Also reThe US-Israel-Iran conflict erupted on February 28, when coordinated US (Operation Epic Fury) and Israeli (Operation Roaring Lion) strikes hit over 500 Iranian targets, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, army chief Abdol Mousavi, defence minister Amir Nasirzadeh, and crippling nuclear sites via airstrikes and cyberattacks.The conflict, which entered its sixth day on March 5, has since escalated into a regional war – drawing in Hezbollah, Gulf states, and proxies. Iran’s ‘Operation True Promise IV’ struck Tel Aviv, US bases, Dubai, and Kuwait, killing dozens — while Israel and the US sank ships and downed Iranian jets. Disruptions to global energy supplies intensified after Iran hit Aramco oil refineries and tankers, and struck LNG facilities in Qatar. It has also blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, stalling 150+ ships and slashing traffic 90%.
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Day 1
On February 28, US and Israel initiated a coordinated offensive against Iran. Operation Epic Fury, led by the US, and Operation Roaring Lion, spearheaded by Israel, targeted over 500 Iranian military, nuclear, and command sites across the country, with heavy focus on Tehran. Precision airstrikes, drone swarms, and sophisticated cyberattacks crippled Iran’s infrastructure, causing a nationwide internet blackout that severed communications for millions. The strikes assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in his Tehran residence, along with many other top officials.
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US B-2 bombers and Israeli F-35s evaded Iranian air defenses, destroying missile silos and airfields. Casualties included hundreds of IRGC personnel, with Tehran shrouded in smoke from explosions.Iran retaliatesOn the same day, Iran retaliated swiftly with Operation True Promise IV, unleashing hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel and US assets in the region.
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Strikes hit Tel Aviv and Haifa. Iranian projectiles also targeted US bases in Qatar (Al Udeid), Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, testing Patriot defenses and causing damage to runways and barracks.
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Civilian sites were also struck, including luxury hotels in Dubai and Kuwait International Airport. Iran’s barrage included the Shahab-3 and several drone models. US, Israeli, and allied forces downed most of the projectiles, but some penetrated the defence, marking the first direct Iran-Israel clash on home soil.
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Day 2
By March 1, Iran formed an Interim Leadership Council of surviving clerics and IRGC generals to fill the void left by Khamenei’s assassination, vowing unrelenting retaliation. Strikes continued on Gulf states and commercial oil tankers in the Arabian Sea, disrupting shipping lanes.
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Critically, Iran mined and blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, stalling over 150 vessels and halting 20% of global oil flow. Energy markets panicked, with US gas prices surging.
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US and Israeli airstrikes pounded Iranian missile depots in response. President Trump publicly outlined a 4-week timeline for regime change, and urged Iranian military defections via social media broadcasts in Farsi. The Hormuz closure boosted calls for de-escalation from China and India.Three US F-15E Strike Eagles were mistakenly shot down over Kuwait in a friendly fire incident.
Day 3
On March 2, Hezbollah in Lebanon joined the fray after Khamenei’s death, launching rockets into northern Israel and prompting massive Israeli counterstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and Hezbollah strongholds. US and Israeli forces obliterated the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.Qatar’s air force downed two Iranian jets violating its airspace, while Iran’s missiles struck the Kuwaiti embassy in Baghdad. The conflict widened as Iraqi Shia militias fired on US troops in Syria, met with drone reprisals. Israel’s ground forces massed near Lebanon, signaling invasion readiness.Iran targeted Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura refinery with two Shahed-136 drones. Saudi defenses intercepted both, but debris sparked a small fire. Aramco halted operations.Iran also hit Qatar’s LNG facilities. No casualties occurred, but QatarEnergy halted all LNG production as a precaution.
Day 4
March 3 saw Israel authorise a ground invasion of southern Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah, assassinating its leader Hassan Nasrallah’s successor and top Quds Force operatives in Damascus via airstrikes. US naval forces in the Gulf of Oman damaged much of Iran’s surface fleet, sinking corvettes with Tomahawks. Strikes hit an alleged underground nuclear site near Qom, confirmed by satellite imagery, alongside Bushehr airport near the nuclear plant, disrupting reinforcements. IDF special forces raided Iranian command posts in Syria. Iran’s navy attempted breakout maneuvers but suffered heavy losses. Trump warned of “total victory,” deploying B-52s for carpet bombing threats.
Day 5
On March 4, an Israeli F-35 achieved the platform’s first air-to-air kill, downing an Iranian Su-35 over Tehran in dogfight footage that went viral. US submarines torpedoed the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast, disrupting Indian Ocean patrols.Also read – Watch: Exact moment US strike hits Iranian ship, killing over 85 Qatar foiled an IRGC terror cell plotting attacks on Al Udeid base. Qatar shuts down gas liquefaction operations resulting in exports disruption for atleast a month.
Day 6
On March 5, Iran targeted a US-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf and Kurdish Peshmerga in Iraq with drones, while Israel pounded Lebanese infrastructure, displacing thousandsVessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz plummeted 90%, with supertankers idledAzerbaijan claimed that Iranian drones hit its international airport. Tehran has denied involvement.