Since the joint US-Israel airstrikes on Iran began on February 28, 2026—killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top commanders—the conflict has expanded to involve 15 nations, with over 2,600 attacks on more than 5,000 targets, resulting in more than 2,400 deaths and the displacement of 4.1 million people.
From February 28 to mid-March, US Central Command reported strikes across Iran, prompting IRGC retaliation against 27 Israeli and regional military facilities, with operations extending to nine countries and a UK base in Cyprus—most intercepted. Key incidents include a missile strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab, killing 168 girls and 14 teachers. UN and UNICEF report over 1,100 children killed or injured (14% of Iranian fatalities from strikes on schools and homes), with 52 million school-age children losing access to education as schools serve as shelters.
Civilian impacts span nationalities: In Israel, Filipino caregiver Mary Anne de Vera from Pangasinan was the first Filipino casualty, killed aiding her ward. Filipino seafarer George Miranda is missing after his tugboat was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Precision strikes in Arak and Tehran eliminated additional senior officials and commanders. At least 30 health, emergency, and aid workers have died, including 10 at Tehran’s Naziabad base and six Civil Defense volunteers in Lebanon.
Further tragedies: A March 5 playground strike in Shiraz killed 20; a drone in Sitrah, Bahrain, injured 32 civilians, including a two-month-old infant. Displacement affects 3.2 million from Tehran and central Iran, plus one million in Lebanon due to evacuation orders. Strikes on energy infrastructure have triggered a global oil crisis.
