Leaders killed, U.S. strikes and Iranian response: a month of Iran-U.S. war

Over the past month, the contours of the confllct between Iran and Israel-U.S. alliance have shifted. Initially, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the joint attack on Iran was a pre-emptive action against the Gulf nation’s looming nuclear arsenal, which he said could hit the U.S. if he did not take actions to destroy Iran’s ballistic programme.

Many drew parallels between Mr. Trump’s statements and former President George Bush’s words justifying the 2003 war against Iraq. After that war, it was found that Iraq did not, in fact, possess such weapons of mass desruction as claimed by the U.S.

Other objectives included dismantling Iran’s armed forces, and “protecting Middle Eastern allies.” Though not officially listed as goals, a few other perceived U.S. stakes in the war include a hand in possible regime change, control over the Strait of Hormuz and cutting off Iranian support to regional proxies.

Recently, Mr. Trump has talked of possible compromises to end the war with Iran, but both sides have not managed to reach a mutually acceptable ceasefire deal. As such, the war does not have a certain end date yet, a month after hostilities began. Here is a look at key developments, and how they affect India.

Fuel crisis

India’s energy security came under scrutiny on the heels of the war, with West Asian countries announcing oil production cuts and a crucial transit chokepoint’s operations being hobbled. The chokepoint – Strait of Hormuz – is responsible for 20% of oil being transported. West Asian oil-producing countries such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Kuwait have announced reduction in oil production as storage facilities began filling up with oil that could not be transported through the Strait.

Subsequently, oil prices have climbed since the start of the war, with Brent crude crossing $100 per barrel.

The government has maintained that it has enough reserves, calling reports of imminent shortage misinformation. It said that it had a cumulative stock for 74 days, including crude oil, petroleum and diesel.

Here is a slider taking you through relevant graphics for context.

Key leaders killed

As the war continued, several key leaders in the Iranian power structure were killed in U.S. strikes, the most important being Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who was killed after a U.S. missile struck his compound in Iran, killing him and his family on the first day.

Here is a list of key leaders killed.

Locations struck

Early in the war, targets for Iranian counter-strikes primarily included U.S. bases in West Asia. This expanded to energy sites being targeted by the U.S. and Israel, and Iran responding by targeting energy sites in West Asian countries. Strikes on a nuclear site near a school resulted in over 100 fatalities, drawing condemnation from international bodies.

Here is a map showing the extent of the conflict.

Flight disruptions

After the war, countries in West Asia that act as crucial hubs for air travel from Asia to Europe closed their airspace. This led to flight cancellations on certain routes. In the first three days, over 1,000 international flights were cancelled. Several airlines have cancelled flights to destinations in these countries. These cancellations are to remain in place between March 28 to as long as October 24 in the case of some airlines.

Due to migrants and large Indian overseas populations in West Asian countries, these destinations receive and send many fliers from and to India. Close to half of India’s inbound and outbound international passenger traffic were from and two countries in Africa and West Asia in 2024-25.

Death toll

The war has been deadly, killing over a thousand people. The fatalities come just around a month after protests in Iran and state action killed over 4,000 as per Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED). Fatalities in Lebanon resulted from Israeli bombardment in areas that were seen as strongholds for the Hezbollah organisation – a terrorist group that had attacked Israeli ships near the Red Sea since the start of Israel’s war with Gaza in 2023.

Death toll in different countries after Iran-U.S. war, figures as of March 26

(With inputs from Reuters)