A war that began in February between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other entered a new active phase this week, with strikes and counter-strikes reported along Iran's southern coast and into the wider Gulf region.
The conflict traces back to February 28, when American and Israeli airstrikes killed several senior Iranian officials, including the country's Supreme Leader. Those opening strikes, carried out under a joint operation, followed months of rising tension over Iran's nuclear program and one of the largest American military buildups in the Middle East in more than two decades. A first phase of heavy fighting ran into the spring before a period of lower-intensity exchanges. In the days since, fighting has picked up again.
On September 1, the U.S. military carried out further strikes against Iranian targets. Iranian officials said follow-on strikes on September 2 near the southern port city of Sirik killed at least four people, and a separate strike on the city of Kuhestak wounded roughly fifty others, including women and children, with reports indicating a wedding gathering was affected. Iran responded with strikes toward Gulf neighbors, and Kuwait and Bahrain both reported Iranian drone activity after a strike was also reported near a U.S. base in Jordan.
The wider war has disrupted commercial flights in and out of the region and pushed shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, two of the world's busiest energy shipping corridors. That rerouting is part of why oil prices have climbed in recent days. In Iraq, officials and analysts have been discussing reviving an old pipeline route as a way to move crude to export markets without passing through the strait, a sign of how seriously governments in the region are treating the risk of prolonged disruption.
Diplomats and energy traders alike are watching whether the current round of strikes stays contained to military and government targets, and whether shipping through the Strait of Hormuz can continue without further interruption.
When did this war start?
It began on February 28, 2026, with US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets and officials.
Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter here?
It is one of the world's busiest routes for oil shipments, so any disruption or rerouting around it affects global energy supply and prices.