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China urges Iran to consider ‘reasonable concerns’

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi called on Iran to pay attention to the “reasonable concerns” of its neighbors, after Tehran’s retaliation against US and Israeli attacks included strikes on other Gulf nations.

Wang at the same time reaffirmed China’s support for Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to state-run Xinhua news agency. The foreign minister made the comments in a phone call Monday with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.

Two more US service members killed in Iran operations, toll rises to six

The US military on Monday announced the deaths of two more American service members during the operations against Iran, bringing the total death toll to six people.

US Central Command stated in a post on X that U.S. forces “recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran's initial attacks in the region.” The post did not state where two service members were killed. Their identities are being withheld until 24 hours after their families are notified, the military said.

Rubio says regime change is not the objective in Iran

“We would love for there to be an Iran that's not governed by radical Shia clerics,” Rubio said heading into a classified briefing on Capitol Hill. “That's not the objective.” The initial joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran killed the country's Supreme Leader Ali Ayatollah Khamenei, along with many other top leaders.

“The objectives of this operation are to destroy their ballistic missile capability and make sure they can't rebuild it, and make sure that they can't hide behind that to have a nuclear program,” he said. “That's the objective of the mission.” Rubio, Hegseth and others are briefing the congressional leaders and the top lawmakers on the national security committees in Congress about the Iran operation.

Rubio warns hardest hits' are still to come on Iran

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters before his scheduled House and Senate Intelligence Committees briefing about Iran on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, March 2, 2026.

Pressed on how long the US military would remain focused on Iran, Rubio said as long as it takes. “The hardest hits are yet to come from the US military. The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now,” he told reporters at the US Capitol.

“How long will it take? I don't know how long it will take,” he said. “We have objectives. We will do this as long as it takes to achieve those objectives.”

US Embassy in Jordan temporarily evacuates staff

Diplomatic staff at the US Embassy in Jordan have left the embassy compound in Amman “due to a threat.” The US diplomatic mission did not disclose additional details, but the announcement comes not long after Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah threatened to attack American military bases in Jordan.

The announcement that embassy personnel had left the compound in Amman appeared to be a prelude to a potentially larger departure of diplomatic staff from Jordan.

Jordanian police meanwhile urged residents living near the embassy to stay indoors, close windows and take other “precautionary measures.” 

State Department urges Americans to leave Middle Eastern countries

The State Department urged Monday that all US citizens leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to safety risks with the ongoing escalations that have slipped the region into significant chaos.

US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar posted on the social media site X that Americans in countries, including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel, should “DEPART NOW” using any available commercial transportation.

The guidance comes as some major airlines have canceled flights to and from the region as the war that began when U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday. It has since grown into a wider regional conflict, touching nearly every country nearby.

Number of wounded troops in Iran grows

The conflict has left 18 American service members seriously wounded, Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command said Monday.

The number has grown from the five troops initially reported as seriously wounded on Sunday morning.

Six service members also have been killed in Kuwait. All six were Army soldiers and part of the same logistics unit, according to a US official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

When asked about the deaths Monday, Hegseth said an Iranian weapon made it past allied air defenses “and, in that particular case, happened to hit a tactical operations centre that was fortified.” 

Iranian-Americans fear for relatives in their homeland as war continues

Many in the Iranian-American diaspora spent the weekend glued to their televisions, watching news of US and Israeli bombs falling on Iran, some clinging to hopes of a brighter future for their motherland but terrified their relatives might suffer from the collateral damage of war.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who for decades ruled the country while violently crushing dissent, was killed early in the attack. In the United States, many celebrated, some taking to the streets to cheer the toppling of the man they considered a tyrant.

“We are happy, we are happy that he is gone and he can't kill our innocent people anymore,” said Ava Farhadi, 33, an electrical engineer in Indiana. In January, Farhadi's family participated in protests against the government, which were met with a brutal crackdown by the regime.

While her immediate family was unharmed, Farhadi said, friends and close loved ones were among the thousands killed when Khamenei's armed guard opened fire on peaceful protesters.

But many said, despite relief that Khamenei was killed, they are worried for their families still there and about what happens next in the country.

Shahed Ghoreishi, 34, a foreign policy analyst whose parents both fled Iran, called it an “impossible situation” for many, who hated Khamenei and are happy he is gone, but whose families remain in danger.

Ghoreishi said it's been difficult to reach relatives still living in Iran. Phone and internet connections aren't reliable, so it's sometimes impossible to find out if they're OK. His mother told him she hasn't slept because she can't reach her sister, who recently had back surgery.

Saudi Arabia says US Embassy in Riyadh attacked by two drones, causing a 'limited fire'

Israel and the United States pounded Iran on Monday in an escalating campaign that US President Donald Trump said would likely take several weeks. Tehran and its allies hit back across the region, striking Israel and a variety of targets inside Gulf states, including energy facilities in Qatar and the American embassy in Saudi Arabia.

The intensity of the attacks, the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences. Safe havens in the Mideast like Dubai have seen incoming fire; hundreds of thousands of airline passengers are stranded around the globe; energy prices shot up; and U.S. allies pledged to help stop Iranian missiles and drones.

Saudi Arabia said early Tuesday that the US Embassy in Riyadh came under attack from two drones, which caused a “limited fire” and minor damage. Further details weren't immediately available. On Monday, the US Embassy compound in Kuwait was struck.