begin quotes from NBC News:
Live updates: U.S. shuts embassies after drone attacks; Israel stages incursion into Lebanon
President Donald Trump indicated the conflict could last weeks and said wars can be fought “forever” with America's stock of munitions. The death toll in Iran rose to nearly 800, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.
What we know
- U.S. EMBASSIES UNDER FIRE: The U.S. shut its embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Beirut amid drone attacks as Iran retaliates across the Middle East. The U.S. also urged Americans in the region to "DEPART NOW!" and ordered nonemergency personnel in six Gulf states to leave.
- ISRAELI TROOPS IN LEBANON: The Israeli military said its forces were now operating on the ground in neighboring Lebanon, where they would "advance and seize additional" territory, escalating its campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Israel also launched new airstrikes on Beirut and Tehran.
- NO 'FOREVER' WAR?: President Donald Trump said the conflict could last weeks and wars can be fought “forever” with America's stock of munitions, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed the conflict would not be “endless.” U.S. operations will unfold in phases, starting at the edge of the country and moving inward, a source familiar with the campaign told NBC News.
- DEATH TOLL: Hundreds of people have died across the Middle East. Iran’s Red Crescent said nearly 800 people were killed in Israeli and American strikes. Six U.S. service members died in action and 11 people were killed in Israel as Iran fired back.
- OIL SURGES, STOCKS PLUNGE: Stock futures plunged and energy prices soared as fears of prolonged disruption spread through global markets. Some flights have resumed in the Middle East, but thousands of travelers remain stranded after days of cancellations and airspace closures.
Fire contained after drone attack near U.S. Consulate in Dubai
A fire was contained by authorities in Dubai following a drone attack near the U.S. Consulate in the city, according to the Dubai Media Office.
Video from the scene verified by NBC News shows a blaze surrounded by black smoke near the consulate.
"Emergency teams responded immediately," the media office said. "No injuries have been reported."
Trump says U.S. Navy may escort tankers through Strait of Hormuz if necessary
President Donald Trump announced in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. Navy may begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which 20% of the world's oil traffic passes.
“If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible,” Trump wrote. “No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD. The United States’ ECONOMIC and MILITARY MIGHT is the GREATEST ON EARTH.”
Trump also said that he ordered the Development Finance Corporation to provide "political risk insurance and guarantees" for the security of all maritime trade traveling through the Gulf.
This comes after stock futures plunged and energy prices soared amid fears of a prolonged disruption resulting from the conflict in the Middle East.
Satellite images show damage to key facilities in Tehran
The Islamic Revolutionary Court. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor
Satellite images taken before and after airstrikes today show significant damage to some government and military facilities in Iran's capital.
The presidential complex. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor
NBC News correspondent receives ‘all clear’ while reporting from Israeli bomb shelter
While reporting live from inside an Israeli bomb shelter in Tel Aviv, NBC News’ Matt Bradley received an “all clear” message relaying that he no longer needed to seek shelter.
Lebanon foreign minister announces ban on Hezbollah military activities
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi announced that the country's Council of Ministers adopted a decision to ban the military and security activities of Hezbollah.
The decision will require the group to "hand over its weapons, and tasks the Lebanese Armed Forces with beginning the second phase of the plan to place all weapons under the exclusive authority of the state," Raggi said in a statement.
The council also discussed Israeli attacks on the country and ways to protect Lebanese civilians, he said.
Trump rips Spain and U.K. for Iran response, threatens trade boycott of Spain
President Donald Trump criticized longtime allies Spain and the United Kingdom for their responses to the war with Iran.
"Some of the European nations have been helpful and some haven’t," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office today while meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. "I’ve been surprised."
"Spain has been terrible" and "unfriendly," Trump said, adding that he's directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent "to cut off all dealings with Spain."
Spain said "we can't use their bases," Trump said, before threatening that he might do it anyway.
"We could use their base if we want. We could just fly in and use it. Nobody is going to tell us not to use it. But we don't have to,” Trump said.
"Spain has absolutely nothing we need, other than great people. But they don't have great leadership," he said, adding, "We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain."
"I'm not happy with the U.K., either," he added, taking aim at Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying, "This is not Winston Churchill we're dealing with."
Iran texting threats to people's cellphones about protesting
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is sending text messages to people's cellphones, threatening them and telling them to not go out into the streets or they will face the consequences.
One of the text messages read: “Insightful and dear people of Iran, While maintaining your calm, if you observe any suspicious anti-security activity — such as movements of terrorist groups; the transfer of weapons and military equipment; or provocative propaganda and psychological operations against security — please report it to your servants at the IRGC Intelligence Organization via the 114 telephone system.”
Another said: “With condolences on the martyrdom of Imam Khamenei and in the hope of Iran’s victory, the heroic nation is informed that, given the bloodthirsty enemy’s plan for terrorist actions and street riots as a next step after bombing certain military and police sites, any movement disturbing security will be considered direct cooperation with the enemy and will be met with the firm fist of your children in the IRGC Intelligence Organization.”
3 paramedics killed and 6 wounded in Lebanon, WHO says
Three paramedics have been killed and six were wounded in the Tyre district of Lebanon as they were recovering victims after an airstrike, according to the World Health Organization's office in Lebanon.
The organization condemned the killings, stressing that health workers should never be targeted.
"They are protected under international humanitarian law and must be able to carry out their lifesaving duties in safety," the WHO said in a statement.
Protesters gather outside of Fox News HQ in New York
Over a dozen protesters are gathered outside of Fox News headquarters in New York City, protesting against the Trump administration's strikes on Iran and the outlet's coverage of the war.
"You can't trust the liars to stop this war!" the protesters chanted outside of the News Corp. building in Midtown Manhattan.
Several of the demonstrators held a banner that reads: "Fox lies democracy dies."
State Department securing military aircraft, charter flights to get Americans out of Middle East
The U.S. is "actively" working on plans to help Americans in the Middle East return home, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X.
Dylan Johnson, the assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, said on X that the State Department is working on getting military aircraft and charter flights for Americans who wish to leave the region.
Hundreds of American citizens have left Israel since the start of the Iran conflict.
Over the last few days, the State Department has helped over 130 American citizens to depart Israel, with an additional 100 American citizens expected to depart today. The department is in direct contact with and aiding nearly 500 American citizens with travel out of Israel.
American citizens needing assistance should call 1-202-501-4444 or register here.
Iranian dissident filmmaker says death was a 'trivial end' for Khamenei
Mohammad Rasoulof, a celebrated Iranian film director who was sentenced to nearly a decade in prison for his criticism of his country’s theocratic regime, excoriated the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an impassioned post on Instagram.
Rasoulof described the late supreme leader as “undoubtedly the most hated figure in contemporary Iranian history” and his killing in U.S.-Israeli military strikes as a “trivial end.”
“He embodied, in the darkest possible form, the distortion of religion and false sanctity in modern times, exacting a price that millions of Iranians from previous generations have paid and future generations will continue to pay,” Rasoulof said in part.
“On the difficult path toward freedom, new days are now awaiting us,” the director said in closing.
Rasoulof, the director of the Oscar-nominated drama “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” fled Iran in 2024 after he was sentenced to eight years behind bars. The charge was “propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” according to his lawyer, Babak Paknia.
The filmmaker now lives in exile in Europe.
Trump says 'it happened all very quickly' when asked why U.S. had no evacuation plan for Americans
Trump was asked in the Oval Office why the Trump administration had no evacuation plan for Americans in the Middle East ahead of the strikes launched against Iran on Saturday.
"Well, because it happened all very quickly," he said. "I thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked. They were getting ready to attack Israel."
The State Department urged Americans across the Middle East yesterday to evacuate from many countries. People have been stranded across the region amid the strikes, as many airports have closed and flights have been canceled.
Trump says 'just about everything's been knocked out' in Iran
Trump said ahead of a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office with the German chancellor that "everything's been knocked out" in Iran.
“They have no navy — it’s been knocked out. They have no air force; that's been knocked out. They have no air detection; that’s been knocked out. Their radar has been knocked out, and just about everything’s been knocked out," the president told reporters.
Trump says the U.S. is doing "very well" in its operation against Iran.
"As you know, 49 people were taken out in the first hit. And I guess there was another hit today on the new leadership, and it looks like that was pretty substantial also. So they're getting hit very hard, and we'll see what happens," he said.
Trump added, "I guess you have a third wave coming."
Emotional scenes as stranded passengers return home
A mother greets her twin infants and husband today upon their arrival from Abu Dhabi in Mumbai, India. Press Trust of India via AP
A man celebrates today as he arrives in Frankfurt, Germany, after being evacuated from Dubai on a commercial flight. Michael Probst / AP
Sneha Chavan, who was stranded in Dubai greets her parents as she arrives today in Mumbai. Francis Mascarenhas / Reuters
A woman welcomes her daughter and her granddaughter in Frankfurt today after they evacuated from Dubai on a commercial flight. Michael Probst / AP
With many flights grounded as Iran retaliated for U.S. and Israeli strikes with strikes on many of its neighbors, travelers across the Middle East had been stranded.
Trump says Netanyahu didn't force his hand on Iran
Trump said in the Oval Office today that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn't force him to launch the U.S. military operation on Iran.
"No, I might have forced their hand. You see, we were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first. They were going to attack. If we didn’t do it, they were going to attack first. I felt strongly about that," Trump told reporters ahead of a bilateral meeting with the German chancellor.
Yesterday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested during remarks to the media on Capitol Hill that the U.S. joined Israel in the attack on Iran because the U.S. knew Israel was going to proceed with strikes.
Trump continued: "I think they were going to attack first. And I didn’t want that to happen. So, if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand, but Israel was ready and we were ready and we’ve had a very, very powerful impact because virtually everything they have has been knocked out."
IDF issues urgent evacuation warning to residents in southern Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces issued an urgent evacuation warning to residents living in buildings in Sidon, southern Lebanon, minutes ago.
The IDF said that the buildings "are located near buildings used by Hezbollah" and that it plans to attack the group's "military infrastructure in the near future in light of its prohibited attempts to rebuild its activities in the area."
"For your safety and the safety of your families, you must evacuate these buildings immediately and move at least 300 meters away, as shown on the map," the IDF said. "Remaining in the area of the marked buildings puts you at risk."
U.S. closes embassy in Beirut
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut is closing until further notice "due to ongoing regional tensions," the agency announced on social media.
Regular and emergency consular appointments have been canceled. The embassy will say when it returns to normal operations.
Around 86,000 Americans live in Lebanon, according to a State Department report from 2022.
Iran's women's soccer team refuses to sing national anthem at major match
The women of the Iranian soccer team did not sing their country's national anthem ahead of their match against South Korea in the AFC Asian Cup, which is taking place in Australia.
As the anthem played, the women stood silently on the pitch.
Team Iran listens to national anthems before the AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026 football match against South Korea yesterday. Izhar Khan / AFP via Getty Images
The move comes just days after Iran's supreme leader was killed by U.S. and Israeli strikes and against the backdrop of a spiraling war in their country. Earlier this year, huge anti-government protests were brutally crushed.
Virgin Atlantic resumes London flights to Dubai and Riyadh
Virgin Atlantic said today that it planned to operate services as scheduled between London Heathrow and Dubai and Riyadh, following the reopening of airspace in the Middle East.
“Following the reopening of airspace in the Middle East, our services between London Heathrow and Dubai and Riyadh on Tuesday 3 March plan to operate as scheduled,” the airline said in a statement.
“The safety and security of our customers and people is always our top priority, and our operation is subject to ongoing assessments,” it added.
Israel bombs assembly building used for election of Iran's new supreme leader
Israel today bombed a building used by Iran's Assembly of Experts, the body tasked with electing the new supreme leader, an Israeli official told NBC News.
The goal of the strike in the holy city of Qom was to destroy the building rather than kill the 88 religious scholars who make up the assembly, the Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added.
Iranian state media outlet IRIB confirmed the bombing and said there were no casualties. It said another assembly building had been targeted in Tehran on Monday.
Iran’s foreign minister has said that the election of a new supreme leader could happen as early as this week, but the intensive Israeli attacks targeting gatherings of senior officials may slow down the process.
The Assembly of Experts has not met to choose a new leader since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s election in 1989. Under Iranian law, the new leader must be a man and must be an Islamic cleric.
Massive explosions heard in Tehran and Karaj
Huge explosions have just been heard in Iran's capital, Tehran, and Karaj in northern Iran, according to media reports and an NBC News producer in the country. Tehran residents also saw fighter jets flying very low over the city.
Semiofficial Iranian news agencies published pictures of the Azadi Tower, a monument in Tehran, surrounded by fire and a black cloud of smoke.
In western Tehran, a fire broke out following the airstrikes, according to semiofficial news agency Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA).
The Israel Defense Forces said it concluded "a wave of attacks against the infrastructure of the Iranian regime in Tehran and Isfahan" a short while ago.
Earlier, the IDF issued an evacuation warning for people in Karaj, specifically at the Hakimiyah Industrial Zone and the Payam Airport area.
Smoke rises from strikes east of Tehran today. Fatemeh Bahrami / Anadolu via Getty Images
NYPD steps up patrols as Jewish community celebrates Purim
The New York Police Department said it will be "out in full force" as the Jewish holiday of Purim began last night "to ensure everyone can celebrate safely."
The police force said it is deploying extra resources to Jewish sites across the five boroughs, including counterterrorism units and other specialized teams. Additional police will also be stationed in the subways and on the streets.
40 killed and over 245 wounded in Lebanon
Israeli attacks have killed at least 40 people and wounded another 246 in Lebanon over the past two days, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
The death toll includes seven children, the ministry said.
Firefighters inspect the rubble of a building hit today by an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut. Hassan Ammar / AP
Satellite imagery shows damage to Saudi oil refinery
Damage to Ras Tanura oil refinery, captured yesterday. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor
Firefighting efforts underway at Ras Tanura oil refinery yesterday. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor
New satellite images show smoke rising in the Ras Tanura oil refinery in Saudi Arabia after yesterday's drone attack.
Full-scale invasion of Iran unlikely, military expert says
While Iran has long counted with powerful ground and intermediate-range missile forces, the country's military has been degraded since last year's 12-day war with Israel, according to retired Col. Steve Warren, an NBC News military analyst.
While the United States may send ground forces to conduct special operations, a full-scale invasion of Iran is unlikely, added Warren, a former Pentagon spokesman.
The "next wave" could open an opportunity for U.S. forces to "sink the Iranian navy," Warren said, or to "make a real hard push against their nuclear capability."
Photos: Purim parties shift to bomb shelters as Israelis celebrate under Iran war threat
The Purim holiday is usually marked with boisterous street parades and costume parties to celebrate the Jewish victory over an ancient Persian ruler. This year, the celebrations moved into fortified bomb shelters as the country wages war against Iran’s modern-day leaders.
People celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim in an underground metro station used as a shelter against possible Iranian missile attacks in Ramat Gan, Israel, yesterday. Oded Balilty / AP
Jewish men and children read the Scroll of Esther as they celebrate the holiday of Purim in an underground parking garage in Tel Aviv yesterday. Ohad Zwigenberg / AP
A girl wears a decorative dress during the Jewish festival of Purim inside a bomb shelter synagogue in Hadera, Israel, yesterday. Ariel Schalit / AP
Israelis celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim in an underground parking garage in Tel Aviv yesterday. Ohad Zwigenberg / AP
IDF issues urgent evacuation warning to parts of Karaj, Iran
The Israel Defense Forces issued an urgent warning to people in the city of Karaj, Iran, just outside of Tehran.
"The Defense Forces will be operating in the area in the coming hours, as they have in recent days throughout Tehran, targeting military infrastructure belonging to the Iranian regime," the IDF said in the alert.
The IDF said it will be operating at the Hakimiyah Industrial Zone and the Payam Airport area.
"Your presence in these areas puts your life at risk," the IDF said.
Dubai International Airport set to prioritize departing flights
Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest international hub, has said it will prioritize departing flights.
Airplanes parked on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport on Monday. Fadel Senna / AFP - Getty Images
In a statement posted on X, the airport said that “priority is currently being given to departing flights.” It also added that operations at the airport, which have been impacted by retaliatory strikes from Iran, will gradually resume in coordination with airlines and authorities.
‘Gates of hell’ will open more and more against U.S. and Israel, IRGC spokesman says
The “gates of hell” will open more and more against the United States and Israel, the spokesman for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said, according to the news agency of Iran’s judiciary Mizan.
Brigadier General Ali-Mohammad Naeini said the “enemy must expect sustained and instructive attacks,” Mizan reported, as he vowed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will continue its missions "with the same strategy and strength," as he said the paramilitary force’s commanders and combat units were "fully established and operational" despite President Donald Trump saying that “a large amount of leadership” in Iran has been wiped out in his offensive on the Islamic republic.
U.S. says it's not in position to evacuate Americans from Israel
The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem said it was not in a position to evacuate or directly assist American citizens in departing Israel, instead directing them toward Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
For those making their own security plans, the embassy said in a post on X, the Israeli tourism ministry has begun operating shuttles to the Taba Border crossing with Egypt as of yesterday and said Americans could register on the passenger list, adding that it could not make any recommendation for or against the shuttle.
“If you choose to avail yourself of this option to depart, the U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety,” it said. “The information is provided as a courtesy to those wishing to leave Israel.”
Earlier, U.S. ambassador Mike Huckabee warned that Americans had “very limited options” to leave Israel.
Ukraine offers help against Iranian drones as new war overshadows Russia peace talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to help Gulf states protect themselves against Iranian drones that Russia has used to attack his country.
His intervention came as the Kremlin said only time would tell how the new war could affect the peace talks to end the hostilities in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said in a post on X that he talked with the president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, this morning and discussed how Ukraine could help and “support the protection of lives.”
Over the last four years, Kyiv’s air defenses have become skilled at intercepting Iranian-designed “Shahed” drones that Ukraine says Russia has used in abundance to hit its territory.
A Shahed-136 drone is displayed at a rally in Tehran last month. Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto via AP file
The growing conflict in the Middle East could affect the U.S.-led peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said yesterday the next meeting between negotiators was scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates later this week, but the deteriorating security situation there could change that. Still, Zelenskyy said the meeting has not yet been canceled, and must take place regardless, even if at a different location.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters only time will tell how the Iran crisis will affect the talks, saying there was “no clarity” where and when the next round of negotiations could take place. “Americans have more work these days,” Peskov added.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the U.S. actions against Iran could encourage development of nuclear weapons across the Arab world to prevent future American attacks. “The risk is now growing that the problem of nuclear proliferation could begin to spiral out of control,” Lavrov said, as he said there was still no evidence that Iran was developing nuclear weapons.
U.S. warns of imminent missile attack in eastern Saudi Arabia
The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia warned of an "imminent missile" attack over Dhahran, an eastern city off the Persian Gulf that is home to an American consulate and the state oil producer Saudi Aramco.
"There is a threat of imminent missile and UAV attacks over Dhahran," the embassy said in a post on X. "Do not come to the U.S. Consulate."
The embassy advised U.S. citizens in Dhahran to not go outside and to shelter in place. The warning comes after the embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was shut following an attack by two drones overnight.
Nuclear watchdog saw no evidence of Iranian program to create nukes, director general says
Reporting from Dubai
The International Atomic Energy Agency has not “seen elements of a systematic and structured program to manufacture nuclear weapons” in Iran, its director general told NBC News.
But at the same time the Islamic Republic had enriched Uranium to 60% which is something that “only countries with nuclear weapons have,” Rafael Grossi said.
While he could not say that meant that Iran was planning to build nuclear weapons, this was “the source of the concerns we had” and “there was no clear objective” for such an accumulation, he said.
“The centrifuges were spinning constantly and producing more and more of that material,” he said, adding that theoretically this would have been “enough to produce more than 10 nuclear warheads. But do they have them? No.”
Tens of thousands displaced in Lebanon
Thousands of Lebanese people have fled their villages and homes following an escalation in Israeli airstrikes and a ground incursion.
A Lebanese family takes refuge in downtown Beirut today, after fleeing their home in the city's southern suburbs. Marwan Naamani / dpa via Reuters
A displaced child inside a tent in downtown Beirut today. Marwan Naamani / dpa via Reuters
This mass displacement was triggered by intense overnight bombardments and urgent evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military to villages and towns across southern and eastern Lebanon.
Trump says it's 'too late' for talks with Iran
The president has said that it is "too late" for talks with Iran as the U.S. and Israel pound targets across the country and Tehran retaliates with its own strikes.
"Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone," Trump wrote on Truth Social this morning. "They want to talk. I said 'Too Late!'"
Yesterday, Iran's top national security official, Ali Larijani, publicly rejected the idea of talks with America after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
U.N. urges investigation into deadly school strike in Iran
The United Nations' human rights office has called for an investigation into a deadly strike over the weekend on a school in southern Iran.
"The onus is on the forces that carried out the attack to investigate it," U.N. human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said in a Geneva news briefing today, without naming who might be responsible for the attack in Minab on Saturday that left 168 people dead, according to local officials.
Iran held a mass funeral this morning for the victims, feared to be mainly children.
So far, no side involved in the latest hostilities to grip the region has taken responsibility for the deadly incident, with Israel saying it was unaware of any strike launched by its forces or the U.S. on a school, while U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, said over the weekend that it was looking into the reports of civilian deaths.
Shamdasani said it was up to the forces responsible to "make public the findings" of an investigation into what happened and "ensure accountability and redress for victims."
Attacks escalate in the Middle East as Iran retaliates across the region
Reporting from Petah Tikva, Israel
Israel and the U.S. launched new attacks against Iran overnight and this morning, rocking the capital, Tehran, and other Iranian cities.
This comes as the Pentagon says six U.S. service members have been killed, and a day after Trump said the war could last weeks — or longer.
The State Department shut two embassies after drone attacks and is advising Americans to evacuate by commercial means from 14 countries covering most of the Middle East as Iran's retaliation spreads.
Photos: Inside Beirut following Israeli strikes
Israel launched further airstrikes on Beirut this morning, as dramatic images from the Lebanese capital came out showing fire and large plumes of smoke inside the city.
Plumes of smoke rise from the sites of Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut today. Ibrahim Amro / AFP via Getty Images
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut today. AFP via Getty Images
Emergency services extinguish fires at the site of an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut today. AFP via Getty Images
People walk on the rubble of buildings destroyed in an early morning Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs today. AFP via Getty Images
Buildings damaged after an early morning Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs today. AFP via Getty Images
Oil surges, stocks plunge as fears of prolonged Iran war hit markets
Stock futures plunged and energy prices soared this morning as fears spread through global markets that the Iran war may bring prolonged disruption.
Futures that indicate where the S&P 500 will trade at the opening bell dropped 2%, while Dow futures pointed to as much as a 970-point drop. Nasdaq 100 futures, which track the more tech-focused index, slid 2.3%.
Meanwhile, energy prices continued to soar after posting large jumps yesterday.
U.S. crude oil traded higher by 7.5%, bringing its total increase since Sunday night to more than 13% and pushing prices to their highest since January 2025.
U.S. quietly moved Middle East personnel ahead of Iran campaign, source tells NBC News
Reporting from Washington
In the weeks before the U.S. began bombing, the military quietly began a movement of personnel, assigning some in the Middle East to alternate locations for work both inside and outside the region, according to a source familiar with the military campaign in Iran.
It was not an evacuation but a movement of personnel over several weeks to get their numbers down at bases, essentially giving personnel temporary duty elsewhere — just doing their jobs in a different location, the source said.
By the time the strikes began the military had a much smaller group of people at locations around the region, the source said.
Once the strikes began, the military went to mission critical personnel at bases throughout the region, focusing on bases and locations where Iran was likely to hit, the source said.
The military set up alternate locations for people to work and live, moving thousands of people, according to the source.
Israel launches overnight ‘wave of strikes’ on Beirut
Israel said it launched a “wave of strikes” on Beirut overnight, targeting what it said were “Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities.”
One of the targets was the Hezbollah-aligned Al Manar channel studios in Beirut’s southern suburbs, according to the Israeli military.
Kuwait condemns 'brutal' Iranian attack on U.S. Embassy
Reporting from Cairo, Egypt
Iran has attacked the U.S Embassy in Kuwait, the country's state news agency said today. Earlier, the U.S. said it was shutting the embassy, citing "ongoing regional tensions."
"The State of Kuwait rejects and condemns in the strongest terms the brutal Iranian attack that targeted the building of the United States Embassy in the country, considering it a flagrant violation of all international norms and laws," the Kuwait New Agency said.
The same report said the Kuwaiti Foreign Affairs Ministry would "take all necessary measures and actions to protect its security, the safety of its territories, its citizens, and the residents therein."
Stocks tumble as Middle East air war fans inflation fears
SINGAPORE — A selloff in stocks deepened and the dollar strengthened today as investors considered the implications of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on energy prices and the global economy.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 2.9% to extend losses for a second day, led by a 7.2% plunge in Korean shares as the country reopened from a holiday with its biggest one-day decline since August 2024. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 tumbled 3.1% and S&P 500 e-mini futures were down 0.9%.
“Economic policy uncertainty was already elevated and now with the Iran conflict, the geopolitical risk is expected to rise too,” said Rupal Agarwal, Asia quant strategist at Bernstein in Singapore. “Last time both spiked was in 2022 during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which didn’t work well for Asian markets.”
The renewed bout of selling came after Wall Street stabilized following a volatile session yesterday which saw the S&P 500 .SPX rally from an early selloff to close flat and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC climb 0.4% as investors bought the dip in markets.
Mass funeral held in Iran for children killed in strike on elementary school
Anadolu via Getty Images
Mourners hold a portrait of a student during the funeral ceremony in Minab today. Anadolu via Getty Images
A woman throws rose petals on a coffin in Minab. Amirhossein Khorgooei / AP
Anadolu via Getty Images
Graves being prepared for the victims in Minab today. Iranian Foreign Media Departmen / via AP
Thousands of people, including families and officials, gathered in Minab, Iran, today for a funeral ceremony for the children who perished in the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school Saturday.
U.S. operations in Iran to unfold in phases, source tells NBC News
Reporting from Washington
The U.S. military’s operations in Iran will unfold in a number of phases, starting at the edge of the country and moving inward, according to a source familiar with the campaign.
The first phase in the early hours saw Tomahawk cruise missiles and long-range precision munitions and what are known as stand-off munitions from aircraft pepper the outer regions of Iran. Those weapons hit Iranian air defenses and essentially softened up Iranian offensive positions, paving the way for manned aircraft to come in after, according to the source.
The next phase used heavy B-1 and B-2 bombers, hitting more hardened targets in Iran like vertical silos and underground ballistic missile facilities, some buried in mountains, the source said. The source added that American fighter pilots used heavy bombs from the bombers to penetrate those facilities with the aim of destroying them.
Military officials don’t want to speculate on the next phases of the operation, but according to the source, so far they have not hit any nuclear facilities, as they did in June, and so that could potentially be included in later phases.
Saudi Arabia condemns 'cowardly' drone attack on U.S. Embassy
Saudi Arabia said it condemned “in the strongest terms” the Iranian attack that it said targeted the U.S. Embassy in its capital, Riyadh.
The embassy was attacked by two drones overnight, resulting in minor damage. It posted on X earlier this morning that all consular appointments were canceled and the embassy was closed.
The U.S. Embassy headquarters in Riyadh after it was hit by drones today. AFP via Getty Images
In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the “cowardly and unjustified attack” was in violation of international law protecting diplomatic premises and personnel in armed conflict.
It warned against such action pushing the region toward further escalation, noting that the kingdom has affirmed it will not allow its airspace and territory to be used to target Iran. The ministry added that Saudi Arabia reserves the right to take measures to protect its security, including responding to aggression.
Location of Iran's enriched uranium unknown, nuclear watchdog says
Reporting from Dubai
The location of the uranium Iran enriched to 60% is unknown, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency told NBC News yesterday.
Enriching it to that level is something that “only countries with nuclear weapons have,” Rafael Grossi said, adding that the IAEA lost its “continuity of knowledge” about the uranium after the U.S. launched massive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June.
Iran is believed to still be in possession of around 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium, and the exact location of that nuclear material remains unknown.
But Grossi said he thought it was “agreed by almost all observers, the intelligence community in many countries and even the Iranians” that the bulk of the material remains at the Isfahan nuclear technology center, Iran’s largest nuclear research complex.
Nearly 800 killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes, Iranian Red Crescent says
The number of people killed in the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran has increased to 787, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said, according to the semi-official news agency Tasnim.
Across Iran, 153 cities have been affected, Tasnim said, and 1,039 attacks have been recorded.
A woman walks past a heavily-damaged building near Ferdowsi square in Tehran today. Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty Images
Israeli army says it hit Iranian regime’s leadership compound
Reporting from Tel Aviv
The Israel Defense Forces said it struck and dismantled facilities within Iran’s leadership compound in the heart of Tehran overnight.
“During the strike on the compound, numerous munitions were dropped on the Presidential Office and the building of the Supreme National Security Council,” the IDF said in a statement, adding that the “gathering site of the regime’s most senior forum responsible for security decision-making was targeted, as well as the institution for training Iranian military officers and additional key regime infrastructure.”
The leadership compound is one of the most heavily secured assets in Iran and spans several streets in central Tehran, the IDF said, and the regime’s leadership and senior security officials frequently convened at the compound. It said the compound was also used by the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
NBC News could not independently verify these reports.
At least one Gaza crossing to reopen amid aid concerns
At least one of Gaza's border crossings will be reopened today to allow aid into the battered enclave, officials have said, after Israel shut down crossings in and out of the territory amid the fresh war unfolding in the region, sparking outcry from humanitarian groups.
COGAT, the Israeli military's liaison with the Palestinians, said the Kerem Shalom crossing would be reopened today for the "gradual reentry of humanitarian aid."
Samer Abdel Jaber, the World Food Programme's regional director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, separately told journalists today that crossings were expected to be reopened, Reuters reported. "We need to get in aid as fast as we can," he said.
It comes after humanitarian organizations sounded the alarm over the border closures, with United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warning that people in Gaza "rely on a steady flow of humanitarian commercial goods from outside." Dujarric said it was “imperative that all crossings be reopened as soon as possible.”
Can Iran survive a war with the United States?
Bilal Saab, senior managing director at Trends-US and former Pentagon senior adviser in the first Trump administration, spoke with NBC News about whether Iran could survive a war with the United States and what the ongoing regional escalation could mean for Iran.
Lebanese army evacuating some positions on Israeli border
The Lebanese army is evacuating a number of its "advanced positions" along the Israeli border to other points of deployment, Lebanese national news agency NNA reported this morning.
The Lebanese government tried to separate itself from Iran-backed Hezbollah military group yesterday, saying it was putting a ban on its military and security operations out of fear Lebanon will get sucked into the expanding regional conflict. This came after Hezbollah fired at Israel yesterday, and Israel responded with retaliatory strikes on its northern neighbor.
Satellite imagery shows damage at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility; IAEA confirms some damage
Damage from new airstrikes can be seen in satellite images from Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, as the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed "some recent damage" at the site.
Damage can be observed on several buildings that cover the personnel and vehicle entrances to the underground fuel enrichment complex in a combination of satellite images from Colorado-based firm, Vantor. They show a closer view of the Iranian site Sunday, top, and yesterday, below.
Vantor
The IAEA said this morning that, based on the latest available satellite imagery, it can now confirm "some recent damage" to entrance buildings of the underground Natanz fuel enrichment plant.
The agency said in a statement on X there was no radiological consequence expected and no additional impact detected at the facility itself, which was severely damaged in the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign last June.
U.S. evacuations of nonemergency personnel and family now up to 6 nations
The State Department has ordered nonemergency U.S. government employees and their family members to evacuate from the United Arab Emirates, the sixth nation where such an order has been issued in recent hours.
The UAE, which is home to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, adds to a list that already includes Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar. It comes as Iran strikes sites across the Gulf, including U.S. bases and oil facilities, in a growing retaliation campaign.
Trump attacks British PM over Iran stance: 'Sad to see'
Trump has rebuked British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after he criticized the U.S. and Israeli military action in Iran.
Speaking to The Sun, a right-leaning British tabloid newspaper that's part of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, the president said Starmer "has not been helpful" and “I never thought I’d see that. I never thought I’d see that from the U.K."
In an interview published this morning, Trump said it was “very sad to see.“
Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office in 2025. Carl Court / Pool via Getty Images
The U.S. and Britain have shared what’s often called a “special relationship” on defense collaboration since World War II, but Trump told The Sun this was “obviously not what it was.” Instead, Trump praised France and Germany.
Starmer took questions from lawmakers in Parliament yesterday for more than two and a half hours on the military action and told them that the British government "does not believe in regime change from the skies," one of the most strident criticisms of the war from a major American ally.
Starmer and many members of Parliament mentioned the lessons from the Iraq War in 2003, when Britain joined an operation to topple Saddam Hussein and unleashed years of sectarian violence.
Britain has allowed U.S. forces to launch strikes from its air bases on Cyprus, in the Mediterranean, and from Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean — but the government stressed it was only doing so in "collective self-defense of regional allies," and was not involved in or explicitly supportive of the U.S. strikes.
Taiwan says it hopes Iranians can soon enjoy freedom and democracy
Reporting from Hong Kong
Taiwan said it hoped the people of Iran can soon enjoy freedom and democracy after U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed their hard-line supreme leader.
As a member of the international democratic community, Taiwan supports efforts to help Iranians pursue freedom and democracy, its foreign ministry said today. “We hope the people of Iran can soon enjoy freedom, democracy and human rights,” ministry spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei told reporters.
The ministry also condemned the “indiscriminate military attacks” Iran has launched in retaliation on Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other U.S. allies in the Gulf, and said it was working to protect Taiwanese people in the region.
Trump, who campaigned against ‘endless’ wars, enters Iran with no end date
Explosions were reported yesterday in Tehran, Iran. Getty Images
To win the White House in 2016, Trump first had to get by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the son and brother of two past presidents inextricably linked with U.S. wars in the Middle East.
Attacking the Bush family dynasty — and its legacy — became a feature of Trump’s campaign. And that meant doubling down on criticism of the Iraq War that President George W. Bush had led the United States into under the premise of finding weapons of mass destruction that never materialized.
“The war in Iraq was a big, fat mistake,” Trump responded, when asked at a Republican presidential debate in February 2016 if he still believed, as he said he did in 2008, that Bush should have been impeached for it.
“We can make mistakes,” Trump added. “But that one was a beauty. We should have never been in Iraq.”
Israeli forces cross into Lebanon
Israel says that its military is operating in southern Lebanon and will "seize" additional territory to prevent Iran-backed Hezbollah firing on border communities.
In a statement, Defense Minister Israel Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “have authorized the IDF to advance and seize additional controlled territory in Lebanon to prevent firing on Israeli border communities.”
The IDF also added that its soldiers “are positioned at several points near the border area as part of an enhanced forward defense posture,” according to a statement posted on X.
Explosions rock Tehran as Israel attacks Iranian capital and Beirut
Reporting from Gilavand, Iran
What felt like nonstop explosions could be heard — and felt — in the Iranian capital and its surrounding areas this morning as the Israeli military said it launched new attacks on Tehran and the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Plumes of smoke rise following reported explosions in Tehran today. Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty Images
The blasts are now so frequent that state media no longer reports each one.
Explosions were also reported in cities across Iran: Karaj, Pardis, Damavand, Shiraz, Isfahan and Kangavar.
Trump hosts German chancellor against backdrop of Iran war
Trump is meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House today, the first European leader to visit Washington since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran and the Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s global tariffs.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Michael Kappeler / Pool via AFP - Getty Images
Discussions that had been expected to focus on trade are now likely to be dominated by the war in Iran, whose legality has been questioned by some European governments. Merz has refrained from criticizing the U.S.-Israeli strikes but said they are not “without risk.”
“We do not know how far the region will be drawn into escalation by Iran’s harsh counterstrikes,” he told reporters Sunday, according to Reuters, adding that Germany wants to work with all parties “to develop an agenda for the day after.”
Countries such as Germany have been shifting strategy in response to Trump’s tariffs and pressure on the trans-Atlantic alliance, with Merz one of a series of Western leaders to recently visit Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. His White House visit also comes a day after Germany and France announced plans to deepen cooperation on nuclear deterrence, in a major shift in European defense policy.
Iran is among 7 nations where Trump has ordered military action in the last year
Trump, who calls himself the “president of peace” and campaigned against fighting “endless” wars, has authorized military action in seven nations since returning to office last January, including Iran.
Starting in February 2025, Trump expanded counterterrorism operations in Somalia that began more than 20 years ago, with the latest strike Saturday, the same day as the Iran attack. His administration has also carried out multiple counterterrorism operations in Iraq against the Islamic State terrorist group, killing its second-in-command last March. That same month, the U.S. began a series of airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen that had been attacking Israel, as well as shipping vessels in the area.
The Trump administration launched its first attack on Iran last June, striking three nuclear facilities during Iran’s 12-day war with Israel. Though Trump said he had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, the U.S. later assessed that only one of the three sites had been mostly destroyed.
In December, the Trump administration struck ISIS targets in Syria in response to an attack that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian U.S. interpreter. Days later, Trump said the U.S. had bombed multiple ISIS targets in Nigeria, citing allegations that jihadist groups had been killing Christians.
And in January, U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise raid, bringing him back to New York with his wife to stand trial on narcoterrorism charges.
Paralympic skier trains for Milan while his family is stranded in Qatar
While Australian Paralympic skier Michael Milton trains for the Milan Cortina Paralympic Games in Italy, his family is stranded thousands of miles away in Qatar.
“They left Doha, were in the air and turned around with the Iranian airspace closures,” Milton told NBC News.
His family was on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Venice on Saturday when the war began. They had already traveled for more than a full day when their flight abruptly changed course, leaving them stranded at Hamad International Airport in Doha, he said.
“The hard thing for them — and for me — was that they’d already traveled 30 hours from Canberra, Australia to get to Doha,” he said.
Milton says the family spent Saturday night in the airport, before evacuating to a hotel Sunday. “There’s absolutely nothing I can do to help aside from trying to support them,” he said.
There is no clear timeline for when his family will be able to continue their journey. He remains hopeful they will arrive in Italy before the Paralympic Games begin Friday.
“As an athlete, I have the ability to be able to worry about the things I can control and their situation is definitely not one of them,” he said.
As a six-time Paralympian, Milton said this is the second time in his career that the Olympic Truce has been violated. “I was in Sochi in 2014 when Crimea was invaded,” he said.
The symbolic Olympic Truce, endorsed by the United Nations, was broken amid airstrikes carried out by Israel and the United States against Iran, followed by retaliatory strikes from Iran. The agreement had called on nations to halt all military operations until March 15.
The Paralympics said in a statement: “We are in close contact with all delegations competing at the Games as well as other stakeholders. Many of the teams are already in Europe attending training or holding camps, but the closure of airspace in the Middle East is impacting the arrival of some stakeholders. We would prefer not to comment on the status of individual delegations or stakeholders at this stage but can provide assurance that we are working diligently with Milano Cortina 2026 to find solutions for those affected.”
Trump says U.S. has munitions stocks for 'forever' war
Reporting from Washington
The president took to Truth Social overnight to tout U.S. munitions stockpiles, after some analysts raised concerns that they may have been too depleted to fight a sustained campaign against Iran.
“United States Munitions Stockpiles have, at the medium and upper medium grade, never been higher or better — As was stated to me today, we have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons,” the post reads. "Wars can be fought “forever,” and very successfully, using just these supplies."
That comment comes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed yesterday the war with Iran would not be "endless." But Trump also said he was not satisfied with U.S. stocks, criticizing U.S. assistance to Ukraine.
“At the highest end, we have a good supply, but are not where we want to be. Much additional high grade weaponry is stored for us in outlying countries,” Trump wrote.
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