The Field

The US, Israel and Iran: how the war escalated, and what each side says

On 28 February 2026, Israel and the United States launched air strikes on Iran. They said they aimed to target Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, and the US president also spoke of regime change. Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in the strikes. Iran retaliated against US bases, Israel and neighbouring states and closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas passed before the war. A ceasefire in April and a memorandum in June did not hold, and shipping through the strait remains largely blocked.

A background primer, not a live tracker. Last reviewed 3 October 2026. We attribute every claim to the side that makes it. We describe events with words that all sides' sources use, and we give each side's stated aims in its own terms. We have not tried to decide whose account is right.

What is not in dispute

How it unfolded

What each side says

The United States says

  • Its aims include destroying Iran's missile sites and programme and navy, and not allowing Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. (President Trump, 28 February 2026) Sources: UK House of Commons Library
  • Its core goal in the April talks was Iran confirming that it would never seek a nuclear weapon. (US position, as the House of Commons Library describes it) Sources: UK House of Commons Library
  • President Trump also spoke of regime change, saying Iranians should take over their government. (28 February 2026) Sources: US Congressional Research Service
  • Iran is delaying follow-on talks on its nuclear programme and continuing to attack merchant ships. (US accusation, as the Council on Foreign Relations describes it) Sources: Council on Foreign Relations, conflict tracker

Israel says

  • It took part in the strikes alongside the US and is not directly in the Pakistan-mediated talks. (House of Commons Library) Sources: UK House of Commons Library
  • A final agreement should include removing enriched material and limits on Iran's missiles. (Prime Minister Netanyahu, 11 June 2026, describing what he said President Trump told him) Sources: UK House of Commons Library

Iran says

  • It does not seek nuclear weapons and has a right to peaceful nuclear technology. (Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, 25 February 2026) Sources: Wikipedia, Prelude to the 2026 Iran war
  • Any settlement must include an end to attacks on Iran and on allied forces in Lebanon and Iraq, security guarantees, reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. (Iran's five-point counter-proposal) Sources: Wikipedia, Islamabad Talks
  • The strait will stay closed until the war ends, and it wants an end to the war, not a temporary ceasefire. (Iranian officials, as CBS News reports) Sources: CBS News live updates
  • The United States failed to ensure a ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal in Lebanon. (Iranian accusation, as the Council on Foreign Relations describes it) Sources: Council on Foreign Relations, conflict tracker

What is disputed

Where to follow it

This primer is reviewed when the situation changes materially. If we have got something wrong, we correct it here and in our corrections log. Back to the live trackers