The United States and Israel launched coordinated military operations against the Iranian regime on February 28, 2026. The action, focused on the regime’s nuclear facilities, military infrastructure, and leadership, followed a conclusion reached in Washington and Jerusalem that diplomacy had been exhausted, and that a nuclear-armed Iran posed an unacceptable security threat to America, Israel and America’s Arab allies, and the world. Here is what you need to know.
What Happened?
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States launched strikes against the Iranian regime, saying “the United States military began major combat operations in Iran” to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” and reiterating that Tehran “can never have a nuclear weapon.” The U.S. said the operation, called Epic Fury, was carried out alongside Israel’s campaign Roaring Lion, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Israel acted to remove “the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran” and thanking Trump for his “historic leadership.”
Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran and other sites tied to intelligence, defense, and nuclear programs.
What is AJC Saying?
American Jewish Committee stands with the United States and Israel as they undertake targeted military action to stop the Iranian regime’s global terror campaign. The world will be a safer place when the threat of the Iranian regime’s illicit nuclear and missile programs, along with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is dismantled once and for all. We hope today’s military action is a decisive step toward fulfilling that vital mission. Read the full AJC statement here.
How Has Iran Responded?
Iran has launched sustained waves of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israeli population centers as well as U.S. military positions across the region.
Israeli military reporting indicates that Iran has fired over 400 ballistic missiles toward Israel since the start of the war, with the pace of launches steadily declining over time. Israel’s multilayered air defense system has had a 92 percent interception success rate. These attacks have struck populated areas and caused civilian casualties, with at least 17 Israeli civilians killed and additional deaths reported in recent days as missile strikes continue. Over 4,000 Israelis have been injured.
At the height of the initial barrage, roughly 90 missiles were fired on the first day alone, followed by about 60 the next day. In the days since, attacks have decreased to smaller salvos and intermittent launches.
Iran has also expanded its attacks across the Gulf, targeting or impacting multiple Gulf Cooperation Council states—including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—striking energy infrastructure, civilian areas, and locations near U.S. military installations.
Despite the scale of the initial assault, Iran’s ability to sustain this campaign has eroded significantly. Israeli officials say the Israel Defense Forces have destroyed or disabled more than 330 Iranian ballistic missile launchers of an estimated 470 total. The Israeli Air Force continues to hunt down the 150 launchers to reduce the missile fire on Israel, which has slowed to around 10 missiles a day in recent days, down from around 90 on the first day of the war.
According to U.S. Central Command, ballistic missile launch rates have declined by roughly 90% from peak levels.
Iran continues to launch intermittent strikes, and analysts assess it may be conserving remaining stockpiles for a more prolonged conflict.
Is Iran targeting U.S. forces in the region?
Iranian strikes have directly targeted locations linked to U.S. forces, including facilities associated with the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, as well as bases in Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq. Air defense systems across the region have intercepted incoming missiles and drones, with explosions reported near military installations and surrounding areas.
These attacks have already resulted in American casualties. At least 13 U.S. service members have been killed and approximately 140 wounded in strikes and related incidents across the region, underscoring that U.S. personnel are not just at risk — they are being directly targeted as part of Iran’s broader escalation.
Is Iran targeting global energy and shipping?
Iran has increasingly targeted energy and maritime infrastructure across the Gulf.
Strikes have hit oil facilities in the UAE, targeted Saudi Arabia’s Shaybah oil field, and damaged Bahrain’s only oil refinery and key desalination infrastructure.
At the same time, Iranian actions near the Strait of Hormuz—including threats to shipping and reported attacks—have reduced tanker traffic and raised global concerns about energy supply disruptions.
Which Iranian Regime Leaders Have Been Killed?
The joint U.S.–Israel operation has targeted senior Iranian officials responsible for overseeing Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile development, support for terrorist proxies, and the regime’s repression of domestic protests.
Iranian state media, along with U.S. and Israeli officials, confirmed that Ali Khamenei — Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989 — was killed in strikes on Tehran. Satellite imagery shows extensive destruction at his compound following the attack, which Israeli officials said targeted a meeting of senior Iranian security leaders.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the opening phase of the operation included coordinated strikes on several locations in Tehran where top military and regime officials had gathered.
Among the senior figures reported killed are:
- Abdolrahim Mousavi, Iran’s army chief of staff
- Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s defense minister
- Mohammad Pakpour, head of Iran’s elite military force responsible for regional proxy operations
- Ali Shamkhani, senior adviser to the Supreme Leader and former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council
- Mohammad Shirazi, head of the Supreme Leader’s military bureau
- Hossein Jabal Amelian, head of the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), linked to advanced weapons development
- Saleh Asadi, head of the intelligence directorate of the Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command
- Reza Mozaffari-Nia, former head of SPND and former deputy defense minister
In addition, on March 17, Israeli officials reported the elimination of two more senior regime figures:
- Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and longtime regime insider accused of overseeing crackdowns on anti-regime protests
- Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij militia, Iran’s central internal repression force
Israeli officials said the strikes targeted a high-level security meeting involving figures responsible for directing Iran’s strategic military programs, including missile and drone operations, as well as the regime’s internal security apparatus.
Following the death of Ali Khamenei, Iranian authorities reportedly established a temporary leadership council — including Masoud Pezeshkian, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and Alireza Arafi — to oversee the transition. Iranian state media has since reported that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader and a longtime behind-the-scenes power broker, has been appointed as Iran’s new supreme leader by the Assembly of Experts. The transition marks the most significant leadership shift in the Islamic Republic since the Iranian Revolution.
Who Was Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Why Was He a Threat to the World?
Ali Khamenei, 86, has served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, succeeding the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ruhollah Khomeini. As Supreme Leader, he held ultimate authority over Iran’s military, judiciary, and key political institutions while serving as the regime’s highest religious authority. A mid-ranking cleric without the senior religious credentials of his predecessor, Iran amended its constitution to allow Khamenei’s appointment.
Under Khamenei, Iran expanded its regional power through the backing of terrorist proxy groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. The United States and several Western governments designate Iran as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, while Tehran has continued advancing its nuclear program and long-range missile capabilities.
At home, Khamenei’s rule was marked by harsh repression, especially of protest movements over the years, including the 2009 Green Protests, 2022 Women, Life, and Freedom Protests, and most recently the protests in January 2026. Authorities have repeatedly imposed internet shutdowns during nationwide protests, and human rights groups report that security forces have killed tens ofthousands of demonstrators during successive crackdowns.
Khamenei has long engaged in spreading antisemitism, including Holocaust denial. His hostility toward Israel has been explicit. He called the Jewish state a “cancerous tumor” and “rabid dog,” promoted conspiracy theories about “Zionist” influence in Western politics, and circulated messaging invoking the Nazi phrase “Final Solution” in reference to Israel. For decades, opposition to Israel and the United States had been central to his rule.
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s New Supreme Leader?
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has been appointed the new supreme leader of the Iranian regime following the elimination of his father, Ali Khamenei, by U.S. and Israeli forces on February 28. In 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Mojtaba Khamenei, noting that he had been “representing the supreme leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position aside from work in the office of his father.” Despite 2019 U.S. sanctions, networks linked to Iran’s supreme leader allegedly funneled billions in oil revenue through Western banks to buy over £100 million ($138 million) in luxury property in London and Dubai—assets that are now controlled by Mojtaba. Mojtaba’s close ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the regime’s hardline establishment suggest that Tehran is unlikely to moderate its regional posture in the near term.
How are Iranian-backed Terror Proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis Responding?
Hezbollah: Iran-backed Hezbollah has intensified its attacks on Israel, launching rockets, missiles, and drones from southern Lebanon and triggering air raid sirens across northern and central Israel. On March 8, two Israel Defense Forces soldiers — Sgt. First Class Maher Khatar, 38, and Staff Sgt. Or Demry, 20 — were killed when Hezbollah terrorists ambushed Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon. May their memories be a blessing.
Hezbollah re-entered the conflict on March 2, firing rockets at northern Israel for the first time since the November 2024 ceasefire — a move Israeli officials called a “serious mistake” and a strategic ambush they had anticipated. Since then, the group has launched sustained barrages, including over 100 rockets in a single evening and hundreds of additional projectiles in the days that followed. UNIFIL has monitored over 210 missiles fired into Israel since the fighting resumed.
Israel has responded with overwhelming force — striking weapons depots, command centers, rocket launchers, and senior operatives across southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs. The IDF has also conducted limited ground operations near the border and issued broad civilian evacuation orders across southern Lebanon, with over one million people now registered as displaced. More than 400 Hezbollah terrorists have been killed, including top commanders, since the current escalation began.
Hamas: Hamas has publicly expressed support for Tehran and condemned what it described as “Zionist-American aggression” against the Islamic Republic. Hamas leaders have called for unity across the region against Israel but, so far, the group has not launched large-scale attacks in response to the current escalation. Israeli officials say Hamas’s capabilities in Gaza remain significantly degraded following months of Israeli military operations.
Houthis: Unlike Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen have not intervened to support Iran so far in this current conflict. While the Houthis have declared solidarity with Iran and offered condolences on the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, there has been no official pronouncements of military action.
Why is Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz?
To pressure the world by threatening global energy supplies.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Roughly one-fifth of the global oil supply passes through this narrow shipping route connecting the Gulf to the open ocean.
By attacking ships, laying mines, or threatening to close the strait, Iran is trying to raise the global cost of confronting the regime.
In his first apparent public statement, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, reinforced that strategy, declaring that the Strait of Hormuz should remain closed and used as leverage against Iran’s adversaries.
Tehran has long used the threat of disrupting shipping as leverage. Blocking the strait could spike energy prices, disrupt global trade, and put pressure on the United States, Europe, and Gulf Arab states to ease pressure on Iran.
In other words, Iran is attempting to turn a regional conflict into a global economic crisis.
How Did We Get Here?
For decades, the Iranian regime has pursued nuclear weapons, long-range ballistic missiles, and a global network of terrorist proxies — including Hezbollah, Hamas, Iraqi militias, and the Houthis — openly threatening Israel, destabilizing the region, and targeting the United States and countries throughout the world, including supporting Russia in its war on Ukraine through tens of thousands of suicide drones.
The 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), slowed parts of Iran’s nuclear program but left its missile arsenal and terror network intact, and after the U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, Tehran accelerated its violations.
Iran also played a role in supporting Hamas’ October 7, 2023, massacre and abduction of Israelis — the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust — followed by direct Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel in April and October 2024.
Diplomacy regarding the Iranian regime’s illicit nuclear weapons program collapsed in early 2025 when Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rejected nuclear talks as Iran enriched uranium to 60% and restricted inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). After the IAEA censured Tehran, the regime announced another hardened enrichment facility, with an IAEA report indicating Iran was much closer to a nuclear weapon than previously believed. In response, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion in June 2025, followed days later by U.S. strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. It’s important to note that in June of 2025, the U.S. asked Iran to give up its nuclear weapons program, and it refused to do so.
At the same time, Iran faced a growing internal crisis: protests spread across all 31 provinces amid economic collapse and a plunging currency, and human rights groups reported that security forces killed more than 6,000 demonstrators and arrested tens of thousands in a sweeping crackdown.
Amid a major U.S. military buildup in the Middle East, the U.S. and Iran held multiple rounds of indirect nuclear talks, mediated by Oman, toward a deal that could prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear‑weapon‑usable material. President Trump stated that he preferred a diplomatic solution but remained skeptical, insisting that “Iran cannot have nuclear weapons” and warning that military options remain if Tehran failed to accept the verifiable, long‑term elimination of its program.
Key AJC Resources on Iran’s Threats, Proxies, and Regional Influence
AJC has been tracking Iran’s nuclear threat, domestic repression, and regional aggression for years. Key AJC resources for background:
Understanding the Latest Joint U.S.-Israel Operation in Iran – AJC Advocacy Anywhere
Watch American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) urgent briefing with leading experts who will break down the evolving situation, assess the regional and geopolitical consequences, and provide critical insight into what to watch in the days and weeks ahead.
Analysis from AJC’s Center for a New Middle East
Iran’s Terror Network
Protests and Human Rights
Sanctions and Diplomacy
June 2025 12-Day War