US, Israel Attack Iran Live: Trump Vows to Continue Attacks, Avenge Troops

Overview

US, Israel attack Iran live: Trump vows to continue attacks, avenge troops — the Middle East is in the grip of its most severe military crisis in decades. On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a massive joint military offensive against Iran, codenamed Operation Epic Fury by the Pentagon and Operation Roaring Lion by the Israeli military. The strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, destroyed more than 1,000 military and government targets, and triggered a sprawling Iranian retaliation across the entire Gulf region.

By March 2, the situation had escalated dramatically. Three US service members stationed in Kuwait were confirmed killed by Iranian retaliatory strikes, with five more seriously wounded. President Donald Trump, speaking from the White House, vowed that "attacks on Iran will continue until all of his objectives are achieved" and pledged to "avenge" the fallen American soldiers, according to Al Jazeera's live coverage. Iran, now governed by a temporary three-member leadership council following Khamenei's death, has launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes targeting US military installations in eight countries while threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz.

This article compiles live updates, verified reporting, source citations, and community analysis into a comprehensive account of the ongoing US-Israel attack on Iran, Trump's escalatory rhetoric, the human cost of the conflict, and where the crisis may be headed.

Timeline of the US-Israel Attack on Iran

The following chronology tracks the major events from the launch of operations through the latest confirmed developments. All times are approximate and based on reporting from multiple news agencies.

February 28, 2026 — Day One

• ~10:00 PM local time: Israel launches the opening wave of strikes on Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah. Multiple explosions reported across the Iranian capital. Israel's operation is codenamed Operation Roaring Lion, per CBS News.
• ~11:00 PM: The US military joins with Operation Epic Fury. B-2 stealth bombers deliver 2,000-lb ordnance against Iranian ballistic missile facilities. US warships launch Tomahawk cruise missiles from the Persian Gulf, according to NPR.
• Late evening: Strikes hit Khamenei's Tehran office. Iran's state-run Nour News later confirms his death, stating he "attained martyrdom while carrying out his duties." His daughter, son-in-law, grandchild, and daughter-in-law were also killed, per CNBC.
• Overnight: Trump announces the US is undertaking a "massive and ongoing operation in Iran." Israel reports using over 1,200 bombs in the first 24 hours.

March 1, 2026 — Day Two

• Morning: Iran begins retaliatory strikes. Dozens of drones and ballistic missiles target US military bases across Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, and Oman. The IRGC claims strikes on 27 bases hosting US personnel, per Al Jazeera.
• Midday: CENTCOM confirms three US service members killed in Kuwait, five seriously wounded. These are the first American combat deaths since operations began.
• Afternoon: Iranian missiles strike near Jerusalem, killing at least nine people in Beit Shemesh. One person killed in central Tel Aviv, more than 100 injured across Israel.
• Evening: Trump speaks behind the presidential podium. He calls the fallen troops "true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice," vows to avenge them, and says "there will likely be more" American deaths. He accuses Iran of waging war "against civilization," per NPR.
• Late evening: CENTCOM announces over 1,000 targets struck inside Iran, including ships, submarines, missile sites, communications links, and IRGC command-and-control centers. Trump claims nine Iranian naval ships sunk and Iranian naval headquarters "largely destroyed," per CNBC.

March 2, 2026 — Day Three

• Ongoing: Netanyahu states Israel is intensifying strikes in Tehran, citing US support. Iran announces the Strait of Hormuz will be closed and threatens the "biggest wave of attacks yet." OPEC prepares an emergency meeting on production disruption.
• Morning: Damage reports confirm Dubai International Airport, Abu Dhabi Airport, and Kuwait Airport struck during Iranian retaliation. Baghdad's Green Zone secured; Jordan reports air raid sirens.
• Congress: Lawmakers prepare for war powers resolution vote. Senator Tim Kaine calls the operation "an illegal war," per CNBC live coverage.

Trump Vows to Continue Attacks and Avenge Troops

President Trump's response to the first American casualties marks a significant escalation in the conflict's rhetoric. In a Sunday evening video address from the White House, Trump made several key declarations that have shaped the direction of the conflict:

"Attacks on Iran will continue until all of our objectives are achieved," Trump stated, though he notably did not define what those objectives were, according to Al Jazeera. This open-ended commitment raised immediate concerns among lawmakers about the scope and duration of the military operation.

Addressing the three fallen service members, Trump called them "true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice" and vowed that the United States would avenge their deaths. He then warned that "there will likely be more" American deaths before the conflict ends — a rare admission from a sitting president during active hostilities, per NPR.

In his most direct threat to Iran, Trump declared that if escalation continued, Iran would be met with "a force that has never been seen before." He characterized the operation as running "ahead of schedule" and suggested the entire campaign could be completed within "four weeks or less," per CBS News live updates.

Trump also framed the conflict in civilizational terms, accusing Iran of waging war "against civilization" itself — language that echoed George W. Bush-era rhetoric about the global war on terror. The president stated that Iran can "never have a nuclear weapon" and that the US plans to "destroy Iran's missiles and raze its missile industry to the ground."

Operation Epic Fury: What the US Military Has Hit

The scale of the US-Israeli military operation is unprecedented in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Here is what has been confirmed about the targets and assets deployed:

Confirmed Targets (1,000+ Total)

• Nuclear facilities: Strikes on Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz — the three facilities that form the backbone of Iran's uranium enrichment program. These sites had been previously targeted in the June 2025 Israeli strikes, but enriched material stored in underground bunkers had remained largely intact, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
• Military command centers: IRGC headquarters and command-and-control infrastructure across multiple cities.
• Government buildings: Khamenei's office in Tehran, the national radio and television headquarters, and police installations.
• Naval assets: Trump claimed nine Iranian naval ships were sunk and the Iranian naval headquarters was "largely destroyed." CENTCOM had not independently confirmed these claims as of March 2.
• Ballistic missile sites: Multiple production and storage facilities targeted using B-2 stealth bomber-delivered 2,000-lb bunker-busting ordnance.
• Communications infrastructure: Satellite links, military communications networks, and related systems.
• Submarines: At least some Iranian submarine assets were struck, per CENTCOM's operational summary.

US Assets Deployed

• B-2 Spirit stealth bombers — delivering 2,000-lb penetrating ordnance against hardened underground targets
• Tomahawk cruise missiles — launched from US warships in the Persian Gulf
• HIMARS launchers — US Army mobile rocket systems
• Aircraft carrier strike groups — multiple carrier groups deployed to the region during the January-February buildup
• Guided-missile destroyers and air defense assets positioned across the region

Israel reported using over 1,200 bombs in the first 24 hours of its parallel Operation Roaring Lion, with a combination of fighter jets and precision-guided munitions targeting Iranian military and government infrastructure, according to The Washington Post.

Khamenei Killed: The Death of Iran's Supreme Leader

The killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei represents the most significant targeted assassination of a head of state in modern history. Khamenei, 86, had served as Iran's Supreme Leader since 1989 — making him the longest-serving leader of the Islamic Republic.

How It Happened

Khamenei was killed in strikes that hit his office in Tehran during the opening hours of the February 28 attack. Iran's state-run Nour News confirmed his death on Sunday morning, stating: "Iran's leader attained martyrdom while carrying out his duties at his office." The announcement also revealed that the attack killed Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law, grandchild, and one of his daughters-in-law, per NBC News.

Beyond Khamenei himself, up to 40 senior Iranian officials were killed across the coordinated strikes, according to Al Jazeera. The decapitation of Iran's leadership represents one of the most aggressive uses of precision strikes against a sovereign government in recent memory.

Iran's Temporary Government

In the immediate aftermath, a three-member leadership council was established to temporarily govern Iran pending the selection of a new supreme leader. The council includes Ayatollah Arafi among its members. The process for selecting a successor — which involves the Assembly of Experts — has never been tested under conditions of active warfare and external bombardment, creating enormous uncertainty about Iran's chain of command and decision-making capacity.

Iran's Foreign Ministry stated that Iran fights "foreign aggression, foreign domination" — language that signals continuity of the hardline stance despite the leadership vacuum. The IRGC has pledged revenge and appears to be operating with relative autonomy in directing retaliatory strikes, per Al Jazeera's world reaction coverage.

Three US Troops Killed: What We Know

The deaths of three American service members mark the first US combat casualties since Operation Epic Fury began, transforming the conflict from a remote air campaign into one with direct American blood cost.

What CENTCOM Confirmed

• Three US service members killed in action during Iranian retaliatory strikes
• Five more seriously wounded
• The troops were ground-based forces stationed in Kuwait
• Casualties occurred during Iran's retaliatory missile and drone barrage targeting US installations across the Gulf

The Pentagon's official Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the casualties on March 1, 2026, according to Al Jazeera. The names of the fallen soldiers had not been released as of this writing, pending notification of next of kin.

Trump's decision to publicly acknowledge that "there will likely be more" American deaths is notable. Past presidents have generally avoided such frank assessments during active operations, preferring to emphasize military superiority and minimize casualty expectations. Trump's candor may reflect either strategic messaging aimed at preparing the public, or confidence that American resolve will not waver despite losses.

Iran's Retaliation: Strikes Across the Gulf

Iran's response to the US-Israeli offensive has been sweeping in geographic scope, if uneven in military effectiveness. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a multi-pronged retaliatory assault targeting American military assets and allies across the entire Persian Gulf region.

Countries Targeted by Iranian Strikes

• Kuwait — Where three US troops were killed; base housing ground forces hit by missiles
• Bahrain — US Fifth Fleet headquarters area targeted
• Qatar — Al Udeid Air Base area struck; the largest US military installation in the Middle East
• Jordan — Air raid sirens reported; base areas targeted
• Saudi Arabia — Multiple military installations targeted
• United Arab Emirates — Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi Airport reported damaged
• Iraq — Baghdad Green Zone secured; Iranian-aligned militia activity reported
• Oman — Military targets struck despite Oman's traditional neutral role

The IRGC stated it had launched attacks on 27 bases where US troops are stationed, according to Al Jazeera. Iran's state broadcaster reported 201 Iranian dead and 747 injured from the US-Israeli strikes, citing Iranian Red Crescent Society figures — though independent verification remains impossible under current conditions.

Strikes on Israel

Iran simultaneously launched missile strikes directly at Israel. At least nine people were killed in Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem, and one person was killed in central Tel Aviv with more than 100 injured across the country. This represents a significant escalation from Iran's April 2024 attack, which involved over 300 drones and missiles but caused minimal casualties due to coordinated interception efforts.

Iran also announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which approximately 20% of the world's oil supply transits daily — and threatened the "biggest wave of attacks yet" against both Israel and US forces in the region.

Trump and Netanyahu: Diplomatic Dynamics Before the Strike

The February 28 strikes did not emerge from a vacuum. In the weeks preceding the attack, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu engaged in intense diplomatic negotiations over the scope of action against Iran — negotiations that revealed significant disagreements between the two allies.

According to PBS NewsHour, Trump and Netanyahu met for over two hours at the White House in their seventh meeting during Trump's current term. The meeting revealed a critical tension: Trump wanted diplomatic talks with Iran to continue, while Netanyahu pushed for more expansive military action with tougher conditions.

Trump's Position

Trump stated he "insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated." His two core demands were straightforward: a complete ban on nuclear weapons and prohibition of missiles. However, Trump also warned of consequences if Iran refused, noting: "Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal" — a reference to the collapse of earlier Geneva and Oman-mediated talks.

Netanyahu's Demands

Israel's prime minister pushed for significantly more expansive restrictions, including:

• Ballistic missile program limitations beyond what Trump demanded
• Cuts to Iranian support for Hamas and Hezbollah
• Continued and permanent uranium enrichment bans

Netanyahu declared he would present "essential principles" he considers vital for Middle East peace and security. This framework went well beyond what any previous negotiation had attempted.

Behind-the-Scenes Players

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner had conducted preliminary discussions with Iranian counterparts. Indirect US-Iran talks occurred in Oman, with both sides showing cautious optimism — optimism that evaporated when the February 28 strikes were launched after talks collapsed.

A Weak Iran and Israel's Diplomatic Position

Writing in The Wall Street Journal on February 9, 2026 — just weeks before the strikes — veteran foreign policy analyst Walter Russell Mead outlined a paradox that may prove prophetic: Iran's weakened position could paradoxically undermine Israel's diplomatic standing rather than strengthen it.

The Paradox

Mead, the Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at the Hudson Institute, argued that with an American carrier strike group offshore, European nations designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization, Iran's regional strategy in ruins, and its economy imploding, Tehran had never been weaker. Yet this very weakness was changing the strategic calculations of Arab states.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations had "grown less enthusiastic about normalizing relations" with Israel, Mead observed. The strategic rationale for the Abraham Accords-era rapprochement had been the shared threat of a powerful Iran. With Iran diminished, Arab states no longer needed Israel as urgently — and could afford to distance themselves from Jerusalem's aggressive posture.

Implications for the Current Conflict

Mead's analysis has gained new relevance following the February 28 strikes. Iran's refusal to moderate on nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, or support for anti-Israel proxy groups — even from a position of acute weakness — suggests that the regime views these as existential non-negotiables rather than bargaining chips. The killing of Khamenei may accelerate regime hardening rather than promoting compromise, as revolutionary legitimacy demands defiance in the face of foreign aggression.

Congressional Response and War Powers Debate

The military operation has triggered an immediate constitutional confrontation in Washington. Congress is set to begin voting on a war powers resolution to halt Trump's assault on Iran, though the killing of Khamenei has complicated the political calculus.

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a longtime advocate for congressional war authority, called the operation "an illegal war," arguing that the president had not obtained the constitutionally required authorization for the use of military force, per CNBC.

However, Khamenei's death has created a dilemma for opponents of the war: voting to halt operations immediately after killing an adversary's supreme leader could be perceived as allowing Iran to regroup without accountability. Some lawmakers who might otherwise oppose the war are now reluctant to appear "soft" on Iran at the very moment the country's leadership has been decapitated.

The administration has not publicly cited a specific legal authority for the strikes, though previous administrations have relied on Article II commander-in-chief powers and the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) for Middle East operations — a legal framework that critics argue was never intended to cover a full-scale war with Iran.

What Reddit and Online Communities Are Saying

The US-Israel attack on Iran has dominated social media and discussion forums, with communities processing the scale of the conflict in real time.

r/worldnews and r/geopolitics

Threads on Reddit's major geopolitical discussion boards have drawn tens of thousands of comments. Key themes emerging from community discussion include:

• Shock at the assassination of a head of state: Many users noted that the killing of Khamenei crosses a line rarely seen in modern warfare — the deliberate targeting and killing of a sovereign nation's supreme leader. Comparisons to the 2020 Soleimani strike were widespread, with users arguing this represents an exponential escalation.
• Concerns about scope creep: The open-ended nature of Trump's "until all objectives are achieved" language alarmed many commenters, who drew parallels to the 2003 Iraq War's initial promises of a swift campaign.
• Debate over nuclear justification: Some users supported the strikes as the only viable option to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, pointing to CFR analysis showing Iran had maintained highly enriched uranium at 60% purity — near weapons-grade — despite international pressure. Others argued diplomacy had not been exhausted.
• Oil and economic impact anxiety: The threat to close the Strait of Hormuz generated significant discussion about gasoline prices, global supply chains, and the economic fallout of a prolonged conflict.
• Regional destabilization: Users with expertise in Middle East affairs warned about the cascading effects — Iran's proxy network spanning Hezbollah, Hamas, Iraqi militias, and Houthi forces could activate simultaneously, creating multiple fronts.
• Constitutional concerns: American commenters debated whether the operation constituted an illegal war without congressional authorization, echoing Senator Kaine's position.

Online discussion has also highlighted the unprecedented information environment: real-time video from Tehran posted by Iranian citizens, OSINT analysts tracking military movements via satellite, and conflicting casualty figures from state media versus independent sources are creating a fragmented but vivid picture of the conflict.

International Reactions

The international response to the US-Israeli strikes has been sharp and divided along predictable geopolitical lines.

China

China's Foreign Ministry called for immediate de-escalation and condemned the killing of Khamenei as a violation of international law and sovereignty. Beijing — Iran's largest oil customer — faces direct economic consequences from the conflict through disrupted energy supplies, per China's Foreign Ministry statement.

Russia

Russia condemned the strikes and called for an emergency UN Security Council session. Moscow's relationship with Tehran had deepened significantly through the CRINK alliance (China-Russia-Iran-North Korea), with Russia providing Iran military technology including advanced jets and air defense systems in the years leading up to the conflict.

European Union

European reaction was more nuanced. While the EU had designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization in the weeks prior, several member states expressed alarm at the scale of the strikes and the assassination of Khamenei, calling for proportionality and a return to diplomatic channels.

Arab States

Arab and Islamic nations have urged restraint from all parties, even as several host countries for US bases found their own territory under Iranian fire. The damage to Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports, in particular, has strained the UAE's already complex balancing act between US security ties and economic pragmatism, per Al Jazeera's coverage of Gulf state targeting.

What's Next: Scenarios and Outlook

The conflict is evolving rapidly with several critical variables that will determine its trajectory over the coming days and weeks.

Strait of Hormuz Closure

Iran's announced closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the world's most critical oil chokepoint — threatens to disrupt approximately 20% of global oil supply. If enforced, this would trigger an immediate spike in global energy prices and could push already fragile economies into recession. OPEC is preparing an emergency meeting on production to assess the impact.

Oil Price and Market Impact

Analysts expect crude oil prices to surge well beyond their current levels if the Strait remains contested. The economic ripple effects will be felt globally — from gasoline prices in the US to manufacturing costs in Asia. The conflict comes at a particularly sensitive time for the global economy.

Iran's Leadership Vacuum

The temporary three-member council governing Iran faces an unprecedented situation: selecting a new supreme leader during active bombardment. The Assembly of Experts process has never been tested under these conditions. Whether the new leadership emerges as more conciliatory or more hardline will significantly shape the conflict's trajectory.

Trump's "Four Weeks or Less" Timeline

Trump's suggestion that operations could be completed within four weeks is ambitious by any historical measure. The 2003 Iraq invasion took three weeks to topple Saddam Hussein's government but devolved into years of insurgency. Whether the US and Israel can achieve their stated objectives — denuclearization, destruction of missile capacity, and regime change — within this timeframe remains highly uncertain.

Congressional Action

The upcoming war powers vote represents the most significant congressional challenge to presidential war authority since the 2001 AUMF debates. The outcome will signal whether there are political limits to the conflict's expansion.

Proxy Activation

Iran's extensive proxy network — including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas remnants in Gaza, Houthi forces in Yemen, and Shia militias in Iraq — represents a potential second wave of escalation. If these groups fully activate, the conflict could metastasize across the entire Middle East. Hezbollah alone possesses an estimated 150,000+ rockets and missiles capable of striking deep into Israeli territory.

Why It Matters

The US-Israel attack on Iran represents a watershed moment in modern geopolitics with consequences that will ripple for years to come:

• Nuclear nonproliferation precedent: The strikes demonstrate that the international community's ultimate enforcement mechanism for preventing nuclear proliferation is military force — not diplomacy, sanctions, or international institutions. This may encourage other nuclear-aspiring states to accelerate secret programs rather than risk a similar fate.
• Assassination of a head of state: The deliberate killing of Iran's Supreme Leader sets a precedent that world leaders are legitimate military targets. This has profound implications for international law and the conduct of future conflicts.
• Energy security: The Strait of Hormuz threat exposes the fragility of global energy supply chains and the outsized geopolitical leverage that chokepoint control provides.
• US presidential war powers: The operation tests the limits of executive authority to wage war without congressional authorization — a constitutional question that has gone largely unresolved since the Korean War.
• Regional stability: The destruction of Iran's military leadership creates a power vacuum that could trigger internal fragmentation, proxy war escalation, or both — potentially destabilizing the entire Middle East for a generation.
• Alliance dynamics: The joint US-Israeli operation deepens questions about whether American security commitments serve American interests or primarily those of allies — a debate that the US troop casualties will intensify.

Related Coverage

• US Strikes Iran: Full Timeline, Targets, and Global Impact in Operation Shield of Judah
• US Military Begins Major Combat Operations in Iran, Trump Says
• Iran Retaliation: US Bases Targeted Across the Gulf
• Operation Epic Fury Explained
• Iran Confirms Supreme Leader Khamenei Is Dead
• War Powers Resolution: Iran Strikes and Congressional Authority
• Iran Strikes Back: Where and What Was Hit

Research Hubs

• Iran-Israel-Dubai War Guide
• Iran Nuclear and Military Briefing
• Israel Security and Escalation Briefing
• Dubai and UAE Risk Briefing
• Source Center: Primary References

Sources

Last updated: March 2, 2026. This article is revised when new evidence materially changes what can be stated with confidence.