Since the United States and Israel initiated Operation Epic Fury, a coordinated series of airstrikes against Iran’s military installations on February 28, 2026 the international system has entered one of the volatile phases of geopolitical escalation in recent times. Confronting what Tehran described as the “Axis of Resistance,” the U.S.–Israeli offensive rapidly precipitated a region-wide crisis, as Iranian retaliation extended across the Middle East, with all Gulf states except Oman coming under targeting. The killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the initial phase of the airstrikes, followed by coordinated counterattacks on U.S. assets in the region and the strategic closure of the Strait of Hormuz, collectively triggered a rapid and selfreinforcing escalatory spiral that propelled the conflict beyond its initial parameters.
