Operation Epic Fury Day 4: Iran War Live Updates — US Embassy in Riyadh Hit, Six Americans Dead, Ground Troops Not Ruled Out

Operation Epic Fury enters its fourth day Tuesday, March 3, 2026 ET with no ceasefire in sight and the Iran war expanding in every direction. The US and Israel have struck over 1,250 targets inside Iran. Six American service members are dead. The US Embassy in Riyadh has been struck by Iranian drones. Hezbollah has entered the conflict. And Trump is not ruling out ground troops.

Operation Epic Fury — How It Started and Why

On February 28, 2026, Israel and the United States launched a coordinated joint attack on various sites in Iran. Codenamed Operation Roaring Lion by Israel and Operation Epic Fury by the US Department of Defense, it targeted key officials, military commanders, and facilities — aimed at eliminating Iran's military and nuclear threat capability.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill: "We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added plainly: "This is not a so-called regime-change war, but the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it."

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Killed — Iran's Supreme Leader Dead

Iranian state media confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed in airstrikes targeting his office in Tehran on February 28. An Iran state broadcaster delivered the news in tears. Khamenei had assumed the position of spiritual leader after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989 — leading Iran for 37 years.

A three-member governing council comprising President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi is now governing Iran until a formal leadership transition is complete. Iran's security chief Ali Larijani announced that Iran would not negotiate with the United States, writing on X: "We will not negotiate with the United States."

Scale of Strikes — 1,250 Targets Hit, 900 in First 12 Hours Alone

A senior US official confirmed the United States carried out 900 strikes against Iranian targets in the first 12 hours of Operation Epic Fury alone. The Israeli military confirmed that 200 of its jets hit nearly 500 targets in Iran on the first day. Among the confirmed US assets used were one-way attack drones, Tomahawk cruise missiles, F/A-18 Super Hornets, F-35 fighter jets, and B-2 stealth bombers armed with 2,000-lb bombs that struck Iran's ballistic missile facilities Saturday night.

Israel's air force says it dropped more than 1,200 munitions across 24 of Iran's 31 provinces over the past day in its joint attack with the US. Iran's IRGC says it has launched attacks on 27 bases in the Middle East where US troops are deployed as well as Israeli military facilities in Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel.

Six Americans Dead — Trump Does Not Rule Out Ground Troops

Six American service members have been killed as of Tuesday, March 3, 2026 ET. Speaking in the White House East Room, President Trump said the US military projected the operation in Iran could take four to five weeks but has the capability to go far longer.

The three initial US service members killed were Army soldiers deployed to Kuwait as part of a unit overseeing supplies and logistics. Trump said the US will "avenge their deaths" and did not rule out ground forces in Iran if "necessary."

Iran Strikes Back — Nine Countries, Missiles and Drones Everywhere

Iran has launched strikes across nine countries: 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. Iran launched roughly 420 missiles across nine countries and ships at sea — 162 at Israel, 167 at the UAE, and 46 at Qatar.

Iranian strikes on Kuwait killed one person and injured 32 others. At least three people were killed and 58 wounded in the UAE. A Pakistani national died when debris from intercepted missiles fell on a residential area near Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. The Dubai Fairmont Palm hotel and the Burj Al Arab were both struck by debris.

Hezbollah Enters the War — Lebanon Threatened With Escalation

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah broke out in the early hours of Monday, March 2. The Israeli military warned residents in more than a dozen locations in south and east Lebanon to evacuate, saying buildings were being used by Hezbollah. The militant group's entry dramatically expands the geographic scope of the conflict.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Salam condemned Hezbollah's decision to join the war, calling it "an irresponsible and suspicious act that jeopardizes Lebanon's security and safety." He stated: "We will not allow the country to be dragged into new adventures."

Death Toll, Gandhi Hospital, and the School Strike

Preliminary figures stand at 555 dead in Iran, at least 10 in Israel, four US soldiers confirmed in the Al Jazeera tracker, and at least five killed across Gulf states — all figures described as preliminary. A girls' elementary school in the southeastern Iranian city of Minab was struck, with Iran claiming 168 killed. Tehran's Gandhi Hospital was damaged and patients evacuated. Neither the US nor Israel confirmed the school strike.

Global Reaction — World Watches as Flights Slowly Resume

Limited flight operations began resuming from Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports on day three, with Emirates flights to Mumbai and Chennai taking off for the first time since the outbreak of the Iran war. Tens of thousands of travelers remained stranded across the Gulf region with most airspaces still closed.

The UN Secretary General condemned the attacks. The EU called the conflict "greatly concerning." Turkey's President Erdoğan called for an end to "the bloodbath." The E3 — UK, France, and Germany — resolved to back "proportionate military defensive measures" against Iranian drones and missiles if needed, signaling potential direct European involvement. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed the US can use British bases for "defensive" strikes on Iran.