Trump says no deal in Iran without 'unconditional surrender'; IDF says it destroyed Khamenei's bunker
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President Donald Trump told NBC News he would like Iran to have a "good leader" and has some names in mind for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's replacement.
What to know
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- INVASION A 'WASTE OF TIME': Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told "NBC Nightly News" that Iran is not asking for a ceasefire and is ready for any U.S. ground invasion. President Donald Trump told NBC News that would be a “waste of time,” adding on social media today that there would be no deal without Iran's “unconditional surrender.”
- LATEST ON SCHOOL STRIKE: It looks increasingly likely that a U.S. munition was responsible for the strike on a school in Iran, a U.S. official and another person familiar with the preliminary findings of the U.S. investigation said. Scores of children were killed in the strike.
- NEW WAVE OF ATTACKS: Israel targeted the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and the Iranian capital, Tehran, with intense overnight bombardment that woke residents and shook windows. Iran's escalating retaliatory campaign continued with a new round of strikes, including on Tel Aviv.
- BUNKER STRIKE: The Israeli military said it had dismantled an underground bunker in central Tehran intended for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
- NEW LEADER?: The U.S.-Israeli attack that killed Khamenei created a power vacuum in Iran for the first time in decades. While Trump said that Iran should have a "good leader" and that he has some names in mind, the clerics choosing the new figurehead were making plans to “introduce the future leader,” state media reported.
- GULF NATIONS UNDER ATTACK: Iran has continued to strike neighboring Gulf nations with missiles and drones. The State Department said nearly 20,000 American citizens have returned to the U.S. since the war began Saturday, but thousands remain stranded in the Middle East.
- DEATH TOLL RISES: Hundreds of people have been killed across the Middle East. In Iran, more than 940 have been killed by Israeli and American strikes, Iranian state media reported, and 11 have died in Israel as Iran fired back. The U.S. government has identified six service members who were killed. And in Lebanon, 123 people have been killed by Israeli strikes.
American Express sends texts to customers it thinks are in Middle East
Credit card company American Express has sent text messages to customers it believes are in the Middle East and offered to help with emergency travel or other needs.
American Express said that it was reaching out to customers when records suggest they may be traveling in the region.
“We recognize that ongoing travel disruptions can be challenging for our customers and our travel consultants are working diligently to provide support,” the company said.
Qatar’s foreign minister calls Iran missile attacks violation of sovereignty
Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi told foreign affairs ministers from Lebanon, Cuba and other countries that Iranian missile attacks are unacceptable.
The foreign minister “stressed that the targeting of Qatari territory with Iranian ballistic missiles constitutes a blatant violation of Qatar’s national sovereignty, is inconsistent with the principles of good-neighborliness, and cannot be accepted under any justification or pretext,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on the calls.
The foreign ministry also said that Qatar "has consistently sought to distance itself from regional conflicts and has worked to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the international community."
The statement said the ministers Al Muraikhi spoke with "expressed their countries’ concern over regional developments, calling for de-escalation, the prioritizing of reason, and a return to negotiations and diplomatic channels to prevent further chaos."
Second Japanese national has been detained in Iran, Japan says
A second Japanese national has been detained in Iran, The Associated Press reported, citing the Japanese foreign ministry.
The ministry said the second person was detained before the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28. It did not provide further details on the timing of the detention or say whether it was related to the earlier reported detention of a Japanese journalist.
The ministry, which has not publicly identified the first person who was detained, demanded the release of both Japanese nationals. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told lawmakers today that they were safe and the government was “doing everything to support them, their families and others involved,” the AP said.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the first person detained was Shinnosuke Kawashima, the Tehran bureau chief for Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Kawashima was arrested Jan. 20 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and transferred to Iran’s notorious Evin Prison on Feb. 23, the New York-based group said, citing an unidentified source who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.
U.S. should declare a ceasefire to get citizens out of region, stranded American says
The U.S. should declare a ceasefire so that stranded people can leave the Middle East, according to one American citizen who is currently in Oman.
“The State Department needs to either to find a way to tell people, we’re going to give you some clearance where we’re not going to be bombing everything so that you have time to get out,” Sasha Hoffman, 38, told NBC News yesterday in a videocall.
“Or they need to give us a ceasefire so that we can get in the airspace for long enough to get all these people out, or they need to bring jets here and they need to pay for everyone to go home,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman, a California native and venture capitalist who now lives in Boston, said that along with three friends, she had paid thousands of dollars to be driven from Dubai to Oman where she said things feel calmer.
But she said flights out of the region were costing “significantly more” than normal, “like there are coach tickets for a few thousand dollars to everything from London, Cairo, Istanbul.”
“I mean, these aren’t cities that normally cost, you know, above $2,000 to go to,” she added.
So far, she said the American government have "acted like thousands of people have made their way back to the U.S."
"They have, but all those people did it themselves," she added. It was not the U.S. government paying for it, and they were not on planes paid for and brought over by the U.S. government.
Over 3,000 targets struck in Operation Epic Fury, U.S. says
The U.S. Central Command said today its forces have struck over 3,000 targets and damaged or destroyed dozens of Iranian ships in the week since strikes began in Iran.
Since it launched early on Feb. 28, Operation Epic Fury has struck targets including command and control centers, the joint and aerospace headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and ballistic and anti-ship missile sites, CENTCOM said in a post on X.
Forty-three Iranian ships have been damaged or destroyed, it said.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces are "striking targets to dismantle the Iranian regime's security apparatus, prioritizing locations that pose an imminent threat."
In a separate post today, CENTCOM included a video of some of the apparent strikes, which showed buildings and a vehicle behind hit.
Qatar's energy minister says war could upset world economies
Qatar Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said war between the United States and Iran could seriously upset the economies of the world if it goes on much longer.
He told the Financial Times in an interview published Friday that the war has already squeezed oil and natural gas production and made recovery to prewar levels a weeks-long if not months-long process if fighting ends immediately, according to a Reuters report on the interview.
“If this war continues for a few weeks, GDP growth around the world will be impacted,” the minister is quoted as saying. “Everybody’s energy price is going to go higher. There will be shortages of some products and there will be a chain reaction of factories that cannot supply."
Kaabi is also CEO of QatarEnergy, a major liquified natural gas producer that on Monday announced it's pausing production under force majeure, or extraordinary circumstances, "due to military attacks on QatarEnergy’s operating facilities," the company said in a statement.
Qatar produces about one-fifth of the world's liquified natural gas, according to Reuters.
The minister said he expects other energy suppliers in the Middle East to halt production. "All exporters in the Gulf region will have to call force majeure," he's quoted as telling the Financial Times.
Qatar is a Gulf and Arab nation that hosts U.S. Central Command's forward headquarters, a facility that hosts major U.S. military operations in the region, at its Al Udeid Air Base.
Trump says he will attend the dignified transfer of 6 U.S. soldiers killed
Trump said he will attend the dignified transfer tomorrow of the six U.S. service members who were killed in Operation Epic Fury.
"I will be going to Dover Air Force Base tomorrow, with the First Lady and Members of my Cabinet, to pay our Highest Respect to our Great Warriors, who are returning home for the last time," the president said in a post on Truth Social tonight.
Trump is expected to host and participate in the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, Florida, tomorrow morning. He will then fly up to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to attend the dignified transfer, a White House official confirmed to NBC News.
More Guard, Reserves expected to be called up
More members of the National Guard and Army Reserve are expected to be called up as the war with Iran progresses, according to defense officials.
A defense official said there are currently roughly 22,000 Army and Air National Guard outside the U.S. supporting operations all around the world and that number has been consistent.
Units were called up to support Operation Epic Fury before it began and members of the Guard who were there already were assigned to support the operation from the region, the official said.
More Guard and Reservists will be mobilized to support the war, the official said.
A significant percentage of the military crews and hardware deployed around the world come from Guard and Reserve units. The six U.S. service members who have been killed in the war were members of the Army Reserve who were all part of a support unit from Iowa.
Survivor of Iran school strike recounts losing brother and mother to state media
A 10-year-old girl, who Iranian state media said survived a deadly strike on an elementary school in southern Iran, said she lost her older brother and mother in the bombing.
The girl, identified by semi-official news agency Fars only as Nila, spoke on camera. Wearing a black headscarf, the girl, who had a visible black eye, said she was at the school when she heard what sounded like “strong wind.” All the teachers screamed, she said, and ran away. “I got scared and went into the classroom with my teacher. After that, I fainted,” Nila recounted. “A big stone had fallen on my back. When I regained consciousness, a man came to lift it, but he couldn’t. A few people came and they couldn’t lift it either. I lifted one corner of it a little myself and managed to get out.”
Fars said the girl’s 11-year-old brother Hami Sadeghi and mother Neda Solhizadeh, who was a teacher, died in the incident.
Three airstrikes hit Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in the town of Minab on Saturday, killing 168 people, according to the town’s mayor. Many of them were children.
The U.S. military said it was investigating the incident while the Israeli military has so far declined to comment.
Trump dodges when asked about Russia's involvement in Iran war, calls it a 'stupid question’
Trump tried to steer reporters back to another discussion today when asked about reports that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on the location of U.S. forces in the Middle East and on Kristi Noem’s ouster.
The president took questions after attending a roundtable at the White House on legislation regarding new regulations for name, image, and likeness deals for college student-athletes.
Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Trump about whether Russian forces are helping Iran to target an attack on Americans. Trump criticized the question.
“That’s an easy problem compared to what we’re doing here,” Trump said. “But can I be honest? It’s just — I have a lot of respect for you. You’ve always been very nice to me. What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. We’re talking about something else. Can we keep this maybe a little bit?”
The president was also asked about the decision to replace Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin before telling the reporters in the room, “Is it possible to stay on this subject? Just for once? You know, just for once?”
Russian intelligence assistance could help Iran locate American warships, radar or other communication systems, according to four sources with knowledge of the matter. But, the sources said, there is no indication it is helping direct Iranian missile or drone strikes.
Bombing seen around Tehran airport, semiofficial Tasnim news agency says
The area around one of the main airports in Tehran, called Mehrabad, was bombed tonight, according to the semiofficial Iranian news agency Tasnim.
A video accompanying the post on Telegram showed several bright orange fires burning on the horizon with thick black smoke billowing into the sky as explosions thundered in the distance.
"Multiple explosions were heard," the post said.
U.S. citizens in Iraq ‘strongly encouraged to depart’ due to threats
The U.S. Embassy in Iraq warned that Iran-aligned militant groups may seek to attack Americans in the country and said U.S. citizens should leave the country.
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said in an alert that militant groups could attack hotels frequented by foreigners.
“U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to depart as soon as they are safely able to do so, and reconsider lodging options if choosing not to depart," the embassy said.
Commercial flights are not operating in Iraq, which is adjacent to Iran, but the embassy said that there are overland routes to Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
“Most land borders are open but could close on short notice,” the embassy said.
Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on the location of U.S. forces, sources say
Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on the location of U.S. forces in the Middle East, a boost for Tehran as it launches missile and drone attacks on American bases and other targets in the region, according to four sources with knowledge of the matter.
The intelligence assistance from Russia could help Iran locate American warships, radar or other communication systems, but there is no indication Moscow is helping direct Iranian missile or drone strikes, the sources said.
Iran began firing missiles and drones at U.S. bases and other American targets after the United States and Israel launched an air war against the regime last Saturday.
Russia’s decision to provide Iran with data from its satellites and other intelligence underscores the widening geopolitical fallout from the war and could carry potential risks for American ships, aircraft and bases in the region.
Trump expected to attend dignified transfer of 6 soldiers killed
Trump is expected to attend the dignified transfer tomorrow of six U.S. service members who were killed during Operation Epic Fury, a White House official confirmed to NBC News.
The dignified transfer will be held at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Trump is scheduled to host and participate in the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, Florida, tomorrow morning. The White House official confirmed that Trump will fly back up north after the summit to attend the dignified transfer.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says U.S. could ‘unsanction’ Russian oil
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said today that the U.S. could allow the sale of sanctioned Russian oil to create more supply.
“We may unsanction other Russian oil,” Bessent said on Fox Business Network today.
He made the comments a day after the Treasury Department said it was granting India a 30-day license allowing the sale of some Russian oil to that country.
“There are hundreds of millions of sanctioned barrels of sanctioned crude on the water, and in essence by unsanctioning them Treasury can create supply,” he said.
“And we are looking at that. We’re going to keep a cadence of announcing measures to bring relief to the market during this conflict,” Bessent said.
The war with Iran that began when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against the country last week has caused oil prices to increase.
Trump touts success of operations in Iran
Trump told reporters at the White House today that operations in Iran are going "very well."
"Somebody said, how would you score it from zero to 10? I said, I'd give it a 12 to a 15," the president said.
He said that Iran's navy, army, air force, communication systems and leaders "are gone."
"A lot of our people were being killed. They were being maimed. They were being destroyed with their bombs all over the planted in roads that we call the roadside bombs, walking around without legs, without arms, face blasted," Trump continued. "We had a choice. We could take it and go on like that for years, or do something about it, and we did something about it."
The president said the U.S. military is "doing phenomenally" and added that people "admire our military with what happened in Venezuela, what's happening now, what's happened with the B-2 bombers before this, where they took out the nuclear capability or potential of Iran."
Israel's military says it has launched new round of strikes against Tehran
Israel's military said it has begun new strikes against Iran’s capital.
The Israel Defense Forces said on Telegram that the action is “an additional wave of strikes on Iranian terrorist regime infrastructure in Tehran.”
The IDF also attacked targets in Beirut, Lebanon, it said today. The IDF said that the strikes in the Dahiyeh district of the city hit an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air force command center and three other command centers used by Hezbollah.
Increasingly likely a U.S. munition was behind Iran school strike, sources say
A U.S. official and another person familiar with the preliminary findings of the U.S. investigation into a strike on a school in Iran say it looks increasingly likely that a U.S. munition was responsible for the strike.
The U.S. is still looking into whether the strike could have been the result of bad intelligence or poor targeting. The investigation is ongoing.
At least 168 people were killed at the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in the town of Minab, Iranian authorities have said.
Abbas Zakeri / Mehr News via Reuters
Oil prices on track to record their biggest jump since early 2020
Oil prices continued soaring Friday, putting them on track to record their biggest jump since early 2020 as the escalating Iran war threatens global energy supplies.
U.S. crude oil spiked more than 11% in midday trading to more than $90 per barrel, the highest price since October 2023.
Brent, the international oil benchmark, broke $90 per barrel as it jumped more than 8% to its highest level since April 2024.
The move in prices came amid growing fears that the Iran war could lead to long-term energy supply issues. A report from The Wall Street Journal said that Kuwait had “begun cutting production at some oil fields after running out of room to store its bottled-up crude.” NBC News was not immediately able to verify the report, but industry analysts have been warning of the possibility in recent days.
Photo: U.S. bomber arrives at British air base
A U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber arrives at RAF Fairford today in Fairford, England. Christopher Furlong / Getty Images
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is allowing the U.S. to use British bases to launch “defensive” strikes against Iranian missile sites while stating the U.K. would not join “offensive” combat.
Before-and-after satellite imagery of Iran's military sites
Before-and-after satellite images of damage at several military sites in Iran were released by American company Vantor.
The dozens of images — including in Jam, Borazjan, Chabahar, Parchin, Ghani Abad, Bandar Barkhuh and Shiraz — show damaged or flattened buildings, and at least one bombed aircraft.
A storage building at Jam missile base in Iran on Dec. 24 and after airstrikes today. Vantor
Bandar Barkhuh naval base in Iran on Jan. 20 and after airstrikes today. Vantor
A damaged aircraft at Shiraz Airbase in Iran today. Vantor
Britain deploys more combat aircraft to region after drone attack on Cyprus base
The U.K. Ministry of Defense says four more Typhoon aircraft are scheduled to arrive in Qatar overnight and Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters have begun arriving in Cyprus.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the deployments on Thursday, part of a heightened security response after an Iran-linked drone attack on a British air force base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
The helicopters are equipped with Martlet missiles that can counter one-way attack drones. The U.K. also plans to send a warship, the HMS Dragon, to the region next week.
The deployment of military equipment to the Middle East comes after an initial reticence about the unfolding war from the U.K. and other European allies, which were left out of planning for the U.S.-Israeli joint strikes over the weekend.
British Defense Minister John Healey meets the F-35 pilot who shot down a drone as they walk past British typhoon and F-35 jets at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus yesterday. Leon Neal / Getty Images
Formula 1 monitoring war ahead of next month’s races in the Middle East
The military attacks the U.S. and Israel have launched against Iran have sparked Iranian retaliation and created turmoil in the region, casting a cloud over Formula 1 races scheduled in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia next month.
It’s a fluid situation. But for now, Formula 1 officials say they’re not worried and expect to carry out each of the race weekends.
“Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan, not in the Middle East — those races are not for a number of weeks,” a spokesperson for F1 said. “As always, we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities.”
The season starts this weekend. The grand prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are scheduled to be held April 12 and April 19, respectively.
At least 11 ships attacked in the Gulf in past week
At least 11 ships have been attacked since the start of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, according to maritime analyst Lloyd’s List and the British Royal Navy.
Most vessels have been targeted at sea by aerial attacks. Three crew members are known to have died.
Threats to shipping include missiles, drones and covert sabotage, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center, a multinational maritime partnership that includes the United States. So far there have been no verified reports of sea mines being used.
U.N. secretary-general: Time to stop fighting and negotiate
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the "situation could spiral beyond anyone’s control" and called for an end to the unfolding war.
In a post on X, Guterres said that "all the unlawful attacks in the Middle East" were "causing tremendous suffering and harm to civilians throughout the region."
"It is time to stop the fighting and get to serious diplomatic negotiations," he wrote. "The stakes could not be higher."
Trump hints that Cuba could be next focus after Iran
While his administration is currently focused on Iran, communist-run Cuba could be next, Trump has suggested.
He told CNN in a phone interview today: “Cuba is gonna fall pretty soon, by the way, unrelated, but Cuba is gonna fall too. They want to make a deal so badly.”
“They want to make a deal, and so I’m going to put Marco (Rubio) over there and we’ll see how that works out,” he added.
At a White House event yesterday with Jorge Mas, the Cuban American co-owner of the Inter Miami soccer team, Trump said it was “just a question of time before you and a lot of unbelievable people are going to be going back to Cuba.”
“I wanted to wait a couple of weeks, but we’ll be together again soon, I suspect, celebrating what’s going on in Cuba,” he said.
Widespread blackouts have left millions of people without power in Cuba, which is struggling with dwindling oil reserves after the U.S. halted shipments from Venezuela and elsewhere. Trump said last week before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran that the U.S. was in talks with Havana, raising the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba” without specifying what he meant.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also told NBC News after the U.S. attack on Venezuela in January that Cuban government officials should be “concerned” and were “in a lot of trouble.”
Trump said yesterday that Rubio was “waiting” but wants to “get this one finished first,” seemingly referring to Iran. “We could do them all at the same time, but bad things happen,” Trump said. “If you watch countries over the years, you do them all too fast, bad things happen.”
On Israel's border with Lebanon, the threat of Hezbollah looms over daily life
In the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, just south of the border with Lebanon, the air raid sirens sound less as an advanced warning than the signal of an already incoming attack.
Incoming rockets and drones from Iranian proxy group Hezbollah aren’t new — attacks have been an intermittent feature of border life here for generations.
But as conflict with Hezbollah flares up again and Israel launches major strikes on Lebanon's capital, Beirut, some hope the Iran-backed group could finally be dismantled.
“I think it’s an opportunity,” said David Engelmayer, 57, an actuary who was carrying a sidearm while grocery shopping in Kiryat Shmona. “We actually hope that Hezbollah is going to be on the attack and we can finish off the work that we were stopped doing in November of 2024,” when Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire, ending a year of cross-border conflict.
But this time, the Israeli government has ruled out evacuating more than 200,000 civilians from northern Israel, as it did for more than a year during the last round of fighting.
The evacuations two years ago came “because the imminent threat was arrayed near the communities,” said Colonel R., the chief of staff of the IDF’s 769 Brigade, who declined to give his full name for his own security.
The threat that Hezbollah might launch a ground invasion of northern Israel has since subsided, with Hezbollah’s infrastructure along the border largely dismantled, Colonel R. said.
Therapist Shirley Gerstovitz, 48, is among residents who have only just returned from evacuations after more than a year away from home.
She said that the Israeli government, focused on the threats posed by missiles fired from Iran, was underplaying the threats faced in northern Israel. “The country forgot about the north,” she said.
300,000 people displaced in Lebanon, Norwegian Refugee Council says
Approximately 300,000 people have been displaced by the strikes in Lebanon and sweeping Israeli evacuation orders, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.
"If implemented, the latest evacuation orders from Israel could yet produce a humanitarian crisis unlike anything we have seen in over two years," Maureen Philippon, country director for NRC in Lebanon, said in a news release.
In recent days, Israel has launched a wave of airstrikes and evacuation orders in south Lebanon and Beirut, including a prominent bombardment last night. More than 120 people have been killed by Israeli strikes, according to officials.
A family takes refuge Tuesday in downtown Beirut after fleeing their home in the city's southern suburbs. Marwan Naamani / dpa via AP
Trump says Iran doesn't need to become a democracy
President Donald Trump said he will accept a nondemocratic leader of Iran so long as they are amicable to the U.S. and Israel.
Asked in a phone interview with CNN whether Iran needs to be a democracy, Trump responded: "No, I’m saying there has to be a leader that’s going to be fair and just."
He added: "Do a great job. Treat the United States and Israel well, and treat the other countries in the Middle East — they’re all our partners."
Trump also said he was open to having a religious leader in Iran.
“Well, I may be yeah, I mean, it depends on who the person is," he told CNN. "I don’t mind religious leaders. I deal with a lot of religious leaders and they are fantastic."
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on Saturday as the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran. The president said yesterday that he wants a say in picking the next supreme leader.
Khamenei expressed no wishes about his successor, member of Iran's Assembly of Experts says
Iran's slain former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, did not pick a successor before his death, a member of the body tasked with choosing his replacement told semiofficial Iranian news agency Mehr News.
Ayatollah Abbas Kaabi said that Khamenei, who was 86 when he was killed as the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran last week, had been previously pressed to "name a specific individual" but had declined to do so.
"When the committee wished to present the names they had in mind, he refused to hear any names specifically," he said.
The Assembly of Experts is Iran's deliberative body responsible for picking the nation's supreme leader.
Israel has threatened to kill anyone appointed to the role. President Donald Trump said yesterday that he would like a hand in choosing Iran's next supreme leader.
Women hold portraits of Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after Friday prayer in Tehran today. AFP - Getty Images
U.S. can't provide enough missiles for Gulf states and Ukraine, E.U. defense commissioner says
The war in the Middle East has made it even more urgent for Europe to step up production of air defense and anti‑ballistic missiles, European Union Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said earlier today.
“After the Iranian crisis, if we can call it so, it became even more urgent for us in Europe to ramp up production of air‑defense and anti-ballistic missiles,” he said during a joint news conference with Polish Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak‑Kamysz.
“Americans really will not be able to provide enough of those missiles, both for the Gulf countries, for the American army itself, and also for Ukraine's needs,” he added.
NBC News reported earlier this week that concerns over depleting munitions used to defend American forces in the Middle East may lead the Trump administration to force defense companies to produce more weaponry quickly, according to three people familiar with the discussions.
Oil and gas prices spike as stock market plunges
Oil and gas prices soared this morning, and the stock market plunged, as the Middle East war restricts the flow of oil around the world.
U.S. gas prices soared to $3.32 on average today, according to AAA. They are up $0.34 in one week — the biggest jump since March 2022, when gas prices rose $0.60 in one week after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Meanwhile, oil prices spiked today — with U.S. crude oil soaring around 9% to more than $88 per barrel, its highest price since October 2023.
And Brent, the international crude oil benchmark, rose around 6% today to cross $90 per barrel, the highest it's been since April 2024.
The stock market opened in the red this morning, with the Dow down around 900 points, a nearly 2% drop, and the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ both plunging around 1.5%.
Asked about rising gas prices, Trump told CNN by phone today: “That’s all right. It’ll be short-term. It’ll go way down very quickly.” He also claimed they are up “a little bit” but “not much.”
U.S. says Iran's rate of fire is going down dramatically as missile sites are targeted
While Iran keeps firing at Israel and the Gulf, U.S. Central Command says Iran’s rate of fire is going down dramatically, as the U.S. and Israel continue to target Iran’s missiles, security forces and senior leaders.
The White House’s messaging is more theatrical, releasing an unusual Hollywood-style trailer, with combat footage intercut with action movie clips.
Meanwhile, a video analysis by The New York Times suggests the U.S. was most likely responsible for hitting an elementary school earlier this week, located near a Revolutionary Guard compound. Iranian officials say more than 165 people were killed. The Pentagon says it is investigating.
Trump says the war against Iran will continue until its government is fundamentally changed, telling NBC News he has ideas of who the next leader should be.
Blanket evacuation orders in Lebanon raise international law concerns: U.N. human rights chief
Large-scale evacuation orders issued by the Israeli army for southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs raise serious concerns under international law, the U.N. human rights chief said earlier today.
“With these blanket, massive displacement orders, we are talking here about hundreds and thousands of people,” United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk told reporters in Geneva. “Our colleagues on the ground hear every day about the anguish that people face, about not knowing where to go, not knowing how long it will take.”
This raises serious concerns under international humanitarian law, and in particular when it comes to issues around forced transfer,” Turk added. The Geneva Conventions concerning protection of civilians prohibit individual or mass forcible transfers.
Israel targeted the Lebanese capital, Beirut, with intense bombardment overnight. NBC News witnessed its streets congested as families sought safety following the Israeli military’s evacuation order yesterday, as the IDF said it launched strikes to target Iran-backed military group Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the capital.
Residents who fled Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs sit along the waterfront in the Lebanese capital today. Joseph Eid / AFP - Getty Images
Iran will not compete at Milan 2026 Winter Paralympics
Iran will not compete at the Milan 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, which begin today, citing travel concerns surrounding the conflict in the Middle East.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said in a news release today that one Iranian athlete — two-time Paralympian Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei — was set to compete four skiing events, but that he cannot travel to Italy safely. Iran was not barred by the IPC from competing.
"It is really disappointing for world sport and especially for Aboulfazl that he is unable to travel safely to compete at his third Paralympic Winter Games at Milano Cortina 2026," IPC President Andrew Parsons said in a statement.
Iran's Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, left, competes in the men's middle distance free technique standing para cross-country skiing final at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. Mohd Rasfan / AFP via Getty Images
Trump says no deal in Iran without 'unconditional surrender'
Trump suggested in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. will not stop its military action in Iran until its government surrenders.
The president also repeated his desire to influence the selection of Iran's new leader after Iran's long-time supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a U.S.-Israeli strike on the country last week.
"There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" Trump wrote. "After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before."
"IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE," the president added. "'MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!)"
Iran remains in ‘digital darkness’ six days after U.S.-Israeli attack, internet monitoring group says
Iran remains largely offline nearly a week after the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on the country, internet monitoring NetBlocks said.
“Metrics show Iran remains in digital darkness after six full days under an internet blackout, with 1% connectivity at the 144 hour mark,” the group said in a post on X.
Iran was shut off from the rest of the world, with its internet completely cut off across the country, through the wave of deadly mass-protests earlier this year, which saw authorities brutally crack down on the demonstrators.
The U.S. was targeting a section of Iran where a school was struck, officials told Congress
Trump administration officials told lawmakers in closed-door briefings this week that the United States was targeting the area in Iran where an elementary school was struck and scores of children were killed, two U.S. officials told NBC News.
The U.S. knows the strike on the school was not by the Israelis, Trump administration officials told lawmakers, according to the two U.S. officials.
The administration officials acknowledged to lawmakers that the U.S. was operating in that section of Iran and did not offer a likely alternative theory to the idea that the strike could have been the U.S., the two U.S. officials said.
At least 168 people were killed at the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in the southern Iranian town of Minab, according to Iranian authorities, though some Iranian officials have said publicly the death toll could be higher.
U.S. Central Command has said the investigation into the strike is ongoing. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the U.S. was still “investigating,” adding: “Of course, we never target civilians, but we’re taking a look at investigating that.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Monday that U.S. forces “would not deliberately target a school.”
Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Nadav Shoshani told NPR on Monday that the Israeli military was “not aware at the moment of any IDF operation in that area.”
Asked for updates Friday, the IDF declined to comment to NBC News.
Speaking in an exclusive interview Thursday with NBC News’ Tom Llamas, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it was “clear that the missiles were — that the school was hit by Americans,” though he did not share any evidence for the allegation.
Asked to address whether there was any chance a “wayward Iranian missile” could have played any role, Araghchi said “no.”
Beirut resident worried Lebanon is once again at war
As she played with her 2-year-old granddaughter, Ella, and fed pigeons in downtown Beirut, Leila Chahre told NBC News she just wanted peace.
Ordinary people like her and her family end up suffering, she said of the most recent flareup of violence between Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group and Israel.
Leila Chahre and her granddaughter Ella in Beirut today. Daniele Hamamdjian / NBC News
Many city residents have sought refuge in the square after the Israeli military warned residents of four major suburbs in southern Beirut to evacuate last night so it could target Hezbollah positions inside the city.
"It was terrible," she said when asked about the evacuations, adding that more than 30 people from her and her husband’s family were now crammed into a three-bedroom home as they waited for an end to the violence.
“I feel so bad, so bad,” she said, speaking in English. “We live day by day,” she said, adding that her granddaughter has only ever seen war in her short life.
Trump acknowledges potential Iranian threats to homeland, wants involvement in choice of new leader
In a phone call with Time magazine Wednesday, the president said, "I guess," when asked if Americans should be worried about Iranian attacks on the homeland.
"I guess. But I think they’re worried about that all the time. We think about it all the time. We plan for it. But yeah, you know, we expect some things. Like I said, some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die,” Trump said.
The president added that one of the goals of the U.S. military operation in Iran is to install a "reasonable" leader.
"One of the things I’m going to be asking for is the ability to work with them on choosing a new leader," he said. "I’m not going through this to end up with another Khamenei. I want to be involved in the selection. They can select, but we have to make sure it’s somebody that’s reasonable to the United States."
In an interview with NBC News on Thursday night, Trump expanded on that idea, saying he has some names in mind that would make a "good leader."
“We want to go in and clean out everything,” the president said. “We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period."
He added, “We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job."
Crowds gather in Tehran for first Friday prayers since start of war
Crowds of Iranians gathered in central Tehran and elsewhere for the first Friday prayers since the start of the war and the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Majid Asgaripour / WANA via Reuters
Vahid Salemi / AP
Vahid Salemi / AP
Some held pictures of their late leader and shouted slogans after taking part in prayers at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran. Others prayed silently.
IDF says it launched waves of strikes on Beirut overnight
The Israeli military said it launched waves of strikes on Beirut overnight targeting Hezbollah command centers and other “terror sites.”
“The command centers were intended to be used by Hezbollah to advance and carry out numerous terror attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel,” the Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement.
A member of Lebanon's Civil Defense makes his way through debris today at the site of the strikes. AFP - Getty Images
The strikes also included a facility storing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles that the IDF believed were going to be used in an attack on Israel, the statement said.
Measures were taken to reduce harm to civilians living in the Dahieh area in southern Beirut, the statement added.
Strike on police station damages residential properties in Tehran
Doors were ripped from their fittings and windows were shattered inside a residential property in Marzdaran, a neighborhood in west Tehran this morning.
Amin Khodadadi / NBC News
Amin Khodadadi / NBC News
The damage was caused by an explosion that targeted a nearby police station.
Amin Khodadadi / NBC News
NATO increases 'ballistic missile defense posture'
NATO says it has increased its “ballistic missile defense posture” amid “Iran’s continued indiscriminate attacks across the region.”
“While I cannot go into details about this posture change for operational security reasons, the adjustment gives the Supreme Allied Commander Europe exactly what he needs to defend the Alliance based upon the current threat and defend it he will!” U.S. Army Col. Martin L. O’Donnell, spokesperson for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, said yesterday.
Iran has denied firing a missile toward the territory of Turkey, a NATO member. But the incident raised new fears about conflict in the Middle East increasingly spilling into Europe.
Iran’s foreign minister thanks Sri Lanka for rescuing sailors
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi thanked Sri Lanka for rescuing some of his country's sailors after a U.S. torpedo strike on one of its navy ships, the state-run TV IRIB reported this morning.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. had torpedoed an Iranian ship in international waters off Sri Lanka's coast in the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lankan authorities said they have recovered at least 87 bodies from the incident, and 32 sailors were rescued.
Araghchi said the ship was targeted in international waters about 2,000 miles away from Iran’s coast without warning, IRIB reported, adding that Iran will take legal action in connection with the incident in international courts.
Mediation efforts have begun with some countries, Iran's president says
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said "some countries" have begun mediation efforts to stop the war.
"Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity & sovereignty," Pezeshkian said in a post on X. He did not elaborate on which countries were involved in mediation efforts.
"Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict," he added.
Pezeshkian's comments came hours after Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ruled out negotiations with the U.S. and said that Iran had not asked for a ceasefire in an interview to NBC News yesterday.
Explosions illuminate the night sky over Tehran
Flashes of yellow lit up the dark skies over Tehran in the early hours of today, as airstrikes continued to pound the Iranian capital.
Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty Images
Drone intercepted near Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh
A drone was intercepted and destroyed to the northeast of Riyadh, the Saudi Defense Ministry said in a statement on X.
Saudi Arabia sits across the Persian Gulf from Iran and is among several Middle Eastern nations that have been on the receiving end of Iran’s retaliatory attacks after the U.S.-Israeli attack that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel says it destroyed Khamenei’s underground bunker in Tehran
The Israeli military said it had dismantled the underground bunker intended for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei underneath the leadership compound in central Tehran.
The bunker was targeted by 50 Israeli fighter jets a short while ago, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Telegram.
It was intended to be used by the supreme leader as a secure emergency command center, the statement said. Although Khamenei was killed before he could use the bunker, senior Iranian regime officials were still using it, the IDF said.
The bunker spanned multiple streets in central Tehran and contained numerous entrances and meeting rooms for senior members of the Iranian regime, the IDF said. Targeting it “further degrades the regime’s command and control capabilities,” it added.
Tehran resident shares what life is like amid strikes and internet blackout
Communication between Iranians and the rest of the world is now limited due to ongoing strikes, a government-imposed internet shutdown, and the escalating war conflict.
NBC News’ Yasmin Vossoughian spoke with a man who described the situation on the streets of Tehran and shared what this critical moment for the nation meant to him.
Iran may knock trade down the agenda at Trump-Xi meeting: analyst
The war in Iran is likely to shake up the agenda at Trump’s looming summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, potentially upstaging the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies, a Chinese analyst said.
After hitting each other with spiraling tariffs last year, the two countries are looking to extend a fragile trade truce. Trade was “supposed to be the most important topic” during Trump’s visit to China, which the White House says will start March 31, said Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
But now, “probably Iran will be the number one issue,” he said today at an event hosted by the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World. “The whole world is waiting for the two leaders to say something about Iran.”
That makes the tariff issue “though still extremely important, maybe a little bit marginalized,” Da said.
Kurdish regional government denies plans to attack Iranian forces
The Kurdistan Regional Government denied reports that it is planning to arm Kurdish opposition groups and send them into Iran, calling them “completely unfounded.”
“We categorically deny them and affirm that they are being published deliberately and maliciously,” spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani said in a post on X. “At the same time, the Kurdistan Regional Government and the political parties within it are not part of any campaign to expand the war and tensions in the region.”
He strongly condemned Iran’s “cowardly attacks” in recent days targeting Iranian and Iraqi Kurdish groups in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in neighboring Iraq. “We call on the federal government and the international community to intervene to stop these assaults and protect our land, our people, and our region,” he said.
NBC News reported Wednesday that Trump administration officials are in discussion with Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq and northwestern Iran about potentially arming groups opposed to the Iranian regime, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions and an Iraqi Kurdish official. Kurdish groups say they have faced discrimination and repression by the Iranian regime, but they have also had friction with some opposition activists.
Trump told Reuters yesterday of a potential Kurdish offensive in Iran: “I think it’s wonderful that they want to do that, I’d be all for it.”
Asked whether the U.S. was willing to provide Kurdish forces with air cover, Trump said: “I can’t tell you that.”
Kremlin says 'significant' increase in demand for Russian oil, gas during Iran war
The Kremlin says the war against Iran has fueled a “significant increase in demand” for Russian energy, a pillar of Vladimir Putin's war economy that was hit by global sanctions over his war in Ukraine.
“Russia was and remains a reliable supplier of both oil and gas, both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier today. “And this remains the case. Russia is capable of guaranteeing the stability of all supplies.”
Meanwhile, Peskov said Moscow was “in dialogue with the Iranian side,” without specifying who. He refused to answer whether Russia is propping up Iran militarily.
Russia’s economy depends on oil and gas revenues, which took a hit from sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. With the conflict in the Middle East growing and creating potential long-term disruptions in the flow of energy resources from the region, Moscow could stand to benefit.
Life carries on just outside the Iranian capital
In Gilavand, a small residential area around 50 miles east of the Iranian capital this morning, people continued with their lives despite more bombs dropping over Tehran from U.S. and Israeli forces.
Amin Khodadadi / NBC News
Street vendors sold fresh fruit by the roadside, grocery stores were busy with well-stocked shelves and people walked the streets to run their daily errands.
Amin Khodadadi / NBC News
Amin Khodadadi / NBC News
Amin Khodadadi / NBC News
South Korea, U.S. militaries discuss moving Patriot missiles for Iran war, Seoul says
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said earlier today that the U.S. and South Korean militaries are discussing the possible redeployment of some U.S. Patriot missile defence systems based in South Korea to be used in the war against Iran.
Cho was responding to questions at a parliamentary hearing following media reports that units of the U.S. mobile missile interceptor system had been moved to the Osan Air Base in South Korea from other locations in the country.
Cho said he was unable to comment when asked whether the U.S. plan is to move the Patriot missiles soon to use in the conflict against Iran. He said Seoul has not received any requests from Washington for military help.
South Korea hosts a major U.S. military presence in combined defence against nuclear-armed North Korea, with about 28,500 troops and surface-to-air defence systems, including the Patriot missile interceptors.
Iran launches new missile attack
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched a new missile attack at Israel, including the firing of its larger Khorramshahr-4 missiles, Iranian state media is reporting.
"A large number of missiles were launched toward the center of the occupied territories," it said.
Earlier this morning the IRGC launched ballistic missiles and drones at targets in Israel, including central Tel Aviv.
Sri Lanka takes custody of second Iranian ship a day after U.S. sub attack
Sri Lanka has taken custody of a second Iranian naval vessel, a day after more than 80 people were killed when the U.S. sank an Iranian warship off the coast of the South Asian island nation.
The Irins Bushehr, which was carrying more than 200 people, was allowed to dock at a Sri Lankan port after it asked for help, saying an engine had malfunctioned.
Sri Lanka says it has a firm position of neutrality and will not take sides in the war in the Middle East.
“Our position has been to safeguard our neutrality while demonstrating our humanitarian values,” Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday. “We do not believe any civilian should die.”
The first Iranian ship, the Iris Dena, was heading back Wednesday after participating in naval exercises hosted by India when it was attacked by the U.S. in an escalation of the widening Middle East conflict. It was the first time since World War II that a torpedo launched from a U.S. Navy submarine had struck a vessel in combat.
Thirty-two survivors are being treated for serious injuries at a hospital in Galle, Sri Lanka, while the search continued yesterday for dozens still missing.
American citizen left Dubai by road after flights were canceled
American Sasha Hoffman opted to leave Dubai for Oman by road after days of flight cancellations and mounting fears over the escalating regional conflict.
Hoffman, 38, had been in Dubai since January and initially planned to stay for several more months. But the situation changed rapidly over the weekend, with the United Arab Emirates facing Iranian missile and drone attacks.
“I was with friends having dinner,” she said. “That’s when everything just started to, as you know, balloon.”
“You’re seeing fighter jets overhead,” she added. “They’re obviously intercepting missiles.”
Although she said daily life in Dubai appeared largely calm, warnings from Washington pushed her to try to leave.
“When you send out messages that sound like get out now, or in any form of that, it makes people think that it’s going to be colossal immediately,” Hoffman said.
With flights repeatedly canceled as airspace closed, she and two friends decided to leave by road. They traveled by car from Dubai to Muscat, paying roughly $1,300 for a private SUV after reaching the Omani border.
“I keep getting all my flights canceled, and I’m just not seeing a path to me getting on a flight in the next couple days,” she said.
Hoffman criticized the lack of organized evacuations for Americans abroad, saying there is “no plan” for the many citizens looking to leave the region.
Since the war began, nearly 20,000 American citizens have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East, the State Department said earlier today.
Trump urges Iranian diplomats to seek asylum
Trump encouraged Iranian diplomats around the world to seek asylum, promising them “immunity” in exchange.
“I’m once again calling on all members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the military and the police to lay down their arms,” he told reporters yesterday. “They’re only going to be killed, and now is the time to stand up for the Iranian people and help take back your country.”
“You’ll be perfectly safe with total immunity or you’ll face absolutely guaranteed death, and I don’t want to see that,” Trump added.
U.S. military release footage showing attacks on Iranian targets
U.S. Central Command said today that “Iranian targets are being decimated by U.S. forces,” adding in a post on X that it would continue to attack with "overwhelming" firepower.
The post was accompanied by a 17-second long black and white video showing what it said was attacks on Iranian targets.
Sri Lanka releases image of Iranian sailor rescue effort
An image taken on Wednesday and released by the Sri Lankan President’s Office this morning appears to show Iranian sailors being rescued from the IRIS Dena frigate in the immediate aftermath of a U.S. submarine attack off Sri Lanka’s southern coast in Galle.
Sri Lankan President's Office / AFP - Getty Images
Iran is making plans to introduce new supreme leader, state media says
Plans are being made in Iran to introduce the new supreme leader, Iranian state media reported, amid growing speculation about who will replace slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The country has been without a supreme leader for a week after Khamenei was killed in the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Saturday, creating a power vacuum not seen in decades. President Trump told NBC News yesterday he wanted to see Iran’s leadership structure fully removed and that he had some names in mind for a “good leader.”
The Assembly of Experts is a clerical body that was tasked with selecting a new supreme leader, and semi-official news agency Tasnim reported it will form to introduce the future leader, without giving any timelines.
U.K. police arrest 4 on suspicion of Iran-related spying on Jewish sites
British police said this morning they have arrested four men on suspicion of spying for Iran on Jewish sites in London.
"The investigation relates to suspected surveillance of locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community in the London area," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
One of the men is Iranian, while three had dual British-Iranian nationality, police said. The arrests were made in Barnet, north London and Watford, a town north of London.
The arrests are part of "a long-running investigation," said Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, adding it was part of ongoing work "to disrupt malign activity."
Windows shake and dogs bark as explosions rock Tehran, but I was too tired to stay awake
Overnight, I was woken up by the sound of explosions and my window's were shaking.
I heard 10 massive explosions from the east of Tehran and reports say fighter jets were at very low altitude over the city.
But several parts of the capital came under attack including the center of the city, the east and the west.
Even the dogs are scared and they have been barking all morning.
Although the attacks carried on, I was too tired to stay awake.
Thousands flee Beirut after Israeli evacuation order
Beirut streets were congested as families sought safety following the Israeli military’s evacuation order, as IDF strikes target Hezbollah. NBC News spoke with residents attempting to flee, who expressed concern that the violence could escalate.
One man, his wife and four young children fled north to safer ground.
“I’m putting my faith only in God,” he said.
Israel launches ‘broad-scale wave’ of strikes on Tehran
Israel has begun a “broad-scale wave of strikes” on infrastructure of what it called the “Iranian terror regime” in Tehran, its military said.
It did not say anything about damage or casualties.
Satellite imagery shows extent of destruction at Iran school site
Satellite imagery obtained by NBC News via Planet Labs shows the damage at the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Iran, which was struck Saturday as the U.S. and Israel launched joint operations.
Iranian authorities said at least 168 people, many of them children, were killed.
The imagery shows multiple impact sites on the school site and the adjoining Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps base it was once part of, with seven buildings damaged or destroyed in total.
Buildings hit included a clinic, which was opened by the IRGC navy in 2024, according to Payam Hormozgan, citing the Persian Gulf Central Broadcasting Agency. The clinic’s signage can be read in video geolocated by NBC News.
A Minab official along with a mother who spoke to NBC News and said her son was killed in the strikes said the school facility was built on a IRGC base. The base closed around 15 years ago, and all military personnel were moved, although the school stayed open, they said.
Satellite imagery captured in 2016 showed that the school appeared to have been sectioned off from the rest of the compound and given its own entrance. Watch towers which had been present until that point were removed from the wall around the school.
Asked about the deaths this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said: “All that I know is that we’re investigating that. Of course, we never target civilians, but we’re taking a look at investigating that.”
Trump wants Iran to 'have a good leader,' says a ground invasion in Iran is 'a waste of time'
President Donald Trump told NBC News in an exclusive interview yesterday that he wants Iran “to have a good leader” and he has people in mind “who I think would do a good job.”
His comments came after Axios reported Trump wanted to be involved in picking Iran’s next leader. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed Saturday in strikes by the U.S. and Israel, and ruling clerics will select a new supreme leader.
“We want to go in and clean out everything. We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a ten year period, they’ve been hit harder than anyone has been hit, but we don’t want someone who would rebuild it in ten years. That’s what it would take,” he said.
He declined to give names of anyone on his shortlist to lead Iran. But asked if he's ensuring the remaining people on the list make it through the war, he said, "We are watching them."
