The 2026 US-Israel-Iran War

Trump orders Operation Epic Fury, striking Iran without congressional authorization

Trump ordered US and Israeli forces to strike Iranian nuclear and military sites on February 28, 2026, without seeking a declaration of war from Congress. He cited Article II commander-in-chief authority and claimed Iran was weeks from a nuclear weapon. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in the first wave of strikes. Trump briefed only eight members of Congress before the operation began. The Pentagon gave congressional leadership no advance legal rationale for the strikes.

Iran fires roughly 170 ballistic missiles at Israel within hours of the first US strikes

Within hours of Operation Epic Fury, Iran's IRGC fired roughly 170 ballistic missiles at Israel, targeting residential areas in Haifa and Tel Aviv. Israeli air defenses intercepted most missiles, but several hit population centers. Iran simultaneously activated Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi forces in Yemen, opening multiple fronts. The immediate retaliation signaled Iran intended a full military response, not a contained one.

Iran bars US- and Israel-linked ships from the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued orders on February 28, 2026, barring vessels linked to the United States or Israel from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of global oil supply passes. The IRGC boarded and attacked merchant ships and began laying sea mines in the strait. Tanker traffic dropped by approximately 70 percent within days as shipping firms suspended operations. Iran did not formally invoke legal closure but the IRGC's physical interdictions produced a de facto blockade.

Oil companies halt Strait of Hormuz shipments as Iran warns commercial vessels

Iranian naval forces began hailing commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz after Operation Epic Fury began, declaring the waterway closed to shipping. Major trading houses and container shipping companies including Maersk, CMA CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd suspended Hormuz transits. The Strait carries approximately one-fifth of all globally traded oil; its disruption triggered the largest single-day US gas price spike since Hurricane Katrina, surpassed only by the spike recorded three days later on March 3.

Only eight lawmakers were briefed before the Iran strikes; Congress received no legal rationale

The White House provided advance briefing only to seven of the eight Gang of Eight congressional leaders before Operation Epic Fury began; the eighth could not be reached. No other members of Congress received notification before strikes started, and no legal authorization or War Powers Resolution briefing was provided to Armed Services or Foreign Affairs committees. Rank-and-file lawmakers from both parties said they learned of the war from news coverage.

Netanyahu declares "We are winning, and Iran is decapitated" after Operation Epic Fury kills Khamenei

AOC calls the Iran strikes "unlawful, unnecessary, and catastrophic" and says the war is grounds for impeachment

Sanders introduces the No War Against Iran Act, calling the strikes an "illegal, premeditated and unconstitutional war"

Three US soldiers are killed in a Kuwait drone strike on the second day of the war

Three U.S. Army Reserve soldiers assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) were killed and five others seriously wounded in an unmanned aircraft attack at the Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait on March 1, the second day of Operation Epic Fury. CENTCOM confirmed the deaths, making them the first American combat fatalities of the Iran war. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged the losses while vowing to continue operations, stating the mission was "just beginning."

Israel targets Natanz's fuel enrichment plant, hitting two personnel gates and a vehicle access point

On March 1, 2026, Israel conducted precision strikes targeting the three entrance structures of Iran's Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant — two personnel entrances and one vehicle access point. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the damage to entrance buildings on March 3 while stating that the main underground enrichment hall had not been reached and that no radiological release had occurred. The strikes were designed to degrade access to the underground centrifuge halls rather than destroy them directly, a strategy consistent with Israel's assessment that US bunker-buster munitions would be needed for the deeper attack.

Iran strikes a synagogue bomb shelter in Beit Shemesh, killing nine civilians

At approximately 2:00 PM local time on March 1, 2026, an Iranian ballistic missile struck the Tiferet Israel synagogue in the Ramat Lehi neighborhood of Beit Shemesh, destroying the building and the reinforced bomb shelter beneath it. Nine civilians were killed and 46 injured; two interceptors had been launched against the incoming missile but failed to stop it. Amnesty International called for investigation of the strike as a potential war crime, noting the site was a civilian shelter with no military value. The strike demonstrated the limits of Iron Dome and Arrow against high-trajectory ballistic missiles at close range.

Trump notifies Congress under the War Powers Resolution, starting the 60-day clock

President Trump submits formal notification to Congress under 50 U.S.C. Section 1544(b) of the War Powers Resolution, reporting that U.S. military forces have conducted strikes against Iran under Operation Epic Fury. The notification starts the statutory 60-day clock, giving Congress until approximately April 28, 2026 to authorize or terminate the operation.

Israel strikes two covert nuclear weapons development sites outside Tehran

On March 3, 2026, Israel conducted precision strikes on two covert nuclear weapons development facilities: the Minzadehei underground site northeast of Tehran, where Israeli intelligence assessed Iran was secretly developing a key nuclear weapons component, and the Lavisan 2/Mojdeh complex housing laboratories operated by SPND — the administrative arm of Iran's nuclear weapons program. The Institute for Science and International Security confirmed satellite imagery showing damage at both sites. Israel publicly acknowledged the Minzadehei strike as targeting a facility for nuclear weapons development, the most direct confirmation yet of Israeli strikes on weaponization infrastructure.

Israel strikes the Assembly of Experts building in Qom as the body deliberates on Khamenei's successor

An Israeli airstrike on March 3, 2026 targeted the Assembly of Experts building in Qom as Iran's 88-member clerical body was reportedly in emergency session to begin deliberations on naming a successor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who had been killed in the February 28 strikes. The strike was designed to disrupt the succession process and prevent the consolidation of a new leadership structure. Iranian state media did not disclose casualties from the Qom strike. The Assembly of Experts subsequently relocated to a secure undisclosed location to complete the succession vote.

Pentagon confirms it used AI to select Iran strike targets

The Pentagon confirmed on March 3, 2026, that it used an AI system to identify and prioritize strike targets during Operation Epic Fury. The disclosure came hours after Trump signed an executive order restricting government use of certain AI tools. Military officials defended AI-assisted targeting as standard practice. Critics in Congress argued the technology reduced human oversight over lethal decisions. The revelation became central to the War Powers debate: if AI selected targets, who bore legal responsibility for civilian casualties?

House rejects an Iran War Powers Resolution 219-212, with four Democrats siding with Trump

The House voted 219-212 to defeat a War Powers Resolution requiring Congress to authorize continued military operations in Iran, falling one vote short of passage. Four Democrats — Henry Cuellar, Jared Golden, Greg Landsman, and Juan Vargas — voted with Republicans to defeat the measure. The resolution, introduced by Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, was the first House vote on the constitutionality of Operation Epic Fury, launched without congressional approval on February 28.

Rand Paul excoriates congressional leaders as "resigned to their own irrelevance" after the House fails on War Powers

Iran's Assembly of Experts elects Mojtaba Khamenei supreme leader under IRGC pressure

Iran's Assembly of Experts elected Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026, 10 days after his father was killed in the first wave of US strikes. The election took place in the same Qom building Israel had struck six days earlier. IRGC commanders were present throughout the deliberations. Trump had publicly called Mojtaba 'unacceptable' and demanded a role in selecting Iran's next leader. The election consolidated IRGC control over the clerical establishment and ruled out a negotiated political transition.

Mojtaba Khamenei's first statement as Supreme Leader vows to avenge his father's death and keep Hormuz closed

US strikes more than 90 military sites on Iran's Kharg Island, sparing oil infrastructure

U.S. forces launched a large-scale precision strike on March 13, 2026, destroying more than 90 Iranian military sites on Kharg Island, including naval mine storage facilities and missile bunkers. B-2 stealth bombers delivered the strikes as part of Operation Epic Fury; CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper confirmed that U.S. forces had flown over 6,000 combat sorties and destroyed more than 100 Iranian naval vessels since the operation began. Trump stated the U.S. deliberately spared oil infrastructure but warned it would be targeted if Iran continued to threaten Hormuz shipping.

Netanyahu says "you can't make a revolution from the air" and implies Israel is weighing ground operations in Iran

Israel kills Iran's security chief Ali Larijani; Iran fires cluster missiles at Israeli apartment buildings

Israeli airstrikes killed Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and the most senior Iranian official to die since Supreme Leader Khamenei's killing, on the night of March 16-17, 2026. His son Morteza and aide Alireza Bayat also died in the strike. Iran retaliated within 24 hours, launching missile barrages at Ramat Gan east of Tel Aviv — killing two Israeli civilians — and the IRGC claimed strikes on over 100 Israeli military and security targets. Al Jazeera reported Israel targeted Larijani specifically to torpedo ongoing U.S.-Iran diplomatic contacts.

US drops bunker-buster bombs on Natanz's underground enrichment facility

The United States conducted strikes on the underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant on March 21, 2026 using large-diameter bunker-buster munitions capable of penetrating reinforced underground structures — a capability Israel lacked and that had been central to US-Israeli war planning. Iran confirmed the strikes, with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran stating its facilities had been attacked. The IAEA stated it was assessing the impact and had received no indication of radiological release, though the attacks were assessed to have caused significant damage to underground centrifuge halls.

Iran fires ballistic missiles toward Israel's Dimona nuclear facility, wounding 180

Hours after the US struck Natanz on March 21, 2026, Iran launched ballistic missiles targeting Dimona and the nearby city of Arad in southern Israel — home to Israel's Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center — in an explicit tit-for-tat response. At least 180 people were wounded, and two direct missile hits penetrated Israel's defense systems in a region not previously struck. The IAEA stated it detected no radiological release from the Negev Nuclear Research Center, but the strikes marked the first time Iran had targeted the area near Israel's nuclear facility, dramatically escalating the conflict's nuclear dimension.

Israel strikes the Arak heavy water reactor and Ardakan yellowcake plant

Israeli Air Force jets struck the Khondab Heavy Water Research Reactor at Arak and the Ardakan Yellowcake Production Plant in Yazd Province on March 27, 2026, the fifth week of the Iran war. Over 50 Israeli fighter jets hit the sites simultaneously, targeting Iran's plutonium production and uranium processing capabilities. Israeli Defense Minister Katz vowed to intensify and expand attacks. The IAEA confirmed both facilities were struck; Iran reported no casualties.

Netanyahu claims a "historic victory" and says the campaign "sent Iran's nuclear program down the drain"

Trump threatens to bomb Iran's power plants in a primetime address if no deal within two weeks

President Trump delivered his first primetime address from the White House on Operation Epic Fury on April 1, 2026 — Day 33 of the U.S. war against Iran — declaring the conflict "nearing completion" while threatening to strike all of Iran's power plants and oil fields if Iran did not agree to his terms. International law experts and Amnesty International warned that deliberate attacks on civilian power infrastructure would constitute war crimes under customary international humanitarian law, which binds the United States regardless of whether it has ratified Additional Protocol I. Trump launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, without congressional authorization. The War Powers Resolution's 60-day clock, triggered by his notification to Congress on that date, expires approximately April 28, 2026. Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and co-sponsored by Senators Adam Schiff and Tim Kaine, had already introduced a War Powers Resolution to end the conflict, which the Senate voted down 53-47. Congress was on recess when Trump delivered the address and was not scheduled to return until April 13-14.

Witkoff and Vance meet Iran's delegation in Muscat for the first direct nuclear talks

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Vice President JD Vance met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Muscat, Oman on April 1, 2026, for the first direct U.S.-Iran nuclear talks since the Trump administration withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018. The talks focused on the scope of Iran's uranium enrichment program and the reimposition of IAEA inspection access. No formal agreement was announced; negotiators described the session as establishing a framework for subsequent rounds.

Sanders calls Trump's Easter Sunday Iran war statement "the ravings of a dangerous and mentally unbalanced individual"

Israel launches Operation Eternal Darkness, hitting 100 targets in 10 minutes with 50 jets

Israel launched Operation Eternal Darkness on April 8, 2026 — the same day Pakistan announced a US-Iran ceasefire. The operation sent 50 jets to strike 100 targets in Lebanon in 10 minutes, hitting Hezbollah command infrastructure, weapons caches, and civilian areas near Beirut. Iran cited the Lebanon strikes as a ceasefire violation before the end of the day. Trump called the ceasefire 'total and complete' on Truth Social the same morning the strikes occurred. The US did not publicly condemn the Israeli operation.

Pakistan brokers a ceasefire between the US and Iran after 38 days of combat

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a ceasefire between the US and Iran on April 8, 2026, after 38 days of air strikes, missile exchanges, and naval confrontations that pushed oil above $120 a barrel. The ceasefire covered direct US-Iran hostilities but not Israeli operations, proxy forces in Lebanon and Yemen, or Iranian naval activity in the Strait of Hormuz. It had no enforcement mechanism. Iran's foreign ministry noted Israel's simultaneous Lebanon strikes within hours of the announcement.

Iran's foreign ministry calls Trump's claim that Iran requested the ceasefire "false and baseless"

Netanyahu says "Iran threatened to annihilate us, now they're fighting to survive"

Islamabad talks collapse after 21 hours; Trump orders a naval blockade of Iran

US and Iranian delegations met in Islamabad on April 12, 2026, for 21 hours of talks brokered by Pakistan. Iran demanded a full withdrawal of the naval blockade as a precondition for a binding agreement. The US refused. Talks collapsed at 4 a.m. local time. Trump ordered CENTCOM to begin a full naval blockade of Iranian ports at 10 a.m. ET on April 13. The blockade cut off roughly 90 percent of Iran's oil exports and pushed the conflict into an economic war phase that continued through June 2026.

CENTCOM begins a naval blockade of all Iranian ports

U.S. Central Command began enforcing a naval blockade of all Iranian ports at 10 a.m. ET, with the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike groups ordered to board or turn back any vessel bound for Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM issued a Notice to Mariners directing ships to contact U.S. forces on channel 16 before proceeding through the region. Iran's armed forces declared the blockade illegal and an act of piracy under international law. The IRGC warned U.S. military vessels in the Strait would be treated as a ceasefire violation.

IRGC warns Hormuz "will not be opened to the enemies of this nation through the ridiculous spectacle" of Trump

Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi announces Hormuz is open to all shipping for the duration of the ceasefire

Iran submits a 14-point ceasefire framework demanding sanctions relief and an end to the blockade

Iran submitted a 14-point ceasefire framework on May 2, 2026, via Pakistani mediators. The framework demanded full sanctions relief, withdrawal of the naval blockade, and US recognition of Iran's right to civilian nuclear enrichment at 5 percent. It also required Israel to freeze settlement expansion and commit to a two-state framework. Trump called the response 'TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE' on May 10, threatening resumed strikes within 48 hours.

US and Iran sign a Memorandum of Understanding on military de-escalation in Geneva

Trump calls Iran's ceasefire response 'TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE' and threatens to resume strikes

President Trump publicly rejected Iran's 14-point ceasefire framework on May 10, 2026, posting on Truth Social that Iran's response was "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE" and warning that the US would resume military operations unless Iran submitted to a new proposal within 48 hours. Trump told reporters he was "not satisfied" with Iran's framework, specifically objecting to demands for sanctions relief and reparations before a ceasefire took effect. The rejection ended the Pakistani-mediated diplomatic channel temporarily and led to a resumption of US naval operations in the Persian Gulf.

House War Powers Resolution fails on a historic 212-212 tie

The House voted 212-212 on a War Powers Resolution directing President Trump to end military operations against Iran, the closest Congress came to restraining the president''s war authority. Three Republicans -- Thomas Massie (KY), Tom Barret (MI), and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) -- voted with Democrats, while Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) voted no. Under House rules, a tie vote means the measure fails.

IRGC redefines Hormuz as a "vast operational area" from Jask to Siri Island — no longer a maritime corridor

A drone strikes the perimeter of the UAE's Barakah nuclear plant

Three drones targeted the UAE's Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi; UAE air defenses intercepted two and one struck the plant's outer perimeter, igniting a fire extinguished within hours. The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation confirmed no radiation was released and reactor operations were unaffected. No group claimed responsibility, but sources cited by the Jerusalem Post said the attack was intended to send a message to the Emiratis about their support for U.S.-led operations against Iran. The strike was the first known attack on an operating commercial nuclear facility.

Trump issues a Truth Social ultimatum to Iran after the Barakah drone strike hits the UAE

President Trump posted on Truth Social on May 17, 2026: "For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them." The post came as the ceasefire collapsed after Iran refused nuclear concessions in its 14-point proposal. That same day, a drone struck an electrical generator at the UAE's Barakah Nuclear Power Plant — the first attack on Gulf nuclear infrastructure since the war began — with no radiation detected. Trump then convened a Situation Room meeting with Hegseth and CENTCOM's Admiral Cooper to review a prepared strikes plan.

Senate advances an Iran War Powers Resolution 50-47 as three Republicans break ranks

On May 19, 2026, the Senate voted 50-47 to pull S.J. Res. 185 from committee, the first successful procedural move on a resolution aimed at ending unauthorized U.S. hostilities against Iran in the 119th Congress. Bill Cassidy flipped three days after losing his primary, while John Cornyn, Thom Tillis, and Tommy Tuberville missed the vote and handed Tim Kaine's resolution the margin it needed. The vote kept alive a congressional challenge to Trump's war after the War Powers Resolution's 60-day deadline had passed, but the measure still faced a final Senate vote, a hostile House, and a near-certain veto (CBS; NBC; CNBC; CNN; CRS; Lawfare).

Murkowski, Collins, and Rand Paul back the Democratic Iran War Powers resolution, citing constitutional duty

CENTCOM sinks IRGC vessels near Bandar Abbas, citing ceasefire violations

CENTCOM struck two IRGC mine-laying vessels in a restricted zone near Bandar Abbas on May 25-26, 2026, sinking both ships and destroying a shore-based SAM site in what it described as self-defense. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi, who was in Doha conducting peace negotiations at the time, condemned the strikes as a gross violation of the April 8 ceasefire and suspended the talks. Iran declared the ceasefire formally violated and threatened to resume uranium enrichment above 60 percent.

Iran's foreign ministry condemns US ceasefire violations as evidence of "ill-will and bad faith," vowing a decisive response

Netanyahu warns Iran's enriched uranium "will be removed, by agreement or in resumed fighting"

Iran suspends ceasefire negotiations after Israel expands its Lebanon offensive

Iran announced on June 1, 2026 that it was suspending all dialogue and exchange of texts with the United States through Pakistani mediators, citing Israel's expanding military offensive in Lebanon as a violation of the ceasefire on "all fronts." Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated the ceasefire "unequivocally" covered Lebanon and that violations there constituted violations of the entire agreement. Trump publicly contradicted the suspension, posting on Truth Social that talks were "continuing at a rapid pace" — while Iranian drones damaged Kuwait's main airport, killing one person.

Wicker says Trump is "ill-advised to pursue a deal" with Iran and the armed forces should be allowed to finish the job

Rubio testifies before Congress for the first time since the Iran war began, defending the strikes and saying Iran built a "conventional shield" around its nuclear program

US and Iran trade naval strikes in the Persian Gulf; no binding agreement is in place

US and Iranian naval forces traded strikes in the Persian Gulf on June 3, 2026, with no binding peace agreement in force. The nominal April 8 ceasefire has been violated repeatedly by all parties. Iran suspended ceasefire negotiations on June 1, citing Israel's Lebanon offensive. The Strait of Hormuz remains contested. Oil is above $120 a barrel. The 60-day War Powers clock Trump started on March 2 expired on May 1 without congressional authorization. Congress has held multiple votes — the House tied 212-212 on May 14, the Senate advanced a resolution 50-47 on May 19 — but neither resulted in a binding order to end hostilities.