Overview
- U.S. Central Command said a seventh American service member died from injuries sustained in Iran’s initial March 1 attacks, after six soldiers were killed in a strike on a U.S. unit in Kuwait.
- Iran’s Assembly of Experts installed Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader, the IRGC pledged allegiance, and Israeli officials warned any successor could be targeted if attacks persist.
- Missile and drone barrages continued across the region as Saudi Arabia intercepted strikes on the Shaybah oil field, Bahrain reported 32 civilians wounded on Sitra Island, and Qatar and the UAE said they faced new attacks.
- Israel intensified strikes inside Iran, hitting fuel depots and oil facilities around Tehran and Karaj, with residents reporting toxic “black rain” as authorities urged people to stay indoors.
- Crude benchmarks climbed above $100 a barrel and Bahrain’s Bapco declared force majeure on exports, while Human Rights Watch urged a war‑crimes probe into the deadly strike on a girls’ school in Minab, where responsibility remains disputed.