Events in the year 2026 in Iran.
Incumbents Supreme Leader of Iran: Ali Khamenei (until February 28) Mojtaba Khamenei (since March 8) President of Iran: Masoud Pezeshkian Speaker of the Parliament: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf Chief Justice: Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i
Events Ongoing Iranian economic crisis 2025–2026 Iranian protests 2026 Iran war
January 1 January — At least three people are killed during protests in Azna, Lorestan. 8 January — Internet censorship: NetBlocks reports a total internet outage in Tehran and other cities amid ongoing protests. 15 January — The Civil Aviation Organization imposes a four-hour shutdown of Iranian airspace. The United States imposes sanctions on Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani and four other security officials for the role in suppressing the 2025–2026 Iranian protests. 23 January — The United States imposes sanctions on nine vessels believed to be part of the Iranian "shadow fleet" used to circumvent the embargo on Iranian oil exports. 29 January — New sanctions against Iran are approved by the European Union over its crackdown of the 2025–2026 Iranian protests and providing support for Russia. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is designated by the European Union as a terrorist organisation. 31 January — Four people are killed in a gas explosion at a residential building in Ahvaz. Two people are killed in a gas explosion at a building in Bandar Abbas. Screenwriter Mehdi Mahmoudian is arrested in Tehran. He is released on 17 February.
February 1 February — Iran designates European militaries as "terrorist groups" in response to the previous designation on the IRGC. 2 February – President Pezeshkian orders the resumption of negotiations with the United States over the nuclear program of Iran. Interior minister Eskandar Momeni and nine other officials are sanctioned by the United Kingdom for their role in crackdown of the 2025–2026 Iranian protests. Ukraine designates the IRGC as a terrorist organization for its role in crackdown of the 2025–2026 Iranian protests and support for Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian war. 3 February – The US Central Command says that the US-flagged tanker M/V Stena Imperative is subjected to an attempted seizure by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz that is repelled by US naval forces. An Iranian Shahed 139 drone is shot down by US forces in the Arabian Sea. Iranian media says that the drone had been completing a surveillance mission in international waters. 4 February – Women are officially permitted to ride motorcycles in Iran. 5 February – The IRGC seizes two foreign-flagged oil tankers near Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf. 6 February – Indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States regarding the nuclear program of Iran are held in Oman. 7 February – An executive order threatening a 25% tariff on states doing business with Iran is signed by US President Donald Trump. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi is sentenced to 7.5 years' imprisonment and two years of internal exile to Khosf, South Khorasan on charges of "gathering and collusion to commit crimes" and propaganda activities. 8–9 February – Four reformist politicians, including Azar Mansouri, Ebrahim Asgharzadeh and Mohsen Aminzadeh, are arrested on charges of attempting to “disrupt the country’s political and social order” and working on behalf of Israel and the United States during the 2025–2026 Iranian protests. 11 February – President Pezeshkian apologizes to the nation for the crackdown of the 2025–2026 Iranian protests. 17 February – Iran temporarily closes the Strait of Hormuz to conduct live fire exercises. 19 February – A British couple detained in Iran since January 2025 are sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment on charges of spying. An aircraft of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force crashes during a training flight in Hamadan province, killing one of the two pilots on board. 24 February – A Panha 2091 helicopter of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Aviation crashes into a market in Dorcheh, Isfahan, killing the two crew members on board and two people on the ground. 28 February – The 2026 Iran war begins: The United States and Israel launch a major attack on Iran with the stated goal of regime change. Among locations targeted is Tehran, where strikes are carried out on regime targets, including the supreme leader's office. At least 85 elementary school children are killed in an airstrike in Minab. A sports hall and adjacent elementary school in Lamerd, Fars province is hit by a untested short-range Precision Strike Missile, killing at least 21 people, including 4 children. Iran launches missiles at Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, killing a person in Abu Dhabi. The IRGC Navy announces the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels.
March
1 March – Iran confirms the death of its supreme leader Ali Khamenei in a decapitation strike the previous day in Tehran by Israel and the United States. Forty days of mourning are declared. Key Iranian officials Abdolrahim Mousavi, Aziz Nasirzadeh, Mohammad Pakpour and Ali Shamkhani are also confirmed killed after an airstrike during a meeting in Tehran. Iran launches two ballistic missiles towards Cyprus, not far from the British military bases on the island. Both are intercepted before reaching Cyprus. Iran appoints Ayatollah Alireza Arafi to an interim leadership council that assumes authority following the assassination of supreme leader Ali Khamenei, with the body set to govern alongside president Masoud Pezeshkian and chief justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i until the Assembly of Experts selects a new supreme leader. Three U.S. service members are killed and five others are seriously wounded in an Iranian missile strike, according to the United States Central Command. Multiple Iranian Shahed drones strike the French naval air station at Camp de la Paix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy's lead Moudge-class frigate, IRIS Jamaran is sunk by U.S forces off Chabahar Port. 2 March – Iran launches a missile and drone attack on the Saudi Aramco oil refinery in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, causing several large fires at the facility, and forcing its closure by Saudi authorities. Qatari-state owned QatarEnergy halts all LNG production at its Ras Laffan Industrial City following an Iranian drone attack. The U.S. military says it has struck the IRGC Navy drone carrier IRIS Shahid Bagheri. Iranian semi-official news agency Mehr News Agency reports that Golestan Palace, a former royal residence and UNESCO World Heritage Site is damaged by an airstrike. 3 March – An Iranian drone strike damages Al Minhad Air Base, the headquarters of the Australian Defence Force's Joint Task Force 633. Australian defence minister Richard Marles confirms that there were no casualties in the strike. A large fire is reported at an oil terminal in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, following an Iranian Shahed drone attack. The Iranian Red Crescent Society says the death toll from Israeli and American airstrikes in Iran has risen to 787 with thousands more wounded. The Israeli Air Force carries out airstrikes on the Presidential Administration of Iran and Supreme National Security Council buildings in Tehran. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirms the entrances to the underground Natanz Nuclear Facility in Iran have been bombed. However, there are no signs of any increase in radiation at the facility. Airstrikes hit the Assembly of Experts in Qom. The building appears to have been severely damaged in the attack. 4 March – A US Navy submarine sinks the Iranian naval frigate IRIS Dena about off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, leaving more than 100 of its 180 crew members unaccounted for. Dena becomes the first ship sunk by a US submarine in active combat since World War II. An Iranian ballistic missile hits the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military base in the region. An Israeli F-35 shoots down an Iranian Yak-130 fighter jet over Tehran with an air-to-air missile. Turkey and NATO forces shoot down an Iranian ballistic missile that was about to enter the country's airspace. Thousands of Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan fighters launch a ground offensive into Iran from Iraq with heavy fighting underway. Iranian forces reportedly withdraw from the city of Marivan. 5 March – Iranian Shahed drones strike Nakhchivan International Airport in Azerbaijan, targeting the passenger terminal. At least two people are injured. U.S. president Donald Trump says U.S. Air Force jets will provide "extensive air cover" for Kurdish forces in any ground offensive against the Iranian government. The Lebanese government prohibits activities by members of the IRGC within Lebanon and instructs authorities to detain and deport individuals linked to the group. It also introduces a visa requirement for Iranian nationals entering the country. 6 March – The Sri Lanka Navy interns the Iranian Navy replenishment ship IRIS Bushehr and its 208 crew members after the vessel requests assistance following the sinking of IRIS Dena. United States president Donald Trump calls for the "unconditional surrender" of Iran, saying there will be no deal or further talks. This comes after president Pezeshkian says that several countries have initiated mediation efforts to end the war. An Iranian ballistic missile strikes Prince Sultan Air Base in Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. An Israeli IAI Heron drone is shot down over Khuzestan province. 7 March – President Pezeshkian apologizes for strikes on neighboring countries, attributing them to "miscommunication in the ranks", and says those countries would no longer be targeted unless attacks are launched from them. He also rejects Trump’s demand for Iran's "unconditional surrender". 8 March – The main building of the Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) in Kuwait City suffers an Iranian air strike. A large fire breaks out, but no injuries are reported. Joint airstrikes by Israel and the United States are carried out against oil facilities in Tehran and others Iranian cities, killing at least four truck drivers and causing large fires. 9 March – Mojtaba Khamenei is elected as the next supreme leader. Turkey and NATO forces shoot down an Iranian ballistic missile violating Turkish airspace, with debris falling in Gaziantep Province. The border crossings between Iran and Azerbaijan reopen following the drone incident on 5 March. 10 March – Australia grants humanitarian visas to five members of the Iran women's national football team competing in the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup amid fears for their safety during the war in Iran and their refusal to sing the Iranian national anthem during a match against South Korea. According to Iran International, American and Israeli airstrikes kill many IRGC commanders and generals, including Basij chief Asadollah Badfar. Dutch foreign minister Tom Berendsen announces the temporary relocation of staff and operations of the Netherlands' embassy in Tehran to Baku, Azerbaijan, citing security risks to personnel amid the Iranian war. 11 March – Four people are injured in the UAE after two Iranian drones fall near Dubai International Airport. President Pezeshkian lists preconditions for ending the war between Iran, Israel, and the United States. The conditions include recognizing Iran's legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression. The Thailand-flagged bulk carrier MV Mayuree Naree is hit by two missiles, supposedly Iranian, shortly after passing the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel sets on fire and its crew abandons it; 20 people are rescued and three are reported missing. 12 March –