In late February 2026, a large-scale joint U.S.-Israeli military operation took place, striking targets deep inside Iranian territory, including Tehran, Isfahan and Qom. The stated objective was to weaken Iran’s military potential—primarily its missile program—and to target the country’s senior leadership. As announced the following morning, the operation resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the most high-profile outcome of the attack.
The operation was built on tactics of long-range strikes, which allowed aircraft to remain outside the engagement zones of most Iranian air-defense systems. Two main routes were used: an air corridor through Iraqi airspace, where tankers and reconnaissance aircraft had been pre-positioned, and a maritime route—from ships and submarines in the Arabian Sea, from which Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched at the targets.
In the air component of the operation, fifth-generation F-35 fighters played a key role by carrying out the first wave of attacks with minimal radar detection, while heavy strike fighters F-15 delivered the main strikes with heavy munitions. Their actions were supported by tanker aircraft, airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, and specialized electronic warfare planes that suppressed enemy communications and air defenses.
The success of the operation largely depended on the use of a wide range of long-range precision weapons. In addition to naval Tomahawks, Israeli glide bombs “SPICE,” semi-ballistic “RAMPAGE” missiles, loitering munitions “DELAH” for engaging tactical targets, as well as anti-radiation missiles and guided bombs were used. This arsenal made it possible to effectively strike hardened facilities, command centers and radar stations.
The military doctrine applied in the operation represented an integrated system rather than a set of disparate strikes. It began with an intelligence-gathering phase and precise localization of air-defense systems and communications nodes. This was followed by a phase of electronic suppression and disruption of command-and-control systems, and only then were destructive strikes delivered against critical targets, ensuring maximum effect.
Preliminary results showed that the strike indeed achieved its objective, inflicting serious damage on Iran’s command structure. However, Tehran demonstrated an ability to respond quickly, launching missiles at enemy targets, which indicates that Iranian leadership had pre-prepared flexible response scenarios. Experts believe the conflict could evolve from a short-term operation into a protracted confrontation, where each side will seek to shift the military-political balance in its favor.
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Why was the city of Qom, alongside Tehran and Isfahan, chosen as a strike target, and what is its role in Iran’s political and military structure? - Qom is the main spiritual and theological center of Shiism in Iran; it hosts important religious seminaries (hawza) and the shrine of Fatima Masumeh. Its symbolic significance as the “heart” of the Iranian theocracy makes it a strategic target. Militarily, the region may contain facilities related to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or security programs, given its distance from borders and its status as a holy city.
What powers and real authority does the Supreme Leader of Iran have compared to the president and other institutions, and how could his death affect succession? - The Supreme Leader (rahbar) holds the highest authority in Iran: he is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, appoints key figures in the security forces, judiciary and state media, and sets overall policy directions. The president heads the executive branch but is subordinate to the leader. In the event of the leader’s death, the Assembly of Experts (an elected body of senior clergy) is supposed to elect a new leader promptly, which could lead to intra-elite struggle, although a succession mechanism is formally provided.
What is the current structure of Iranian command (for example, the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — IRGC) and why is it considered vulnerable to such strikes? - The highest command is headed by the Supreme Leader. The IRGC is an elite politico-military formation reporting directly to the leader, with its own ground forces, navy, air component and intelligence (including the Quds Force for external operations). A regular army also exists in parallel. Vulnerability arises from the concentration of top command personnel in a limited number of key facilities (headquarters, command centers), as well as the potential use of modern intelligence capabilities by an adversary to precisely target them.
Full version: الأسلحة التي استخدمتها أمريكا وإسرائيل لضرب إيران واغتيال خامنئي