The United States had long awaited a genuine diplomatic resolution with the Islamic Republic of Iran — one that would neutralize the regime’s nuclear ambitions and restore peace and security to a region long scarred by proxy conflict. That hope has now been shattered. On February 28, 2026, after years of manipulation, failed negotiations, and relentless destabilization, the United States and Israel launched a sweeping joint military operation targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s strategic military infrastructure.

The path to this moment was paved with diplomatic failure. The United States and Iran had conducted a third round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, just the day before — yet reached no agreement. Following the conclusion of those talks, Badr Al-Busaidi, the Omani foreign minister serving as mediator, stated that representatives from both sides would confer with their governments before resuming technical discussions in Vienna the following week. But American officials had already concluded the truth: the Iranian regime was manipulating the West and harbored no genuine intention of abandoning its nuclear program or curtailing its militia networks across Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria.

Trump’s Announcement and the Objectives of the Operation

In an eight-minute video posted on Truth Social at approximately 07:30 UTC on February 28, 2026, President Donald Trump officially announced that the United States military had initiated “major combat operations” in Iran — marking the formal start of a joint U.S.-Israel military campaign against the Iranian regime. The operation, referred to in some sources as “Operation Lion’s Roar,” was framed as both a defensive necessity and a historic opportunity.

Trump stated the operation’s objectives clearly: the destruction of Iran’s ballistic missiles, its missile industry, its navy, and the dismantling of its support networks for terrorist proxies. He offered Iranian military forces a stark choice — lay down arms and receive full immunity, or face overwhelming force. In an unprecedented direct appeal to the Iranian people, he declared: “Take over your government. The hour of your freedom is at hand.”

Trump emphasized the rebuilt U.S. military’s superiority and acknowledged the gravity of the mission, praying for American service members and recognizing the potential for casualties. The speech signaled that decades of strategic ambiguity about regime change had ended — toppling the Islamic Republic was now an explicit U.S. and Israeli objective.

A History of Proxy Wars and Failed Diplomacy

The roots of this conflict stretch back decades. Iran-backed groups have been responsible for some of the most devastating attacks on U.S. and allied interests: the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 American servicemen, the 2000 USS Cole attack, and a sustained campaign of assaults on U.S. bases across the Middle East in recent years. The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel — which killed over 1,000 people including 46 Americans — was cited by U.S. officials as a direct manifestation of Iranian strategic influence and financing.

As president Trump made clear, the Iranian regime is not merely a regional bad actor — it is the central sponsor of terrorism that has destabilized the entire Middle East through its proxies: the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and Shiite militias across Iraq. The regime’s “Axis of Resistance” has relied on Tehran for funding, weapons, training, and command authority.

Iran’s civilian population has borne an enormous and often invisible toll from regime violence. Two senior officials from Iran’s Ministry of Health revealed that up to 30,000 people may have died on the country’s streets in just two days during past protests — January 8 and 9 — as Iranian security forces massacred demonstrators on such a scale that the state ran out of body bags, and 18-wheel semi-trailers were reportedly used in place of ambulances.

Military Actions: What We Know

Israel launched daylight “preemptive” strikes on Tehran, with explosions reported near Supreme Leader Khamenei’s offices and IRGC headquarters. Khamenei was reportedly evacuated to a secure location. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz characterized the strikes as preemptive action, while U.S. involvement confirmed a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships already positioned across the region.

The U.S. had been openly preparing for weeks. Two carrier strike groups, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, were deployed to the Middle East. The Pentagon provided aerial refueling support for Israeli jets. On February 19, Trump approved 18,900 U.S. citizens to serve in the Israeli army against Hamas — a signal of deepening bilateral commitment. By February 21, additional U.S. forces had been dispatched to Israel and Middle East bases. Just a day before strikes began, U.S. personnel were evacuated from Israel.

The June 2025 “Operation Midnight Hammer” had already destroyed key Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — with explicit warnings against rebuilding. The February 28 campaign appears designed to finish the job and permanently neutralize Iran’s capacity to project power across the region.

The Potential Regional Transformation

The implications of a successful campaign extend far beyond Iran’s borders. Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” — Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraqi Shiite militias — has relied entirely on Tehran for funding, weapons, training, and command. Without Iran’s long-range missiles and naval power to resupply its proxies, the chronic low-level wars and rocket barrages that have defined the region for two decades could finally end.

Israel’s 2024–2025 campaigns already gutted Hezbollah’s leadership and arsenal. U.S.–UK actions significantly degraded Houthi capabilities. Hamas is a shadow of its October 7 strength. Fresh strikes on IRGC command centers and supply lines could complete the strategic dismantlement of the proxy network. Economic strangulation through sanctions and war damage will further starve the IRGC’s overseas funding operations — proxies cannot sustain themselves without Iranian cash and missiles.

If the regime falls — as opposition leaders believe is possible once the IRGC’s coercive power fractures — a post-clerical Iran could rapidly rejoin the international community as a secular, prosperous state. Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has outlined a clear transition plan: a provisional government, separation of religion and state, release of political prisoners, and a national referendum to determine Iran’s future governance. Multiple surveys, including those by the Gamaan institute, show strong majorities of Iranians rejecting the Islamic Republic and favoring secular democratic governance.

The broader regional dividend could be transformative: an end to Iranian-backed attacks on Gulf infrastructure and Israeli civilian centers; lower oil prices; expanded Abraham Accords and potential formal Israeli-Saudi normalization; and the permanent end of the Shiite Crescent ambition that has terrorized the region for more than four decades. Millions of Iranians could be freed from theocratic oppression — and the vast oil wealth currently funneled into terrorism could be redirected toward rebuilding a great nation.

As this dramatic chapter of Middle East history unfolds, Faith & Freedom News will continue to provide comprehensive analysis grounded in a commitment to human rights, religious freedom, and the dignity of all peoples — Iranian citizens above all, who have suffered longest under a regime they did not choose and do not support.

This article reflects analysis and reporting as of February 28, 2026. Developments in an active conflict zone are rapidly evolving. Readers are encouraged to consult multiple sources. For Faith & Freedom News’s full coverage of the Iran crisis, visit fandfnews.com.