The United States military and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked Iran on the 28th of February, killing the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei, 86, was the second Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, taking the position in 1989 after the death of the first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini. Khamenei was known as a ruthless autocrat, frequently violently suppressing protests domestically and funding a vast network of jihadist terrorism known as the Axis of Resistance, which comprises Hezbollah (based in Lebanon), Hamas (based in Palestine), Islamic Jihad (also based in Palestine), the Houthis (based in Yemen), and various militias in Iraq. After his death, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was selected as the new Supreme Leader.
Iran has responded to US strikes, striking American bases across the Middle East. So far, at least 13 American servicemembers have died, with at least 6 as a direct result of an Iranian strike. Iran has also struck within Israel, killing at least 15 civilians and injuring upwards of 2,000 people. Additionally, the IDF has begun strikes into Lebanon, attempting to drive out the remnants of Hezbollah, which had been greatly weakened by earlier Israeli strikes. The strikes into Lebanon have killed 826 people, and wounded over 2,000.
The United States has given little to no justification for the war, arguing alternatively that it was to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, for regime change, or as a response to an imminent Iranian attack. Additionally, members of Congress and members of the Trump administration have been reluctant to call the strikes a war, preferring the euphemistic “major combat operations” (CBS).
The war has disrupted the international oil trade, with immediate consequences. Iran is a major exporter of crude oil, and the war has slowed this trade. Gas prices in the United States have climbed, with the average gas price hovering around $3.70, up from $2.90 a month ago. Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel between Iran and Oman, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The Strait is a crucial route for the international oil trade, with approximately 25% of seaborne oil passing through. Additionally, for the oil-rich Gulf states, there is often no way to circumvent the Strait, meaning that a large portion of the international oil trade is currently blocked.
The assassination of state leaders rarely has a clean outcome, and only time will tell the economic, geopolitical, and military results of the war in Iran.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/event/2026-Iran-Conflict
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/world/middleeast/ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_of_Resistance
https://www.nytimes.com/article/us-soldiers-killed-iran-war.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/07/trump-rationale-war-iran-story
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-full-statement-on-us-iran-attack-major-combat-operations/
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/11/strait-of-hormuz-closure-shipping-economy-oil.html
https://www.iea.org/about/oil-security-and-emergency-response/strait-of-hormuz
https://www.csis.org/analysis/us-and-israel-strike-iran-what-comes-next
