Iran says targeted 500 US, Israeli sites; top US general says will take time to achieve objectives in Iran

Iran’s retaliatory strikes have so far targeted 500 sites linked to the United States and Israel in the Middle East, the Revolutionary Guards say on the third day of fighting, AFP reports. “Since the start of the conflict, the brave soldiers of the Iranian armed forces have attacked 60 strategic targets and 500 American military targets and targets of the Zionist regime (Israel),” a statement from the Guards reads, adding that they had launched more than 700 drones and hundreds of missiles. 

It will take time to achieve US military objectives in Iran and additional US casualties are expected, US General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said, AFP reports. 

“This is not a single overnight operation. The military objectives that Centcom and the Joint Force have been tasked with will take some time to achieve, and in some cases will be difficult and gritty work,” Caine told reporters.

He added that the US continued to send additional troops to the Middle East, even after a massive military buildup. Caine’s comments come a day after US President Donald Trump suggested that strikes against Iran could go on for the next four weeks.

 Macron warns Iran conflict risks ‘possible conflagration’

 French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that a widening war between the United States, Israel, and Iran risks spilling over to Europe’s borders, as he unveiled a new strategy for France’s nuclear deterrence, AFP reports.

The conflict, which began on Saturday, “brings and will continue to bring instability and a possible conflagration to our borders, with Iran’s nuclear and ballistic capabilities still intact”, he said. 

 Germany scrambles to rescue thousands of stranded tourists

 Germany has said it would send civilian planes to Saudi Arabia and Oman as part of efforts to evacuate thousands of tourists stranded by the Middle East war, AFP reports. 

Some 30,000 Germans are stuck in the region, according to the German Travel Association, since the United States and Israel first attacked Iran.

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany would soon send planes to Saudi Arabia and Oman, where the airspace remained open, to start evacuating some of the most vulnerable tourists.

“We will send aircraft to Riyadh and Muscat as quickly as possible for particularly vulnerable groups,” he said, adding that he was in talks with national carrier Lufthansa to arrange the flights. “The safety of our citizens is our top priority,” said Wadephul. 

Earlier, United States hit hundreds of targets across Iran, and Israel expanded its bombing to Lebanon on Monday as President Donald Trump vowed to avenge the first US deaths in the war he launched to topple Tehran's ruling clerics.

Iranian forces fired missiles and drones across the Middle East, killing people in Israel and the United Arab Emirates, in retaliation for the conflict that began Saturday with the assassination of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The US military expanded targets across Iran on Sunday and said it destroyed the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the elite unit tasked with preserving the theocracy in place since 1979.

"The IRGC no longer has a headquarters," US Central Command said in a statement.

The Israeli military said it was carrying out "large-scale strikes" in the heart of Tehran on Monday and also bombing across Lebanon against Hezbollah, the armed Shiite Muslim movement closely tied to Iran's Islamic republic.

An AFP journalist heard explosions in Beirut. Hezbollah, which was weakened by an earlier Israeli offensive, said in a statement that it had fired rockets and drones at Israel "in retaliation for the pure blood" of Khamenei.

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have urged the overthrow of the government in Iran, the sworn foe of Israel and the United States since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the pro-Western shah.

Trump, speaking to the New York Times, said the United States and Israel could keep up the level of attacks for four to five weeks.

"It won't be difficult. We have tremendous amounts of ammunition," he said, adding he had a shortlist of three unnamed people he favoured to lead Iran after the war.

JUST IN: ???????? Massive explosion in Bahrain. pic.twitter.com/UqVQoWl6AG

— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) March 2, 2026

In a video address, Trump urged Iranian security forces "to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death."

"It will be certain death," he repeated. "It won't be pretty."

The Pentagon said that three US service members were killed in the operation and five seriously wounded in the operation it has called "Epic Fury."

"Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends," Trump said.

"But America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against, basically, civilization."

Trump, who campaigned denouncing foreign interventions, has done little to explain the case for war to the US public.

Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, said the soldiers' deaths were the result of a "reckless decision" and that there was no threat to "justify this type of pre-emptive military strikes."

#BREAKING
American base in Kuwait. pic.twitter.com/VzxpGpL0BG

— Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) March 2, 2026

555 ‘killed’ in Iran since start of war

A total of 555 people have been killed across Iran in US and Israeli strikes that began two days ago, the Iranian Red Crescent said Monday.

"Following the Zionist-American terrorist attacks carried out in various regions of our country, 131 cities have been affected to date and, regrettably, 555 of our compatriots have been killed," the humanitarian group said in a post on Telegram.

Iran Guards say targeted Israel PM Netanyahu's office

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday their missile attacks have targeted the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the headquarters of the Israeli air force commander.

"The office of the criminal prime minister of the Zionist regime and the headquarters of the regime's air force commander were targeted," the Guards said in a statement carried by Fars news agency. It said Kheibar missiles were used in the attack.

Several US warplanes crashed in Kuwait

Several American warplanes crashed in Kuwait on Monday morning but their crew survived, Kuwait's defence ministry said, as Iran pressed on with a third day of strikes in the Gulf.

"Several US warplanes crashed this morning. Confirming that all crew members survived," a defence ministry spokesman said in a statement, adding that the cause was under investigation.

"Authorities immediately initiated search and rescue operations, evacuating the crews and transporting them to a hospital for medical evaluation and treatment. He noted that their condition is stable," the statement added.

Saudi oil refinery targeted

A Saudi oil refinery along the Gulf coast was targeted in an attack on Monday, a source familiar with the incident told AFP, as Iran launched a fresh barrage at countries across the region.

The source said the attack caused a fire at the Ras Tanura refinery but the blaze had already been extinguished.

A Saudi defence ministry spokesman said two drones had targeted the refinery and been intercepted, according to a statement posted by the Saudi Press Agency on X.

The Ras Tanura complex along the kingdom's eastern Gulf coast is home to one of the largest refineries in the entire Middle East and a cornerstone to the kingdom's energy sector.

The facility has a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day.

The complex also serves as one of the world's biggest oil ports.

Saudi oil infrastructure has been targeted in the past by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

In March 2022, the Houthis launched a drone attack targeting the YASREF refinery in Yanbu Industrial City on the Red Sea.

And in 2019, Houthi-claimed aerial assaults on two Aramco facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia temporarily knocked out half of the kingdom's crude production.

JUST IN: ???????? Iran strikes Saudi Arabia's Aramco Ras Tanura oil refinery. pic.twitter.com/eTmPGRFAY5

— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) March 2, 2026

Iranian drone hits UK base in Cyprus

An Iranian drone hit the runway of a UK military base in Cyprus on Monday, prompting the EU to vow solid backing for member states as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran spread.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said that just after midnight (2200 GMT), "a Shahed unmanned aerial vehicle crashed into the military facilities of the British Bases in Akrotiri, causing minor material damage".

Britain's foreign minister said the drone had hit a runway.

"This is an unmanned drone strike specifically on the airport runway... we're not able to provide further information and detail at this point, but obviously all of the precautionary measures are being taken around the base," Yvette Cooper told Sky News.

The European Union, of which Cyprus is a member state, reacted immediately.

"While the Republic of Cyprus was not the target, let me be clear: we stand collectively, firmly and unequivocally with our Member States in the face of any threat," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said after talks with Christodoulis.

"We are in a region of particular geopolitical instability with many challenges and problems, which is going through an unprecedented crisis. Our homeland does not participate in any way and does not intend to be part of any military operation," Christodoulides said earlier.

Britain agreed on Sunday to allow the United States to use British military bases to fire "defensive" strikes aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and their launchers.

The Royal Air Force Akrotiri base is a British overseas territory near the southern coastal city of Limassol.

While announcing that British bases can be used by US forces for defensive strikes, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed that Britain was "not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and we will not join offensive action now".

"But Iran is pursuing a scorched-earth strategy, so we are supporting the collective self-defence of our allies and our people in the region," he said in a post on X.

Iran launches missiles on Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Monday they had launched missile strikes on Israel's government in Tel Aviv as well as security and military centres in Haifa and an attack on east Jerusalem.

"Among the targets of this tenth wave were a targeted strike on the Zionist regime's government complex in Tel Aviv, attacks on military and security centres in Haifa, and a strike on east Jersualem," said a Guards statement carried by state TV.

It said Kheibar ballistic missiles were used in the attack.

Iranian missile hits US embassy in Kuwait City

Black smoke was seen rising from the US embassy in Kuwait City on Monday after the latest volley of Iranian strikes, an AFP correspondent saw.

Sirens earlier sounded over the city following the latest volley of Iranian attacks, which started across the oil-rich Gulf region on Saturday.

The embassy did not announce it had been hit, but issued a security alert urging people to stay away. "There is a continuing threat of missile and UAV attacks over Kuwait. Do not come to the embassy," the statement said.

Kuwait's interior ministry said it intercepted an unspecified number of drones targeting the small, oil-rich country at dawn.

One person has been killed and 32 others injured in Kuwait, the health ministry said on Sunday, in Iran's retaliatory attacks after US-Israeli strikes killed its supreme leader.

Explosions heard in Gulf cities

Loud explosions were heard across Gulf cities on Monday as Tehran carried out strikes against countries in the region that host US bases for the third day in response to US-Israeli air raids.

AFP reporters and witnesses said they heard several loud blasts in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Manama and Kuwait City.

Iran's continued and unprecedented bombardment of the Gulf has rattled a region long seen as a haven of peace and security in the turbulent Middle East.

Bahrain’s interior ministry said Iranian strikes killed one person, the island nation’s first fatality since the start of Tehran's campaign, bringing the total number of deaths across the Gulf to five since Saturday.

Falling debris from an intercepted missile sparked a fire on a foreign ship in the port city of Salman, the Bahraini ministry said, killing one worker and seriously injuring two others.

Since Saturday, across the Gulf, civilian infrastructure has been hit, from airports and seaports to residential buildings and hotels.

New strikes on Iraq base

New strikes hit an Iraqi military base housing Kataeb Hezbollah, a source from the pro-Iran armed group said on Monday.

"Three strikes hit Jurf al-Nasr," a Kataeb Hezbollah source told AFP, referring to a military base that serves as one of the main bastions of the powerful armed group that has been repeatedly targeted since the start of the Israel-US campaign on Iran.

Iraq, which has recently regained a sense of stability but has long been a proxy battleground between the US and Iran, said it did not want to be dragged into the war.

However, several Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, including Kataeb Hezbollah, have said they would not stay "neutral" and would defend the Islamic republic.

A shadowy group called Saraya Awliyaa al-Dam (Guardians of Blood), which claims to be part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, said on Telegram it was behind early Monday morning drone attacks on Baghdad airport.

In a separate incident in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region, an AFP photographer witnessed air defence systems intercepting at least two drones near Erbil airport on Monday.

Since the start of the US-Israel campaign on Iran, drones have repeatedly been intercepted over Erbil, which hosts US-led coalition troops and is also home to a major US consulate complex.

Vessel in Bahrain port hit

A ship was hit at a Bahrain port Monday, causing a fire that was extinguished and no casualties, a British maritime security agency reported, as Iran presses its retaliation campaign in the Gulf.

"UKMTO received a report of an incident in the Port of Bahrain. The Company Security Officer reported that the vessel had been struck by two unknown projectiles causing a fire. The fire has been extinguished and the vessel remains in port. All members of the ships crew are safe and have evacuated the vessel," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

Blasts heard in Jerusalem

Explosions were heard in Jerusalem on Monday, an AFP journalist said, after the Israeli military said it had "identified missiles launched from Iran", triggering air raid sirens.

There were no immediate reports of any direct impact, and the blasts could be the result of attempts to intercept incoming missiles.

31 killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon
Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed at least 31 people and wounded 149, the Lebanese health ministry said on Monday, as Israel's military threatened to intensify its attacks following Hezbollah rocket fire.

The ministry said in a statement that "Israeli enemy raids" on Beirut's southern suburbs and southern Lebanon "have resulted, in an initial count, in the killing of 31 citizens and the wounding of 149 citizens".

UAE closes embassy in Iran

The UAE said it was closing its embassy in Tehran and recalling the Emirati ambassador after Iran's retaliatory missile and drone campaign in the Gulf killed four people and wounded dozens more.

The move marks the strongest condemnation yet by a Gulf state since Tehran began targeting the region with a barrage of strikes after the US and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran that killed its supreme leader and other top officials.

"These hostile attacks against civilian sites, including residential areas, airports, ports, and service facilities, endangered innocent civilians in a serious and irresponsible escalation," the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement.

The UAE fully reopened its embassy and sent a new ambassador to Tehran in 2022 during a thaw in relations between the Emirates and the Islamic republic. Saudi Arabia later followed suit.

Port targeted in Oman

In Oman, which helped mediate US-Iran talks and was the only Gulf state spared on the first day of the Iranian campaign, the port of Duqm was targeted by two drones, the Oman News Agency said.

Later Sunday, Oman's foreign minister Badr Albusaidi pushed for a ceasefire on a call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.

Earlier, Oman said an oil tanker was targeted off the coast. Its crew was evacuated and four of them were injured, the news agency reported.

- Hotels become targets -

The Gulf Cooperation Council convened via video-link on Sunday night, with the members' foreign ministers saying afterwards that they would "take all necessary measures to defend their security and stability... including the option of responding to the aggression".

Jordan, which has also been intercepting missiles and drones over the past two days, said five people have been injured and a number of homes damaged across the kingdom since the start of Iran's reprisals.

Across the Gulf, civilian infrastructure has been hit: from airports and seaports to residential buildings and hotels.

Security analyst Anna Jacobs said: "The Gulf countries right now are really on the front lines of this brutal war."

"Gulf countries, as always, want to support de-escalation and diplomacy... But this commitment and these principles are being put to the test right now," she added.

"If Iran continues to hit these countries and escalates even more, it will be very difficult for them to just sit and do nothing."

Early Sunday, drones struck the airport in Bahrain's capital Manama, causing minor damage, authorities said.

The US embassy in Manama urged citizens to steer clear of hotels in Manama, warning they could become potential targets after the Crowne Plaza was hit.

Larijani says 'Iran will not negotiate' with US

Iran "will not negotiate with the United States", Ali Larijani, the powerful head of Tehran's Supreme National Security Council said on Monday.

In a post on X, Larijani denied media reports that Iranian officials had sought to initiate talks with the Trump administration following a wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, which came after Tehran and Washington held nuclear negotiations.

US leader Donald Trump's "delusional fantasies" have plunged the Middle East into chaos, the powerful head of Tehran's Supreme National Security Council said on Monday.

"Trump plunged the region into chaos with his 'delusional fantasies' and now fears more American troop casualties," Ali Larijani wrote on X, following a wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Israeli, US strikes kill 27 in Iran

An Iranian official said Monday that US and Israeli strikes over two days have left at least 27 people dead in Iran's northwest.

"The number of martyrs who have fallen over the past two days in the province as a result of Israeli and American attacks reached 27," said Majid Farshi, director general of the East Azerbaijan province crisis management department, as quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

- Mixed support -

While many in the Iranian diaspora cheered Khamenei's death, anger was seen on the streets of Iran's neighbor Pakistan where officials said 17 people were killed and protesters tried to storm the US consulate in Karachi.

World leaders have given a mixed reaction to the attack, which came two days after Iran and the United States held talks on Tehran's nuclear program.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday that he would let the United States use UK bases for "defensive" strikes but that his country -- a steadfast partner in the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- "will not join offensive action now."

Iran's first retaliatory strikes on Saturday hit all the Gulf states apart from mediator Oman.

On Sunday, Oman's commercial port of Duqm was hit by two drones, injuring a foreign worker, the Oman News Agency said.

Three ships were also attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday after Iran had previously declared the strategic waterway was closed, sending global oil prices spiking.

The Revolutionary Guards claimed to strike the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, but the Pentagon said the "missiles launched didn't even come close."

Trump said that US military strikes had sunk nine Iranian naval vessels and partially destroyed its navy headquarters.

Iran's retaliatory strikes in the Gulf have killed at least four people and wounded dozens of others.

Inside Iran, the Red Crescent in its last toll issued on Saturday evening said that strikes had killed 201 people and injured hundreds more.

Iran's judiciary confirmed that Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Khamenei, and General Mohammad Pakpour, the head of Revolutionary Guards, were among those killed.