The US-Israel conflict with Iran entered its third day amid intense escalation, following airstrikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials. The attacks have led to Iranian missile strikes against Israel and US bases across the Gulf, while global shipping and air travel faces major disruptions.
On Saturday, February 28, Israel launched a daylight attack on Tehran, targeting key military and strategic sites. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the attack “preventive,” triggering a state of emergency across the country.
US President Donald Trump confirmed Washington’s involvement via Truth Social, describing the operations as “major combat operations in Iran” and reaffirming that the US would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Targeted Iranian cities included Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, Kermanshah, Lorestan and Tabriz, along with southern naval installations at Kenarak. Isfahan, a key hub for Iran’s ballistic missile program, suffered significant damage.
The Israeli government has named the offensive “Lion’s Roar,” a title reportedly chosen by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, replacing a previous internal name used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Several political officials and senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in the attacks. Among the first confirmed victims of the attack were people killed at a girls’ school in Minab, in Iran’s Hormozgan province.
Supreme Leader Khamenei assassinated
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was assassinated along with 47 other senior Iranian leaders, including Sayyid Abdolrahim Mousavi (Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces), Aziz Nasirzadeh (Minister of Defense), Ali Shamkhani (Secretary of the Defense Council) and Mohammad Pakpour (Commander of the IRGC).
Trump vowed to continue attacks until American goals are achieved, and urged the Iranians to “overthrow the government.” Satellite images revealed extensive damage to Khamenei’s compound in Tehran, one of the first sites attacked. Iranian media later confirmed the deaths, marking a dramatic change in the country’s political and military landscape.
Iran retaliates
In response, Iran launched missiles and projectiles against Israeli territory and US military bases in the Gulf region. Explosions were reported in northern Israel as air defense systems intercepted attacks. Tehran also attacked US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
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Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Khamenei a martyr and vowed revenge for his assassination in the US-Israeli military offensive. Pezeshkian said Khamenei “led the Islamic Revolution with wisdom and courage, carried the flag of the Islamic front and with his strong faith created a new chapter in Islamic rule.” He added that those involved in planning the attack would regret their involvement. Pezeshkian further warned that, with the full support of the Islamic nation and its supporters around the world, Iran would ensure that those responsible for the attack face consequences.
However, Iranian royal in exile Reza Pahlavi praised Operation Epic Fury as a step towards freedom for the Iranian people.
New interim leadership in Iran
Following Khamenei’s death, Ayatollah Arafi, 67, was appointed to temporarily lead Iran as part of a three-member Leadership Council, along with President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei. Arafi is an experienced cleric but lacks strong political ties to Iran’s security establishment. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remains a dominant force in the country’s military and regional operations.
PM Modi condemns attacks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed India’s first direct diplomatic response to the escalating Gulf crisis by speaking to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, urging him to strongly condemn the attacks on the UAE. The conversation highlighted India’s concern over expanding hostilities in the Gulf and underlined New Delhi’s support for its strategic partners. While India did not issue any statement following the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting and the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Prime Minister Modi mourned the deaths in the UAE during his conversation with the UAE President on Sunday.
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Prime Minister Modi also had a telephonic conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the recent escalations in the Middle East. In a statement, Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s stance on the ongoing conflict, pushing for an early de-escalation of hostilities.
World leaders call for de-escalation
French President Emmanuel Macron called an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council and said a war between the United States, Israel and Iran has “serious consequences” for international peace and security, while European Union leaders issued a joint statement calling for restraint and participation in regional diplomacy in the hope of “guaranteeing nuclear security.”
The EU president called the conflict in the Middle East “dangerous” and said she was working with Israeli and Arab officials to achieve a negotiated peace.
Dmitry Medvedev, vice president of the Russian Security Council, said: “The peacemaker once again showed his face. All negotiations with Iran are a covert operation. Nobody doubted it. Nobody really wanted to negotiate anything.”
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Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that “we will not accept anyone dragging the country into adventures that threaten its security and unity.”
The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, demanded “an immediate de-escalation and full respect for international law.”
United Kingdom allows the use of a military base
The United Kingdom has accepted a request from the United States to use British military bases for what Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as a “specific and limited defensive purpose,” the BBC reported.
In a statement on Sunday, Sir Keir said the United States would be allowed to use British bases to attack Iranian missile sites in order to stop further attacks across the region. He stressed that the UK did not participate in the initial US and Israeli attacks on Iran and “will not join the offensive action now”.
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He said the measure was based on the principle of “collective self-defense” and was in line with international law. The government, he added, would publish a summary of its legal advice.
Maritime and energy threats
Global shipping faced disruption after a Palau-flagged oil tanker, Skylight, carrying 15 Indian crew, was attacked off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula. Four crew members were injured and all 20 were evacuated.
Disruption of the Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies, experienced increased risks, and oil prices rose amid fears of new conflicts. Global shipping has been significantly disrupted following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, with major shippers suspending or diverting their vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s largest maritime chokepoints. Oil markets have reacted sharply to the disruption, with prices rising as traders anticipated possible slowdowns or disruptions in exports from Iran and other Middle Eastern countries.
Protests in Pakistan
Violent protests broke out in Karachi and northern Gilgit-Baltistan, leaving at least 23 dead and more than 50 injured, according to Reuters. Protesters attacked US consulates and UN offices in response to Khamenei’s assassination. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his condolences to Iran.
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Flight disruptions
Several international airports and airlines have announced temporary closures and issued travel advisories for passengers amid rising tensions in the Middle East following the US and Israeli attack on Iran.
Flight operations at several major airports, including Dubai International Airport, Abu Dhabi Airports, Heathrow Airport and Boston Logan International Airport, have been affected, affecting thousands of passengers. Here’s a look at the full list of airports where services have been affected due to the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel:
- Dubai International Airport
- Zayed International Airport
- Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)
- Heathrow Airport
- Boston Logan International Airport
- Gatwick Airport
- Hamad International Airport
- Erbil airport
Climbing throughout the region
Iran continued its missile and drone attacks against Israel and US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. In Abu Dhabi, shrapnel killed one person despite interceptions by the UAE air defense. Bahrain reported that a missile targeted the US Fifth Fleet headquarters, while Kuwait’s airport and military base were hit. Qatar experienced explosions and Jordan intercepted 49 drones and ballistic missiles.
The conflict, now a full-scale war in the Gulf region, shows no signs of abating, raising fears of a protracted regional crisis with global economic and security repercussions.
