⚖ CABINET CHANGE • MARCH 5, 2026 • DECREE 133/2026

Mahiques asume Justicia:

Karina's man conquers the courts

Juan Bautista Mahiques, attorney general of the City, replaces Cúneo Libarona with an urgent agenda: to unblock more than 200 paralyzed judicial documents, the two vacancies in the Supreme Court and the expansion of the accusatory system. Her appointment consolidates the power of the Secretary General of the Presidency over the portfolio and resigns ground to Santiago Caputo.

⏱ Reading Time: 7–9 minutes     |     ✍ Writing: Politics and Justice     |     🗞 Sources: La Nación · Infobae · Profile · Scope · Chronicler

The resignation of Mariano Cúneo Libarona was not a surprise. The former minister had submitted his resignation on October 23, 2025, but Karina Milei asked him to remain in office until she herself chose his successor. The deadline he set: March 2026, once the extraordinary sessions of Congress have concluded. During those months, rumors about possible replacements multiplied, with names ranging from Buenos Aires Senator Guillermo Montenegro — favorite candidate of advisor Santiago Caputo — to Mahiques himself.

The outcome took place on March 4: a meeting at the Quinta de Olivos that included Cúneo Libarona, Karina Milei and, at the last minute, the chief of staff Manuel Adorni, defined the terms of the transition. Milei announced the change on his social networks that same day. At noon on March 5, Mahiques was sworn in before the President in the White Room of the Casa Rosada, in a ceremony that for him had a historic character: it was the first time he had met face to face with Javier Milei.

— Source from Karina Milei's entourage (Infobae, 4/3/2026)

Born in the Buenos Aires district of Mercedes 45 years ago, Juan Bautista Mahiques is part of what is known in the judicial corridors as a "family of courts." His father, Carlos Mahiques, is a chambermaid of Chamber I of the Federal Court of Criminal Cassation; his brother Ignacio serves as a Buenos Aires prosecutor and was deputy in the Vialidad case against Cristina Kirchner; his brother Esteban is general director of Institutional Relations of the Foreign Ministry and was a member of the Disciplinary Tribunal of the AFA.

The new minister is a lawyer graduated from the UBA and has a master's degree in Administration of Justice from the Unitelma Sapienza in Rome. He got his first job in the Judiciary when he was just 20 years old. Since 2019 he has held the head of the Public Prosecutor's Office of the City of Buenos Aires – head of all Buenos Aires prosecutors – a position he reached with the impetus of Daniel Angelici, Macrista operator and former president of Boca Juniors. At the same time, he has chaired the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) since 2022, a position for which he was re-elected in April 2025, and since 2024 he has been rector of the University Institute of Security of the City.

His link with power has multiple layers: during the government of Mauricio Macri he was representative of the Executive Branch before the Council of the Magistracy and Undersecretary of Penitentiary Affairs and Relations with the Judiciary, two positions from which he exercised direct influence on the appointment of national and federal judges. The contact with the Milei universe began just four months before his appointment, mediated by cousins Eduardo "Lule" Menem and Martín Menem, along with Santiago Viola. Karina Milei studied it, evaluated it and concluded that it met the conditions she was looking for.

The appointment of Mahiques was not only a technical change: it was the expression of a power struggle within the libertarian government. Santiago Caputo — the president's star adviser, known in journalistic circles as "the Kremlin's magician" — had been controlling the Justice portfolio through Sebastián Amerio, the outgoing secretary who responded to his agenda. With the arrival of Mahiques and, above all, with the installation of Santiago Viola as secretary, Caputo loses a key link: the man who operated in the Council of the Magistracy and monitored sensitive cases such as those linked to the $LIBRA case and the ANDIS scandal.

In the sector close to Caputo, they interpret the movement as a defeat against the Secretary General of the Presidency. Amerio himself learned of the change in the middle of a meeting in the Council of the Magistracy and had to leave before concluding it. According to reports, until the last moment he resisted the order to leave his office. Mahiques' gestures in his first public message – explicitly thanking Karina Milei for "her permanent support" and "the dedication with which she leads the government's political team" – was read in all sectors as an unequivocal declaration of alignment.

— John Baptist Mahiques in his first message as appointed minister (X, 3/4/2026)

If there is one piece of information that defines the magnitude of the challenge that Mahiques inherits, it is this: the Executive Branch has in its possession the lists of 209 judges from shortlists that have already been sent to it by the Council of the Magistracy, and none were sent to the Senate. The paralysis in judicial appointments caused approximately 40% of the positions in the federal and national justice system to operate with subrogations or interim positions, a situation that the Supreme Court magistrates themselves describe as critical.

The strategy that Mahiques has outlined is pragmatic: start with the simplest lists to negotiate – the family privileges and those without political tension – and gradually move towards those of greater complexity. "The priority is to comply with the coverage of vacancies so that Justice begins to function. We'll start with what's easiest to negotiate. There are other courts that have a more sophisticated thread," said an unobjectionable source familiar with his plans.

As for the Supreme Court, the picture is different. The government's attempt to incorporate Ariel Lijo and Manuel García-Mansilla failed miserably: Lijo's list was rejected and García-Mansilla, who took office by presidential decree, ended up resigning after the Senate's adverse vote. This time, the Casa Rosada opts for caution: vacancies on the highest court will not be an immediate priority. "If the Court did not make any counterproductive measures against us, why wear down the negotiation when we can move forward in the thick of it?" they reason in the official environment.

Mahiques' second major priority is to extend the Federal Criminal Procedure Code – the so-called accusatory system – to the rest of the country. The model already works in Salta, Jujuy, Santa Fe, Mar del Plata and Mendoza, among other districts. On November 11, 2026, Comodoro Py, the federal jurisdiction of the City of Buenos Aires, headquarters of the most politically sensitive judicial cases in the country, is scheduled to join. Implementation requires judges, prosecutors and defenders appointed in a timely manner – which makes the plan of indictments and that of the accusatory system two sides of the same coin.

On his last day at the head of the Buenos Aires Public Prosecutor's Office, Mahiques signed the creation of seven new prosecutors' offices to investigate complex crimes, raising the number of prosecutors' offices of first instance from 40 to 46. The decision – specifically aimed at urban drug crime and the crimes of corruption of Buenos Aires officials – can be read as a letter of introduction to the management style that he intends to take to the national level.

No profile of Mahiques can avoid the episode that marked his career in 2022: the trip to Lago Escondido, the Patagonian ranch of British tycoon Joe Lewis, where Mahiques himself, his father Judge Carlos Mahiques, Federal Judge Julián Ercolini, the then Buenos Aires Minister of Security Marcelo D'Alessandro, attended – with all expenses paid –  directors of the Clarín Group and a former SIDE agent, among others.

The leak of chats from the Telegram group in which some of the attendees participated set off public alarm. According to the transcripts, it was Mahiques himself who would have proposed to manage an invoice to cover up the financing of the trip: "We could find out the issue of a little bill. I don't think it's necessary...", he was heard saying in an audio. The judicial investigation resulted in complaints of alleged gifts and breach of duties of a public official. In December 2023, the Federal Court of Bariloche dismissed all those involved on the grounds that there was no configured crime.

The episode did not stop his career, but he remains an obligatory reference for the political opposition and human rights organizations that question his independence. Cristina Kirchner linked him at the time to judicial pressure against her during Macri's administration, an accusation that Mahiques always rejected.

Rarely in recent history has the identity of the Minister of Justice had such immediate relevance. The government faces several simultaneous judicial fronts: the $LIBRA case – which investigates the cryptocurrency scandal linked to Milei – the ANDIS case, and the constant pressure of the cases inherited from previous administrations. Mahiques comes to office with the explicit mandate of being "the eyes of the Government in Courts", a function that goes far beyond the bureaucratic administration of a portfolio.

In addition, the year 2027 brings presidential elections, and the battle for the federal courts – which in the words of the libertarian environment itself are "those who decide whether one goes to prison or not" – acquires a strategic dimension that transcends the institutional. The arrival of Viola as Secretary of Justice, with his ties in the Senate and in the arc of traditional politics, seeks to oil precisely that legislative mechanism that determines who occupies each judicial office in the country.

🏛 FINAL ANALYSIS

The arrival of Mahiques to the Ministry of Justice is much more than a change of names. It is the clearest sign so far that Karina Milei not only does not retreat in her advance on the architecture of government power, but accelerates. With one man of its own in the chair of Justice and another in the secretariat, the "Karinist" wing of the government now controls the lever that moves 200 judges and prosecutors, access to the Council of the Magistracy and the pulse of the most incandescent judicial cases in the country. The question that no one in the Courts ends up answering is whether Mahiques will achieve what his predecessor could not: transform the accumulated lists into real appointments, before the 2027 electoral calendar turns everything into a bargaining chip.

📅 KEY TIMELINE

• 10/23/2025 — Cúneo Libarona presents formal resignation; Karina Milei asks him to stay until March.

• Dec. 2025 / Jan. 2026 — First contacts reserved between Mahiques and Karina Milei; nexus: cousins Menem and Santiago Viola.

• 04/03/2026 — Meeting in Olivos; Milei announces the change in X. Amerio finds out in the middle of a session of the Council of the Magistracy.

• 05/03/2026 — Decree 133/2026 in the Official Gazette. Mahiques is sworn in at noon in the White Room. Viola takes over as secretary.

• Next steps — Negotiation of lists with the Senate; expansion of the accusatory system; decision on vacancies in the Court.

📚 SOURCES

• La Nación — "Juan Bautista Mahiques is the new Minister of Justice", 4/3/2026

• Infobae — "Who is Juan Bautista Mahiques, the new Minister of Justice", 4/3/2026

• Infobae — "The background of Mahiques' arrival in government", 4/3/2026

• Profile — "Official Gazette: Mahiques was confirmed as Minister of Justice", 5/3/2026

• Profile — "His links with Mauricio Macri, Chiqui Tapia and Pablo Toviggino", 4/3/2026

• Scope — "Milei confirmed Mahiques as new Minister of Justice", 4/3/2026

• El Cronista — "Mahiques disembarks in Justice and prepares his action plan", 4/3/2026

• El Destape Web — "Judicial Family, Macrism and the Lago Escondido Plot", 4/3/2026

• elDiarioAR — "Juan Bautista Mahiques will be the new Minister of Justice", 4/3/2026

In the early hours of February 28, 2026, air raid alarms broke Tehran's silence. What for years was a war of shadows, proxies and veiled threats, transformed in a matter of hours into the most serious armed conflict that the Middle East has experienced in decades. Israel and the United States launched a coordinated offensive on Iran, leaving the world holding its breath in the face of an unprecedented escalation.

Four days later, the toll is devastating: more than 787 Iranian dead, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei confirmed dead, the Strait of Hormuz practically closed and energy prices soaring by 45%. The world is watching with concern whether this conflict will be confined to Iran or will trigger a regional war of greater proportions.

The current conflict was not born out of nowhere. Its roots can be traced back to decades of geopolitical tension, but it was the events of 2025 that precipitated the definitive rupture.

🔹 The Twelve-Day War (June 2025): The first direct confrontation between Israel and Iran left Iranian nuclear facilities partially destroyed, but did not resolve the underlying issue: Tehran's nuclear program.

🔹 The Iranian protests of 2025–2026: The economic collapse and the fall of the rial triggered protests in more than 100 cities. The regime's brutal repression, with some 6,488 dead, consolidated international pressure on Tehran.

🔹 Diplomatic ultimatum (February 2026): Washington sent a series of messages to Tehran demanding the total dismantling of its nuclear program. Iran rejected the demands. The U.S. reinforced its naval presence in the region with additional aircraft carriers and anti-missile systems.

The operation was meticulously planned. Israeli fighter jets and U.S. B-2 Spirit bombers simultaneously attacked more than 80 targets on Iranian territory.

🎯 Targets hit:

• Nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan

• IRGC ballistic missile bases

• Naval installations in the Persian Gulf

• Military communications infrastructure in Tehran

The conflict soon spilled over Iranian borders. In the first 96 hours, the war spread to multiple fronts:

Despite the decapitation of its supreme leadership, the Iranian military apparatus demonstrated significant responsiveness. The Iranian Armed Forces and the IRGC launched counter-offensives in multiple directions:

🔸 Kuwait: Attack on U.S. troops resulted in six soldiers killed.

🔸 Riyadh: Iranian drones attacked the US embassy in Saudi Arabia.

🔸 Strait of Hormuz: The Iranian navy effectively blocked the passage of oil tankers.

🔸 UN and war crimes: The attack on a primary school in Minab (165 children killed) is being investigated by the United Nations as a possible war crime.

In an address to the nation, Trump articulated five concrete military objectives:

Geopolitical analysts contemplate three possible scenarios for the coming weeks:

📋 Report prepared with information from Reuters, AP, BBC, Al Jazeera and official sources |  Last updated: March 3, 2026, 5:00 p.m. GMT

URGENT • WAR • MIDDLE EAST • DEVELOPING NEWS — UPDATED: 1 MARCH 2026

  🔴 DEVELOPING NEWS — SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2026 🔴 

CONFIRMED: KHAMENEI DIED

Iran launches its "fiercest offensive in history"; explosions in Dubai, Doha, Kuwait, Riyadh and Tel Aviv

118 girls killed in Minab • 7 Iranian generals killed • Burj Al Arab in flames • Trump: "Bombs will fall everywhere"

🗓️ Sunday, March 1, 2026   |   🕐 Last update: 10:13 am (Argentina time)   |   ⏱️ Reading Time: 7 minutes   |   ✍️ International Editorial Team

The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran entered a new and more dangerous phase on Sunday, March 1. Iranian state television confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic's supreme leader for 35 years, a victim of Saturday's bombardment of Tehran. With the fall of one of the most influential figures in contemporary political Islam, Iran vowed its most devastating revenge yet, as Israel and the U.S. launched a second wave of attacks and the fire spread to Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The world is holding its breath in the face of the greatest armed conflict of the twenty-first century.

💀 Confirmed: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died

Iranian public television broke its usual programming on Sunday to officially announce the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, 86, a victim of the US and Israeli bombings launched on Saturday on his compound in the heart of Tehran. The news was confirmed almost simultaneously by President Donald Trump on his Truth Social network — where he described Khamenei as "one of the most evil people in history" — and by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference. According to Israeli sources cited by Reuters and CNN, Israel even obtained a photograph of the ayatollah's body.

In the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities, tens of thousands of people came out to mourn the death of the supreme leader, while in other neighborhoods — according to CNN correspondents in the area — celebratory chants could be heard from the regime's internal opposition. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was confirmed as "safe and sound" by state television, although he did not make any public statements about it. The unknowns about who will lead Iran in the coming days generate deep geopolitical uncertainty at the global level.

⚔️ Second wave: new bombardments of central and western Iran

On Sunday, joint U.S.-Israeli forces launched a second battery of strikes against Iran, concentrated at key points in the west and center of the country, with missiles that again reached the heart of Tehran. The Israeli military released images of the destruction of what it described as "the headquarters of the Iranian terrorist regime" in the capital. According to an IDF statement, the operation eliminated 40 of the main leaders of the Iranian military leadership, including Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guard commander Mohamed Pakpur, although Tehran did not confirm these figures.

Trump, in a new communication through Truth Social, warned the Iranian people that "bombs will fall everywhere" and reiterated his call to take control of their government. The president also responded to a question from ABC News about who would lead Iran after the regime, noting that the U.S. has "a very good idea" about it. The Pentagon reaffirmed that Operation Epic Fury will run at least throughout the week.

🚀 "The fiercest offensive in history": the threat of the Revolutionary Guards

Following the confirmation of Khamenei's death, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement of the utmost gravity: "The fiercest offensive operation in the history of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will begin at any time." The body called the assassination of the supreme leader "a sign of open war against all Muslims in the world" and promised a "harsh and decisive" punishment. The speaker of Iran's parliament reinforced the message by saying that revenge is "a legitimate right" that will reach both Americans and Israelis.

Meanwhile, the sixth wave of Iranian missiles and drones confirmed on Saturday night was followed by new launches on Sunday. CNN crews in the area heard multiple explosions in Dubai, the financial capital of the United Arab Emirates, and saw plumes of smoke rising over the port of Jebel Ali, one of the world's largest. In Israel, alarms were set off in the centre and south of the country. The IRGC confirmed that its target is U.S. military bases in neighboring countries, clarifying that it does not seek to attack those nations per se: "Those bases are not the territory of those countries, they are the territory of the United States."

🌐 Fire Spreads: Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia Under Attack

Sunday's Iranian escalation extended the war to multiple Gulf countries. In Dubai, one of the icons of modern global capitalism, the remains of an intercepted drone caused a fire on the exterior façade of the Burj Al Arab hotel, one of the most famous structures in the world. The Emirati authorities clarified that there were no injuries in that incident, although the UAE already reports a fatality in Abu Dhabi due to falling debris from an intercepted missile. The Emirati Ministry of Defence indicated that, although it intercepted 195 drones, 14 managed to hit its territory. Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem al-Hashimy warned CNN that the UAE is "prepared" to take a more combative role if Iranian attacks continue.

Dubai's airport — one of the world's busiest — reported minor damage to one area of its terminal and four injuries, and advised passengers not to go to its facilities. Kuwait's airport was attacked with a drone that caused damage to Terminal 1 and minor injuries among workers. Qatar activated a national emergency alert. An Iranian missile hit a US base in Bahrain. Jordan reported shooting down 13 missiles and 36 drones in its airspace on Saturday. Iraq reported two deaths of the Popular Mobilization Forces from bombings southwest of Baghdad.

🌍 The world facing the abyss: condemnations, alarms and divided positions

The international community reacted quickly and in different directions. The European Union called Khamenei's death "a watershed moment in Iran's history," with European diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas noting that "there is an open path to a different Iran." Russia urgently convened its Security Council and called the U.S.-Israeli attacks "a planned and unprovoked act of aggression" against a sovereign state, demanding a return to diplomacy. China joined the condemnation.

The leader of the Spanish opposition and president of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, called on the West to be "united" to achieve "containment, avoid an escalation and return to negotiation". In the US, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Tim Kaine denounced that Trump acted unconstitutionally by not seeking authorization from Congress. The FBI raised the national anti-terrorism alert level and the Department of Homeland Security urged U.S. citizens abroad to "exercise extreme caution." The IAEA canceled technical discussions it had planned with Iran for Monday.

📈 Global economy on alert: oil at $110 and Hormuz in the crosshairs

Global markets operate in a state of maximum tension. The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil exceeded 110 dollars due to fears of a possible blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil flows. The U.S. government urged commercial vessels to move away from the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the waters of the strait. Air France, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, SWISS and Air India, among other airlines, suspended their flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh, with the consequent paralysis of tourism and trade throughout the region. Iran ordered the closure of all its universities until further notice.

📌 Why did we get here? The road to war

The attack did not come out of nowhere. Since the end of December 2025, Iran has been experiencing mass protests against the regime — the largest since the 1979 revolution — driven by the economic crisis and the collapse of the rial. The Iranian government responded with violent repression; The number of protesters killed is estimated at more than 6,400. Trump had warned of consequences if the regime attacked the protesters.

On February 27 — one day before the attack — the U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations brokered by Oman collapsed in Geneva. Washington demanded the dismantling of the nuclear sites of Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz and the export of all enriched uranium. Iran refused to negotiate its missile program. Trump declared Friday that Iran was "not willing to give us what we need." The IAEA had confirmed that Iran possessed uranium enriched to 60%, a few steps away from the capacity to make a nuclear bomb. That same day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio placed Iran on a new blacklist for illegal detention of U.S. citizens.

Unlike the limited strikes of June 2025, in which the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities for just twelve days, Operation Epic Fury was planned for weeks of sustained operations and has as its stated goal – in Trump's and Netanyahu's own words – regime change in Tehran.

⚠️ DEVELOPING NOTE — Updated as conflict progresses

⏱️ Reading time: 7 minutes • 🗓️ 01/03/2026 — 10:13 am • International Newsroom

URGENT • ARMED CONFLICT • MIDDLE EAST • DEVELOPING NEWS

  🔴 NEWS IN DEVELOPMENT — UPDATE 17:55 p.m. 🔴 

"OPERATION EPIC FURY":

U.S. and Israel Strike Iran in Largest Joint Operation in Its History

Khamenei's whereabouts unknown — 201 killed in Iran — Missiles over Israel, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait

🗓️ Saturday, February 28, 2026   |   🕐 Last updated: 17.55:50 p.m. (Argentine time)   |   ⏱️ Reading Time: 6 minutes   |   ✍️ International Editorial Team

The Middle East woke up to war. In the early hours of Saturday, February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched the most devastating coordinated attack in their joint history against Iran: the so-called "Operation Epic Fury" — called "Lion's Roar" by Israeli forces — hit more than 500 military, nuclear, and intelligence targets across six Iranian cities with hundreds of aircraft. Iran responded with an unprecedented counterattack: successive waves of missiles and drones hit Israel and U.S. bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. At press time, the situation remains in a state of maximum escalation and the fate of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is the subject of intense international speculation.

⚔️ "Operation Epic Fury" and "Lion's Roar": anatomy of the attack

At dawn on Saturday, Israeli fighter jets — F-35, F-15, F-16 and F-22, accompanied by electronic warfare aircraft and radar planes — crossed the region's airspace and unleashed what Netanyahu himself called "the largest offensive in the history of the State of Israel." According to the Israeli Defense Ministry statement, more than 200 fighter jets were involved in the strikes and approximately 500 targets were hit, including air defense systems, missile launchers, nuclear program facilities and intelligence centers.

The targets hit included Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's residential and working complex in the heart of Tehran, the Supreme National Security Council, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and various Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facilities. The affected cities were Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Tabriz, Karaj and Kermanshah, according to media from both countries and international news agencies.

President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. involvement through a video posted on social media, monitoring the operation from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. He said the campaign is aimed at destroying Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities, adding that Tehran had continued to develop missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. He also urged the Iranian people to "take control of their government." The Pentagon confirmed that no U.S. combat casualties were recorded during the initial phase of the operation.

🔥 Did Khamenei die? The question that paralyzes the world

The point of greatest tension and uncertainty of the day revolves around the whereabouts and state of health of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1989. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the cameras that there are "many indications" that Khamenei is no longer alive, after confirming that the joint forces destroyed "the tyrant's compound in the heart of Tehran". Israeli television channels said that both Trump and Netanyahu had seen a photograph of the ayatollah's body.

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi assured in a live interview with NBC News that the supreme leader is alive: "As far as I know, the supreme leader is alive," he said from Tehran. Iranian intelligence sources quoted by France24 indicated that Khamenei was moved to a safe place before the start of the attacks. Among the deceased confirmed by Israeli sources is Ali Shamkhani, Khamenei's key adviser and a central figure in Iran's nuclear programme, although Tehran has not corroborated this either.

Netanyahu, for his part, called on the Iranian people on Saturday to "rise up and overthrow the regime", in what analysts read as confirmation that the political objective of the operation is not only military but also regime change, in line with Trump's statements.

🚀 Iran's retaliation: missiles over Israel and US bases across the region

Hours after the start of the bombings, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the beginning of its counteroffensive: successive waves of ballistic missiles and drones targeted Israel and US military bases in several Gulf countries. By Saturday night, the Israeli army reported the sixth wave of projectiles launched from Iranian territory, with air alert sirens activating in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and other cities in the north and center of the country.

The targets of the Iranian retaliation included the Al Udeid base in Qatar — the largest U.S. base in the region — the Al Salem base in Kuwait, the Al Dhafra base in the United Arab Emirates, and the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Iran announced that any base in the region that "supports Israel will be targeted." Kuwait and Qatar announced that they reserve the right to respond to Iranian attacks on their territories. Jordan reported shooting down 13 ballistic missiles and 36 drones heading for its territory.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the damage to its bases was slight and did not disrupt operations. The FBI raised the national anti-terrorism alert level, while the Department of Homeland Security urged U.S. citizens around the world to "exercise extreme caution."

💀 Victims: At least 201 killed in Iran, dozens of girls in school

The Iranian Red Crescent confirmed at least 201 dead and 747 wounded as a result of the Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iranian territory, although local officials warn that the real toll could be significantly higher. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced on social networks that one of the missiles directly hit a girls' primary school in the city of Minab, Hormozgan province, in the south of the country. Later reports raised the number of minors killed in that specific attack to 51.

The U.S. CENTCOM confirmed that there were no U.S. casualties in the initial phase. Israel has so far not reported any civilians killed by Iranian missiles on its territory, attributing the results to the effectiveness of the Iron Dome defence system, although it acknowledged that the "defence is not airtight" and called on the population to maintain the instructions of the Home Front Command.

🌍 International reactions: between condemnation and support

The international community reacted quickly. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called an emergency meeting of the Security Council and demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities. Russia described the attacks as a "planned and unprovoked act of aggression" against a sovereign state and demanded a return to diplomatic channels. Vladimir Putin urgently convened his Security Council. China also condemned the bombings.

Spain and France demanded de-escalation and respect for international humanitarian law. Turkey announced that it will not allow the use of its airspace. Saudi Arabia declared itself ready for "any measure" along with the Gulf countries. The African Union condemned Iran's missile attacks on the territories of Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, calling them a "violation of sovereignty." Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that Trump's decision to initiate military hostilities "violates the Constitution" without congressional authorization. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine called it a "colossal mistake."

Trump spoke by phone with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The president said he could withdraw "in two or three days" if the Iranians take control of his government, although his advisers confirmed that the operation will last at least four days.

✈️ The impact on the global economy and air transport

The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil exceeded 110 dollars in the reference markets due to fears of a blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world's oil circulates. The U.S. government urged commercial vessels to avoid the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. Air France, Lufthansa and other European and Asian airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh. Iran announced the closure of all its universities until further notice.

📌 Context: Why now?

The escalation did not come out of nowhere. On February 27 — just one day before the attacks — new U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, mediated by Oman, concluded in Geneva. According to later reconstructions, Washington would have demanded the dismantling of Iran's three main nuclear sites — Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz — and the export of all enriched uranium. The IAEA had confirmed that Iran possessed uranium enriched to 60%, just steps short of the threshold needed to make a nuclear weapon. The breakdown of negotiations without an agreement would have precipitated the decision to attack.

In the history of the confrontation between Trump and Iran, it should be recalled that in January 2020 the then-president ordered the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. In June 2025, during twelve days of open war between Israel and Iran, the US had already bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities. "Operation Epic Fury" represents, according to analysts, a qualitative leap of enormous magnitude compared to those previous episodes.

⚠️ DEVELOPING NOTE — Updated with each official confirmation

⏱️ Reading time: 6 minutes • 🗓️ 28/02/2026 — 17:55 hs • International Newsroom

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