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From targeted strike to regional firestorm: how the US-Israeli attack on Iran escalated
It is now a regional war – fought across at least seven countries, with missiles falling on civilian airports, naval headquarters and residential districts
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Published Thu, Mar 5, 2026 · 12:00 PM
WHAT began as a coordinated military operation against a single state has, within days, metastasised into the most dangerous regional conflict the Middle East has seen in a generation.
Beginning on Saturday (Feb 28), Israel and the US launched coordinated joint attacks on Iran – code-named Operation Roaring Lion by Israel and Operation Epic Fury by the US – targeting key Iranian officials, military commanders and facilities, with the stated aim of regime change.
The ambition was sweeping. The consequences have been wider still.
