Day five of US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s regime: Military infrastructure pounded as regional conflict escalates

2026-03-04 - 20:44

The military conflict between Iran’s regime, the United States, and Israel has entered its fifth day on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. This follows four days of unprecedented strikes that eliminated the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, targeted top military commanders, and damaged critical nuclear and military infrastructure, including the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant and ballistic missile production sites. On Tuesday, the regime also targeted Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in neighboring Iraq. As the war widens, Wednesday saw the US and Israel launching broad scale strikes on regime targets in the capital and across multiple provinces, while the Iranian regime continued to aim its retaliatory strikes at US diplomatic and military sites, as well as civilian areas in neighboring Gulf states. Roundup: Key highlights of today’s events Widespread airstrikes on regime targets: The Israel military announced broad-scale strikes on security and military headquarters in Tehran, while heavy explosions were reported in Tabriz, Qazvin, Shiraz, Isfahan, and other cities. Regime ships destroyed: US Central Command announced it has struck or sunk more than 20 Iranian ships. The US torpedoed the regime’s IRIS Dena warship in the Indian Ocean, resulting in at least 80 deaths. Attacks on US bases and allies: The regime launched ballistic missiles at the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar and struck the US consulate in Dubai with a drone. Intercepted regime projectiles in Kuwait resulted in the death of an 11-year-old girl. Succession speculation: Reports indicate Mojtaba Khamenei survived the strikes that killed his father, while the regime has delayed public mourning ceremonies for the slain Supreme Leader. Mounting casualties: Regime channels report that the death toll from the ongoing conflict has now surpassed 1,000. Global fallout: The European Union’s top diplomat stated Iran’s regime is making a case for its own demise, while Turkey prepares for a potential influx of up to 90,000 migrants fleeing the country. Widespread airstrikes target regime military and security sites On Wednesday morning, Israel and the United States escalated their bombardment of the Iranian regime’s military infrastructure. Israel announced it had begun “broad scale strikes” targeting “security headquarters” across Tehran. According to Israeli officials, the strikes hit the headquarters of the Basij as well as missile launch pads, defense systems, and the logistics directorate of the regime’s ground forces. Regime state media and local reports confirmed more than seven or eight heavy explosions largely concentrated in the east, north, northeast, and northwest of Tehran around 1:00 PM local time. Thick smoke engulfed the capital’s skyline, with severe strikes reported around the Qasr-e Firouzeh town, Qods City, Vardavard, and a law enforcement center in Maralan. The strikes were not limited to the capital. In East Azerbaijan province, explosions struck the western industrial zone of Tabriz at 2:00 AM, followed by another strike near the Tabriz airport at 10:49 AM that hit a warehouse. Airstrikes also hit the Alborz industrial city in Qazvin. Regime media acknowledged heavy explosions in the early hours of Wednesday in Shiraz, Isfahan, Khorramdarreh, and Qom. Additionally, military and IRGC bases in Baneh have faced repeated attacks since Wednesday morning. Regime attacks US bases, consulates, and Gulf neighbors In response, the regime has expanded its attacks across the region. On Wednesday morning, the Qatari defense ministry reported that the regime fired two ballistic missiles at Qatar. While one was intercepted, the other struck the US air base at Al Udeid, the largest American base in the region. No casualties were reported. In the UAE, the US consulate in Dubai was struck by a regime drone on Tuesday evening. Authenticated footage showed the consulate compound in flames, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the drone hit a parking lot next to the chancellery building but stated all personnel were accounted for, noting that US diplomatic facilities are “under direct attack from a terrorist regime.” Neighboring Kuwait has also been drawn into the crossfire. The Kuwaiti military announced it intercepted and destroyed multiple hostile aerial targets on Wednesday morning. A Kuwaiti Ministry of Health spokesperson confirmed that an 11-year-old girl was killed and four of her family members were hospitalized after shrapnel from an intercepted projectile fell on their home. This follows earlier reports from the US government identifying four of six service members killed in a prior drone strike on a Kuwaiti port. Prior to Wednesday’s events, on Tuesday, March 3, the IRGC launched waves of drone attacks targeting the bases of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) in Koya (Koysanjaq), Iraqi Kurdistan. While the IRGC’s PR claimed to have launched 30 drones at “hostile groups,” the regime’s Student News Network claimed the IRGC fired 230 drones across Iraqi Kurdistan and Kuwait. The strikes on the PDKI bases resulted in no casualties. The National Council of Iranian Sunnis condemned the attack on the PDKI’s Camp Liberty. Naval clashes and the Strait of Hormuz The conflict has taken a massive toll on the regime’s naval capabilities. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Wednesday that it has “struck or sunk” more than 20 Iranian regime ships. Among these was the IRIS Dena, an Iranian warship that was torpedoed by the US in international waters in the Indian Ocean. According to Sri Lanka’s navy, which responded to a distress call from the vessel, 32 people were rescued, while 87 bodies were recovered. A regime official cited by domestic media claimed at least 80 people were killed in the strike on the warship. In the Gulf, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported an “unknown projectile” struck a ship off the coast of Fujairah, UAE, causing damage. Regime media also claimed another vessel was targeted and burning while crossing the Strait of Hormuz. In response to the regime’s attempts to block the critical waterway, US President Donald Trump stated that the US Navy may begin escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Succession speculation and the regime’s internal crisis Following the death of regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, internal chaos is gripping the regime. State media announced that public mourning ceremonies for Khamenei, whose body was due to go on display in Tehran today, have been delayed. Meanwhile, Reuters and the regime’s Mehr news agency reported that Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, survived the strikes and is reportedly “overseeing matters” and managing affairs. When asked about Mojtaba potentially succeeding his father, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated officials would “wait and see,” reiterating that the US wants freedom and democracy for the Iranian people. Israel has explicitly vowed to kill anyone appointed to the position of Supreme Leader. Leavitt further emphasized that the US aims to “permanently extinguish” the regime’s nuclear ambitions, stating that the regime’s leaders are “paying in blood” for their actions and violence. Faced with a rapidly rising death toll—which regime-affiliated Telegram channels now place at 1,045—the regime’s officials are issuing threats against the Iranian public to prevent uprisings. Ali Larijani, an advisor to Khamenei, appeared on state television demanding forces to “fire at will” to silence internal “mercenaries.” Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of the regime’s judiciary, announced that his forces are working closely with the military and that their “seriousness has increased.” Vice President Mohammad Mokhber also reiterated that the regime has “no intention of negotiating with the US.” The Ministry of Defense’s spokesperson claimed that every commander has up to three deputies to prevent any “vacuum.” Global reactions and regional spillover The conflict continues to ripple outward. The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, stated on Wednesday that Iran’s regime is “making a strong case for its own demise” and accused Tehran of trying to “sow chaos and set the region on fire.” Turkey is currently bracing for the fallout. Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci announced that Ankara has drawn up contingency plans and prepared the capacity to host up to 90,000 migrants fleeing the regime, including setting up buffer zones and tent camps. Ciftci noted that the Iranian regime is currently restricting its own citizens from leaving the country. Meanwhile, Cyprus clarified that its airspace remains open after a “possible suspicious object” caused a brief holding pattern for flights at Larnaca airport. The spillover in Lebanon also continues to intensify. Following Hezbollah rocket launches at northern Israel, Israeli airstrikes hit new targets in Lebanon, including a direct hit on a hotel in Beirut’s Hazmieh district and buildings in the Bekaa Valley city of Baalbek, killing at least four people. Urgent evacuation orders have forced thousands to flee their homes in southern Lebanon.