Third day of US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s regime; regional conflict escalates

2026-03-02 - 20:03

The military conflict between Iran’s regime, the United States, and Israel has entered its third day on Monday, March 2, 2026. Following the unprecedented strikes on Saturday, which destroyed the compound of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and confirmed his death alongside top military commanders, the conflict has rapidly spiraled into a full-blown regional war. As the US and Israeli militaries pounded regime targets across multiple provinces for a third consecutive day, the Iranian regime expanded its retaliatory strikes across the Persian Gulf, drawing sharp condemnations and defensive military responses from neighboring Arab states. Roundup: Key highlights of today’s events More senior regime commanders killed: State media confirmed the deaths of several high-ranking armed forces commanders in US strikes. US jets downed in friendly fire: Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly shot down three US fighter jets; all six crew members ejected safely and are stable. Fourth US casualty: A fourth American service member succumbed to injuries sustained in earlier regime attacks. Gulf states under attack: The regime launched massive drone and missile attacks on Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned the regime’s “acts of aggression.” Qatar shoots down regime bombers: Qatari forces shot down two Iranian Su-24 bombers and halted liquefied natural gas production after strikes on its facilities. Trump warns of “big wave”: US President Donald Trump stated the military is hitting the regime hard and that a major offensive is imminent, outlining objectives to destroy the regime’s missile and naval capabilities. Mass evacuations: China evacuated over 3,000 citizens from Iran after a Chinese national was killed in Tehran. Widespread strikes across Iran: Explosions were reported in numerous provinces, with targets including the morality police headquarters in Tehran’s Gisha district. Widespread airstrikes hit regime targets across Iran; more commanders confirmed dead Heavy bombardment of the Iranian regime’s infrastructure continued unabated on Monday. The Israeli military confirmed it is carrying out extensive attacks against targets across Tehran. State media and local sources reported multiple heavy explosions in central, eastern, and western Tehran, as well as in the western city of Hamedan. Video footage on social media showed a series of large explosions and clouds of grey smoke in central Tehran. The strikes have expanded well beyond the capital. Regime-affiliated Telegram channels reported new airstrikes in Tabriz, Ardabil, Zanjan, Karaj, Yazd, Isfahan, and Mahabad. Six specific locations were targeted at dawn in Ardakan, Yazd province. Inside Tehran, the strikes targeted Police Station 137 in the Gisha neighborhood, a known headquarters for the regime’s notorious morality police. The Channel 2 broadcasting tower was also reported to be in a “dangerous condition” following the attacks. Meanwhile, the regime confirmed a new list of casualties among its top military brass. State-run Jamaran reported that several senior commanders of the armed forces were killed in US strikes, including: Maj. Gen. Mohammad Shirazi, Head of the Commander-in-Chief’s Military Office Maj. Gen. Saleh Asadi, Deputy for Intelligence of the Armed Forces General Staff Maj. Gen. Mohsen Darreh Baghi, Deputy for Logistics of the Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Akbar Ebrahimzadeh, Deputy Head of the Commander-in-Chief’s Office Maj. Gen. Gholamreza Rezaeian, Head of the State Security Forces (FARAJA) Intelligence Organization Maj. Gen. Bahram Hosseini Motlaq, Head of Operations Planning of the Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Hasanali Tajik, Head of Logistics of the Armed Forces Additionally, state broadcasters announced the death of Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, the wife of Ali Khamenei. She had been in a coma following the initial strikes on Saturday that killed the supreme leader and other family members. Attempting to project control amid the ongoing decapitation of its leadership, the regime’s second interim Leadership Council meeting was held with President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and Alireza Arafi in attendance. Former parliament speaker Ali Larijani stated on state television, “We were not and are not looking for warmongering, but if a war is imposed on us, we will not let them go.” The widespread chaos has prompted mass evacuations of foreign nationals. China evacuated more than 3,000 of its citizens from Iran following the death of a Chinese citizen in Tehran. Regime escalates attacks on Gulf states; GCC condemns aggression The Iranian regime has aggressively widened its attacks against neighboring Arab states, prompting fierce regional backlash and defense measures. During an emergency video meeting on Sunday, foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—comprising Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait—strongly condemned the regime’s “acts of aggression.” The council stated that all six member nations had been targeted by the Iranian regime since Saturday and affirmed their right to respond and defend their security. Qatar’s defense ministry reported a significant escalation, shooting down two Iranian Su-24 bombers. It marked the first time any country has shot down Iranian aircraft since the conflict began. Qatar also reported that two drones launched from Iran struck a water tank at a power plant in Mesaieed and an energy facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City. Consequently, the state-owned QatarEnergy halted its liquefied natural gas production. Elsewhere in the Gulf, Bahraini air defenses intercepted 70 ballistic missiles and 59 drones launched by Iran in a “new wave of hostile attacks.” Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed five drones near the Prince Sultan airbase near al-Kharj. In the United Arab Emirates, debris fell on a residential area in Ras Al Khaimah after authorities intercepted an incoming drone, marking the first official report of damage in the northernmost emirate. The Arab League Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, also issued a statement condemning the Iranian regime’s attacks against Arab nations. US forces experience friendly fire incident; Trump outlines objectives The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that three American fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses during “active combat” involving Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones. Described as an “apparent friendly fire incident,” CENTCOM confirmed that all six aircrew members ejected safely, were recovered, and are in stable condition. CENTCOM extended its gratitude to Kuwait for its participation in the operation against the regime. Meanwhile, casualties among US forces slightly rose as a fourth service member succumbed to injuries sustained during the regime’s initial attacks. The US embassy in Iraq issued a warning to Americans, ordering all mission personnel to shelter in place and warning citizens not to travel to the country due to the volatile security environment. US President Donald Trump stated that the military is knocking the regime very hard and that operations are going very well. “We haven’t even started hitting them hard, the big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon,” Trump said. Outlining clear objectives for the conflict, Trump stated the US aims to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities, annihilate its Navy, end its nuclear ambitions, and prevent the regime from arming terrorists. Lebanon denounces Hezbollah actions as Israel targets militia The conflict has also severely impacted Lebanon, where the Iranian regime’s main proxy, Hezbollah, continues to launch attacks against Israel. Hezbollah militants fired a volley of rockets at Israel early Monday morning, prompting Israel to bombard the militia’s strongholds outside Beirut and across the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon. The Israeli military stated it had completed a wave of airstrikes targeting senior Hezbollah leaders and dozens of command centers. Following an emergency meeting, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam explicitly rejected any military actions launched from Lebanese territory. Emphasizing that the decision to enter a war lies exclusively with the state, Salam called for a ban on Hezbollah’s military activities, stating the militia had violated Cabinet decisions. In Israel, air-raid sirens blared across central and northern areas as a new round of Iranian ballistic missiles triggered air defenses. Earlier in the afternoon, nearly 20 people were injured by falling shrapnel in the southern Israeli city of Beersheva. Amid the ongoing strikes, all crossings into Gaza have been closed until further notice.