2024 Iran–Israel Conflict
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In 2024, the
Iran–Israel proxy conflict The Iran–Israel proxy conflict, also known as the Iran–Israel proxy war or Iran–Israel Cold War, is an ongoing Proxy war, proxy conflict between Iran and Israel. In the Israeli–Lebanese conflict, Iran has supported Lebanese Shia milit ...
escalated to a series of direct confrontations between the two countries. On 1 April, Israel bombed an Iranian consulate complex in
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
, Syria, killing multiple senior Iranian officials. In response, Iran and its
Axis of Resistance The Axis of Resistance is an informal coalition of Iranian-supported militant and political organizations across the Middle East. Formed by Iran, it unites actors committed to countering the influence of the United States and Israel in the regio ...
allies seized the Israeli-linked ship ''
MSC Aries On 13 April 2024, Iran seized ''MSC Aries,'' a Portuguese- registered and Madeira-flagged container ship owned by Gortal Shipping and leased to Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which Iran claimed was linked to Israel. The ship, with a crew ...
'' and launched strikes inside Israel on 13 April. Israel then carried out retaliatory strikes in Iran and Syria on 19 April. The Israeli strikes were limited, and analysts say they signaled a desire to de-escalate. Iran did not respond to the attack, and tensions de-escalated back down to the proxy conflict. Other actors participated in the conflict as well. The United States, United Kingdom, France, and Jordan intercepted Iranian drones to defend Israel. Syria shot down some Israeli interceptors, and Iranian proxies in the region also attacked Israel. Tensions increased after the 31 July
assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...
of
Ismail Haniyeh Ismail Haniyeh (, ; 29 January 1962 – 31 July 2024) was a Palestinian politician who served as third chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from May 2017 until Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, his assassination in July 2024. He also served as ...
, the political leader of Hamas, in Tehran, Iran. The killing of Haniyeh occurred a few hours after the 2024 Haret Hreik airstrike in Lebanon that assassinated
Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...
commander Fuad Shukr. Iran and Hezbollah pledged retaliation. On 1 October 2024, Iran launched a series of missiles at Israel. Israel then carried out more retaliatory strikes against Iran on 26 October. On 12 June 2025, Israel launched several airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and infrastructure. This was followed by retaliatory airstrikes by Iran against Israel, beginning an ongoing war between the two countries.


Background

After the
Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...
in 1979, the
Government of Iran The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (), known simply as ''Nezam'' (), is the ruling State (polity), state and current political system in Iran, in power since the Iranian Revolution and fall of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. Its Const ...
took a more critical stance on Israel, and a proxy war emerged as Iran supported Lebanese Shia and Palestinian militants during the
1982 Lebanon War The 1982 Lebanon War, also called the Second Israeli invasion of Lebanon, began on 6 June 1982, when Israel invaded southern Lebanon. The invasion followed a series of attacks and counter-attacks between the Palestine Liberation Organization ...
. Iran began to gain power and influence with other Islamist countries and groups in the Middle East, collectively named the "
Axis of Resistance The Axis of Resistance is an informal coalition of Iranian-supported militant and political organizations across the Middle East. Formed by Iran, it unites actors committed to countering the influence of the United States and Israel in the regio ...
". The conflict evolved with Israeli attempts to stop the
Iranian nuclear program The nuclear program of Iran is one of the most scrutinized nuclear programs in the world. The military capabilities of the program are possible through its mass enrichment activities in facilities such as Natanz and Arak. In June 2025, t ...
and confrontations during the Syrian civil war.


Previous tensions during the Gaza war

On 7 October 2023,
Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...
, a Palestinian militant group partially funded by Iran, launched an attack on Israel resulting in the deaths of almost 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and the outbreak of the
Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
. Israel also skirmished with Iranian proxy
Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...
in Lebanon. After the attack, Israel began targeting Iranian and proxy troops in Syria more frequently as retaliation. Fears of a regional war grew in the following months. On 25 December, Razi Mousavi, an Iranian commander, was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike at his residence in
Sayyidah Zaynab Sayyidah Zaynab (; meaning "Lady Zaynab"), commonly known as Sitt Zaynab (), is a town in the Rif Dimashq Governorate of Syria, south of Damascus, the national capital. With a population of 136,427 (2004 census), it is the 10th most populous ci ...
, south of
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
, amid the Gaza war. Mousavi's assassination marked the highest-ranking killing of a senior Iranian military official since the targeted
assassination of Qasem Soleimani On 3 January 2020, Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian major general, was Targeted killing, killed by an American drone strike ordered by U.S. president Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq, while travelling to meet Iraqi prime mi ...
, until the subsequent killing of
Mohammad Reza Zahedi Mohammad Reza Zahedi (; 2 November 1960 – 1 April 2024) was an Iranian military officer. A senior figure within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), he had previously commanded the IRGC Aerospace Force and the IRGC Ground Forces, a ...
in 2024. On 20 January 2024, Iranian general
Sadegh Omidzadeh Sadegh Omidzadeh (; died 20 January 2024), also known as Hojatollah Omidvar (), was an Iranian general and head of the Quds Force intelligence unit in Syria. He was killed in Damascus by an Israeli airstrike. Military career On 14 August 2012 ...
and four other Iranian officials (Ali Aghazadeh, Saeed Karimi, Hossein Mohammadi, and Mohammad Amin Samadi) were killed during a meeting at a building in the
Mezzeh Mezzeh (, also transcribed as al-Mazzah, el-Mazze, etc.) is a municipality in Damascus, Syria, due west of Kafr Sousa. It lies to the southwest of central Damascus, along the Mazzeh highway (also known as Fayez Mansour). It started gaining imp ...
district of
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
. The Israeli airstrikes, as reported by the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (also known as SOHR; ), founded in May 2006, is a United Kingdom-based information office whose stated aim is to document human rights abuses in Syria; since 2011 it has focused on the Syrian Civil War. ...
, resulted in the complete destruction of the building, leading to the death of at least 10 military personnel.


April 2024 escalation


Israeli bombing of Iranian embassy (1 April)

On 1 April, Israel bombed the Iranian embassy in
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
, Syria. The attack killed 16 people, including multiple Iranian officers and proxy fighters. Most notably,
Mohammad Reza Zahedi Mohammad Reza Zahedi (; 2 November 1960 – 1 April 2024) was an Iranian military officer. A senior figure within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), he had previously commanded the IRGC Aerospace Force and the IRGC Ground Forces, a ...
, a commander for the
Quds Force The Quds Force () is one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It specializes in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. U.S. Army's Iraq War General Stanley McChrystal describes the Quds Fo ...
was killed in the airstrike. Iranian officials in the building were allegedly meeting with Palestinian militant leaders at the time of the attack. Iran vowed to respond, and Western sources suspected it would directly attack Israel. Israel began preparing in the days leading up to the attack, evacuating Israeli embassies and jamming
GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...
signals in the case of an aerial bombing. France deployed its navy to defend Israel. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates provided Israel with intelligence on the strikes.


Seizure of the MSC Aries (13 April)

On 13 April 2024, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy took control of the Portuguese-registered and
Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...
- flagged
container ship A container ship (also called boxship or spelled containership) is a cargo ship that carries all of its load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. Container ships are a common means of commercial intermodal ...
''MSC Aries'' in the
Hormuz Strait The Strait of Hormuz ( ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' , ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategica ...
where it was boarded by Iranian commandos in
international waters The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed region ...
off the coast of the United Arab Emirates via helicopter, then directed to Iranian territory for "violating maritime law". The ship is leased to the
Mediterranean Shipping Company Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A., branded as MSC, is an international shipping line founded by Gianluigi Aponte in Italy in 1970. The company is owned by the Aponte family with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, since 1978. It is the ...
(MSC) by Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of
Zodiac Maritime Zodiac Maritime Ltd is an international ship management company that owns and charters out large vessels. It is part of Ofer Global based in Monaco and chaired by Eyal Ofer. It has a long-standing business relationship with Mediterranean Shippin ...
, whose principal is Israeli. Following the incident, Israel called on the European Union to sanction the IRGC.


Iranian strikes on Israel (13–14 April)

Early on 13 April, Hezbollah attacked northern Israel with around 40 rockets. Israel responded by bombing a Hezbollah weapons manufacturing site in Lebanon.
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN; , ) is a private-media conglomerate headquartered in Wadi Al Sail, Doha, funded in part by the government of Qatar. The network's flagship channels include Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera English, which pro ...
said the attack was significant given the conflict, and the ''
Institute for the Study of War The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is an American nonprofit research group and advocacy think tank founded in 2007 by military historian Kimberly Kagan and headquartered in Washington, D.C. ISW provides research and analysis of modern arm ...
'' suggested the strikes were coordinated with Iran. Later, Iran and its proxies attacked Israel with about 300 drones and multiple ballistic missiles. The
Houthis The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, is a Zaydism, Zaydi Shia Islamism, Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. It is predominantly made up of Zaydi Shias, with their namesake leadersh ...
,
Islamic Resistance in Iraq The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI; ) refers to an informal network of Iranian-backed Shia Islamist armed groups in Iraq. The name is used by members of the network when carrying out attacks against American forces or its allies in the region ...
,
Badr Organization The Badr Organization ( ''Munaẓẓama Badr''), previously known as the Badr Brigades or Badr Corps, is an Iraqi Shia Islamist and Khomeinist political party and paramilitary organization headed by Hadi al-Amiri. The Badr Brigade, formed in ...
, and True Promise Corps also launched attacks on Israel under Iranian command. Syria shot down some Israeli interceptors. The United States, United Kingdom, and Jordan intercepted over 100 Iranian drones. The attack caused minor damage to
Nevatim Airbase Nevatim Airbase (, English: sprouts) , also Air Force Base 28, is an Israeli Air Force, Israeli Air Force (IAF) base, located 15 km east-southeast of Beersheba, near moshav Nevatim in the northern Negev desert. It is one of the largest in ...
, which remained operational. A 7-year-old Israeli Bedouin child was critically injured by a missile shrapnel, and 31 other civilians suffered minor injuries while rushing to shelters or due to anxiety. Israeli and U.S. officials conducted situational assessments that night. The United States said it would not participate in a retaliatory strike on Iran. Iran threatened that if Israel were to retaliate, directly or indirectly, it would strike back harder. Israel said the attack warranted a response. The United States warned Israel to exercise restraint, and the
Israeli war cabinet The Israeli war cabinet was formed on 11 October 2023, five days after the beginning of the Gaza war. The opposition party National Unity joined the thirty-seventh government led by Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister. Negotiations began up ...
argued over the scale of Israel's response. Israel delayed plans to start an offensive in
Rafah Rafah ( ) is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Rafah Governorate. It is located south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889. Due to the Gaza war, about 1.4 million people from Gaza C ...
that week so it could determine a response. The war cabinet continued arguments over the Israeli response during the following week. The cabinet considered military and diplomatic options, with international pressure to de-escalate the situation influencing decisions. On 18 April, it was reported that the United States would greenlight a Rafah offensive in exchange for no Israeli strike on Iran. The U.S. and EU tightened sanctions on Iran.


Israeli response (19 April)

On the morning of 19 April, Israel retaliated against Iran. Israel attacked three targets in or near
Isfahan International Airport Isfahan Shahid Beheshti International Airport () is an international airport serving the city of Isfahan, Iran. Overview The airport is named in honor of Shahid Beheshti. For administrative and census purposes, it is considered a village in ...
, including a military base. One of the targets was a radar for the
Natanz Natanz () is a city in the Central District of Natanz County, Isfahan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is south-east of Kashan. Demographics Population At the time of the 2006 National Census, th ...
nuclear site. Iran claimed that its air defense shot down all Israeli projectiles and that the explosions were from air defense, but satellite images showed a damaged air defense battery and damage to the radar system. Israel did not comment or claim responsibility for any attack. In southern Syria, SAA bases were targeted, leading to material losses. Explosions and fighter jets were also heard in Iraq, and debris from an Israeli missile was found in central Iraq, suggesting Israel fired from there. Iranian state media downplayed the Israeli strike, and Iranian officials said there was no planned retaliation. An anonymous source told
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
that direct state-to-state strikes were over. Analysts said the attack and Iranian reaction showed that both sides wanted to de-escalate.


Summer and fall 2024 escalation


Assassinations of Shukr and Haniyeh (31 July)

On 31 July, Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander was assassinated in an Israeli strike on
Haret Hreik Haret Hreik () is a mixed Shia and Maronite Christian municipality, in the Dahieh suburbs, south of Beirut, Lebanon. It is part of the Baabda District. Once an agricultural and Christian village, Haret Hreik lost its rural and Christian identity ...
, in the suburbs of the Lebanese capital
Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
. Iranian military adviser Milad Bedi and civilians were also killed in the strike. The strike was retaliation for the Majdal Shams attack, which killed twelve children, that Israel claimed Shukr had ordered. Later that day,
Ismail Haniyeh Ismail Haniyeh (, ; 29 January 1962 – 31 July 2024) was a Palestinian politician who served as third chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from May 2017 until Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, his assassination in July 2024. He also served as ...
, the political leader of
Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...
, was assassinated along with his personal bodyguard in the Iranian capital
Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
by an apparent Israeli attack. Haniyeh was killed in his accommodation in a military-run guesthouse after attending the inauguration ceremony for Iranian president
Masoud Pezeshkian Masoud Pezeshkian (, ; born 29 September 1954) is an Iranian politician and physician who has been serving as the ninth president of Iran since 28 July 2024. Pezeshkian served as governor of Piranshahr and Naghadeh counties and was elected to ...
.


Heightened tensions (August–September)

After the attacks, Iran and
Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...
pledged retaliation. According to Israeli reports, retaliatory attacks are likely to be launched by multiple members of the
Axis of Resistance The Axis of Resistance is an informal coalition of Iranian-supported militant and political organizations across the Middle East. Formed by Iran, it unites actors committed to countering the influence of the United States and Israel in the regio ...
, including in Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, as similarly done in the coordinated attack on Israel in April 2024. Many countries warned their citizens to leave Lebanon because of increasing war tensions. The
U.S. State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs ...
has been trying to prevent an attack by working through diplomats to send the message to Iran that escalation of the conflict is not in their best interests, and that the U.S. will defend Israel from attacks. Other U.S. officials stated that the successful shoot-down in April relied on good military intelligence about what Iran was planning, but this time the military situation is more uncertain. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei through Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's security council, to have a restrained response, and not to attack Israeli civilians. The
United States military The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
announced the deployment of an additional squadron of F-22 Raptors from the
1st Operations Group The 1st Operations Group (1 OG) is the flying component of the 1st Fighter Wing, assigned to the USAF Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. The 1st Operations Group is the oldest major air combat unit i ...
of the
1st Fighter Wing The 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, VA. where it is a tenant unit, being supported by the 633d Air Base Wing. Its ...
; 4,000 marines and 12 ships were deployed to the region as a part of
Carrier Strike Group 9 Carrier Strike Group 9 (CSG-9 or CARSTRKGRU 9) is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. Commander Carrier Strike Group 9 (COMCARSTRKGRU 9 or CCSG 9) is responsible for unit-level training, integrated training, and material readiness for the ships an ...
in the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
and three ''Wasp''-class amphibious assault ships, two destroyers and the
26th Marine Expeditionary Unit The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU) is one of seven such marine expeditionary units (MEUs) currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. It is an air-ground task force with a strength of about 2,400 personnel when at full ...
as a part of the USS ''Wasp'' amphibious ready group in the eastern
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. The
Carrier Strike Group 3 Carrier Strike Group 3 (CSG-3 or CARSTRKGRU 3) is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore. The aircraft carrier is the group's current flagship. Other units a ...
including
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) USS ''Abraham Lincoln'' (CVN-72) is the fifth in the United States Navy. She is the third Navy ship to have been named after the former President Abraham Lincoln. Her home port is NAS North Island, San Diego, California; she is a member of th ...
and an unspecified number of cruisers and destroyers along with
Carrier Air Wing Nine Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The Air Wing is currently assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). The Tail Code of aircraft assigned to ...
was also deployed, sent from the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
. On 5 August 2024,
NOTAM A NOTAM (ICAO & FAA: Notice to Airmen, CAA: Notice to Aviation or, for the FAA from 2021 to 2025, Notice to Air Missions) is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a loca ...
s were issued to warn pilots regarding the closure or restriction of the airspace of Iran and Jordan, a precaution related to a possible attack by Iran against Israel.


Israel–Hezbollah escalations (17–30 September)

On 17 September, Israel adopted a new war goal; to return civilians displaced by Hezbollah back to their homes in northern Israel. Later that day and the next, thousands of communications devices (including pagers and walkie-talkies) exploded simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria, with Israel aiming to attack Hezbollah members. The attack killed 42 people. In response, Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on northern Israeli cities and towns, including
Nazareth Nazareth is the largest Cities in Israel, city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and ...
, on 22 September. On 23 September, Israel killed two of Hezbollah top commanders,
Ibrahim Aqil Ibrahim Aqil (; 24 December 1962 – 20 September 2024; also known by his aliases Al-Hajj Tahsin or Al-Hajj Abdul Khader) was a Lebanese militant leader who served as commander-in-chief of Hezbollah's special operations unit, the Redwan Fo ...
and Ahmed Wehbe in
Dahieh Dahieh (, ) is a predominantly Shia Muslim suburb in the south of Beirut, in the Baabda District of Lebanon. It has a minority of Sunni Muslims, Christians, and a Palestinian refugee camp with 20,000 inhabitants. It is a residential and commerc ...
, south of Beirut. On 23 September, Israel began a bombing campaign of southern Lebanon. The attacks killed over 700 people, injured more than 5,000, and displaced 500,000 Lebanese civilians. On 27 September 2024,
Hassan Nasrallah Hassan Nasrallah (, ; 31 August 196027 September 2024) was a Lebanese cleric and politician who served as the third secretary-general of Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist political party and militia, from 1992 until his assassination in 2024. Bor ...
, the
secretary-general of Hezbollah The secretary-general of Hezbollah () is the highest position within Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. The current holder of the position is Naim Qassem, who was appointed on 29 October 2024, a mo ...
, was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike in Dahieh. The strike took place while Hezbollah leaders were meeting at a
headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...
located underground beneath residential buildings. The attack also killed Ali Karaki, the Commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front and
Abbas Nilforoushan Abbas Nilforoushan (; 1966 – 27 September 2024) was an Iranian brigadier general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who served as Deputy of Operations. He began his military career in 1980 with the Basij, then joined the I ...
, deputy commander of the IRGC and commander of the Quds Force in Lebanon. Iran condemned the attack, and had internal debates on how to respond to Nasrallah's death. On 1 October 2024, Israel launched a ground invasion of Lebanon with the stated goal of destroying Hezbollah's presence close to the Israeli border.


Iranian strikes on Israel (1 October)

On 1 October 2024, Iran launched around 200 ballistic missiles towards Israel in two waves. Iranian officials cited the recent assassinations of Hezbollah, Hamas, and IRGC leaders as justification.


Israeli strikes on Iran (26 October)

On 26 October 2024, Israel began attacking Iran, with explosions heard near
Imam Khomeini International Airport Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport () is the international airport of Tehran, the capital of Iran. It is located 2 kilometers (1 mi) of Vahnabad and southwest of Tehran and is named for Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran's first supreme lea ...
,
Mashhad Mashhad ( ; ), historically also known as Mashad, Meshhed, or Meshed in English, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. ...
,
Karaj Karaj (; ) is a List of cities in Iran by province, city in the Central District (Karaj County), Central District of Karaj County, Alborz province, Alborz province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. Earl ...
,
Kermanshah Kermanshah is a city in the Central District (Kermanshah County), Central District of Kermanshah province, Kermanshah province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. The city is from Tehran in the western pa ...
, Zanjan. Explosions were also heard near Damascus, Syria.


Post-strike threats and Iraqi involvement (October–November)

On 31 October 2024, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered his military officials to prepare for a military response against Israel, with Iranian officials warning that the response to Israel's strikes will be 'harsh' and 'unimaginable'. On the same day, Israeli intelligence suggested that Iran prepared to respond to Israel's attack from within Iraqi territory. The
Axios Axios commonly refers to: * Axios (river), a river that runs through Greece and North Macedonia * ''Axios'' (website), an American news and information website Axios may also refer to: Brands and enterprises * Axios, a brand of suspension produ ...
reported that the attack would consist of a large number of drones and ballistic missiles launched from Iraqi territory. In November 2024, Israeli news outlets began reporting that Israel may target the
Islamic Resistance in Iraq The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI; ) refers to an informal network of Iranian-backed Shia Islamist armed groups in Iraq. The name is used by members of the network when carrying out attacks against American forces or its allies in the region ...
for its campaign against Israel during its wars on Gaza and on Lebanon. Unnamed officials allegedly told outlets that satellites monitored the transfer of ballistic missiles and related equipment from Iran to Iraqi territory. On 19 November, Israel issued a letter to the
UN Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
asserting its right to self-defense against the Islamic Resistance in Iraq for its military campaign on Israel during its wars on Gaza and Lebanon. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani warned that the letter served as pretext for an attack on Iraq, aligning with Israel's efforts to expand the war in the region. The Israeli security threat towards Iraq caused the Iraqi government to issue a statement that it would take all necessary diplomatic and military actions to protect its sovereignty. On 21 November, The Iraqi government requested an emergency session of the Arab League Council through the Iraqi Permanent Mission to the Arab League to address the Israeli threats against Iraq. The request highlighted Israel's threats in its letter to the UN Security Council, where it sought to expand its aggression in the region to Iraq.


June 2025 escalation


Swapping of airstrikes (13 June–present)

Israeli missiles were fired at Iranian military targets in the early morning hours of 13 June 2025. The large‑scale aerial assault operation was codenamed "Operation Rising Lion" () by Israel and was coordinated by the
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...
(IDF),
Mossad The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations (), popularly known as Mossad ( , ), is the national intelligence agency of the Israel, State of Israel. It is one of the main entities in the Israeli Intelligence Community, along with M ...
, and other Israeli defense industries. Targeted military and nuclear facilities were impacted, resulting in the deaths of Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists. Revolutionary Guard commander
Hossein Salami Hossein Salami (; 1960 – 13 June 2025) was an Iranian military officer who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from 2019 until 2025 when he was killed by an Israeli airstrike during the Iran–Is ...
and other senior
IRGC The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary branch of the Iranian Armed Forces. It was officially established by Ruhollah Khomeini as a military branch in May 1979 i ...
leaders, including the senior commander
Amir Ali Hajizadeh Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh (; 28 February 1962 – 13 June 2025) was an Iranian military officer who served as the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Forces, a position he held from October 2009 until his assassination in June 2025 by ...
, were reportedly killed in the attack. The Jahan Koudak Tower was also damaged. Later that evening, Iran would respond with a retaliatory attack on Israeli military bases and other locations across
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
. Preceding these strikes, the
2025 United States–Iran negotiations On April 12, 2025, the United States and Iran started a series of negotiations aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement, following a letter from President Donald Trump to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The letter set a two-month (60 day) dead ...
were making slow but steady progress. Notably, these talks did not involve Israel. The status of these talks is now unclear.


See also

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Democracy in the Middle East and North Africa The state of Democracy in Middle East and North Africa can be comparatively assessed according to various definitions of democracy. ''De jure'' democracies in the Middle East and North Africa are according to system of government: * Parliamenta ...
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Elections in Iran Iran elects on a national level a head of government (the president), a legislature (the Majlis), and an " Assembly of Experts" (which elects the Supreme Leader). City and Village Council elections are also held every four years throughout the ...
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Elections in Israel Elections in Israel are based on nationwide proportional representation. The electoral threshold is currently set at 3.25%, with the number of seats a party receives in the Knesset being proportional to the number of votes it receives. The Kness ...


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iran-Israel conflict, 2024 April 2024 in Iran April 2024 in Israel October 2024 in Iran October 2024 in Israel Conflicts in 2024 2024 conflict 2024 conflict Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)