Iran knew its security apparatus had been compromised during the 12-day war of June 2025 when Israel killed a string of senior military commanders. A handful of Israeli fighter jets flew for about two hours and struck the compound with around 30 long-range missiles. “The US and Israel are prioritising breaking Iran’s offensive capabilities and leadership,” said Matthew Savill of the Royal United Services Institute thinktank. “The question is whether the Iranian regime can survive that and inflict enough pain regionally that brings that campaign to a halt.”Iran’s military options are limited. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday afternoon that they had targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier with four ballistic missiles, prompting a rapid social media rebuttal from the US military.

Source: The Guardian March 01, 2026 22:32 UTC