The war begins early on Saturday morning, February 28. A few hours earlier, President Donald Trump, after months of military buildup, gave the order for the United States and "partner forces" - read: Israel - to launch a nationwide attack on Iran.
Detonations are heard in Tehran, among other places, from 7 a.m. local time in Sweden. Israel describes the attacks as "preventive", with the aim of eliminating the threat that Iran's nuclear program, among other things, is feared to pose to the outside world. Iran and Israel are closing their respective airspaces.
Iran quickly counterattacks. First with drones against northern Israel, then against Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait - countries that all host U.S. bases.
Spread to Lebanon
Late on the first night of the war, Trump announced that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed, along with several other members of the state leadership who had been in bombed buildings in Tehran.
On Sunday, March 1, full-scale warfare continues in both Iran and Israel. New explosions are also reported in other countries around the Persian Gulf.
On Monday night, the Iran-allied Islamist movement Hezbollah in Lebanon launched rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel. The response was Israeli bombing of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Stranded travelers
The war means closed airspace over the countries involved. As attacks continue in all directions around the Persian Gulf on Monday and Tuesday, tens of thousands of travelers will be stranded in cities including Dubai, which is the world's largest aviation hub in terms of international travelers. The EU country Cyprus will also be targeted by Iranian drones.
On Tuesday, Israel is advancing ground forces in several areas of southern Lebanon. Residents in the area are being urged to leave their homes in anticipation of extensive airstrikes.
The death toll in Iran is rising; according to regime sources and independent organizations, over 1,100 people have lost their lives.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday morning that U.S. forces have hit a total of nearly 2,000 targets in Iran. According to the U.S., Iran has fired over 500 ballistic missiles and more than 2,000 drones.
More expensive fuels
An American submarine fires a torpedo that sinks an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka, several hundred miles from the war zone. At least 90 Iranian crew members are killed.
The war is also having a major impact on shipping through the important Strait of Hormuz; shipping through the narrow strait has been reduced by around 90 percent. Much of the world's fossil fuels are shipped through the narrow strait, and oil and gas prices are rising sharply.
On Thursday night, Iran attacks oil facilities in Bahrain, among other places. New countries are joining the periphery of the war - Azerbaijan says it shot down at least two Iranian drones on Thursday. However, Iran says it is not responsible.
Second phase
On Thursday evening, Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir declared that a second phase of the war was beginning and that Israel had "surprises" in the new phase. He also stated that 80 percent of Iran’s air defense system had been destroyed and that it was close to "complete air dominance."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in turn, says that Iran is ready for a ground war and that it would be "a great disaster for them," referring to Israel and the United States.
Israel announced on Friday night that it had launched a "comprehensive wave of attacks" against Iran. The announcement was preceded in the hours before by several Iranian attacks on Israel and, among others, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Large parts of the airspace remain essentially closed, but some of the region's major airlines, such as Emirates and Etihad, are still managing to open corridors with limited flights to Europe, among other destinations.
