Iran and Israel Trade Major Strikes
The Middle East conflict has escalated dramatically, with Iran launching waves of retaliatory missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities over the weekend. Israel immediately responded with its own airstrikes, reportedly destroying ballistic missile sites and warships near Tehran.
This recent exchange was triggered by a joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign that began on February 28, 2026, targeting Iran's leadership, security apparatus, and nuclear program. That operation killed Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, representing a massive escalation after years of clandestine conflict. Iran's retaliation has been broader than in past conflicts, targeting not only Israel but also U.S. military bases in the region and neighboring Arab states that host American forces. Civilian and economic infrastructure in the Gulf, including international airports and luxury hotels in Dubai and Bahrain, have been struck by Iranian drones and missiles. The scale of Iran's previous direct attacks demonstrates its capabilities; an assault in April 2024 involved more than 300 drones and missiles, including 120 ballistic missiles. A more intense 12-day war in June 2025 saw Iran launch over 550 ballistic missiles and more than 1,000 drones toward Israel. These direct confrontations mark a new phase in a long-running "shadow war." For decades, the conflict was waged through proxies, with Iran backing groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, while Israel conducted covert operations, cyber attacks, and assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists. The initial U.S.-Israeli operation, dubbed "Operation Rising Lion," was extensive, involving around 2,000 strikes. It aimed to cripple Iran's nuclear and missile production capabilities, successfully destroying key infrastructure at facilities like Natanz and Esfahan. Israel's multi-layered air defense, including the Arrow and David's Sling systems, has intercepted the vast majority of incoming projectiles, often with assistance from the U.S., U.K., France, and Jordan. However, some ballistic missiles have penetrated these defenses, striking military intelligence sites and airbases in past exchanges. International reaction has been divided, with Russia and China condemning the U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Khamenei. The United Nations Secretary-General has condemned both the initial attack and Iran's subsequent retaliation, warning that the failure to de-escalate risks a wider regional conflict with devastating consequences.
