Israel, Iran, and the United States War. A 3-Part WhyPals News Story - Part 2

The United States and Israel have been close allies for many years. An ally is a country that supports and helps another country, especially during difficult times. Because of this friendship, the United States often helps Israel with military technology, defence systems, and intelligence.

In early 2026, tensions between Israel and Iran became very serious. Israel believed Iran’s missile and nuclear programs could become a major threat. The President of the United States at that time, Donald Trump, decided that the United States would support Israel with military action.

On 27 February 2026, the United States prepared a large military operation together with Israel. Early the next day, on 28 February 2026, Israel and the United States launched major airstrikes on Iran. Fighter jets and missiles hit many military targets, including missile bases, defence systems, and command centres.

During the first day of the attack, something very important happened. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the strikes in Tehran. He had been the most powerful leader in Iran since 1989 and controlled the country’s military and government decisions. The strikes also killed several senior Iranian military leaders during the same operation.

The attacks shocked many people around the world because it was one of the biggest strikes against Iran’s leadership in decades. But the fighting did not stop there. Soon after the strikes, Iran fought back. Iran launched missiles and drones toward Israel. Some missiles were also aimed at U.S. military bases in the Middle East, including bases in countries such as Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. Many countries in the region activated their air defence systems to try to stop the missiles.

Photograph: BERNO/SIPA/Shutterstock

Photograph: Ahmadvand/SIPA/Shutterstock

Sirens sounded in cities, and people rushed to shelters as the attacks continued. Because missiles can travel very far through the sky, the conflict between a few countries quickly began to affect many other places in the Middle East.

That is why governments around the world started watching the situation very closely. In the next part, we will look at what is happening now. How is the war affecting airspace, airplanes, and other countries in the Middle East?