2026 Iran war

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Map titled 2026 Iran War showing the Middle East region, with Iran, Yemen, Israel, and Lebanon shaded red to indicate countries directly engaged in conflict. Several neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Oman, are shaded purple to show they are targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. Red diamond icons mark locations of U.S. military sites in the region. The Strait of Hormuz is labeled as affected by the conflict.

Key sites of Iran's military-industrial complex

People stand on rooftops watching a large plume of smoke rise over city buildings after a strike in Tehran at sunset.

U.S. military presence in the Middle East

People gather near the heavily damaged, partially collapsed building of Iran's Assembly of Experts in Qom, with debris and dust in the street after an airstrike.

Strait of Hormuz

Thick plumes of black and gray smoke rise over densely packed buildings in Beirut following Israeli airstrikes, with the city skyline and cloudy sky in the background.

A yacht sails in front of thick black smoke rising from the port of Jebel Ali, with industrial tanks and cranes visible in the background.

Large crowd of rioters, many holding staves and raising their arms, fill a wide street in Tehran, Iran, during unrest in August 1953. Trees and buildings line the street.

Map of the Middle East highlighting countries and regions considered part of the Iran-backed Axis of Resistance in orange, including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and Yemen. The map also shows surrounding countries and bodies of water for context, with a note that Syria was formerly part of the axis until December 2024. Insets provide a closer view of the eastern Mediterranean region, emphasizing Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and the Gaza Strip.

2026 Iran war: Media

Middle Eastern history

Videos

Graphic showing the question Why are protesters in Iran flying the country's old flag? above two Iranian flags: the current flag with a red emblem and the old flag with a lion and sun symbol. Protesters are visible in the background.

What's the Difference Between These Two Iranian Flags?

Iranian protesters in 2026 are flying a flag that hasn't been official since 1979.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

Map titled 2026 Iran War showing the Middle East region, with Iran, Yemen, Israel, and Lebanon shaded red to indicate countries directly engaged in conflict. Several neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Oman, are shaded purple to show they are targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. Red diamond icons mark locations of U.S. military sites in the region. The Strait of Hormuz is labeled as affected by the conflict.

2026 Iran war

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

People stand on rooftops watching a large plume of smoke rise over city buildings after a strike in Tehran at sunset.

U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran

Plume of smoke rising from the Iranian capital, Tehran, from U.S.-Israeli strikes...

© Atta Kenare—AFP/Getty Images

People gather near the heavily damaged, partially collapsed building of Iran's Assembly of Experts in Qom, with debris and dust in the street after an airstrike.

Disrupting the regime

Israeli strikes destroyed the building where Iran's Assembly of Experts was expected...

© Reuters/Via social media

Strait of Hormuz

Strait of Hormuz

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Thick plumes of black and gray smoke rise over densely packed buildings in Beirut following Israeli airstrikes, with the city skyline and cloudy sky in the background.

Israeli bombardment of Lebanon after U.S. announces ceasefire with Iran

Smoke rising from Beirut after Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon's capital city and its...

© Anwar Amro—AFP/Getty Images

A yacht sails in front of thick black smoke rising from the port of Jebel Ali, with industrial tanks and cranes visible in the background.

Impact on tourism and commerce

A yacht sailing away from Dubai's Jebel Ali port as smoke billows from an Iranian...

© Fadel Senna—AFP/Getty Images

Large crowd of rioters, many holding staves and raising their arms, fill a wide street in Tehran, Iran, during unrest in August 1953. Trees and buildings line the street.

1953 coup in Iran: Protests in Tehran

Iranian rioters armed with staves protesting against the coup, backed by the CIA...

AFP/Getty Images

Map of the Middle East highlighting countries and regions considered part of the Iran-backed Axis of Resistance in orange, including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and Yemen. The map also shows surrounding countries and bodies of water for context, with a note that Syria was formerly part of the axis until December 2024. Insets provide a closer view of the eastern Mediterranean region, emphasizing Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and the Gaza Strip.

The Axis of Resistance

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

First responders and firefighters stand amid rubble and damaged cars on a debris-strewn street, with a fire truck and heavily damaged buildings in Tehran after a strike.

Tehran: first responders on June 13, 2025

Following a series of strikes across Iran on June 13, 2025, first responders gather...

© Meghdad Madadi/Tasnim News—AFP/Getty Images

Protesters in Tehran

Protesters in Tehran

A crowd blocking a street in Tehran on January 9, 2026, just as the Iranian government...

© MAHSA/Middle East Images—AFP/Getty Images

Interactives

Key sites of Iran's military-industrial complex

Key sites of Iran's military-industrial complex

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

U.S. military presence in the Middle East

U.S. military presence in the Middle East

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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