United States and Israeli forces launched a campaign of attacks against Iran on the morning of 28/2, targeting defense and intelligence facilities, as well as the homes of numerous high-ranking officials and generals. Cities across Iran were shaken by explosions. Several senior Iranian officials were killed, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Mohammad Pakpour, and Ali Shamkhani, head of the national defense council.

Iranians marched in Tehran on 6/3 to mourn Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The Supreme Leader holds Iran's highest political and religious authority, possessing final decision-making power on national matters. Khamenei, 86, had held this position since 1989, consistently guiding all actions by prioritizing confrontation and fierce resistance against the United States and Israel.

Iran retaliated with ballistic missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and United States bases in Middle Eastern countries. Pictured is a large plume of smoke at Jebel Ali port in Dubai on 1/3, after debris from intercepted weapons fell into the Business Bay area of the city, causing a fire at the port.

Iranian ballistic missiles struck a residential area in Beit Shemesh, Jerusalem, on 1/3, causing severe damage to a public shelter and surrounding homes, resulting in at least 8 deaths.

Smoke rises from the Ras Tanura oil refinery in Saudi Arabia on 2/3. The conflict led Qatar to halt liquefied natural gas production, Israel to temporarily close its gas field, and Saudi Arabia to shut down its largest oil refinery. Wealthy individuals also sought to leave Dubai and Abu Dhabi after Iran repeatedly targeted these two cities.

Many Gulf nations condemned the Iranian attacks across the region, warning that Tehran had miscalculated and could face consequences.

President Trump stated that the operation could last 4-5 weeks and demanded Iran's unconditional surrender. He also did not rule out deploying ground troops but considered it "not yet necessary." Meanwhile, Iran declared its readiness to confront United States ground forces if they entered the country.

The Israeli military announced on 6/3 its transition to the next phase of the conflict. On 7/3, Israel conducted airstrikes on several Iranian oil depots, indicating a shift from solely targeting political and military objectives to also striking civilian industrial facilities.

The Israeli attacks caused black, oil-laden rain to fall on Tehran on the morning of 8/3. Many residents reported difficulty breathing and stinging eyes and lips.

Iran's Red Crescent Society estimated that over 6,000 civilian structures, including schools and medical facilities, were destroyed in the United States-Israeli campaign.

Iran announced on 8/3 that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, had been chosen as the next Supreme Leader.

Mojtaba Khamenei holds extensive influence in Iran and maintains close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij volunteer militia. He is regarded as a conservative, and his appointment indicates that the hardline faction continues to hold the highest leadership in Iran.

President Trump expressed dissatisfaction but did not specify his response.

An electrical worker in Tehran on 8/3, amidst a sky filled with black smoke following United States and Israeli attacks.

The Iranian government declared that the war would only end through economic losses severe enough to compel Gulf nations to intervene, exerting pressure on the United States and Israel. The conflict is significantly impacting global energy trade. Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been halted, crude oil prices have surpassed USD 100 per barrel, unsettling stock markets and greatly affecting consumer finances.

Iran demanded that Arab and European countries sever diplomatic ties with Israel and the United States, and expel their ambassadors, to allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the United States warned Tehran against blockading this shipping lane and announced it had destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying ships near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian ballistic missiles in the sky over Netanya, central Israel, in the early hours of 11/3.

Iran declared on 11/3 the launch of its most intense wave of attacks since the conflict began. Tehran also announced it would target economic and banking centers linked to the United States and Israel in the region, after a United States-Israeli attack on a Tehran bank on the night of 10/3 killed several employees.

Iran further threatened to target the offices and infrastructure of numerous United States technology corporations in Israel and the Gulf region, including Google, Microsoft, Palantir Technologies, IBM, Nvidia, and Oracle. Iran stated that these centers were listed because their technology "is applied in military operations."

Despite Iran's retaliation, United States President Donald Trump declared on 11/3 that the offensive against Iran had been a great success. He stated that Iran was on the brink of defeat and that the United States could attack areas in Tehran and elsewhere, making it almost impossible for Iran to rebuild the country.

The Israeli military signaled that the operation was far from over and that they still had "a series of targets to aim for."

Ali Fadavi, an advisor to the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned the United States and Israel "must consider the possibility of falling into a long-term war of attrition that could destroy the entire United States and global economy."

A woman collects clothes in a destroyed apartment complex in Tehran on 12/3.

Following Trump's statement, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for the first time outlined conditions for ending the conflict. He demanded that the United States and Israel "recognize Iran's legitimate rights, provide compensation, and offer strong international guarantees to prevent future attacks against us."

Alongside the Iranian President's statement, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps affirmed that all oil and gas infrastructure benefiting the United States and its allies in the Middle East "will be burned and destroyed" if Iran's energy infrastructure is attacked.

Oil exports from other Gulf countries have sharply declined over the past two weeks, but Iranian crude oil is still transiting the Strait of Hormuz at a near-normal rate of over one million barrels per day.

Black smoke rises after a United States and Israeli airstrike on Tehran on 13/3, while Iranians participated in the Al-Quds Day march, an event supporting the Palestinian people on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

President Trump announced the same day that the United States had completely destroyed all military targets on Kharg Island, considered Iran's "oil lifeline." Trump stated he decided not to destroy oil infrastructure on Kharg Island "for good reasons."

The conflict today enters its third week with no signs of de-escalation, as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu affirmed Israel's "ultimate goal" in the war is to change the regime in Iran, while Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei asserted Tehran's readiness to expand the scope of engagement.

"Revenge will remain our top priority until fully completed," he declared.

The fighting has resulted in over 2,000 deaths, including approximately 1,500 in Iran, over 680 in Lebanon, 15 in Israel, and dozens in Gulf nations. The United States reported 13 soldiers killed in relation to the conflict.

Hong Hanh (Photos: AP, AFP, Reuters)