The United States and Israel launched an intensive air campaign across Iran, striking missile bases, air defences, military command centres and other strategic infrastructure on February 28. The opening
wave involved hundreds of coordinated strikes aimed at rapidly weakening Iran’s military capabilities. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. bases and regional interests, raising fears of a wider regional conflict. The killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, early in the conflict triggered a major political shift, with his son Mojtaba Khamenei appointed as the new leader. Throughout the fighting, U.S. President Donald Trump has maintained that the campaign is succeeding and indicated that decisions about ending the war would be made in coordination with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The conflict has also had global repercussions, including rising oil prices and concerns about the security of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for the world’s energy supplies.
THE BACKGROUND
The war between the United States, Israel and Iran in 2026 is rooted in decades of geopolitical rivalry, nuclear tensions and regional proxy conflicts in the Middle East. The hostility intensified after the collapse of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (Iran nuclear deal) in 2018, when Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement and re-imposed sanctions on Iran. Since then, Iran expanded its nuclear program while Israel repeatedly warned that Tehran was moving closer to developing nuclear weapons.
Tensions further escalated through a series of covert attacks, cyber operations and targeted killings attributed to Israel against Iranian nuclear scientists and facilities, as well as Iranian support for armed groups across the region, including Hezbollah and other allied militias. Israel has long considered Iran its most serious security threat and has vowed to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.
The situation worsened after the broader regional instability following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Gaza war, which increased confrontations between Israel and Iran-aligned groups across the Middle East. By early 2026, intelligence assessments in Washington and Tel Aviv suggested that Iran had significantly advanced its missile and nuclear capabilities.
THE 10 QUESTIONS
1. How far have U.S. and Israeli strikes degraded Iran’s military?
Ten days into the war, the U.S. and Israel say their air campaign has targeted missile sites, air defences, military command centers and infrastructure across Iran. Officials claim the strikes have significantly weakened Iran’s ability to coordinate attacks, though Tehran continues to launch missiles and drones. Investigations by Dutch fact-checking group Bellingcat, the New York Times, and The Washington Post have linked the February 28, 2026, strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, to aU.S. Tomahawk cruisemissile.
2. Is Iran still capable of retaliating?
Despite heavy losses, Iran retains a large stockpile of missiles and drones and a network of allied militias across the region. That means the conflict could still spread beyond Iran’s borders through attacks on U.S. bases or regional targets.
3. What does the change in Iran’s leadership mean?
The killing of Ali Khamenei early in the conflict created a major political shock in Tehran. The appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader signals an attempt to maintain continuity within the ruling establishment, but it may also deepen internal tensions.
4. Is regime change now the real objective?
Officially, Washington says the goal is to neutralise Iran’s military threat. But statements from Donald Trump about Iran’s future leadership have fueled speculation that the campaign could ultimately aim to reshape the Iranian regime itself.
5. How closely are Washington and Israel coordinating the war?
Trump has suggested that decisions about ending the war will be made jointly with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The coordination reflects the unusually close military and political alignment between the two countries during the conflict.
6. Could the war spread across the region?
The biggest risk is escalation through Iran’s regional allies. Groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen could open additional fronts, potentially dragging more countries into the conflict.
7. What are the economic consequences so far?
Markets have reacted sharply to the war, especially in the energy sector. The possibility that shipping could be disrupted in the Strait of Hormuz — a key route for global oil supplies —has pushed prices higher and raised fears of wider economic disruption.
8. How is Iran’s domestic situation evolving?
Inside Iran, the combination of military pressure and leadership upheaval has created uncertainty about the regime’s stability. Some analysts believe the conflict could either strengthen nationalist sentiment or expose deeper political fractures. US and Israeli attacks have killed 1,230 people in Iran since the bombing began a week ago, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. One of the most shocking of the US and Israeli strikes was on a girls’ primary school in Minab, in southern Iran, which killed dozens of children.
9. Is there any diplomatic path to ending the war?
So far, diplomacy has taken a back seat to military operations. But as the conflict drags on, international pressure may grow for negotiations, especially if civilian casualties and economic disruption increase.
10. How long could the war last?
While early statements from Washington suggested the campaign could be short, wars rarely follow initial expectations. The duration will likely depend on whether Iran’s military capabilities are fully degraded and whether regional escalation can be avoided. While the White House has suggested the conflict may last between four to six weeks, Trump has avoided committing to a rigid schedule.
With agencies inputs
