{"id":1982,"date":"2026-03-02T02:20:35","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T02:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rohangunaratna.com\/?p=1982"},"modified":"2026-03-03T06:26:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T06:26:37","slug":"war-in-the-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rohangunaratna.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/02\/war-in-the-middle-east\/","title":{"rendered":"War in the Middle East"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Rohan Gunaratna<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The US and Israeli military and intelligence community jointly launched a sustained series of high intensity and focused operation targeting Iranian political and military leadership and military and other strategic sites starting at 8.10 am on February 28, 2026. The US and Israel developed high grade-high quality intelligence of an impending Iranian attack on Israel. Based on CIA intelligence, the fighter jets of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) struck the Leadership House in Tehran eliminating the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his close team. The spiritual and political leader of Iran, Khamenei defined the regime by nearly building a functional nuclear weapon and other capabilities. In revenge for the US killing of the late Lt. General Qasem Soleimani, who spearheaded a global network of terrorist groups, Khamenei personally ordered the assassination of Donald J. Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKhamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,\u201d <\/em>Trump declared. \u201cThis is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On February 29, 2026, President Donald J. Trump said, \u201cKhamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei…”<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, \u201cIn a powerful surprise attack this morning, we destroyed the compound of the tyrant Khamenei,\u201d adding, \u201cSigns are increasing that Khamenei is no longer with us.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Context<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

While the Pentagon named its campaign \u201cEpic Fury,\u201d Israel named its campaign \u201cLion\u2019s Roar\u201d. Focusing on decapitation of high value targets, the IDF together with the US struck launch sites and missile depots, nuclear and other strategic sites, selected energy assets, Uranium mines, and land, sea and air force bases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the leaders identified for elimination were Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader, Mohammad Pakpour, commander of Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran\u2019s Supreme National Security Council; Amir Nasirzadeh, Iran\u2019s defense minister; Brig. Gen. Majid Khademi, the head of Intelligence Organisation of IRGC; and Major General Sayyid Abdolrahim Mousavi, Iran\u2019s armed forces Chief of Staff (Artesh), Javad Pourhossein, head of foreign intelligence division, Mohammad Reza Bajestani, chief of the security branch, Ali Kheirandish, director of counterterrorism operations and Saeed Ehya Hamidi, an adviser overseeing the war portfolio with Israel. While the serving Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian survived, the former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also eliminated in the opening strike. Due to meticulous development of intelligence, most of the targets were successfully eliminated by Israel and U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On day one, 200 Israeli fighter jets attacked over 500 targets in Iran. In the first 24 hours, IDF dropped about 1,200 munitions and the Americans about 1,050. While 50 Aerial Refueling Tankers are deployed, there were fewer than 10 in Operation Rising Lion from June 13 -24, 2025. In parallel with decapitation of the Iranian leadership, the IDF struck multiple strategic aerial defense systems, including an advanced SA-65 system in the Kermanshah area of western Iran. To enable strikes inside Iran in the coming days, the IDF completed a broad strike on strategic defense systems of the Iranian regime and established air dominance over Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n