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The Biggest Middle East War Since The 2003 Iraq Invasion.

by Susan Sun Nunamaker · March 10, 2026

Dear Friends & Neighbors,

2026 Iran War: Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war, Attribution: wikimedia|OpenStreetMap, Open Database license: https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright, Presented at: WindermereSun.com

Windermere Blue Sunset (credit: Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker)

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

As of Tuesday, March 10, 2026, major outlets are reporting that the U.S. and Israel are in an active war with Iran, not just a one-off strike. Reuters says the conflict is about 10 days old, with the U.S. continuing heavy strikes inside Iran and planning its most intensive day of air attacks so far.

To better understand this situation in Middle East, please refer to our previous post on “Why Did Iran Want To Destroy Israel“

Description of the video below, in italics, below:

Elica Le Bon is an Iranian-American attorney, activist, and artist, in the video published on Dec 8, 2024, by Triggermometry, as “The Real Reason Iran Want to Destroy Israel – Elica Le Bon“, below:

Description of the video below, in italics, below:

In the video below, surgeon Dr. Hooman Melamed explains why this military operation is necessary not only for the protection of Israel, Iranian people, but American people as well.

As strikes continue on Iranian military infrastructure, the largest Iranian diaspora community in the world is watching from Los Angeles. For many of them, this conflict started the day they left. So what does this moment actually look like to the people who left, who still have family there, and who have spent decades studying the region? In this episode, surgeon Dr. Hooman Melamed, foreign policy analyst Lisa Daftari, and Shahrzad Ghanei, Senior Editor at Epoch Times Persian edition, walk us through what the ground situation actually looks like and what’s materially different about the conditions on the ground right now, in the video published on March 7, 2026, by California Insider, as “Iranian Americans on What’s Happening Inside Iran and What Comes Next“, below:

Description of the video below, in italics, below:

LATEST: Iranians are celebrating in the streets following the US and Israeli military strikes on Iran, despite the ongoing conflict engulfing the Middle East. After months of brutal repression from the Islamic regime, many Iranians view the strikes as an opportunity for regime change and freedom from 47 years of authoritarian rule. GB News speaks to anti-regime protesters in London where Iranians express relief at the strikes targeting the military infrastructure of the government they despise, while remaining fearful of the regime’s violent crackdown on dissent, in the video published on Feb 28, 2026, by GBNews, as “WATCH: Iranians CELEBRATE Trump US-Israel strikes on Iran as London marchers slam regime|Latest“, below:

Description of the video below, in italics, below:

After the U.S.-Israeli strike killed Khamenei, Tehran erupted not in fear but in celebration: fireworks, dancing, headscarves torn off, and chants of “I love Trump.” Polls reveal massive rejection—70% oppose the Islamic Republic’s existence, 89% want democracy, support for the Supreme Leader below 11%, and 92% dissatisfied with the regime. Recent protests met brutal crackdowns (thousands killed), internet blackout, and a legitimacy collapse. This mirrors the CCP: ideological rule, parallel armies, economic woes, youth despair, and truth-blocking. Iran’s clerical regime lost ideological and performance legitimacy; China’s relies on economic gains now eroding fast. Reza Pahlavi positions for transition, but power struggles loom among Guard remnants, the regular army, and scattered street forces. Iran’s fall warns Beijing: performance legitimacy expires, and when a regime becomes the people’s enemy, external blows can spark joy, not resistance, in the video published on March 4, 2026, by Digging into China, as “When Your Own People Cheer the Bomb: Iran’s Lesson for Xi Jinping|Digging into China“, below:

What appears to have happened is this:

Israel struck Iranian targets including oil depots and refinery-related sites around Tehran on March 7, producing large toxic smoke plumes over the capital. Israel said the facilities supported Iran’s war effort; Iran called the attacks a war crime.
The U.S. is also directly attacking Iran. Reuters reports U.S. forces have hit more than 5,000 targets, including missile sites, air defenses, and over 50 Iranian vessels.
Iran has retaliated with missiles and drones against Israel and U.S. sites in the Gulf, and AP reports attacks have also affected countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and others in the region.

The human and strategic costs already look severe. AP reports about 140 U.S. troops injured, 8 seriously, while Reuters and AP describe mounting civilian casualties in Iran, large-scale displacement from Tehran, and major disruption to oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

There is also major legal and political controversy:

Reuters reports the U.S. House rejected a war powers measure that would have forced Trump to seek authorization or stop the campaign.
Reuters also reports criticism from Europe, including Switzerland’s defense minister, who said the U.S. and Israeli strikes breach international law.

So, if you are asking “Did the U.S. and Israel attack Iran in 2026?” the answer from current reporting is yes — and it has escalated into a broader ongoing war by March 10, 2026.

Timeline of the 2026 U.S.–Israel Attack on Iran

1. Background (2023–2025): Rising tension

The war did not come out of nowhere. Several things built up over years:

Iran nuclear program continued to advance.
Israel repeatedly warned it would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.
Iran supported regional groups hostile to Israel (Hezbollah, militias in Iraq, etc.).
Israel and Iran already exchanged missile strikes in 2024 and 2025.

By early 2026, the U.S. had moved large forces into the Middle East while nuclear negotiations with Iran were failing.

2. Feb 28, 2026 — The war begins

According to wikipedia page on 2026 Iran War, in italics, below:

On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched surprise airstrikes on multiple sites and cities across Iran, killing Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials, and starting a war. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes against Israeli and US-allied countries and bases in the region, including Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

On February 28, 2026, Israel and the United States launched a coordinated attack on Iran.

Targets reportedly included:

Iranian nuclear facilities
missile bases
military command centers
government leadership sites

The operation has been described as Operation “Lion’s Roar.”

During the opening strikes:

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in Tehran.
Multiple Iranian government and military officials were also killed.

This was essentially a decapitation strike designed to cripple Iran’s leadership.

3. Immediate retaliation (March 1–3)

Iran responded quickly:

Hundreds of drones and missiles were fired at Israel.
Strikes targeted U.S. bases across the Middle East.
Countries affected included:
- Qatar
- Bahrain
- UAE
- Kuwait
- Saudi Arabia
- Iraq

Israel declared a nationwide state of emergency and mobilized reservists.

4. The war expands regionally

Within days, the conflict spread beyond Iran and Israel.

Hezbollah joins the war

Iran-allied Hezbollah in Lebanon began attacking Israel with rockets.

Israel responded with strikes in Lebanon, creating another front.

Gulf region becomes a battlefield

Iran attacked energy and military infrastructure in the Gulf.

Key development:

Strait of Hormuz disruption

This strait handles about 20% of the world’s oil shipments.

Shipping traffic and global oil markets were immediately affected.

5. Massive bombing campaign

Within the first 10 days of the war:

Thousands of targets in Iran were hit
Missile sites
Naval vessels
drone bases
air defense systems

U.S. and Israeli officials say the goal is to:

destroy Iran’s nuclear program
eliminate missile capability
potentially force regime change.

6. Controversial aspects of the war

Several controversies have emerged:

Civilian casualties

Some strikes reportedly hit:

schools
residential areas
infrastructure

This has triggered international criticism.

AI-assisted warfare

Some reports say the war is heavily using AI-assisted targeting systems, raising concerns about automated decision-making in combat.

7. Current situation (March 2026)

The war is still ongoing.

Key developments:

Iran continues missile attacks on Israel and U.S. bases.
Hezbollah fighting continues in Lebanon.
Oil markets remain unstable.
The Strait of Hormuz crisis threatens global energy supply.

There is no clear end yet.

What could happen next (expert scenarios)

Experts generally see four possible paths:

1. Limited war

Iran’s military capabilities collapse quickly and the war ends within weeks.

2. Regional war

Iran mobilizes proxies across the Middle East:

Hezbollah
Iraqi militias
Houthis

This could spread fighting across the region.

3. Regime collapse in Iran

If leadership and military are crippled, the Iranian government could fall.

4. Long war like Iraq

Iran is a large country (90 million people).
If fighting moves beyond airstrikes, the war could drag on for years.

✅ Important:
This conflict is already being described by some analysts as the biggest Middle East war since the 2003 Iraq invasion.