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After 6 months of war, Iran's battered regime remains entrenched

A woman walks past a mural depicting Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at Valiasr Square in central Tehran, on Aug. 8. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images hide caption It has been sixโ€ฆ

After 6 months of war, Iran's battered regime remains entrenched
NPR News โ€” 28 August 2026
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A woman walks past a mural depicting Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at Valiasr Square in central Tehran, on Aug. 8. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

It has been six months since the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran. One of their main goals was to bring down the regime in Tehran, but Iran's leaders have managed to hold onto power.

Instead of collapsing, the regime has dug in its heels and taken an even harder line.

Here is a look at where things stand at the war's half-year mark.

The U.S. and Israel intensively bombed Iran from Feb. 28 until a ceasefire was declared on April 8. The attacks killed dozens of top Iranian leaders on the first day of the war, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , who had ruled for more than three decades.

The five-week assault at the beginning of the war wiped out Iran's limited air force, including its air defenses, and virtually all of its navy, aside from small speed boats.

The attacks also inflicted damage on Iran's missile and drone programs, though Iran has maintained the ability to strike back during limited, periodic shooting exchanges between the two sides in recent months.

A sculpture overlooking the Strait of Hormuz is seen along the seafront in the port city of Bandar Abbas, in southern Iran, on Aug. 10. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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