Middle East War

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🌏 Middle East on edge; oil price could rise

Data: Media reports and government statements; Map: Axios Visuals Iran is targeting U.S. bases and Israel with ballistic missiles and drones, with the fallout spilling into neighboring states that host American forces or lie along key flight paths, Axios' Lauren Floyd writes. Those areas include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. Go deeper. Government supporters gather in mourning in Tehran today after Iranian state TV officially announced the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Photo: Vahid Salemi/AP 🛢️ The strikes on Iran will likely push up oil prices by creating new risks to supplies from the region that's home to a large chunk of global output and transit. Flashpoints to watch, per Axios' Ben Geman: 🚢 The Strait of Hormuz: The narrow waterway next to Iran is a choke point that handles a whopping one-fourth of the world's maritime oil trade and a fifth of liquefied natural gas shipments. Some tankers are already avoiding the area. ⛔ Disruption of Iranian production and shipments: Iran is OPEC's fourth-largest oil producer and exports roughly 1.5 million barrels per day, primarily to China. 🇮🇷 Iranian retaliation against Middle East producers: The most market-moving scenario would be Iran striking infrastructure — like oilfields and export terminals — in other major Arab oil-producing nations. Keep reading.

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Trump says Iran war could last weeks, US citizens in more than a dozen countries urged to leave

Israel and the United States pounded Iran on Monday in a campaign that U.S. President Donald Trump said would likely take several weeks. Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel, Gulf states and targets critical to the world’s energy production.

https://apnews.com/live/iran-us-israel-hezbollah-strikes-03-02-2026?

Khamenei Killed in Strikes

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed over the weekend, targeted as part of a wide-ranging surprise attack by the US and Israel across the country. The head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was also believed killed alongside dozens of other senior leaders.  Khamenei, an 86-year-old hardline cleric, had ruled Iran since 1989, building the country into a regional economic and military power (see history here). Despite his age, he had not publicly revealed a succession plan, with the country currently led by an interim three-person council.  Framed as a preemptive strike, more than 1,000 targets have been hit as of this writing. Iranian state media said more than 200 people had been killed, including 165 at a girls school adjacent to a naval base in the country’s south.       The attack followed weeks of talks over Iran’s nuclear program and a buildup of US forces in the region. It also coincided with a rare meeting of top officials—including Khamenei—in the middle of Tehran.  Iran launched a series of retaliatory strikes across the region yesterday, aimed at various targets in Israel, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and elsewhere. Three US service members were killed during operations (the cause was not immediately clear). The conflict comes after widespread antigovernment demonstrations by Iranians in December. At least 7,000 civilians were killed in the resulting crackdown, though international groups say the toll may be significantly higher. See photos from the strikes and updates here.

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Trump's lethal presidency

Data: ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data). Chart: Axios Visuals ("Other" includes Iran, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria and Venezuela — as well as the waters off Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Colombia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.) No president in the modern era has ordered more military strikes against as many countries as Donald Trump, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. He has attacked seven nations, three of which — Iran, Nigeria and Venezuela — had never been targeted by U.S. military strikes. He authorized more airstrikes in 2025 than President Biden did in four years. Why it matters: Trump ran as an anti-war candidate. The White House argues he still is — that he exhausts diplomacy before acting, and that projecting overwhelming force is itself a path to lasting peace. The deaths of three U.S. service members in the first 24 hours of Trump's Iran strikes puts that argument to its most brutal test. "Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That's the way it is," Trump said in a video statement yesterday. "But we'll do everything possible where that won't be the case," he added, vowing to "avenge their deaths." 🖼️ The big picture: Trump's strikes are historically distinctive not just in number but in kind. President Bush's post-9/11 campaigns and President Obama's drone wars were massive in scale — but concentrated in inherited or congressionally authorized theaters. Alongside traditional counterterrorism efforts, Trump has opened new fronts — a Christmas Day strike in Nigeria, drug boats sunk in the Caribbean, Nicolás Maduro snatched from Caracas. His preferred model is consistent: no boots on the ground, no lengthy entanglements, overwhelming force applied quickly and framed as essential to defending American interests. Zoom in: The ongoing U.S. military operation against Iran now stands in a league of its own — the most aggressive, high-risk foreign policy act of Trump's presidency. Trump launched Operation Epic Fury — a joint U.S.–Israeli campaign explicitly aimed at toppling Iran's government — without congressional authorization or sustained public debate. It was preceded by the largest U.S. military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq — a warning to Iran that failed talks in Geneva would have consequences. An F/A-18E Super Hornet returns to the USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation Epic Fury on Saturday. Photo: U.S. Navy 🔭 Zoom out: Trump outlined multiple targets for an operation he said could last four weeks: destroy Iran's ballistic missiles, its rocket factories and its navy. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was assassinated by Israeli strikes in the first 24 hours, along with dozens of senior regime officials. U.S. and Israeli strikes show no sign of letting up, as Iran's retaliatory missiles and drones batter Gulf allies. Back home, some of Trump's most loyal supporters are struggling to square this war with the candidate they elected. Several MAGA influencers resurfaced a warning last June from the late activist Charlie Kirk, who called regime change in Iran "insane" and predicted it would result in "a bloody civil war."

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⏳ Inside Trump's Iran strike delay

The U.S. and Israel originally planned to attack Iran a week before they did, but the opening strike was delayed for operational and intelligence reasons, senior U.S. and Israeli officials tell Axios' Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo.

• Why it matters: The delay gave President Trump another week to choose between the two parallel tracks — diplomacy and war — he had been walking for nearly two months.

It also made the final round of nuclear talks in Geneva far more consequential, giving Iran one last chance to make a deal.

👀 Behind the scenes: After the second round of U.S.-Iran talks ended without significant progress on Feb. 17, U.S. and Israeli military planners were preparing to launch strikes four days later — on Saturday, Feb. 21.

• But the go-ahead never came. U.S. and Israeli officials cited bad weather as a key reason.
• A second Israeli official said the delay was driven primarily by the U.S. side and linked to the need for better coordination with the Israel Defense Forces.

Protesters in D.C. wave Iranian and U.S. flags alongside a photo of Reza Pahlavi — son of the former shah — during a rally in support of U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran. Photo: Amid Farahi/AFP via Getty Images

🔎 Zoom in: The opening strike was designed to hit Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his sons, as well as several gatherings of senior Iranian officials — including a routine meeting held every Saturday, according to a senior Israeli official.

• In the week between the original and updated strike dates, Israeli and U.S. intelligence officials grew increasingly nervous that Khamenei would move from his residence to an underground bunker.

Keep reading.

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🛢️ Charted: War hits oil

Data: Financial Modeling Prep. Chart: Axios Visuals Saudi Arabia's largest oil refinery, Aramco's Ras Tanura, was at least partially shut down as a precaution today after a drone attack. And an oil tanker was attacked in the Gulf of Oman by a bomb-carrying drone boat, sparking a fire and killing one, Oman says. Why it matters: The refinery strike could mark a widening of the new Middle East war, which previously hadn't targeted petroleum-related sites, writes Ben Geman, author of Axios Future of Energy. Torbjorn Soltvedt, a top analyst with risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft, said in a note: "The attack on Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura refinery marks a significant escalation, with Gulf energy infrastructure now squarely in Iran's sights." Get the latest.

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Key developments in the widening war in the Middle East following US and Israeli attacks on Iran The war in the Middle East expanded on multiple fronts Monday, with attacks from Iran and Iranian-backed militias hitting Israel and Arab states. A senior Iranian official signaled that there would be no negotiations with the U.S. Fallout from the fighting has been felt around the globe, with deadly protests, canceled flights, suspended shipping and volatile stock markets. Read more on where things stand.

What to know: Three American service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded during the U.S. attacks on Iran, the military announced Sunday. “We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” President Donald Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social platform on Sunday afternoon. “And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”   At least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far by the U.S.-Israeli campaign, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said, with more than 130 cities across the country having come under attack. Eleven people have been killed in Israel, according to authorities there.   Breaking: The U.S. military said on Monday that Kuwait “mistakenly shot down” three American F-15E Strike Eagles during a combat mission as Iran attacked the country. “All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation,” the U.S. military’s Central Command said.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Live updates: War widens to include Iranian-backed militias as US and Israel pound targets in Iran   3 US troops killed and 5 are seriously wounded during Iran attacks, military says   WATCH: Trump says ‘there will likely be more’ US service members killed   Iran’s nuclear ambassador alleges that US-Israeli airstrikes targeted the Natanz enrichment facility   WATCH: Israel releases footage of what it says is strike on headquarters of Iranian leadership   How the AP decided to describe joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and Iran’s retaliation, as a war

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Understanding what led to the latest attacks and the global reaction The war, while still in its early stages, is part of a much longer continuum of events that have severely weakened Iran, Hezbollah and other proxy militias, and upended the political balance in the region. The damage to Iran’s power radiated from the war in Gaza, where Israeli forces attacked Hamas after militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages during the Oct. 7 attacks. Read more.

What to know: As Israel unleashed a sweeping military response to the brutal Oct. 7, 2023, assault by Hamas, it aimed punch after punch at the power of Iran, the militant group’s longtime sponsor, and its other proxies and allies in the region. The result has been a rapid and systematic degradation of Iran’s clout across the Middle East over the past 2½ years, a seismic change that led directly to this weekend’s devastating attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ US intel did not suggest a preemptive strike from Iran before US-Israeli attacks, AP sources say   Calls for peace and flashes of anger after US and Israeli attacks kill Iran’s Khamenei   Oil prices rise sharply after attacks in Middle East disrupt global energy supply   Some celebrate in Iran after supreme leader’s death, but deep fear and uncertainty remain   A look at Iran’s key political and religious figures   WATCH: Demonstrators in New York march in support of US military operation in Iran   Gaza’s ceasefire had some momentum. Now, some fear a new war will distract the world   Photos show Israel after Iran retaliated with missiles   WATCH: Pro-Iran protesters clash with police near Green Zone in Baghdad

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Live updates: Trump says Iran operations likely to last 4 to 5 weeks, but he’s prepared ‘to go far longer’

As the war in the Middle East spirals further, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the U.S. has “the capability to go far longer” than its projected four to five week time frame for its military operations against Iran. The intensity of the attacks and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences. Read more.

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A look at some of the contenders to be Iran’s supreme leader after the killing of Khamenei Congress will debate an Iran conflict that is well underway US and Israeli attacks on Iran put further strain on international law Russia condemns US-Israel strikes on Iran as ‘unprovoked act of armed aggression’ US says Kuwait mistakenly downed 3 American jets during Iranian attacks Hegseth insists the Iran conflict is ‘not endless’ while warning more casualties are likely WATCH: Hegseth won't rule out ground troops in Iran How the US-Israeli strikes on Iran unfolded, moment by moment Pakistan deploys troops and imposes curfew after deadly protests over US-Israeli strikes on Iran Gulf airlines restart some UAE flights as governments work to extract citizens from Middle East Melania Trump will preside at UN Security Council meeting on children in conflict as US attacks Iran   Europe defends military bases and struggles to evacuate citizens as it is drawn into the war on Iran The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes across the Middle East are quickly dragging Europe in, forcing the continent into defensive action to protect military bases and evacuate citizens caught up in the conflict. While refusing to directly join the war, Britain, France and Germany have said they would work with the United States to help stop Iran’s attacks. The U.K. will allow U.S. forces to use British bases to attack Iran’s missiles and launch sites. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Britain says it’s not at war after a drone strikes its Akrotiri base in Cyprus Macron says France will allow temporary deployment of nuclear-armed jets to European allies As Macron sets out his nuclear doctrine, a look at France’s capability by the numbers

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War spreads across Mideast

Smoke rises from a targeted area in Tehran today. Photo: Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images Just 72 hours in, the war against Iran has consumed nearly the entire Middle East, reached the gates of Europe and raised new fears of attacks on American soil, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. The sheer geographic scope of the conflict is staggering, directly involving at least 11 countries. President Trump said today that Operation Epic Fury is designed to last four to five weeks — plenty of time for further expansion. 🚀 In the war's opening hours, Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Iran also struck the Kurdish region of Iraq, which it views as closely aligned with the U.S. and Israel. 🇸🇦 On the second day, Iran expanded its attacks to Saudi Arabia and Oman. By today, debris from two Iranian drones struck a Saudi oil refinery — the first such attack in years. Qatar said it downed two Iranian fighter jets, and condemned the "reckless and irresponsible" targeting of its territory. An Israeli bombardment today in southern Lebanon, near the border with northern Israel. Photo: Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images 🇱🇧 Last night, Hezbollah entered the war — launching missiles and drones at Israel and opening a new front on the Lebanon border. Israel responded with massive airstrikes across Lebanon, including in Beirut, killing several senior Hezbollah commanders. One Israeli Defense official warned: "Everyone in Hezbollah is a target now." 🇮🇷 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other officials insist that Iran is not at war with the region, and that it's only targeting Israel and U.S. military bases. But Iranian drones and missiles have struck numerous civilian targets across the Gulf, including tourist areas of Dubai. 🚢 Iran has also moved to strangle commercial shipping in the Gulf, rocking global energy markets. What's next: The gap between Iran's stated position and its actions is pushing several regional countries to consider retaliating against it, Arab sources tell Axios. 🇪🇺 The U.K., France and Germany have also signaled they could get actively involved. Keep reading.

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Middle East Conflict Widens

President Donald Trump said yesterday the US' war with Iran is expected to continue for four to five weeks and could extend past that point if needed. The statement came as Iran continued to launch retaliatory attacks, including in Israel, and countries hosting US bases like Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE. Trump outlined four objectives: destroying Iran's missile capabilities, wiping out its navy, preventing access to a nuclear weapon, and removing its ability to fund proxy militias. The administration did not rule out sending ground troops, though Trump later said they would likely not be necessary.  Iran meanwhile continued to launch retaliatory strikes, including sending two warplanes into Qatari airspace, drone attacks against a Saudi oil refinery and the US Embassy in Riyadh, missile strikes in Kuwait and the UAE, and ongoing strikes toward Israel. Israel carried out attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon after the Iranian-allied militia launched rockets into the country. See live updates here.

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Live updates: Iranian strikes hit Lebanon and Saudi Arabia as US and Israel target nuclear facilities Iran struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital with a drone attack early Tuesday, as it continued to target areas around the region. Across Tehran, explosions rang out overnight as the U.S. and Israel pounded Iran with airstrikes. Read more.

What to know: The U.S. military has confirmed six deaths of American service members. All six were Army soldiers in a logistics unit in Kuwait, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.   The State Department urged U.S. citizens to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to safety risks, as have many other countries, though with much of the airspace closed many remain stranded.    The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment site had sustained “some recent damage,” though there was “no radiological consequence expected.” Natanz earlier came under attack by the U.S. in the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ FACT FOCUS: Misrepresented images spread after US and Israel strike Iran   Iranian drones fly across the Persian Gulf after their pivotal use by Russia in Ukraine   WATCH: Hotel parking lot in Dubai turned into shelter amid Iranian strikes   What to know about Iran’s Revolutionary Guard   How the AP decided to call fighting in the Middle East the ‘Iran war’   Photos from inside Iran as strikes boom across the capital   Iranian Americans fear for relatives in their homeland as war continues

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Netanyahu takes a gamble on American support for Israel with the war against Iran

Throughout his political career, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has steered his country along two pillars of foreign policy: an ironclad partnership with the United States and a relentless diplomatic and covert battle against the rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Now, with Israel and the U.S. in a joint war against Iran’s leadership, those two strategic paths risk clashing with each other. By enlisting the U.S. in what he views as Israel’s existential battle against Iran, Netanyahu is taking a gamble that could open up the relationship to the strain of a war with far-reaching consequences. Read more.

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Live updates: Trump says ‘someone from within’ Iranian government may be best choice to take power Israel steps up airstrikes in Tehran, as Iran widens its response across the region Israel sends troops into southern Lebanon as Hezbollah says it is ready for ‘open war’ Dow drops as stocks sell off around the world on war worries The price of a gallon of gas spiked overnight in the U.S., and drivers overseas are filling up tanks What China’s response to the US attack on Iran says about its foreign policy War with Iran strains the US-UK relationship as Starmer and Trump disagree Satellite images show damage to Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility Iranian strikes on Amazon data centers highlight industry’s vulnerability to physical disasters Some travelers stranded in Dubai are paying huge sums for private charter flights out

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Trump promises Navy escorts

A U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet launches from the USS Gerald R. Ford on Saturday in support of Operation Epic Fury. Photo: U.S. Navy via Getty Images The U.S. will offer "political risk insurance and guarantees" for energy tankers and other ships operating near Iran, President Trump said today — adding that the Navy will escort tankers through the critical Strait of Hormuz if needed, Axios' Ben Geman reports. ⛴️ Trump's promise comes as tankers are avoiding Hormuz, the narrow waterway abutting Iran. The strait handles about a quarter of the world's maritime oil trade, plus huge amounts of liquefied natural gas. Trump said on Truth Social: "Effective IMMEDIATELY, I have ordered the United States Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to provide, at a very reasonable price, political risk insurance and guarantees for the Financial Security of ALL Maritime Trade, especially Energy, traveling through the Gulf." ⚓️ "If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible." "No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD. The United States' ECONOMIC and MILITARY MIGHT is the GREATEST ON EARTH — More actions to come." Data: Oil Price Information Service. Chart: Axios Visuals ⛽️ Trump's promise comes as the national average price of regular gas hit $3.11 per gallon today, up 11¢ overnight, Axios' Nathan Bomey reports from AAA data. That's the biggest single-day spike since March 2022, GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan says. 📈 Tom Kloza, a longtime oil analyst now working for Gulf Oil, says he expects the national average to hit $3.25–$3.50 in the coming weeks. Spikes in crude oil prices move "very quickly to the pump," Kloza says. "They will rocket higher when they're moving on geopolitics like this." ✈️ Higher oil prices will also lead to more expensive diesel, jet fuel, heating oil and natural gas prices — likely increasing the cost of shipping, airline tickets and home heat, he adds. Go deeper.

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US Embassies Close

The US shut embassies in three Gulf countries—Beirut, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia—yesterday amid the ongoing war with Iran. The US State Department encouraged Americans in 14 countries, including nonessential staff in six Gulf embassies, to depart immediately. See the list of countries here. The update came as President Donald Trump said US munitions were in hefty supply, potentially allowing the war to continue indefinitely, up from his projected timeline of four to five weeks. Israel, meanwhile, sent ground troops into southern Lebanon after Hezbollah launched rockets in response to US and Israeli strikes in Iran. (Hezbollah, an Iranian-allied militia, pledges allegiance to the country’s supreme leader; see background on the group here.) Israel has said it destroyed at least 70 of Hezbollah’s weapons storage facilities as of this writing and also claims to have killed the group’s intelligence chief, among over 50 people reportedly killed. Separately, the Iranian Red Crescent reported a death count of 787 yesterday from the US and Israeli strikes in Iran.  The conflict sent oil prices up as high as 15% as of this writing. See updates on the conflict here.

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Trump's perfect window

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Getty Images

Last Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called President Trump with a stunning tip: Iran's supreme leader and his top advisers were set to meet at a single location in Tehran on Saturday morning. They could all be killed in one devastating airstrike, Netanyahu told Trump and his team, Axios' Marc Caputo and Barak Ravid write. Why it matters: The Feb. 23 call — held from the White House Situation Room and previously unreported — was a pivotal moment that set the Iran war in motion. It answers the question that lawmakers, MAGA skeptics and world leaders have all been asking since Saturday: Why now? The answer: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his inner circle were irresistible targets of opportunity that neither Trump nor Netanyahu wanted to pass up. 🔎 Zoom in: Trump was already leaning toward striking Iran before learning the new intelligence about Khamenei. What he hadn't decided was when — until Netanyahu called. The call was part of months of intensive coordination between the two leaders, who met twice and spoke by phone 15 times in the two months leading to the war, according to U.S. and Israeli officials. The U.S. and Israel had considered striking a week earlier, but postponed for intelligence and operational reasons, including bad weather. Inside the room: An initial CIA check, conducted at Trump's direction, confirmed the Israeli intelligence. Preparations accelerated as Trump told Netanyahu he would consider moving forward — but first came the president's State of the Union address the following night. President Trump meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office yesterday. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP By Thursday, the CIA had "confirmed that these people were all going to be together, and we needed to take advantage of it," a source said. That same day, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff called from Geneva after hours of talks with Iranian officials and delivered a blunt verdict: Negotiations were going nowhere. Trump was now convinced of two things: The intelligence was solid, and diplomacy was dead. On Friday at 3:38 p.m. ET, he gave the final order. The next day, an Israeli strike took out Khamenei and his entourage. 👀 The intrigue: The original plan called for a strike in late March or early April, giving the administration time to build public support. Netanyahu pushed to move faster, a U.S. official told Axios. The official said Netanyahu began "agitating" and warning that Iranian opposition leaders sheltering in safe houses were in danger of being killed by the regime. The accelerated timeline left the administration flat-footed: Rather than spending weeks building the public case for war, the White House found itself justifying the strikes after the bombs had already fallen.

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🎖️ Fallen Americans

From left: Capt. Cody Khork, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens and Sgt. Declan Coady. Photos: Defense Department The Pentagon identified four of the six service members killed in the first days of the war with Iran: Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Fla. Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Neb. Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minn. Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa. The four Army Reserve soldiers were killed when a drone hit Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, where they were stationed. Go deeper: Remembered as devoted parents and reservists.

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Israel targets Iran’s security forces and leadership as Iran presses attacks across the region The United States and Israel hit Iran’s capital and other cities in multiple airstrikes on Wednesday. The Islamic Republic responded with missile barrages and drone attacks on Israel and across the region. Read more.

What to know: U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, said Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 drones so far. He described the American strikes in the opening hours of the campaign as “nearly double the scale” of the initial attacks during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ US soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone strike at a civilian port in Kuwait   Americans who died remembered as devoted parents and reservists   WATCH: Iowa family remembers Army Reservist killed   Military families in US anxious about war, proud of their service members   Maps and graphics explaining the war   Country by country, here’s how the unfolding war is affecting the Middle East   A son of Iran’s late supreme leader is a possible candidate to replace his father as war rages   Iran war disrupts global ocean freight and air cargo supply chains beyond oil   The Iran war has upended flights across the Middle East. Here’s what travelers should know

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US sinks Iranian warship as Iran warns of widespread destruction in the Middle East

A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, as Washington and Israel intensified their bombardment Wednesday of Iran’s security forces and other symbols of power. Iran launched more missiles and drones as it warned of the destruction of military and economic infrastructure across the Middle East. Israel was also trading fire with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, while Iran fired on Bahrain, Kuwait and Israel. As the conflict spiraled, Turkey said NATO defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkey’s airspace. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Live updates: Hegseth says US submarine sank Iranian warship with torpedo in international waters Sri Lanka recovers 87 bodies from Iranian warship sunk off its coast by a US submarine WATCH: Department of Defense video shows U.S. torpedo attack on Iranian ship Carney says he backs strikes on Iran ‘with some regret’ as world order frays How Trump’s anger with Starmer over Iran may rattle the US-UK ‘special relationship’ US stocks rebound after strong economic updates and an easing of oil prices A trial seeks to tie Iranian paramilitary to alleged assassination plot in US Experts talk how to navigate distressing news stories and finding coping mechanisms   🇮🇷 The leader of an Iranian unit that sought to assassinate President Trump has been "hunted down and killed," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this morning. Go deeper.

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🚀 Pentagon's new muscle

A Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) successfully launches from the deck of the USS Santa Barbara in the Persian Gulf in December. Photo: U.S. Army In less than a week, the Iran war has revealed a remarkable string of combat firsts that showcase an American military boosted by AI and stocked with upgraded weapons, Axios Future of Defense author Colin Demarest writes. Why it matters: America's defense-tech advancements have been on full display during Operation Epic Fury. The Trump administration has been happy to confirm — and flex — the results. 🪖 Here's what's catching our eyes: 1. The U.S. military used Anthropic's AI tools for "intelligence assessments, target identification and simulating battle scenarios," The Wall Street Journal reports — despite President Trump's insistence on blackballing the company. Claude is embedded in the military's Maven Smart System, which is built by Palantir and "generating insights from an astonishing amount of classified data from satellites, surveillance and other intelligence, helping provide real-time targeting and target prioritization," the WashPost adds. 2. U.S. troops for the first time used two highly anticipated weapons: Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) and Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System drones (LUCAS). PrSM is a Lockheed Martin-made ballistic missile, compatible with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. LUCAS is a low-cost drone — $35,000 a pop — that's based on Iran's own Shahed drone. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said in a video: "We took [Shahed drones] back to America, made them better, and fired them right back at Iran." 3. The F-35, long dogged by cost overruns and delays, is having a breakthrough moment in combat. An Israeli Air Force F-35I took out an Iranian Air Force Yak-130. The Israel Defense Forces described it as the "first shootdown in history of a manned fighter aircraft by an F-35 'Adir.'" Royal Air Force F-35Bs downed drones over Jordan, according to the defense ministry. 4. A U.S. Navy submarine sank an Iranian warship with a single Mk 48 torpedo in the Indian Ocean — the first American torpedo attack to sink an enemy ship since World War II. "To hunt, find and kill an out-of-area deployer is something that only the United States can do at this type of scale," Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said at a Pentagon briefing. 🥊 Reality check: The Defense Department's public narrative indicates these new weapons are performing as advertised. But malfunctions aren't the kind of thing the Pentagon rushes to disclose.

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📱 Barak takes us behind the scenes

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Majid Saeedi and Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In a YouTube conversation, Barak Ravid, Axios global affairs correspondent, gives Mike this bottom line on the war: "Victory for Iran will be if they're still standing after Israel and the U.S. finish their operation. If the regime still stands, Iran won. That's it. They don't need to do anything else other than stay alive — that's their advantage because it's an asymmetric war." "In reality, if the regime stays, then Israel and the U.S. lost. So for the U.S. and Israel to win, it needs to be clear that the regime either collapsed or that whoever is in charge is a sort of U.S. puppet." Watch the video … Executive Producer: Jimmy Shelton. Photos: U.S. Army via Stars and Stripes Maj. Jeffrey O'Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, Calif., were among six U.S. Army soldiers killed in a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait. The Army Reserve members, who worked in logistics and kept troops supplied with food and equipment, died Sunday, one day into operations against Iran. The other four were identified earlier. Six American lives.

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Iran says US will ‘bitterly regret’ sinking warship, calls for ‘Trump’s blood’ Iran launched a new wave of attacks on Thursday at Israeli and American bases and threatened that the U.S. would “bitterly regret” torpedoing an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. A religious leader called for “Trump’s blood,” as Israel said it hit multiple targets in Iran. Read more.

What to know: Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli, in one of the few clerical statements so far from Iran, called on state television for “the shedding of Zionist blood, the shedding of Trump’s blood.” It was a rare call for violence from an ayatollah, one of the highest ranks within the clergy of Shiite Islam.   Israel announced multiple incoming missile attacks and air sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iranian state television said strikes also targeted U.S. bases.  Israel’s military said it launched targeted attacks in Lebanon on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group and a “large-scale wave of strikes against infrastructure” in Iran’s capital, without elaborating.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Hegseth says US ‘can’t stop everything’ that Iran fires even as he asserts air dominance   Kurdish dissident groups say they are preparing to join the fight against Iran with US support   Stranded travelers’ accounts of being stuck during the war

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US and Mideast countries seek Kyiv’s drone expertise as Russia-Ukraine talks put on ice

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The United States and its allies in the Middle East are seeking Ukraine’s expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drones-iran-5cafbae5d360a44c4502b69647269037?

ps:Oh so now after all the name calling and on and on about how Ukraine needs to give Russia everything they want, the US wants there help?? Why not ask there buddy Putin?????

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Chaos sown by Iran’s attacks across the Persian Gulf is key to its strategy

For years, Iran’s theocratic government warned it would blanket the Middle East with missile and drone fire if it felt its existence was threatened. Now, it's doing just that. Since the U.S. and Israel launched the war Saturday, Iran has unleashed thousands of missiles and drones at Israel, American military bases and embassies, and energy facilities across the Gulf. Its basic strategy is to instill fear about the dangers of a widening war in hopes that allies of the U.S. and Israel will apply enough pressure to halt their campaign. There is a risk, though, that the barrage-thy-neighbors strategy could backfire. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Live updates: US closes its embassy in Kuwait as Iran war escalates Trump says he wants to be involved in picking Iran’s next leader as war ripples across the region Meet Pedro Sánchez, Europe’s most vocal critic of Trump’s attacks on Iran Last 2 names of 6 US soldiers who died in Kuwait attack identified by the Pentagon Iranian warship sunk by the US was sailing home after taking part in an exhibition hosted by India WATCH: GOP senator and police drag Marine veteran protesting Iran war out of Senate hearing   Iranian officers flee Lebanon   Black smoke billows from an Israeli air strike Wednesday on an alleged pro-Iranian Hezbollah target in southern Beirut. Photo: Marwan Naamani/picture alliance via Getty Images Several dozen Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officers have fled Beirut over the past 48 hours, fearing they'll be targeted, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. Why it matters: The IRGC has maintained a significant presence in Lebanon for more than 40 years, dating to its first deployment there in 1982. Keep reading.

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Strikes in Iran

Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran's capital of Tehran overnight, lighting up the sky with fiery explosions seen on video shared widely online. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the US-Israeli bombing campaign will only escalate, claiming it is "totally demolishing the enemy far ahead of schedule." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also warned Thursday that Iran is making a "bad miscalculation" if it thinks the US will slow strikes. Meanwhile, Iranian retaliatory attacks appear to be declining — ballistic missile strikes have fallen by 90% and drone attacks by 83%, according to US Central Command — potentially easing pressure on Gulf states that have faced Iranian strikes in recent days.

MORE: Here's how much the war with Iran is expected to cost every day

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From Karachi to Beirut, Khamenei’s death sends shockwaves across the Shiite world

BEIRUT (AP) — The killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes over the weekend did not just shake Iran. It has reverberated across the Shiite Muslim world, raising the specter of a broader backlash in the Middle East and beyond.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-strikes-shiite-lebanon-pakistan-iraq-israel-e3d7546954143b0e9cb96c09ff24065f?

Purim parties shift to bomb shelters as Israelis celebrate under Iran war threat

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Purim holiday is usually marked with boisterous street parades and costume parties to celebrate the Jewish victory over an ancient Persian ruler. This year, the celebrations moved into fortified bomb shelters as the country wages war against Iran’s modern-day leaders.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-purim-celebrations-iran-war-ed3a887019750abbfe6e885e65174954?