For years, Israeli military and intelligence officials warned that the day would come. The threat of a nuclear-armed Iran had dominated Israeli strategic thinking for more than two decades. Diplomatic efforts, covert operations, cyber campaigns, and targeted strikes had all been used to slow what Israel considered an existential danger. But on February 28, 2026, Israel and the United States moved beyond containment entirely. The result is the most significant Israeli military campaign since the country’s founding — a sustained, large-scale offensive against Iran that has now entered its fourth week, fundamentally altered the landscape of the Middle East, and left thousands of people dead across the region.
