Why did US and Israel attack Iran and how long could the war last?
Why did US and Israel attack Iran and how long could the war last?
The Middle East has seen renewed conflict after the United States and Israel executed coordinated strikes against Iran, resulting in the death of its supreme leader on 28 February. In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on Israeli and US-backed nations in the Gulf region, intensifying hostilities that have since spread to Lebanon. Casualties and infrastructure damage continue to rise across all involved parties.
Initial US-Israel Strikes
At the outset of the operation, the US and Israel focused on Iran’s missile capabilities, military installations, and leadership targets in Tehran and other locations. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989, was among the casualties during the first phase of attacks. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was announced as his successor on 8 March. Additional high-ranking Iranian officials, including security chief Ali Larijani and intelligence minister Esmail Khatib, were also eliminated, as were key figures in the paramilitary Basij force.
Israel’s military claimed to have struck these targets with air attacks, while the US focused on facilities tied to Iran’s nuclear program and its energy sector. Sites such as Kharg Island, a critical oil hub, and South Pars, part of the globe’s largest natural gas field, were hit. On 4 March, a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka, killing at least 87 individuals.
Iran’s Retaliatory Actions
Iran denounced the strikes as “unprovoked” and “illegitimate,” responding with extensive missile and drone campaigns. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have hit Israeli government and military sites in Tel Aviv and beyond. As of 29 March, Israel’s ambulance service reported 19 casualties from missile fire since the conflict began.
Iran accused the US and Israel of attacking a girls’ school near an IRGC base, claiming 168 deaths, including 110 children, occurred during the strike. The US is investigating the incident, while Israel stated it was “not aware” of any operations in the area.
International journalists face restricted access in Iran, and the country’s internet connectivity has been largely cut. On 3 April, a US F-15 jet was shot down over western Iran, with the pilot rescued and a search-and-rescue mission under fire. The second crew member was reportedly recovered by 4 April, confirmed by President Trump.
Regional Fallout
The conflict has extended to countries hosting US bases and allies, including Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, the UAE, and Kuwait. Thirteen US service members were killed in these strikes. Iran has also been accused of targeting oil and gas infrastructure, shipping lanes, and civilian locations, with at least 24 fatalities recorded in the Gulf, primarily among security personnel and foreign workers.
Iran’s actions have drawn criticism from US and Arab allies, who condemned the attacks on civilian areas and non-combatant countries. In northern Iraq, a French soldier was killed by an Iranian drone at a Kurdish base, while seven Iraqi soldiers died in an airstrike in Anbar province. The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), formed to combat ISIS, reported 27 of its members were killed. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, four Palestinian women were killed in a beauty salon by an Iranian missile strike. Turkey claimed NATO defenses downed three Iranian missiles over its airspace, and Azerbaijan alleged Iran attacked an airport with drones.