Critical Threats with ISW - Iran Crisis Updates - U:S. and Israeli Strikes in Iran - March 1, 2026

 

BREAKING | Strikes on Iran: March 1, 2026, 08:00 AM ET

The United States and Israel are conducting a campaign to topple the Islamic Republic of Iran. AEI's Critical Threats Project (CTP) and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) are covering the developing situation and will publish additional updates and maps over the next 48 hours. Read the latest from CTP and ISW below.

The US-Israeli combined force appears to be increasingly targeting the Iranian internal security apparatus, which is consistent with the US-Israeli stated objective of toppling the Iranian regime. The regime has formed a leadership council to temporarily assume the responsibilities of supreme leader. The council includes the president, judiciary chief, and a senior hardline cleric. The IDF outlined a three-phase plan to achieve air superiority over western and central Iran, which will enable the combined force to achieve its objectives. This approach mirrors what Israel did in June 2025. Iran may have started attacking maritime traffic around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran seeks to impose a cost on the United States and its partners and compel them to pursue a ceasefire before toppling the regime. Iran has sustained its missile and drone strikes across the region, some of which have impacted civilian locations around the Gulf and Israel.

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The Iran Update aims to inform national security policy by providing timely, relevant, and independent open-source analysis of developments pertaining to Iran and its Axis of Resistance. This update covers political, military, and economic events and trends that affect the stability and decision-making of the Iranian regime. It also provides insights into Iranian and Iranian-sponsored activities abroad that undermine regional stability and threaten US forces and interests. The American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project and the Institute for the Study of War will provide regular updates, including daily updates, as the crisis warrants.   Not subscribed to Iran Updates? Click here to receive regular email updates.

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