Donald Trump told reporters on Monday night that “you will be finding out very soon” what will happen next in Iran, just hours after a pair of drones struck the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, Trump warned Tehran that the biggest strikes are yet to come as the US and Israel traded blows with Iran for a third day.
The US president said he expected the fighting to go on for around four weeks.
“We haven’t even started hitting them hard,” he bragged in comments to CNN on Monday. “The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon.”
In his first public comments since attacking Iran on Saturday, the president told reporters at the White House that the US was prepared to fight on for “far longer” than planned if necessary to decisively stop the regime from building missiles and getting a nuclear weapon. He said earlier it was the “last, best chance” to strike Tehran.
The president also refused to rule out putting boots on the ground as the Pentagon insisted the US was not veering into another “endless war” in the desert.
Trump told the New York Post: “I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it ... I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ [or] ‘if they were necessary.'”
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Trump-Iran latest: Key Points
- Iran refuses to negotiate with the US
- At least 165 killed in strike on girls' primary school in Iran, authorities say
- Israel says it killed Hezbollah intelligence HQ head
- Sixth US service member dies, US Central Command says
- Trump lays out four 'clear' objectives for conflict
- Donald Trump refuses to rule out putting boots on the ground in Iran
US military blows up Iranian ship in Gulf of Oman
03:01 , Shaheena Uddin'Iran is 50 North Koreas,' Netanyahu says before claiming Israel and the U.S. never target civilians
02:44 , Graig GraziosiIsrael’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that the strikes against Iran were necessary to stop the country to developing nuclear weapons, and pointed to North Korea as an example of why he felt the attack was needed.
“I mean, look, nobody stopped North Korea, so they now have ballistic missles and nuclear war heads, but they don’t say ‘Death to America.’ Iran is 50 North Koreas. Iran is committed to your destruction,” he said.
In 2013, North Koreans did chant "death to the U.S. imperialists" during a rally in Kim Il Sung Square, Pyongyang.
Netanyahu, who has directed what Amnesty International, the United Nations, and numerous humanitarian organizations have described as a “genocide” against Palestinians, then told Hannity that the difference between the U.S. and Israel and Tehran is that the Iranians “target civilians.”
“We in Israel and America target mass terrorists,” he said.
Netanyahu says he believes peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia would be "very close" following regime change in Iran
02:35 , Graig GraziosiIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he believes that peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia “would be really possible” and would be “probably very close” if his government and the U.S. can replace Iran’s government.
“So this is a gateway for peace, for a broader peace, and I believe that we can achieve it,” he said.
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was struck on Monday by a pair of drones in what is believed to be a retaliatory attack. A shelter in place order for Americans in the kingdom’s major cities has been issued by the embassy.
Dubai blitzed: Before and after shots show impact of Iranian strikes on UAE
02:34 , James Reynolds Netanyahu says there will be no 'endless war' in Iran
02:29 , Graig GraziosiDuring an interview on Fox News’ Hannity, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted there would be no “endless war” in Iran.
“You’re not going to have an endless war because ... the terror regime in Iran is at the weakest point that it has been since it hijacked Iran from the brave Iranian people 47 years ago,” Netanyahu said. “So this is going to be a quick and decisive action, and we’re going to create the conditions, first for the Iranian people to get control of their destiny, to form their own democratically elected government.”
He said that he believes if Israel and President Donald Trump are left to do what they want in the region that the conflict will not be an “endless war.”
Trump has previously said that he predicts the conflict will last several weeks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells Hannity that action 'had to be taken now' or it could never be taken
02:18 , Graig GraziosiDuring an interview on Hannity, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the broadcaster that action ‘had to be taken’ to strike Iran.
“If no action was taken now then no action could be taken in the future. And then they could target America, they could blackmail America, They could threaten us and everyone in between, so action had to be taken,” Netanyahu said. “And you needed a resolute president like Donald J Trump to take that action.”
He insisted that failing to attack Iran would have allowed the government to obtain nuclear capabilities and hinder future attempts at military strikes.
“We had to take the action now, and we did. Otherwise the Iranian mass murder regime would have immunity from future action,” Netanyahu insisted.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells Sean Hannity attack on Iran 'wouldn't happen without the leadership of President Trump'
02:11 , Graig GraziosiIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on Fox News’ Hannity on Monday night and said that the strikes on Iran would not have happened without President Donald Trump’s “leadership.”
“We work together and amazing things happen. But I have to tell you that it wouldn’t happen without the leadership of President Trump,” Netanyahu told Hannity regarding the military strikes.
He recalled meeting with Trump in Mar-a-Lago before his election and discussing Iran and the nation’s nuclear program.
“The first thing that Donald Trump said to me, he said, ‘you know, we have to prevent Iran from getting nukes,’” Netanyahu said. “And so he said to me, right off the bat ... we have to make sure they never get the nukes.”
ICYMI: Iran will fire on any ship trying to pass Strait of Hormuz
02:00 , James ReynoldsAn Iranian Revolutionary Guards senior official said on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and Iran will fire on any ship trying to pass.
"The strait (of Hormuz) is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze," Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the Guards commander-in-chief, said in remarks carried by state media.
The strait is the world's most vital oil export route, which connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Trump says Americans will be 'finding out very soon' what will happen next in Iran
01:42 , Graig GraziosiOn Monday night, President Donald Trump told reporters that Americans “will be finding out very soon” what will happen next in Iran.
“We’re doing a lot of damage. We’re inflicting tremendous damage on them,” he told reporters.
When asked who was in charge of Iran in the wake of the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khemenei, Trump reportedly replied that “you’ll be finding out very soon.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirms that U.S. struck Iran because Israel was planning to attack
01:33 , Graig GraziosiSecretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday evening that Trump officials felt attacking Iran was necessary because Israel was planning its own attack, and that there “absolutely was an imminent threat” to U.S. personnel in the region.
“The imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked, and we believed they would be attacked, that they would immediately come after us,” Rubio told reporters.
He said that regardless of whether the U.S. or Israel conducted an attack, "[Iran was] going to respond against the U.S.," and described Trump’s attack as the U.S. going “proactively in a defensive way to prevent [Iran] from inflicting higher damage.”
“We were not going to sit there and absorb a blow before we responded,” he said.
Earlier on Monday House Speaker Mike Johnson gave a similar comment to reporters.
“Because Israel was determined to act with or without the U.S., our commander in chief and the administration and the officials ... had to evaluate the threats to the U.S., to our troops, to our installations, to our assets in the region and beyond,” Johnson said.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans don’t believe Trump has a clear plan
01:33 , James ReynoldsA wide majority of Americans do not believe the White House has a clear plan for the future of the U.S. conflict with Iran, a dynamic possibly exacerbated by statements made by President Donald Trump and his closest allies on the issue.
As many as six in ten respondents to a survey published on Monday said that the president lacked “a clear plan for handling the situation”.
More than half of Americans (54 percent) also believe, according to CNN’s poll, that the conflict will end with Iran remaining a continued or greater threat to American interests.
Here’s how the Iran crisis has split America:
Nearly two-thirds of Americans don’t believe Trump has a clear plan for Iran
WATCH: Marco Rubio sends message to Americans in the Middle East
01:15 , Graig GraziosiRepublicans say Trump is 'keeping Americans safe' after six service members killed in Iran retaliation
01:05 , Graig GraziosiThe officials Republican Party X account shared an image on Monday proclaiming that President Donald Trump is “Keeping Americans Safe.”
The image was shared the same day that U.S. officials confirmed that now six American service members have been killed by Iran’s retaliatory strikes against U.S. allies and facilities in the Middle East.
President Trump's leadership is keeping our country SAFE! pic.twitter.com/VQUiCw4HL5
— GOP (@GOP) March 2, 2026
U.S. embassy in Riyadh advises Americans in Saudi Arabia shelter in place
01:04 , Graig GraziosiThe U.S. embassy in Riyadh issued a post on X saying it has issued a shelter in place order for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran.
“We recommend American citizens in the Kingdom to shelter in place immediately,” the embassy said.
Earlier on Monday a pair of drones struck the embassy and caused minor damage and a fire at the site.
Comment: For Donald Trump, Operation Epic Fury will go down as an epic fail
01:01 , James ReynoldsWith America’s unwise excursion into Iran now threatening to engulf the wider Middle East, nothing can spare the president from the worst decision he has ever made, says Sean O’Grady:
For Donald Trump, Operation Epic Fury will go down as an epic fail
Saudi officials say U.S. embassy in Riyadh hit by two drones
00:53 , Graig GraziosiOfficials in Saudi Arabia confirmed to Al Jazeera that the U.S. embassy in Riyadh caught on fire after a pair of drones struck the facility. They said that the building sustained only “minor” damage.
“The US Embassy in Riyadh was subjected to an attack by two drones according to initial estimates, resulting in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building,” a spokesperson for the Defense Ministry told the outlet.
Iranian-Americans fear for relatives in their homeland as war continues
00:50 , Graig GraziosiMany in the Iranian-American diaspora spent the weekend glued to their televisions, watching news of U.S. and Israeli bombs falling on Iran, some clinging to hopes of a brighter future for their motherland but terrified their relatives might suffer from the collateral damage of war.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who for decades ruled the country while violently crushing dissent, was killed early in the attack. In the United States, many celebrated, some taking to the streets to cheer the toppling of the man they considered a tyrant.
“We are happy, we are happy that he is gone and he can’t kill our innocent people anymore,” said Ava Farhadi, 33, an electrical engineer in Indiana. In January, Farhadi’s family participated in protests against the government, which were met with a brutal crackdown by the regime.
READ MORE:
Iranian-Americans fear for relatives in their homeland as war continues
House Speaker Mike Johnson says Iran attack was a defensive action that prevented 'staggering' U.S. casualties
00:35 , Graig GraziosiOn Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said that President Donald Trump’s attack on Iran was a defensive move meant to prevent a “staggering” number of U.S. casualties.
“Israel was determined to act in their own defense here, with or without American support,” he said. “Israel faced what they deemed to be an existential threat. Iran was building missiles at a radical, and at a rapid clip, to the point where our allies in the region could not keep up, as you know, Iran, has, long vowed to take out Israel, wipe it off the map.”
“Because Israel was determined to act with or without the U.S., our commander in chief and the administration and the officials ... had to evaluate the threats to the U.S., to our troops, to our installations, to our assets in the region and beyond,” Johnson said. “If Iran had begun to fire all of their missile arsenal – short and mid-range missiles – at our personnel and our assets and our installations, we would have suffered staggering losses, and if we had waited to respond before acting first, then those losses would have been far greater than if we had done what we did. That was their decision.”
He said that he is “convinced that [Trump officials] did the right thing.”
Recap: State Dept tells US citizens to flee Middle Eastern countries
00:32 , James ReynoldsThe U.S. Department of State on Monday called on Americans to immediately depart more than a dozen countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Mora Namdar, the State Department's assistant secretary for consular affairs, said U.S. citizens should leave using available commercial transportation "due to safety risks."
The advisory applies to Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, announced earlier on Monday that its personnel had departed the site "due to a threat."
The U.S. State Department has also activated an inter-agency emergency task force to manage the situation and coordinate the United States' response to the conflict, a U.S. official said.
UAE confirms it is dealing with a 'barrage of ballistic missiles' sent from Iran
00:24 , Graig GraziosiThe United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry issued a social media post saying that its air defense are “dealing with a barrage of ballistic missiles coming from Iran.”
تتعامل حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية مع رشقة من الصواريخ البالستية القادمة من إيران.
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) March 2, 2026
وتؤكد وزارة الدفاع الجاهزية التامة للتعامل مع كافة التهديدات لضمان حماية أراضي الدولة وسلامة المواطنين والمقيمين.#وزارة_الدفاع #وزارة_الدفاع_الإماراتية#MOD#UAEMinistryOfDefence pic.twitter.com/rm5hIWK5vJ
Trump takes aim at Democrats over Iran backlash
00:13 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump directed his ire towards Democrats in his latest post, amid growing backlash over the burgeoning conflict with Iran:
Explosion reported at US embassy in Riyadh
00:01 , James ReynoldsA fire has broken out at the US embassy in Riyadh following a blast, two sources told Reuters.
Full story: Trump says an Iran with nuclear weapons would be ‘intolerable threat’ to US in first public comments
00:01 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump said on Monday the United States was continuing “large scale combat operations” in Iran and made his first public efforts at justifying his decision to unilaterally send American forces into battle without Congressional authorization.
He claimed the Iranian nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs would have presented “a very clear, colossal threat to America” by shielding the former with the latter.
Read the full story here:
Trump says nuclear Iran would have been ‘intolerable threat’ to US
'Unacceptable' for US to follow Israel into war, says Joaquin Castro
Monday 2 March 2026 23:36 , James ReynoldsAddressing Marco Rubio’s comments on why Trump attacked Iran from earlier today, Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro says: “Secretary Rubio's remarks indicate that Israel put U.S. forces in harm's way by insisting on attacking Iran. And the administration was complicit—joining their war instead of talking them down.”
He says: “This is unacceptable of the President, and unacceptable of a country that calls itself our ally.”
Recap: Rubio suggests US attacked Iran because Israel was already going to strike
Monday 2 March 2026 23:30 , James ReynoldsMarco Rubio said on Monday that the US ‘pre-emptively’ attacked Iran on Saturday to protect US forces from retaliation as Israel was already preparing to strike.
He told reporters: “There absolutely was an imminent threat. And the imminent threat was, that we knew that if Iran was attacked, and we believed that they [the Iranians] would be attacked, that they [Iran] would immediately come after us. And we were not going to sit there and absorb a blow before we responded.”
He added: “We knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”
UAE facing new onslaught from Iran: defence ministry
Monday 2 March 2026 23:27 , James ReynoldsThe defence ministry in the United Arab Emirates reports the country is facing a new barrage of ballistic missiles incoming from Iran.
Sirens sounding across Israel, IDF reports
Monday 2 March 2026 23:04 , James ReynoldsThe IDF says that sirens are currently sounding across Israel.
Watch: Trump says an Iran with nuclear weapons would be 'intolerable threat' to US
Monday 2 March 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsCyprus won't rule out renegotiating Britain's base use after drone attack
Monday 2 March 2026 22:43 , James ReynoldsCyprus refused to rule out renegotiating Britain’s use of airbases on the island following a drone attack in Akrotiri on Monday.
“There was no clear clarification that the British bases in Cyprus would under no circumstances be used for any purpose other than humanitarian reasons in Sunday’s statement by the UK Prime Minister,” said government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis.
“All necessary steps will be taken to communicate our dissatisfaction, both with the way this message was communicated and the fact that yesterday there was no timely warning to citizens of Cyprus living near the Akrotiri bases,” he told reporters.
The PM said that the UK believes the drone was launched before he allowed the US to use the base for specific, defensive purposes - and that Iran or its proxies did not attack the base in retaliation over the move.
But asked whether Cyprus would seek to renegotiate the status of the bases, Letymbiotis said: “In this context, we are not ruling anything out.”
Recap: Trump says Starmer 'took far too long' to change his mind
Monday 2 March 2026 22:38 , James ReynoldsUS president Donald Trump said it took Sir Keir Starmer “far too long” to allow the US to use British bases to support its conflict with Iran.
The UK initially denied the US permission to strike Iran from British bases, citing international law. The PM later said he would let Trump use Diego Garcia for “specific and limited defensive purposes”.
“That’s probably never happened between our countries before,” Trump told The Telegraph.
“It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”
Israel claims strikes on Iranian broadcaster hub
Monday 2 March 2026 22:25 , James ReynoldsMinutes after two major explosions were reported around Iran’s state broadcaster complex, Israel took responsibility.
Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson, wrote on social media: “The Defense Army has just destroyed the media and propaganda center affiliated with the Iranian terrorist regime.”
He said Israeli forces launched airstrikes “targeting objectives affiliated with the Iranian terrorist regime”.
“Air Force aircraft dropped dozens of munitions and destroyed the media and propaganda center affiliated with the Iranian terror regime,” he added.
Two major explosions around Iran's state broadcaster complex
Monday 2 March 2026 22:16 , James ReynoldsIranian state media is reporting that there have been two major explosions around the complex belonging to Iran’s state broadcaster.
It was not immediately clear what had caused the explosions.
Strait of Hormuz NOT closed, reports Fox News
Monday 2 March 2026 22:14 , James ReynoldsUS Central Command is contesting Iran’s claims that the vital Strait of Hormuz is closed, according to a Fox News reporter.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander said earlier on Monday that the Strait has been closed and Iran is to set any ship trying to pass on fire, Iranian media reported.
CENTCOM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Americans urged to leave Middle East immediately as tensions escalate
Monday 2 March 2026 22:09 , James ReynoldsThe US state department is urging Americans to leave the Middle East immediately by commercial means, citing serious safety risks.
Iran crisis could see major delays in international trade, says legal expert
Monday 2 March 2026 22:04 , James ReynoldsAlexander Freeman, partner and shipping specialist at British law firm Hill Dickinson, said the crisis is already having an impact on trade.
“We are now seeing the practical effects of a de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, despite the absence of any lawful shutdown under international law,” he said.
He assessed that trade may be unsafe even if permissible, meaning transit times could increase by up to two weeks as ships re-route from Asia to Europe and the US around the Cape of Good Hope.
He added: “With hundreds of vessels now stranded or rerouting, war‑risk premiums rising sharply, and insurers reassessing their exposure, the allocation of risk is shifting hour by hour.
“Given the increasing difficulty of establishing effective communication with ports and counterparties in the region, and the prospect that certain port nominations may now fail safe‑port warranties, the industry faces a rapidly evolving legal landscape in which contractual rights, operational judgments, and insurance considerations must be continually reassessed.”
Israel warns Tehran residents to immediately evacuate
Monday 2 March 2026 21:39 , James ReynoldsAvichay Adraee, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson, has issued a warning to residents of Tehran, telling them to “immediately evacuate” ahead of Israeli strikes.
Writing in Arabic, he says Israeli forces “will operate in the coming hours just as they did in recent days in various parts of Tehran to target military infrastructure belonging to the Iranian regime”.
He warns: “Your presence in this area puts your lives at risk.”
All the US assets employed in the conflict so far
Monday 2 March 2026 21:31 , James ReynoldsUS Central Command listed all the US military assets employed in the first 48 hours of conflict with Iran on Monday. These were:
BREAKING: Israel issues Tehran residents with evacuation order
Monday 2 March 2026 21:20 , James ReynoldsThe Israeli military issued late on Monday an evacuation warning for Tehran residents, especially those located near the headquarters of Iran's state broadcaster IRIB.
Rubio says US not poised to invade Iran
Monday 2 March 2026 21:19 , James ReynoldsMarco Rubio says the US is not currently postured for ground forces to invade Iran.
Speaking to reporters live, the US secretary of state echoes Trump in saying the hardest hits are still yet to come.
He voices support for regime change - though experts have said today the US will struggle to topple the regime without a strong opposition in the country or an invasion [see: 20:00].
He maintains that the main objective of the US mission is to destroy Iran's ballistic missile capability and ensure it cannot have a nuclear weapon.
Six US personnel killed in conflict with Iran
Monday 2 March 2026 21:13 , James ReynoldsThe US military has announced the deaths of another two US service members killed in the conflict with Iran.
“U.S. forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran's initial attacks in the region,” Central Command posted on social media.
“Major combat operations continue. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification.”
Israeli military issues evacuation warning for Lebanon
Monday 2 March 2026 21:04 , Shaheena UddinThe Israeli military has issued an evacuation warning on Monday for several towns in Lebanon, signalling an imminent strike.
Israel launched heavy airstrikes earlier on Monday on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut and more widely in Lebanon in response to a Hezbollah drone and rocket strike, killing 52 people and wounding more than 150, according to a Lebanese health ministry official.
Dubai blitzed: Before and after shots show impact of Iranian strikes on UAE
Monday 2 March 2026 21:03 , James Reynolds Watch: First Lady Melania Trump pays respects to injured troops and hopes for peace at UN meeting
Monday 2 March 2026 21:00 , Shaheena UddinAround 10 per cent of global container ships caught in Gulf of Hormuz backup, CEO says
Monday 2 March 2026 20:22 , Shaheena UddinContainer ships account for roughly 100 of the 750 ships backed up around the Strait of Hormuz following US and Israeli attacks on Iran, Jeremy Nixon, CEO of container carrier Ocean Network Express (ONE), said on Monday.
"About 10 per cent of the container ship global fleet is caught up in this," Mr Nixon said at a container shipping industry conference in Long Beach, California.
Maritime insurers stopped voyages through the strait between Iran and Oman, which carries around one-fifth of oil consumed globally as well as large quantities of gas, as Iran retaliated against U.S. and Israeli strikes.
Iran's foreign minister calls for pressure on US for strikes
Monday 2 March 2026 20:18 , Shaheena UddinIran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has called for Middle Eastern nations to pressure the US for striking Iran.
In statements to Iran's State TV, Araqchi claimed on Monday that Tehran was not at war with its neighbours.
Strait of Hormuz closed and Iran to set on fire any ship trying to pass, commander says
Monday 2 March 2026 20:14 , Shaheena UddinIran's Revolutionary Guards commander said on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed and Iran is to set any ship trying to pass on fire, Iranian media reported.
The decision follows the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by an Israeli strike. This move would threaten to choke a fifth of global oil flows and send crude prices sharply higher.
Freedom for Iranians will come 'sooner than later', Israel's envoy to the UN says
Monday 2 March 2026 20:10 , James ReynoldsIsrael’s envoy to the UN says that freedom for Iranians will come “sooner than later”.
Danny Danon says in an address that Israel will do whatever is necessary to ensure Iran does not have nuclear capabilities.
He says the operation will last “as long as it takes”, and says Israel hopes there will ultimately be a new leadership in Iran.
Oman's foreign minister says he had a 'good' phone call with IAEA director
Monday 2 March 2026 20:06 , Shaheena UddinOman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on Monday that he had a "good" phone call with Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"His engagement in the Iran-U.S. negotiation is informative and constructive," he shared in a post on X.
I just had a good call with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. His engagement in the Iran US negotiation is informative and constructive. I thanked him for his important contribution. I am only sorry we were not able to have those technical discussions in Vienna today as was…
— Badr Albusaidi - بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) March 2, 2026
Are you in the region and have you been affected?
Monday 2 March 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsIf you have been affected while in the region and would like to have your story heard, get in touch:
james.reynolds@independent.co.uk
US claims strikes on 1,250 targets in three days
Monday 2 March 2026 19:53 , James ReynoldsThe US military said on Monday that it has struck over 1,250 targets in Iran since operations started on Saturday.
In a separate statement, the US military's Central Command said it had struck and destroyed 11 Iranian ships.
The full story: Middle East chaos spreads as death toll from Trump’s war with Iran grows
Monday 2 March 2026 19:30 , James ReynoldsThe war in the Middle East continued to escalate Monday, with multiple countries dragged into the growing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.
The US and Israel has continued to pound Iran following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over the weekend, with president Donald Trump warning the worst is yet to come.
“We haven’t even started hitting them hard,” he told CNN. “The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon.”
Here’s how Monday unfolded, on the third day of the burgeoning crisis in Iran:
Middle East chaos spreads as death toll from Trump’s war with Iran grows
Watch: US unleashes B-1 heavy bombers to strike 'deep inside Iran'
Monday 2 March 2026 19:01 , James ReynoldsKuwait says soldier killed during an 'operation'
Monday 2 March 2026 18:52 , James ReynoldsThe Kuwaiti army said a navy soldier was killed on Monday during an "operation" by the Gulf country's armed forces.
The army did not provide details on the circumstances of the soldier's death.
The full story: Middle East chaos spreads as death toll from Trump’s war with Iran grows
Monday 2 March 2026 18:45 , James ReynoldsThe war in the Middle East continued to escalate Monday, with multiple countries dragged into the growing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.
The US and Israel has continued to pound Iran following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over the weekend, with president Donald Trump warning the worst is yet to come.
“We haven’t even started hitting them hard,” he told CNN. “The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon.”
Here’s how Monday unfolded, on the third day of the burgeoning crisis in Iran:
Middle East chaos spreads as death toll from Trump’s war with Iran grows
Iran crisis could see major delays in international trade, says expert
Monday 2 March 2026 18:31 , James ReynoldsAlexander Freeman, partner and shipping specialist at British law firm Hill Dickinson, said the crisis is already having an impact on trade.
“We are now seeing the practical effects of a de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, despite the absence of any lawful shutdown under international law,” he told The Independent.
He assessed that trade may be unsafe even if permissible, meaning transit times could increase by up to two weeks as ships re-route from Asia to Europe and the US around the Cape of Good Hope.
He added: “With hundreds of vessels now stranded or rerouting, war‑risk premiums rising sharply, and insurers reassessing their exposure, the allocation of risk is shifting hour by hour.
“Given the increasing difficulty of establishing effective communication with ports and counterparties in the region, and the prospect that certain port nominations may now fail safe‑port warranties, the industry faces a rapidly evolving legal landscape in which contractual rights, operational judgments, and insurance considerations must be continually reassessed.”
White House reiterates objectives for Iran conflict
Monday 2 March 2026 18:19 , James ReynoldsIn a lengthy post on social media, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterates Trump’s broad objectives for the conflict with Iran:
Widening hostilities across Middle East putting civilian lives in grave danger, says Red Cross
Monday 2 March 2026 18:16 , James ReynoldsThe widening hostilities across the Middle East is putting civilian lives in grave danger, according to Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
In a statement shared this afternoon, Ms Spoljaric said: “The scale of major military operations flaring across the Middle East risks embroiling the region – and beyond – into another large-scale armed conflict that will overwhelm any humanitarian response.
“Without urgent steps to de-escalate the situation and respect the rules of war, further civilian lives will be lost.”
She stressed the obligation to uphold the rules of war and avoid civilians and civilian infrastructure, like schools.
“Medical personnel and first responders, such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, must be protected in all circumstances and be able to carry out their work safely. All parties must allow and facilitate safe and unrestricted access for impartial humanitarian assistance to reach those in need.”
Former MI6 chief casts doubt on regime change in Iran
Monday 2 March 2026 18:08 , James ReynoldsFormer MI6 chief Sir John Sawers says that the US and Israel appear to have entered a “war of choice” - after Donald Trump said it was the “last, best chance” to strike Tehran.
“It’s always dangerous to use military force when you’re not clear what it is that you want to achieve,” he tells Sky News.
“We’re now in a great deal of uncertainty about what will happen. I don’t, myself, expect a chance of regime [where] some bunch of liberals come to power in Tehran. I think that’s far-fetched and fanciful.”
He suggests the regime still holds physical power in the military and police, able to put down dissent should it emerge. There remains no real opposition or militia, he adds.
He suggests a more pragmatic - but still authoritarian - regime could emerge, adding: “In some ways, where we are now that is the most desirable outcome.”
He said the regime could otherwise spawn a more hardline iteration, which poses a threat to western targets, or could collapse into a “failed state”, with nothing to take its place.
British PM doubtful air strikes alone will dislodge regime
Monday 2 March 2026 18:00 , James ReynoldsKeir Starmer said he did not believe that an attempt to remove Iran's leadership through aerial bombardment without a land invasion would work, which was one reason the UK did not join U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran.
"This government does not believe in regime change from the skies," Starmer told lawmakers on Monday, emphasising that military action needed a lawful basis and a "viable thought-through plan, with an objective that can be achieved."
"They're the principles that I applied to the decision not to get involved in the offensive strikes of the U.S. and Israel."
