed no signs of ceding its control over the Strait of Hormuz. The same day, Iran blocked two Chinese ships from entering the strait and sought to formalize fees for ships passing through it. Despite pushes for talks, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly vowed to "intensify and expand" Israeli attacks in Iran. The same day, the Shahid Khondab Heavy Water Complex in Arak, which has in the past been used to test uranium enrichment, and the Ardakan yellowcake production plant in Yazd Province were confirmed to have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes.

Fifth week (28 March – 3 April)

The Houthis joined the war on 28 March launching a ballistic missile towards Israel. The Houthis said that they had launched ballistic missiles targeting "sensitive" military sites in Israel, and vowed to continue the attacks "until the aggression on all resistance fronts stops". The missile was intercepted and no casualties were reported. The Houthis subsequently launched a second missile at Eilat. In response, the internationally recognized Yemeni government condemned Iran's "frequent attempts to drag Yemen" into conflict "through its terrorist militias". On the same day, 2,500 US marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in the Middle East. They are intended to be part of the effort to open the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command stated that it had struck over 11,000 targets in Iran since the beginning of the war. On 28 March, joint US–Israeli airstrikes severely damaged several residential and civilian facilities, including the Iran University of Science and Technology. In response, Iran threatened to attack Israeli and American colleges across the Middle East. Airstrikes also struck a 10,000-cubic-meter water reservoir in Haftkel, in Khuzestan province.

An Iranian missile struck a chemical plant in the Ne'ot Hovav industrial zone, injuring one person and causing fears of a hazardous leak. A convoy of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces was seen entering Khorramshahr in southwestern Iran. Eleven-year-old child soldier Alireza Jafari died following an Israeli drone strike.

On 30 March, Trump said on Truth Social that if a deal was not reached soon and the Strait of Hormuz reopened, the US would conclude the war by destroying all of Iran's power plants, oil wells, Kharg Island, and possibly all its desalinization plants, although the feasibility and strategic value of some of Trump's threats were contested. On the same day Turkey and NATO intercepted the fourth missile directed towards Turkish territory. Iran denied firing a missile at Turkey, claiming that it was a false flag attack. The US began flying B-52 bombers over Iranian territory for the first time, indicating its confidence of air supremacy over Iran. The US used bombers to target an ammunition depot and air base in Isfahan, causing vast explosions. U.S-allied Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain reportedly pushed Trump to continue the war until there are significant changes in Iran's leadership. American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad by Kata'ib Hezbollah—the strongest faction within the PMF—who demanded that the Iraqi government release several detained members of the group.

On 1 April, Mehr News Agency, a semi-official Iranian government news outlet, reported that policy expert and former foreign minister Kamal Kharazi was seriously injured and his wife was killed in an airstrike which hit his home. Iranian officials described the attack as an attempt to derail diplomacy, noting that Kharazi was overseeing a possible meeting between Iranian officials and US vice president JD Vance. Airstrikes on the strategically important Hengam Island in the Strait of Hormuz caused seven injuries. Trump indicated that he was no longer concerned about Iran's enriched uranium buried underground. Netanyahu asserted that the US–Israeli strikes have eliminated Iran's ability to produce nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, thereby removing "two existential threats" to Israel. The Iranian president Pezeshkian published an open letter to US citizens.

Late in the day on 1 April, Trump made a speech addressing the nation, in which he said that the strikes have "dramatically curtailed" Iranian missile and drone systems, and added that the attacks on Iran will escalate over the next two to three weeks to "bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong".

On 2 April, Two US strikes on the B1 bridge between Tehran and Karaj, which was described as the highest bridge in the Middle East, reportedly killed eight people and wounded 95 others, causing it to collapse. Trump gloated on the attack, which experts assessed as a possible war crime. At the time of the attack, many Iranian families had been gathered in the parks below the bridge to celebrate Sizdah Be-dar.

Iran revealed major damage to the century-old medical center Pasteur Institute of Iran. US Defense Secretary Hegseth boasted of "death and destruction from the sky all day long". The IDF also announced that one of its strikes in the Kermanshah area of Iran killed Iranian ballistics missile chief Makram Atimi and several battalion commanders from Atimi's central Iranian ballistic missile unit. An Iranian ballistic missile strike damaged an Israeli drone factory in Petah Tikva.

On 3 April, Iranian forces shot down a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet over the country, with the wreckage falling in the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province of Iran, prompting a search and rescue mission by US helicopters. The pilot was rescued that same day, but the WSO remained missing and was rescued alive 48 hours later.

A US A-10 "Warthog" aircraft was downed and its single crew member ejected near the Strait of Hormuz and was rescued. Iran released a video showing shooting down the aircraft using surface-to-air missile.

On the same day, Tehran's Shahid Beheshti University was hit by airstrikes, making the total number of universities hit to more than 30, according to the Iranian Minister of Science.

Sixth week (4–7 April)

On 4 April, explosions were reported at an auxiliary building of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant as well as the Mahshahr Special Petrochemical Zone in Mahshahr, Iran. The airstrikes in Mahshahr killed at least five and injured 170 others. An Iranian missile strike hit in the vicinity of the IDF's HaKirya headquarters in Tel Aviv.

On 5 April, after heavy fighting, the second stranded crew member from the F-15E downed on 3 April was recovered by US forces in a rescue operation, which resulted in damage to helicopters, the shooting down of an A-10 Thunderbolt II, and the destruction of two C-130 Hercules, three IRGC members killed, and several American service members injured.

On 6 April, the IRGC announced that the head of the IRGC's intelligence organisation, Major General Majid Khademi, had been killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike. Their statement claimed that Khademi had "played a major role in Iran's intelligence and security apparatus over nearly five decades". Israel claimed that Yazdan Mir, a high-ranking commander of the IRGC Quds Force, had also been killed in the attacks.

On the same day, before Trump's deadline for targeting Iranian infrastructure, Israel carried out strikes on the South Pars Petrochemical facility in Asaluyeh, Iran. The Israeli Air Force claimed that "85% of Iran's petrochemical exports" had been taken offline by now.

At least 34 people, including six children, were killed in US-Israeli airstrikes across Iran, including against Sharif University of Technology and residential areas. Iranian vice president and reformist politician Mohammad Reza Aref, who is also an alumnus of the university, described the alleged use of a bunker-buster bomb as a "symbol of Trump’s madness and ignorance".

On 7 April, US forces began strikes on Kharg Island. In response, Iran said its restraint in targeting oil infrastructure in the region would no longer apply. On the same day, Trump posted to Truth Social that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again", causing domestic concern that Trump would use nuclear weapons. The Secretary General of Amnesty International said that Trump’s statement "may constitute a threat to commit genocide". Right-wing commentators such as Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, and Anthony Scaramucci condemned Trump's post. Jones, Candace Owens, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and multiple Democrats additionally called for him to be removed through the 25th Amendment. The White House denied considering using nuclear weapons. The White House later said that "only the president knows" what he would do on Iran. The Rafi'-Nia synagogue in central Tehran was destroyed in an airstrike. Israel said that the building was destroyed due to collateral damage and that it was never meant to be the direct target of the airstrike.

Ceasefire (8 April – present)

On 7 April at 6:32 p.m. Eastern Time in the US (8 April, 1:32 a.m. in Israel and 8 April, 2:02 a.m. in Iran), President Trump announced on Truth Social that the US and Iran had reached an agreement based on the 10-point proposal mediated by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, writing on Truth Social that Iran had sent the US a 10-point proposal, which the US believes is a "workable basis on which to negotiate". The US, Israel, and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, under which Iran would also re-open the Strait of Hormuz; while the announcement occurred on 7 April in Washington, the acceptance and official implementation took effect on 8 April local time in the Middle East.

After the ceasefire announcement, Iran's Lavan Island oil refinery and Sirri Island crude export facilities were struck by an "enemy attack". No party claimed responsibility. In response, Iran continued to conduct missile and drone strikes on Gulf Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain.

Israel and the US assert that the ceasefire does not include Lebanon, contradicting the Pakistani mediators and Iran. Hezbollah said that it halted attacks on Israel and on Israeli soldiers in Lebanon. Despite the ceasefire, Israel launched "Operation Eternal Darkness", which Israel said included wide-ranging operation targeting all of Hezbollah's command and control centers in southern Lebanon, Beirut and the Beqaa Valley. These were the largest attacks since the start of the war, killing at least 357 people and injuring more than 1,200 others. In Beirut alone, at least 92 people were killed and at least 742 others were injured. In response, Iran threatened to attack Israel "if the aggressions against dear Lebanon are not brought to an immediate end", Iranian media later said that Iran paused Hormuz traffic over Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching rockets towards northern Israel as a response to "cease-fire violations".

On 11 April, Trump said that American forces had started "clearing" the Strait of Hormuz. Iran claimed that an American ship on its way to the strait turned back after being warned. The Wall Street Journal reported that several US Navy destroyers entered the strait for the first time since the war began. A US official described it as an "operation that focused on freedom of navigation through international waters”. The Iranian government reportedly threatened to attack the ships, accusing the US of a ceasefire violation. US Central Command said the ships are taking part in minesweeping.

On 12 April, JD Vance announced that the talks between the US and Iran had failed, as he was unable to reach an agreement after a day of negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan. Afterwards, Trump said that he no longer cared about negotiations with Iran. Trump declared the US Navy would impose its own naval blockade of the Hormuz Strait, stopping all ships from entering or leaving and intercepting ships that paid tolls to Iran. CENTCOM clarified that the blockade will only be enforced on ships travelling to-or-from Iranian ports. The IRGC Navy said that any military vessel approaching the strait would be considered a ceasefire violation and would meet a "severe response". Trump threatened to strike any fast-attack ships of the IRGC Navy with drug boat-style attacks, similar to those carried out against alleged drug traffickers during Operation Southern Spear. On 16 April, President Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day truce.

Strikes and casualties

Iran

The US and Israel were able to eliminate a large number of Iranian commanders and leaders on the opening day of the war due to a joint US-Israeli deception operation. It caused Iran to believe that strikes were not imminent. This led large groups of senior Iranian officials to continue gathering together who were then targeted in initial strikes of the war. One known example of the deception operation is that information about a US F-22 deployment was leaked to hide that strike preparations were more advanced at other bases. Calls held between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu before the strike were not publicised to diminish the posibility of Iran striking first.

In a Fox News interview of IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin, he stated there were months of joint US and Israeli "strategic and operational deception" of satellite imagery leading up to the strike. This encompassed both planes and other facilities. The night of the strike he and IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir had taken their official cars home from IDF Headquarters. They came back without them so that leading up to the strike satellite imagery would show that their base did not appear full nor warplanes appear armed and ready for a strike.[better source needed] Three separate places that Iranian regime officials had gathered were hit within half a minute of each other in the opening strike.

Assassination of Ali Khamenei

On 28 February 2026, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, was assassinated in an Israeli air attack on his compound.[better source needed] Early on 1 March, Iranian state media announced that Khamenei had been killed. The Fars News Agency, which is controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced that Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law, grandchild, and daughter-in-law Zahra Haddad-Adel had also been killed in the strikes. The Iranian government declared 40 days of mourning.

Military and officials

Iranian defense minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour were killed by Israeli airstrikes. Defence Council secretary Ali Shamkhani was killed, along with four top Ministry of Intelligence officials. The IDF later stated that it had confirmed the deaths of seven Iranian security leaders, including Shamkhani, Nasirzadeh, and Pakpour.

Additional senior officials confirmed to have been killed are Salah Asadi, head of intelligence for Iran's emergency command, Mohammad Shirazi, head of the military office of Khamenei, head of the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND) Hossein Jabal Amelian and former SPND head Reza Mozaffari Nia. On 1 March, chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi and former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were reported by Iranian state media to have also been killed by strikes. Later reports stated that Ahmadinejad is alive, or at least that reports of his death cannot be confirmed.

On 28 February, intelligence and military sources told CBS News that 40 Iranian officials had been killed in the strikes but that they were not "clear whether these officials were in one location or multiple locations". Israel's Channel 12 News specified three separate locations. Iran's Foreign Ministry stated the military has lost control over several units, that are operating according to old general instructions. On 13 March, the Israeli military estimated that between 3,000 and 4,000 Iranian soldiers and commanders had been killed. On 18 March, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights estimated that 5,300+ members of the Iranian military forces had been killed in the attacks.

On 17 March, Israel assassinated Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. This was confirmed by Iran. His assassination caused anxiety among Iranian officials who were concerned "that Israel would not stop until all of Iran's leaders were killed and the Islamic Republic toppled" as well as questions over who would be targeted next.

On 6 April, the head of the IRGC's intelligence organisation, Major General Majid Khademi, was assassinated in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike, according to the IRGC.

As of 7 April, Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA), a US-based non-governmental organization, documented 3,636 deaths in Iran due to strikes, including 1,701 civilians, 1,221 military personnel, and 714 unclassified. According to HRANA, "[i]t is believed that military casualties are significantly higher than the figures reported in [its] reports" as confirmations depend largely on government data that are obscured "due to the sensitive nature of military information". Because of HRANA's limited access "to locations where military forces are present, [its count] largely reflects reports of senior officers or military personnel who were present in urban areas". On 31 March, Iran International reported that at least 4,700 security forces had been killed.

Civilians

On 28 February, the Shajareh Tayyebeh girl's elementary school in Minab was hit by an American attack, according to Iran. The school was located close to the Sayyid al-Shuhada military complex, of which it once had been a part. While there is no independent confirmation of the number killed, Iranian state media reported that more than 175 people, mostly school children, were killed and 95 wounded in the strike. Video showed a US Tomahawk missile hitting a building adjacent to the school; preliminary findings from an internal American military investigation indicated that the strike resulted from the US's use of outdated targeting data.

At least 20 civilians, mostly families who gathered after breaking their fast at Ramadan, were killed in Tehran's Niloofar Square on 1 or 2 March, according to Iranian-state owned media. On 3 March, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said that over 600 civilians had been killed in the attacks while HRANA reported that 1,097 civilians had been killed. On 7 March, the Red Crescent reported that over 6,668 civilian units had been targeted by US-Israeli strikes, including 5,535 residential units, 1,041 commercial units, 14 medical centers, 65 schools, and 13 centers affiliated with the Red Crescent. The US reportedly used double tap airstrikes. As of 23 March, HRANA estimated that at least 15% of the total human casualties had been under the age of 18.

An Israeli airstrike on 9 March in Resalat neighbourhood of Tehran destroyed a Basij-affiliated building as well as three residential buildings, resulting in 40 to 50 deaths. According to a BBC analysis, Israel used Mark 82 bombs in the attack.

As of 27 March, Iran reports damage to at least 120 historical sites by US-Israeli strikes.

An analysis by BBC Verify suggest that the deadly attack on residential buildings and a sports hall in the town of Lamerd, killing 21 people including 4 children and injuring 100, had been performed by a Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), a state-of-the-art US munition.

Institutions

The opening attack on 28 February targeted the compound of Leadership House. On 2 March 2026, video footage released by Iran International showed the IRGC Malek-Ashtar building in Tehran completely destroyed following a joint US-Israel missile strike on the capital. In the early hours of 3 March 2026, the complex of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the state broadcaster's headquarters in Tehran, was hit in a separate Israeli air operation.

Iranian state-linked media indicated that Iran's parliament building was also targeted by airstrikes. Trump told reporters that "Just about everything's been knocked out" and that Iran had no navy, air force, air detection, or radar after the attacks. On 3 March, Israeli forces bombed and damaged the Assembly of Experts office building in Qom.

Infrastructure

By 5 March, the World Health Organization had identified 13 Iranian health infrastructure sites that were hit during the war, as well as one health facility in Lebanon. The Iranian Foreign Minister said that the US had struck a desalination plant on Qeshm Island, disrupting clean water supplies to 30 villages, but both the US and Israel denied making such an attack. The Russian consulate in Isfahan was damaged by the US-Israel airstrikes.

Although Iran's dependence on desalination is lower than in other regional states, its water infrastructure is fragile. The nation had already entered the war with critically low water supplies, stemming from years of drought, climate change, and mismanagement of resources.

United States

On 1 March, six US soldiers were killed and more than 30 were injured in an Iranian drone attack against a US military installation near Camp Arifjan in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. All of those killed were soldiers of the United States Army Reserve assigned to the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. On 4 March, US Marine Corps Lance Corporal Kevin Melendez died in Saudi Arabia in a non-hostile incident. On 8 March, CENTCOM reported a National Guard soldier died from a "health-related incident in Kuwait on March 6 during a medical emergency". Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, a soldier of the 1st Space Brigade wounded in an attack against Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on 1 March, died from his injuries on 9 March.

Six American military airmen were killed on 12 March when their KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq while supporting US military operations. CENTCOM said that the crash was not the result of hostile action and that it had resulted during an incident involving another US aircraft inside "friendly airspace". By 13 March, the US military publicly announced that about 140 American servicemen had been injured during the war. A 27 March attack on Prince Sultan Air Base damaged "multiple" refueling aircraft and destroyed a Boeing E-3 Sentry, as well as wounding at least 15 US soldiers.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the theatre, was damaged by a fire that broke out 12 March. The US Navy said the fire, which injured multiple sailors, started in a laundry area and was not combat-related. The carrier had already been dealing with other mechanical issues, including a malfunctioning sewage treatment system, since before it arrived in the Middle East. According to multiple reports on 17–18 March, Gerald R. Ford paused launching airstrikes and sailed toward the Crete Naval Base for repairs.

The damage to the US bases in the region has been underreported, according to CSIS advisor Mark Cancian. Many of the US military bases near Iran have been rendered "all but uninhabitable" due to Iran's strikes. Within the first two weeks of the war, Iran's attacks caused $800 million in damage to the bases, affected bases include Al-Sader and Al-Ruwais bases in the United Arab Emirates, the US's naval base in Bahrain, Ali Al-Salem in Kuwait, Al-Udeid in Qatar, and Prince Sultan in Saudi Arabia. According to unnamed officials, the damage did result in degradation of the US's military ability in the war. Many US servicemembers are relocated to "hotels and office spaces", which raises concerns of the US using civilians as human shields. Indeed, an Iranian attack on a hotel in Bahrain injured two Pentagon employees.

Israel

The first connected Iranian attack struck a residential building in Israel, leaving one Israeli civilian injured. Magen David Adom reported that Iran's initial attacks had left 89 injured, with three directly wounded and the rest indirectly, most of them civilians. On 28 February, a direct hit in Tel Aviv killed a civilian woman and injured 22 others, one seriously. On 1 March, an Iranian strike hit a synagogue and residential buildings in Beit Shemesh, killing nine people and injuring 49 others. On 9 March, two workers were killed in Yehud, outside of Tel Aviv, after being struck by submunitions from an Iranian missile equipped with a cluster bomb warhead while working outdoors at a construction site.

On 17 March, a cluster munition from the warhead of an Iranian missile hit an apartment building in Ramat Gan and killed two residents in their 70s, who were found just outside their safe room. A statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps called the barrage that killed the two civilians "revenge for the blood of martyr Dr. Ali Larijani and his companions", who had been killed a day before the Iranian attack. According to CNN, the use of cluster bombs is against international law, with N.R. Jenzen-Jones of Armament Research Services telling CNN that this type of warhead is being used "primarily to sow terror amongst a civilian population".

The executive director of the Arms Control Association called the Iranian targeting of cluster munition warheads at residential sections of Israel during the war as deliberate, saying that "Iran appears to be launching them into relatively populated areas, probably with the goal of producing potential civilian harm." Neither Iran nor Israel is party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and both Israel and Iran are among 17 countries that either produce cluster munitions, or reserve the right to do so.

Israeli broadcaster Kan 11 reported that 90, 65, 25, and then 20 missiles were launched at Israel from Iran on each of the first four days of the war. Although the number of missiles in each volley has decreased, the missiles themselves have increased in size and impact.

On 4 April, an Iranian missile strike hit in the vicinity of the IDF's Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Lebanon

More than 2,000 people were killed and over 4,000 were wounded by Israeli strikes in Lebanon, and Lebanon states more than one million Lebanese nationals, corresponding to 1/6th of the country, were displaced. Youssef Ragi, the Lebanese foreign minister, announced that Lebanon's Council of Ministers decided to ban the military and security of Hezbollah, and called for them to hand over their weapons. Israel called for Lebanon to take action beyond mere statements, and Katz said that if they do not, then Israel will invade Lebanon and do this themselves. An NBC News analysis described Hezbollah as "significantly weakened". Sami Nader, the director of the Institute of Political Science at Saint Joseph University of Beirut, described the situation as a "tipping point". Israel's army chief of staff Eyal Zamir said they will "deepen the operation" in Lebanon.

Iraq

In Iraq, two members of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) were killed and three injured in a US-Israeli attack on 28 February. A later report from The New York Times estimated three dead. On 1 and 2 March, the United States and Israel conducted several attacks on Iranian-backed Iraqi militias to degrade their military capabilities to conduct retaliatory attacks.

Iranian strikes on other countries and regions

In addition to its strikes against Israel, Iran launched strikes against multiple Gulf states. Iranian strikes against Bahrain killed three people. Strikes against Kuwait killed four soldiers and four civilians. Strikes against Oman killed three people. Strikes against Saudi Arabia killed two people. Strikes against the United Arab Emirates killed two soldiers and six civilians.

There were also strikes in Qatar, Azerbaijan, and the Akrotiri and Dhekelia British Overseas Territory on Cyprus.

Also the Iranian attacks affected military infrastructure from NATO countries in the region, "including an Italian installation in Iraq and Kuwait, and a French naval facility in the United Arab Emirates".

Casualties by citizenship

The following table lists casualties by citizenship.

Attacks by ballistic missiles and drones/UAVs

Direct impacts

Iran

Leadership

The death of Ali Khamenei triggered an election for a new supreme leader. Under the terms of Iran's constitution, an Interim Leadership Council was established on 1 March to exercise the functions of Iran's head of state until a new supreme leader is elected.

Mojtaba Khamenei was elected on 8 March 2026 to replace his father as supreme leader, and the IRGC, as well as Iran's top leaders, including Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Ali Larijani, and Masoud Pezeshkian, pledged their allegiance to him.

In late March, the NYT described Iran's leadership as paralyzed with severely disrupted decision-making process. It also reported that the damage to communications infrastructure caused paranoia and internal power struggles.

Civilian life

According to UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk, the "reckless" war is disproportionately impacting civilians in the Middle East and beyond.

As the US and Israel executed joint strikes targeting Iranian military and institutional targets, Iran's capital reportedly became a ghost town, as civilians feared going outside or to their daily jobs. Reports have emerged that prisoners in Evin Prison have been receiving limited bread and water since the onset of the war. After the strikes, schools were ordered closed while banks and government offices remained in operation at reduced capacity. Local media reported that subway and bus services would remain operational.

Amid the renewed "near total" internet blackout in Iran, NetBlocks reported that internet connectivity in Iran dropped to 4% of ordinary levels. While the internet blackout has exceeded 240 hours, making it the second longest ever, the government started handing out "white sim cards", which bypass filters, to government supporters, in order to allow them to promote its messaging. As news of Khamenei's death broke, security forces were deployed to prevent an uprising, with footage showing them opening fire on celebrants in the streets and shooting at people chanting behind the windows of their homes.

During the first two weeks of March 2026, over 70,000 Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan, frequently under forced circumstances, exacerbating the country's severe humanitarian crisis. Arafat Jamal, the UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan, noted that they faced limited options amid the military confrontations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to The Guardian, the war has overshadowed the executions of political prisoners in Iran, including those involved in the mass protests of January 2026, allowing Iran to continue carrying out death sentences and other severe punishments with little international scrutiny.

Military

On 26 March, it was reported that children as young as 12 years of age may join Iran's war support, leading to concerns of the use of child soldiers. Days later, rights groups stated an 11-year-old was killed while on duty at a Tehran checkpoint.

On 29 March, footage showed Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces deployed in Iran.

Kurdish–Iranian crisis

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump had been open to supporting armed militias, particularly Kurds in Iran that have been in armed conflict with Tehran for decades and have historically been a regional ally of the United States. However, Trump later said he had ruled out sending the Kurds to Iran.

Cultural heritage sites

Multiple historic and cultural sites, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites, were damaged during the war. The most affected was Chehel Sotoun and its rich ayeneh-kari. On 2 March, a strike on Arg Square damaged nearby Golestan Palace, prompting UNESCO to issue a statement of concern. On 5 March, the Azadi Sport Complex was bombed. An 8 March strike on Falak-ol-Aflak, which was marked with a blue shield emblem, damaged several sections of the site. Strikes on Isfahan on 9 March damaged Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Chehel Sotoun, Ali Qapu, the Shah Mosque, Jameh Mosque, and Teymouri Hall. On 11 March, UNESCO urged protection for Iran's heritage sites and World Heritage Sites that have been damaged or are under high risk due to the war, alongside other historic sites in Israel, Lebanon, and across the Middle East.

Israel

Israel declared a nationwide state of emergency, saying that the strikes on Iran were the largest that it had ever launched. Israeli schools and workspaces were closed and public gatherings were canceled.

Palestine

The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories closed multiple aid crossings in the Gaza Strip, specifically interrupting free circulation on the Egypt–Gaza border. Israeli forces suspended United Nations humanitarian movements and postponed planned rotations of international humanitarian staff, including medical evacuations and the return of people into Gaza, which the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs condemned.

Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in occupied West Bank has increased; settlers have taken advantage of curbs on movement imposed during the renewed Israeli state of emergency. The renewed blocking of West Bank roads in the context of the 2026 Lebanon war has delayed medics from assisting injured Palestinians. The EU stated on 10 March that the Israeli actions were unacceptable and urged the Israeli authorities to make immediate efforts to prevent the violence against Palestinian civilians under international law, warning that "impunity for such acts risks provoking further violence".

Lebanon

Following the U.S.–Israeli joint strikes on Iran on 28 February 2026, Hezbollah condemned the attacks, stating "we are confident that the American and Israeli enemy will receive a great slap and will reap nothing but failure from its tyrannical, criminal aggression." On 1 Match, after Iran confirmed the death of Ali Khamenei in the US-Israeli strikes, Hezbollah's secretary-general Naim Qassem vowed to retaliate and "undertake our duty of confronting the aggression", stating Hezbollah would not leave "the field of honor and resistance." Hezbollah later claimed that the attack was a "defensive act" after over a year of Israeli attacks despite a truce. It added that it restarted fighting to force Israel to stop its aggression and evacuate from seized Lebanese territories, emphasizing that the move was unrelated to the Iran war.

Other Gulf states

The Arab states of the Persian Gulf started a campaign of prosecution against civilians and foreign citizens that shared or reposted rumours from unverified sources about the Iranian attacks, with the stated main goal to curb misinformation that could harm public order. Bahrain's Cyber Crime Directorate also started a campaign of arresting civilians in the country, which has a large Shiite minority, who allegedly expressed "their support for the Iranian shelling targeting the Kingdom of Bahrain", describing such activities as treason and as promotion of hostile acts against the state. Trump said "Even if we knew Gulf countries would be hit, big deal we did what we have to do".

Economic impacts

The war had global economic consequences: oil and gas prices surged, aviation and tourism were disrupted, and financial markets shuddered. International Energy Agency (IEA) head Fatih Birol described the situation as the "greatest global energy security challenge in history".

Energy

Oil and natural gas prices rose in direct response to Iranian threats to attack tankers and other ships and to Iranian strikes on oil facilities in Gulf producing countries. 20% of global oil and gas production normally transit the Strait of Hormuz. As the war continued, oil and gas prices ebbed and flowed as markets attempted to assess the likelihood of an end to the conflict. Prices ranged from a below $70 before the war to as high as $139 on 7 March. Gas prices also rose.

Toward the end of March significant shortages of domestic petroleum products emerged in southeast Asiaas reserves ran out.

Stock markets initially fell, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling over 400 points (one percent) on 2 March alone, although by mid-April had recovered and reached record highs.

The UN World Food Programme and various economic analysts warned that the war is driving significant, long-term increases in global food prices.

Commodities

Iranian disruption in the supply of essential fertilizers threatened food production in many countries. The Fertilizer Institute stated that nearly 50% of global urea and sulfur exports annually transited through the Strait of Hormuz, made worse by the natural gas shortage, which is a key feedstock for nitrogen fertilizers.

Air travel

Iran's airspace emptied of civilian aircraft during the conflict, as Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria and the UAE closed their respective airspaces. Some carriers suspended service to the Middle East.

Strait of Hormuz

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched an air war against Iran and assassinated its supreme leader Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Israel, USmilitary bases, and US-allied Gulf states. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued warnings forbidding passage through the strait, has launched 21 confirmed attacks on merchant ships, and has reportedly laid sea mines in the strait. Until the US–Israeli war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was open and about 25% of the world's seaborne oil trade and 20% of the world's liquefied natural gas (LNG) passed through it.

The warnings and subsequent attacks on vessels prompted major shipping firms to suspend operations in the strait. This caused a sharp decline in maritime transit, with tanker traffic dropping first by about 70% and over 150ships anchoring outside the strait to avoid risks. Soon afterwards traffic dropped to about zero. On 27 March, the IRGC announced that the strait is closed to any vessel going "to and from" the ports of the US, Israel, and their allies. Iran's closure breaches the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea by denying transit in a strait used for international shipping.

Amid fears of prolonged supply shortages, oil prices rose faster than during any other conflict in recent history; Brent crude oil prices surpassed US$100 per barrel on 8March 2026 for the first time in four years, rising to US$126per barrel at its peak. The largest ever monthly increase in oil prices occurred in March 2026. The closure of the strait has been the largest disruption to world energy supply since the 1970s energy crisis, as well as the largest in the history of the world oil market. Other commodity markets to suffer supply disruption and price increases from the crisis include aluminum, fertilizer, and helium.

US President Donald Trump falsely claimed on 9 March 2026 that Iran's military had been destroyed and that the strait had re-opened, also confirming his intent to take control of it from Iran. On 15 March he demanded that NATO and China help the US to re-open the strait. On 19 March, the US military began a military campaign to re-open it. In late March, Trump repeatedly threatened to destroy Iran's infrastructure if it did not re-open the strait. On 8 April, a temporary ceasefire was agreed that was to involve the re-opening of the strait. However, Iran began to control traffic through the strait and charging tolls of over $1 million per ship. Following the failure of the Islamabad Talks, Trump announced that the US Navy itself would blockade the strait from 13 April and clear it of mines. According to U. S. Central Command, only ships entering and leaving Iranian ports will be blockaded, while freedom of navigation will remain for other vessels.

While the efforts by the U.S. were occurring to re-open the Straits of Hormuz waterway, China moved to block the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb

Houthi-controlled Yemen threatened shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea. Its threaats had been suspended since 10 October 2025. March threats by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi had not stopped Red Sea traffic as of mid-April, although traffic remained under historic levels after crashing in 2024 as a result of Houthi attacks. On 15 March, the Associated Press reported that the weapons stockpile of the Houthis was running low from repeated attacks on Israel, while Iran had not been able to resupply them, because of the war.

Internet infrastructure

Three Amazon Web Services data centers in the United Arab Emirates were struck and damaged as a result of drone strikes, leading to outages of web infrastructure within the Middle East, causing "sparks and fire" as well as "major structural damage" for 2 of the centers, with internal water levels reaching up to 4 cm, worsened by the failure of cooling and air systems. Fundamental web infrastructure including S3 storage, EC2 compute and DynamoDB databases suffered complete outages in early March. Iran shut down Internet access for its people throughout the war. Users who took the potentially fatal risk of smuggling Starlink terminals into the country retained some access.

Military costs

US military costs were estimated at $25-35 billion as of early April. Israeli costs were estimated at $11B. Costs to the Iranian economy were estimated at $40-50B, around 10% of GDP. The monetary costs of Iranian attacks were much lower than the costs of neutralizing them: PATRIOT and THAAD interceptors are US$4million and US$12million, respectively, as opposed to US$50,000 for a Shahed drone.

Reactions

Iran

Government and military leaders uniformly decried the attacks. The public divided into supporters and opponents of attacks, although security forces quickly suppressed the former. Religious leaders also opposed the attacks, defending the regime. The Iranian diaspora generally supported the attacks, anticipating regime change.

United States

Reactions inside the US were overall negative but split along party lines, with the majority of Republicans supporting the war and the majority of Democratic and independent voters opposing it. Pundits split similarly, although some notable right-wing pundits such as Matt Walsh opposed it.

Israel

A March 2026 survey by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) found that 82% of the Israeli public supported ongoing military operations, including 93% of Jewish Israelis and 26% of Arab Israelis. On 29 March, Likud politician Yuli Edelstein said that the strikes had set Iran back by years, but they had not yet succeeded in removing the Iranian threat. Opposition leaders also supported the strikes.

International

The IAEA Board of Governors convened an emergency meeting as requested by the Russian Federation on 2 March. IAEA expressed "deep concern" amid attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. The head of the World Health Organization condemned the attacks. The secretary general of Amnesty International described such actions as potential war crimes.

According to the founding chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno Ocampo. the war was comparable to Russia's war in Ukraine, adding that the world is going from a "rules-based system" to the "rule of the man", which was "not a viable world".

European Commission President ⁠Ursula von der Leyen and Council ⁠President Antonio Costa called the conflict "greatly concerning" and urged restraint. On 1 March 2026 Von der Leyen advocated a "credible transition" of power. After Trump's threats to destroy Iranian infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened on 5 April, Costa denounced "any targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities" as illegal and called for a diplomatic solution only.

A spokesperson stated that NATO was closely watching, while a senior official stated that NATO's vigilance was heightened. NATO secretary general Mark Rutte said that Europe is supportive of the war, as Iran was a threat. He also said that he felt that the US "knows what it is doing".

The war was condemned by progressive and left-wing parties, as well as trade unions, anti-war organizations, and some far-right parties worldwide.[citation needed] Some far-right movements at the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (such as AfD, Vlaams Belang, ANO, National Rally, Brothers of Italy, etc.) criticized the war as against international law and the national interests of European countries, while others (such as Vox, Reform UK, Fidesz, Law and Justice) supported the actions in the name of the free world.

After initially opposing war, on 16 March, Gulf countries urged the US to neutralise Iran due to Iranian strikes on their territories. On 19 March, several Arab states asked for a discussion in the UN Human Rights Council to discuss Iran's strikes on civilians and energy infrastructure in the region.

Iran's retaliations were condemned by Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, India, Kuwait, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the UAE, as well as by several other EU countries, and France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, who issued a joint declaration. The United Kingdom permitted the US to use British military bases for defensive purposes. Portugal permitted the US to use Lajes Field for defensive purposes, and France sent its aircraft carrier towards the Mediterranean. Ireland, Slovenia, and Vatican City. In addition to condemnations, Spain denied the use of its military bases for US flights connected to the offensive. On 20 March 2026, the UK approved the US to use British bases to attack Iranian missile sites targeting vessels in the Strait ‌of Hormuz.

Canada abstained from joining in US-led Israel war in Iran. On 5 March 2026, France authorized the use of French bases. Mixed reactions or calls for peace were made by South Africa, Azerbaijan, Lebanon.

In Pakistan, the army was deployed to suppress an escalation of violence during pro-Iranian protests in the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu, especially after Shiite demonstrators attacked on 1 March the offices of the UN Military Observer Group at Azad Kashmir. Similar action was taken in Sindh during the attack on the US consulate in Karachi. There have been movements between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan due to the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between both countries, as it "states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both".

On 11 March 2026, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2817, sponsored by Bahrain, which called for Iran to stop its attack on Gulf states and condemned the strikes as a violation of international law. The resolution did not mention US–Israel strikes on Iran and Lebanon.

Diplomatic efforts

On March 1, 2026, Trump claimed that Iranian leaders wanted to resume negotiations and that he had agreed. The late Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, ruled out talks. Trump then wrote, on March 6: "There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" On March 21, it was reported that the US was preparing for peace talks, with six demands. However, Iran refused to negotiate, and had previously rejected several of the demands.

On March 23, Trump postponed the ultimatum he had given on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, citing "very good and productive conversations" with Iran. He said the US had been speaking to "a top person" in Iran. IRGC-affiliated Fars News reported that no negotiations had taken place. Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, suggested that the US was trying to sow division within Iran by proposing secret talks with only part of its political establishment. Iran International, affiliated with the Iranian opposition, suggested that Trump was deliberately being vague and not naming which Iranians were negotiating, as a way to sow mistrust and division within the Iranian regime. The Iranian foreign ministry said it was reviewing US proposals sent through mediators.

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, rejected negotiations and said the US must accept "that regional stability is guaranteed by Iran's armed forces".

On March 25, Pakistani officials passed on a "15-point proposal" from the US to Iran. The US proposal included an end to Iran's nuclear program, limits on its missiles, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, restrictions on Iran's support for armed groups, and sanctions relief for Iran. The Iranians rejected the proposal. The Iranians issued a "5-point counter-proposal", including an end to US-Israeli attacks on Iran and pro-Iranian forces in Lebanon and Iraq, security guarantees to prevent future Israeli and US aggression, war reparations, and international recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. The US rejected the proposal.

In early April Trump threatened to destroy Iran's power plants, oil wells and desalination plants if a deal was not reached "shortly" and the strait not reopened "immediately". On the same day, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Iran would not give in to "surrender" terms from the US. He accused Washington of sending mixed signals, saying, "The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue, and in secret plans for a ground attack". On March 30, the Iranian foreign ministry acknowledged they had been holding indirect talks with the US through Pakistani intermediaries. By contrast, Qatar declined an offer to lead the negotiations.

Trump claimed on April 1 that Iran had just asked the US for a ceasefire. He said the US would consider it once the Strait of Hormuz was "open, free, and clear". The IRGC separately said that strait "will not be opened to the enemies of this nation". On April 5, Trump again threatened to attack Iran's power plants and bridges if the Hormuz Strait was not reopened. The following day, indirect talks in Islamabad led to a proposal for a 45-day ceasefire. Iran declined, calling for a permanent solution. An Iranian proposal, included a protocol for reopening the strait, an end to all conflicts, the lifting of sanctions, and reconstruction. Later that day, Trump said "They made a ... significant proposal. Not good enough...." On April 7, Trump threatened, "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back", if Iran did not reach an agreement with the US.

Analysis

Military analysts have generally described Iran as being more resilient to US-Israeli attacks than anticipated, and have identified several unanticipated consequences of the attacks for US global interests, chiefly the disruption of international trade brought about by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Many experts argue that the war is illegal under US law, a claim that the Trump administration has rebuked, citing the precedent of unauthorized military actions by prior presidential administrations. In international criminal law, experts have identified the attacks as a crime of aggression, specifically as a war of aggression. Numerous critics and analysts identified the US-Israeli attack with a more open embrace of expansionism and imperialism by the Trump administration, and a departure with the norms of the liberal international order.

See also

• Outline of the 2026 Iran war

Related events

• American expansionism under Donald Trump
• 1979 oil crisis
• March–May 2025 United States attacks in Yemen
• 2026 United States intervention in Venezuela
• Greenland crisis
• 2026 Cuban crisis

Related persons

• List of U.S. service members killed during the 2026 Iran war
• Brian McGinnis
• Ebrahim Zolfaghari
• Jiang Xueqin

Notes

External links

• . CNN. 28 February 2026.
• , C-SPAN