Israel launched wide-scale military strikes across western and central Iran overnight, targeting weapons storage and military infrastructure. The Israel Defense Forces reported incoming retaliatory missile fire from Iran shortly after the operation began, triggering immediate shelter warnings for residents in threatened Israeli regions. The overnight exchange marks the latest escalation in a conflict that officially ignited on February 28.
U.S. President Donald Trump firmly rejected international pushes for a ceasefire. Trump stated the United States is not ready to make a deal to end the war because the current terms are not good enough yet. He confirmed U.S. forces obliterated military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island. The island serves as the primary hub handling 90% of Iranian oil exports.
The ongoing U.S. and Israeli air campaign has struck over 15,000 targets inside Iran since the war began. The most recent overnight strikes on the city of Isfahan resulted in at least 15 confirmed deaths. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated Tehran will refuse diplomatic negotiations or a truce until the U.S. and Israel entirely halt their military operations, offer reparations, and provide guarantees against future strikes.
The direct military conflict has severely bottlenecked global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed by the fighting, triggering massive disruptions to international shipping and pushing oil prices sharply upward. Regional travel faces unprecedented logistical hurdles as commercial carriers suspend operations throughout the surrounding airspace.