The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran on Saturday, February 28, resulting in the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, and triggering a widening conflict across the Middle East. The attacks, targeting senior Iranian leaders and commanders, prompted immediate retaliation from Iran, including missile and drone strikes against US military assets, oil infrastructure, and civilian centers in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Following Khamenei’s death, Israeli missiles struck the building housing the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for selecting a new supreme leader, according to reports. The succession question remains unresolved, with unconfirmed reports suggesting his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, may be considered, a prospect US President Donald Trump has already deemed “unacceptable.”
Iran’s response has extended beyond the Gulf region. Hezbollah, after more than a year of ceasefire violations by Israel, initiated missile strikes into Israel, prompting heavy Israeli bombardments across Lebanon. These actions have raised fears of a broader regional escalation, with Gulf states condemning the attacks and expressing concern over damage to civilian infrastructure in major cities and transportation hubs.
As of March 6, 2026, the conflict has entered its seventh day, with the US and Israel continuing military strikes on Iran under the codename “Operation Epic Fury.” Estimates from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) place the cost of the first 100 hours of the operation at $3.7 billion, with $3.5 billion of that amount being unbudgeted.
Casualties are mounting. US and Israeli officials report 6 US military personnel killed and 20 injured, along with 12 Israeli civilians killed, 11 missing, and 1,473 injured. Four Israeli military personnel have also been injured. Fighting in the Kurdistan region has resulted in one fighter killed and three injured. Iranian officials, whose reports remain unverified, claim 650 US soldiers have been killed or wounded, and the destruction of US military equipment, including an AN/FPS-132 radar and a THAAD radar system.
Middle Eastern countries are actively intercepting Iranian strikes, particularly as dawn breaks on the seventh day of the war. Iran is reportedly focusing on degrading air defenses by targeting US-made radars used to detect missiles and drones, according to satellite imagery from the Arabian Peninsula.
President Trump has stated he has “no time limits” on the duration of the conflict, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth adding that it has “only just begun.” Gas prices in the US have risen by 20 cents a gallon, or 7%, in the past few days, but Trump has indicated he is not concerned about further increases.
The conflict is unfolding alongside ongoing defensive deployments by NATO and European militaries, including mobilization to defend against potential Iranian strikes on Cyprus. Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates are all reportedly involved, either as targets of Iranian attacks or through defensive deployments. Akrotiri and Dhekelia are also involved.
