Key Takeaways
- The combined US-Israeli force continued to degrade Iranian air defenses to maintain air superiority over western Iran and Tehran. US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine announced on March 2 that “local air superiority has been established [over Iran].” The combined force’s strikes on Iranian air defense systems also enable Israel and the United States to operate lower-generation aircraft in Iran with less risk.
- The combined force launched several airstrikes on March 2 targeting Iranian internal security sites responsible for maintaining security, suppressing protests, and spreading regime propaganda.
- The combined force struck the Natanz Nuclear Facility in Esfahan Province on March 2, which marks the first attack on an Iranian nuclear site since the start of the US-Israeli campaign on February 28. An Israeli analyst, citing March 2 satellite imagery, reported that strikes targeted Natanz and severely damaged at least three buildings.
- The IDF has continued to conduct airstrikes targeting Hezbollah military sites and institutions in Lebanon on March 2 to degrade Hezbollah’s ability to conduct retaliatory attacks against Israel. The IDF reported that it struck over 70 Hezbollah weapons depots, launch sites, and launchers in southern Lebanon.
- The United States and Israel conducted several attacks targeting Iranian-backed Iraqi militias in Iraq on March 1 and 2 to degrade the militias’ ability to conduct retaliatory attacks against US forces and Israel. Iranian-backed Iraqi militias appear to be threatening to expand their attacks to regional countries that host US troops, such as Jordan.
- The Houthis could target Emirati, Israeli, or US military positions in the Horn of Africa if it joins Iran’s regional retaliatory campaign.
- Iran is attempting to disrupt international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a broader effort to impose a cost on the Gulf states. Iran likely seeks to push the Gulf states to pressure the United States and Israel to end their combined strike campaign against Iran. Iranian attacks targeting energy infrastructure in the Gulf have also disrupted some regional oil and gas industrie