Battles & Wars › Modern conflicts
2026 US–Israel war with Iran
from February 28, 2026; talks ongoing as of October 2026· War· Middle East & Africa
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
The war the United States and Israel launched on Iran on February 28, 2026, which killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and choked Gulf shipping.
See it on the Battles & Wars map →What happened
Opening strikes, the US part called Operation Epic Fury, killed Khamenei and dozens of officials; the US said it aimed to destroy Iran's missiles, navy and nuclear program. Iran fired thousands of missiles and drones, mostly at Gulf states hosting US forces, and restricted the Strait of Hormuz; Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis joined. A Pakistan-mediated ceasefire in April and a June memorandum both broke down by July. Estimates of regional deaths run roughly 8,000–10,600. As of October 2026, talks continue.
Why it matters
It is the region's largest war between states since the 2003 invasion of Iraq; it sent oil toward $120 a barrel and forced Iran's first change of supreme leader since 1989.
How we know
US Central Command and Israeli military statements, Iranian state media, Gulf governments' interception counts, ship-tracking data, and casualty figures from Iranian and Lebanese authorities, HRANA and UN agencies.
Still debated
The US and Israel call it preemptive self-defense; Iran and many states call it illegal aggression launched during talks. Its endgame and the regime's stability are unclear.
Connections (4)
▸Twelve-Day War (Israel and the US vs. Iran) was followed eight months later by 2026 US–Israel war with IranWell documented
The connection
The 2025 war left key questions open: Iran's enriched uranium was unaccounted for, inspectors were largely shut out, and Iran rebuilt its missile forces. UN sanctions returned in September 2025. In February 2026, with US–Iran talks still unresolved, the US and Israel struck again on a far larger scale.
When and how
Between the June 24, 2025 ceasefire and February 28, 2026; US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led the diplomacy.
How we know
IAEA reports, the European 'snapback' notice at the UN, and US and Israeli statements citing Iran's rebuilding after 2025.
Debates and open questions
Whether a deal was within reach in February 2026, as Iran and some mediators claim, or the attack would have come regardless.
▸2026 US–Israel war with Iran followed the regional war set off by Israel–Hamas warMostly agreed
The connection
The 2026 war was the latest stage of the regional conflict that began on October 7, 2023. That war drew in Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran, weakened Iran's allies, and brought direct Israel–Iran exchanges in 2024 and 2025. Even after Gaza's October 2025 ceasefire, the Iran front stayed open.
When and how
From Gaza in October 2023 to Iran in February 2026; Hezbollah and the Houthis rejoined the fighting in March 2026.
How sure are we?
The chain of attacks, retaliations and ceasefires is documented by the governments involved, the UN and the international press.
Debates and open questions
Whether the 2026 war grew mainly from the Gaza war or from the unresolved nuclear dispute is a matter of interpretation; both clearly fed it.
▸2026 US–Israel war with Iran saw heavy use of Drones and precision strikeWell documented
The connection
Iran answered with mass barrages of Shahed drones and missiles, mostly at Gulf states; the UAE alone reported intercepting over 2,000 drones by April. Each drone cost perhaps $30,000–50,000, each interceptor far more. The US, in turn, flew LUCAS, its own copy of the Shahed, in combat for the first time.
When and how
From February 28, 2026, across Iran, the Gulf states, Israel and Iraq; US Central Command's Task Force Scorpion Strike operated the LUCAS drones.
How we know
Gulf defense ministries' interception counts, Central Command statements on LUCAS, and debris and video from Shahed attacks.
Debates and open questions
How many drones got through, and whether the cost gap between cheap drones and costly interceptors shaped the war's course or only drained stockpiles.
▸Iran's Shahed drones and Russia's Alabuga plant supplied the drone barrages Iran fired in the 2026 US–Israel war with IranMostly agreed
The connection
In the 2026 war Iran turned its own Shahed design against its neighbors, firing large barrages mostly at Gulf states hosting US forces. Russia's mass use in Ukraine had already tested the drone and the tactics, such as mixing drones with missiles and decoys, that Iran now used.
When and how
Across the Gulf, Israel and Iraq from February 28, 2026; most launches came from Iranian territory.
How sure are we?
Gulf defense ministries' counts and debris identified as Shahed types; Iran's precise models and stocks are not public.
Debates and open questions
How much of Iran's stock was destroyed by strikes, and whether Russia sent drones, parts or know-how back to Iran, are uncertain.