Iran News Today: Day 4 of US-Israel War — 555 Dead in Iran, Khamenei Killed, Gulf Region Under Fire
Iran news on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 ET opens on a world dramatically reshaped in just 96 hours. The United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran on Saturday, February 28 — killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of top commanders. Iran has responded with relentless missile and drone barrages across the Middle East. The death toll inside Iran has reached 555. Six American service members have been killed. The region is in open war.
Khamenei Killed — Iran's Supreme Leader Dead After US-Israeli Strikes
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of US-Israeli strikes on Saturday along with top commanders. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed a new leadership council has begun its work, with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating the transition process should be complete within days. Until that can happen, a three-member council comprising President Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi will govern.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed to continue its work despite the killing of its top members and has launched waves of retaliatory strikes. IRGC security chief Ali Larijani warned in an all-caps post: "TODAY WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE."
Iran Death Toll Reaches 555 — Civilian Buildings, Schools, Hospitals Hit
At least 555 people have been killed in US-Israeli strikes across Iran, the Iranian Red Crescent Society confirmed. The deadliest single incident was an Israeli strike on a girls' elementary school in the southeastern city of Minab, where the death toll rose to 180 young children. A hospital in Tehran — Gandhi Hospital — was badly damaged and patients were evacuated.
Israel's air force said it dropped more than 1,200 munitions across 24 of Iran's 31 provinces over a single 24-hour period. Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site was also targeted in US-Israeli airstrikes on Sunday, according to Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, who denied his country was pursuing nuclear weapons and described the facility as peaceful.
Iran Strikes Back — Nine Countries Targeted With Missiles and Drones
Iran has launched strikes across nine countries in the region: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and a drone struck a runway at a UK military base in Cyprus. Most of these attacks have been intercepted by air defense systems, but casualties and infrastructure damage have occurred across multiple Gulf states.
Loud explosions were heard in Dubai and Doha for a third consecutive day. Kuwait's air defenses intercepted the majority of Iranian drones near residential neighborhoods. Qatar confirmed Iranian attacks targeted civilian infrastructure including its international airport. Saudi Arabia temporarily shut down the Ras Tanura refinery near Dammam after a drone attack.
Six US Service Members Killed — Trump Warns "The Big Wave Hasn't Happened Yet"
Six American service members have been killed as of Tuesday morning ET. Speaking from the White House East Room, President Trump said the U.S. military projected the operation in Iran could take four to five weeks but has the capability to continue far longer. Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine warned the public to expect additional US casualties, describing accomplishing objectives as requiring "some time" and "in some cases, difficult and gritty work."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill that the hardest hits are yet to come from the US military, saying: "The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now." Trump separately told CNN: "The big wave hasn't even happened. The big one is coming soon." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called a congressional briefing from Rubio "completely and totally insufficient," saying it raised more questions than it answered.
US State Department Orders Americans to Leave Middle East
The US State Department urged Americans in more than a dozen countries across the Middle East to depart immediately due to the ongoing conflict. Thousands of flights have been canceled since Saturday due to ongoing strikes and airspace closures — with standard travel insurance policies potentially offering limited coverage because many exclude benefits in the event of military action, war, and government-mandated closures.
Kuwait, Bahrain, and UAE Brace for More Strikes
Kuwait's army confirmed its air defenses confronted and intercepted a number of hostile aerial targets at dawn Monday over central parts of the country. A plume of smoke was seen rising near the US Embassy in Kuwait City. Debris from an intercepted missile fell onto a foreign vessel in Bahrain's Salman Industrial City, killing one worker. The US, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE issued a joint statement condemning Iranian attacks and affirming their right to self-defense.
Preliminary casualties across all affected nations stand at 555 dead in Iran, at least 10 in Israel, six US soldiers, and at least five killed across Gulf states — figures all described as preliminary and subject to rapid change as the conflict enters its fourth day with no ceasefire in sight.
