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U.S. and Israel Unleash New Wave of Strikes on Iran as CENTCOM Cites Rapid Gains

The Pentagon says over 2,000 targets have been hit, leaving Iran’s air and naval defenses severely degraded.

An Iranian flag is placed among the ruins of a police station struck Monday during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Firefighters inspect the rubble as smoke rises from a building hit by an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared photo (L) and the photo published by France 24
Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared post (L) and the January 2025 Instagram video

Overview

  • Israel reported a “broad wave of strikes” on launch sites, air defenses and infrastructure after earlier hits on leadership and Basij facilities in Tehran and a building tied to the Assembly of Experts in Qom.
  • Admiral Brad Cooper said Operation Epic Fury fields about 50,000 U.S. troops, two carrier strike groups and hundreds of aircraft, with 17 Iranian naval vessels sunk and no Iranian ships underway in the Gulf or Strait of Hormuz.
  • Iran continued missile and drone barrages across the region, with strikes reported near U.S. diplomatic sites in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and at Al-Udeid base in Qatar, while sirens sounded in Israel as interceptions caused limited injuries.
  • Casualty reports inside Iran ranged from 787 deaths cited by the Iranian Red Crescent to nearly 1,100 reported by HRANA, as Tehran emptied out, more than 20,000 flights were canceled, and Brent crude rose above $82.
  • Fighting widened in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes killed civilians in Baalbek and near Beirut and evacuation orders covered 16 southern villages, with the United Nations reporting more than 30,000 people displaced.