Iran US Israel
This image provided by U.S. Central Command shows a F-35C Lightning II preparing for launch on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on Monday, March 2, 2026.
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The war in the Middle East spiraled further as Israel and the U.S. pounded Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump said the campaign would likely take several weeks, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the “hardest hits are yet to come.” Tehran and its allies hit back Monday against Israel, neighboring Gulf states and targets, including energy facilities in Qatar and the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia. The intensity of the attacks, the killing of Iran's supreme leader, and the lack of any apparent exit plan indicated the conflict would not end anytime soon. Israel launched retaliatory attacks in Lebanon after Hezbollah fired missiles at it, and an Israeli military official did not rule out another ground invasion.
The Israeli military says soldiers are “operating in southern Lebanon” as it continues strikes against Hezbollah. It says the deployment is part of a broader effort to increase security for residents in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon. Earlier, Iran hit the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital with a drone strike as it kept striking targets around the region, while the United States and Israel pounded Iran with airstrikes. U.S. President Donald Trump suggested it was just the start of a relentless campaign that could last more than a month. The intensity of the attacks, the killing of Iran's supreme leader, and the lack of any apparent exit plan indicate the conflict would not end anytime soon.
