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UNITED States and Israeli forces have launched a coordinated campaign of continuous strikes on Iran, targeting missile sites, air defence systems, and command centres, in what a top American commander described as ahead of schedule in the operational plan.
Reuters cite don Wednesday that Tehran has retaliated with missile attacks across Israel and the Gulf, while vowing to appoint a new supreme leader following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the initial strikes.
U.S. Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of Central Command, said 50,000 troops, 200 aircraft, and two aircraft carriers are engaged in “24/8 strikes into Iran from seabed to space and cyberspace,” with additional assets en route.
“My overall operational assessment is that we are ahead of our game plan,” he stated. “In simple terms, we’re focused on shooting things that can shoot us.”
Iran’s air defences have been severely degraded, and its navy has no operational vessels on key waterways after 17 ships were sunk.
Cooper added that more than 2,000 Iranian targets had been struck.
The Israeli military confirmed a broad wave of air strikes on Wednesday, targeting missile launch sites, aerial defences, and control centres, with residents reporting air raid sirens and buildings shaking from intercepted missiles.
The conflict has sent shockwaves through global markets. Oil prices climbed as Tehran blocked shipping and attacked energy facilities, asserting “full control” over the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iran Revolutionary Guards warned vessels not to transit the waterway, claiming to have struck 10 tankers that ignored warnings, though this could not be independently verified.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the Navy could escort oil tankers if necessary, but analysts questioned whether this would curb rising energy prices or prevent further disruptions.
Witnesses in Tehran describe the capital as a “ghost town,” with residents too fearful to access essential services. Firuzeh Seraj, speaking through tears, said: “World, do you see? They are killing us. Hear our voice.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that any new Iranian leader chosen by the council of clerics “is unacceptable” and will be “an unequivocal target for elimination” if they continue to threaten Israel, the United States, and regional stability.
Global responses remain cautious. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described efforts to change Iran’s leadership as “not without risk,” while French President Emmanuel Macron dispatched an aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean to protect maritime traffic but criticised the strikes as being conducted outside international law.
As the war enters its fifth day, over 20,000 flights have been cancelled across the Middle East, with governments scrambling to repatriate stranded travellers.
Safe-haven demand has driven up gold prices and strengthened the U.S. dollar, highlighting the conflict’s immediate impact on global financial and energy markets. - March 4, 2026
