Hundreds have been killed as the city is battered by wave after wave of attack, according to RT’s bureau chief Hami Hamedi | The city of Tehran has been subjected to heavy aerial bombardment by US and Israeli forces, with the strikes targeting multiple government and public sites across the Iranian capital, according to RT’s Tehran bureau chief, Hami Hamedi. ● Hamedi visited a police headquarters on a busy route running through the heart of the city that was bombed on Tuesday. The death toll from the attack remains unclear. ● Footage from the scene shows the police station heavily damaged, with its upper floors caved in. Rescuers are still digging through the rubble at the site, with heavy machinery deployed to aid them. [...] The attack inflicted heavy collateral damage, with multiple husks of civilian vehicles and motorcycles littering the surroundings of the police headquarters. Over a dozen passersby were killed in the attack when the police building was hit by multiple projectiles in a matter of seconds, eyewitnesses told Hamedi.

Pedro Sanchez doubled down on Madrid’s opposition to the conflict despite Trump’s threat to cut off trade with Spain | Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has strongly condemned the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, despite the threat by US President Donald Trump to cut off all trade with Madrid for refusing to allow Washington to use its bases. In a televised address on Wednesday, Sanchez declared Spain’s position in four words:

■ Spain rebukes Germany over solidarity snub (RT)
✅ How Germany became Israel’s enabler-in-chief (Tarik Cyril Amar)

In Iran, the U.S. and Israel are employing tactics used in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the “War on Terror” and Trump’s recent attacks on alleged drug boats in the Carribean. | As groups of families and others gathered Sunday evening at cafes around Niloofar Square—a middle-class area in eastern Tehran—after breaking their fast for Ramadan, a series of explosions struck the area, leveling several buildings and killing over 20 people, according to witnesses at the scene and later reports from local news sources. ■ Witnesses who spoke to Drop Site said two explosions hit the area—a smaller strike in the vicinity, followed by a larger one that devastated much of the neighborhood, a tactic known as a “double tap” strike that is used to inflict maximum casualties. ■ Videos of the immediate aftermath of the attack showed several individuals dead and wounded as well as massive destruction on the street outside. In Cafe Ahla, next to the square, blood and debris soaked the floors. Several patrons who had been sitting there when the attack struck could be seen dead on the floor or with their mutilated bodies still sprawled across their seats.

✅ If Westerners Could Wrap Their Minds Around What War Really Is (Caitlin Johnstone)
■ Mass funeral for children killed in school strike; Israel weighs “buffer zone” in Lebanon; Gaza food and fuel supplies dwindle (Dropsite News)

■ US defenses overwhelmed by Iran’s drone and missile barrages: WSJ (Press TV)

The IRGC says it now controls the Strait of Hormuz as tanker traffic plunges and the US considers escort missions and insurance measures to keep oil shipments moving. | Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced on Wednesday that it has taken full control of the Strait of Hormuz, deepening uncertainty around one of the world’s most critical energy transit routes as regional tensions continue to escalate. ● Speaking to Fars News Agency, the IRGC Navy's Political Advisor, Mohammad Akbarzadeh, said that "the Strait of Hormuz is currently under the full control of the naval forces of the Revolutionary Guard." ● The announcement comes days after oil and gas markets were shaken by disruptions to maritime traffic following US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory operations across the region.

■ FACTBOX: What is known about tankers’ situation after closure of the Strait of Hormuz (TASS)
✅ What China stands to lose – and gain – from the Iran war (Ladislav Zemánek)

✅ U.S. Suffers Worst Day of Air Losses in Decades as Iran Conflict Spirals (Simplicius) (Mar 03, 2026)

US troops being told war on Iran is 'God's divine plan' | Over 200 US service members have complained that commanders invoked apocalyptic scripture to justify the war on Iran, a marker of War Secretary Pete Hegseth's Christian nationalist agenda to reshape the Pentagon. ● US military commanders have been using extremist Christian rhetoric about biblical "end times" and the imminent return of Jesus Christ to justify the US aggression on Iran to troops under their command, according to a surge of complaints filed with a military watchdog group.

■ US and Israel step up attacks as war with Iran engulfs region (Al Jazeera)
✅ War On Iran – Regional Participation – U.S. Blames Israel (Moon of Alabama)

Three U.S. Fighter Jets were shot down late last night in Kuwait. The U.S. is trying to say it was an "error" by Kuwait air defense. I have been informed by Intel sources that, in fact, it was Russian S-400's fired from inside Iran. | US CENTCOM has confirmed, following a Kuwaiti government statement, "At 11:03 p.m. ET, March 1, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident." ● Air defense systems and our military aircraft utilize a system known as "Identify Friend or Foe (IFF)" Intel sources explained to me that in a combat zone, all US or allied planes "squawk" their IFF so they don't get shot down by friendly fire. ● Had there only been a single fighter jet shot down, one might be able to believe that particular pilot somehow forgot to turn on his IFF system. It wasn't just one plane, it was three. There is confirmation that "three" pilots ejected safely. ● In addition to the planes mentioned above, another aircraft - significantly larger than a Drone - was also shot down inside Iran late last night into early this morning.

■ Photos from Kuwait showed three different American pilots who ejected today (Oleg Blokhin)
✅ Is Donald Trump Looking for an Exit Ramp? (Larry C. Johnson)

Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Reza Najafi, has urged the United Nations nuclear watchdog to condemn a recent attack by the United States and Israel on Iran’s nuclear facility in Natanz. | Najafi made the appeal during the IAEA’s quarterly meeting of the Board of Governors in Vienna, Austria, on Monday. ● He said Iran’s nuclear complex in the central city of Natanz had been targeted in US-Israeli attacks. ● He said that condemning such attacks is an inherent responsibility of the IAEA Board of Governors, adding that failure to do so would further damage trust in the IAEA and undermine its credibility.

(Translation by DeepL) | Saudi Aramco oil facility hit, oil prices set to rise. Iran announced that it carried out a 10th wave of strikes this morning as part of Operation True Promise 4. This is undoubtedly the most powerful “True Promise” of all Iranian “True Promises.” The use of “Khaybar” missiles was announced as part of the 10th wave. A new batch of missiles was launched at Israel.

Oil prices surged and global markets fell after US-Israeli strikes on Iran raised fears of major disruptions to shipping and energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz | Global financial markets began the week under pressure after US-Israeli aggression against Iran sent oil prices sharply higher and rattled trading floors worldwide, reinforcing fears that a regional military escalation could spill over into a broader economic shock. ● In early Asian trading, Brent crude surged, at one point climbing roughly 10–13% to between $80 and $82 per barrel, as investors weighed the risk that sustained hostilities could disrupt flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic corridor essential to global energy supplies. Oil benchmarks had already been hovering near multi-month highs amid tightening inventories and escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia, magnifying the market’s sensitivity to any supply threat.

■ Oil prices rise sharply after US, Israeli attacks on Iran (Al Jazeera)

Moon of Alabama | The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran was martyred on Saturday morning, together with other officials, by an Israeli airstrike on his home in Tehran. May he rest in peace. | ‘Western’ observers make the mistake of seeing highly reverted Shia leaders as mere clerics. They are way more than that. ■ First and foremost they are jurists and judges with a deep philosophical knowledge of the law. The title Ajatollah signifies a high academic ranking of an Shia-Islam scholar. ■ Ajatollahs are examples for those living around them. They are extraordinary people who should be emulated and who’s advices are to be followed. [...] I am confident that the Islamic Republic will survive this test. ‘Regime change’ in Tehran, which Trump seems to dream of (archived), is unlikely to happen. Meanwhile the Strait of Hormuz is closed and the war of attrition continues …

Alexander Dugin | If the Iranians were able to selectively hit one US warship, they could do the same with the rest. They had more than one missile, after all. And maybe they already have. The Pentagon will lie to the bitter end. But there will still be leaks. (Translation: DeepL)

■ First US fighter downed in past 27 years: Iran Armed Forces hit F-15 near Kuwait border (Press TV)
■ IRGC, Army launch fresh waves of missile strikes against Israeli, US targets (Press TV)
■ IRGC says Netanyahu's fate unknown after striking his office (Al Mayadeen)
■ Iran targets energy sites as Israel strikes Tehran; US jets crash in Kuwait (Al Jazeera)
■ Photos from Kuwait showed three different American pilots who ejected today (Oleg Blokhin)
✅ Killing the Ayatollah Khamenei Has Inflamed the Shi’a World (Larry C. Johnson)

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family were killed by US-Israeli airstrikes | The US-Israeli political assassinations against Iran have no place in a civilized world, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said, commenting on the death of the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israeli airstrikes. ● Tehran confirmed early Sunday that the 86-year-old leader was killed in one of the attacks. His daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter also reportedly lost their lives in the strike. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Khamenei’s compound was struck in a “powerful surprise attack,” vowing that “thousands of targets” in the Iranian leadership will be killed in the coming days.

✅ Khamenei killing: America and Israel cross a new line in international politics (Fyodor Lukyanov)
✅ Aggression against Iran: Interim Results (Elena Panina)
✅ US-Israeli war on Iran is NOT about nuclear weapons. It's about imperialism (Ben Norton)

The leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Revolution,
Sayyed Ali Khamenei. Image: © Al Mayadeen

Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has been martyred in the American-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran. | Ayatollah Khamenei's residence in Tehran was targeted on Saturday morning, in which many of his family members, including his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and grandchild were also martyred. ● In a statement following the announcement of the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said the Iranian nation has lost a great leader, “one who, in purity of spirit, strength of faith, prudence in affairs, courage against the arrogant powers, and striving in the path of God, was unparalleled in his era.”

■ Iran appoints Sheikh Alireza Arafi to leadership council (Al Mayadeen)
■ Per Article 111, Larijani says leadership council formed, vows unity (Al Mayadeen)
■ Iran confirms Supreme Leader Khamenei is dead (RT)
■ Leader of Iran, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, martyred in US-Israeli aggression (Al Mayadeen)
■ Top Iranian commanders, officials martyred in US-Israeli aggression (Al Mayadeen)

On Saturday, the US and Israel launched a series of strikes on Iranian targets, including Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. | More than 200 people have already been killed during the US–Israel strikes on Iran, according to the Red Crescent. ● Israeli military carried out a new series of attacks on about 30 sites in the Islamic Republic. Number of people killed in a strike on a girls’ school in the southern Iranian city of Minab has soared to 118. ● Iranian drone strike damaged Bahrain International Airport, following Iran’s attacks on two airports in the United Arab Emirates and one in Kuwait. ● Large cloud of black smoke was seen over Erbil Air Base in Iraq, home to a contingent of US troops, after Iran’s Fars News Agency reported about heavy explosions in the area.

✅ Aggression against Iran: Interim Results (Elena Panina)
✅ US-Israeli war on Iran is NOT about nuclear weapons. It's about imperialism (Ben Norton)
✅ The US Military Campaign Against Iran Is Part Of Trump’s Grand Strategy Against China (Andrew Korybko)
✅ IRGC Promises Historic Devastation After Khamenei Confirmed Killed by Israeli-US Strikes (Simplicius)
✅ A War Of Aggressions Which Aims Can Not Be Achieved (Moon of Alabama)
✅ “Massive” Regime Change War, Iran Strikes Back at U.S. Bases and Vows Not to Capitulate (DropSite)

■ Children killed in southern Iran following US-Israeli criminal aggression against the country (Press TV)
■ Israeli strike kills 70 school children in Iranian city (RT)
■ Images of elementary students killed in US-Israeli aggression in the Iranian city of Minab (Press TV)
■ The number of schoolgirls killed after a US-Israeli missile strike has reached 57 (СВЕЖЕСТИ)
■ Scenes of destruction in Iran after US-Israeli strikes (Al Jazeera) (VIDEO)

Iran is under attack in what will likely be a massive regional war that cannot be contained. Seyed Mohammad Marandi is a professor at Tehran University and a former advisor to Iran's Nuclear Negotiation Team.
■ Spain slams US and Israeli strikes on Iran, reflecting shift in foreign policy (EuroNews)
✅ Empire ‘sleepwalking’ into Iran war catastrophe (Kit Klarenberg)

At least five key U.S. military bases in the region have come under heavy fire from Iranian missiles, as Iran continues to respond to the U.S.-Israeli attacks that targeted Tehran and other Iranian cities Saturday morning. | The targeted bases include Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar, Al-Salmiya base in Kuwait, Al-Zafra airbase in the UAE, the 5th U.S. base in Bahrain, and King Hussein Air Base in Jordan, the Tehran Times can confirm. ● Reports from Arab media indicate that air raid sirens have been sounding continuously in Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE following the missile strikes. Additionally, explosions have been reported in the occupied territories, specifically in Tel Aviv, occupied al-Quds, and Be'er Sheva. ● Some reports suggest explosions in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, which the Tehran Times is currently unable to verify. ● This marks the second instance of the U.S. and Israel launching strikes against Iran amidst ongoing diplomatic negotiations. Iran and the U.S. concluded a third round of nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday and were scheduled to reconvene next week in Vienna for more detailed discussions. Iran had previously warned that any further attack on its soil would not be contained like the conflict in June, threatening a regional conflagration.

■ Iran’s retaliatory attack completely destroys sophisticated US radar system in Qatar (Press TV)
■ Iran: ‘Decisive defense’ after US bombs negotiating table a second time (Tehran Times)
■ Iran launches retaliatory strike on Israel (RT)

СВЕЖЕСТИ | (Translation: Google) | The scale of the attack is illustrated by a video from Iraq showing cruise missiles flying toward Iran. Israel has launched what it claims is a "preemptive attack" on Iran. As part of Operation Judah Shield, it has struck 30 targets across Iran, including the Supreme Leader's residence and intelligence headquarters. Israel estimates that Tehran will delay its response until at least this evening.

U.S. President Donald Trump has appealed to the Iranian people to “take over your government.” | The United States and Israel launched an attack Saturday on Iran, with the first apparent strike happening near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. ● Iranian media reported strikes nationwide, and smoke could be seen rising from the capital. ● President Donald Trump said in a video posted on social media that the U.S. had begun “major combat operations in Iran.” He claimed Iran has continued to develop its nuclear program and plans to develop missiles to reach the U.S. ● Ahead of the strikes, Trump has built up the largest U.S. military presence in the Middle East in decades and repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to reach a deal to constrain its nuclear program and, earlier, to halt its bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

■ US and Israel attack Iran: What we know so far (Al Jazeera)
■ Iran launches retaliatory strike on Israel (RT)
■ Israel, US launch attack on Iran amid escalating protests (Fox News)
■ Israel Launches ‘Preemptive Strike’ Against Iran — Defense Minister (Sputnik)
■ U.S., Israel Strike Iran: Live Updates (WSJ)

Simplicius | It’s becoming more and more clear that many inside the Pentagon believe the US will face generational disaster if it over-commits to a large-scale conflict with Iran. | While the Iranian saga has kept the world on its toes, it has now turned from travesty-in-making to total farce. The USS Gerald R. Ford—the most expensive and ‘advanced’ aircraft carrier in history—has become “mired” in quite a stink—pun intended—as it was revealed that demoralized sailors are potentially sabotaging the ship by flushing items like clothing and mop heads into the ship’s sewage systems, causing widespread septic blockages—a kind of “color revolution of the seas” (color mutiny?), with the color being brown. ■ Now Trump’s initiative is collapsing before his sallow eyes amidst internal revolts as staff leak all kinds of damaging bulletins to the press. The latest from the Pentagon stovepipe is that the US only has munitions for days of a sustained high-intensity conflict with Iran, a fact we’ve known all along.

■ Report: US intelligence debunks Trump's claim of Iran working on ICBMs (Press TV)
✅ If Iran Kills US Troops, The Blame Rests Solely On The US And Israel (Caitlin Johnstone)
✅ Preparing a “decapitating strike” against Iran as a bargaining chip (Elena Panina)
✅ Iran – U.S. Negotiators Block Progress With Unreasonable Demands (Moon of Alabama)

🇺🇸🇮🇷 U.S. demands presented to Iran in Geneva:

- Destroy all three nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan

- Transfer all enriched uranium to the U.S.

- No sunset clauses, meaning restrictions would be permanent

- 0 enrichment, though the Tehran reactor could remain

-… https://t.co/NnDM6pqpMJ pic.twitter.com/CbNUS2rsm2

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 26, 2026

✅ Preparing a “decapitating strike” against Iran as a bargaining chip (Elena Panina)
✅ Iran – U.S. Negotiators Block Progress With Unreasonable Demands (Moon of Alabama)

Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain | “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” Trump has said. Iran remains defiant in the face of ultimatums, pledging unprecedented retaliation to any attack. | The U.S. military is in the midst of amassing an enormous fleet of aircraft and warships within striking distance of Iran as the region enters the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. It is the largest buildup of firepower in the Middle East since President Donald Trump authorized a 12-day bombing campaign against Iran last June that killed more than 1,000 people. ■ While Iranian and U.S. negotiators are speaking in cautiously optimistic tones about the latest round of indirect talks held Tuesday in Geneva and suggested another meeting was possible, comments from the highest levels of power in both countries drive home the reality that the U.S. may be on the verge of attacking the Islamic Republic.

Nate Bear | A US attack on Iran, a flagrant violation of international law, if such a thing is even worth mentioning any more, appears imminent. | The US has amassed the largest military force in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq almost 23 years ago and is poised once again to commit mass murder and gleefully perpetrate an astonishing amount of war crimes. Why? For Israel, for oil, for power projection, for Trump’s legacy. ■ Because the logic of the military-industrial complex demands that $1 trillion dollars a year and an astonishing array of killing machinery doesn’t just sit idle. Because this is what empires do. Because the US is violence. And there is no more stunning display of American violence than a big war. ■ The US has been at war for 222 out of 239 years since 1776. The country is hardly going to stop now, especially not with the stars aligning for a project the US-Israel-Zionist axis has been desperate to undertake for nearly 50 years.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine has been advising President Trump and top officials that a military campaign against Iran could carry significant risks, in particular the possibility of becoming entangled in a prolonged conflict, according to two sources with knowledge of those internal discussions. | There's an ongoing debate at the top levels of the Trump administration about how to handle the Iran standoff and what the consequences of each option would be. At the moment, several of the voices in Trump's circle are urging caution, though some sources think Trump himself is leaning towards a strike. ● Just as with the planning for the operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, Trump has empowered a small brain trust to think through problems in Iran and present him with a range of options he can exercise at a time of his choosing that maximizes leverage and minimizes risk, a U.S. official said. [...] [A] person advocating for strikes is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has been growing more concerned since meeting Trump ten days ago that the U.S. will stand down.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been deliberately steering the United States toward confrontation with Iran in an escalation that pushes America into a “slave state for Israel’s expansionist dreams,” says an American analyst.

Michael Rectenwald, founder of the Anti-Zionist America Political Action Committee (AZAPAC), said Trump’s record stood in stark contrast to his campaign vows to end wars.

Moon of Alabama | U.S. President Donald Trump has managed to maneuver himself into a position that makes a long war on Iran all but inevitable. | About two days ago I was still betting on Trump to chicken out of a war with Iran. The military buildup in the Middle East was insufficient but for a short in-out air campaign on Iran with no discernible value. ■ But over the last days the U.S. military has sent many more air refueling tankers, dozens of more fighter planes and – most importantly – command and control elements to the Middle East. The force is sufficient for a large air campaign that could be sustained for at least two weeks. An additional carrier strike force has entered the Mediterranean and will be positioned west of Israel by the end of the week. A second carrier strike group is deployed in the Arabian Sea. Deploying such a large force is extremely costly. Pressure will increase quickly to use it or to stand down. The last negotiations between The U.S. and Iran went well but ended without any results.

■ Any new US strike on Iran is ‘playing with fire’, Russia’s Lavrov warns (Press TV)
■ Tracking the rapid US military build-up near Iran (Al Jazeera)
■ Russian “Doomsday” Tu-214PU Airborne Command Post Lands in Tehran (Defence Security Asia)
■ Final Pieces Moving Into Place For Potential Attack On Iran (The War Zone)
■ أكبر حشد عسكري أمريكي منذ غزو العراق يحاصر إيران (Al Jazeera Arabic)
✅ War with Iran, and potentially World War III, is knocking at the door (Leo Hohmann)

✅ No US War on Iran: An Open Letter to the UN Security Council (Jeffrey D. Sachs) | The US assault on the UN Charter has now escalated once again to the brink of war, with US threats of force and acts of economic warfare proceeding daily. The US has been escalating its military presence near Iran and has repeatedly threatened to launch an imminent attack. ■ The administration has also been candid about its strategy of economic warfare. [But] the most striking aspect of the US campaign for regime change in Iran is the repeated US insistence that Iran must negotiate. Iran has negotiated, repeatedly. The JCPOA was negotiated and ratified by the UN Security Council. Even after Iran engaged in renewed negotiations last summer, it faced large‑scale air strikes on its territory. Now, the US openly avows the policy of economic collapse and regime change. No country is safe if the United States can make brazen threats against Iran and indeed several other states in recent weeks, including Cuba, Denmark, and others.