In plain terms
Plain Read: Feb 28 2026 - Apr 8 2026, 38-day US/Israel coordinated kinetic operation against Iran. Trump ordered Feb 27 3:38pm EST aboard Air Force One; strikes commenced Feb 28 ~1:15am EST.
Plain read: Feb 28 2026 - Apr 8 2026, 38-day US/Israel coordinated kinetic operation against Iran. Trump ordered Feb 27 3:38pm EST aboard Air Force One; strikes commenced Feb 28 ~1:15am EST. Day-1 decapitation strike killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei + Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh + Khamenei military office head Mohammad Shirazi + SPND head Hossein Jabal Amelian + chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi + former SPND head Reza Mozaffari Nia + former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad + intelligence chief Salah Asadi. IAF struck 500 targets first 24 hours / 1,200 bombs (largest combat sortie in IAF history). Total operation: 13,000 targets engaged across 38 days; 10,200 sorties. US losses: 13 KIA, 381 WIA, 39 aircraft destroyed (24 MQ-9 Reaper drones — 60% of attrition; 4 F-15E Strike Eagles — 3 friendly fire; 1 A-10; 1 E-3G Sentry; 1 KC-135 mid-air collision over Iraq killing 6 crew). Cost: $25 billion confirmed by Pentagon Comptroller Jules W. Hurst in Apr 29 2026 House Armed Services testimony alongside Hegseth + Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine ($11.3 billion first-week leads to $25 billion 38-day). Civilian toll Iran-side: 165 killed in single Shajarah Tayyebeh primary school strike (Minab, Hormozgan). Iranian retaliation: missile/drone strikes on US bases + Israel + US-allied Arab countries; Strait of Hormuz closed. Ceasefire: Apr 8 2026 White House announcement, contingent on Strait of Hormuz reopening.