Pentagon says seventh U.S. service member has died in Mideast battle after being injured in Iranian assault on Saudi Arabia | Fortune

Israel has struck southern Lebanon, Beirut and an oil storage facility in Tehran as the battle within the Center East retains escalating, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised “many surprises” for the following section of the battle.

Iran additionally hit a desalination plant in Bahrain. Iran’s International Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned a U.S. airstrike broken an Iranian desalination plant on Qeshm Island, warning that in doing so “the U.S. set this precedent, not Iran.” Such infrastructure is vital for ingesting water provides within the parched deserts of the Gulf.

An Israeli assault on an oil storage facility in Tehran despatched up pillars of fireside that could possibly be seen in Related Press video as a glow in opposition to the Saturday night time sky. It seemed to be the primary time a civil industrial facility has been focused within the battle.

The battle has rattled world markets, disrupted air journey and left Iran’s management weakened by tons of of Israeli and American airstrikes.

Right here is the newest:

Saudi Arabia intercepts at the least 3 drones and a missile

The Kingdom’s Protection Ministry mentioned Sunday night time it had intercepted a missile headed towards Prince Sultan Air Base, and two drones in northern Riyadh metropolis

In an earlier put up on X, it mentioned it intercepted a drone over the Empty Quarter desert whereas heading towards the Shaybah oil area.

A separate put up had the identical particulars for the latter drone, but it surely was unclear if that was a unique occasion.

The ministry additionally shared footage it mentioned confirmed Saudi air defenses intercepting and destroying “a number of drones” launched at it in latest days

seventh American killed in Iran operations, army confirms

The U.S. army introduced an American service member has died of accidents sustained throughout an Iranian assault on troops stationed in Saudi Arabia.

The seventh American service member killed within the Iran battle was an Military soldier, a U.S. official who was not approved to talk publicly and spoke on situation of anonymity confirmed to The Related Press.

The service member died on Saturday from accidents sustained throughout a March 1 Iranian assault on the dominion

The American loss of life toll because the begin of fight operations now stands at seven. Six Military reservists had been additionally killed within the March 1 assault on Kuwait.

All seven casualties from the battle in Iran had been Military troopers. The primary six deaths had been Military reservists killed in a March 1 assault on a command middle in a Kuwaiti port.

By Konstantin Toropin

Israel says it destroyed headquarters of the Revolutionary Guard air power

The army mentioned in a press release that the headquarters struck in Teheran operated “the ballistic missile command, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) array, and other air force units.” The military’s spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, mentioned the headquarters had been “destroyed.”

Israel has pounded Iran with widespread airstrikes for days, hitting greater than 140 targets on Sunday alone, in line with Defrin. (edited)

Israel’s military chief tells Israeli public to arrange for battle to take ‘a long time’

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir spoke at an evaluation held with the Dwelling Entrance Command chief and different army officers, in feedback offered by the military.

“Israel has already been in a state of prolonged emergency for two years,” Zamir mentioned. “What we mainly need right now is perseverance and patience. It will take a long time yet, you need to be prepared for that, and however long it takes, it will take.”

Israel confirms it struck lodge in central Beirut, says 5 Iran-linked commanders killed

The army mentioned the in a single day strike by its navy killed 5 prime commanders in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps whereas they had been “hiding in a civilian hotel.”

It mentioned they served within the Guard’s Quds Power’s Lebanon and Palestine corps and had been concerned in funding, arming and offering intelligence to Hezbollah and Hamas.

The Quds Power works closely with Iran’s allied militant teams within the area.

Final week the Israeli army mentioned it killed the appearing commander of the Quds Power’s Lebanon Corps in an airstrike in Tehran.

Macron urges Iran to halt strikes in telephone name with the nation’s president

French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned he had talks with Iranian President Massoud Pezechkian on Sunday and urged him to cease the strikes.

“I stressed the need for Iran to immediately cease its strikes against countries in the region,” Macron mentioned on X.

He additionally referred to as on Iran to ensure freedom of navigation by “putting an end to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Macron additionally talked about the case of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, two French nationals who had been launched from an Iranian jail in November and transferred to the French Embassy in Tehran, after greater than three years in detention on spying prices. He referred to as for his or her return to France as an “absolute priority.”

Macron additionally confused deep concern relating to the event of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic program and mentioned a diplomatic answer is critical.

Each leaders agreed to stay involved, in line with Macron’s put up on X.

Macron is the primary Western chief to speak to Iran’s president because the starting of the battle.

Macron speaks with Iranian president

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on the telephone Sunday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He additionally had separate talks with President Donald Trump, Macron’s workplace mentioned.

No different particulars offered.

Lebanon says over a half-million individuals have been displaced within the week of preventing between Israel and Hezbollah

Lebanon says over a half-million individuals have been displaced within the week of preventing between Israel and Hezbollah.

The precise quantity is probably going larger. Lebanon’s rely of 517,000 refers to those that registered on the federal government’s on-line portal. The cash-strapped authorities has struggled to accommodate the big quantity of people that have fled their properties in giant components of southern and jap Lebanon.

Israel over the previous week has referred to as on residents in dozens of villages throughout southern Lebanon and the whole thing of Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate because the preventing intensifies.

Six Palestinians have been killed this week in interactions with Israeli settlers

Palestinian mourners marched down the primary road of the West Financial institution village of Khirbet Abu Falah Sunday, hoisting excessive the coffins of three males killed in an interplay with settlers.

Earlier within the day, Israeli settlers had attacked Palestinians close to the village, which is east of Ramallah within the Israeli-occupied territory, the army mentioned. Two Palestinians had been killed by gunfire and a 3rd died from suffocation, seemingly resulting from tear gasoline, the army mentioned.

The deaths carry the whole variety of settler-related killings of Palestinians within the West Financial institution to 6 this week, and 7 within the roughly 9 weeks because the begin of 2026.

That’s a significant spike. In all of 2025, the UN human rights workplace reported 9 Palestinians killed by settlers.

Sri Lanka plans to problem free visas for evacuated Iranian sailors

Sri Lanka will problem a monthlong visa for the Iranian sailors evacuated exterior its waters after a U.S submarine assault sunk one other ship in the identical space, killing greater than 80 sailors.

Public Safety Minister Anada Wijepala informed the media on Sunday that the federal government will problem “a free visa” for the Iranian sailors, including that “it will take sometime for them(sailors) to leave this country.”

On Saturday, 204 sailors had been transferred to a Sri Lankan naval base from their ship “IRIS Bushehr” which was taken underneath Sri Lankan custody.

The ship had sought assist from Sri Lanka reporting an engine failure. The enchantment adopted the sinking of the Iranian warship “IRIS Dena by the U.S. torpedo assault, off Sri Lanka’s coast on Wednesday. The Sri Lankan navy rescued 32 sailors and recovered 87 our bodies.

The strike marked one of many uncommon cases since World Conflict II during which a submarine sank a floor warship.

Tensions on Israel’s northern border as army beefs up presence to counter Hezbollah

Israelis alongside the northern border with Lebanon Sunday watched and apprehensive as the realm grew more and more militarized throughout yet one more spherical of preventing with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Army jeeps and vehicles with tanks on them could possibly be seen on roads near the border.

“I believe that our army today will bring order regarding Hezbollah and eliminate them permanently so we can live here in peace,” mentioned Morris Yakuti, a poultry farmer from the realm.

Others weren’t so certain.

“Since I have enough experience in this area all my life, I think it’s just another circle of war and it will not end this war, so it will happen again and again,” mentioned Harella Matalon Aizenshtadt.

Israel’s renewed offensive started final week after Hezbollah launched rockets towards northern Israel through the battle’s opening days.

The following strikes have been probably the most intense since a November 2024 ceasefire.

The primary day of the Iran battle was the deadliest, an unbiased monitoring group says

Armed Battle Location and Occasion Information, the united statesbased group recognized as ACLED, mentioned over 43% of the fatalities had been documented that day, Feb. 28, in 10 nations. ACLED has documented over 1,000 incidents within the first week of the battle throughout 16 nations.

The deadliest single strike through the first week was on Feb 28 on a woman’s faculty close to a Revolutionary Guards base in Minab in southern Iran, that killed 168 civilians.

That was adopted by one other strike on a playground in Shiraz, in central Iran, on March 5, that killed 20 individuals. One other strike on a residential space in Lamerd, in Fars province, killed 19 on the primary day of the battle, ACLED mentioned.

Though ACLED recorded fewer strikes on civilian websites in Iran, they precipitated extra causalities, it mentioned. Over 57% of civilian casualties in Iran resulted from 3.4% of the recorded strikes by the US and Israel.

Sirens unfold to central Israel in successive barrages from Iran

Moments after residents of southern Israel had been warned of incoming ballistic missiles from Iran, sirens despatched thousands and thousands extra Israelis within the Tel Aviv metro space and components of the West Financial institution into shelters as the military mentioned it had detected one other missile assault.

Analyst says separatism will strengthen Iranian authorities

Nonetheless disdainful of their authorities in Tehran, most Iranians are cautious of Trump’s courting of Iranian Kurdish teams, mentioned Alex Vatanka, a fellow on the Center East Institute in Washington, D.C.

Iranians see the U.S. president’s calls to the Kurds and posts on social media as alerts that Trump needs not the liberation however slightly than the fragmentation of Iran.

“What Iranians are by and large hearing is not regime change in Tehran, not this glorious move to a secular democracy and so forth, but basically the dismantling of Iran,” Vatanka mentioned. Speak of separatism, from the Kurds and different minority teams like Baluchis, Ahwazi Arabs and Azeris “is going to undermine that bigger effort aimed at the regime and it will demoralize the opposition.”

Vatanka mentioned that territorial losses in Iranian Kurdish areas or maybe three Iranian islands claimed by the United Arab Emirates would rally Iranians across the flag if not the authorities in opposition to international interference.

Saudi Arabia stories its first deaths within the battle with 2 killed

The Kingdom’s Civil Protection mentioned Sunday night {that a} army projectile that fell onto a residential space killed two foreign-born residents and wounded 12 others in Al-Kharj governorate.

The Civil Protection spokesperson mentioned in a press release that the 2 killed had been of Indian and Bangladeshi nationality, and all wounded are Bangladeshi residents.

These are the primary casualties to be reported by Saudi Arabia because the battle started every week in the past.

Analyst says defections closing key sign to instability in Iran

Three key alerts would possibly sign deadly cracks within the Iranian authorities, mentioned Farzan Sabet, researcher on the Geneva Graduate Institute.

Standard uprisings, international intervention, and defections from the political and army elites are key alerts of massive adjustments in Iranian historical past, he mentioned. International intervention is obvious within the smoke and flames throughout Tehran from Israeli and U.S. airstrikes, he mentioned, and the newest protest motion in 2026.

However we have now but to see defections that may precipitate change, Sabet mentioned.

Israeli focusing on of Iran’s home safety infrastructure is probably going aimed toward demoralizing the police and giving opposition teams house to prepare, he mentioned.

“It potentially creates a structure where it makes both a kind of popular uprising potentially more likely and more likely to succeed in the future, but it also creates space for the opposition to have organized armed resistance in the core of the country,” Sabet mentioned.

Starmer and Trump talk about army cooperation

British Prime Keir Starmer has spoken to U.S. President Donald Trump in regards to the army cooperation between the 2 nations within the Center East.

Trump has rebuked Starmer on a number of events since they final spoke over every week in the past over the prime minister’s preliminary resolution to not allow the U.S. army to make use of British bases within the preliminary assaults in opposition to Iran, describing him at one level as “not Winston Churchill.”

Starmer has now granted permission for “defensive” actions in opposition to Iranian missile websites from U.Ok. bases after Iran began attacking nations all through the area.

Starmer’s workplace in No. 10 Downing Avenue mentioned the pair mentioned the army cooperation between the U.Ok. and U.S. by means of the usage of bases “in support of the collective self-defense of partners in the region.”

Starmer additionally shared his “heartfelt condolences” following the deaths of six U.S. troopers.

Israeli drone strike kills three in Gaza, hospital director says

The strike Sunday within the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza Metropolis killed the three Palestinians and wounded a number of others, mentioned Mohamed Abu Selmiya, the director of Shifa Hospital, the place the our bodies had been introduced.

The Israeli army had no rapid remark.

Israeli assaults have continued throughout the strip because the begin of the newest battle within the Center East.

Greater than 72,100 Palestinians have been killed within the battle sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 assault into Israel, in line with the Gaza Well being Ministry. A part of the Hamas-run authorities, its statistics are seen as usually dependable by the United Nations and unbiased consultants.

Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 individuals, largely civilians, within the preliminary assault and took one other 251 hostage. The ceasefire deal ended main army operations and led to the discharge of all remaining captives however left main questions on Gaza’s future unanswered.

Trump says members of Iranian regime ‘could qualify’ to take energy

Trump additionally expressed openness to somebody with ties within the present regime.

“I would, in order to choose a good leader I would, yeah, I would,” Trump mentioned. “There are numerous people that could qualify.”

He didn’t specify any Iranian figures who match his standards.

US defends permitting India purchase Russian oil amid stories Moscow is aiding Iran

Trump has confronted blowback in Washington after the Treasury Division introduced it will enable India to purchase Russian oil till April 4.

The transfer, which quickly offers Russia a stream of income to fund its battle in opposition to Ukraine that the U.S. solely lately managed to chop off, comes whilst Moscow is reportedly sharing info with Iran that would assist it goal U.S. troops and belongings within the Mideast.

However prime Trump administration officers say the waiver is motivated by pragmatism.

Power Secretary Chris Wright mentioned Russian oil being bought to India had been anticipated to go to Chinese language refineries however had been idling at sea.

“Instead of having it wait six weeks to unload there, let’s just pull that oil forward, have it land at Indian refineries and tamp this fear of shortage of oil, tamp the price spikes and the concerns we see in the marketplace,” Wright mentioned in an look on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Ambassador Mike Waltz, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations, mentioned on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “it was kind of common sense” to let the oil on idling ships go to India.

Israeli ambassador envisions transitional Iranian authorities underneath US-Israeli ‘guidance’

Michael Leiter, Israeli’s ambassador to america, has laid out a imaginative and prescient for a post-theocracy Iran, with Jerusalem and Washington offering “guidance” for a pluralistic transitional authorities.

“What we’re hoping for is that we move into a period of a transitional government where the minorities come together, where the majority of the people come together, all the various opposition parties come together for a transitional government where they can lead the country for a year or so together with the guidance from the United States and Israel and other regional allies,” Leiter informed CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday morning.

Leiter mentioned Israel has cultivated relations with Iranian ethnic minorities, such because the Kurdish and Baluchi communities. However he mentioned the nation’s ethnic Persian majority would wish to purchase in as properly.

“We want a united Iran,” he mentioned. “What we’re encouraging them to do is to coalesce.”

Leiter hailed the Israeli-American alliance that launched the continuing unilateral battle, saying, “We’ve reached a level of collaboration that we’ve never seen between our two countries and between our two militaries.”

Iran’s international minister dismisses concept of Trump position in selecting new supreme chief

Trump has floated the concept of getting a say within the collection of Iran’s subsequent supreme chief. The nation’s international minister is having none of it.

“We allow nobody to interfere in our domestic affairs. This is up to the Iranian people to elect their new leader,” Araghchi informed NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He provides: “It’s only the business of the Iranian people, and nobody else’s business.”

Trump has been quoted as saying “we want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran” and that he desires to be concerned within the appointment, as was the case in Venezuela after U.S. forces captured then-President Nicolás Maduro in January.

Israel renews airstrikes

Israel says it has begun one other spherical of airstrikes on Iran.

It was the second wave of strikes introduced by the Israeli army on Sunday.

Extra on civilian websites Iranian Purple Crescent says had been struck

Pirhoussein Koulivand, head of Iran’s Purple Crescent Society, mentioned 65 faculties and 32 medical amenities, hospitals and pharmacies have been focused within the battle. They’re a part of the just about 10,000 civilian websites that Purple Crescent claimed earlier Sunday had been broken within the nation.

AP couldn’t independently confirm the figures.

It got here after the Israeli army mentioned Sunday that it had struck greater than 3,400 targets in Iran.

U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, CENTCOM spokesman, denied focusing on civilians in a remark to AP Sunday and accused Iran of intentionally doing so.

Israel says it hit Iranian house company headquarters in new wave of strikes

The Israeli army mentioned it has accomplished one other spherical of airstrikes in Teheran, during which it “dismantled” the house company headquarters, affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

It mentioned the positioning was “used by the IRGC to advance terrorist activities and monitor the State of Israel and its residents.”

Targets additionally included the Guard’s Inner Safety’s command middle and 50 of its ammunition bunkers, a compound belonging to its Floor Forces, and a base of the Guard’s volunteer Basij power, the military mentioned.

Israel says Iran has fired a brand new missile barrage

The Israeli army says Iran has launched a brand new barrage of missiles towards Israel.

It says air defenses have been activated to intercept the incoming fireplace.

Sirens warning of incoming missiles sounded in central Israel, together with Tel Aviv and components of Jerusalem.

Switzerland’s authorities says assault on Iran constitutes a violation of worldwide regulation

Swiss Protection Minister Martin Pfister, considered one of Switzerland’s federal council members, mentioned the federal government believes the assault on Iran constitutes a violation of worldwide regulation.

The U.S. and Israel — in addition to Iran for its counter assaults — broke worldwide regulation’s prohibition on the usage of power, Pfister mentioned in feedback to SonntagsZeitung that had been printed Sunday. Switzerland is famously impartial.

Switzerland is ruled by a seven-member federal council, who every maintain portfolios as authorities ministers and take turns annually holding the highest job of president. Pfister is a part of the council and may communicate on its behalf.

White Home tries to appease anxiousness about rising oil costs

Power Secretary Chris Wright mentioned there’s at present a “ fear premium in the marketplace” however sought to guarantee People that surging gas costs are a short-term drawback.

“We never know exactly the time frame of this,” Wright mentioned in an look on CNN’s “State of the Union. “But in the worst case, this is a weeks, this is not a months thing.”

“But ultimately taking out the rogue Iranian regime is going to be a good thing for the oil industry,” Leavitt added. “And those prices are going to come back down just like they have over the course of the past year, because of President Trump’s American energy dominance agenda.”

Iranian international minister says no plans to extend vary of its ballistic missiles

Araghchi says Tehran has deliberately restricted itself to a spread of two,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) for its ballistic missiles “because we don’t want to be felt as a threat by anybody else in the world.”

Araghchi tells NBC’s “Meet the Press” says Iran hasn’t begun any plan to extend that vary and that there’s no proof or intelligence indicating that his nation “is going to long-range missiles, let alone those missiles who can reach the United States soil.”

The present vary places all the Mideast and a few of Jap Europe in vary.

Sen. Warner condemns Trump’s ‘war of choice’

Sen. Mark Warner questioned what he says are the administration’s shifting justifications for the attacking Iran.

The vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Warner added, “This is a war of choice … There was no imminent threat. There was not even an imminent threat to Israel.”

Warner questioned repeated Trump administration claims that the battle can be transient and contain no U.S. floor forces. He requested what would occur mass protests passed off in Iran, as Trump has referred to as for, and the Revolutionary Guard slaughtered hundreds of protesters.

“That would put an obligation on us that I don’t think Americans want,” he mentioned.

He criticized Trump’s diplomatic strategy, saying the president had ignored the warnings of each European and Arab allies to affix with Israel and launch a unilateral battle.

“We are always better with allies,” Warner mentioned. “Unfortunately, this president has insulted virtually all of our allies.”

Zelenskyy says Ukrainian anti-drone consultants will arrive ‘on site’ subsequent week

Ukraine will ship consultants to advise america and different Center Jap nations on repelling Iranian drone assaults subsequent week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned Sunday.

Talking at a press convention in Kyiv alongside Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, Zelenskyy mentioned that Ukrainian consultants can be “on site” to evaluate the state of affairs, however didn’t specify the place they’d be situated or the precise date of their arrival.

Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine would assist Washington and different nations with all “necessary means — first and foremost expertise and the experience of our military in defending against Shahed drones, cruise missiles, and so on.”

The Ukrainian chief mentioned that he wished for the transfer to be “an opportunity for both sides.”

“You know what capabilities we have, and we understand what capabilities the Gulf countries lack,” he mentioned.