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 change as new information comes to light.
The Iran war
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