Iran–US–Israel War 2026: The Complete Definitive Guide

In the early hours of Saturday, February 28, 2026, the Middle East was irrevocably changed. The United States and Israel launched a massive coordinated military assault on Iran, codenamed Operation Epic Fury by the Pentagon and Operation Roaring Lion by the IDF — the most complex aerial military operation in modern history. Within hours, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was dead. Nearly 40 senior members of the Islamic Republic's leadership were eliminated in the same strikes. Iran's entire military command structure was decapitated in a single day.

Iran retaliated with unprecedented fury — launching hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones not just at Israel, but across the entire Gulf region: the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Oman. Dubai's Burj Al Arab was grazed. Kuwait's airport was struck. Bahrain's US Fifth Fleet headquarters was hit. In 36 hours, every Gulf Cooperation Council member state was attacked by Iran for the first time in history.

This is the most comprehensive, continuously updated guide to every aspect of this war — from the weapons deployed and the leaders killed, to casualty counts in every country and a minute-by-minute timeline of events. If you are looking for any detail about this conflict, you will find it here.

Operation Epic Fury (US) and Operation Roaring Lion (Israel) struck Iran at 1:15 AM Eastern on February 28, 2026 — a bold daytime assault in Iran. CENTCOM declared it "the most lethal, most complex, and most-precision aerial operation in history." Over 1,000 Iranian targets were hit in the first 24 hours alone. Israel's opening campaign used more than 1,200 bombs in 24 hours, the country's largest aerial operation ever.

Targets included: Iranian Supreme Leader's compound; IRGC Joint Headquarters; IRGC Aerospace Forces Headquarters; integrated air defense systems across Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah; ballistic missile production and storage sites; Iranian Navy ships and submarines at Chabahar Port; anti-ship missile sites; and military communications infrastructure. The US also struck the Tehran Revolutionary Court building and what it described as the "General Staff of internal security forces."

The CIA tracked Khamenei's movements for several months prior to the attack, sharing intelligence with Israeli counterparts. The strike on Khamenei's compound in central Tehran was a precision CIA-backed operation, the first time a sitting head of state was killed by a US-backed operation in modern history.

Within hours of the initial US-Israeli strikes, the IRGC announced "Operation True Promise 4" — Iran's most sweeping retaliatory operation in history. Iran targeted Israel, all Gulf states hosting US bases, and for the first time struck Oman, which had been mediating peace talks. Iran declared it had launched strikes against 27 US military bases across the region simultaneously. The IRGC vowed the attacks would "continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated."

The killing of Khamenei — who led Iran for 36 years — created an unprecedented constitutional crisis in wartime. Iran's Guardian Council spokesperson said: "Iranian law requires [a] new leader must be determined as soon as possible," adding "given the wartime conditions, this will take place at the earliest opportunity."

Iran immediately established a three-person temporary leadership council to govern the country under Islamic law until the Assembly of Experts (a body of senior clerics) elects a new Supreme Leader. The council consists of: President Masoud Pezeshkian (who survived the strikes and called Khamenei's killing "an open declaration of war against Muslims"); Supreme Court Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei; and Alireza Arafi, a religious leader on the Guardian Council. Iran's security chief Ali Larijani also emerged as a pivotal figure, announcing the council and warning the US and Israel they were attempting to "dismantle Iran."

Parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf declared Trump and Netanyahu had "crossed a red line and would pay for it." Despite the decapitation of its leadership, the IRGC continued firing missiles and drones — demonstrating the resilience of its institutional command structure below the leadership level.

Iran declared 40 days of national mourning for Khamenei. Mass mourning gatherings took place in Tehran's Enghelab Square and in cities across Iran. In Yasuj, crowds chanted "the lion of God has been killed." Celebrations — and mourning — occurred simultaneously across different Iranian communities both inside Iran and in diaspora communities worldwide.

The conflict immediately sent shockwaves through global markets. The Strait of Hormuz — through which approximately 20–30% of global oil and gas supplies transit daily — was threatened. Iran warned vessels not to transit the strait, and the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency confirmed ships received closure advisories. However, no Iranian naval action to physically block the strait had been confirmed as of March 2.

Airspace closures were sweeping and immediate: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, Qatar, and UAE all closed their airspace. Major carriers suspended operations: Qatar Airways grounded all flights, Emirates suspended flights, Lufthansa cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Oman through at least March 7. Over 350 flights were cancelled on March 1 alone. Dubai — normally the region's busiest hub during peak winter tourist season — fell eerily quiet. Highways and beaches, usually packed, stood empty.

OPEC+ members, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, UAE, and Kuwait, monitored the situation for potential emergency supply adjustments. Oil prices were under extreme pressure due to Hormuz uncertainty. The UAE — where roughly 500,000 Iranian nationals live, many in Dubai — faced an unprecedented dual reality: Iranian missiles attacking the country while Iranian civilians sheltered alongside Emirati residents.