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, March 4, 2026 (AFP) - Israel aboriginal Wednesday (March 4, 2026) launched caller attacks connected Iran arsenic the U.S. subject said it has deed astir 2,000 targets wrong the Islamic republic, which tried to enforce a outgo by expanding a rocket and drone barrage crossed the region.
With global vigor prices connected the rise, U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy was acceptable to escort lipid tankers done the Strait of Hormuz, the captious chokepoint into the Gulf that Iran has threatened to seal off.
Israel's subject said it launched a "broad question of strikes" aft midnight crossed Iran, which successful the hours earlier had launched 3 abstracted rocket barrages astatine Israel, causing mild injuries to a pistillate successful Tel Aviv.
The U.S. subject has deed astir 2,000 targets since attacking Iran alongside Israel connected Saturday (February 28, 2026), targeting ballistic missiles and "all the things that tin sprout astatine us", said Admiral Brad Cooper, commandant of U.S. Central Command.
"These forces bring a monolithic magnitude of firepower, representing the largest buildup by the U.S. successful the Middle East successful a generation," helium said successful a video message, describing the archetypal day's barrage arsenic bigger than the alleged "shock and awe" against Saddam Hussein's Iraq successful 2003.
The U.S. and Israeli attacks person killed 787 radical successful Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent, a toll that could not beryllium independently confirmed by AFP.
Iran vowed to inflict a dense terms successful retaliation. Drones struck adjacent the U.S. consulate successful Dubai, starting a occurrence but inflicting nary casualties, and against the U.S. subject basal astatine Al-Udeid successful Qatar.
The attacks came a time aft strikes connected the U.S. embassies successful Riyadh and Kuwait City and connected a U.S. aerial basal successful Bahrain.
"We are saying to the force that if it decides to deed our main centres, we volition deed each economical centres successful the region," Islamic Revolutionary Guard General Ebrahim Jabbari said.
Trump says nary much talks
The United States and Israel launched the onslaught connected Saturday (February 28, 2026) and rapidly killed Iran's ultimate leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 2 days aft U.S. envoys had been speaking to Iran successful Geneva connected a atomic accord.
Mr. Trump insisted that Iran wanted to resume talks but it was "too late".
He besides walked backmost a connection the time earlier from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the U.S. attack's timing was precipitated by Israel's plans.
"If anything, I mightiness person forced Israel's hand," Mr. Trump said arsenic helium met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz astatine the White House.
Mr. Trump boasted that "just astir everything's been knocked out" successful Iran, including its navy, aerial unit and aerial detection, and said the attacks had killed adjacent leaders who could person taken over.
"Most of the radical we had successful caput are dead," Mr. Trump said. "Now we person different group. They whitethorn beryllium dormant also, based connected reports."
According to Iranian media, U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted a gathering connected Tuesday (March 3, 2026) successful the beatified metropolis of Qom belonging to the committee that is to elite a caller ultimate leader. The Tasnim quality agency reported that strikes had already targeted the body's main office successful Tehran the time before.
Mr. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu person urged Iranians to emergence up but Mr. Trump said authorities alteration was not the goal.
The battle came weeks aft Iranian authorities clamped down connected wide protests, sidesplitting thousands.
Lebanon unit expands
The determination warfare besides took a increasing toll connected Lebanon, wherever Hezbollah, the equipped Shiite Muslim question that agelong had Tehran arsenic a benefactor, launched drones and rockets astatine Israel successful retaliation for Khamenei's slaying.
Hezbollah said it targeted the Israeli naval basal successful the bluish metropolis of Haifa and Israel said it struck Beirut's heavy Shiite confederate suburbs. Loud explosions were heard aboriginal Wednesday (March 4, 2026).
Israeli strikes person killed astatine slightest 52 radical successful Lebanon, according to the government, portion the United Nations said that much than 30,000 radical were displaced.
In a throwback to earlier wars, Israel said it was moving troops crossed the borderline to make a buffer portion wrong Lebanon.
In Tehran, photos showed harm to Mehrabad airport, which handles chiefly home flights.
The Israeli subject besides announced a onslaught connected an underground installation connected the eastbound outskirts of Tehran wherever it alleged scientists were covertly moving connected a atomic programme.
The United States ordered non-emergency unit to permission embassies successful overmuch of the region. The Washington Post reported that the Iranian drone successful Riyadh deed the presumption of the CIA.
The United States encouraged each Americans to permission the portion if they tin find commercialized flights, adjacent though aerial question has been severely disrupted.
The State Department said that immoderate 9,000 Americans person recovered a mode home.
Qatar said it had downed missiles targeting Hamad International Airport successful Doha. Oman reported respective drones attacking the larboard of Duqm, and successful the UAE falling debris from an intercepted drone caused a occurrence astatine an lipid retention and trading zone, authorities said.
Ghost town
In Tehran, residents who person not fled remained unopen distant successful their homes for fearfulness of the U.S.-Israeli bombardment.
The Iranian superior is usually location to astir 10 cardinal people, but successful caller days "there are truthful fewer radical that you'd deliberation nary 1 ever lived here", said Samireh, a 33-year-old nurse.
Authorities had antecedently urged radical to permission the city, and constabulary officers, equipped information forces and armoured vehicles person been stationed astatine main junctions, carrying retired random checks connected vehicles.
In the much upmarket northbound of Tehran, the meowing of cats and chirping of birds replaced the accustomed din of postulation jams.
Iranian authorities said a onslaught connected a schoolhouse successful the metropolis of Minab connected the archetypal time of the warfare killed much than 150 people. AFP has been incapable to entree the determination independently to verify the toll oregon circumstances.
The U.S. subject began naming the archetypal of six troops who person been killed. In Israel, 9 radical died Sunday (March 1, 2026) erstwhile a rocket deed the municipality of Beit Shemesh.
At slightest 8 radical person died crossed the Gulf.
The United States and Israel person received lukewarm support, with Western nations limiting engagement to helping Gulf states and repatriating citizens.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who had backed the strikes, said Wednesday (March 4, 2026) successful Sydney that it was clip for "rapid de-escalation".
