Here is a timeline of the key events that brought the conflict to this pivotal moment.
Feb. 28: U.S.-Israeli strikes kill Iran’s Supreme Leader
The U.S. and Israel launch a sweeping air campaign that targets strategic military locations, nuclear sites, and government facilities in Iran. The operation kills Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The strikes come with little public warning, catching many civilians, diplomats, and markets off guard and transforming a period of regional tension into open war overnight.
Missiles also hit the cities of Qom, Karaj, Kermanshah, Tabriz, and Isfahan, a major hub for Iran’s nuclear program. In one of the war’s most controversial moments, a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran is demolished, killing 175 people, at least 108 of them children.
Iran starts a retaliation campaign soon after, targeting Israel and neighboring Gulf states with a barrage of missiles. Iran targets U.S. bases in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, but also strikes civilian areas, including multiple hotels and airports.
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