On 28 February a coordinated military operation by the United States and Israel struck scores of Iranian military sites, an action described by the Israeli Defence Forces as a pre-emptive strike that hit “hundreds” of targets including missile-launch facilities. Explosions and smoke were reported across Tehran and other cities, and Iranian media later said a primary school had been hit, with the death toll rising to 148.
Iran responded the same day with a declared IRGC operation codenamed “Real Promise‑4”, launching missiles and drones at U.S. military facilities across the Gulf region — including the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and bases in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — as well as at Israeli military and security sites. Israel declared a national state of emergency, air-raid sirens sounded across the country, and at least one civilian death and multiple injuries were reported in Tel Aviv.
The confrontation rippled beyond immediate battlefields. Iranian authorities announced a ban on vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz, and state-affiliated outlets reported that ship traffic had effectively stopped, creating an immediate shock to global energy and shipping security. Air-defence exchanges above Jerusalem and fragments of intercepted missiles were observed, underscoring how quickly a conventional strike can spill into wider regional exchanges.
The crisis prompted an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting where Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the scale of the U.S. and Israeli strikes while also denouncing Iran’s retaliatory strikes that infringed on the sovereignty of other states. Protests erupted in multiple capitals around the world, reflecting strong international anxiety about the risk of a wider Middle East war and the humanitarian toll of sustained military operations.
The stakes escalated further when Iranian media and state outlets reported the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announcing a 40‑day national mourning period. The announced death of Iran’s highest authority — if sustained — creates an acute political and constitutional moment in Tehran, with immediate implications for command-and-control over Iran’s security institutions and for negotiations or de-escalatory diplomacy.
This episode marks a dangerous intensification of a long-running shadow conflict between Iran and its rivals. What began as targeted strikes has already produced cross-border retaliation, disrupted maritime commerce, inflicted serious civilian casualties, and opened a precarious succession question in Tehran. The international community now faces a narrow window to prevent further escalation, stabilize energy markets and shipping lanes, and prepare for a volatile political transition inside Iran.