2026 Iran war

Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been at war with Iran and its regional allies. Hostilities broke out after US–Israeli airstrikes killed several Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The strikes were launched amid ongoing US–Iran negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program. The war is part of a Middle Eastern crisis sparked by the Gaza war. It follows the Twelve-Day War and was preceded by the largest US military buildup in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. US justifications for initiating the war included a response to the crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran, preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, regime change, and taking Iran's oil and gas resources. Critics have rejected these justifications, maintaining that the attack initiated a war of aggression, in violation of international law. Following a decentralized strategy, Iranian units responded with a series of missile and drone attacks against Israel, US-aligned Arab countries, and US military bases across the region, and by blocking the Strait of Hormuz and subsequently claiming sovereignty over it in late March.