Following President Donald Trump’s unforeseen announcement, declaring war on Iran, the situation has spiralled down faster than you could blink. Military strikes from both Israel and the US in the Middle Eastern country has resulted in killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
According to reports from NBC News, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a briefing after the US military strikes on Iran. During the press briefing, the Trump administration’s plan stated that they were allegedly building powerful missiles and drones.
“Capable partners are good partners” 🇮🇱🇺🇸
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth praised Israel as a strong and capable ally, saying it has clear missions and the resolve to act — unlike many traditional allies who hesitate and shy away from using force. pic.twitter.com/9mbR3rnqz0
— NEWSRAEL (@NewsraelApp) March 2, 2026
This would “create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions.” Previously, Donald Trump had pointed out the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions, giving him a good enough reason to take a military strike against them. The Defense Secretary argued that this war was not about changing the regime. He said,
“This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it.”
Further, during the briefing, he discussed the joint attack conducted by the United States and Israel on Iran. Pete Hegseth claimed the ruthless regime has waged a one-sided war against America for “47 long years.” He added,
“We didn’t start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it.”
He quoted Trump’s words, reminding them that being an “American means something unbreakable.” Hegseth warned, “If you kill Americans, if you threaten Americans anywhere on Earth, we will hunt you down without apology and without hesitation, and we will kill you.”
In a separate report from PBS News, after the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the military strike, the war has escalated. This led to far-reaching consequences, dragging the entire Middle Eastern region into war. The surrounding countries, like Bahrain and the UAE, are also in danger of being bombed.
🚨 BREAKING: Israel unleashes new “broad wave” strikes deep in Tehran’s heart, targeting IRGC intel HQ in Sanandaj. US ramps up troop deployments to Mideast. Trump warns of even larger ops ahead, not ruling out ground forces. Iranian missiles strike Gulf energy hubs (Dubai,… pic.twitter.com/MT8CnqlYjB
— Global Watch 🇮🇱 🇺🇦🇺🇸 (@Watcbrief) March 2, 2026
To add to the chaos of the ongoing war, Kuwait mistakenly shot down three F-15E jets while they were being attacked by Iranian aircraft. Luckily, the six pilots were safe and were in stable condition.
Consequently, with Khamenei’s death, Tehran restructured its military, fragmenting it into 31 autonomous war units. According to Business Today, the IRGC decided to make it more difficult for the US to plan its next move. These 31 units act like a puzzle piece, where each commander gets to make their own war decisions, killing the wait time for decisions from higher-ups.
With the US striking Tehran, Ali Larijani, the top security official, took to X, writing, “We will not negotiate with the United States.” With death tolls rising on both sides, Tehran decided to play it smart and targeted the region’s oil infrastructure, surging natural gas prices by 40%.
COVERAGE: United States/Israel War with Iran
COUNTRY: SAUDI ARABIA 🇸🇦
DATE: March 2, 2026
Breaking news in the escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict: Iran has launched a major strike on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery, the world’s largest oil processing center, handling over… pic.twitter.com/EZUHuSEeHA
— MangoWorxMedia (@MangoWorxMedia) March 2, 2026
Tanura refinery came under attack by drones, with defenses taking down the aircraft. However, damage has been done as the oil refinery had the capacity to produce half a million barrels of crude oil a day. A drone had also targeted an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, killing one mariner.
Reza Najafi, Ambassador of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that their nuclear enrichment site was attacked. He added, “Their justification that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons is simply a big lie.” Hezbollah confirmed sending missiles to Israel in response to their repetitive aggression.
However, the Lebanese government clarified that his decision was “illegal” and that the group should hand over its weapons. With the situation going from bad to worse rapidly, it would take an extraordinary effort to conclude the war.
