Rory

By Philip C. Johnson February 28, 2026

Why This War Has Been Brewing

Decades of pure, concentrated rage: Iran’s 1979 Revolution, its nuclear obsessions, and a constellation of terror proxies (Hezbollah, Houthis, Hamas) pointed like daggers at Israel and the “Great Satan” America. Israel has always viewed a nuclear Iran as literal doomsday. Washington flip-flopped between sanctions, the doomed 2015 deal, and the occasional slap. October 7, 2023, poured gasoline on the whole mess—Gaza, Lebanon, direct missile volleys. Early 2026 saw Iran sprinting toward weapons-grade uranium. Trump back in the White House, Netanyahu in full survival mode… boom. The powder keg finally detonated yesterday morning on February 28.

What’s Different This Time: Beyond the June 2025 Nuclear Strikes

Last summer’s operation was almost polite: Israel tagged nuclear sites on June 13, the U.S. followed with “Operation Midnight Hammer” on the 22nd, turning Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan into very expensive parking lots. Iran lobbed a few missiles at a Qatar base (zero casualties), everyone shook hands, ceasefire. Goal? Just slow the bomb down.

Yesterday’s “Operation Epic Fury” is not polite. Hundreds of jets and missiles hammered command bunkers in Tehran, missile factories, air-defense radars, naval ports, and the leadership’s personal hideouts. The mission statement is refreshingly blunt: regime change. No more surgical delay. This is decapitation with extreme prejudice.

What’s Happening Right Now

Explosions turned Tehran’s skyline orange at dawn on February 28. Wave after wave of U.S.-Israeli strikes shredded regime targets. Smoke blankets the capital; Iranian state media admits “significant” damage and more than 200 dead. Tehran retaliated with ballistic missiles and drones at Israel (limited damage, one reported fatality on the 28th) and U.S. bases scattered across Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. The Gulf hosts are furious at Iran for turning their soil into a shooting gallery but have politely declined to join the main event. No surprise there.

As of midday March 1(Israel/Iran time), the campaign has intensified. Overnight and morning strikes continued, with Israeli jets hitting additional ballistic-missile production facilities and air-defense radars. Iran fired fresh waves of missiles and drones, scoring a direct hit on a U.S. base in Bahrain (home to the Fifth Fleet) and launching attacks on Tel Aviv that killed at least one person and injured more than 20. Regional airspace is largely closed, stranding international flights and travelers. Trump’s video address from yesterday still echoes: “heavy, pinpoint bombing… uninterrupted through the week or as long as necessary.” Translation: buckle up. The operation is rolling into its second full day with no let-up in sight.

Goals of the US and Israel

Trump’s video address was vintage Trump: obliterate Iran’s nuclear and long-range missile programs, sink what’s left of its navy, dismantle the proxy terror empire, and—oh yes—topple the regime. Netanyahu called it the final removal of an existential threat. Both men went straight to the Iranian people on social media: “When we finish, the government is yours—take it.” First time any U.S. president has put regime change on the open battlefield menu.

International Support: A Narrow Coalition

America and Israel are running this show solo. Canada and Australia are offering loud moral support. The UK, France, and Germany condemned Iran’s behavior but immediately added “please don’t drag us in” and begged for calm. Gulf states are livid about Iranian missiles landing in their backyard—Bahrain in particular condemned the strike on its territory—but won’t lift a finger offensively. Russia has requested an emergency IAEA session over the attacks on safeguarded nuclear sites. China issued the usual furious statements. Ukraine and Albania sent nice words. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled planned travel amid the escalation. Bottom line: this is a bilateral thunderbolt, minimal backup. Which tells you something about how things are going to go down if things escalate out there. 

Regime Change? The Ayatollah’s Fate and Succession

It’s now confirmed—even by Iranian state media, which reversed its earlier denials. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead, along with his daughter, grandson, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law, all killed in the strikes on his Tehran compound. Israeli officials say his body was recovered from the rubble; a photograph was shown directly to both Trump and Netanyahu as proof. At least forty senior regime figures went with him—including senior adviser Ali Shamkhani, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, IRGC Ground Forces commander Mohammad Pakpour, military bureau chief Mohammad Shirazi, and top intelligence official Saleh Asadi.

State TV had spent the first 24 hours insisting he was “safe and sound… commanding the field.” No proof, no video, no appearance—until today’s abrupt confirmation. On the ground, the vacuum is completely disorienting to the IRGC. The constitution says the Assembly of Experts picks a successor while an interim council (president, judiciary head, senior cleric) keeps the lights on. Speculation swirls around son Mojtaba (wouldn’t want to be him—terrible job security), or various hardliner clerics. Here’s the “uh-oh moment”: Will furious IRGC generals seize control and go full apocalyptic—or will the Iranian people finally storm the gates?

Apocalyptic Flavor: Echoes of Gog and Magog

Evangelical prophecy circles are having a field day. Ezekiel 38–39 describes “Gog of Magog” (conveniently read as Russia-adjacent) teaming with “Persia” (hello, Iran) to invade a restored Israel—only to get divinely curb-stomped. Russia’s lingering arms deals with Tehran plus today’s direct showdown have the watchmen declaring we’re watching the warm-up act for end-times. Jewish and Shiite traditions feature their own Gog-and-Magog final boss battles. Mainstream analysts are rolling their eyes so hard they’re getting headaches, but the biblical electricity definitely adds extra sizzle to the chaos.

How Long Will This Last? Potential Dangers—Are There Iranian Sleeper-Cells in the U.S?

Officials are already saying “weeks, not days”—a far cry from 2025’s quick hit. Trump’s line remains “as long as necessary.”

The real nightmare fuel? Iranian sleeper cells already parked inside the United States. DHS, FBI, and NYPD are on maximum red alert. For years Iran and Hezbollah have quietly embedded operatives and sympathizers here, waiting for the signal. Tehran warned Trump before the strikes that it could flip the switch. Experts are now openly saying an existential threat means they might actually “go big.”

Picture it: assassinations of U.S. officials or Iranian dissidents (seventeen plots already foiled since 2020). Sabotage of power grids, ports, or bases—cyber, bombs, or both. Hezbollah’s elite Unit 910 quietly scouting airports or stockpiling explosives in rural warehouses. Lone wolves whipped into frenzy by regime propaganda. One successful activation and America is suddenly fighting on two fronts—overseas thunder and domestic sparks. Rural soft targets and packed urban centers alike are sitting ducks. Sitting in my home and hearing a massive fire-works display down at Little Elm Park requires that I Google, “Why are explosions going off in my neighborhood?” Oh, thanks, Google, it’s just a Mardi Gras celebration. Of course I’m not paranoid. 😊

Iran continues promising a “crushing” response and the “most ferocious offensive operation in history,” nothing concrete—just the usual fire-and-brimstone chest-thumping. Global oil shocks, refugee waves, Russia’s IAEA push, and the very real risk of Russia or China getting indirectly frisky are all on the menu. Civilian casualties could either harden anti-Western rage or—fingers crossed—spark the very uprising Trump is betting on.

The regime’s head is officially cut off. The body is still thrashing. The next seventy-two hours—and the days that follow—will decide whether this high-stakes gamble births a free Iran… or lights the fuse on the wider war everyone has been dreading.

Buckle up. History is live-streaming.

Hirose Shingo in the background:

I’m writing this with a heart full of pain and hope.

My name is Nasr, a young man from Gaza, and I’m sharing our story not because I want to—but because I have to.

💔 The war took everything from us.

In just moments, my entire world collapsed.

My mother and sister were killed in an airstrike.

My father is seriously ill and unable to work or provide for us.

Now I am the one responsible for my younger siblings—little children who have seen more horror than any child should.

We used to live a simple life.

We weren’t rich, but we had love and hope.

Now, we sleep under the open sky, surrounded by fear and uncertainty.

Every night, I wonder how I’ll feed them tomorrow.

Every morning, I’m just thankful we’re still alive.

This is not just my story. This is our fight to survive.

We are now struggling to afford even the basics:

A home, food, medicine, and safety.

Right now, we need your kindness more than ever.

Even $10 💵 can help us:

Buy food for the children 🍞

Get essential medicine for my father 💊

Buy them clothes or warm blankets 🧥

Give them a small sense of safety

If you can’t donate, you can still help.

🔁 Re-share this post. Spread our story.

You never know who might see it and feel moved to help.

We are not just numbers. We are human. We are survivors. And we’re asking you… please don’t look away.

My name is Saja. I’m a wife, a mother, and a woman who once believed her story would be simple. I thought my days would be filled with watching my daughter grow — from her first smile to her first steps — surrounded by the small joys of everyday life.

But life had other plans.

War has returned to our home. Again. And once again, we find ourselves living under skies that never seem to rest.

There was a moment — a fragile, breathless moment — when the bombs paused and the world seemed to remember us. It gave us hope. We thought maybe, just maybe, we could start to rebuild. But now, we are back in the dark — hiding, holding on, praying.

I’m writing this not as someone seeking pity, but as a mother who has no other choice but to speak.

Imagine holding your baby in the middle of the night, not because she cried, but because the world outside roared too loud for either of you to sleep. Imagine whispering bedtime stories not to lull her into dreams, but to keep the fear from settling into her tiny bones.

This is my life.

This is my daughter’s life.

And even now — especially now — I believe in softness. I believe in kindness. Because when everything else is taken from you, hope becomes the most valuable thing you have.

Why I’m Reaching Out Our home has been damaged. Our lives changed. But through it all, my daughter wakes up every morning with a smile. She reaches for me with trust, with love, with faith that I will keep her safe.

That’s why I keep going.

I’ve launched a campaign to ask for help — not because it’s easy, but because silence is no longer an option. I am asking for support not just for me, but for my baby, and for the quiet strength of so many mothers like me who are fighting, every single day, to hold their families together.

How You Can Help: 🤍 Help us restore parts of our home so we can live with dignity 🤍 Support women and mothers in Gaza with access to care and resources 🤍 Keep the light of hope alive for a generation born in the shadows of war

💛 If you can, please support our journey here:

If you can’t give, please consider sharing. Your voice might be the reason someone else hears ours.

From My Heart to Yours Maybe our lives are worlds apart. Maybe you’ve never lived through war. But if you’ve ever held a child and wished the world could be better for them — then you understand more than you know.

I don’t want my daughter to grow up thinking the world turned away.

Please, if you’ve read this far — thank you. Thank you for seeing us. Thank you for caring. We are still here. Still hoping. Still holding on to every kind act like it’s a lifeline.

I am reaching out on behalf of my dear friend, Mohamad S., who is facing one of the most challenging times of his life. Mohamad is 37 years old and left his homeland in 2015 in search of a safer and better future. He’s a kind, hardworking man, and his small family has always been his greatest priority.

Living abroad, Mohamad has recently endured unimaginable loss and financial strain. Amidst the ongoing conflict in his homeland, his mother passed away, leaving behind his sister and her five young children—the last remaining members of his immediate family.

As the situation worsened, Mohamad managed to help his sister and her children escape to safety in Egypt, covering their immediate needs and securing a temporary refuge for them. Since then, he has been fully responsible for providing everything they need to survive during this transition.

In his efforts to support his family and cope with this devastating loss, Mohamad has found himself deeply in debt. To make matters even more difficult, he recently underwent knee surgery, which limits his ability to return to work for the foreseeable future. This has made it even harder for him to manage his financial responsibilities and the pressing need to provide his family with a stable future.

Mohamad is now working to bring his sister and her five children to join him in Belgium, where he hopes they can find stability and opportunity after all they’ve endured. This transition, however, requires significant resources that he is currently unable to meet alone.

For privacy reasons, we are not sharing Mohamad’s full name, as he has chosen to keep his identity discreet. While he initially refused the idea of asking for help, I couldn’t stand by and watch him struggle alone. I insisted on doing this for him because he deserves a chance to overcome these challenges.

Your contribution will help Mohamad repay the debt incurred during this difficult time, cover ongoing living expenses for his family, and assist with the costs involved in bringing them safely to Belgium.

Mohamad has been a good friend of mine for years, and I’ve always admired his resilience and generosity. Any support, no matter the size, will make an incredible difference in helping Mohamad and his family rebuild their lives after these painful experiences.

Thank you for reading his story and considering helping a man who has always done everything he can for his loved ones.

Adam

✅ Vetted by Association: @bilal-salah0

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