March 03, 2026 : The conflict in West Asia has intensified sharply, with Iran and joint Israeli-US forces launching fresh waves of missile and drone attacks across the region.
Iranian-backed militias targeted American assets in Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several senior officials. In response, Israel and the United States carried out strikes on dozens of sites in Tehran, focusing on Iranian military and intelligence installations.
Speaking at the White House, US President Donald Trump said the objective of the operation is to dismantle Iran’s missile capabilities, destroy its naval assets and ensure that Tehran never acquires a nuclear weapon. In a separate interview, Mr Trump indicated that a larger wave of action could follow and did not rule out the deployment of US ground troops if deemed necessary.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the most severe phase of military action is still ahead and described the next stage as potentially more punishing for Iran. He added that the operation would ultimately make the world a safer place.
At a Pentagon briefing, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that more than 1,250 targets were struck within the first 48 hours. The US military confirmed that B-2 stealth bombers were used to hit Iranian ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the city of Beit Shemesh, where he met residents affected by a missile strike from Tehran. He described the ongoing campaign, named Operation Roaring Lion, as a necessary effort to counter what he called existential threats to Israel, as well as broader threats to the United States and global security.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that the deaths of its supreme leader and other senior officials would not weaken the country but strengthen its resolve. It warned that its adversaries would no longer be safe anywhere in the world.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed Revolutionary Guards General Majid Ebnelreza as acting defence minister after his predecessor was killed in the Israeli-US strikes.
The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence reported that its air defence systems intercepted nine ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles and 148 drones in a single day. Since the start of the Iranian attacks, the UAE said it has detected 174 ballistic missiles aimed at its territory, of which 161 were destroyed and 13 fell into the sea. It also reported detecting 689 Iranian drones, intercepting 645, while 44 landed within the country.
Separately, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi alleged that more than 160 young girls were killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on a primary school.
