Why did US and Israel attack Iran and how long could the war last?
Why Did US and Israel Attack Iran and How Long Could the War Last?
The Middle East remains engulfed in conflict following the US and Israel’s coordinated strikes on Iran, which resulted in the death of the nation’s supreme leader on February 28. Iran retaliated by launching attacks on Israel and US-aligned states in the Gulf, escalating the fighting rapidly and drawing Lebanon into the fray.
Targets of the Initial Strikes
The US and Israel initially focused on Iran’s missile capabilities, military installations, and key figures within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the supreme leader in Tehran and other strategic locations. Among those killed was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was announced as the successor on March 8.
Senior Iranian officials such as security chief Ali Larijani, intelligence minister Esmail Khatib, and Basij force commander Gholamreza Soleimani were also targeted. Israel’s military stated these figures were eliminated through air attacks.
Expanding the Conflict
Key sites linked to Iran’s nuclear programme and energy infrastructure were hit in the strikes. Kharg Island, a critical oil terminal, and South Pars, part of the world’s largest natural gas field, were among the targets. An Iranian warship was sunk by a US submarine in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka on March 4, killing at least 87 people.
“The targeting of civilians and of countries not directly involved is a major escalation,” said a US official, highlighting concerns over the broader implications of the attacks.
Casualties and International Fallout
By April 2, the US-based Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) reported 3,530 deaths in Iran since hostilities began, including 1,606 civilians, of whom 244 were children. Iran accused the US and Israel of striking a girls’ school near an IRGC base, claiming 168 victims, including 110 children. The US is investigating the incident, while Israel denied conducting operations in the area.
Expert video analysis by BBC Verify indicated a US Tomahawk missile hit a military base close to the school, according to reports.
Regional Spillover
International journalists face restricted access in Iran, and internet connectivity has been nearly severed. On April 3, a US F-15 fighter jet was shot down over western Iran. The pilot was rescued, and a search-and-rescue mission, which came under fire, retrieved a second crew member by April 4.
The US and its Arab allies condemned Iran’s retaliatory strikes, citing the attack on countries not directly involved in the conflict. Hostilities spread to Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, with 13 US service members and at least 24 others killed across the Gulf.
Additional Incidents
In northern Iraq, a French soldier was killed by a drone at a Kurdish military base. Seven Iraqi soldiers were also killed in an airstrike in Anbar province on March 25, though the attacker’s identity remains unclear. The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) reported 27 of its members were casualties in the region.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, four Palestinian women were killed at a beauty salon in an Iranian missile strike. Turkey claimed NATO air defenses shot down three Iranian missiles over its airspace. Azerbaijan accused Iran of attacking an airport with drones.
