Explosions shook Tehran on February 28, 2026, as Israel and U.S. launched a joint attack on Iran, targetting its leadership. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said that the strikes were intended to “remove threats to the State of Israel”, while U.S. President Donald Trump vowed that the strikes would cripple Iran’s military and urged Iranians to rise up against the Islamic republic.

In retaliation, Iran struck U.S. bases and infrastructure across the Gulf, causing airspace closures and civilian casualities. Iran also blocked the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas passes — leading to skyrocketing oil prices and resource shortages across the globe.

The UN refugee agency declared the West Asian crisis as a “major humanitarian emergency” after nearly 1,00,000 people have ‌been displaced within Lebanon and tens ​of thousands of Syrian ⁠refugees there have fled back over the border. International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned on March 23, 2026 that the war could see the world face its worst energy crisis in decades.

Here is a day-by-day timeline of the major events of the West Asian crisis from February 28 to March 28, 2026.