On timing, the US president has previously suggested the war would take approximately four to five weeks but could go \u201cfar longer\u201d and today.<\/p>\n
But Pete Hegseth, his defence secretary, said yesterday that the US operation would continue for \u201cas long as it takes\u201d to achieve its objectives in Iran. \u201cOur timeline is ours and ours alone to control,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Back to Leavitt, speaking ahead of a meeting between Trump and major defence contractors today, she told reporters at the White House that the US has sufficient weapons stockpiles to meet all its operational needs in Iran.<\/p>\n
She also noted that the US president \u201cwants to take an interest\u201d in the choice of Iran\u2019s next leader and that the US was looking at a number of potential candidates to lead Iran.<\/p>\n
double quotation markI know there\u2019s a number of people that our intelligence agencies and the United States government are looking at, but I won\u2019t get any further on that.<\/p>\n
Trump has previously called the late supreme leader\u2019s son an \u201cunacceptable\u201d option.<\/p>\n
Updated at\u00a015.43 EST<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 9m ago<\/p>\n European countries \u2018legitimate targets\u2019 if they join US and Israel, says Iran\u2019s deputy FM<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 21m ago<\/p>\n Putin spoke with Iranian president and ‘agreed to continue contacts’, says Kremlin<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 34m ago<\/p>\n Iran’s UN envoy says 1,332 Iranian civilians killed in war, and accuses US and Israel of war crimes<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 44m ago<\/p>\n Trump says US defence manufacturers agree to ‘quadruple production’ of weapons<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 1h ago<\/p>\n Iran military says strait of Hormuz remains open, but any US or Israeli ship will be targeted<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 1h ago<\/p>\n Qatar says it has intercepted nine Iranian drones<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Iran campaign may take four to six weeks, says White House<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Macron expresses \u2018full solidarity\u2019 with Iraqi PM<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n Russia providing Iran intelligence to target US forces – reports<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n UN chief warns conflict ‘could spiral beyond anyone’s control’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n Today so far<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 5h ago<\/p>\n US Central Command: Iran targeted civilian neighbourhoods in Bahrain<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Iraqi prime minister discusses ‘unified positions’ with president of Kurdistan region<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n UN: Forced displacement in Lebanon could be violating international law<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Trump: US is moving ‘thousands’ of people out of Middle East countries<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n US investigators believe strike on Iranian girls\u2019 school probably carried out by US forces<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Lebanon health officials say 217 killed in Israeli attacks<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n US-Israeli strikes against Iran ‘extraordinary mistake’, says Spanish PM<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n Explosions near Erbil airport in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq- report<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n Britain\u2019s deputy prime minister suggests that the UK could take part in strikes<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s president says \u2018some countries\u2019 have begun mediation efforts to end war<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n Trump: No deal with Iran except ‘unconditional surrender’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 9h ago<\/p>\n Video: IDF footage claims to show air strikes on Khamenei\u2019s underground bunker<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 9h ago<\/p>\n Lebanon drawn into war ‘it did not seek or choose’, says PM<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 9h ago<\/p>\n Summary of developments so far<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 10h ago<\/p>\n Video: Pastors pray for Trump and US success in Iran war<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 10h ago<\/p>\n Mediation talks should be aimed at US and Israel, says Iranian president<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 11h ago<\/p>\n IDF claims 50 jets bombed Khamenei’s underground bunker ‘still being used by Iranian officials’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 11h ago<\/p>\n ‘Plenty of oil’ in markets despite Middle East turmoil, says IEA chief<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 11h ago<\/p>\n Israel official says bombing campaign in Iran going ‘much better than expected’ – report<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 11h ago<\/p>\n ‘We were humiliated’: Israel’s attacks on Beirut cause mass displacement crisis<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 12h ago<\/p>\n Azerbaijan withdraws diplomats from Iran<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 12h ago<\/p>\n US probe of Iran school strike must ‘happen very quickly’, says UN rights chief<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 13h ago<\/p>\n Sri Lankan president calls for peace as Iranian sailors seek refuge on island<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 14h ago<\/p>\n Four people in UK arrested on suspicion of spying on Jewish community for Iran<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 14h ago<\/p>\n Majority of Spaniards against US-Israeli attacks on Iran – poll<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 14h ago<\/p>\n Israel announces new phase in Iran conflict as US warns strikes will ‘surge dramatically’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 15h ago<\/p>\n Summary<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 15h ago<\/p>\n Sri Lanka takes control of an Iranian vessel off its coast after US sunk an Iranian warship<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 15h ago<\/p>\n Iranian leadership council meets ahead of selecting new supreme leader, state media says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 16h ago<\/p>\n Israel carried out 26 airstrikes on Beirut, IDF says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 16h ago<\/p>\n Philippines mulls shorter weeks, less air-con as fuel costs bite<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 17h ago<\/p>\n Two Japanaese nationals detained in Iran, Japan calls for release<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 17h ago<\/p>\n Evacuated British nationals return to UK, as crisis continues to disrupt flights<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 18h ago<\/p>\n Trump responds to Iranian claims that ground invasion would be ‘big disaster’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 19h ago<\/p>\n Gulf states intercept missiles amid reports of regional discontent<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 19h ago<\/p>\n Explosions in Tehran, as Israel launches more strikes<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 20h ago<\/p>\n Hezbollah warns Israeli residents to evacuate near border<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 20h ago<\/p>\n Ukraine to help US and allies counter Iranian drones<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 20h ago<\/p>\n Opening summary<\/p>\n <\/a>Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n European countries \u2018legitimate targets\u2019 if they join US and Israel, says Iran\u2019s deputy FM<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s deputy foreign minister earlier warned European nations that they will become legitimate targets if they become involved in the US and Israel\u2019s war on Tehran.<\/p>\n If any country \u201cjoins America and Israel in the aggression against Iran<\/a>, they will be also legitimate targets for Iran\u2019s retaliation,\u201d Majid Takht-Ravanchi told France 24.<\/p>\n He said Iranian officials had been \u201cnegotiating in good faith\u201d with the US before Washington decided to attack with Israel on Saturday.<\/p>\n double quotation markWe do not trust the Americans. Not only did they betray us, but they betrayed diplomacy.<\/p>\n He described Tehran\u2019s latest moves as defensive, saying that \u201cthis war was imposed on us\u201d by the US and Israel.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Putin spoke with Iranian president and ‘agreed to continue contacts’, says Kremlin<\/p>\n We now have more on that phone call between Iran\u2019s president Masoud Pezeshkian and Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n The Russian president expressed his condolences for the deaths of Iran\u2019s supreme leader, other government officials and civilians around the country, the Kremlin said, according to Russian state news agency TASS.<\/p>\n Putin also reiterated Russia\u2019s stance that the hostilities must end immediately, and that a diplomatic resolution must be found.<\/p>\n Pezeshkian, meanwhile, expressed gratitude for Russia\u2019s support, and provided a detailed report of Iran\u2019s developments.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was agreed that contacts with the Iranian side will continue via various channels,\u201d the Kremlin said.<\/p>\n Vladimir Putin in a meeting at the Kremlin on Friday. Photograph: Gavriil Grigorov\/AP<\/p>\n It comes amid reports that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence to target US forces in the region (see my earlier post<\/a>).<\/p>\n My colleague Shrai Popat reported earlier<\/a> that, asked whether Russia\u2019s involvement in the Iran conflict affects US efforts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House still believes peace is \u201can achievable objective,\u201d but declined to confirm whether Moscow has supplied information to Tehran.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.53 EST<\/p>\n Iravani also said that Donald Trump\u2019s statements about choosing Iran\u2019s next leader violates the principle of non-interference.<\/p>\n \u201cIran is a sovereign and independent state,\u201d he said. \u201cIt does not accept, and will never allow, a foreign power to interfere [in its affairs].\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iran’s UN envoy says 1,332 Iranian civilians killed in war, and accuses US and Israel of war crimes<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani has said that at least 1,332 Iranian civilians have lost their lives so far in the US-Israeli war on Iran, with thousands more injured.<\/p>\n He told the reporters at the UN\u2019s headquarters in New York that the US and Israel \u201chave demonstrated that they recognise no red line in committing their crimes\u201d.<\/p>\n He accused the two countries of \u201cindiscriminate\u201d attacks that were \u201cdeliberately\u201d targeting \u201cdensely populated\u201d civilian areas and infrastructure, including schools<\/a>, medical<\/a>, recreational and sports<\/a> facilities.<\/p>\n double quotation markThese acts constitute clear war crimes and crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n Concluding his remarks, he warned the UN Security Council to \u201cact now, without delay\u201d.<\/p>\n double quotation markFailure to act will have catastrophic consequences. Today, it is Iran. Tomorrow it could be any [UN] member state.<\/p>\n You can watch the clip here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.57 EST<\/p>\n Trump says US defence manufacturers agree to ‘quadruple production’ of weapons<\/p>\n Donald Trump, who met with leading US weapons manufacturers earlier today, has said the defence companies have agreed to \u201cquadruple Production of \u2018Exquisite Class\u2019 Weaponry\u201d.<\/p>\n The US president wrote<\/a> on his Truth Social platform:<\/p>\n double quotation markWe have a virtually unlimited supply of Medium and Upper Medium Grade Munitions, which we are using, as an example, in Iran, and recently used in Venezuela. Regardless, however, we have also increased Orders at these levels.<\/p>\n The companies in attendance for the White House meeting included the CEOs of \u201cBAE Systems, Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace, L3Harris Missile Solutions, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon\u201d, Trump said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iran military says strait of Hormuz remains open, but any US or Israeli ship will be targeted<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the Iranian military has told Iranian state tv that Iran does not plan to close the strait of Hormuz, but will target any ship belonging to Israel or the United States.<\/p>\n double quotation markWe will not prevent any ship wishing to cross the strait of Hormuz, but the responsibility for its security lies with the ship itself.<\/p>\n We will target any ship belonging to the Zionist entity [Israel] and America if it attempts to cross the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Tankers off the coast of Fujairah, UAE, on Tuesday amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Photograph: Amr Alfiky\/Reuters<\/p>\n Traffic has drastically dried up in the strait, effectively closing one of the world\u2019s most vital shipping routes, since the US-Israeli war on Iran<\/a> began. Amid the ongoing threat of attack, tankers remain stuck on either side of the key waterway, which runs between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and through which a fifth of the world\u2019s oil and a significant amount of natural gas typically passes.<\/p>\n According to an analysis by the New York Times, five tankers have been struck since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on Saturday. The resulting drastic reduction in traffic through the strait has cut the supply of energy products and driven oil prices past $90 a barrel \u2013 its biggest weekly gain since the Covid pandemic.<\/p>\n We have a story on that here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.05 EST<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s president Masoud Pezeshkian has spoken on the phone with Russian president Vladimir Putin in the past hour, Iran\u2019s government news service IRNA reports.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll bring you more detail on that as I get it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.50 EST<\/p>\n Qatar says it has intercepted nine Iranian drones<\/p>\n Qatar\u2019s defence ministry has said that the country\u2019s air defence systems were \u201csubjected to waves of attacks\u201d from Iranian drones on Friday, starting at dawn and continuing until evening.<\/p>\n In a statement on social media, it said that of the 10 drones that were launched towards Qatar, nine were intercepted while the tenth hit an uninhabited area, causing no injuries.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Iran has not closed the Strait of Hormuz but ships linked to Israel<\/a> or the US cannot pass, a military spokesman told Iranian state TV.<\/p>\n After war broke out last Saturday, Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards said it would \u201cset ablaze\u201d any western tanker attempting to transit the strait, a body of water through which about a fifth of the world\u2019s oil and liquefied natural gas passes on tankers.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A drone has targeted Erbil Arjaan by Rotana hotel in Iraq\u2019s Kurdistan region on Friday, security sources told Reuters.<\/p>\n The U.S. embassy in Baghdad has said earlier that Iran-aligned militia groups may seek to target hotels frequented by foreigners in Iraq\u2019s Kurdistan region.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A huge American bomber capable of carrying 24 cruise missiles has landed in the UK after the US defence secretary warned of a \u201csurge\u201d in strikes on Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 146ft B-1 Lancer has a wingspan of 137ft, weighs 86 tonnes and is the fastest bomber in the US Air Force, according to Boeing, hitting speeds of more than 900mph.<\/p>\n Piloted by a crew of four, \u201cthe Bone\u201d \u2013 as the aircraft is nicknamed \u2013 has advanced radar and GPS systems to help hit targets, and electronic jammers, radar warnings and a decoy system to protect it from enemies.<\/p>\n The B\u20111, which has been used in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq, can carry up to 34 tonnes of weapons and equipment.<\/p>\n A bomber was pictured arriving at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday after Keir Starmer granted the US permission to strike defensively against Iran\u2019s missile facilities from British bases.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Saudi Arabia has intensified direct engagement with Iran<\/a> to help contain the conflict in the Middle East, Bloomberg News reported, citing several European officials.<\/p>\n Saudi officials in recent days have used their diplomatic backchannel to Iran with increased urgency to ease tensions and keep the conflict from worsening, the report said.<\/p>\n![\"Press](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772834531_914_6131.jpg\")
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters at the White House. Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n