Middle East conflict widens as US, Israel attack Iran; Trump claims Khamenei killed

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched joint military strikes on Iran under Operations Roaring Lion (Israel) and Epic Fury (US), marking the beginning of the ongoing 2026 Iran–United States war. The strikes targeted key Iranian officials, military commanders, nuclear facilities, and sites in central Tehran, including the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The attacks were enabled by a US-Israel deception operation that leaked false information about F-22 deployments, drawing senior Iranian targets together for the strikes.

The conflict escalated from tensions that began in January 2026 amid Iran's crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests, which had resulted in over 7,000 deaths by early February. The US had demanded Iran halt uranium enrichment, end nuclear weapons development, restrict missile programs, and cease support for proxy groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthis. President Donald Trump had threatened military action over protest deaths and detentions, leading to the largest US military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq invasion.

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Following the strikes, Iran established a temporary leadership council under Ali Larijani and issued threats against Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. The assassination of Khamenei and over 40 other top Iranian figures triggered a leadership crisis in Iran. Trump confirmed the "major combat operations" via Truth Social, framing the action as defense against Iran's "47 years" of threats.

No Philippine news sources from GMA, ABS-CBN, Inquirer, or Philstar reported on this event as of February 28, 2026, with their coverage focusing instead on domestic Philippine issues including ICC proceedings against former President Rodrigo Duterte and other local political matters. The Wikipedia pages indicate the conflict continues without resolved negotiations, with category pages shifting from "crisis" to "war" terminology following the escalation.