THE WORLD IS WATCHING IN HORROR: How America, Israel and Iran Set The Entire Middle East On Fire In Just One Week

THE WORLD IS WATCHING IN HORROR: How America, Israel and Iran Set The Entire Middle East On Fire In Just One Week
If you thought 2025 was crazy, 2026 just walked in and said “hold my missile.”
In the space of one week, the Middle East has been transformed into the most dangerous warzone on planet Earth, with bombs falling from Tehran to Beirut, missiles raining on Gulf cities, and the entire global economy trembling like a leaf in a hurricane. Here is everything that has happened, country by country, strike by strike.

It all began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched a massive coordinated military assault on Iran, with the declared objective of regime change and the permanent destruction of Iran’s nuclear programme. The strikes targeted Iran’s leadership, security forces, nuclear programme and missile sites. Within hours, the world woke up to one of the most stunning pieces of news in modern history. On February 28, 2026, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, was assassinated. The man who had held the Islamic Republic together for over three decades was gone. His wife, daughter, son-in-law, grandchild and daughter-in-law were also killed in the same strikes. Iran declared 40 days of mourning.
Iran did not sit down and cry. It fired back with everything it had.

IRAN STRIKES EVERYWHERE AT ONCE
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched attacks on at least 27 bases in the Middle East where US troops are deployed, as well as Israeli military facilities in Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel. The scale of the retaliation was staggering. Between February 28 and March 4, more than 90 attempted strikes by Iran against Israel alone were recorded, with around 20 of them hitting civilian areas directly.

ISRAEL AND LEBANON BACK AT WAR
Just when Lebanon thought it had escaped the worst, on March 2, 2026, Hezbollah began launching strikes on Israel in response to the killing of Khamenei, targeting a missile defense site south of Haifa. In response, Israeli jets bombed Beirut at 3am local time. Israel struck Hezbollah’s communications infrastructure, took out the al-Manar TV station and al-Nour radio station, and began a fresh ground push in southern Lebanon. Nine people were killed in the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh when a missile struck a residential area. The 2024 ceasefire, already hanging by a thread, is now completely dead.

BAHRAIN, QATAR, KUWAIT, SAUDI ARABIA, UAE — ALL HIT
Iranian missiles targeted the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain’s Juffair area multiple times, and Bahrain’s international airport was struck with a drone, resulting in material damage. Saudi Arabia confirmed that Iranian attacks hit both Riyadh and the Eastern Province, home to major oil infrastructure. At least three people in the UAE were confirmed killed and 78 others wounded. Qatar was bombarded. Kuwait lost four US service members when an Iranian strike hit a US base there.

THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ: SHUT DOWN
This is the part that should terrify every Nigerian at the petrol station. The Strait of Hormuz, a key transit point for global oil, has been effectively shut off, and oil and natural gas prices are jumping while stock markets are tumbling. Airspace closures in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and other Gulf states led to the grounding of thousands of flights, affecting major carriers like Emirates Airlines. (Nairaland) Airlines including British Airways, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic and Air India all suspended Middle East services entirely.

THE NUMBERS SO FAR
More than 1,000 people have been killed since the US and Israel launched their joint operation. The US military’s death toll from the conflict has risen to six, after two bodies were recovered from a regional facility struck by Iran. Hostilities have now impacted 14 countries, destroying or damaging private homes, offices, businesses, airports and energy infrastructure.

TRUMP’S REACTION? He is still talking.
US President Donald Trump praised the joint operation, claiming Iran’s military installations had been essentially knocked out, from its navy to its air force and beyond. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US operation is still in its early days. Meanwhile, Trump has told media outlets the conflict could last anywhere from a few days to four to five weeks. Republicans in Congress have already rejected a resolution that would have required Trump to seek congressional approval for further military action against Iran.
The UN is begging everyone to stop. China is calling for a ceasefire. The rest of the world is watching, praying, and quietly recalculating everything from their fuel budgets to their flight bookings.
The Middle East as we knew it one week ago no longer exists. What comes next is anyone’s guess. But one thing is certain: the world will never be the same after February 28, 2026.