The US and Israel launched an assault on Iran on Saturday morning, killing Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in addition to a number of senior regime figures and putting a number of websites throughout the nation. Iran retaliated by firing at targets throughout the area, together with Israel, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and different Gulf states. The battle is ongoing regardless of no declaration of conflict by the US Congress. US President Donald Trump initially known as for regime change in Iran however has since delivered a blended message concerning the goals of “Operation Epic Fury”.
Israel has stated it dropped greater than 2,000 bombs within the first 30 hours of the conflict. Whereas the US claims to have struck over 1,000 targets within the first 24 hours. In response, Iran is reported to have launched not less than 390 missiles and 830 drones within the first two days.
Bellingcat has been monitoring strikes throughout the area, together with those who prompted civilian hurt, and recognized all kinds of weapons have been used thus far, together with missiles and drones.
US-Made Weapons and Tomahawks Launched
The US reported that among the first weapons they launched have been Tomahawk missiles. Footage from the US McFaul additionally confirmed Tomahawks being launched.
There’s additionally reporting {that a} new variant of the Tomahawk was utilized in these strikes.
Imagery of many different totally different munitions utilized by the US, Israel and Iran have appeared on social media.
This text covers among the munitions Bellingcat has seen imagery of because the conflict enters its fourth day.
Most of the weapons used thus far have additionally been deployed in different latest US conflicts, together with the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict, and US strikes in Yemen and Venezuela.
The US is the key provider of arms to allies within the area, together with for Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, and Jordan.
On Sunday, the US Division Of Defence (DOD) printed pictures exhibiting weapons being ready for loading on aircrafts, together with the MK-80 sequence of bombs like MK-82 500-pound bombs, and BLU-109 2,000-pound ‘bunker busters’ outfitted with Joint Direct Assault Munition (JDAM) bomb steering kits.
The DOD has additionally launched a number of pictures exhibiting the C variants of the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW). As documented by the Open Supply Munitions Portal, this weapon has been used just lately by the US in Yemen and Venezuela.
The DOD additionally launched a slideshow exhibiting pictures from the primary 24 hours of the conflict, together with a picture exhibiting the first fight use of the Precision Strike Missile. The DOD additional launched an inventory of some gear used, together with the THAAD ballistic missile protection system.
Most of the weapons deployed by the US have additionally been utilized by Israel. This consists of the MK-80 sequence of bombs, BLU-109 bombs and Joint Direct Assault Munition (JDAM) bomb steering kits.
Israel additionally produces a few of its personal munitions, which they launched video or pictures of for the reason that begin of the battle, together with MK-83 1,000-pound bombs outfitted with Israeli SPICE-1000 bomb steering kits.
Israel additionally produces RAMPAGE missiles, seen within the picture beneath.
On Sunday, the DOD stated they’d used the Low-cost Unmanned Fight Assault System (LUCAS) one-way assault drones in strikes. The LUCAS drone is a US copy of the Iranian Shahed one-way assault drone.
A video of a crashed LUCAS drone has subsequently appeared on-line, reportedly in Iraq.
Whereas Bellingcat couldn’t geolocate this video, then males seen within the footage may be heard talking Arabic whereas the US has stated that that is the primary time they’ve used this drone in fight.
Native Iraqi residents are taking the newly deployed, almost intact American LUCAS drone for themselves. pic.twitter.com/fbx411iAYU
— Particular Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) March 2, 2026
A video reveals a LUCAS drone that allegedly crashed in Iraq.
Iranian Assaults
Iran has retaliated by firing one-way assault drones, together with Shahed variants, and missiles at Israel, and US-bases in numerous international locations throughout the area, together with UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq.
Iranian Shahed drones have hit civilian buildings within the Gulf, in addition to US navy bases.
Palm Jumeirah in Dubai was attacked by Shahed kamikaze drones.
— 🦋Particular Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) 28 February 2026 at 15:37
A Shahed drone crashes right into a resort in Dubai on Feb. 28.
In Bahrain, a Shahed was seen crashing right into a residential constructing on Feb. 28.
Nearly a primary individual view of the Iranian drone hitting the high-rise constructing in Manamah, Bahrain.
— (((Tendar))) (@tendar.bsky.social) 28 February 2026 at 18:57
A Feb. 28. video reveals a Shahed drone hitting a residential tower in Bahrain.
Many missiles have a booster, a rocket motor that detaches from the missile after it’s expended. These boosters fall to the bottom underneath the flight path of the missile.
Bellingcat verified that Iranian missile boosters have fallen in close by international locations caught within the crossfire, together with Qatar and Jordan (see beneath put up geolocated to Al-Hashmi St. in Irbid, Jordan), whereas some Israeli boosters have reportedly fallen in Iraq.
اهلنا في اربد الله يحميكم pic.twitter.com/LvHWgicE4F
— فواز الذياب (@FawazElziyab) February 28, 2026
A Feb. 28. put up reveals an Iranian ballistic missile booster that fell on Al-Hashmi St. in Irbid, Jordan.
Iranian Missiles Intercepted
The US and Israel, in addition to a number of Gulf international locations, have fired missiles, supposed to destroy Iranian missiles or drones within the air earlier than they attain their targets. Many Iranian weapons have been intercepted, however others have efficiently hit, together with in a strike on a US command put up in Kuwait, killing six US troops.
Most ballistic missile interceptors are “hit-to-kill” the place they’re designed to destroy missiles by the influence. These interceptors have their very own elements that fall to the bottom, in addition to the particles from interceptions.
Remnants of Patriot Interceptor missiles, that are operated by the US and several other Gulf international locations, have been seen, and international locations together with the UAE have reported they’ve intercepted missiles. The UAE has claimed that 165 missiles and 541 drones have been fired on the nation, most have been intercepted.
A Sea of Unverified Photos and Misidentification of Munitions
Many close-up pictures of munition particles have been posted on social media over latest days that are tough to geolocate. Whereas now we have not been capable of confirm the situation of those munitions, we used reverse picture search instruments to confirm they’d not been posted on-line previous to the present battle. The munition remnants are additionally according to these utilized by the US, Israel and Iran. However as we can not geolocate or chronolocate them but, we can not totally confirm them. Many of those pictures have been posted with false claims concerning the object and who fired it.
Regardless of Bellingcat being unable to totally confirm them, we’re together with a number of them with correct identifications, because of the chance that extra pictures of those identical objects will proceed to seem on-line because the conflict continues.
One instance of incorrectly recognized munitions, is the beneath image of an plane’s exterior gasoline tank, or drop tank that was posted on Telegram on March 1 alongside the declare that it’s an Israeli missile.
A Mar. 1. picture reveals a drop tank from an Israeli jet reportedly present in Anbar, Iraq. Supply: NAYA.
Drop tanks are used on jets to increase the vary and are jettisoned after use, leading to these tanks falling to the bottom. These tanks have been mistaken for missile components in earlier conflicts.
Regardless of Iran’s prevalent use of missiles, not all missile boosters are Iranian. On February 28 missile boosters from Israeli air-launched ballistic missiles have been reportedly discovered simply east of Tikrit, Iraq. The beneath picture reveals the booster from Israel’s Blue Sparrow sequence, and may be matched to pictures beforehand recognized and posted on the likes of the Open Supply Munitions Portal.
A short time in the past, a missile landed close to Duraji village within the Dauda space of the Khurmatu district.#Isreal #Iran pic.twitter.com/qzZLNUgekD
— Sarwan Wllatzheri (@SarwanBarzani_) February 28, 2026
A Feb. 28. put up reveals an Israeli Blue Sparrow sequence missile booster, reportedly present in Duraji, Iraq.
Moreover, unexploded WDU-36/B warheads from Tomahawk missiles have been reportedly discovered –, one in Kirkuk, Iraq and one discovered close to Jablah, Syria. Tomahawk warheads and different remnants are often misidentified, typically as drones.
These titanium cased warheads comprise a small a part of the a lot bigger Tomahawk missile, and have been discovered intact in quite a few international locations when the warhead has didn’t explode, as seen in pictures shared on the Open Supply Munitions Portal.
Unexploded Tomahawk warheads from strikes in different conflicts have additionally been recognized by the Open Supply Munitions Portal .
Remnants of an Israeli Arrow 2 interceptor missile have been posted on-line, falsely recognized as an Iranian missile, and have been allegedly present in japanese Syria. These pictures might once more be matched to these discovered from earlier conflicts on the Open Supply Munitions Portal.
An Iranian missile fell in Al-Shoula space, south of DeirEzzor japanese Syria!. pic.twitter.com/TsWVuda2nf
— Omar Abu Layla (@OALD24) March 1, 2026
A Israeli Arrow 2 interceptor missile falsely recognized as as an Iranian missile in a put up on X.
An Historical US Munition Utilized by Iran
One picture of a remnant reportedly present in Ahvaz, Iran, included a false declare that it was a US ATACMS missile. Bellingcat was capable of affirm the picture does not match ATACMS building by evaluating it to imagery of that munition. We’ve as but been unable to substantiate if it was certainly positioned in Ahvaz, Iran – though we have been capable of determine the munition.
U.S. ATACMS tactical ballistic missile stays present in Ahvaz, Iran.@Osinttechnical pic.twitter.com/plytSUI4w6
— Open Supply Intel (@Osint613) March 1, 2026
An actuator part of a MIM-23 HAWK missile, falsely recognized by the put up above as an ATACMS missile.
The markings on the remnant embody an “FSN” or federal inventory quantity, that may be seemed as much as determine the merchandise. The FSN was changed by the nationwide inventory quantity (NSN) in 1974, that means this missile was produced previous to 1974.
Bellingcat seemed up the FSN/NSN (1410002343266) which corresponds with the US manufactured MIM-23B HAWK, an air defence missile.
There are numerous different US, Israeli and Iranian munitions that will have been used within the present battle, however pictures haven’t but appeared on social media.
With contemporary strikes carried out in a single day/ early Tuesday and President Trump saying that “seemingly extra” US troops will die, the battle continues to escalate and reveals no signal of ceasing within the days forward. And regardless of the loss of life of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei the Iranian regime has vowed revenge and continued strikes towards Israel, the US and their Gulf allies.
Bellingcat’s Carlos Gonzales, Jake Godin and Felix Matteo Lommerse contributed analysis to this text. Anisa Shabir from Bellingcat’s Volunteer Group additionally contributed to this piece.
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