After 108 days of war, Iran and the US have announced reaching a preliminary agreement to end the conflict.
The deal, brokered by Pakistan, is expected to be formalised through a memorandum of understanding signed in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday.
US President Donald Trump said the agreement includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz to toll-free shipping and lifting the US naval blockade of Iran, while talks continue on nuclear limits and sanctions relief.
Iranian officials said the deal also provides for an immediate suspension of hostilities across multiple fronts, including Lebanon – though Israel says its forces will remain deployed in southern parts of the country.
Here is a timeline of the key moments in the 2026 US-Israel war with Iran, a conflict that has killed thousands and upended both regional security and global trade.
February 28-March 2
The US and Israel launched nearly 900 coordinated air strikes across Iran in under 12 hours, targeting government buildings, military sites, missile infrastructure and air defences.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, alongside dozens of senior military and political officials, was killed in the opening strikes. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets and US bases across the region.
The strikes also killed around 168 people at a girls’ primary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab.
On March 1
Six American soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone strike on a US military base in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait – the first US military deaths of the conflict. Three US F-15 fighter jets were also lost to friendly fire from Kuwaiti air defences.
Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to international shipping. Before the war, roughly 25% of the world’s seaborne oil and 20% of its liquefied natural gas passed through the strait daily.
The closure triggered a global energy shock, sent oil prices surging and halted flights across the Middle East.
The conflict also rapidly expanded as Hezbollah fired projectiles toward Israel from Lebanon.
Israel launched air strikes across Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, opening a second major front in the war.
March 3
The Israeli army officially declared a ground incursion into southern Lebanon.
March 9
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the assassinated supreme leader, as the country’s new paramount leader.
Late March Heavy bombardment continued on Iranian energy, military and command sites, with hundreds of schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure damaged.
Iran, in retaliation, repeatedly launched barrages of missiles on Gulf countries that are home to US assets. Attacks on oil depots and infrastructure led to toxic “black rain” in Tehran and other areas, raising serious health and environmental concerns.
Yemen’s Houthis formally joined the war, resuming ballistic missile attacks on Israel after a pause that had followed a ceasefire in Gaza.
April 3
Iranian forces shot down a US F-15E Strike Eagle over southwestern Iran, triggering a large-scale US combat search-and-rescue operation involving special forces and aircraft.
One crew member was rescued quickly, while the second was recovered after an extended search, with additional US aircraft lost during the operation.
April 7
