6 killed in U.S. refueling plane crash; Iran's new supreme leader 'likely disfigured,' Hegseth says

An Iranian politician said today that Ukraine is a "legitimate and lawful target" after the European nation offered to provide support with drone warfare.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that the U.S. had turned to it for help on anti-drone defenses, tapping into Ukraine’s years of experience combating the Iran-designed Shahed drones deployed by Russia.

“We received a ⁠request from the United States for specific support in protection against ‘Shaheds’ in ​the Middle East region,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security.”

Ukraine's assistance to Israel with drone support "makes the entire territory of Ukraine, based on Article 51 of the UN Charter, a legitimate and lawful target for Iran,” Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran's National Security Commission, said on X. The comments are in line with Iran's threats to other European powers seen to have helped the U.S. or Israel.

The buzz came before the explosion. An aerial vehicle dove from the cloudless sky toward its target at Camp Buehring, a U.S. military base in Kuwait. It struck near a running track with a fiery plume of black smoke.

“Oh s---,” a man recording from the base said. “Oh, my God. Oh, that was right here. They’re f-----g getting … They’re starting to dial into our building.”

The video ends as the smoke billows in the desert outpost.

The footage of this attack, posted online on March 1 but possibly filmed earlier, is one of over 30 open-source videos and satellite images verified by NBC News showing Iranian drone strikes and interceptions by the U.S. and its allies across seven countries. Apparent targets include military bases, transportation hubs, energy infrastructure and diplomatic centers. In 21 of 26 videos, drones appear to reach their targets.

The videos, posted on various online platforms, reveal a pattern of inadequate protection for strategic locations targeted by the drones from the outset of the war. As the U.S. and Israel bombard Iran with the stated goal of crippling its nuclear, ballistic and drone capabilities, Iran retaliates by utilizing its arsenal of missiles and cheap exploding drones.

The drones are a novel challenge for the U.S., its allies and the countries caught in the crossfire. Adversaries will be watching America’s response closely.

Read the full story here.

U.S. Central Command said today it executed a “large-scale precision strike” on Iran's Kharg Island overnight, destroying “90 Iranian military targets,” while “preserving the oil infrastructure.”

Trump said late Friday that U.S. forces had “obliterated” military targets on Kharg Island, a critical hub of Iran’s oil Gulf operations, with the country responding by threatening to strike U.S. allies’ oil facilities if its infrastructure is damaged.

Kharg Island, a tiny but strategic island 15 miles off the coast of Iran in the Persian Gulf, is home to an oil terminal that ships 90% of the country’s oil exports. There are also military capabilities there, including air defenses and mines buried underground.

Iran’s Fars News Agency, which is linked to its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, earlier warned about the consequences of “any attack” on Iran’s energy infrastructure.

“If this happens, all oil and gas infrastructure in the region in which the U.S. and its allies have interests will be set on fire and destroyed,” Iran’s armed forces said.

A helipad inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad was struck this morning, two Iraqi security officials said. Associated Press footage showed a column of smoke rising Saturday morning over the embassy compound.

Smoke rises following an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on March 14.  AFP - Getty Images

A photograph shows the damage following a reported strike on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad's fortified "Green Zone" on March 14. Martadha Ridha / AFP - Getty Images

The sprawling embassy complex, one of the largest U.S. diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones fired by Iran-aligned militias.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. On Friday, the embassy renewed its Level 4 security alert for Iraq, warning that Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups have previously carried out attacks against U.S. citizens, interests and infrastructure, and “may continue to target them.”

The Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened, a former IRGC commander said today, according to Iranian state news.

"Without America leaving the Persian Gulf and control of the Strait of Hormuz being in the hands of the regional countries and Oman," said Mohsen Rezaei, "security cannot be achieved."

Rezaei said that the decision on ending the war was in Iran's hands, and it would only consider doing so once it had received compensation from the U.S., and a "100 percent guarantee about the future, which is impossible without America leaving the Persian Gulf."

Iran has allowed some Indian ​vessels to sail through ‌the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran’s Ambassador to India Mohammad ​Fathali said this morning, ​confirming a rare exception to the ⁠blockade that has ​disrupted global energy supplies.

Fathali did ​not confirm the number of vessels that have been provided ​safe passage. He was ​speaking at broadcaster India Today’s conclave ‌in ⁠New Delhi.

Since the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign on ​Iran, ​Tehran has ⁠largely halted traffic through the strait, ​which runs past ​its ⁠coast and through which around 20% of global oil ⁠and ​seaborne liquefied ​natural gas is supplied.

France is ready to facilitate ceasefire discussions between Israel and Lebanon in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X this morning.

He said that the Lebanese leadership was open to direct discussions with Israel and called on Israel to “seize this opportunity to launch ceasefire discussions, to find a lasting solution and to allow the Lebanese authorities to put in place their engagements for Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

He called on Israel to stop its offensive and on Hezbollah to stop its actions.

“Everything must be done to stop Lebanon from descending into chaos,” he said.

The deputy governor of Bushehr, a port city close to Kharg Island, said Saturday after the strikes that “exports, imports and the activities of companies on the island are proceeding normally.”

"Despite the brutal attack by the Zionist-American regime early Saturday on Kharg Island, the operations of oil companies at this export terminal are proceeding normally," said Ehsan Jahaniyan.

The attacks did not cause any casualties among military personnel, company employees or island residents, he added.

Hamas has called on Iran not to target nations in the Gulf as it urges an end to the conflict in the Middle East.

Hamas "calls upon our brothers in Iran not to target neighboring countries," it said in a statement today, while emphasizing Iran’s right to respond to military action.

The conflict violates international law, the Palestinian militant group added, saying it "appreciates all the efforts exerted by various countries to prevent its outbreak and to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy."

Iran will destroy oil and gas infrastructure in the region if the U.S. damages oil infrastructure on Kharg Island, Iranian state media reported today after the U.S. attacked the island's military infrastructure overnight.

Iran’s Fars News Agency, which is linked to its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said there was no damage to oil infrastructure on Kharg Island, but warned about the consequences of “any attack” on Iran’s energy infrastructure.

“If this happens, all oil and gas infrastructure in the region in which the U.S. and its allies have interests will be set on fire and destroyed,” it said. 

The report added that more than 15 explosions were heard on the island during the U.S. attacks, which it said targeted air defenses, a naval base, an airport control tower and a helicopter hangar.

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber takes off from RAF Fairford in southwest England, as spectators watch from behind a perimeter fence. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is allowing the U.S. to use British bases to launch "defensive" strikes against Iranian missile sites.

Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

As the war with Iran continues to upend energy markets and supply chains worldwide, the Trump administration says it might suspend maritime shipping requirements under a more than century-old law known as the Jones Act.

The Jones Act requires that goods hauled between U.S. ports be moved on U.S.-flagged vessels. Passed in 1920, it aims to protect the American shipping sector — but it has also faced criticism over the years for slowing the delivery of goods, including critical aid during time of crisis. And it is often blamed for making gas, in particular, more expensive.

The White House confirmed that it was looking into waiving Jones Act requirements this week in a temporary measure amid wider efforts to counter steep oil prices and cargo disruptions due to the war.

U.S. Central Command will have more information soon about the strikes on Kharg Island, according to a U.S. official. The official said the military hit security infrastructure that supports oil infrastructure on the island as well as Iranian military force projection that resides on the island. 

The island mostly has oil infrastructure — 90% of what is there is related to oil — but there also are military capabilities there, including air defenses and even mines buried underground.

These strikes are likely to take out some real threats but also are a symbolic message to Iran that the U.S. can get its oil if it wants to.

The Trump administration on Friday directed Sable Offshore to restore oil drilling operations off the southern California coast, the U.S. Energy Department said.

The move aims to restart oil production at a cluster of offshore platforms as fuel prices continue to rise in the wake of the war with Iran. Trump on Friday signed an executive order to let the secretary of energy take actions under the Defense Production Act.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright told Sable to restart work at the Santa Ynez unit and Santa Ynez pipeline "to address supply disruption risks caused by California policies that have left the region and U.S. military forces dependent on foreign oil," the Energy Department said in a statement.

Sable Offshore did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

The Santa Ynez unit and Santa Ynez pipeline system have been points of contention in California. The Santa Ynez offshore platforms were shut down in 2015 after an oil spill, but the company has since restarted production at one of them.

Tonight, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement he plans to fight the reopening of the Santa Ynez operation in court. He cited the 2015 spill, which put 105,000 gallons of crude into the waters off Santa Barbara, and said any restart would violate court rulings.

“Donald Trump started a war, admitted it would spike gas prices nationwide, and told Americans it was a small price to pay," Newsom said. "This wouldn’t lower prices by a cent. This is an attempt to illegally restart a pipeline whose operators are facing criminal charges and prohibited by multiple court orders from restarting."

Iran’s effective blockade of the key Strait of Hormuz amounts to economic warfare "not just against the region, but against the United States as well," a senior official from the United Arab Emirates said.

“You will see that impact not only petrol prices, but you will see it impact grocery bills. You will see it impact the general cost of living around the world,” Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, minister of state at the UAE’s Foreign Ministry, said in an interview in Abu Dhabi.

“And that’s why the U.N. Security Council has determined it is an issue of international peace and security, and it must stop.” 

On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution condemning Iran’s attacks on its neighbors and calling on Tehran to halt its threats to ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

About one-fifth of global oil supplies and one-third of fertilizers used around the world pass through the vital waterway.

Eight seafarers and shipyard workers have been killed in attacks in the past two weeks, while four are still unaccounted for, according to the International Maritime Organization.

The speaker of Iran's parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on X today that President Trump was "duped" into attacking Iran by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Trump was duped by Netanyahu into starting the war and is now acting under his control," Ghalibaf wrote on X.

Ghalibaf also said that Iran now sees the United States and Israel as the same enemy.

“Regarding the major crime they have committed, Iran no longer makes ‘any distinction’ between the United States and the Zionist regime," he said.

Iran has attacked oil tankers in recent days and threatened to close off marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which an estimated one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.

Asked about the possibility of the U.S. Navy escorting tankers through the strait while speaking to reporters on Joint Base Andrews tonight, Trump said, “It’ll happen soon. Very soon.”

Trump also said that gas prices would fall when the war ends.

“I think your gas prices, as soon as that’s over, are going to come tumbling down, along with everything else. I think it’s going to be -- you’re gonna see a very big decrease in the price of gasoline, gas, anything having to do with energy as soon as this has ended,” the president said.

Trump said there's not much left in Iran to destroy but that the United States will continue operations for now.

“It’ll be as long as it’s necessary,” he said. "They've been decimated. The country — their country is in bad shape. The whole thing is collapsing. "

Ilia Yefimovich / AFP - Getty Images

Israeli firefighters trained their hoses Friday at the site of a strike on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Several blasts were heard after air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, AFP journalists said, following a warning from the military that missiles had been fired from Iran.

Ilia Yefimovicvh / AFP - Getty Images

Since oil started rising on Iran worries even before the war really started, year-to-date U.S. crude oil is now up more than 70%. Since the war started, U.S. oil is up 47%. This week alone contributed another 9% to that.

U.S. oil nearly broke $100 per barrel before pulling back a bit. International Brent crude oil also continues to rise, to almost $104 per barrel today. Gas prices now stand at an average of $3.65 per gallon, up 70 cents since the war began.

Stocks have also wilted. As of the 4pm closing bell, the S&P 500 sat at a new low for the year. It is now down 3.1% YTD. For the month of March so far, it's down 3.5%.

It's the third week in a row that the S&P 500 (along with the Nasdaq Composite and Dow) has ended lower.

President Trump said U.S. forces "obliterated" military targets on Kharg Island, which he described as "Iran’s crown jewel" in a post on Truth Social tonight.

"Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island," Trump wrote.

The island is home to an oil terminal that ships 90% of the country's oil exports, and has been unscathed in the war, oil market research firm Energy Intelligence said.

Trump says U.S. forces have destroyed the military assets of Kharg Island

05:08

The president said the island's oil infrastructure was spared in the attack, but could be struck down the road.

"Should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision," said Trump, as Iran has actively interfered with shipping in the strait for several days.

Trump also called on Iranian soldiers to surrender.

"Iran’s Military, and all others involved with this Terrorist Regime, would be wise to lay down their arms," the president said.

President Trump told Jake Paul on the fighter's podcast this week that the United States' mission in Iran is to "wipe out evil."

Trump was referring to the country's leadership and said he believes he has widespread support for the incursion.

"We support gays, but they throw gays off the buildings, okay?" Trump said in a 27-minute interview with Paul in Hebron, Kentucky ahead of a political rally during which the president endorsed Paul for office should he ever run.

Trump added, "For 47 years, they've been killing people, you know, in the most violent way. ... All of this whole thing that we're doing now, people have waited for 47 years for it to happen. So we have to do it right."

Asked why the president pulled the trigger on Iran, Trump seemed to suggest fighting between the United States and the Islamic Republic was inevitable, so the U.S. attacked first in order to take out "thousands of missiles" trained on American and Israeli assets in the region.

"If we didn't attack them, they were going to attack us," the president said. "And we did it first."

He added, "It made a big difference."

An image posted to social media today and verified by NBC News shows damage to the Dubai International Financial Center. The Dubai Media Office confirmed that the exterior of a building in central Dubai was struck by debris from a drone or missile interception.

Photo shows smoke rising from the Dubai International Financial Center and damage to the building today.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, appeared to chide the Trump administration for easing sanctions on Russian oil, describing the president's latest bid to stabilize energy markets as the "wrong move."

"Temporarily removing sanctions 4 Russian oil is wrong move Every $ frm sales fuels Putins war& prolongs suffering in Ukraine," Grassley said in a post on X.

Grassley’s break from the White House on the issue of Russian sanctions represents a rare show of political independence from a member of the Republican congressional majority that has largely been in lockstep with Trump during his second term.

The U.S. imposed economic penalties on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin's team cheered the Trump administration's move, which drew criticism from Ukraine and European powers.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, suggested on X that the United States quickly eased sanctions on Russia because of economic pressure from the war.

“After two weeks of war with Iran, White House is now begging the world—incl India—to buy Russian crude,” he wrote. “Europe thought backing illegal war on Iran would win U.S. support against Russia. Pathetic."

The Israel Defense Forces said today it has "instructed a reinforcement of troops" along the country's northern border with Lebanon, where the Israeli military has said it is striking targets tied to the militant group Hezbollah, a key Iranian proxy.

"The buildup and deployment of troops along the northern border will be conducted using additional regular units, including a division, brigades, and engineering battalions," the IDF said in a statement. "The reinforcing troops are being deployed according to the operational assessment."

At least 773 people have been killed in Lebanon since the U.S.-Israel offensive in Iran started.

Approximately 5,000 additional Marines and sailors are deploying to the Middle East to support the war with Iran, according to three U.S. officials. 

The service members make up an amphibious Ready Group and Marine Expeditionary Unit, known as an ARG/MEU. The group includes about 2,500 Marines and 2,500 sailors.

The Marines are assigned to the 31st MEU, which is based in Japan and is the Marine Corps’ only constantly forward deployed MEU. A MEU is notable because they are trained for crisis response — such as evacuations from dangerous areas and protecting embassies. They are also trained to be the first ones in on the ground to set up areas for other forces like special operators to come in and conduct a mission.

The sailors are from the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group, made up of the USS San Diego, USS Tripoli and USS New Orleans. The ships have been operating in the Philippine Sea recently but are heading west now. 

CENTCOM requested the additional forces because “part of the plan for this war was to have marines available to provide options for use,” according to a U.S. official. Asked for comment on the deployment, a Pentagon official said: “Due to operations security, we do not discuss future or hypothetical movements.”

The U.S. government is offering rewards of up to $10 million for information on key leaders inside Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as well as the regime's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

The State Department listed the 56-year-old Khamenei alongside Ali Larijani, the regime's top national security official, and Esmaeil Khatib, the minister of intelligence.

"If you have information on these or other key IRGC leaders or its component branches, send it to us via our Tor-based tipline or Signal," the State Department's Rewards for Justice program said on X, referring to two encrypted messaging platforms.

Iranian authorities arrested 14 "key individuals" linked to the U.S. and Israel, accusing them of intending to "create unrest, riots and carry out anti-security activities," according to the semiofficial news agency FARS.

The people were not publicly identified.

António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, traveled to Beirut today for what he described as "a visit of solidarity with the people of Lebanon" as it comes under fire from Israeli forces.

"They did not choose this war. They were dragged into it," Guterres said in a post on X. He said he and the U.N. will "spare no effort in striving for the peaceful future that Lebanon & this region so richly deserve."

At least 773 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of the U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran. Lebanon is the home of the militant group Hezbollah, one of the Iranian regime's proxies in the Middle East.

The Israeli military said it carried out an airstrike on a bridge in southern Lebanon earlier today, in what appeared to be the first time in the current campaign against Hezbollah that it acknowledged attacking civilian infrastructure.

The military said the Zrariyeh bridge, which crosses the Litani River, was used by Hezbollah militants moving between northern and southern Lebanon, but provided no evidence to support the claim. It also said militants had positioned launchers near the bridge to carry out attacks against Israel.

“In order to prevent a threat to Israeli civilians ... it was necessary to sever the bridge,” the military said.

International law generally prohibits militaries from attacking civilian infrastructure, though it can be permitted in some instances if it is being used for military purposes.

The military did not say what legal guidance, if any, it sought before carrying out the attack, or whether there were any casualties.

Pakistani Shia Muslim women drag coffins wrapped with Israeli and U.S. flags during a rally to mark Al-Quds Day, the last Friday of the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Karachi today.

Rizwan Tabassum / AFP - Getty Images

The United Arab Emirates has charged 21 people, including a 60-year-old British man, accused of filming Iranian missiles over Dubai, according to the legal activist organization Detained in Dubai.

The people were charged under a law that bars people from broadcasting or publishing content that could disturb national security, according to Detained in Dubai, which is based in London.

The suspects in the case were not publicly identified.

"The charges sound extremely vague but serious on paper. In reality, the alleged conduct could be something as simple as sharing or commenting on a video that is already circulating online," Radha Stirling, the chief executive of the legal activist group, said.

Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesman for the Iranian foreign minister, said in an interview today that his country's military forces are "determined" to strike back at the U.S. and Israel.

"What is important to us is to show the enemy that you cannot start a war whenever you want and then call for a ceasefire whenever you want," Baqaei said, according to the IRNA state news agency. "Our armed forces are very determined to give the enemy a decisive and unforgettable lesson."

In a similarly bellicose message, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council mocked Trump and appeared to vow revenge on the U.S.

"Trump says he is looking for a speedy victory. While starting a war is easy, it cannot be won with a few tweets," Ali Larijani said in an English-language post on X. "We will not relent until making you sorry for this grave miscalculation."

Larijani's post ended with the hashtag "#TrumpMustPay."

Hassan Ghaedi / Anadolu via Getty Images

Hassan Ghaedi / Anadolu via Getty Images

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is cheered by bystanders as he rides on the back of a motorcycle through the streets of Tehran today during the Al-Quds Day march.

In an interview with Fox News Radio this morning, Trump said he did not believe it was likely that Iranian civilians would soon take to the streets and protest against the regime.

“I really think that’s a big hurdle to climb for people that don’t have weapons,” Trump told host Brian Kilmeade. “I think it’s a very big hurdle, so that’ll happen, maybe not immediately.”

Trump, in his Feb. 28 remarks announcing the start of the U.S.-Israeli offensive on Iran, directly called on the Iranian people to seize control.

“When we are finished, take over your government,” Trump said. “It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”

In the same Fox News Radio interview today, Trump said he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin may be assisting Iran “a little bit” in the escalating conflict.

“I think ​he might ​be helping him [Iran] a ‌little ⁠bit, yeah, I guess,” Trump said. “He probably ​thinks ​we’re ⁠helping Ukraine, right?”

Dutch police arrested four men after an explosive device went off at a synagogue in Rotterdam, the second-largest city in the Netherlands, according to a law enforcement news release.

Authorities said there was a "brief fire" after the device went off, but "it went out on its own." Nobody was injured, police said.

Police arrested four men — a 17-year-old, an 18-year-old and two 19-year-olds — suspected of being involved in the attack.

"It is not yet clear whether the suspects planned to detonate an explosive or set fire to another synagogue as well," police said in a statement.

The arrests came after a man rammed a car into a large Detroit-area synagogue. The FBI is investigating the attack as a "targeted act of violence against the Jewish community," the special agent in charge of the region said.

A pedestrian walks past a synagogue today in Rotterdam where there was a fire last night.  Media TV via AFP-Getty Images

Two people were killed in Oman after drones descended on the Gulf state's Sohar province, according to Oman's state news agency.

The news agency described the people as foreign nationals.

NBC News has not independently verified the report.

The conflict between U.S.-Israeli partner forces and Iran has engulfed other countries in the region, with deaths reported in Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, one of the key pillars of the regime, warned in a new statement that any anti-government protesters will be met with an even more brutal crackdown than the one they saw in January, when thousands of people were killed.

"The evil enemy, failing to achieve its field battle goals, is once again pursuing the instillation of fear and street riots,” the IRGC said in a statement broadcast on state television, according to the Agence France-Presse global news agency. The Guard Corps vowed an even "stronger blow" in the event of fresh protests.

January's wave of protests in Iran was sparked by economic discontent and eventually widened to encompass more generalized fury over the regime's system of repression.

Stabilizing global energy markets without “significant volumes” of Russian oil is impossible, the Kremlin said, but Russian and U.S. interests “coincide situationally” at the moment.

The comments by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a daily briefing with reporters earlier this morning came after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a temporary authorization yesterday to permit countries to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea, in what he said was a “narrowly tailored, short-term measure.” 

The Marinera, a Russian-flagged oil tanker seized by the U.S. forces, anchored off the coast of Scotland on in January. Peter Summers / Getty Images

“At the moment, our interests coincide situationally,” Peskov said. “This is how we interpret it. But we do believe that overall the current situation carries the risk of an escalating crisis in the energy sector,” he added. “Such steps may, to some extent, help stabilize the market, because without significant volumes of Russian oil, stabilization of the market is impossible.”

The United Arab Emirates will not give in to Iran’s demands to close U.S. military bases on its territory, a senior Emirati official has told NBC News this morning.

“When does responding to a regional bully by backing down ever bode well for the region?” Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, minister of state at the UAE’s Foreign Ministry, said in an interview in Abu Dhabi. 

“The UAE and other countries in the region are always committed to the diplomatic pathway forward at the end of this. But this has to start with [Iran] desisting from these illegal attacks on Gulf partners,” she said. 

Her comments come after Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, called on countries in the Gulf to close U.S. bases "as soon as possible" in his first written statement. Iran has claimed that the presence of the bases makes their host countries legitimate targets.

All six of the crew members aboard a U.S. refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq are now confirmed to have died, according to U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East.

"The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire," CENTCOM said in a statement on X. "The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified."

CENTCOM previously said four crew members had died after the KC-135 craft went down yesterday, and that a search was underway for the two others.

A fighter jet refuels from a KC-135 Stratotanker over Alaska last month.  Dept. of Defense via Getty Images file

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said easing sanctions on Russian oil was “not the right decision” and “does not help peace” as it would “lead to a strengthening of Russia’s position.”

He was speaking at a news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to Paris.

In a speech to priests today, Pope Leo said Christian political leaders who start wars should question whether they are truly following the teachings of Jesus Christ.

"Do those Christians who bear serious responsibility in armed conflicts have the humility and courage to make a serious examination of conscience and to go to confession?" the pope said in a speech during the Vatican's 36th Course on the Internal Forum.

"The dynamic of unity with God, with the Church, and within ourselves is a presupposition for peace among peoples,” the pope added, according to a summary of his remarks published by the Vatican. “Only a reconciled person is capable of living in an unarmed and disarming way."

Leo did not name name any particular world leaders or armed conflicts, though in recent days he urged an end to the violence across the Middle East.

The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry says the remains of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a U.S submarine attack last week have been handed over to Iranian representatives to be repatriated.

Spokesman Thushara Rodrigo said the ministry completed the procedure for repatriating the remains and handed over the bodies of the crew members from the Iranian warship IRIS Dena.

Members of the Sri Lankan navy rescue Iranian sailors from a ship last week. Sri Lankan Presidential Media Division / via AP

They will be flown to Iran from Hambantota airport in southern Sri Lanka today, he said.

Another 32 sailors from IRIS Dena were rescued by Sri Lanka’s navy.

Health care workers carry the bodies of Iranian sailors at the mortuary of the Karapitiya hospital in Galle last week. Ishara S. Kodikara / AFP via Getty Images

More than 200 Iranian sailors also were brought ashore by Sri Lanka’s navy from a second Iranian warship. The vessels were returning from a naval exercise in India.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump gave a slightly different perspective on whether the U.S. military could escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

His energy secretary, Scott Bessent, had previously said the plan was to set up escorts “as soon as it is military possible.” But Trump was not as concrete.

“We would do it if we needed to,” Trump told Fox, adding that “we’re going to be hitting them very hard over the next week” despite having previously claimed the war was “won.” 

Muslim worshippers were pictured praying in different outdoor locations in Jerusalem on the last Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan today.

Eight Islamic and Arab countries have condemned Israel for keeping Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem closed during Ramadan. Israel has shut all holy sites in east Jerusalem’s Old City for security reasons after it began airstrikes with the U.S. against Iran.

 Olympia De Maismont / AFP via Getty Images

 Mostafa Alkharouf / Anadolu via Getty Images

 Olympia De Maismont / AFP via Getty Images

 Mostafa Alkharouf / Anadolu via Getty Images

The Kremlin has welcomed the U.S. move to ease penalties that were imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and pushed for Washington to go further.

But the decision caused dismay in Europe, where officials feared it would give a timely boost to the Moscow war machine on their doorstep as attention shifts to the Middle East. 

The United Kingdom’s top diplomat, Yvette Cooper, accused Tehran and Moscow of supporting each other and “attempting to hijack the global economy.”

The leaders of Germany and Norway also voiced their opposition.

Read the full story here.

Israel has opened a new hospital for scores of elderly patients, days after it began a new round of attacks on Iran alongside the U.S. 

Designed for people with mobility issues who are at risk from strikes in other facilities, the Magen HaAri Hospital in the central city of Rishon LeZion has the capacity for 250 patients and has already taken in 180 people from other hospitals at risk of strikes, some of which were at full capacity.

Magen HaAri Hospital in the central city of Rishon LeZion. Clalit Health Services

Health workers inside the hospital. Clalit Health Services

People “worked around the clock” to get it up and running, Dr Mira Maram, the deputy director general of the hospital’s operator, Clalit Healthcare Services, told NBC News yesterday. 

“The continuity of care is very important,” she said, adding that moving patients while air raid sirens were wailing was stressful and “a very big responsibility.” 

Hegseth was asked for an update about the investigation into the deadly strike on the elementary school in Iran that occurred soon after the operation began.

The defense secretary said that CENTCOM "has designated an investigating officer to complete a command investigation."

"The command investigation will take as long as necessary to address all the matters surrounding this incident and the investigating officer is from outside CENTCOM and is a general officer," he said.

The U.S. has not claimed responsibility for the strikes, but the Trump administration’s preliminary findings found it is increasingly likely that a U.S. munition was used in the strikes, NBC News has reported.

Hegseth said that "There's only one entity in this conflict between U.S. and Iran that never targets civilians — literally never target civilians."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Trump administration has not obtained evidence that Iran is laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which comes as the U.S. has attacked minelaying ships in the strategic waterway.

“We’ve heard them talk about it, just like you’ve reported recklessly and wildly about it, but, we have no clear evidence. We have no clear evidence of that," he told reporters.

Gen. Dan Caine has been warning that Iran “still has the capability to harm friendly forces and commercial shipping.”

Speaking alongside Hegseth at the news conference, he said the U.S. military “continues to attack ballistic missile and drone capabilities” while “going after Iran’s mine laying capability and destroying their ability to attack commercial vessels.”

Both Caine and Hegseth said the U.S. had "options" when asked about how it might unblock the Strait of Hormuz.

Pete Hegseth told reporters that today will see “the highest volume of strikes” over Iran.

“As I said from the start, President Trump holds the cards. He’ll determine the pace, the tempo and the timing of this conflict,” the defense secretary said.

“Today will be yet again, the highest volume of strikes that America has put over the skies of Iran and Tehran. The number of sorties and number of bomber pulses, the highest yet ramping up and only up,” he added.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine addressed the loss of the U.S. refueling aircraft yesterday in which four crew members have been confirmed dead.

The incident occurred “over friendly territory in western Iraq”and "while the crew was on a combat mission, and again, was not the result, as CENTCOM has said, was not the result of hostile or friendly fire," Caine told reporters. He added that "we’re still treating this as an active rescue and recovery operation," with the status of two of the six crew members unclear.

A KC-135 Stratotanker in Tampa, Fla. in 2024. Chris Urso / Tampa Bay Times / ZUMA via Reuters

Caine said that the Air Force and U.S. Central Command would provide updates about the incident and reiterated that four airmen were recovered.

"Please keep these brave Airmen, their families, friends and units in your thoughts in the coming hours and days, our service members make an incredible sacrifice to go forward and do the things that the nation asks of them," he said. "It’s a reminder of the true cost of the dedication and commitment of the joint force."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has derided Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, saying the “not so supreme leader” was “wounded and likely disfigured.”

After four days of silence and reports he had been injured in an airstrike, Khamenei put out a written statement yesterday that was read out on Iranian state TV. Hegseth said the statement was a “weak one” and noted that “there was no voice and there was no video.”

The defense secretary added, “Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why. His father: dead; he’s scared, he’s injured, he’s on the run, and he lacks legitimacy.”

“It’s a mess for them. Who’s in charge? Iran may not even know.”

A mourner holds a poster Wednesday depicting Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, right, during a funeral procession for senior Iranian military officials and civilians in Tehran. Vahid Salemi / AP

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that the blocked strategic waterway is not a concern.

“As the world is seeing, they are exercising sheer desperation in the Straits of Hormuz, something we’re dealing with. We have been dealing with it, and don’t need to worry about it,” Hegseth said at the Pentagon news briefing.

“We’re on plan to defeat, destroy, disable all of their meaningful military capabilities at a pace the world has never seen before,” he added.

Hegseth claimed that Iran’s missile volume is down 90% and their attacks by one-way attack drone are down 95%.

Adri Salido / Getty Images

An upturned vehicle is wedged into the side of a building in the Bachoura neighborhood of Beirut this morning, following an overnight Israeli airstrike.Residents helped to clear away rubble caused by the blast, which appeared to hit an apartment block, as vehicles sat covered in dust with their windows shattered and rubble strewn across the road.

Adri Salido / Getty Images

Adri Salido / Getty Images

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is about to give his latest briefing to the news media.

Hegseth will be addressing journalists at the Pentagon alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine.

A French soldier was killed in Iraq, the country’s military and defense ministry said earlier this morning.

Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion was killed last night in a drone attack, the military said, while six other French soldiers were wounded in the attack.

They were stationed at a Kurdish military base in the Irbil region of Iraq, according to the military. 

French President Emmanuel Macron called the attack against French forces fighting ISIS in Iraq "unacceptable" in a post on X. "Their presence in Iraq is strictly within the framework of the fight against terrorism. The war in Iran cannot justify such attacks," he said.

How the war in Iran is going, and what the ultimate goal is, depends on the day, the hour and which administration official is speaking at that moment.

 Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images

Here’s a look at the Trump administration’s messaging on the war.

Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev said a further easing of restrictions on Russian energy resources by Washington appears to be “increasingly inevitable” as the global supply crisis continues to accelerate amid escalating conflict in the Middle East.

“The United States is effectively acknowledging the obvious: without Russian oil, the global energy market cannot remain stable,” Dmitriev said in a post on Telegram earlier today. 

It came after the U.S. issued a “temporary authorization” to permit countries to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea. Dmitriev said the measure will affect around 100 million barrels of Russian oil.

Later this morning, he shared a photo of the Russian flag on X with a caption: “Buy Russian oil and gas to maintain a balanced energy supply.”

Dmitriev has been involved in Ukraine peace negotiations with Washington, but has also been tasked with restoring economic relations between the two countries. 

The Turkish Defense Ministry said NATO air defenses stationed in the eastern Mediterranean had intercepted a third ballistic missile fired from Iran toward Turkey.

“All necessary measures are being taken decisively and without hesitation against any threat directed at our country’s territory and airspace,” the ministry’s statement said. “Consultations are being conducted with the relevant country to clarify all aspects of the incident,” it added. 

It comes after an explosion was heard and windows were shaken overnight near the Incirlik military base in southern Turkey where U.S. troops and others are stationed, according to a Reuters witness and social media footage.

At least one person has been killed in an explosion near a big rally in central Tehran this morning, Iran's semi-official news agency ISNA reported.

Explosion rocks Tehran during Quds Day rally

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The explosion happened this morning near to where state television showed thousands of people marching with Iranian flags to mark Quds, or Jerusalem, Day.

Ali Larijani, the country’s top national security official, said the attack showed "desperation" from Israel, the official state news agency IRNA said. "It's clear they are losing their nerve, Trump does not have wisdom to see that the Iranian nation is a mature, strong and determined nation," Larijani was quoted as saying. "The more pressure the Americans apply the stronger the people’s resolve becomes."

It's not clear who is behind the attack, but the Israeli military issued a warning in Farsi earlier today that it would strike the area where the explosion happened.

The man suspected to have launched a car ramming attack on a synagogue in the greater Detroit area yesterday lost several family members in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon last week, according to a local Lebanese official and a mayor in Michigan.

Law enforcement respond near Temple Israel following reports of an active shooter in West Bloomfield, Michigan, yesterday. Emily Elconin / Getty Images

Ayman Mohamad Ghazali was originally from Mashghara, a town in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley. Israeli airstrikes on the town in the country's south last week killed two of Ghazali’s adult brothers, as well as Ghazali’s niece and nephew, the Lebanese official told NBC News.

The two brothers were known to be members of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group, the official said. But it was not clear what role they played in the organization or if they were the target of the strike. 

Mo Baydoun, mayor of Dearborn Heights, a suburb west of Detroit, said that Ghazali, 41, a U.S. citizen originally from Lebanon, was a resident of the area.

"Earlier this month, he lost several members of his own family, including his niece and nephew, in an Israeli attack on their home in Lebanon," Baydoun said in a statement posted to Facebook overnight.

A motive remains under investigation in the synagogue car ramming attack, in in which the driver was killed by security.

Four of six crew members on board a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq yesterday have been confirmed dead, U.S. Central Command said this morning.

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling tanker aircraft in 2023. Hiro Komae / AP file

The plane went down at approximately 2 p.m. ET, it said in a post on X. 

“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation,” it said. “However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”

Rescue efforts continue, it said, and identities of the service members killed are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.

A large explosion has hit the Iranian capital this morning, in the vicinity of a big rally attended by large crowds and senior regime figures, state media reported.

Enghelab Street in central Tehran was hit close to a rally marking Quds, or Jerusalem, Day demonstrations, multiple state news agencies reported. They shared videos in which gray smoke can be seen billowing in the distance as people chant and wave Iranian flags.

Earlier, Iranian state television aired footage showing thousands of people across the Islamic Republic taking part in the annual pro-Palestinian event.

Further details on the blast were not immediately available. It came after Israel issued a warning in Farsi that it would strike the area.

Iran’s wartime internet blackout has reached the end of its second week, according to NetBlocks, a cybersecurity watchdog. 

“As authentic voices are silenced and civilians are left without vital updates, a steady flow of regime-approved content fills the void.,” the group wrote in an X post today.

The country's internet was also shut down during the recent wave of unrest in the country that was suppressed by a deadly government crackdown.

Iranian state television aired footage this morning showing thousands of people across the Islamic Republic taking part in the annual Quds Day.

Quds is the Arabic name of Jerusalem.

Holding pictures depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and his late father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, demonstrators march during the annual Quds Day rally, in Tehran today. Vahid Salemi / AP

Demonstrators chanted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” while carrying Iranian flags in support of the military forces fighting against the U.S. and Israel.

People joined the rallies in Tehran despite ongoing American-Israeli strikes taking place during the commemoration.

Iran has been marking Quds Day on the last Friday of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan since its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Israel says that its military has begun “wide-scale waves of strikes” in Tehran this morning. 

Residents in the Iranian capital reported what felt like nonstop explosions overnight with homes shaking and windows rattling as the U.S. and Israel bombard cities across Iran.

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• Democrats ask Pentagon about Iran school strike and role of AI
• The White House compares deadly conflict to video games and movies in memeified videos to win support for Iran war

A woman sits on a pile of rubble outside a residential building in Tehran on Thursday. Vahid Salemi / AP

Hoda was so furious over Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters in January that she wanted the country’s security forces to be attacked as payback. Then the bombs began to batter areas near her Tehran home.

“I was always against these people and thought it would be limited and finished fast,” she said of the U.S. and Israeli attacks. “I regret that and take it back. They are turning the country into ruins.”

Hoda, 40, like others interviewed for this article, asked that only her first name be used out of fear of arrest or harassment from security forces.

Since the war started, the U.S. and Israeli military have targeted multiple locations across the country, but it is in Tehran, a bustling, densely packed metropolis of 10 million people, where the strikes have been felt the most. As of yesterday, more than 1,200 people had been killed by Israeli and American strikes, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

Read the full story here.