Here's the latest
• Expanding war with Iran: Iran’s top official said Tehran “will not negotiate” with the US. Explosions have been heard in Gulf cities including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, while Israel and Hezbollah are trading blows as the conflict widens. Here’s a look at the war in maps and charts.
• Pentagon briefing: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine will brief reporters this morning.
• Fighter jets shot down: Three US fighter jets were accidentally shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in an apparent “friendly fire incident,” according to the US military. All crews have been recovered and are in stable condition.
• Death toll grows: At least 555 people have died in Iran since the US-Israeli strikes began, according to the Red Crescent Society. President Donald Trump acknowledged there could be more US casualties after three US troops were killed in Kuwait.
• Global shockwaves: Qatar’s state-run energy company has stopped its production of liquified natural gas, following an Iranian attack on its facility. Qatar accounts for roughly 20% of global exports. The war has also disrupted air travel, with airspace closed in the Middle East.
Top US general to brief reporters spent weeks developing wide range of military plans
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine will brief reporters on the US operation in Iran this morning, alongside Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
President Donald Trump pushed Caine for weeks to develop a wide range of military plans for Iran, CNN previously reported.
Caine, a former F-16 fighter pilot who spent time as a military liaison to the CIA, has largely avoided interacting with the press and has spoken publicly only from podiums. Caine held a news conference with Hegseth at the Pentagon last June, detailing previous US strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.
Caine retired in December 2024 as a three-star lieutenant general, and he was thrust into the center of a political firestorm when President Donald Trump announced that he would replace Gen. Charles Q. Brown, who had served as Joint Chiefs chairman since October 2023.
Read more about Caine and the lead-up to the US strikes on Iran here.
CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen and Haley Britzky contributed.
Commercial ship hit by projectiles in Bahrain port, latest among similar incidents
A commercial vessel has been struck by two projectiles while docked at the Port of Bahrain, forcing the crew to evacuate, according to UK maritime authorities.
In an advisory issued early Monday, UK Maritime Trade Operations said the ship had been hit by “two unknown projectiles,” causing a fire on board. The blaze has since been extinguished, and all crew members are safe. The vessel remains in port as authorities investigate.
The strike is the latest among several similar incidents since Saturday. In a separate UKMTO report Sunday, another ship sailing about 17 nautical miles off the coast of the United Arab Emirates was struck by an “unknown projectile.”
Officials are urging ships operating in the Persian Gulf, located between southwestern Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, to exercise extreme caution and report any suspicious activity.
CNN team witnesses Iranian drone flying overhead at Iran-Iraq border
A CNN team witnessed an Iranian drone flying overhead at the Iraq-Iran border.
CNN’s chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward said the drone was flying from Iran into Iraq.
Hezbollah just restarted the fight that Israel was waiting to finish
In the pre-dawn hours of this morning, Hezbollah opened a new front in the US-Israeli war against Iran when it launched “missiles and a swarm of drones” at a military base in northern Israel.
The Iran-backed militant group, which has its power base in southern Lebanon, called it revenge for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Never mind that Israel says the attack did no damage. One projectile was intercepted, while others fell in open areas. Or that Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called it “an irresponsible and suspicious act,” and banned Hezbollah’s military activities.
Israel has been poised for this moment for months. Even after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect in 2024, the Israeli military has been striking Lebanon on a near-daily basis, accusing Hezbollah of violating the agreement by rearming and rebuilding its forces. In November, Israel said it killed Hezbollah’s second most senior figure and Chief of Staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai.
Hezbollah’s decision to enter the fray and expand the conflict has given Israel’s leadership every reason it needs to dramatically intensify its strikes on Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the capital Beirut.
Fourth service member killed in Iran attack
A fourth service member has died after suffering injuries during Iran’s “initial” attack, the US military has announced.
“As of 7:30 am ET, March 2, four U.S. service members have been killed in action,” US Central Command said in a post on X. “The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries.”
The service member was killed in the same attack in Kuwait that earlier killed three others, one US official and a source familiar with the situation told CNN.
The identities of those killed will be withheld for 24 hours after next of kin is notified, CENTCOM said in the post.
Hundreds flee southern Lebanon as conflict widens across Middle East
Hundreds of people were seen fleeing southern Lebanon on Monday morning after a night of attacks across the region drew Iran-backed Hezbollah further into the conflict.
Men, women and children are seen getting into cars, which caused traffic jams in Sidon as residents try to escape the escalating violence.
One displaced resident, Israa, told Reuters news agency from the front seat of her car that said she and her family left at 3 a.m. to get to safety.
Another resident, Mohammed, said all he wanted was to “live in stability” and carry on with his life.
“We have children, we have babies, we have sons. We want to live, this is our goal, honestly,” he said.
Pentagon to brief the press this morning
The Pentagon is holding a news conference on the US operation in Iran at 8 a.m. ET, the Department of Defense said on social media.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine will brief reporters, according to the post. It will be the first time top members of the Trump administration have spoken publicly about “Operation Epic Fury.”
CNN previously reported that Pentagon briefers acknowledged to congressional staff that Iran was not planning to strike US forces unless Israel attacked Iran first, undercutting the administration’s claim of an imminent threat as a reason to launch strikes, sources said.
CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen and Jennifer Hansler contributed reporting.
QatarEnergy stops production of LNG following drone attack
Qatar’s state-run energy company QatarEnergy has stopped its production of liquified natural gas following an Iranian attack on its facility in Ras Laffan on Monday, the company said in a statement shared with CNN.
The energy facility was targeted by an Iranian drone on Monday alongside another power facility in Mesaieed, south of Doha.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence saying investigations are ongoing into the extent of the damage.
Qatar is one of the world’s largest LNG exporters, accounting for roughly 20% of global exports, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
What we know about the death toll so far in the Middle East
Here’s what we know about the number of the people killed in strikes in the Middle East since the war with Iran began.
- Iran: At least 555 people have been killed in Iran since the joint US-Israeli strikes began, according to the Red Crescent Society. At least 168 students were killed in a strike at a girls’ elementary school, according to Iranian state media, with another three students being killed in separate attacks in the capital and northern Iran, state media said. A Chinese national was also killed in Iran, China’s foreign ministry said.
- Lebanon: At least 31 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon and Beirut, the country’s Ministry of Public Health said.
- Israel: At least 10 people have been killed and more than 200 injured in Israel since it began military operations against Iran, according to Magen David Adom. Nine of the fatalities were reported from the city of Beit Shemesh, where a missile hit a bomb shelter.
- Iraq: Four members of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, an Iran-backed paramilitary group, were killed in a US-Israeli strike that targeted one of its headquarters, the militia’s Media Directorate announced.
- United Arab Emirates: Three people in the UAE have been killed in Iran’s retaliatory strikes, the country’s defense ministry said. Those killed were nationals of Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh who died after Iranian drones that made it through the UAE’s air defenses, it said.
- Kuwait: Three US service members were killed in a suspected drone strike early Sunday in Kuwait, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Prior to this, Kuwait’s health ministry said separately that one person had been killed in Iranian strikes.
- Bahrain: One person was killed after debris from an intercepted missile sparked a fire on a “foreign vessel” in Bahrain’s Salman Industrial City, Bahraini state media reported.
European leaders react to escalating conflict in the Middle East
Here are some of the key reactions from European leaders in the last 24 hours amid Iran’s expansion of retaliatory strikes in the Middle East:
France, Germany and UK statement: Leaders of the three European nations said they had agreed to work with the United States and other regional allies in response to Iran’s missile attacks across the Middle East, as they released a joint statement on Sunday condemning Tehran’s actions.
EU: The European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas called Iran’s attacks on multiple countries in the Middle East “inexcusable,” saying in a statement on Sunday that “the events must not lead to further escalation that could threaten the region, Europe and beyond, with unpredictable consequences.” She also said the bloc is contributing “to all diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions” and to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
More from France: Foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot reiterated on Monday that France was “not informed, and we did not take part in the military operations launched by the United States and by Israel.” He said France’s priorities now are the safety of the about 400,000 French citizens in the Gulf region, as well as deescalation. France stands ready in accordance with the “principle of collective self-defense enshrined in international law,” the foreign minister added.
Greece: Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said his country is ready to defense Cyrus “with any possible means,” Reuters reported on Monday. That comes after an attack drone hit the UK’s Royal Air Force Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus and more drones were intercepted on Monday.
We will continue to bring you more reactions as we get them.
Iraq says it will block militant attacks and keep country out of regional conflict
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has instructed the country’s security agencies to confront “any act that harms security and stability” as the region faces escalating developments, Iraq’s state news agency INA reported on Monday.
In a statement, Iraq’s Ministerial Council for National Security said the government will not allow attacks on diplomatic missions or harm to “vital facilities,” adding that security forces will continue protecting citizens, missions and public and private property in line with Iraq’s international obligations.
The council added that Iraq will remain committed to preventing escalation and ensuring its territory is not used for external or internal conflicts, stressing that decisions on national security, peace and military movements are the exclusive responsibility of the state
Lebanon's government bans Hezbollah's military activities
The Lebanese government announced it has banned Hezbollah’s military and security activities as illegal and is calling on the Iran-backed group to surrender its weapons.
The announcement, which comes a day after Hezbollah launched an attack on Israel, represents a dramatic shift in the state’s policy. Hezbollah’s presence as a military group has been part of Lebanon’s landscape for more than 40 years.
The government also ordered the army to prevent attacks against Israel and begin confiscating weapons, a move that risks confrontation with the heavily armed militia.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam was cited as saying that the “state declared its absolute rejection of any military actions launched from its territory and affirmed that the decision of war and peace is in its hands, which necessitates banning the party’s activities and obliging it to surrender its weapons and commit to political work.”
It is unclear if the government can unilaterally ban the group without the approval of parliament, where Hezbollah and its allies have a number of seats.
The government statement said it rejected and condemned the missile attack against Israel claimed by Hezbollah on Sunday, “which contradicts the principle that the decision of war and peace rests solely with the Lebanese state.”
“The government asked the security services to implement what was stated to prevent any military operations and to arrest those who carry them out,” the government said.
War in the Middle East exposes the limits of the Kremlin’s power
Russia has offered expressions of concern and condemnation following the recent outbreak of conflict involving its key ally, Iran, but it has so far remained largely on the sidelines.
The Kremlin said Monday that it is in “constant contact” with Iran’s leadership – though Moscow didn’t clarify who that now includes following the killing of Tehran’s supreme leader in strikes.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that “these are troubled days,” referring to the United States and Israel’s war with Iran, adding that Moscow is also continuing contacts with the leaders of the countries affected by the conflict, including the states of the Persian Gulf.
When asked if the Kremlin is consulting BRICS states – the China- and Russia-backed group of emerging economies of which Iran is a member – Peskov stated membership of BRICS does not oblige members to provide mutual assistance during an armed aggression, underscoring the limit of Moscow’s friendship.
“It is an organization of a different nature, and it involves cooperation in other areas,” Peskov said.
Iran and Russia signed a 20-year treaty in January 2025 strengthening their economic, military and political partnership. But, crucially, it stopped short of a mutual-defense pact that would obligate Moscow to come to Tehran’s aid in the event of military aggression. The limits of Moscow’s power were also on show following Israeli-US strikes on Iran in June 2025, when Moscow offered rhetorical condemnation but did not intervene or offer military support.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his first official comments on Sunday since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, called the killing of Iran’s supreme leader a “cynical murder” that violated “all norms of human morality and international law.” But these strong words are just that – words.
The supreme leader now joins a growing list of partners Moscow has been unable to protect. The Kremlin was unable to stop the US from seizing Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a raid by American troops in January, and longtime Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebel forces in December 2024.
These episodes reinforce a growing perception among many observers that the Kremlin’s alliances are increasingly symbolic rather than strategic guarantees.
It’s clear Moscow lays the blame for the recent outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East on the US and Israel, with the Russian Foreign Ministry on Saturday calling the military campaign a “perilous course” intent on regime change.
But with the Kremlin mired in a long, grinding war of its own in Ukraine and increasingly constrained economically and militarily, Moscow’s role in the widening Middle East conflict may be limited to rhetoric.
Large explosions seen today in central Tehran
We have been receiving footage from inside Iran today showing large explosions in the capital city of Tehran.
In the background audio, a voice can be heard remarking, in Farsi, how multiple buildings have been destroyed in a fresh round of strikes. CNN has not been able to verify the scale of the damage from these latest attacks.
Iranian state media outlets have also been sharing clips of explosions in several parts of central Tehran today.
Two drones intercepted over Cyprus
More on the reports of drones over Cyprus. A government spokesman posted on X that two more “unmanned aerial vehicles” that were heading towards the British air force base of Akrotiri were intercepted.
Sirens sounded at the base soon after midday local time on Monday.
The US embassy in Cyprus had warned of possible drone activity and the terminal at Paphos airport on the west of the island was evacuated.
A drone struck Akrotiri on Sunday night.
UK will allow US to use British military bases for "defensive" strikes on Iranian missile stocks
The United Kingdom has agreed to a request from the United States to allow British military bases to be used for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile stocks, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a video address released Sunday.
Starmer stressed that the UK was not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, but argued that Iran’s sustained strikes on the Gulf region have placed the lives of many British overseas citizens, tourists and troops in danger. He also said the UK had learned lessons from the “mistakes of Iraq,” and it would “not join offensive action now.”
The prime minister made the announcement hours before an attack drone hit the UK’s Royal Air Force Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus.
“We will also bring experts from Ukraine, together with our own experts, to help Gulf partners shoot down Iranian drones attacking them,” he added.
The US view: In an interview with the British newspaper The Telegraph published on Monday, US President Donald Trump said he was “very disappointed” that Starmer blocked the US from using its bases in the Chagos islands and Cyprus.
Trump said the UK “took far too long” to agree to the use of its bases, adding that “it sounds like he was worried about the legality,” The Telegraph reported.
What to know about the Strait of Hormuz, a 'critical oil chokepoint'
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that bypasses Iran and Oman, is the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the rest of the world.
Iran controls the strait’s northern side. About 20 million barrels of oil, or about one-fifth of daily global production, flow through the strait every day, according to the US Energy Information Administration, which calls the channel a “critical oil chokepoint.” According to the EIA, “very few alternative options exist to move oil out of the strait if it is closed.”
The strait also carries about one-fifth of global trade in liquefied natural gas.
Although Iran has not closed the strait, traffic through the waterway has effectively stopped due to safety concerns and after oil tankers in the region came under attack over the weekend.
Energy analysts have warned that oil and natural gas prices are likely to remain elevated until the strait is passable.
Major container shipping companies, including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC and CMA CGM, are also diverting vessels away from the waterway and the region, according to logistics firm Freightos.
Qatar says two Iranian drones attacked its energy facilities
Qatar said on Monday that two drones from Iran attacked its energy facilities.
The drones targeted a water tank at a power plant in Mesaieed and an energy facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City linked to QatarEnergy, Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said.
Damage from the attack will be assessed and an official statement will be issued later, it said, adding that no human casualties were reported.
Qatar is one of the world’s biggest gas exporters.
Death toll from Israeli attack on school in Iran rises to at least 168, state-affiliated news agency says
At least 168 children were killed in an Israeli attack on a girls’ elementary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab on Saturday, according to state media, citing a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education.
Ninety-five others were injured in the “attack by Israeli forces” on Shajareh Taybeh Girls’ Elementary School, state-affiliated agency news IRNA reported, quoting the spokesperson.
Elsewhere, three other students were killed in attacks in the capital and northern Iran, including a nine-year-old boy in Qazvin province, state media has said.
Earlier Sunday, an Israeli military spokesperson said they were “checking” reports of the attack, adding that they were “not aware of any Israeli or American strike on that location.”
Three US fighter jets accidentally shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses, military says
Three US fighter jets went down “due to an apparent friendly fire incident,” the US military has announced.
Kuwaiti air defenses accidentally shot the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets down late Sunday ET time, the statement went on to say.
“During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” a statement from US Central Command said. “All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.”
The cause of the incident is under investigation, according to CENTCOM. The jets were flying in support of the military operation against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury.
Kuwait’s Minister of Defense said in the early hours of Monday morning that “several” US fighter jets crashed.
This post has been updated with additional information.
