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Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader
Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader

live Trump Says Iran Campaign To End 'Very Soon'

Updated

As the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL deliver ongoing updates and analysis.

Key Takeaways:

  • US President Donald Trump said the military operation launched against Iran last month will end "very soon" and vowed to hit the country "much, much harder" if it blocks oil supplies in the Middle East.
  • Earlier, he told other news outlets that he was "not happy" with Iran's decision to name Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as the country's new supreme leader and called it "a big mistake."
  • Five Iranian female soccer players have reportedly sought asylum in Australia after the team was denounced at home for not singing their country's national anthem at an AFC Asian Cup game.
  • Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq all reported incoming missiles and drones overnight on March 9 as Tehran lashed out and the US-Israeli war on Iran continued to spread through the region.
11:24 2.3.2026

Grossi: No Indication Iran's Nuclear Facilities Hit

Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that there is "no indication" that Israel and the United States have attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, but so far the IAEA has not been able to contact Iranian nuclear officials.

"We have no indication that any of the nuclear installations, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor, or other nuclear fuel cycle facilities, have been damaged or hit," Grossi said in a statement to the board of governors of the IAEA on March 2.

IAEA's Rafael Grossi at the quarterly board of governors meeting in Vienna on March 2
IAEA's Rafael Grossi at the quarterly board of governors meeting in Vienna on March 2

"Efforts to contact the Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities...continue, with no response so far. We hope this indispensable channel of communication can be reestablished as soon as possible," he added.

Grossi urged all parties to exercise "maximum restraint" in avoiding further escalation.

"To achieve the long-term assurance that Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons and for maintaining the continued effectiveness of the global non-proliferation regime, we must return to diplomacy and negotiations," he added.

Grossi concluded his remarks by saying that contacts with Iran have not been interrupted but are "very limited."

10:46 2.3.2026

Red Crescent Says 555 People Killed In US-Israeli Attacks On Iran

The Iranian Red Crescent Society announced on March 1 that 555 people have been killed so far in joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

According to the report, the attacks affected 131 cities in Iran and rescue, relief, transportation, and medical services operations for the injured are ongoing.

Red Crescent Crews Conduct Rescue Operations In Areas Targeted By Air Strikes In Tehran
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Red Crescent Crews Conduct Rescue Operations In Areas Targeted By Air Strikes In Tehran
by RFE/RL

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The director of East Azerbaijan Crisis Management also announced that over the past two days, various locations in the cities of Tabriz, Sarab, Maragheh, and Shabestar have been attacked, resulting in a total of 42 deaths.

It was not immediately clear how many of those killed were civilians.

The death toll from a missile strike on the Shajre Tayyiba elementary school in Hormozgan Province on February 28 has reportedly reached 148. A local official said more than 95 people were injured in the attack, most of whom were students.

These numbers could not be independently verified.

09:38 2.3.2026

Larijani Says Iran 'Will Not Negotiate' With US

Iranian Supreme National Security Council chief Ali Larijani said Tehran "will not negotiate" with Washington, hours after US President Donald Trump vowed to continue to punish the "terrorists" with the "full force" of the American military.

Ali Larijani
Ali Larijani

In a post on X early on March 2, Larijani said: "We will not negotiate with the United States."

"Today, the Iranian nation is defending itself," he added.

To read the full report, click here.

08:34 2.3.2026

Satellite Images Show Damage To Military Sites Across Iran

Before-and-after photos released on March 1 show extensive damage to missile bases, radar installations, and aircraft facilities in Iran after a barrage of US and Israeli air strikes. One set of images shows the Tehran compound of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, who was killed in a strike on February 28.

Satellite Images Show Damage To Military Sites Across Iran
Satellite Images Show Damage To Military Sites Across Iran
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No media source currently available

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02:05 2.3.2026

Israel Strikes Back At Iran-Allied Hezbollah Sites In Lebanon

Israel said early on March 2 that its military had struck back at sites held by the Lebanon-based Hezbollah movement after the Iran-allied militant group claimed responsibility for a missile and drone attack on northern Israel.

Israel said that "in response to Hezbollah's projectile fire toward the State of Israel," its forces had "begun striking targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization across Lebanon."

Hezbollah supporters rally in Beirut in solidarity with Iran on March 1.
Hezbollah supporters rally in Beirut in solidarity with Iran on March 1.

Details remained scarce, but witnesses reported hearing explosions in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.

A day earlier, Shi'ite Muslim-led Hezbollah -- long considered an Iranian proxy group -- had expressed solidarity with Tehran after the US and Israeli air strikes but suggested it would not become involved in the conflict.

In a statement, however, Hezbollah cited the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as one of the reasons for its decision to launch a new attack.

The group said it launched "a barrage of missiles and a swarm of drones...in retaliation for the pure blood of [Khamenei]...and in defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the repeated Israeli attacks."

Much of Hezbollah's capabilities and its leadership were destroyed by Israeli air strikes in 2024. Hezbollah has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU has deemed its armed wing but not its political section as a terror group.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
01:51 2.3.2026

US, Arab Allies 'Strongly Condemn' Iranian Attacks On Gulf States

In a joint statement, the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates "strongly" condemned what it called Iran's "indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks against sovereign territories across the region."

"These unjustified strikes targeted sovereign territory, endangered civilian populations, and damaged civilian infrastructure," the statement said.

Earlier, the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned Tehran for its attacks against member states and asserted their "right to respond" to the actions. The GCC consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The joint statement of Washington and its Arab allies said Iran's "actions represent a dangerous escalation that violates the sovereignty of multiple states and threatens regional stability. The targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilizing behavior."

Following massive US and Israeli air strikes, Iran has retaliated against Gulf nations hosting US military bases by firing rockets that have caused casualties and damages in most of the regional countries.

Early on March 2, the Israeli Defense Forces said it had resumed attacks targeting the Iranian capital, Tehran. The Israeli military did not immediately provide the attacks targeting what it called "the heart of Tehran."

01:14 2.3.2026

Gulf Countries Assail Attacks By Iran, Assert 'Right To Respond'

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has condemned Tehran for its attacks against member states and asserted their "right to respond" to the actions.

The group on March 1 said its ministerial council, "in light of this unjustified Iranian aggression against GCC countries...will take all necessary measures to defend their security and stability and to protect their territories, citizens, and residents, including the option of responding to the aggression."

The Saudi-led GCC also consists of Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The countries have all reported Iranian attacks on their territories following the US and Israeli air strikes against Iran beginning on February 28.

Iran has attacked the GCC states -- which host US military assets -- along with Israel in retaliation for the US and Israeli attacks against its territory.

"Despite the numerous diplomatic efforts undertaken by the GCC countries to avoid escalation, and despite their affirmation that their territories would not be used to launch any attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the latter has continued to carry out military operations targeting GCC countries, affecting numerous civilian and residential facilities," it said following an extraordinary videoconference meeting.


23:19 1.3.2026

Trump: We Will Continue at 'Full Force' Until Mission Completed

US President Donald Trump vowed on March 1 to press ahead with military operations against Iran at "full force," saying the campaign would continue until Washington achieves all of its objectives.

In a six-minute video address posted on Truth Social, Trump acknowledged that more American casualties are likely following the deaths of three US service members in what he described as a war launched to counter Iran's nuclear aspirations.

“Sadly, there will likely be more [casualties] before it ends,” Trump said. “That’s the way it is.”

He added that the United States would “avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against, basically, civilization."

To read the full report, click here.

22:02 1.3.2026

Iran Military Strikes Could Take 4 Weeks, Says Trump

US President Donald Trump has said in an interview with the British Daily Mail newspaper that the military operation against Iran, which has been launched with the participation of Israel, could last up to four weeks.

"It's always been a four-week process. We figured it will be four weeks or so," he said in a telephone interview from his Florida residence.

Noting that Iran is a large country, Trump added that military strikes will “take four weeks -- or less."

21:35 1.3.2026

UAE Closes Embassy In Tehran

The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry has announced that it has closed its embassy in Tehran and withdrawn its ambassador and all members of its diplomatic staff from Iran in response to Tehran's attacks on its territory.

A statement released by the ministry described the Islamic republic's "aggressive actions" against civilian targets, including residential areas, airports, ports, and service facilities, which endangered the lives of civilians, as a "dangerous and irresponsible escalation of tension" and a violation of international law.

Abu Dhabi has also warned that Iranian attacks are "pushing the region down very dangerous paths."

In response to US and Israeli attacks, Iran targeted the UAE and other Persian Gulf countries with missile and drone attacks on February 28 and March 1.

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