US & Israel Launch Coordinated Strikes on Iran
The U.S. and Israel have launched coordinated military strikes against Iran under the codename 'Epic Fury,' with explosions reported in Tehran. President Trump announced "major combat operations" and called for the Iranian people to "take over their government." The strikes, which Israel called "preemptive," have sent oil prices surging and global equities tumbling on fears of a wider conflict.
These strikes follow a direct 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025, which also saw the U.S. attack three Iranian nuclear facilities in an action codenamed "Operation Midnight Hammer." That conflict ended in a U.S.-brokered ceasefire after Iran retaliated by striking a U.S. air base in Qatar. The attacks escalate a long-running dispute over Iran's nuclear program, which has been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short technical step from the 90% needed for a weapon. The UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, recently warned it could no longer verify the size or status of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile following the 2025 strikes. Diplomatic efforts to avert a wider conflict appeared to be making progress just days ago. Oman's foreign minister, who was mediating indirect talks in Geneva, said a peace deal was "within our reach." However, reports also suggested that Iran had rejected key U.S. proposals, such as transferring its enriched uranium abroad and halting all enrichment. Iran has been grappling with significant domestic unrest since December 2025, when protests that began over a deepening economic crisis and a collapse in the rial's value spread across the country. President Trump had previously told the protestors in January 2026 that "help is on the way." In retaliation for the latest strikes, Iran has launched missile attacks on U.S. military assets in multiple Gulf states, including Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Embassy in Bahrain announced it would close due to the ongoing missile strikes targeting the capital, Manama, which hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters. The conflict puts the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway, at risk. Roughly 20-25% of global seaborne oil and about one-fifth of liquefied natural gas passes through the strait, with major Asian economies like China, India, Japan, and South Korea being the primary destinations. The U.S. and Israel have a history of deep military partnership, formalized by a 10-year memorandum providing Israel with $3.3 billion annually in military financing. The two nations frequently conduct large-scale joint exercises, including "Juniper Oak" in January 2023, the largest-ever between them, and joint naval drills in the Red Sea as recently as this month. International reactions have been swift, with European leaders from the UK, France, and Germany calling for a resumption of negotiations. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who mediated the recent nuclear talks, expressed his dismay, stating, "Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined."
