Eurasia Press & News
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a series of military strikes against Iran, signifying a major escalation in a region with already elevated tensions.
President Trump declared the U.S. military strikes against Iran as part of a “massive and ongoing” combat campaign, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced “Operation Lion’s Roar,” to eliminate what he described as the “existential threat” posed by Iran’s regime.
Oman’s Foreign Minister reacted in dismay to the U.S.-Israeli strikes and the apparent breakdown of diplomatic efforts, urging the United States not to become further entangled in conflict, and saying “This is not your war.”
Despite Israeli and U.S. announcements declaring the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s response appears far more expansive than its response to U.S. and Israeli attacks in June 2025, unleashing missile and drone strikes across multiple fronts.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a series of military strikes against Iran, signifying an escalation in a region with already elevated tensions. The joint military operation—announced publicly by President Donald Trump and endorsed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—was framed as a decisive effort to neutralize what both leaders described as an existential threat. The target set, and Trump’s comments calling on the Iranian people to take control of their government, signaled that the intent of his and Netanyahu’s actions is to end Iran’s regime outright.
In an eight-minute video posted on Truth Social, President Trump announced “Operation Epic Fury” and described the U.S. military strikes against Iran as part of a “massive and ongoing” combat campaign. He stated, “We are going to destroy their missiles and raise their missile industry to the ground,” adding that the United States would “annihilate” Iran’s naval capabilities and ensure that Tehran’s regional proxies could no longer destabilize any part of the world. Trump argued that Iran had continued advancing its nuclear program and long-range missile capabilities, posing a direct threat not only to Israel and U.S. forces stationed abroad, but also potentially to Europe and the U.S. homeland.
President Trump made clear that his war against Iran was also about decades of destabilizing behavior by the Iranian regime and that it is meant to hold Tehran accountable for its conduct over many years. The U.S. President declared that Iran’s leadership had been “behaving badly for decades.” By framing the operation in this broader historical context, he signaled that the objective extends beyond an immediate crisis to addressing what he characterized as a pattern of aggression and hostility dating back to the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979.
Netanyahu issued a parallel statement, announcing “Operation Lion’s Roar.” He stated that the objective of the operation was to eliminate the “existential threat” posed by Iran’s regime. Netanyahu reiterated that Iran must never be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon, warning that such an outcome would endanger Israel and undermine global security. Later on Saturday, Netanyahu issued another statement, framing the operation as part of his broader pledge to reshape the Middle East. He presented the strikes as a decisive step toward fulfilling that promise. He also claimed that Israel had destroyed a compound associated with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and that there were “growing signs” he was “gone.” Shortly after, Israeli sources reported that Iran’s supreme leader was killed in Saturday’s strikes, a proclamation later echoed by President Trump, who then publicly announced the death of Khamenei.
The U.S. strikes came as a disappointment to Oman, which has been leading quiet mediation efforts to de-escalate. Oman’s Foreign Minister, Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, reacted following the apparent collapse of diplomatic efforts he led on behalf of the Sultanate: “I am dismayed. Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined. Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this… I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war.” Muscat facilitated dialogue between the U.S. and Iran with the hopes of a diplomatic solution, particularly following what were described as “positive” negotiations in Geneva this week. Al Busaidi’s recent high-level engagements, including discussions with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, suggested that diplomatic momentum was likely building and that dialogue remained a possible tool for de-escalation. For Oman, which has the most consistent and positive ties to Tehran among the Arab Gulf states, the U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran disrupted a fragile but achievable diplomatic track.
Iran’s response has been swift and expansive, more extensively crossing established red lines of military engagement than Tehran did during the Twelve Day War in June 2025. Tehran launched a barrage of coordinated missiles across the region, targeting not only Israel, but also Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan—states that host significant U.S. military installations and personnel. By expanding its retaliation beyond Israel to include targets across the Gulf and other regional states, Iran effectively turned what had been trilateral military action into a broader regional security crisis.
Reports of Khamenei’s death could have profound implications for the Iranian regime. At 85 years old, it would be naïve to assume that Tehran had not prepared contingency plans for his eventual passing, even from natural causes. However, a death resulting from an Israeli strike during an active conflict carries a fundamentally different political and symbolic weight. Such an event could either further destabilize the regime or, conversely, consolidate internal cohesion and galvanize support among the wider Shia communities around the world, particularly given his status not only as a political leader but as a religious authority.
To date, the regime has continued to retaliate, signaling institutional continuity rather than immediate breakdown. The coming days will be critical in determining whether this development weakens the regime’s grip on power or instead reinforces it through nationalist and ideological mobilization. As the aging Khamenei had increasingly receded from public view in recent months, Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, had already emerged as a central figure in the regime with strong influence within the security and military establishment.
Following claims by Israel and the United States that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been killed in joint strikes, Larijani issued a sharply worded response. “Israel and the United States will regret their actions,” he wrote on X, adding: “The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will deliver an unforgettable lesson to the hellish international oppressors.”
What is currently unfolding reflects a broader regional conflict with potential global implications. The combination of direct U.S. involvement, the derailment of Omani mediation, and Iran’s extensive retaliation has dramatically raised the stakes, leaving the region in a precarious balancing act between sustained military confrontation and a rapidly shrinking space for de-escalation and diplomacy.
