US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran close to choosing Khameini's successor, new
US Iran news LIVE updates: A member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts said that they are ‘close’ to choosing the new supreme leader to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “The Supreme Leader will be identified in the closest opportunity, we are close to a conclusion; however, the situation in the country is a war situation,” Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami told state TV.
Iranians will begin paying their respects to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from 22:00 on Wednesday at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Musallah, according to state media.
The public mourning ceremony will allow people to bid farewell to Khamenei at the large prayer complex in the capital, Tehran. Authorities said the gathering will start late Wednesday night as the country prepares for additional mourning events in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had launched around 40 missiles at US and Israeli targets on the fifth day of the Middle East war.
“Several hours ago, the 17th wave of Operation Honest Promise 4 was carried out with the launch of 40 missiles by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ aerospace forces toward American and Zionist targets,” a statement broadcast on state television said, without providing further details.
Attack on Lebanese capital
Explosions shook the Lebanese capital as Israel announced a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, with the war spreading across the Middle East into Wednesday.
The United States has so far struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran as part of what it describes as the largest military buildup in the Middle East in a generation, the top American commander in the region said.
“We’ve already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions. We have severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers and drones,” Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said in a video message.
“The first 24 hours of this operation were nearly double the scale” of the first day of shock-and-awe strikes on Iraq in 2003, “and we continue with 24/7 strikes into Iran,” he added.
Middle East conflict intensified
The conflict intensified on Tuesday, with explosions reported in Tehran and in Lebanon, where Israel said it had retaliated against Hezbollah militants.
The American embassy in Saudi Arabia and the US consulate in the United Arab Emirates came under drone attacks. Iran has fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, though most were intercepted.
Eleven people in Israel have been killed since the conflict began.
The Pentagon identified four US Army Reserve soldiers killed in a drone strike on Sunday at a command centre in Kuwait.
Two other service members were also killed in the attack.
‘Broad wave of attacks’ have started: Israeli military
Israel’s military said it had begun a “broad wave of attacks” across Iran, targeting missile launch sites, air defence systems and other infrastructure linked to what it described as the Iranian “terror regime”.
Days after joint US-Israeli strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the conflict shows no signs of easing, pushing West Asia closer to an all-out war.
Tehran has responded with retaliatory attacks on US-linked installations in Gulf countries.
Khamenei’s son selected as successor
Iran’s Assembly of Experts has reportedly selected Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s next Supreme Leader.
Trump on future of Iran: A leader ‘as bad as’ Khamenei
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the “worst case” would be a new Iranian leader “as bad as” the late Supreme Leader. “I guess the worst case would be, we do this, and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person, right?” he told reporters.
Trump also alleged that Iran was “hitting civilian areas” and said Tehran was targeting “countries which have nothing to do with what’s going on.” He claimed he believed Iran would strike first and revealed that he “might have forced Israel’s hand” on launching strikes.
Explosion in Tehran, Mehrabad and retaliation in Tel Aviv
Fresh explosions were reported in Tehran, as well as in the northwestern cities of Tabriz and Urmia, according to Iranian news agencies cited by Reuters.
Israel struck Tehran’s Mehrabad airport after issuing evacuation warnings in parts of the capital. An Iranian air carrier was destroyed on the ground in an Israeli strike on Bushehr airport.
Iran, in turn, launched strikes in the Tel Aviv area, Israel’s military said. First responders reported treating 12 people for injuries, while police confirmed multiple impact sites.
Iran’s foreign ministry rejected talks with the US and Israel, saying it was “standing against evil.” Earlier, Iran targeted the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia with drones. The attack by two drones caused a “limited fire” and minor damage at the US Embassy in Riyadh, according to Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry.
Too late for talks now: Trump
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said it was “too late” for talks. “Their air defence, air force, navy, and leadership is gone. They want to talk. I said: ‘Too late!’” he wrote. The US President had earlier said operations in Iran could last another four to five weeks and that he was prepared “to go far longer than that.”
Briefing members of Congress on ‘Operation Epic Fury,’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio was quoted as saying that the “hardest hits are yet to come from the US military”.
Not an endless war: Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes would continue but insisted it would not be an “endless war”.
India is closely monitoring the evolving airspace situation across parts of West Asia and its impact on flight operations. So far, 1,221 flights operated by Indian carriers and 388 by foreign carriers have been cancelled due to the conflict.
Indian carriers operated 24 flights
On Tuesday, Indian carriers operated 24 flights, while Emirates and Etihad operated nine flights from the Gulf.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said Indian carriers are planning 58 flights on March 4, including 30 by IndiGo and 23 by Air India and Air India Express. Foreign carriers operating between India and the Gulf are also conducting limited services, subject to operational and airspace considerations.
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Iranians will begin paying their respects to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from 22:00 on Wednesday at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Musallah, according to state media.
The public mourning ceremony will allow people to bid farewell to Khamenei at the large prayer complex in the capital, Tehran. Authorities said the gathering will start late Wednesday night as the country prepares for additional mourning events in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had launched around 40 missiles at US and Israeli targets on the fifth day of the Middle East war.
“Several hours ago, the 17th wave of Operation Honest Promise 4 was carried out with the launch of 40 missiles by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ aerospace forces toward American and Zionist targets,” a statement broadcast on state television said, without providing further details.
Attack on Lebanese capital
Explosions shook the Lebanese capital as Israel announced a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, with the war spreading across the Middle East into Wednesday.
The United States has so far struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran as part of what it describes as the largest military buildup in the Middle East in a generation, the top American commander in the region said.
“We’ve already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions. We have severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers and drones,” Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said in a video message.
“The first 24 hours of this operation were nearly double the scale” of the first day of shock-and-awe strikes on Iraq in 2003, “and we continue with 24/7 strikes into Iran,” he added.
Middle East conflict intensified
The conflict intensified on Tuesday, with explosions reported in Tehran and in Lebanon, where Israel said it had retaliated against Hezbollah militants.
The American embassy in Saudi Arabia and the US consulate in the United Arab Emirates came under drone attacks. Iran has fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, though most were intercepted.
Eleven people in Israel have been killed since the conflict began.
The Pentagon identified four US Army Reserve soldiers killed in a drone strike on Sunday at a command centre in Kuwait.
Two other service members were also killed in the attack.
‘Broad wave of attacks’ have started: Israeli military
Israel’s military said it had begun a “broad wave of attacks” across Iran, targeting missile launch sites, air defence systems and other infrastructure linked to what it described as the Iranian “terror regime”.
Days after joint US-Israeli strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the conflict shows no signs of easing, pushing West Asia closer to an all-out war.
Tehran has responded with retaliatory attacks on US-linked installations in Gulf countries.
Khamenei’s son selected as successor
Iran’s Assembly of Experts has reportedly selected Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s next Supreme Leader.
Trump on future of Iran: A leader ‘as bad as’ Khamenei
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the “worst case” would be a new Iranian leader “as bad as” the late Supreme Leader. “I guess the worst case would be, we do this, and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person, right?” he told reporters.
Trump also alleged that Iran was “hitting civilian areas” and said Tehran was targeting “countries which have nothing to do with what’s going on.” He claimed he believed Iran would strike first and revealed that he “might have forced Israel’s hand” on launching strikes.
Explosion in Tehran, Mehrabad and retaliation in Tel Aviv
Fresh explosions were reported in Tehran, as well as in the northwestern cities of Tabriz and Urmia, according to Iranian news agencies cited by Reuters.
Israel struck Tehran’s Mehrabad airport after issuing evacuation warnings in parts of the capital. An Iranian air carrier was destroyed on the ground in an Israeli strike on Bushehr airport.
Iran, in turn, launched strikes in the Tel Aviv area, Israel’s military said. First responders reported treating 12 people for injuries, while police confirmed multiple impact sites.
Iran’s foreign ministry rejected talks with the US and Israel, saying it was “standing against evil.” Earlier, Iran targeted the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia with drones. The attack by two drones caused a “limited fire” and minor damage at the US Embassy in Riyadh, according to Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry.
Too late for talks now: Trump
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said it was “too late” for talks. “Their air defence, air force, navy, and leadership is gone. They want to talk. I said: ‘Too late!’” he wrote. The US President had earlier said operations in Iran could last another four to five weeks and that he was prepared “to go far longer than that.”
Briefing members of Congress on ‘Operation Epic Fury,’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio was quoted as saying that the “hardest hits are yet to come from the US military”.
Not an endless war: Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes would continue but insisted it would not be an “endless war”.
India is closely monitoring the evolving airspace situation across parts of West Asia and its impact on flight operations. So far, 1,221 flights operated by Indian carriers and 388 by foreign carriers have been cancelled due to the conflict.
Indian carriers operated 24 flights
On Tuesday, Indian carriers operated 24 flights, while Emirates and Etihad operated nine flights from the Gulf.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said Indian carriers are planning 58 flights on March 4, including 30 by IndiGo and 23 by Air India and Air India Express. Foreign carriers operating between India and the Gulf are also conducting limited services, subject to operational and airspace considerations.
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Mar 04, 2026 3:55:46 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran’s guards claim total control of Strait of Hormuz
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday claimed total control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global energy transit, as Israel launched a new wave of strikes on the Iranian capital, Bloomberg reported.
Governments scrambled to evacuate citizens stranded by the war in the Middle East, with Iran expanding a missile and drone barrage on countries around the region on the fifth day of a war that sent global shares sinking.
Mar 04, 2026 3:51:12 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran’s late supreme leader
US Iran news LIVE updates: Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has long been considered a contender to the post of the country’s next paramount ruler.
Born in 1969 in the city of Mashhad, some 10 years before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that would sweep Iran, Khamenei grew up as his father agitated against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, AP reported.
Mar 04, 2026 3:47:27 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia intercepts drone attack targeting huge refinery
US Iran news LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia intercepted a drone attack in targeting its massive Ras Tanura refinery, the defence ministry said Wednesday, following an earlier hit on the complex along its Gulf coast this week.
“Initial estimates indicate that the attack was carried out by a drone and did not result in any damage,” the ministry said in a statement posted on X.
Mar 04, 2026 3:40:08 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iranian residents face fear and uncertainty amid continuous strikes
US Iran news LIVE updates: The United States and Israel hit Iran’s capital and other cities in multiple airstrikes on Wednesday, the fifth day of the war with Iran.
With fighter jets roaring overhead, those still in Tehran looked anxiously to the skies. One man, who ran a clothing shop, told Associated Press he didn’t know what to do.
“If I leave the city, how am I supposed to earn money and survive?” said the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals. “I just hope the Arabs do not get involved. If they do, their missiles won’t be as precise as these.”
Mar 04, 2026 3:30:05 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Flight cancellations top 12,000 as Iran targets more sites
US Iran news LIVE updates: Airlines around the globe are suspending more flights to additional destinations across the Middle East as the scope of the war expands during its fourth day.
The disruptions since Iran’s first retaliatory strike are spreading across the region, leading to more than 12,300 flights being canceled, including at major transfer hubs such as Dubai and Doha, Bloomberg reported citing Flightradar24.
Tens of thousands of passengers are stranded, so many carriers are running special evacuation flights.
Mar 04, 2026 3:22:27 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Saudi’s larest oil refinery struck again by unknown projectile
US Iran news LIVE updates: Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura, which houses its largest domestic refinery, was struck again on Wednesday by an unknown projectile, four sources told Reuters.
It was not immediately clear what was struck at the complex, which was shut on Monday due to a drone attack.
Mar 04, 2026 3:11:45 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran says the new supreme leader will be identified in ‘closest opportunity’
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran is close to choosing a new Supreme Leader to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, tasked with choosing the new leader, was cited by Reuters as saying.
“The Supreme Leader will be identified in the closest opportunity, we are close to a conclusion, however the situation in the country is a war situation,” Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said.
Mar 04, 2026 3:04:48 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran assembly ‘close’ to choosing new supreme leader
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran on Wednesday said that the members of the Assembly of Experts are tasked with chosing the new supreme leader after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It also said that they were ‘close to a decision.’
Meanwhile, Mojtaba Khamenei, a senior Iranian cleric and son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is widely viewed within the establishment as a potential successor and prospective next supreme leader.
Mar 04, 2026 3:01:26 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: When and where will the farewell of Khamenei take place
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran , on Wednesday announced a three-day farewell for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the joint military operation by the United States and Israel.
As per reports, the ceremony will be held at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini prayer ground. Citing Hojjatoleslam Mahmoudi, head of Iran’s Islamic Propagation Council, state media reported that the farewell ceremony would continue for three days. It will begin at 10 pm local time.
Mar 04, 2026 2:56:55 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Kuwait army deals with fresh wave of missiles
US Iran news LIVE updates: Kuwait army on Wednesday informed that the armed forces are dealing with a wave of missiles and drones that have been detected in the airspace of the State of Kuwait, “where they are carrying out their tasks in confronting and intercepting them,” an X post by the forces said.
“The General Staff affirms full readiness to deal with all threats to ensure the protection of the country’s territories and airspace, as well as the safety of citizens and residents,” it added further.
Mar 04, 2026 2:41:49 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Mojtaba Khamenei survives assault, seen as potential next supreme leader
US Iran news LIVE updates: Mojtaba Khamenei, a senior Iranian cleric and son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has survived a recent assault on Iran, two Iranian sources told Reuters.
He is widely viewed within the establishment as a potential successor and prospective next supreme leader.
Mar 04, 2026 2:30:36 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Drone targets Iranian Kurdish opposition headquarters in Iraq’s Kurdistan
US Iran news LIVE updates: A drone struck the headquarters of an Iranian Kurdish opposition group in Iraq’s Kurdistan region on Wednesday, according to security sources.
There were no immediate details on casualties or the extent of the damage.
Mar 04, 2026 2:23:47 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran says no plans for US talks, vows to continue war as long as needed
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran has no intention of negotiating with the United States and is prepared to continue the war in the Middle East for as long as necessary, Mohammad Mokhber, a senior aide to the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told state television.
“We have no trust in the Americans and no basis for negotiations with them,” Mokhber said, adding that Iran can continue the conflict “for as long as we want.”
Mar 04, 2026 2:22:29 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran judiciary chief warns against support for US-Israeli airstrikes
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran’s judiciary chief warned that anyone who “says or does anything” in support of the US-Israeli airstrike campaign would face consequences, signaling a potential crackdown as tensions rise after the strikes.
Mar 04, 2026 2:14:22 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Israeli F-35 shoots down Iranian fighter jet over Tehran, military says
US Iran news LIVE updates: Israeli F-35 shoots down Iranian fighter jet over Tehran, military says
Mar 04, 2026 1:43:03 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Israel launches ‘broad-scale strikes’ in Tehran
US Iran news LIVE updates: The Israeli military said its air force has begun a new round of large-scale strikes targeting what it described as Iranian regime sites in the capital, Tehran.
In a statement, the military said it had started “broad-scale strikes targeting Iranian terror regime targets” in the city, indicating an expansion of its ongoing military operations against Iran.
Mar 04, 2026 1:30:21 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Heavy explosions heard in east Tehran
Heavy explosions have been heard in east Tehran, according to state media.
Mar 04, 2026 1:18:20 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: 8 Repatriation flights to arrive in India’s Mumbai today
As many as eight repatriation flights are scheduled to land in India’s Mumbai on Wednesday. These flights, operated by Emirates, Air India, SpiceJet and the Royal Jordanian, are bringing home Indians from conflict-ridden Middle Eastern countries, including Dubai, Fujairah and Amman.
Mar 04, 2026 12:54:57 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: US orders non-emergency staff to leave Pakistan consulates amid Iran tensions
US Iran news LIVE updates: The United States on Wednesday ordered non-emergency staff at two of its consulates in Pakistan to leave the country and authorised personnel at missions in Saudi Arabia, Cyprus and Oman to depart as regional tensions escalate following US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
The US State Department directed non-emergency government employees and family members of personnel at the US consulates in Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to “safety risks,” the US embassy in Pakistan said in a statement.
There was no change to the status of the US embassy in Islamabad, the statement added.
The department also authorised non-emergency US government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia, Oman and Cyprus citing similar safety concerns.
Mar 04, 2026 12:53:13 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: French Rafale jets intercept Iranian drones targeting UAE, says foreign minister
US Iran news LIVE updates: France’s foreign minister said French Rafale fighter jets have already intercepted and neutralised Iranian drones that were targeting the United Arab Emirates.
The minister said the aircraft acted to counter the incoming drones, highlighting France’s involvement in efforts to protect regional allies amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Further details on the number of drones or the location of the interceptions were not immediately provided.
Mar 04, 2026 12:38:27 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Trump vows to ensure safe Gulf oil flows amid escalating Iran conflict
US Iran news LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump said the United States will ensure the safe passage of oil from the Middle East to prevent a potential energy crisis triggered by the ongoing war with Iran, which continues to unsettle the region and global markets.
Trump said on Tuesday that the US International Development Finance Corporation would provide insurance “at a very reasonable price” to help maintain the flow of energy and commercial trade through the Gulf. He added that the US Navy could begin escorting oil tankers through the strategic Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible” if required.
“No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD,” Trump wrote on social media.
Mar 04, 2026 12:20:55 PM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Israel warns Iran’s next supreme leader will be ‘target for elimination’
US Iran news LIVE updates: Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday warned that whoever is chosen as Iran’s next supreme leader would be considered “a target for elimination.”
Katz made the remarks in a post on X, saying any leader appointed by Iran’s ruling establishment who continues policies aimed at destroying Israel or threatening the United States and its allies would be targeted.
“Every leader appointed by the Iranian terror regime to continue and lead the plan to destroy Israel, to threaten the United States and the free world and the countries of the region, and to suppress the Iranian people — will be a target for elimination,” he wrote.
The statement comes after Israel targeted a building on Tuesday linked to Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for selecting the country’s next supreme leader. Israel said it killed 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a strike on Saturday, an attack that triggered the ongoing conflict.
Mar 04, 2026 11:51:39 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran Guards say they launched over 40 missiles at US, Israeli targets
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they launched more than 40 missiles at US and Israeli targets as part of retaliatory strikes amid the escalating conflict in the region.
The Guards said the missiles targeted military and strategic sites linked to the United States and Israel, describing the attack as a response to recent strikes on Iranian territory.
The development marks a further escalation in hostilities as Iran and its adversaries continue to exchange attacks across the region.
Mar 04, 2026 11:45:24 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iranians to bid farewell to Khamenei on Wednesday at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Musallah
US Iran news LIVE updates: Iranians will begin bidding farewell to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from 22:00 on Wednesday at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Musallah, state media reported.
The public mourning ceremony will allow people to pay their respects at the large prayer complex in the capital, Tehran.
Authorities said the farewell gathering will begin late Wednesday night as the country prepares for further mourning events.
Mar 04, 2026 11:32:06 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE updates: Israel says it struck dozens of Iranian targets, including security sites in Tehran
US Iran news LIVE updates: Israel said it had struck dozens of targets across Iran, including security-related sites in Tehran, as hostilities between the two countries intensified.
The Israeli military said the strikes targeted locations linked to Iran’s security infrastructure in the capital as well as other sites across the country.
The latest attacks come amid an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, with both sides carrying out strikes that have heightened fears of a broader regional confrontation.