Israel and the US launched what they called a “preemptive strike” against Iran Saturday morning, plunging the region into chaos as Tehran launched counter strikes that also targeted American military bases across the Gulf.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the attack, Iran had confirmed Sunday, after which Alireza Arafi was picked as the interim successor. Arafi has been appointed the jurist member of the temporary leadership council to fulfill the Supreme Leader’s role.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had first announced the strike Saturday that many believed was a long time in making, with the White House stepping up pressure on Tehran over its nuclear programme.
US President Donald Trump described the military action as “massive and ongoing”, and plainly called for a regime change. He urged Iranians to “take over your government” and accused Tehran of working to rebuild its nuclear programme. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only. Iran’s state media said the country was preparing for “a crushing response”.
Stay tuned to ThePrint for the latest developments.
US, Israel strike Iran | LIVE UPDATES
11.43 pm: Graves of Iranian schoolkids—Tehran Times’ gut-wrenching image
English language daily Tehran Times posted a gut-wrenching image on X late Tuesday, of an aerial view of mass graves dug up for “Iranian elementary school children” to be laid to rest.
#BREAKING
Aerial photo showed the number of graves where Iranian elementary school students will be laid to rest. 🖤 pic.twitter.com/PzxrSuueSt— Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) March 2, 2026
10.40 pm: Trump gives a ‘brief update’ on Operation Epic Fury
Arriving in the White House’s East Room for a Medal of Honor ceremony, US President Donald Trump gave a “brief update” on Operation Epic Fury. He said the US military continues to carry out ‘large-scale combat operations’, adding that Iran ignored US warnings and “refused to cease their pursuit of nuclear weapons”.
He said he took the decision to launch the attacked as it was “our last, best chance to strike” and to eliminate the “intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime”.
He also said that the US is already “substantially ahead” of its time projections.
8.27 pm: Khamenei’s wife dies 2 days after him from injuries sustained in US–Israel strikes
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth & Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine hold a press briefing on the Iran conflict at the Pentagon.
“My generation of veterans carried the names of brothers who never came back. Brothers butchered by Iranian backed roadside bombs…We didn’t start this war, but under President Trump we are finishing it,” said Hegseth.
He added: “Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their Ayatollah and his death cult…If you kill Americans, if you threaten Americans anywhere on Earth, we will hunt you down without apology, without hesitation and we will kill you.”
The US defence secretary also said that Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for its nuclear blackmail ambitions.
“Iran had a conventional gun to our head as they tried to lie their way to a nuclear bomb…This is not a so-called regime change war. But the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it.”
Slamming Iran, he added: “Cowardly terrorist tactics from a regime that has for decades has trafficked in cowardly terrorist tactics — lies, death and destruction till this day. Peaceful nuclear ambitions do not need to be buried underneath mountains.”
6.05 pm: Russian buffer for crude, but India’s LPG imports vulnerable as Iran conflict chokes Strait of Hormuz
As the war between Israel-US and Iran escalates, the Strait of Hormuz, a sea passage between Oman and Iran via which passes around 20 percent of the global crude, has once again emerged as a critical chokepoint for global energy flows, threatening to spike oil prices substantially. For India, while crude oil exposure remains significant, its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports face a higher vulnerability.
India imports roughly 80–85 percent of its LPG requirements, with the bulk sourced from Gulf suppliers such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait — almost all of which comes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Sumit Ritolia, lead analyst for refining and modelling at global trade intelligence firm Kpler.
“Unlike crude, India does not maintain large strategic LPG reserves, and terminal storage buffers are comparatively limited,” he told ThePrint. “As a result, while crude disruptions would likely transmit primarily through prices initially, LPG flows could face tighter logistical constraints more quickly,” he said.
Kpler vessel tracking data shows that approximately 2.5–2.7 million barrels per day — about 50 per cent of India’s crude imports — transit the Strait of Hormuz. These volumes largely come from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait.
Last week, ThePrint reported on India’s likely concerns regarding crude supply disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
Over the past few months, India’s reliance on Middle Eastern barrels from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the UAE has risen as Indian refiners pivoted away from Russian volumes, thereby increasing the relative weightage of Gulf crude oil in the import basket to nearly 50 percent. This shift has made India more sensitive to disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
Read Udit Bubna’s report.
5.55 pm: Israel military says it has killed Hezbollah intelligence head in Beirut
A post by Israel Defense Forces on X reads, “ELIMINATED: Hussein Makled, the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters was eliminated in a precise strike in Beirut.”
5.45 pm: Majid Ebnelreza named Iran’s acting defence minister
Iran president has appointed Revolutionary Guards Major General Seyyed Majid Ebn al-Reza as acting defence minister after his predecessor was killed in US-Israel strikes.
5.30 pm: 171 students killed in past 40 hours, says Iranian state media
The IRNA has reported that 171 Iranian students have been killed in the past 40 hours in the “Israeli-American terrorist attacks” on Iran.
The number of casualties from the “Zionists’ brutal attack” on the girls’ elementary school in Minab has reached 168, it added.
5.00 pm: Trump ‘very disappointed’ in Starmer
US President Donald Trump has told The Telegraph in an interview that he is “very disappointed” in UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for blocking him from using Diego Garcia to carry out strikes on Iran. He added that Starmer’s initial refusal to let US forces use the Chagos Islands base was unlike anything that had “happened between our countries before”.
Britain had denied the US permission to conduct strikes from bases such as Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford, citing international law. However, on Sunday, Starmer said he would allow the US access to Diego Garcia for “specific and limited defensive purposes”. Trump said the UK PM “took far too long” to change his mind.
“That’s probably never happened between our countries before,” he told The Telegraph, adding: “It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”
4.50 pm: US Air Force fighter jets ‘mistakenly’ shot down by Kuwait air defences in ‘friendly fire incident’
The US Central Command has said in a statement, “Three US F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident. During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones—the US Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses.”
All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition, it added. “Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation. The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.”
At 11:03 p.m. ET, March 1, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident.
Read more:https://t.co/i2y3Q3vo2E
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 2, 2026
4.30 pm: IRGC claims to have targeted Netanyahu’s office in ‘surprise attack’
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that it targeted Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in “surprise strikes” Monday.
IRGC said in a statement, reported by Fars News Agency, “The office of the criminal prime minister of the Zionist regime and the location of the commander of this regime’s air force were targeted and struck hard by the Iranian Armed Forces in targeted and surprise attacks using Kheibar missiles in the tenth wave [of strikes].”
🔴 سپاه پاسداران: حملات موفق موشکی ایران علیه سرزمینهای اشغالی در موج دهم متمرکز بر پردیس حکومتی رژیم صهیونیستی بوده است. https://t.co/BSnitPfuRR— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) March 2, 2026
3.55 pm: ‘Senior members of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence eliminated,’ says IDF
The Israeli Defense Forces have said that Israel has “eliminated” members of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence. A statement by the IDF named Sayed Yahya Hamidi, Deputy Minister of Intelligence for ‘Israel Affairs’, “who led terrorist activities targeting Jews, Western actors, and regime opponents in Iran and abroad”, along with Jalal Pour Hossein, head of espionage division.
🔴ELIMINATED: Senior members of the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Intelligence.
• Sayed Yahya Hamidi – Deputy Minister of Intelligence for ‘Israel Affairs,’ who led terrorist activities targeting Jews, Western actors, and regime opponents in Iran and abroad.
• Jalal Pour…— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 2, 2026
3.10 pm: Iran nuclear facilities in Natanz attacked by US-Israel, says country’s envoy to IAEA
Iranian envoy to the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has said that the country’s nuclear facilities in Natanz were attacked in the strikes by US and Israel, Reuters reported.
“Again they attacked Iran’s peaceful, safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday,” Reza Najafi told reporters at a meeting of the IAEA’s 35-nation board of governors. Asked by Reuters which facilities were hit, he said, “Natanz”.
2.40 pm: Over 500 killed in Iran since conflict began Saturday
At least 555 have been killed in Iran since the strikes by US & Israel began Saturday, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. The humanitarian group posted in a statement on X that rescue operations, relief efforts, transfer and provision of medical services to the affected people are continuously underway. A total of 131 counties of the country have so far been affected, it added.
متن اطلاعیه شماره ۴ هلالاحمر به شرح زیر است:
▪️ به اطلاع هموطنان گرامی میرساند؛ در پی حملات دشمنان در روزهای اخیر، تاکنون ۱۳۱ شهرستان کشور درگیر حادثه شده است.
— جمعیت هلالاحمر ایران (@Iranian_RCS) March 2, 2026
2.00 pm: Tehran hospital hit amid strikes
Iran state media shares visuals of the damage to Tehran’s Gandhi Hospital and other buildings in its vicinity, which were struck Sunday night amid the US-Israel attack.
The situation at Gandhi Hospital following the US-Israeli attacks on Sunday night. pic.twitter.com/WHHGUGLnGM
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) March 2, 2026
Following a projectile strike in the vicinity of Tehran’s Gandhi Hospital, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of this medical center has sustained serious damage. Several nearby residential buildings have also been damaged on March 1, 2026.https://t.co/FJMHyZcktl pic.twitter.com/wnQadJttzF
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) March 2, 2026
1.45 pm: Aramco refinery shut after drone strike, Reuters reports
1.30 pm: ‘Several’ US aircraft crash in Kuwait, crews safe, says defence ministry
Kuwait’s defence ministry has said in a statement that several US military aircraft crashed in the country Monday morning, while the pilots were evacuated safely.
Quoting a spokesperson of the ministry, the Kuwait military wrote in a statement on X, “He explained that the relevant authorities immediately initiated search and rescue procedures, whereby the crews were evacuated and transferred to the hospital to check on their health status and provide the necessary medical care, noting that their condition is stable. The official spokesperson added that direct coordination was conducted with the friendly US forces regarding the circumstances of the incident, and joint technical measures were taken. He affirmed that the concerned authorities are following up on the investigations to determine the causes of the incident, calling for information to be obtained from its official sources.”
بيان رقم 7
صرّح الناطق الرسمي باسم وزارة الدفاع بأنه في صباح هذا اليوم سقطت عدد من الطائرات الحربية الأمريكية، مؤكداً نجاة أطقمها بالكامل.
وأوضح أن الجهات المختصة باشرت فوراً إجراءات البحث والإنقاذ، حيث تم إخلاء الأطقم ونقلهم إلى المستشفى للاطمئنان على حالتهم الصحية وتقديم… pic.twitter.com/HYX3LGqEX1
— KUWAIT ARMY – الجيش الكويتي (@KuwaitArmyGHQ) March 2, 2026
1.20 pm: ‘India supports resolution of all disputes via dialogue & diplomacy’
Speaking on the West Asia conflict at the joint press conference with Canadian PM Mark Carney in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The current situation in West Asia is a matter of deep concern for us. India supports the resolution of all disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. We will continue to work closely with all countries to ensure the safety of all Indian citizens in the region.”
#WATCH | Delhi: PM Narendra Modi says, "India's position on the many ongoing tensions in the world is clear. We have always called for maintaining peace and stability, and when two democracies stand together, the voice for peace becomes even stronger. The current situation in… pic.twitter.com/lG7FDgPYWe
— ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2026
1.05 pm: Indian stocks in the red
The Indian stock markets saw strong sell-off as trading opened after tensions in West Asia escalated over the weekend. Both Nifty 50 and Sensex are currently trading nearly two percent lower, compared to Friday’s close.
12.30 pm: Explosions reported in Iraq’s Erbil
Explosions have reportedly been heard around the Erbil airport in Iraq, where US forces are stationed.
Al Jazeera reports Iraqi air defences are confronting missiles and drones that tried to target the Erbil airport.
12.15 pm: Mobile internet speeds restricted in Kashmir amid protests over Khamenei killing
Mobile internet speeds have been cut down across Kashmir as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order in the wake of spontaneous protests against the killing of the Iranian supreme leader.
12.00 pm: US F-15 jet ‘shot down’ in Kuwait
Iranian state media has posted a video clip of a purported US F-15 fighter jet dropping to the ground after being ‘shot down in the skies above Kuwait’, quoting local sources.
US F-15 Fighter Jet Downed in Kuwait
According to local sources, a US F-15 fighter jet was shot down in the skies above Kuwait earlier on Monday morning. pic.twitter.com/UIyTkZllEX
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) March 2, 2026
11.50 am: At least 31 dead, 149 injured in Israeli strikes in Lebanon
Israeli forces launched strikes on Lebanon, including capital Beirut Monday, after Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel in retaliation for Khamenei’s killing.
Lebanon’s health ministry has said in a statement that at least 31 people were killed and 149 injured in the strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and parts of southern Lebanon, which are Hezbollah strongholds.
11.40 am: Smoke seen rising from near US embassy in Kuwait, Reuters reports
After multiple rounds of air raid sirens were sounded in Kuwait in the morning, smoke was seen rising from near the US embassy there, Reuters quoted a witness as saying.
11.15 am: Smoke clouds seen near Iran’s Kermanshah airport, explosions reported in Abu Dhabi, reports Al Jazeera
Videos show the aftermath of an attack on Kermanshah city in central Iran, Al Jazeera reports.
Meanwhile, Bahrain has sounded sirens, urging people to keep calm and head to the nearest safe place. Explosions have been reportedly heard in Abu Dhabi.
Al Jazeera has further reported that Israeli military has said Iran has launched more missiles at Israel, and that air defences are operating to intercept the projectiles. Ut has also said that it has begun “striking additional targets” of the Hezbollah armed group, including weapons warehouses, in several areas of Lebanon.
10.45 am: ‘We will not negotiate with the United States’
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, a close aide of slain Supreme Leader Khamenei, has said that Iran will not negotiate with the US. This comes after Trump said that US is ready for talks with Tehran.
In a series of posts on X, Larijani wrote, “Trump plunged the region into chaos with his ‘delusional fantasies’ and now fears more American troop casualties. With his delusional actions, he turned his self-made ‘America First’ slogan into “Israel First” and sacrificed American soldiers for Israel’s power-hungry ambitions… and with new fabrications, it is once again imposing the cost of assassinating its own character on American soldiers and families. Today, the Iranian nation is defending itself. The armed forces of Iran did not initiate the aggression.”
…و با دروغ پردازیهای جدید بار دیگر هزینه کیش شخصیت خود را به سربازان و خانوارهای امریکایی تحمیل میکند.
امروز ملت ایران در حال دفاع از خود است.
نیروهای مسلح ایران تهاجم را آغاز نکردند. ۲/۲— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 2, 2026
10.30 am: Crude surges, stocks slide
Oil prices surged Monday and shares slid as the conflict in the Middle East shows now signs of de-escalation, with investors moving to dollar and gold. Brent jumped 4.5 percent to $76.07 a barrel, though it had briefly topped $82.00 at one stage, while US crude climbed 3.9 percent to $69.59 per barrel, Reuters reported.
“The most immediate and tangible development affecting oil markets is the effective halt of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, preventing 15 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil from reaching markets,” Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy, was quoted by Reuters as saying. “Unless de-escalation signals emerge swiftly, we expect a significant upward repricing of oil.”
10.15 am: US can use British bases for ‘limited defensive purpose’ against Iran
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a video statement Sunday that his country has accepted US’ request to use British bases for defensive strikes against Iranian missiles in storage depots or launchers.
“The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose. We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region,” he said.
Starmer highlighted that Britain was not involved in the joint US-Israel air strikes on Iran and that it would not join further waves of strikes either.
However, he said, Iran had retaliated by launching sustained attacks across the region and its missiles had hit airports and hotels where British citizens were staying. “Our decision that the UK would not be involved with the strikes on Iran was deliberate, not least because we believe that the best way forward for the region and for the world is a negotiated settlement, one in which Iran agrees to give up any aspirations to develop a nuclear weapon,” he said. “But Iran is striking British interests nonetheless, and putting British people at huge risk.”
My update on the situation in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/DvsOVcTDMy
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) March 1, 2026
10.00 am: Interim leadership council meets in Iran
The provisional council constituted to oversee the transition to new leadership after Khamenei’s death held its second meeting, Iran state media reports. Visuals:
The second meeting of the Provisional Leadership Council was held with the presence of President @drpezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei and Alireza A’rafi. pic.twitter.com/yLXEmXQZpv
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) March 2, 2026
09.40 am: Trump grieves deaths of 3 US service members—’there will likely be more’
US President Donald Trump said in a video address Sunday, “We grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.” He also called for prayers for the recovery of five others that have been seriously wounded.
“Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is likely to be more. But we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case,” he added.
US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement Sunday that three service members had been killed and five seriously wounded in ‘Operation Epic Fury’. Information on when and where the casualties occurred was not shared, but these are the first losses on US’ end since the country, along with Israel, launched the attack on Iran Saturday.
09.10 am: ‘Launching of rockets from southern Lebanon an irresponsible & suspicious act’
Earlier Monday morning, Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam had slammed Hezbollah’s missile attack on Israel, saying, “Regardless of the party standing behind it, the launching of rockets from southern Lebanon is an irresponsible and suspicious act that endangers Lebanon’s security and safety and provides Israel with pretexts to continue its attacks on it. We will not allow the country to be dragged into new adventures, and we will take all necessary measures to stop the perpetrators and protect the Lebanese.”
أياً كانت الجهة التي تقف وراءها، فإنّ عملية إطلاق الصواريخ من جنوب لبنان عمل غير مسؤول ومشبوه، ويعرّض امن لبنان وسلامته للخطر ويمنح اسرائيل الذرائع لمواصلة اعتداءاتها عليه.
لن نسمح بجر البلاد إلى مغامرات جديدة، وسنتخذ كل الإجراءات اللازمة لتوقيف الفاعلين وحماية اللبنانيين.— Nawaf Salam نواف سلام (@nawafsalam) March 2, 2026
08.45 am: Israel strikes Beirut
Israel has carried out over a dozen airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, after the Iran-backed group launched missiles and drones towards Israel to Supreme Leader Khamenei’s death. People were seen fleeing on foot and by car, clogging the roads, after the series of strikes began around 2.40 am. (0040 GMT), Reuters reported.
“Hezbollah opened a campaign against Israel overnight, and is fully responsible for any escalation,” Israeli Chief of the General Staff, Eyal Zamir, said in a statement.
This US administration uses all words and signals at same time. Trump calls on Iranians to throw the regime out and this secretary comes out reminiscing about his soldier brothers and how this is not a regime change war ! What kind of America is this ? And just using words that it would not be an endless war is just wishful thinking on Americas part.