In a press briefing at the Pentagon, Hegseth declared that \u201cAmerica is winning\u201d and suggested that in under a week the US and Israel \u201cwill have complete control of Iranian skies\u201d. Hegseth said the US is able to continue the military action against Iran \u201cfor as long as we need to\u201d, saying Iran \u201ccan no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did\u201d.<\/p>\n
Hegseth also said that the leader of the Iranian covert unit that planned to assassinate Trump in 2024 had been killed in the strikes.<\/p>\n
Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, who also spoke at the briefing, said more than 20 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed, and that the US has \u201ceffectively neutralised Iran\u2019s major naval presence\u201d.<\/p>\n
Hegseth said that the US is investigating the deadly strike on a girls\u2019 school in Iran that killed a reported 168 people <\/a>on Saturday, but provided no further detail. \u201cAll I can say is that we\u2019re investigating, and that we, of course, never target civilian targets,\u201d Hegseth said.<\/p>\n The US and Israel\u2019s airstrikes against Iran continued, with the Israeli military announcing a \u201cbroad wave of strikes\u201d against Tehran\u2019s security forces. In turn, Iran upped its retaliatory strikes against Israel and US targets across the region, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait all announcing Iranian attacks today.<\/p>\n Lebanon\u2019s health ministry said on Wednesday that Israeli strikes on two towns south of Beirut killed six people and wounded eight. Aramoun and Saadiyat are both towns outside Hezbollah\u2019s traditional strongholds. Meanwhile, the Israeli military issued an \u201curgent warning\u201d to residents of a large swathe of southern Lebanon urging them to evacuate to the north of the Litani River. At least 30,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon, according to the UN, after heavy Israeli airstrikes.<\/p>\n Clerics in Iran said they were close to choosing a successor to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to state media. It has been widely suggested that his second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, could replace him<\/a>.<\/p>\n The funeral ceremony for Khamenei that was supposed to take place on Wednesday night in Tehran has been postponed. State media, citing officials, reported that the funeral was delayed to allow time for expanded infrastructure because of \u201coverwhelming demand\u201d. No timeframe was given as to when the funeral would take place.<\/p>\n The death toll in Iran has reached 1,045<\/a>, according to Iranian officials. Iran\u2019s foundation of martyrs and veteran affairs said the death toll represented the number of bodies that had been identified and prepared for burial, state media reported.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 18m ago<\/p>\n ‘We’re doing very well on the war front,’ Donald Trump says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 47m ago<\/p>\n White House spokesperson refuses to rule out US boots on the ground but says ‘they’re not part of the plan’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 1h ago<\/p>\n Spain ‘has agreed to cooperate’ with US after Trump ire, says White House<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n White House pushes back against questions on US involvement in Iran school bombing<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Today so far<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Cost of living fears rise in UK as oil and gas prices spike with Iran conflict<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Was it legal for the US to sink an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean?<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n From petrol to groceries: how Middle East crisis is driving up prices<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n Iranian president tells neighbouring countries that Iran respects their sovereignty<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Israeli air force says it has dropped 5,000 bombs on Iran in current military campaign<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n At least 80 people killed after US submarine torpedoes Iran warship, officials say<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Key points from Pentagon briefing<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n China and Russia are \u2018non-factors\u2019 in Iran war, says Hegseth<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Hegseth: Iran cannot outlast us<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Hegseth says Iran can no longer shoot volume of missiles as before<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n US is investigating deadly strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh school girls school in southern Iran, Hegseth says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n US has ‘effectively neutralised’ Iran’s naval presence, Caine says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Hegseth: We have only just begun to fight<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Person charged with attempted assassination of Trump killed, Hegseth said<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Hegseth confirms sinking of Iranian warship<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Rules of engagement designed to “unleash American power”, Hegseth says.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Hegseth: US and Israel will have ‘complete’ control of Iranian skies in ‘under a week’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Summary of developments so far<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n ‘America is winning’ in Iran conflict, Hegseth says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n IDF launch fresh attacks in southern Lebanon as people urged to flee north<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n Nato condemns Iran’s targeting of Turkey<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n Iran death toll reaches 1,045, officials say<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 9h ago<\/p>\n Nearly 150 missing after Iranian warship sinks near Sri Lanka – report<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 9h ago<\/p>\n Who is Mojtaba Khamenei? The son of late supreme leader Khamenei seen as potential successor<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 9h ago<\/p>\n Iran state funeral for Khamenei postponed – report<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 10h ago<\/p>\n UN ‘deeply disturbed’ by reports of Iran school strike that killed 160 children<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 10h ago<\/p>\n Donald Trump \u2018really does not care\u2019 if Iran play at World Cup 2026<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 10h ago<\/p>\n Tell us: how have you been affected by the latest events in the Middle East?<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 10h ago<\/p>\n EU sees no immediate effect of Iran conflict on gas supply security – report<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 11h ago<\/p>\n Hezbollah says it targeted Israel’s major aerospace and aviation company<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 11h ago<\/p>\n Iran close to choosing new supreme leader – report<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 11h ago<\/p>\n Senior Khamenei aide says Iran won\u2019t negotiate with US<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 12h ago<\/p>\n Trump ‘betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him’, says Iran foreign minister<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 12h ago<\/p>\n IDF says Israeli F-35 fighter jet shot down manned Iranian warplane in Tehran<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 12h ago<\/p>\n Spain’s position is ‘no to war’, says Sanchez<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 12h ago<\/p>\n Israel-US strikes on Iran appear \u2018inconsistent with international law\u2019, says Canadian PM<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 12h ago<\/p>\n Summary of developments so far<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 13h ago<\/p>\n Loud explosion in Tehran – report<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 13h ago<\/p>\n Dozens rescued from sinking Iranian warship near Sri Lanka<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 13h ago<\/p>\n Israel threatens to assassinate Ali Khamenei’s replacement<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 14h ago<\/p>\n Iran Guards say launched more than 40 missiles at US, Israeli targets<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 14h ago<\/p>\n Iranians to bid farewell to late Supreme Leader Khamenei in Tehran<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 15h ago<\/p>\n UK government charter flight for British nationals in Oman<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 16h ago<\/p>\n Conflicting claims over the strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 16h ago<\/p>\n Global markets roiled by conflict<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 18h ago<\/p>\n Six killed in Israeli strikes south of Beirut<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 18h ago<\/p>\n Opening summary<\/p>\n <\/a>Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n The Dubai international airport announced that \u201cmost flights remain suspended\u201d and advised people not to come to the airport unless their airline has confirmed their departure time.<\/p>\n \u201cGuests without a confirmed flight may not be able to access the terminals\u201d it said <\/a>in a statement on social media. \u201cPlease contact your airline directly for the latest updates on your flight.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.43 EST<\/p>\n ‘We’re doing very well on the war front,’ Donald Trump says As Donald Trump kicked things off for his roundtable event<\/a> with tech companies today, he noted that those in the room \u201cprobably want to speak about war\u201d rather than energy costs linked to the rapid build-out of datacenters across the country.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re doing very well on the war front,\u201d the president added. \u201cIf we didn\u2019t do it first, they would have done it to Israel<\/a> \u2026 If we didn\u2019t hit within two weeks, they would have had a nuclear weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that the ongoing military action against Iran<\/a> is depleting the regime\u2019s leadership. \u201cEverybody that seems to want to be a leader, they end up dead,\u201d the president said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.42 EST<\/p>\n The Israeli military has said<\/a> that it has launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran.<\/p>\n The Associated Press is reporting that the Israeli military says the strikes on the Iranian capital are targeting \u201cmilitary infrastructure\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.35 EST<\/p>\n White House spokesperson refuses to rule out US boots on the ground but says ‘they’re not part of the plan’ During today\u2019s White House press briefing, Karoline Leavitt did not rule out the possibility of US troops on the ground in Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not part of the plan for this operation at this time,\u201d Leavitt said. \u201cBut I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the president of the United States \u2026 and he wisely does not do the same for himself.\u201d<\/p>\n She noted that \u201cmany leaders in the past\u201d have taken options off the table \u201cwithout having a full understanding of how things could develop\u201d.<\/p>\n The question mark around American troops on the ground is in stark contrast to Donald Trump\u2019s campaign, which focused on not embroiling the US in foreign conflicts.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.01 EST<\/p>\n More details have emerged about four of the American service<\/a> members who were killed in an unmanned aircraft system attack in the Shuaiba port in Kuwait on Sunday, the first known US fatalities since the US and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran on Saturday.<\/p>\n The US Department of Defense identified<\/a> the US soldiers on Tuesday evening as Capt Cody A Khork, 35; Sgt first class Nicole M Amor, 39; Sgt Declan J Coady, 20; and Sgt first class Noah L Tietjens, 42.<\/p>\n Read about the four US service members here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Donald Trump and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, spoke on Wednesday about US military operations in its conflict with Iran, a source close to Macron told Reuters.<\/p>\n Macron also raised in the call the issue of Lebanon, which has been drawn into the spillover of the crisis, the French source said, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.55 EST<\/p>\n Spain ‘has agreed to cooperate’ with US after Trump ire, says White House<\/p>\n During the White House press briefing on Wednesday, Karoline Leavitt said that Spain had agreed to cooperate with US operations in the Middle East.<\/p>\n \u201cWith respect to Spain, I think they heard the president\u2019s message yesterday loud and clear,\u201d the White House press secretary said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s my understanding over the past several hours, they\u2019ve agreed to cooperate with the US military<\/a>. And so I know that the US military is coordinating with their counterparts in Spain.\u201d<\/p>\n But, shortly after, Spain\u2019s foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said that the Spanish government\u2019s position \u201con the war in the Middle East the bombings in Iran<\/a>, and the use of our bases has not changed one iota\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cShe may be the White House press secretary, but I\u2019m the foreign minister of Spain, and I\u2019m telling her that our position hasn\u2019t changed at all\u201d he added.<\/p>\n A government spokesperson added: \u201cIt is not true. We categorically deny any change it. Spain\u2019s position has not changed.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.03 EST<\/p>\n A number of reporters at the White House press briefing today have asked the press secretary whether the administration should have done more, in advance of the weekend strikes, to evacuate more Americans in the Middle East.<\/p>\n The press secretary insisted that there were plans in place, and listed several travel advisories shared by state department in recent weeks. On Monday, Mora Namdar, the US assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, issued an advisory<\/a> on Monday, urging Americans to \u201cDEPART NOW\u201d from more than a dozen countries, citing \u201cserious safety risks\u201d. However, major airlines have canceled flights to and from the region since Saturday, and several airports paused flights and scaled back operations<\/a>, leaving thousands stranded.<\/p>\n \u201cWe gave notices to leave immediately the countries where these Americans were,\u201d Leavitt said today, despite reports of Americans calling the state department hotline as recently as Tuesday evening and being told they couldn\u2019t receive help to evacuate.<\/p>\n Leavitt said that 17,500 Americans have safely returned home from the Middle East, with more than 8,500 American citizens returning home on Tuesday. She also repeated that US citizens in the Middle East looking to return home should register with the state department to be provided with travel options.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.26 EST<\/p>\n The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said that he spoke with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Wednesday, as well as the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, and prime minister, Nawaf Salam, to discuss the situation in Lebanon.<\/p>\n \u201cI reaffirmed the need for Hezbollah to immediately cease its attacks against Israel and beyond,\u201d Macron said in a statement<\/a> on X. \u201cThis strategy of escalation constitutes a major error that endangers the entire region.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSimilarly, I called on the Israeli Prime Minister to preserve Lebanon\u2019s territorial integrity and to refrain from a ground offensive,\u201d he added. \u201cIt is important for the parties to return to the ceasefire agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.10 EST<\/p>\n White House pushes back against questions on US involvement in Iran school bombing Karoline Leavitt batted down a question from a reporter about the US involvement in a strike on an Iranian girls\u2019 elementary school, which killed 175 people.<\/p>\n The press secretary did not accept US responsibility for the attack, and noted that the Pentagon is investigating the strike (as Pete Hegseth<\/a> noted earlier).<\/p>\n \u201cI would just tell you very strongly, the United States of America does not target civilians, unlike the rogue Iranian regime,\u201d Leavitt said. \u201cI would caution you from pointing the finger at the United States of America when it comes to targeting civilians, because that\u2019s not something that these armed forces do.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.01 EST<\/p>\n The Dubai media office has said that Dubai authorities \u201cconfirm that sounds heard in various areas across the emirate were the result of successful air defense interception operations, with no injuries reported\u201d.<\/p>\n They added that \u201crelevant teams continue to closely monitor developments and are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of everyone\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.08 EST<\/p>\n At the press briefing on Wednesday, Karoline Leavitt said that Donald Trump plans to attend the \u2018dignified transfer\u2019 of the bodies of the six US service members who have been killed since the war with Iran began.<\/p>\n \u201cWe grieve for these American patriots and their families as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives. President Trump intends to attend the dignified transfer of these American heroes to stand in grief alongside their families,\u201d she said. \u201cI understand the Department of War is working on scheduling this transfer, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.09 EST<\/p>\n Sri Lankan authorities have said that they recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 people after a US torpedo sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n The Associated Press <\/a>reported that Sri Lankan navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath said that \u201cwe found people floating on the water\u201d and that the 32 people rescued were admitted to a hospital.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.09 EST<\/p>\n The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, is currently holding a press briefing for reporters, and in her opening remarks, she praised Donald Trump and touted the success of Operation Epic Fury.<\/p>\n \u201cPresident Trump is holding these monsters accountable and permanently extinguishing their nuclear ambitions,\u201d Leavitt told reporters at the White House. \u201cFuture generations of Americans will look to this moment as the moment where the specter of a nuclear armed Iran<\/a> ended at the beginning of Operation Epic Fury launched last weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n Leavitt also repeated comments by the defense secretary just hours ago that the US has significantly degraded the Iranian navy.<\/p>\n \u201cSo far, we have destroyed more than 20 Iranian ships, including their top submarine, last night using a torpedo,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s safe to say that thus far, operation, Epic Fury has been a resounding success.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.32 EST<\/p>\n In a recent statement, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has said \u201cwe are well on our way to achieving the objectives of #EpicFury\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cDestroy their missile launchers\u201d he said. \u201cDestroy their missile factories. Destroy their Navy. So they can never hide behind these things to develop a nuclear weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.23 EST<\/p>\n US Central Command has said that US forces have \u201cstruck or sunk to the bottom of the ocean\u201d more than 20 Iranian ships.<\/p>\n \u201cLast night, CENTCOM added a Soleimani-class warship to the list,\u201d it said<\/a> in a statement on Wednesday.<\/p>\n In another statement on Wednesday, US Central Command said<\/a> that \u201cUS forces continue to aggressively hunt and destroy Iranian missile launchers with precision\u201d.<\/p>\n![\"Shrai](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shrai_Popat.png\")
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