US and Israel strike Iran, killing Khamenei and choking global oil routes

Monday 02 March 2026 - 07:20

By: Dakir Madiha

US and Israel strike Iran, killing Khamenei and choking global oil routes

The United States and Israel have carried out a coordinated series of strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and shattered the country’s senior military leadership, triggering a rapid escalation across the Middle East and severe disruption to global energy and transport routes. The operation, which began on Saturday morning and involved U.S. bombers, missiles, drones, and Israeli fighter jets, hit command sites and Revolutionary Guard facilities in several Iranian cities after intelligence agencies tracked a high-level leadership meeting in Tehran. President Donald Trump said hundreds of targets were struck and declared that Iran’s “entire military command” had been neutralized, while Israeli officials confirmed they were pursuing a campaign aimed at dismantling Iran’s military infrastructure.

Iran responded with large volleys of ballistic missiles and drones against U.S. and Israeli-linked sites across the region, striking or threatening bases and facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and other Gulf states. Satellite imagery and local reports indicated damage at several air bases and logistics hubs, and U.S. Central Command confirmed that American personnel were killed and wounded at a base in Kuwait. Iran also targeted civilian aviation infrastructure, including airports in Kuwait and the UAE, prompting additional closures and heightening concerns that the confrontation could broaden into a long conflict drawing in more regional actors.

Tehran’s Revolutionary Guard announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil trade normally passes, and warned commercial shipping to avoid the area. At least three tankers were reported damaged by missile or drone fire off the Gulf coast, and hundreds of ships, including crude and liquefied gas carriers, dropped anchor as traffic through the strait slowed to a near standstill. The International Maritime Organization and national maritime agencies urged companies to reroute vessels where possible, while some governments advised their flagged ships to stay out of the Gulf entirely until the security situation improves.

Oil markets reacted sharply as trading opened after the strikes, with Brent crude briefly leaping above 82 dollars a barrel, its highest level in more than a year, before easing back. Futures for Brent and U.S. benchmark WTI rose between about 7 and 10 percent in early trade, driven by fears that a prolonged stoppage in the Strait of Hormuz could remove millions of barrels per day from the market. Analysts warned that if the strait remains effectively closed, prices could climb far higher and raise the risk of a global economic slowdown, while OPEC+ members moved to add a modest amount of extra supply from April in an attempt to calm markets.

Air travel across the Middle East has also been thrown into turmoil as countries shut airspace and key hubs suffered damage or halted operations. Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest long-haul transit points, suspended flights after parts of its infrastructure were hit, while airports in Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait City, and Bahrain faced closures or severe restrictions. Major carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad cancelled or suspended services, and European airlines such as Lufthansa, Air France, and British Airways cut routes into the region, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and forcing widespread rerouting of flights between Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Trump has suggested the operation could achieve its objectives in a matter of weeks, saying the campaign is intended to crush Iran’s missile capabilities, block any nuclear weapons drive, and force political change in Tehran. Regional and security analysts have questioned that timeline, noting Iran’s capacity to wage asymmetric warfare through missile forces, drones, and allied groups, as well as the potential for long-term disruption in global shipping and aviation if the crisis continues. With Iran vowing that more severe retaliation is still to come and Israel signaling it will maintain pressure, diplomatic efforts by global powers at the United Nations have yet to produce a clear path to de-escalation.