A Super Hornet F/A-18E, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 151, takes off from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, during Operation Epic Fury, March 6, 2026.US Navy
LONDON — President Donald Trump is slated to speak to the country Wednesday evening, delivering a significant "update" on the current U.S. and Israeli conflict with Iran, which commenced on Feb. 28.
ABC News has assembled a summary of the crucial occurrences in the altercation thus far.
Smoke and flames erupt following an explosion in Isfahan, Iran, March 31, 2026.Reuters
Feb. 28: United States and Israeli aerial assaults began, with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei perishing alongside numerous high-ranking political and military figures in offensives on his office complex in Tehran. Iran quickly initiated retaliatory strikes, focusing on Israel, American installations, and associated nations across the Middle East.
The initial wave of attacks zeroed in on Iranian governmental and military locations around the nation, although there were claims of incidental damage. The most notable was an aerial bombardment on a girls' primary school in the southern city of Minab, reportedly resulting in the deaths of 168 people according to Iranian state media.
March 1: Six U.S. soldiers were slain in an Iranian drone assault on an American base in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait — the first American fatalities in the hostilities. Additionally, three American F-15 warplanes were downed by accidental fire from Kuwaiti air defenses.
The inaugural commercial oil tankers were impacted by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, representing the start of Iran's endeavors to stifle maritime movement through the vital strategic bottleneck.
A member of police special forces stands guard atop their vehicle at the Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, square in the heart of Tehran, Iran, March 30, 2026.Vahid Salemi/AP
March 2: The Iran-affiliated Hezbollah militant faction in Lebanon initiated offensives into northern Israel, presenting them as recompense for several months of Israeli air raids across Lebanon. Israel countered by intensifying its strategy — including with new assaults in Beirut — and commencing additional ground operations along the mutual frontier.
March 4: The Iranian IRIS Dena frigate was sunk by an American submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka, resulting in the deaths of a minimum of 104 crew members, according to the Iranian military.
The Israeli military gave an "urgent warning" to every inhabitant of southern Lebanon situated to the south of the Litani River in advance of impending attacks, instructing them to immediately evacuate and proceed to the north of the river — indicating a wide region.
March 8: Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen by Iran's Assembly of Experts as the nation's next supreme leader, succeeding his father, who was killed on Feb. 28. Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment was reportedly supported by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, where the incoming leader previously served.
March 12: An American KC-135 refueling plane crashed over western Iraq, resulting in the deaths of six airmen. Another plane linked to the episode sustained damage but was able to land without incident.
March 17: Ali Larijani, the prominent secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was killed in an Israeli strike in Tehran.
First responders evaluate the destruction in the aftermath of an Iranian attack over Petah Tikva, March 31, 2026.Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
March 18: The Israeli military targets the South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf, which is jointly operated by Iran and Qatar. The offensive indicated a shift toward focusing on energy and vital infrastructural locations, causing Tehran to caution that it would target energy locations across the Gulf.
March 20: Iran is accused of launching a missile strike aimed at Diego Garcia, an American-British military installation in the Indian Ocean, situated approximately 2,500 miles from Iranian territory. The U.S. and Israel asserted that the strike highlighted the extent of Iranian missiles was more extensive than previously acknowledged by Tehran.
March 22: Trump gave a 48-hour demand for Iran to unlock the Strait of Hormuz or confront severe attacks on essential energy infrastructure. The president subsequently delayed his cutoff.
This U.S. Air Force distributed photograph, provided by U.S. Central Command public affairs on March 24, 2026, depicts operations linked to Operation Epic Fury aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on March 21, 2026.-/US Airforce/AFP via Getty Images
March 24: Air raids centered on three major Iranian steel mills, demonstrating an apparent modification in American-Israeli tactics toward degrading Iran's financial core.
Iranian drones and missiles aimed for the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, impairing several American aircraft — including an E-3 Sentry AWACS plane — and injuring numerous service members.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz communicated that the Israeli military is going to level residences in southern Lebanon, similar to its conduct in the war-stricken Gaza Strip, in an ongoing push to purge Hezbollah fighters from the locale. Israel will put into action "the Rafah and Beit Hanoun models," Katz indicated, referring to two Gaza border settlements that Israel devastated throughout its offensive in the Palestinian territory.
March 28: The Iran-aligned Houthis insurgents in Yemen launched a ballistic missile toward Israel, marking their initial participation in the struggle.
March 28: U.S. Central Command shares the news of the arrival of approximately 3,500 American sailors and Marines in the Middle East on board the USS Tripoli, amid claims of a prospective American ground operation opposing Iran. Furthermore, approximately 1,500 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division are anticipated in the region.
March 30: Trump, once more, demanded a halt to Iranian obstruction of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to broaden U.S. strikes to target Iranian energy resources and desalination facilities.
March 31: Katz claims Israeli forces will seize Lebanese land up to the Litani River — nearly 18 miles to the north of the Israeli boundary — and obstruct the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals.
April 1: Trump gears up for a crucial "important" public address pertaining to the battle in Iran.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com