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After the US and Israel conducted a series of airstrikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, Iran responded with a slew of attacks on American military installations across the Middle East. In total, Iran has struck nine different countries and 27 military installations. US and Israeli strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who has been using deadly violence against civilian protesters in Tehran. According to Trump, his war on Iran has no timeline, and the US will continue to strike the nation until it sees regime change, and the end of Iran's nuclear program, and is certain that Iran will no longer pose an ‘immediate threat'.
Iran retaliatory strikes: timeline
In total, Iran has attacked nine different countries and 27 different military installations since it was attacked on February 28. The first retaliations came just an hour after the US struck Iran, and Iran continued to strike US military bases over the next two days, as Us and Israeli forces continue to barrage Tehran.
February 28, 2026, 1:30 am ET (10:00 am in Tehran): Within an hour of the initial strikes from the US and Israel, Iran responded with a series of attacks of its own. Iran targeted US and Israeli military bases across the Middle East, focusing on ballistic missile launch complexes, drone bases, and coastal missile batteries. Iran struck four countries housing US and Israeli military forces. In Qatar, Iran sent multiple waves of missile strikes targeting the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US base in the Middle East. Qatar reported the attacks were intercepted. In Bahrain, Iran targeted the US's Naval Support Activity Bahrain / 5th Fleet HQ. Bahrain confirmed the attack as successful, and satellite imagery showed a fleet of ships fleeing from the base.
February 28, 2026, 2:30 am ET (11:00 am in Tehran): Along with Qatar and Bahrain, Iran targeted US installations in Kuwait and the UAE. In Kuwait, the IRGC attacked the Ali Al Salem base and Camp Arifjan, with both bases continuing to assess damages. About 13,500 US service members and support personnel are stationed in Kuwait. The country has been a stable energy hub for decades, and Iran's actions in the country have sent shockwaves across the Gulf and in Kuwait.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the area around the Al Dhafra Air Base, with satellite imaging showing smoke rising near the base. UAE forces announced that multiple missiles were intercepted, but there was at least one fatality from the strike, and shrapnel continues to fall from high-rise buildings south of Abu Dhabi.
February 28, 2026, 6:40 am ET (2:50 pm in Tehran): Iran sends rockets to Jordan, striking the Muwaffaq Salti airbase. Footage filmed by civilians on the ground showed Jordanian missile defence systems jump into action, sending dozens of rockets to intercept Iran's attack. At least one Iranian missile struck the area near the airbase, with video showing smoke billowing from inside the concrete walls of Muwaffaq Salti. Nearly 4,000 American troops are stationed at Muwaffaq Salti airbase. The U.S. has sent dozens of attack aircraft to Muwaffaq Salti in recent weeks, making it a key hub for American airpower in the Middle East.
February 28, 2026, 9:00 am ET (5:30 p.m. in Tehran): Later in the evening, more Iranian strikes hit Kuwait. Ali Al Salem air base was targeted once again, as well as the Kuwait International Airport. The strikes severely damaged Kuwait International, and multiple airport personnel were injured in the blast. The airport's main terminal was severely damaged, with footage showing blown-out windows and a semi-collapsed ceiling. The government of Kuwait announced the airport would be closed for the foreseeable future, and that emergency measures are being implemented return operations to normal.
February 28, 2026, overnight: Strikes on Iran and retaliatory strikes on US infrastructure continued throughout the night, with at least one strike happening every hour. Iran sent a flurry of missiles into Israel, the majority of which were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome. The rockets that managed to penetrate Israel's state-of-the-art defence system struck open ground in the country. Overnight on February 28, multiple Gulf countries received missile alerts due to Iranian military action.
March 1, 2026, 6:00 am ET (2:30 PM in Tehran): In what represents one of the largest simultaneous attacks from Iran, multiple missiles were fired at Israel and Bahrain on March 1. Once again, Israel's Iron Dome intercepted the majority of the rockets, and the missile that got through struck open fields. In Bahrain, sirens sounded after a series of missiles were fired from Iran.
Iran also fired missiles at Abu Dhabi, and Doha, the capital of Qatar. In Dubai, two back-to-back blasts were heard downtown, and in Doha, 16 people were injured from falling debris after an Iranian missile struck a high-rise building. Kuwait also reported more missiles entering its airspace, but claimed its defence systems intercepted the threats.
Strikes in Iran, Lebanon
It's important to note that all of Iran's strikes have been retaliatory against the US and Israel. Air strikes have been continuous in Iran since February 28 and show no signs of stopping as hospitals in Tehran hit capacity and the city scrambles to set up shelters and safe sites for displaced civilians. So far, nearly 600 people have been killed by the US and Israel in Iran, with another 2,000 injured. At least 200 of the 600 dead are children after Israel destroyed an all-girls' school in Minab on Sunday. Israel is also striking the Lebanese capital of Beirut, where the Iranian-funded group Hezbollah operates. More than 50 people in Lebanon have been killed since February 28.
In total, more than 700 people have been killed in 72 hours of conflict, with 90% of the victims coming from Iran. Israel has had at least nine people killed, three US service members were killed, and seven people were killed across Gulf countries in Iranian strikes. Lebanon has an estimated death toll of 50 after a day of Israeli strikes.
Trump plans in Iran
With Donald Trump claiming that he is willing to deploy US troops on the ground, and the US already having succeeded in its supposed mission, there is no end in sight to this conflict. Donald Trump's goal was regime change, and he succeeded in killing Iran's Supreme Leader on Day One of the war. A regime change has begun, but Donald Trump shows no signs of stopping his violent war on Iran. Trump ran on a platform of ‘no new wars,' something Republicans supported.
Now, he's started the most significant war since Iraq in 2003, and he did so without an event like 9/11 spurring the moment.
