Israeli fighter jets conducted new strikes targeting what the Israeli Air Force claims are missile launchers and other military infrastructure within Iran early Monday, according to verified video posted by the Israeli military. The strikes follow a joint military operation launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, 2026, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” by the U.S. And “Operation Roaring Lion” by Israel.
The coordinated attacks represent a significant escalation in regional tensions and have drawn condemnation from international observers, with concerns raised over their legality under international law. According to the U.S. Department of Defense and the Israel Defense Forces, the operation aims to “degrade the Iranian terrorist regime and to remove existential threats to Israel.”
The attacks commenced with strikes against targets in Tehran, including areas described as the “heart of Tehran” by the Israeli Air Force, and have since expanded to other locations within Iran. The Red Crescent in Iran has reported at least 555 deaths as a result of the airstrikes. Retaliatory strikes from Iran have already been launched, impacting industrial areas in Doha, Qatar, and prompting Qatar to halt LNG production. Saudi Arabia’s largest oil refinery has also arrive under attack, causing European benchmark gas futures to rise by more than one-third and oil prices to reach their highest levels since January 2025.
The timing of the strikes is particularly notable, occurring while diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran regarding Iran’s nuclear program were actively underway. Just two days prior to the military operation, the most recent round of U.S.-Iran talks concluded in Geneva, with both sides agreeing to continue discussions. U.S. President Donald Trump had indicated a willingness to provide negotiators with additional time before initiating military action.
Legal experts have questioned the justification for the attacks under international law. Israel has characterized the strikes as “preventive,” asserting they were intended to avert a future threat from Iran. However, the concept of preventive war lacks a legal basis under the UN Charter. The UN Security Council did not authorize any military action, precluding the use of force under the guise of self-defense. Article 2(4) of the UN Charter prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
Central to the current crisis is the 2018 decision by President Trump to withdraw the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a multinational agreement aimed at controlling Iran’s nuclear program. U.S. Intelligence assessments in March 2025 indicated that Iran was not actively pursuing nuclear weapons, a finding corroborated by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Reports also suggested that Iran would require approximately three years to develop a nuclear weapon, and that previous U.S. And Israeli strikes had temporarily delayed the program.
President Trump has stated that the attacks are intended to both dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and instigate regime change, urging Iranians to “take over your government.” However, the deliberate targeting of Iranian leaders, including the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who reportedly died in the strikes, and the president, as well as military infrastructure, is considered a violation of international norms and potentially constitutes an act of aggression.
Reports of an airstrike on an elementary school in Minab, resulting in the deaths of at least 100 girls aged seven to twelve, highlight the devastating human cost of the military operation. Concerns have been raised regarding the lack of a comprehensive plan for post-conflict reconstruction and government transition in Iran, drawing comparisons to the destabilizing aftermath of regime change interventions in Libya and Iraq. Western allies have expressed concern that Washington lacks a coherent strategy for the aftermath of the attacks.
The launch of strikes while diplomatic negotiations were ongoing has also been criticized as a violation of the principle of good faith enshrined in Article 2(2) of the UN Charter. Iranian officials have denounced the attacks as a breach of international law, citing previous instances where strikes disrupted scheduled talks.
The international response has been divided. Russia and China have condemned the U.S.-Israeli actions and called for an immediate cessation of military operations and a return to diplomatic negotiations. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement urging Iran to negotiate a solution while condemning Iranian retaliatory attacks, but refrained from directly commenting on the U.S. And Israeli strikes. Australia has supported the strikes, stating they were taken to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Three U.S. Warplanes crashed in Kuwait following a friendly-fire incident, though crew members were reported safe. The situation remains fluid, with ongoing strikes and retaliatory actions continuing as of Monday, March 2, 2026.
