US-Israel Conflict With Iran Leaves Supreme Leader Dead

A military conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran began on February 28, 2026. The campaign included strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior military officials, while a U.S.-led blockade significantly degraded Iranian air and naval power. Between February 28 and April 8, the U.S. conducted at least 96 strikes near the strategic port of Bandar Abbas and the Strait of Hormuz.

One of the most significant civilian casualties occurred in Minab, where a U.S.-made Tomahawk missile struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school during an attack on a nearby military compound. The strike killed 156 people, including 120 children, though the United States Department of Defense has provided no explanation for the bombing. Despite previous anti-government protests, the war and the death of Khamenei fostered a display of national unity in Tehran.

Donald Trump has vacillated between threats of total destruction and claims of nearing a deal, while domestic U.S. polling shows declining support for the war. On August 7, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, declared that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. meets six conditions, including lifting sanctions, ending the war, and paying for damages. While some analysts view the U.S. campaign as a decisive victory that stabilized oil markets, others cite depleted U.S. missile stockpiles and continued Iranian defiance.