2026 US-Iran Conflict
Background and Escalation Ladder
The joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran began on February 28, 2026, targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) infrastructure. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on US bases in the region, GCC countries' civilian infrastructure, and by closing the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian vessels. The strikes on Kharg on March 13-14 represent a further escalation step targeting Iran's economic core.
- IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps): Iran's elite military force, designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the US since 2019. Oversees Iran's missile programme, naval forces in the Gulf, and proxy networks across the region.
- Iran's missile inventory includes Shahab, Ghadr, and Sejjil ballistic missiles with ranges covering the entire Gulf region.
- The escalation ladder: nuclear site strikes → IRGC command infrastructure → Kharg military facilities → (threatened) Kharg oil terminals.
- Iran's retaliatory options: mining the Strait of Hormuz, drone attacks on Gulf states, proxy attacks via Hezbollah and Houthi networks.
● Tracked since March 14, 2026 · last seen June 19, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief