The Israeli military killed Hamas commander Wasim Atallah Ali in Tripoli on March 5. The IDF said that Ali was responsible for training the group’s branch in Lebanon. His elimination adds to the growing number of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad members who have been killed in Lebanon by the Israeli military.
On March 4 and 5, the United States and Israel continued attacks against elements of the Islamic Republic’s military assets, including its missile and naval threat capacity, as well as its repression apparatus. The countries also declared air superiority over Iran and signaled the beginning of a new phase of the operation.
Ukraine says it will help the United States and its Middle East allies combat the Iranian drones that the Tehran regime is firing at the region. Russia has bombarded Ukrainian cities with these weapons for years, resulting in a series of defensive adaptations and innovations by the Armed Forces of Ukraine¬—and unmatched counter-drone experience.
Between March 3 and March 5, Iran continued retaliating against the joint United States-Israeli military campaign by conducting widespread strikes across Arab Gulf countries using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones. Attacks were launched against Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran-backed Iraqi militias claimed a series of drone and missile attacks against the “US presence” in the region on March 4 and 5, many targeting Iraqi Kurdistan, where significant American forces are located. US and Israeli forces are also likely operating against the Tehran-allied militias in Iraq, as both the militias and official government sources have reported a US presence and unidentified strikes against these groups.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem addressed Hezbollah’s latest war with Israel on Monday night, insisting that his group had fire rockets at Israel in defense of Lebanon, preempting a premeditated “war of extermination.” Qassem insisted that Hezbollah would not surrender its arms and vowed to continue fighting until achieving either victory in battle or martyrdom.
Tehran’s partners and sympathizers have arranged protests across the region against the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, especially the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Some of the demonstrations have turned violent and present a danger to the local US diplomatic presence and civilians.
Israel has carried out more than 1,600 strike sorties against Iran in the first four days of the war, targeting Iranian leaders, nuclear facilities, missile launchers, and other military infrastructure, according to the IDF. Iran has responded with repeated ballistic missile and drone salvos that have killed at least 10 people in Israel and wounded dozens. The Israeli Air Force said that one of its F-35s downed an Iranian Yak-130 aircraft. The fighting has closed Israeli airports and forced widespread civilian alerts as missile barrages continue across the country.
Iran has lashed out at its neighbors with hundreds of missiles and drones. However, a careful analysis of the data shows that Tehran’s ballistic missile launches have been dropping since the start of the conflict, largely because of the impact of US and Israeli strikes.
Iraqi militias backed by Iran have continued to fire drones and missiles at American bases in Iraq and in the region. Both the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and Saraya Awliya al Dam have claimed responsibility for the strikes. Collectively, the groups have claimed dozens of operations against American bases since March 1.
On March 2 and 3, the United States and Israel struck missiles and launchers nationwide, nuclear program sites at Natanz, and a key leadership target in Qom, while also hitting IRGC, Basij, police, and intelligence facilities in Tehran and western Iran.
The United States and Israel demonstrated unprecedented coordination and delivered impressive blows against Iranian military capabilities in the early stages of the current conflict. Now, as Tehran lashes out against US forces and regional partners, Washington and Jerusalem face the immediate challenge of striking Iranian ballistic missiles, drones, and their launchers on the ground before they can be fired, along with intercepting any projectiles that Iran has successfully launched before they hit military and civilian targets.
The Tehran regime responded to the US-Israeli military campaign against it by launching coordinated missile and drone strikes across the Middle East on the first three days of the conflict. The attacks struck multiple Gulf Arab states and targeted civilian infrastructure, airports, ports, and military sites, with notable targets and impacts in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria.
Kurdish Iranian opposition groups say that Iran targeted their bases in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq with drones and missiles following US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) and other groups, including PDKI and Komala, reported attacks near Erbil, Duhok, and Sulaymaniyah, with footage suggesting the use of Shahed-type drones. The US State Department condemned the strikes, while Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government said its Peshmerga forces were also targeted. Kurdish opposition groups have also claimed that they are conducting anti-regime operations in Iran.
Israel continued military operations in Lebanon between February 23 and March 1, 2026. Israeli activities last week, the last days of which coincided with the onset of the joint US-Israeli operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran, were concentrated on policing activities but included airstrikes on Hezbollah’s assets deeper into Lebanon.
Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other Palestinian terrorist organizations issued statements mourning the deaths of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Tehran regime’s other senior officials. While some groups made vague mentions of a response to the killings, none explicitly said they would retaliate against Israel or the United States.
Houthi leader Abdulmalik al Houthi has delivered speeches in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran since the start of the US-Israeli military campaign, but he has not yet announced specific retaliatory military action. Instead, the Houthis have officially called for mass demonstrations and increased media activity in support of the regime. However, officials from the Iran-backed group have told media outlets that it will resume attacks against Israel and Red Sea shipping.
The joint US and Israeli operation entered its second day, with American forces targeting command-and-control centers, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters, air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, and Iran’s naval forces. In parallel, Israeli strikes concentrated on targets in Tehran, including key pillars of the regime’s repression apparatus, as well as ballistic missile sites and launchers. Iranian retaliatory attacks killed three US service members and nine Israeli civilians.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), a coalition of Iran-backed Shiite militias, claimed over a dozen drone attacks against “enemy bases in Iraq and the region” and issued statements of support for the Tehran regime in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The groups are also responding to unclaimed airstrikes on Iraq that have reportedly killed at least six people, including four confirmed Iraqi militiamen.
Reports following US and Israeli military strikes on Iran say that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. If true, is regime decapitation the opening salvo of the fall of the Islamic Republic? David Daoud and Joe Truzman are back with Bill Roggio to unpack what we know, what we don’t know, and whether this is the moment that reshapes the Middle East.
After the third round of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington failed to produce meaningful progress, the US followed through on its threats against the Iranian regime. On the morning of February 8, in a joint operation with Israel, the US struck military sites in Iran and targeted the Islamic Republic’s leadership. The military campaign was supplemented with messaging to ordinary Iranians to take to the streets once the bombing ended, and Israeli sources say that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been killed.
Last weekend, the Pakistani military targeted jihadi training camps in Afghanistan. After the Afghan Taliban, which shelters the terrorists, responded by attacking Pakistani military outposts, the Pakistani military launched Operation Righteous Fury on February 27, striking multiple targets throughout Afghanistan.
Five Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have announced a coalition aimed at opposing Iran’s regime. The alliance, unveiled at a joint press conference on February 22, includes the PDKI, PJAK, PAK, Komala, and the Khabat Organization. The move comes amid heightened US-Iran tensions and renewed threats from the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, which warned the Kurdistan Region against cooperating with “foreign forces.”
Russia and Iran have reportedly finalized a contract for the sale of 500 Russian “Verba” man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) and 2,500 missiles as Iran tries to shore up its air defenses. However, it is unlikely that these weapons would significantly impact potential US operations against the Islamic Republic.
The Houthis have mobilized personnel and attacked opposition forces along important domestic frontlines in recent weeks. The Iran-backed terrorist group also appears to be preparing for an emergency, and it is uncertain if this effort is related to domestic activity or potential US strikes on Iran.
The US State Department ordered the departure of all non-emergency government personnel from the US Embassy in Beirut, along with their family members. Many media outlets tied this to rising US regional tensions with Iran. A Lebanese media outlet suggested it was in response to threats to the embassy from Hezbollah.
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has vowed to continue pursuing a return to office regardless of US pressure opposing his candidacy, intensifying political uncertainty following Iraq’s November 2025 elections. Maliki’s bid comes as Shiite factions within the Coordination Framework weigh their options amid ongoing efforts to select a new president and prime minister.
The Islamic State intensified attacks against Syrian government forces in February. The uptick followed a voice recording released by the group’s spokesman, Abu Hudhayfah al Ansari, that announced “a new phase of operations” in Syria.
Following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel has conducted a consistent military campaign against Palestinian terrorist groups in Lebanon. The Israeli military’s recent attack against a Hamas command center in the Palestinian camp of Ayin al Hilweh demonstrates that this approach continues to be Jerusalem’s preferred strategy against Palestinian armed groups that operate on Israel’s northern border.
Israel continued military operations in Lebanon between February 16 and February 22, 2026. Israeli activities last week were relatively more intense than in preceding weeks and included attacks on Hezbollah assets deep inside Lebanon, some of which the group reportedly intended to use against Israel in the event of a US conflict with Iran.