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The relationship between the United States and Iran entered its most dangerous phase in decades on 28 February 2026, as the US launched a joint military operation with Israel against Iran — codenamed "Epic Fury" by the Pentagon — without seeking congressional authorisation. The initial airstrikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, several senior military and security officials, and members of Khamenei's own family. Hundreds of civilians were reported killed in the first days of the attacks, including more than 100 children at a primary school in southern Iran, according to Iranian authorities. The attacks drew widespread condemnation, with the United Nations, China, Russia, and numerous other governments describing them as a violation of international law and Iranian sovereignty.
US President Donald Trump called on Iranians to ‘take over your government’ in a video posted on Truth Social on 28 February, framing the attacks as an opportunity for regime change. Under the UN Charter, the use of force between states is permitted only in self-defence against an armed attack or with Security Council authorisation. Neither condition applied: Iran had not attacked the United States, and no Security Council resolution authorised the strikes. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the operation at an emergency Security Council session, saying it had ‘squandered a chance for diplomacy’. UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul described the strikes as ‘not lawful self-defence’ and said they amounted to ‘the international crime of aggression’. Most Western governments avoided addressing the legality of the strikes directly — the UK, France, and Germany issued a joint statement urging Iran to seek a negotiated solution without commenting on the lawfulness of the attack, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz argued that international law should not protect Iran. Whether any political transition serves the interests of ordinary Iranians, or primarily those of external powers, remains the central question.
Iran’s retaliatory strikes hit US military bases and allied facilities across the Gulf, including in Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Oman, killing US service members, while Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel from Lebanon. The Strait of Hormuz was disrupted, affecting global oil shipments and energy markets. Trump indicated the operation could last a month or more, while also claiming to be open to talks with what remained of Iran's leadership. A three-member Provisional Leadership Council took temporary control of Iran, while the succession process was thrown into further doubt after Israel struck the Assembly of Experts compound in Qom on 3 March as the body reportedly convened to select a new supreme leader. Whether the US operation leads to the prolonged military entanglement that critics warn of, or the swift resolution the administration promises, remains deeply uncertain.
The current crisis can not be understood without contextualising the longer history of US policy toward Iran. The 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), negotiated between Iran, the US, and five other world powers, had successfully constrained Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. The US unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under Trump's first term and imposed a "maximum pressure" sanctions campaign that devastated Iran's economy, despite the International Atomic Energy Agency confirming Iran's compliance. Iran subsequently resumed advanced uranium enrichment. The reimposition of UN "snapback" sanctions in September 2025 and the June 2025 Twelve-Day War, in which US and Israeli forces struck Iran's nuclear and military sites, further deepened the crisis. Throughout this period, diplomatic alternatives were available but were set aside by Washington and its allies in favour of escalation.
The humanitarian toll of decades of US-led sanctions and military action on ordinary Iranians has been severe. Iran's currency, the rial, lost the vast majority of its value since sanctions were reimposed, with inflation year-on-year exceeding 60% at the end of 2025 and food prices rising by more than 70% year on year. Nearly one in five young Iranians was unemployed at the end of 2025, and economic conditions deteriorated sharply across the country. The nationwide protests that erupted in late December 2025, initially driven by economic despair, were met with a brutal state crackdown that killed thousands. A near-total internet blackout, imposed since 8 January 2026 and deepened after the 28 February attacks, cut an estimated 92 million citizens off from the outside world, making independent verification of events inside the country extremely difficult. US and Israeli cyber operations also played into this disruption, with Israel reportedly targeting government sites, IRGC communications, and civilian apps alongside its air strikes.
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