US-Israel Strikes on Iran

On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched a joint air and missile
campaign against Iran, hitting leadership compounds, missile infrastructure,
air defences and elements of the nuclear programme. The opening wave, conducted
under the codenames Operation Epic Fury (US) and Roaring Lion (Israel), marked
the most intense direct assault on Iranian territory since the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq
War and culminated in the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Background

The strikes capped a long escalation. In June 2025, Israel and Iran fought a
twelve‑day air war over Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, with the United
States joining late in the campaign to bomb key enrichment sites. A fragile
ceasefire followed, but Iran accelerated missile production, enrichment activity
and regional proxy operations, while protests over economic collapse and
repression spread across the country in late 2025 and early 2026. Parallel
nuclear talks in Geneva stalled in February 2026. Against this backdrop,
President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu authorised a coordinated operation
designed to destroy large parts of Iran’s strategic arsenal and decapitate the
top of the regime.

Legacy

– Removed the figure who had anchored the Islamic Republic’s strategic course
since 1989, triggering a high‑stakes succession process under wartime pressure.
– Severely degraded parts of Iran’s missile, air defence and command networks,
while leaving enough capacity for Iran to retaliate and threaten regional
infrastructure.
– Confirmed that confrontation between Iran, Israel and the United States had
moved from proxy war and covert operations to open, high‑intensity warfare on
Iranian soil.
– Left a fragile and disputed ceasefire and an unresolved strategic question:
whether the campaign would lead to regime consolidation, gradual change from
within, or prolonged instability.

Key Moment