---
title: "Tracking America’s latest conflict: The Iran war timeline"
description: "Since the war began in earnest on Feb. 28, it has fluctuated from large-scale bombardments to blockades to tense lulls and back again."
date: "2026-07-30"
modified: "2026-09-08"
authors:
  - name: "Nicholas Slayton"
    job_title: "Contributing Editor"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton.md"
  - name: "James Clark"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/james-clark.md"
  - name: "Matt White"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/matt-white.md"
  - name: "Patty Nieberg"
    job_title: "Senior Reporter"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/patty-nieberg.md"
  - name: "Jeff Schogol"
    job_title: "Senior Pentagon Reporter"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol.md"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/iran-war-timeline/"
categories:
  - "Around the World"
  - "Iran"
  - "News"
---

# Tracking America’s latest conflict: The Iran war timeline

![An F/A-18 Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27, takes off from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), Sept. 1, 2026. George Washington is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (U.S. Navy photo)](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/9905784-copy.jpg>)
*An F/A-18 Super Hornet takes off from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington on Sept. 1, 2026. Navy photo.*

The war between the United States and Iran has seesawed between open conflict and temporary lulls in hostilities several times since it began on Feb. 28, 2026, but the fighting has never truly ceased.

The massive air and missile strikes that marked the start of U.S. military operations were followed by a ceasefire in name only — one that was punctuated by exchanges of fire and a churn of press releases and statements from U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, the Pentagon, the White House and other arms of the government, ticking off strikes and targets destroyed. At the same time, Iran has retaliated, striking targets across the region. To date, 18 American service members have died in the conflict.

*This timeline is compiled from official sources, such as Defense Department news releases and figures provided during press conferences, interviews, and in response to media queries; from internal reporting by the Task & Purpose team; and other news reports. This timeline is an ongoing project and will be updated.*

## The Iran war

## Author
Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://www.twitter.com/nslayton>)