Strikes targeting Iran were initiated by the United States and Israel on Thursday, February 28, 2026, with Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, directly targeted in the operations, according to a Middle Eastern official familiar with the matter. Khamenei’s current status remains unknown.
The attacks follow a period of escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf. Earlier in February, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC) seized two vessels, alleging the ships were carrying over one million liters of smuggled fuel. An IRGC official reportedly threatened the United States with “massacre and hell” in connection with the seizures, according to reports from February 5, 2026.
Concurrent with the vessel seizures, a U.S. Fighter jet downed an Iranian Shahed-139 drone over the Arabian Sea on February 3, 2026. In a separate incident that same day, six Iranian gunboats approached a U.S.-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. These actions occurred against a backdrop of increased Iranian military drills in the Gulf, with an Iranian admiral, Rear Admiral Tangsiri, stating on February 19, 2026, that Iran was “ready to close” the Strait of Hormuz, a decision he indicated rested with Iran’s leadership.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has likewise been actively engaging in the information sphere, launching a Farsi-language account on February 12, 2026, to appeal to Iranian dissidents. The IDF account urged “patriotic Iranian people” to contact them for cooperation. Simultaneously, concerns have risen within Israel regarding potential Iranian attacks, leading citizens to adjust their daily routines in preparation, as reported on February 1, 2026.
On February 17, 2026, Khamenei issued a threat against U.S. Military power, rejecting limitations on Iran’s missile program and criticizing Washington following the deployment of U.S. Aircraft carriers to the region.
The Lufthansa airline previously lobbied to prevent airlines from the Persian Gulf region from establishing direct flights to Berlin, according to reports from February 2026, though the implications of this lobbying are currently unclear in relation to the recent strikes.
