Opinion and Commentary By Donna Westfall – February 28, 2026 After talks apparently stalled after Iran refused any deals on ballistic missiles, both Israel and the US started bombing Iran. It started around 8 am Sunday morning March 1st in Iran which translates to 8:30 pm Saturday night February 28th in Northern California Israeli forces dropped about 30 bunker buster bombs on Khamenei's residence. A senior Israeli official reported that his body was found. He was 86 years old and ruled Iran for the last 37 years. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei Retaliation has already begun. US assets are the target of Iranian retaliation in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where airbases with US assets are hosted. Most of those countries were able to take out the missiles without suffering much damage. The country of Iran has nearly 100 million people. Recent riots claimed many lives, the exact number unknown most likely tens of thousands. Probably additional thousands in jails and prisons. "Freedom" in Iran is extremely limited: Summary Table: Status of Freedoms in Iran (2024-2025) Freedom Type StatusKey RestrictionsExpressionVery LowCensorship, internet shutdowns, arrest of journalistsAssemblyVery LowProtests suppressed with lethal forceReligionLowSystematic persecution of Baha'is, apostasy lawsWomen's RightsVery LowCompulsory hijab, travel restrictionsPoliticalVery LowGuardian Council vets all candidates The best one can hope for is a new regime that lifts the shackles of the old.