Six U.S. service members have been killed as the U.S. hit over 1,200 military targets inside Iran.
U.S. Central Command said it recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted military force service members from a facility that was struck during Iran’s initial attacks.
As major combat operations continued into the third day on Monday, the U.S. hit over 1,200 military targets inside Iran that include command and control centres, air defence systems, and Navy ships.
Pentagon officials said the US military had destroyed 11 Iranian ships in the Persian Gulf.
They also cautioned that major combat operations are ongoing and more casualties are possible.
“This is not a single overnight operation. We expect to take additional losses,” said Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He warned nations against helping Iran.
“To those who would test our resolve or threaten the United States, our allies, or our interests, understand clearly we can reach you, we can sustain the fight, and we can scale the fight.“
The Israeli military said it hit more than 70 targets of weapon facilities and launch sites in Southern Lebanon of Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in response to Hezbollah firing rockets toward northern Israel.
Iran has targeted not just Israel but also the Persian Gulf nations, hitting not just military targets but civilian infrastructure.
U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio said, “They’re hitting hotels. They’re hitting embassies. They’re hitting airports. They’re hitting oil infrastructure.”
“The tyrants of Tehran target civilians. We target the tyrants of Tehran to protect civilians,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, said that European leaders support the US-Israel military operation.
“I really commend what is happening here. Taking out Khamenei, taking out the nuclear capability in Iran, but also taking out the ballistic missile programme in Iran. This is crucial.”
“And what I see in Europe, I spoke with all the key European leaders over the weekend, is widespread support for what the President is doing,” Rutte added.
Iran’s Refusal to Abandon Nuclear Weapons
U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff said it became clear by the second meeting that the Iranian leadership was not agreeable to give up the nuclear weapons ambitions, in an interview with Fox News.
He said he went ahead with a third meeting in Geneva on Feb. 26 to give the negotiation talks with Iran another try.
Iran has previously claimed that the uranium enrichment program of nuclear energy is for civilian purposes.
The uranium enrichment level is between 3 to 5 per cent for civilian uses.
Witkoff disputed Iran’s claim saying Iranian officials declined US’ offer to pay for the fuel for Iran’s civilian purposes for 10 years in exchange for nuclear energy.
He said that Iran is within weeks to achieve 90 per cent uranium enrichment required to make nuclear bombs.
Witkoff said Iran possesses 10,000 kgs of fissible materials, comprising 460 kg of 60 per cent enriched uranium and another 1,000 kg of 20 per cent enriched uranium.
“The 60 per cent material can be brought to 90 percent, that’s weapon grade, in roughly one week, maybe 10 days on the outside.”
“The 20 per cent can be brought to weapons grade inside of three to four weeks,” he said.
Witkoff said that during the first meeting, Iranian officials told him “they control 460 kg of 60 percent” that could make “11 nuclear bombs,” adding that they were proud of evading oversight protocols to make the nuclear bombs.
In U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement to the nation on Feb. 28 on the launch of the military operation on Iran, he said that the objective is to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.”
“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted death to America and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops, and the innocent people in many, many countries,” he said.
“Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world,” Trump added.
He said the Iranian regime backed a violent takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, holding dozens of American hostages for 444 days.
In the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, 66 Americans were initially captured and released while 52 hostages were held in captivity for 444 days.
Trump also cited that in 1983, Iran’s proxies carried out the bombing on Marine barracks in Beirut that killed 241 U.S. military personnel.
Other attacks included Iranian-made weapons (EFP bombs) supplied to militias in Iraq between 2005 and 2011 where 196 American troops were killed, according to U.S. military data.
In 2024, three U.S. soldiers were killed by a drone strike in Tower 22 in Jordan by an Iranian-backed militia.
Trump also said that Iran has attacked U.S. naval and commercial vessels in international shipping lanes.
During the Iran–Iraq War in 1984 to 1988, Iran attacked and harassed oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, including laying naval mines in international shipping lanes.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) repeatedly conducted close-approach maneuvers against U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz during 2007 to 2016.
In 2019, multiple commercial oil tankers were damaged by limpet mines in the Gulf of Oman but Iran denied responsibility.
During 2023 to 2024, Iran seized three oil tankers operating in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.
In the same period, the Houthis, Iran’s proxy, launched missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels, affecting shipping through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb.
“It’s been mass terror, and we’re not going to put up with it any longer,” Trump said.
