The 2026 Iran war
Nine hundred strikes in twelve hours kill Iran's Supreme Leader and open a regional war.
- When
- Known to
- ± 12 hours
- Era
- Contemporary, Holocene
- Where
- Tehran, Iran · 35.6892° N, 51.3890° E
On 28 February 2026, after talks on the nuclear programme broke down, American and Israeli forces struck Iranian military, nuclear and leadership targets, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the IRGC commander and the defence minister. Iran replied with missile and drone attacks on Israel, US bases and Gulf oil infrastructure, and moved to close the Strait of Hormuz. It is the first time a head of state of a major power has been killed by another state's air campaign since 1945.