04.03.2026 10:54
The phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in February became a turning point for the start of attacks against Iran. According to claims, on February 23, Netanyahu shared intelligence with Trump that Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and his advisors would gather in Tehran. Following the verification of this information, it was alleged that Trump stated that diplomatic options had been exhausted and gave final approval for the attack.
As the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran continue into their fifth day, the Tehran administration is also carrying out retaliatory actions against Washington's allies and US bases in the Gulf region.
STATUS OF THE WAR
The US military claimed that the number of attacks carried out in the first 24 hours of the war has nearly doubled compared to the "shock and awe" operations conducted in Iraq in 2003, and that approximately 2,000 targets have been hit in Iran so far.
Israel announced that it launched a large-scale wave of attacks targeting defense systems and missile launch sites in Iran in the early hours of the day. The Pentagon also revealed the identities of four American soldiers who lost their lives during the war, stating that the soldiers were killed in drone strikes targeting Kuwait.
Amidst claims of regime change in Iran, it has been alleged that the CIA is attempting to arm opposition Kurdish groups to incite a rebellion in the country. According to CNN, the US administration is in talks regarding military support for Iranian opposition groups and Iranian Kurdish dissidents seeking refuge in the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKBY).
Hours after US President Donald Trump announced that the US Navy would escort oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary, a statement came from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The statement claimed that 10 oil tankers attempting to pass through the strait were hit.
NETANYAHU INFORMED TRUMP ABOUT THE MEETING ON FEBRUARY 23
As clashes continue on the ground, new claims regarding how the war started have emerged in the US press. It has been alleged that a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in February played a decisive role in the initiation of attacks on Iran.
According to officials speaking to the American Axios news platform, Netanyahu called Trump on February 23 to share intelligence that Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and his senior advisors would meet at the same location in Tehran on February 28.
THE MEETING BECAME A TURNING POINT
It has been claimed that the phone call made from the Situation Room at the White House, which had not been previously disclosed to the public, was a turning point in the initiation of the military process against Iran.
During the conversation, Netanyahu conveyed that the mentioned meeting could be targeted with a single airstrike, and in the initial assessment conducted at Trump's direction, the CIA confirmed the information provided by Israeli intelligence.
After the confirmation, it was suggested that Trump concluded the intelligence was reliable and that diplomatic options had been exhausted, ultimately giving final approval for the attack on February 27.
US-ISRAEL ATTACKS ON IRAN
While negotiations between Tehran and Washington continue, Israel and the US launched a military attack on Iran on February 28.
In response, Iran carried out attacks on targets it identified in several regional countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain, where US bases are located, in addition to Israel.
In the US-Israel attacks, numerous high-ranking officials, including Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were killed.
The Iranian Red Crescent announced that 787 people lost their lives in the US-Israel attacks.