The Hours turning a nuclear dispute with Iran into a War

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dysBg5KqeZ8

By Alexander Fernandez

Reporter, Life News Today

1:15 a.m. Eastern, Feb. 28, 2026, is the exact moment the United States military says combat operations began in Iran. The United States Central Command Office (CENTCOM) first recorded coordinated strikes against Iran's military bases making the formal start to the current United States, Iranian, Israeli war where planning ended and force was executed.

To understand how the conflict reached that moment, the timeline moves back several months. On June 9, 2025, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told the agency’s Board of Governors that unresolved safeguards questions meant inspectors could not verify that Iran’s nuclear program was exclusively peaceful. He said during the meeting that the agency sought explanations dating to 2019 for uranium particles found at undeclared locations in Iran through inspections, site access requests and repeated consultations, and that Iran had “repeatedly either not answered, or not provided technically credible answers to, the Agency’s questions.” Three days later, on June 12, 2025, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a resolution urging Iran to cooperate fully with the agency’s investigation into undeclared nuclear material and activities. The resolution called on Tehran to provide answers and access needed for inspectors to resolve outstanding questions tied to safeguards obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The agency’s chronology of events places that resolution within a period when tensions between Israel and Iran were already intensifying. Israel carried out military strikes on Iranian nuclear and missile facilities during that same period. Those strikes represented the first sustained direct exchange between the two countries after years of indirect confrontation carried out through cyber operations, covert actions and regional proxy conflicts. The White House and Defense Department did not describe Operation Epic Fury as an action tied only to the IAEA dispute. In statements outlining the operation, they said the objective was to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and protect United States forces and allies in the region, while degrading its broader military capabilities.

At 1:15 a.m. Eastern on Feb. 28, 2026, the dispute gave way to military force. United States Central Command said United States and partner forces began coordinated strikes across several Iranian provinces under Operation Epic Fury. Aircraft and long-range weapons targeted Iranian command networks, air-defense systems, missile launch sites and drone infrastructure. In a press release announcing the operation, CENTCOM said the targets were prioritized because they posed “an imminent threat” to regional security and United States forces. Iran’s government described the strikes as an unlawful attack carried out while diplomatic channels remained open, saying the operation violated international law and constituted an act of aggression against Iranian territory. Within hours of the strikes, Iran launched missiles and drones toward Israeli territory and locations hosting United States forces across the region. United States Central Command said partner forces supported the operation, though it did not identify participating countries. Australia publicly supported United States action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while Britain said it would not join offensive United States strikes but would support the collective self-defense of allies. Spain opposed the strikes, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said NATO would not join the United States -Israeli campaign, even as the alliance later responded defensively to Iranian attacks on Türkiye. China condemned the strikes and called for a diplomatic resolution.

Two days later, on March 2, Grossi returned to the IAEA Board of Governors with a new warning about the consequences of the unfolding conflict. Addressing the board, he said the military attacks had already placed the region in a dangerous position. “We must return to diplomacy and negotiations,” Grossi said. He described diplomacy as the only path capable of providing long-term assurance that Iran would not acquire nuclear weapons and of preserving the international nonproliferation system designed to prevent nuclear escalation. By then, the reported death toll had already risen far beyond the narrower figures later tied specifically to attacks on health care. On March 5, the World Health Organization said almost 1,000 deaths had been reported in Iran, along with 50 in Lebanon, 13 in Israel and 11 in other Gulf countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also said an estimated 100,000 people had left Tehran. While diplomatic institutions continued to emphasize negotiations, humanitarian organizations were beginning to measure the consequences of the fighting. On March 10, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) announced that the Iranian Red Crescent had mobilized 529 branches across 30 affected provinces and 197 cities. More than 2,100 response teams and over 6,500 staff and volunteers deployed to assist communities affected by the strikes and the resulting displacement. Maria Martinez, the IFRC’s head of delegation in Iran, described the pace of the response in a public statement announcing an emergency appeal for international support. “With humanitarian needs growing sharply with every passing day, this Emergency Appeal will help scale up lifesaving assistance and get support to those most affected,” Martinez said. She said the Iranian Red Crescent had mobilized immediately following the attacks and called the response effort “vital to saving lives,” adding that “every moment counts.”

A day later, the WHO released a situation report describing the early impact of the conflict on regional health systems. The March 11 report said 18 attacks on health care in Iran had resulted in eight deaths, a figure tied specifically to attacks on health facilities rather than the overall war toll. The report documented damage to medical infrastructure and disruptions to hospital services treating people injured in the fighting. WHO also reported that the effects of the conflict were spreading beyond Iran’s borders. In neighboring Lebanon, evacuation orders linked to the regional escalation forced the closure of 48 primary health care centers and five hospitals. WHO said the closures disrupted routine medical services and reduced treatment capacity in areas receiving people displaced by the fighting.

 United States and partner forces said strikes would continue against targets they identified as threats, while Iran said it would continue to respond to attacks on its territory. WHO and IFRC reported rising displacement and increasing strain on health systems across multiple countries affected by the conflict. Officials and international agencies called for negotiations, but no timetable for talks had been announced.