Strikes resume on Iran, U.S. navy says Tehran’s defenses ‘severely degraded’ : NPR

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Atta Kenare/AFP through Getty Pictures The battle with Iran stretched right into a fifth day Wednesday, with Israel launching a brand new wave of strikes in Tehran and Iranian authorities suspending public mourning rituals for the slain supreme chief.

The Israeli navy stated Wednesday a "broad wave of strikes" focused inside safety command facilities in Tehran, in addition to missile launchers and different methods.

The strikes got here amid preparations in Iran for 3 days of funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which had been set to start on Wednesday night.

In keeping with Iran's state media, the ceremonies had been postponed on account of "overwhelming response." A brand new date has not been specified.

Listed here are extra of the important thing updates NPR is reporting on.

U.S. Central Command says strikes "severely degraded" Iran's capabilities U.S. Central Command stated late Tuesday that Iran's "air defenses and tons of of ballistic missile launchers and drones" had been "severely degraded" following U.S. and Israeli strikes on 2,000 targets.

In a video posted on X, Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, described the U.S. operation as "forward of our recreation plan."

Cooper stated the U.S. navy destroyed 17 Iranian ships, together with what he described as Iran's "most operational" submarine.

Cooper stated Iran has retaliated by launching greater than 500 ballistic missiles and greater than 2,000 drones. The size of the marketing campaign - the most important buildup of U.S. forces within the area because the battle in Iraq in 2003 - has sharpened questions in Washington about how far it might develop.

The U.S. has deployed 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets and two plane carriers within the Center East, in line with U.S. officers. Cooper stated "extra capabilities had been on the way in which."

After a closed-door briefing with senior Trump administration officers by whom? Wednesday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., stated he was "extra fearful than ever" the U.S. might find yourself placing "boots on the bottom." Different senators, together with Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), additionally raised issues about escalation and known as for higher public accountability.

Throughout the Gulf, U.S. diplomatic websites have come below assault in current days. On Tuesday, drones hit close to the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, in an assault that the Saudi overseas ministry stated got here from Iran. The embassy warned Americans to shelter in place and keep away from the embassy compound till additional discover. The identical day, a drone struck close to the U.S. consulate in Dubai, and the embassy in Kuwait was closed following an assault.

Talking in between conferences on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that U.S. embassies are below assault from a "terrorist regime."

"A drone sadly struck a car parking zone adjoining to the chancellery constructing after which set off a hearth in that place," he stated. "All personnel are accounted for. As you are conscious, we started drawing down personnel from our diplomatic services prematurely of this."

Israel says it focused the highest physique of Iran's clerics Inside Iran, Israel stated it had focused on Tuesday the constructing housing the Meeting of Specialists, the physique of high Shia clerics whose job it's to decide on a brand new supreme chief. It was not instantly clear whether or not the meeting was assembly on the time.

Hundreds of Iranians gathered on Tuesday for the funeral of kids killed in an elementary faculty that was struck Saturday. Over 160 college students, largely women, and 14 lecturers had been killed, in line with Iranian officers. Israel denies it hit the varsity, and the U.S. navy says it is wanting into it. Iran stated the varsity was hit Saturday morning when the battle started.

In Tehran, Shadi, a girl who recognized herself to NPR with out giving her final identify out of security issues from the Iranian authorities, described authorities buildings, navy bases and facilities of Iran's Revolutionary Guard shattered by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes – a particles of mangled steel and concrete and damaged glass.

She additionally witnessed an understaffed hospital, bread and gasoline ready line and a as soon as vibrant metropolis gripped by nervousness and concern.

Preventing additionally engulfed Lebanon since Monday. After Hezbollah fired missiles into southern Israel, Israel launched retaliatory strikes that Lebanese well being officers stated killed 50 folks and displaced 1000's.

In Israel, officers stated Iranian strikes had killed 11 folks. In Iran, the Pink Crescent stated a minimum of 787 folks had been killed in strikes. The Pentagon stated six U.S. service members had been killed.

President Trump stated Tuesday the U.S. started putting Iran over the weekend as a result of, he stated, Iran was "going to assault first."

Trump had beforehand stated the U.S. launched strikes on Iran as a result of it was near securing missiles that might attain the U.S.

— Hadeel Al-Shalchi

Individuals — urged to depart the Center East — ask 'How?' The Trump administration says it's working to rearrange navy plane and constitution flights to assist evacuate Individuals who've been stranded within the Center East because the begin of the Iran battle. Hundreds of U.S. residents have been annoyed that different overseas nationals are being flown out, whereas Individuals cannot even get by to a assist line.

Evelyn Mushi, 52, is certainly one of them. She was headed from Chicago to Bali for what was speculated to be a visit of a lifetime together with her 82-year-old mom, and a bunch of different household and associates. However she arrived in Abu Dhabi to catch a connecting flight, solely to appreciate she had landed in what was rapidly changing into a battle zone.

"I heard a bombing and I heard a noise after which the whole lot began hitting, and I understood later that they had been attacking the airport," she stated in an interview from Abu Dhabi.

She was bussed to a resort, the place she says issues received even scarier.

"I noticed within the air missiles and lights and all that and everybody received on their knees and began praying," she stated. "We simply saved on praying and praying."

Mushi says she repeatedly known as numbers offered by The State Division for days, however was left on maintain for hours. As instructed, she additionally signed up for State Division safety updates, however these weren't a lot assist both. Mushi says the emails she acquired had been the identical message as officers had been posting on social media, imploring Individuals to "DEPART NOW."

"Yeah, however how?" Mushi was left questioning. "The place do you allow? The place? What do I do? That is chilly to jot down me this e-mail."

Mushi says she helps the U.S. navy motion in Iran, however calls it unacceptable for the administration to not have strong evacuation plans in place.

"I am simply very shocked and upset that I see different nations getting their residents out and we're simply stranded right here," she stated.

The State Division stated Tuesday that it was facilitating constitution flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and that the federal government would cowl the price. In an announcement, a spokesperson stated authorities name facilities have been in contact with virtually 3,000 Individuals, and greater than 9,000 have managed to depart on their very own.

When requested by a reporter Tuesday why evacuation plans weren't in place sooner, President Trump urged it was as a result of the U.S. determined to strike before anticipated.

"It occurred all in a short time," Trump stated. "I believed we had been going to have a state of affairs the place we had been going to be attacked."

In a separate briefing with reporters, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated evacuations had been going to take time "as a result of we do not management airspace closures."

For her half, Mushi says she's attempting to stay optimistic, however she's working low on persistence.

"I need to get out. I need to depart this place," she stated. "I must get someplace protected."

— Tovia Smith

4 U.S. troopers killed have been recognized The Pentagon launched the names of 4 of the six U.S. troopers which have been killed because the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. They had been within the Military Reserve and died on Sunday throughout a drone assault in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, the Division of Protection stated Tuesday.

Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Fla.Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Neb.Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minn.Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, All 4 troopers had been assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, Des Moines, Iowa. The division stated the assault is below investigation.

— Ayana Archie

U.S. embassies hit, Individuals urged to depart area "NOW" The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday urged Individuals to keep away from the compound after the Saudi Protection Ministry stated the embassy had been attacked by two drones. Saudi Arabia's International Ministry known as it a "flagrant Iranian assault" within the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

There have been no speedy experiences of accidents. The Protection Ministry stated the drone strikes triggered "restricted hearth and minor injury" to the U.S. Embassy.

Later Tuesday, the authorities in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, stated a hearth ensuing from a "drone-related incident" had damaged out close to the U.S. Consulate.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated "a drone sadly struck a car parking zone adjoining to the chancellery constructing" in Dubai and set it on hearth. There have been no accidents.

This comes after an Iranian assault on the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait on Monday.

In Jordan, the State Division stated Tuesday it had evacuated its giant embassy within the Jordanian capital, Amman, after threats towards it. Rubio stated the division had additionally drawn down personnel at U.S. embassies in Beirut, Lebanon, in addition to within the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Irbil.

Mora Namdar, the State Division's assistant secretary for consular affairs, wrote on X that Individuals must "DEPART NOW" from greater than a dozen international locations and territories within the Center East due to the battle. That was whilst choices to depart have narrowed, with flight cancellations and airport closures.

The @SecRubio @StateDept urges Individuals to DEPART NOW from the international locations beneath utilizing accessible business transportation, on account of critical security dangers. Individuals who want State Division help arranging to depart through business means, CALL US 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 (from… pic.twitter.com/vdplAik2Sq

— Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar (@AsstSecStateCA) March 2, 2026

Rubio stated Tuesday afternoon that the State Division has been serving to Individuals evacuate from the Center East for the final 72 hours, utilizing navy, business and chartered flights. He stated on the time that 9,000 Individuals had left the Center East and that greater than 1,500 had requested assist in leaving.

"We have had a pair situations wherein now we have planes within the air and on the way in which and, sadly, the airspace will get closed they usually have to show again round," Rubio stated. "So we're working by these challenges."

He added: "However relaxation assured, we're assured that we're going to have the ability to help each American."

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is telling Individuals that it isn't able to assist them depart Israel. Officers there are suggesting that Individuals cross into Egypt by land.

"Individuals searching for to depart the Center East by Egypt can accomplish that through business flights out of the area from Cairo," the State Division stated on X.

Iran has been putting Gulf international locations which might be usually thought-about protected in retaliation for U.S. assaults that began Saturday. Iran has additionally hit business targets after warning that it will assault American pursuits throughout the area.

Amazon stated Monday that two of its information facilities within the UAE and certainly one of its facilities in Bahrain had been hit by drones, affecting their operations.

— Jane Arraf, Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Michele Kelemen

Trump: "They had been going to assault first" President Trump shared a brand new purpose why the U.S. started putting Iran over the weekend: "It was my opinion that they had been going to assault first. They had been going to assault if we did not do it, they had been going to assault first. I felt strongly about that," he stated within the Oval Workplace Tuesday. He didn't cite any intelligence to that impact.

Trump had beforehand stated the U.S. launched strikes on Iran as a result of it was near having missiles that might attain the US.

He additionally pushed again on claims that Israel pressured the U.S. to behave. If something, Trump stated, it was the opposite manner round.

"I would've pressured their hand," Trump stated about Israel. "It was my opinion that these lunatics [in Iran] had been gonna assault first."

The president's new rationale conflicted with Secretary of State Marco Rubio's remarks a day earlier, suggesting that the U.S. had adopted Israel into battle.

"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli motion. We knew that that might precipitate an assault towards American forces. And we knew that if we did not preemptively go after them earlier than they launched these assaults, we'd endure increased casualties," Rubio stated Monday.

The U.S. and Israeli strikes started Saturday following weeks of a U.S. navy buildup within the area — whilst negotiations to attempt to attain a take care of Iran had been ongoing.

Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth stated Monday Operation Epic Fury has a centered mission: "Destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile manufacturing, destroy their navy and different safety infrastructure and they're going to by no means have nuclear weapons."

On Tuesday, Trump touted the success of the mission to this point.

"They haven't any navy. It has been knocked out. They haven't any air pressure, has been knocked out. They haven't any air detection that is been knocked out. Their radar has been knocked out, and nearly the whole lot's been knocked out," he stated.

He stated he has not outlined how he sees the battle ending — however did say that "plenty of folks" are coming ahead to barter a decision.

— Deepa Shivaram, Alex Leff

Jane Arraf and Hadeel Al-Shalchi reported from Amman, Jordan; Daniel Estrin reported from Tel Aviv, Israel; Tovia Smith from Boston; Julia Simon from San Francisco; Jawad Rizkallah from Beirut; Jackie Northam from Maine; Michele Kelemen, Camila Domonoske, Deepa Shivaram, Ayana Archie and Alex Leff from Washington.