The United States, Israel, and Iran are currently engaged in an active, direct military conflict that began on February 28, 2026. This marks a major escalation from previous shadow wars, proxy conflicts, and limited direct exchanges (including a brief 12-day war in June 2025).

        How It Started

• • On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel launched large-scale joint airstrikes (nearly 900 in the first 12 hours) under US operation names like “Epic Fury.”

• • Targets included Iranian missile sites, air defenses, nuclear-related facilities, military bases, naval assets, and leadership.
• • A key early success (from the US/Israeli perspective) was the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the opening strikes, along with many other senior officials and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guard_Corps

TOPSHOT – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei adjusts his eyeglasses during a press conference after casting his ballot for the parliamentary runoff elections in Tehran on May 10, 2024. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

• • The stated goals include regime change (or at least severely weakening the Islamic Republic), destroying Iran’s ballistic missile program, preventing nuclear weapon development, and neutralizing threats from Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” (proxies like Hezbollah, Houthis, etc.).

This came after failed nuclear negotiations in 2025–2026, years of sanctions, Iran’s weakened position post-2025 exchanges and regional losses, and assessments that military action had a window of opportunity. Current Status (as of March 10, 2026)

• • The war is in its 11th–12th day (depending on exact counting), with no signs of de-escalation.
• • US and Israeli strikes continue intensively on Iran, targeting remaining missile infrastructure, leadership, military sites, and naval forces. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described March 10 as potentially the “most intense” day yet, with massive use of fighters, bombers, and munitions.

Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot in Tehran on March 7, 2026. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, prompting Iranian retaliation with missile attacks across the region and intensifying concerns about disruption to global energy and transport. (Photo by Sasan / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

• • Iran has launched multiple waves of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel (including barrages hitting central areas like Tel Aviv, killing civilians and causing damage). Recent strikes (March 9–10) killed at least two in Israel and wounded others; Hezbollah (from Lebanon) has also fired rockets, injuring more.
• • Iran has struck back regionally: attacks toward Gulf states (e.g., UAE/Qatar intercepting missiles), threats to close the Strait of Hormuz (critical oil chokepoint), and hits on shipping/oil infrastructure.
• • Casualties: Over 1,200 reported killed in Iran (per Iranian sources); civilian deaths on both sides; exact figures are disputed and rising.
• • Iran’s new leadership: Mojtaba Khamenei (son of the late Supreme Leader) has been named as successor.

     Key Impacts So Far

• • Oil and economy — Benchmark oil prices have surged past $100/barrel (first time since 2022) due to disruption fears. Global markets are volatile.

• • Regional spillover — Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon; strikes in/around Lebanon; Iranian missiles/drones reaching Gulf states; some incidents affecting neighboring countries (e.g., Jordan, Azerbaijan injuries reported).
• • Iran’s stance — Iranian officials (IRGC, Foreign Minister) say they’re ready for a prolonged fight (claims of “six-month war” capability), reject negotiations with the US (“bitter experience”), and insist Iran—not the US—will decide when it ends. No ceasefire interest signaled.

SRINAGAR, INDIA – MARCH 2: Kashirimi Shiite Muslim protester drag the U.S. flag during a protest march against the U.S. and Israel, after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in Israeli and U.S. airstrikes on March 2, 2026 in Srinagar, India. Security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir sealed off Srinagar’s commercial center on Monday and fired teargas to disperse protests over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Authorities imposed restrictions, closed schools, and slowed internet services in the disputed Himalayan region following anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rallies. (Photo by Yawar Nazir/Getty Images)

• • US/Israel stance — President Trump has said the war will end “very soon” (though not this week), claims Iran was planning regional takeover/domination (including nuclear threats), vows massive response if oil flows are blocked (e.g., “20 times harder”). Officials say operations are ahead of schedule, Iran’s missile/drone capabilities are severely degraded, and Iran “stands alone” and is “badly losing.”

This is not just Israel vs. Iran anymore—it’s a direct US-Israel vs. Iran war with heavy airstrike/missile exchanges. It has upended Middle East stability, rattled global energy markets, and drawn in proxies.

At the moment Russia and China have shown restrained or critical responses without direct intervention. No major ground invasion has occurred (so far it’s air/missile/naval focused), but escalation risks remain high, especially around oil routes or if proxies widen attacks.

The President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama has banned board members of State-Owned Enterprises from travelling abroad for training, studies, retreats, and conferences as part of efforts to cut government spending.

The directive, issued March 5, stops boards of state-owned enterprises and public institutions from using public money for overseas conferences, study tours, or retreats.

The exceptions require presidential approval with proof that local or online options won’t work, aiming to cut waste amid Ghana’s tight budget after debt restructuring. Officials push for virtual platforms and local universities instead, aligning with Mahama’s pledges to trim spending and redirect funds to infrastructure and services.

Africa; A place I want to be is the world’s second-largest and second most populous continent, covering about 20% of Earth’s land area with over 1.4 billion (as of 2021). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa#:~:text=Africa%20is%20the%20world’s%20second,large%20quantity%20of%20natural%20resources.)

A post on X which sort to find out from various users in the world about a lesser known fact they know about Africa and this really got us curious to know more about Africa that some Africans and the world at large are not previewed to.

Here are some lesser-known (or at least not super commonly talked about) facts about Africa that often surprise people:

• • Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt — There are over 220–255 known pyramids in Sudan (built by the ancient Nubian kingdoms), compared to about 118 in Egypt. Many are smaller and steeper, but the sheer number makes Sudan the pyramid capital of the world.
  • Africa is linguistically the most diverse continent — Over 2,000–3,000 languages are spoken here (more than 25% of all languages on Earth), with Nigeria alone hosting over 500. This incredible diversity reflects thousands of distinct ethnic groups and cultures.

• • The continent is actively splitting apart — The East African Rift Valley is where the African tectonic plate is slowly tearing in two, eventually forming a new ocean basin over millions of years — one of the few places on Earth where this dramatic geological process is visible today.

• • One of the world’s oldest universities is in Africa — The University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, was founded in 859 CE and is widely recognized as the oldest continuously operating degree-granting university in the world, predating many European institutions.

• •  Africa spans both temperate zones uniquely — It’s the only continent that stretches from the northern temperate zone all the way to the southern temperate zone, crossing the equator and featuring everything from glaciers on equatorial mountains (like Kilimanjaro) to vast deserts.

• • The Sahara wasn’t always a desert — Just a few thousand years ago (during the “African Humid Period”), the Sahara was a green, lush savanna with lakes, rivers, wildlife, and human settlements — dramatic climate shifts turned it into the world’s largest hot desert.

• • Timbuktu was a legendary center of learning — In the Middle Ages, Timbuktu (Mali) housed one of the world’s great intellectual hubs, with libraries containing hundreds of thousands of manuscripts and the Sankore University attracting scholars from across the Islamic world.

• • Africa produces ~70% of the world’s cocoa — Most chocolate starts here, mainly in West African countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon — yet the vast majority of processing and profit happens outside the continent.The continent has incredibly young demographics — Over 50% of Africans are under 20 years old (compared to a global median age around 30), making Africa the youngest continent and giving it the world’s highest child-dependency ratio.

• • Ancient mining started here very early — Evidence shows Africans were mining hematite (for red ochre) as far back as ~43,000 years ago in what’s now Eswatini (Swaziland) — one of the earliest known mining operations in human history.

Africa’s depth and diversity keep revealing surprises — it’s far more than the stereotypes suggest.