War Diary Day 5: US-Israeli Aims Against Iran Were Expansive—But Only Partially Realized
On 6 March 2026, a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber—operating from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri—struck the Iranian drone-carrier Shahid Bagheri in the Gulf of Oman, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The vessel, a converted merchant ship equipped with Shahed-136 combat drones and Noor cruise missiles, was reportedly ablaze within minutes, as shown in a video released by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The same day, Israeli F-35I Adir stealth fighters conducted precision strikes on Tehran’s residential districts, targeting what the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described as "IRGC command-and-control nodes." These attacks marked the fifth consecutive day of high-intensity warfare between the U.S.-Israel coalition and Iran—a conflict that has now expanded into a multi-domain battle spanning air, missile, naval, and proxy fronts.
Yet despite the scale of the strikes, the strategic objectives behind the campaign remain only partially realized. According to Dawn News, the U.S. and Israel initially sought to achieve three core aims: (1) degrade Iran’s ballistic missile and drone capabilities by 70%, (2) dismantle IRGC leadership structures in Tehran and Beirut, and (3) force a strategic retreat of Iranian-backed proxies in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Five days in, none of these goals have been fully met—and the war is now shifting into a protracted attrition phase.
Current Situation: A War Across Four Fronts
The conflict has escalated into four distinct but interconnected theaters:
1. The Air and Missile War
- U.S. Strikes: Since 2 March 2026, the U.S. has conducted at least 12 B-2 bomber sorties against Iranian targets, including the Shahid Bagheri and IRGC missile launch sites in Kermanshah and Isfahan. According to BBC, these strikes have reduced Iran’s missile sortie rate by "roughly 90%", though Tehran retains an estimated 1,200-1,500 ballistic missiles in its arsenal.
- Israeli Strikes: The IDF has launched over 200 airstrikes on Iranian soil, including Tehran, Isfahan, and Tabriz, as well as Beirut and southern Lebanon. On 5 March, Israeli F-15I Ra’am and F-35I Adir fighters struck Hezbollah’s underground command centers in Beirut’s Dahieh district, killing at least 72 people and displacing over 166,000, per UN OCHA.
- Iranian Retaliation: Iran has fired over 300 Shahed-136 drones and 80 ballistic missiles at Gulf states and Israel since 3 March. Saudi Arabia’s Patriot and THAAD systems intercepted 92% of incoming projectiles, but one missile aimed at the Israeli embassy in Bahrain caused material damage, according to Reuters. The UAE reported 94 injuries from drone strikes near Abu Dhabi International Airport.
2. The Naval War
- The U.S. Fifth Fleet, operating from Bahrain, has conducted cruise missile strikes on Iranian naval assets, including the Shahid Bagheri and IRGC fast-attack boats in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran claims to have "retained control of the strait", though U.S. Navy officials dispute this, stating that commercial shipping lanes remain open.
- On 4 March, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) carrier strike group engaged Iranian anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Bandar Abbas, according to CENTCOM.
3. The Proxy War
- Iraq: Iran-backed militias, including Kata’ib Hezbollah, have launched at least 17 attacks on U.S. bases in Erbil and Ain al-Asad since 1 March, killing 8 U.S. soldiers, per Pentagon reports. In response, the U.S. conducted drone strikes on militia positions in Jurf al-Sakhar.
- Lebanon: Hezbollah has fired over 500 rockets and drones at northern Israel, prompting the IDF to issue evacuation warnings for border towns. The group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, warned in a 5 March speech that "the next phase will be more painful for the enemy."
- Yemen: The Houthi movement has announced preparations for "direct action against Israel", though no major strikes have been reported as of 6 March.
4. The Ground War (Limited Incursions)
- On 3 March, Kurdish Peshmerga forces launched a limited ground offensive from Iraqi Kurdistan into Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, seizing the border town of Piranshahr. Iran’s IRGC Ground Forces counterattacked, recapturing the town by 5 March, according to Al Jazeera.
- The U.S. has not deployed ground troops into Iran, but Dawn News reports that the Trump administration has kept the "boots on the ground" option open, citing "maximum latitude in decision-making."
Historical Context: How Did We Get Here?
The current conflict did not erupt in a vacuum. The U.S.-Israel-Iran shadow war has been escalating for years, with key flashpoints:
- January 2020: The U.S. assassinated IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad, prompting Iranian ballistic missile retaliation on Ain al-Asad Airbase, injuring 110 U.S. troops.
- April 2024: Israel conducted a limited strike on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, destroying centrifuges and killing two IRGC officers. Iran responded with cyberattacks on Israeli water infrastructure.
- October 2025: The Hamas-Israel war reignited, with Iran-backed groups launching daily rocket attacks on Israel. The U.S. deployed two carrier strike groups to the region, and Israel conducted preemptive strikes on IRGC positions in Syria.
- February 2026: A mysterious explosion at an IRGC missile depot in Khorramabad—widely attributed to Israel—