2026 Iran War

The United States Department of State characterizes the February 28, 2026 launch of Operation Epic Fury not as the beginning of an entirely new conflict but as a resumption of operations within an ongoing international armed conflict.[3] According to the State Department, the Israel-Iran armed conflict had been continuous since at least the direct Iranian attacks of 2024, and the broader conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States had continued since at least June 2025.[3] The Department argues that the ceasefire following earlier 2025 strikes did not terminate the underlying conflict because no party formally declared an end to hostilities, no agreement ending hostilities was concluded, and the parties continued planning for further military engagements if diplomacy failed.[3]

The stated rationale for the February 2026 campaign was that diplomacy had been exhausted and that a nuclear-armed Iran posed an unacceptable threat to the United States, Israel, American Arab partners, and global security.[4] Washington and Jerusalem identified Iran's nuclear expansion, long-range ballistic-missile development, and its sustained support for Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraqi militias as the principal elements of the threat.[4] The U.S. also cited ongoing Iranian attacks on American forces and regional partners as justifying the campaign.[4]

A Hebrew Union College message from early March 2026 described the conflict as simultaneously a continuation of the war that began with the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and a new phase of open fighting between Israel and Iran, with the joint American-Israeli effort representing the most significant new strategic development.[5] The Congressional Research Service similarly described the resulting fighting as a wide-reaching regional conflict rather than a discrete bilateral exchange.[6]

On February 28, 2026, United States and Israeli forces began coordinated strikes against targets across Iran.[1][6] The BBC reported that strikes from the air and sea affected locations across Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, Kermanshah, Qom, and Mehrabad Airport.[7] The U.S. Pentagon designated its campaign Operation Epic Fury; Israel's operation was most widely designated Operation Roaring Lion, though one source refers to it as Operation Lion's Roar.[1][7]

The opening strikes focused on Iranian military and strategic infrastructure: ballistic-missile arrays, air-defense systems, senior command centers, high-level regime infrastructure, naval assets, military production sites, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command-and-control network.[4][8] President Donald Trump announced that "the United States military began major combat operations in Iran" to "defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime," adding that "Iran can never have a nuclear weapon."[4] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel acted to remove "the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran" and stated that the operation would continue as long as necessary.[2]

Publicly stated U.S. objectives included destroying Iran's ballistic-missile capabilities, degrading its naval forces, dismantling Iranian support for regional terrorist proxies, and ensuring that the Iranian regime could never obtain a nuclear weapon.[9] Regime change was not identified as an official U.S. objective, though Netanyahu stated that the operation sought to create conditions for the Iranian public to overthrow the Islamic regime.[2][9]

The opening Israeli-American operation killed Ali Khamenei, who was Iran's Supreme Leader at the time.[2] Israel closed its airspace, restricted civilian activity, moved hospital patients underground, and called up more than 100,000 reservists in response to anticipated Iranian retaliation.[8] The Hebrew Union College's Jerusalem campus was physically closed by the Israeli Home Front Command, and its Year-in-Israel program shifted to Zoom; at least one student's home was struck in a missile attack.[5]

The initial phase of the conflict lasted approximately six weeks and involved a large volume of airstrikes. According to IDF estimates cited by JNS, the Israeli Air Force dropped approximately 19,000 munitions and the U.S. Air Force approximately 17,000 during the campaign, with the combined strikes estimated to have caused about $100 billion in damage.[2] The American Jewish Committee reported somewhat different figures, stating that during the initial 40-day campaign Israel conducted more than 10,800 strikes against over 4,000 targets and dropped more than 18,000 bombs, while the United States conducted approximately 13,000 strikes on Iranian military targets.[4] By March 25, U.S. Central Command reported that American forces alone had struck more than 10,000 targets in Iran, including missile and drone sites, naval assets, Iran's military-industrial base, and IRGC command-and-control centers.[6] Approximately 50,000 U.S. servicemembers were deployed in and around the Middle East during the campaign.[6]

Iran responded immediately with sustained waves of ballistic missiles and drones directed at Israeli population centers and U.S. military positions across the region.[4] IDF estimates recorded approximately 550 surface-to-surface missiles fired at Israel and approximately 850 additional surface-to-surface missiles at Gulf countries.[2] There were 90 ballistic-missile impacts in Israel, including 64 involving cluster-munition warheads.[2] The American Jewish Committee reported approximately 650 ballistic missiles fired at Israel, 20 Israeli civilian and foreign-national deaths, four Palestinian deaths in the West Bank — known by its original, indigenous Jewish name of Judea and Samaria — more than 7,000 Israelis injured, and more than 5,500 displaced.[4]

Iran also attacked or affected Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, targeting energy infrastructure, civilian areas, and locations near U.S. military installations; the UAE reported one death from Iranian strikes.[4][7] Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on March 2, prompting major Israeli operations in Lebanon.[6] Iran-aligned Iraqi groups attacked bases, diplomatic facilities, and other targets associated with the United States.[6] As of March 11, seven U.S. service members had been killed in attacks by Iranian forces or Iranian-backed groups, with additional personnel wounded, according to a dated American Jewish Committee analysis.[9]

The conflict also affected global maritime commerce from its earliest days. The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20 million barrels of oil per day — roughly 25% of global oil trade — and approximately 19% of global liquefied-natural-gas exports transited in 2025, became a central theater of the war.[10] From February 28 through April 7, Iranian forces declared the Strait closed and cross-Strait traffic largely halted, leaving hundreds of vessels and thousands of mariners effectively trapped in the Persian Gulf.[10] Between February and May 2026, global oil prices rose 50%, European natural-gas prices rose 44%, and Asian natural-gas prices rose 66%.[10]

The Israeli government's March 16 daily status report said approximately 295 anti-war protests had been identified worldwide as of that date, with 39 additional protests expected in the following days.[11] The same report noted competing disinformation claims circulating online, including allegations of Iranian strikes on Israeli command centers, claims concerning an undetectable Iranian Sejjil missile, allegations that Prime Minister Netanyahu appeared in a deepfake video, and an Iranian official claim that the United States and Israel were preparing a "9/11-style" false-flag operation; the report stated there was no verified evidence of functional damage to high-security Israeli command centers.[11]

A ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect on April 8, 2026, after 40 days of sustained combat.[4] The BBC reported that the White House subsequently treated the war as ended even as U.S. forces remained in the Gulf region.[12] Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz began to normalize but remained below typical levels, while international naval forces continued heightened patrols.[4]

The April 8 ceasefire was described as applying to "all fronts," but an immediate dispute arose over its scope with respect to Lebanon.[13] Iran considered Lebanon part of the ceasefire arrangement; Israel did not, stating it was not bound by Lebanon-related provisions and would retain troops in southern Lebanon as long as its security needs required.[14][13] Iran warned that continued Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon could annul the agreement.[14]

On April 13, 2026, the United States imposed a blockade on shipping to and from Iranian ports, exempting humanitarian shipments.[10] On May 4, Washington launched Operation Project Freedom to protect merchant vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, an operation described as involving guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft, unmanned systems, and approximately 15,000 personnel.[2] The operation was suspended after 48 hours at Pakistan's request while Islamabad mediated talks with Tehran.[2]

Despite the ceasefire, hostilities were not fully extinguished. The BBC reported continuing Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait and other Gulf states during this period. It also reported that the House of Representatives passed a largely symbolic resolution directing the president either to withdraw forces from around Iran or obtain congressional approval to continue the war.[12] Debate continued over whether presidential self-defense powers supplied sufficient authority for the campaign.[15]

On June 17, 2026, the United States and Iran electronically signed a memorandum of understanding intended to end the war between Washington and Tehran.[14] The agreement was signed by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, with later accounts reporting additional signatures by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.[14] Pakistan's prime minister stated it entered into force immediately; Pakistan and Qatar supported or mediated the negotiations.[14]

The memorandum launched a 60-day negotiating period beginning June 18, 2026, to address Iran's nuclear program, enriched-uranium stockpile, and sanctions.[14] Iran reaffirmed that it would not obtain a nuclear weapon and agreed to maintain the existing status quo of its nuclear program during the negotiations.[14] The agreement did not include Iran's ballistic-missile program in its text, though U.S. officials stated that missiles would be discussed during the subsequent talks.[14]

On maritime access, the memorandum provided for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the immediate lifting of the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports.[14] U.S. Central Command confirmed that American forces stopped enforcing the blockade and no longer impeded vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports on the Persian Gulf or Gulf of Oman.[14] Iran's chief negotiator stated that ships would cross without fees for 60 days while simultaneously asserting that the strait would not return to prewar conditions and that Iran claimed sovereignty and the right to charge future service fees.[14]

The broader framework addressed by the reported June memorandum encompassed sanctions relief, frozen Iranian assets, regional security, and commercial shipping.[4] Israel was not a signatory to the agreement.[14] The memorandum was reported to include a permanent end to military operations in Lebanon, but Israel immediately stated that it was not bound by the Lebanon provisions.[14] Iran's statement that continued Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon could annul the agreement created an immediate and unresolved dispute over the memorandum's scope and legal effect.[14]

Direct Iran-Israel fighting had already resumed before the June memorandum was signed. On June 7, 2026, Iran fired missiles at northern Israel, stating that the attack was a response to Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon; Israel then struck Iranian cities, including a petrochemical facility in southwestern Iran, and stated it would continue its campaign against Hezbollah.[13] Iran and Israel subsequently announced a suspension of direct strikes after President Trump called on both sides to stop shooting — Iran announced the halt first, followed by Netanyahu, who said Israel would respond with full force if Iran attacked again.[16] The pause was described as fragile and dependent partly on whether Israel halted its operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.[16]

Post-memorandum fighting followed Iran's attack on a ship in Omani waters on June 25 and attacks on additional ships off Oman on July 7–8.[10] The United States responded with airstrikes, and President Trump stated that the June memorandum of understanding was no longer in force.[10] On July 13, U.S. Central Command announced that U.S. forces would resume the naval blockade against Iran.[10]

On July 18–19, 2026, the Iranian regime struck an American base in Jordan, killing two U.S. service members and leaving one missing; a third U.S. service member reportedly died in Iraq following a drone-related attack.[4] President Trump ordered retaliatory airstrikes against Iranian regime targets and increased the U.S. regional fighter-jet presence.[4] By July 29–30, U.S. Central Command announced strikes against dozens of targets inside Iran after Iranian attempts to launch missiles at American forces, hitting IRGC command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal air-defense and surveillance systems, and naval capabilities.[17]

The July escalation expanded the conflict geographically. Joint U.S.-Saudi strikes targeted pro-Iranian Popular Mobilization Forces across seven Iraqi provinces; approximately 20 militia fighters were reported killed, while the Iraqi government condemned the operation as a violation of its sovereignty.[17] Jordan and the United States reported that five missiles launched toward Muwaffaq Al Salti Air Base in Jordan were intercepted, with no Jordanian casualties.[17] Israeli artillery was reported in Syria's Yarmouk Basin, and Houthi activity was reported against Israel and Saudi Arabia.[17] The IRGC declared the Strait of Hormuz unsafe for navigation, though reporting cautioned that this declaration did not itself establish that maritime traffic had entirely stopped.[17]

As of the Congressional Research Service's August 7, 2026 update, major combat had abated amid Iran-Oman talks, but the conflict remained unresolved, the United States had reimposed its blockade, and most ships had either accepted Iranian demands or avoided transiting the Strait of Hormuz.[10] The 60-day negotiating period established by the June memorandum expired on August 17 without an extension.[2]

JNS reported that the ceasefire was effectively dead, that low-intensity conflict and tit-for-tat military exchanges had resumed, and that Iran was described as militarily degraded but still entrenched, defiant, and aggressive.[2] Iran was reported to be rebuilding military command structures, increasing missile and drone production, and preparing for a wider conflict.[2] Israel was described as preferring continued economic pressure at that stage but preparing for possible future strikes if Iran moved toward rebuilding its nuclear capability or acquiring a nuclear weapon.[2]

A Tel Aviv University Peace Index survey conducted during Operation Roaring Lion asked respondents about the continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, not the Iran campaign. It found that 78% of Jewish respondents and 74% of Arab respondents believed continuation of that conflict was harmful or very harmful to Israel.[18] The survey also recorded substantial disagreement among Jewish respondents over possible long-term outcomes: 38% supported annexation and one state under Israeli rule with limited Palestinian rights, 31% supported continuation of the status quo, 23% supported a two-state solution, and 8% supported a binational state with full and equal rights.[18] Among Jewish respondents, 26% supported negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, while only 13% believed such negotiations would lead to peace in the coming years.[18]

The conflict drew in a wide range of regional and international actors. The Congressional Research Service identifies the United States, Israel, Iran, Hezbollah, Iran-aligned Iraqi groups, Gulf Cooperation Council states, France, Russia, China, and the Lebanese government and armed forces among the principal participants or affected actors.[6] France's President Emmanuel Macron called for an end to Iranian attacks against regional countries and stated that a political and security framework should prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, address its ballistic-missile program and destabilizing activities, and restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.[11]

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi framed the conflict as imposed on both Iranians and Americans, arguing that those who gave "false consultations" to President Trump while negotiations for a fair deal were ongoing bore responsibility for the bloodshed.[11] Pakistan and Qatar served as key mediators throughout the conflict, with Pakistan's intervention securing the 48-hour suspension of Operation Project Freedom and Islamabad playing a central role in the June memorandum negotiations.[2][14] Iran-Oman talks were also cited as a factor in the reduction of major combat by early August.[10]

Hundreds of anti-war protests took place globally; the Israeli government's March 16 status report said approximately 295 had been identified worldwide as of that date.[11] The report also stated that neutral sentiment dominated related online discussion, followed by negative sentiment and comparatively limited positive mentions.[11] A Hebrew Union College analysis suggested that the joint U.S.-Israeli effort might contribute to future diplomatic agreements and greater regional stability in the Middle East.[5]

No source in the available record provides a verified overall casualty count, comprehensive military timeline, or definitive end date for the 2026 Iran War. The conflict's casualty, munition, missile-impact, and damage estimates originate largely from Israeli or U.S. official statements and were not independently verified in the cited passages. Figures vary across sources: IDF estimates place approximately 550 surface-to-surface missiles fired at Israel and approximately 850 at Gulf countries,[2] while the American Jewish Committee cites approximately 650 ballistic missiles fired at Israel alone.[4] Strike counts similarly diverge between different reporting windows and source methodologies.[4][6] These figures should be understood as attributed claims rather than settled statistics.

The war significantly degraded Iran's military command structures, nuclear facilities, and conventional military capabilities, according to IDF and U.S. assessments.[2] Yet Iran remained capable of ballistic-missile launches, drone attacks, and maritime disruption throughout the conflict, and was rebuilding relevant capabilities by late summer.[2] Israel continued monitoring for signs of nuclear reconstruction, treating any Iranian movement toward a nuclear weapon as a potential trigger for future strikes.[2]

The economic consequences were severe and global. The Strait of Hormuz disruption — which at its most acute left hundreds of vessels trapped in the Persian Gulf — drove oil prices up 50% and natural-gas prices up between 44% and 66% in key markets between February and May 2026.[10] The memorandum's provision for reopening the Strait provided temporary relief, but renewed hostilities in July and the reimposition of the U.S. naval blockade returned the strait to a contested status, with most vessels either complying with Iranian demands or rerouting to avoid it.[10]

The conflict also deepened existing fault lines in the broader Middle East. The fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon remained unresolved, with Israel and Iran holding fundamentally incompatible positions on whether any ceasefire applied to the Lebanese front.[14][13] Iran's proxy network — including Lebanese Hezbollah, Iran-aligned Iraqi groups, and the Houthis — remained active even as Iran's own military capacity was degraded.[6][17] The war's domestic political effects within Iran, including the death of Supreme Leader Khamenei and subsequent leadership questions, are noted in the sources but not analyzed in detail in the available material.[2]

Official and advocacy interpretations of the conflict differed sharply. The U.S. State Department justified Operation Epic Fury as an exercise of the United States' inherent right of self-defense and as collective self-defense of Israel undertaken at Israel's request, characterizing the conflict as a continuation of an ongoing international armed conflict rather than a new war beginning on February 28.[3] The State Department also quoted the formal objectives of Operation Epic Fury as destroying Iranian offensive missiles and missile production, destroying Iran's navy and other security infrastructure, and ensuring that Iran would never have nuclear weapons.[3]

The campaign's domestic legal basis was contested in the United States. The BBC reported that the House of Representatives passed a largely symbolic resolution directing the president either to withdraw forces or seek congressional approval to continue the war.[12] Supporters argued that the president possessed authority to defend the United States, its forces, and its allies, while critics argued that the campaign lacked congressional authorization.[15]

The Jewish Coalition for Freedom and Antisemitism argues that the operations constituted a lawful exercise of self-defense and protection of U.S. troops and allies against an immediate and potentially nuclear threat, Iranian missile attacks, and Iranian support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.[15] Critics in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere described the conflict as a "war of choice," an "illegal war," or an act of aggression, arguing that Iran posed no imminent threat and that Israel had pressured the United States into the conflict.[15] Broader international humanitarian law questions were also raised, though specific adjudications or formal investigations are not documented in the available sources.[15]

The scope and legal effect of the June memorandum's Lebanon provisions remained a distinct point of dispute. Iran and Pakistan described the ceasefire as covering Lebanon; Israel stated clearly that it was not bound and that it would retain troops in southern Lebanon as long as its security needs required.[14] The expiration of the memorandum's 60-day negotiating period on August 17 without an extension, combined with the resumption of U.S. strikes and the reimposition of the naval blockade in July, left the conflict's legal and diplomatic status unresolved as of the latest reporting.[2][10]