Middle East tensions soar as Iran, US, Israel trade strikes; 787 reported killed in Iran

RIYADH/TEHRAN/TEL AVIV: Tensions across the Middle East escalated sharply after retaliatory strikes by Iran following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian territory, with Tehran claiming heavy American casualties and Washington reporting extensive damage to Iranian military assets.

Iran’s military said it had targeted the US Navy’s headquarters in Bahrain and other American bases in the region, claiming that 160 Americans were killed in the attacks. The claim could not be independently verified.

Iranian media reported that 787 people had been killed in four days of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, citing figures provided by the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Hundreds more were wounded, according to the reports.

A U.S.-based human rights organisation said at least 742 civilians had been killed in Iran in the latest attacks, including 176 children.

U.S. says it struck 2,000 targets

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces had struck nearly 2,000 targets inside Iran, including submarines and 17 naval vessels. CENTCOM said no Iranian naval vessels remained operational in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman following the strikes.

In response, Iran fired 500 ballistic missiles and more than 2,000 drones toward U.S. and Israeli targets, according to U.S. officials.

President Donald Trump said Iran’s air force, navy and leadership had been “completely eliminated” and warned that military operations would continue until U.S. objectives were achieved.

“Iran wants to talk to us, but it is too late,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that the war would continue until the targets were secured.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was targeting Iran’s missile launch facilities and nuclear weapons-related sites, vowing that Tehran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon “under any circumstances.”

Israel says it downed Iranian jet over Tehran

The Israeli military said one of its fighter jets shot down an Iranian aircraft over Tehran. It said the aircraft was targeted by an Israeli F-35 in Iranian airspace. Iran did not immediately comment on the claim.

Uncertainty over Iran’s supreme leadership

Israeli media reported that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, had been selected as Iran’s new supreme leader following reports of his father’s death. There was no official confirmation from Iranian authorities.

Iranian media, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the Assembly of Experts was meeting to choose a new supreme leader and that the process could take up to a week. Official sources in Tehran have remained silent, leaving the situation unclear.

Israel’s defence minister warned that any successor appointed after Khamenei would also be considered a target.

Iran launches new wave of attacks

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced the 16th wave of “Operation True Promise 4,” launching fresh missile and drone strikes against Israel. The Guards said ballistic missiles were aimed at specific military and strategic locations, alongside a large number of drones.

Strikes on U.S. missions in Gulf

Explosions were reported near the U.S. consulate in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, with witnesses describing fire and thick smoke rising from part of the building following what Arab media described as a drone strike.

Separately, the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a security alert warning of a possible imminent missile or drone attack on the eastern city of Dhahran, where a U.S. consulate and the headquarters of state oil giant Saudi Aramco are located.

Iranian drones also targeted the U.S. embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday, causing minor damage and a fire, according to regional media. The U.S. mission in Kuwait was also reportedly targeted earlier.

U.S. lawmakers criticise war

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren criticised the Trump administration, calling the war against Iran “illegal and based on lies.” She said after a classified briefing that she was concerned the administration lacked a clear strategy.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the justification for the war appeared to be shifting, citing references to regime change, nuclear weapons, missile programmes and self-defence.

Senator Richard Blumenthal warned that Washington might be considering sending ground troops to Iran, a move that could further escalate tensions.

Senator Bernie Sanders accused Trump of aligning U.S. policy with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s objectives, saying Washington had already provided billions of dollars to support Israel’s war in Gaza and had now backed a broader conflict with Iran.

The conflict marks one of the most dangerous escalations in the region in years, raising fears of a wider war involving multiple Gulf states and global powers.

The United States shut several diplomatic missions across the Middle East and ordered the departure of non-emergency government staff and their families after a sharp escalation in hostilities between Washington, Israel and Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei called on the United States and Israel to halt military operations.

“They must stop the war. We did not start this war. This military aggression was not our choice; diplomacy was our choice,” Baghaei told a weekly news conference in Tehran.

Drone strikes on U.S. missions

Saudi authorities said two drone attacks targeted the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, causing a limited fire and minor damage.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had closed the Strait of Hormuz and warned that any vessel passing through the strategic waterway could be targeted. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply transits the strait.

President Donald Trump said the military campaign against Iran could last about four weeks and vowed to dismantle Tehran’s missile and nuclear programmes.

Iran has also targeted energy infrastructure in Gulf states, sending global oil and gas prices sharply higher. State-owned QatarEnergy said it had temporarily suspended liquefied natural gas production at two facilities after attacks.

Iranian strikes on Israel continued, with the Israeli military saying missiles were intercepted over West Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Eilat. At least 10 people have been killed in Israel since Saturday, according to Israeli authorities.

Embassies shut, evacuations ordered

Amid the deteriorating security situation, the United States and Canada temporarily closed several embassies in the region.

The U.S. embassy in Kuwait said diplomatic activities would be suspended until further notice, cancelling all routine and emergency consular appointments.

U.S. officials said six American soldiers had been killed in recent military incidents in Kuwait, and three U.S. fighter jets destroyed in what the military described as an apparent “friendly fire” incident.

Canada’s embassy in Riyadh also announced a temporary closure, cancelling all appointments through March 6.

The U.S. embassy in Iraq ordered non-emergency personnel to leave the country and barred staff in Baghdad from using the international airport due to security concerns.

Following the attack on its embassy in Riyadh, the United States cancelled consular services in Saudi Arabia and issued shelter-in-place instructions for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran, advising U.S. citizens to maintain personal security plans.

The U.S. State Department earlier issued an advisory urging American citizens to leave 14 Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel – including the West Bank and Gaza – Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, citing rapidly changing security conditions and risks of missile or drone attacks.

Canada also urged its citizens to leave Dubai immediately, advising them not to wait for special evacuation flights but to attempt to reach Saudi Arabia or Oman by land.

Iran rejects talks with Washington

Iran’s National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani rejected reports of possible negotiations with the United States.

“We will not negotiate with America,” Larijani wrote on social media platform X, dismissing a report by The Wall Street Journal that claimed he had sought to resume nuclear talks through Omani mediators following reports of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death.

Larijani criticised Trump, saying the U.S. president had plunged the Middle East into chaos because of “delusional ideas” and had shifted from an “America First” to an “Israel First” policy.

Casualty claims and regional fallout

Iranian state media claimed that 560 U.S. soldiers had been killed or wounded in recent missile attacks and that Iranian forces had struck the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln with four missiles. The claims could not be independently verified.

The Revolutionary Guards also said three U.S. and British oil tankers had been hit by missiles and were burning in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

News agencies reported attacks on a U.S. military base in Bahrain, though there was no independent confirmation.

Jordan summoned Iran’s ambassador in protest over missile strikes and expressed deep concern over escalating regional tensions.

Meanwhile, Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Iran, with reports of heavy bombardment in Tehran. Witnesses described loud explosions and anti-aircraft fire lighting up the night sky.

Israel extended a nationwide state of emergency until March 12 and placed its security forces on high alert as the conflict showed no sign of easing.