Live! Trump warns Iran: 'Big wave of strikes yet to happen'

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s elite force spearheading the counter-attack against the US and Israel, is now leaderless and acting on its own, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has told Al Jazeera in an interview.

Araghchi said the IRGC acted independently in striking Oman, calling it “not our choice”. Formed in 1979 to safeguard the Islamic system, the IRGC operates separately from Iran’s army and reports directly to the Supreme Leader.

With Ayatollah Khamenei killed in the US Israel offensive, the force is now headless but not functioning on the orders of the Iranian government. It is acting according to the instructions Khamenei gave before his assassination.

On Monday (March 2), the third day of the West Asia crisis, the IRGC claimed to have attacked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office as well as the headquarters of the Israeli air force commander. The veracity of the claim or the duo's fate was not immediately clear.

PM stresses need for dialogue and diplomacy

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a statement on the West Asia crisis two days after a joint attack by the US and Israel claimed the life of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and pushed West Asia (the Middle East) into a severe crisis.

"India's position on the many ongoing tensions in the world is clear. We have always called for maintaining peace and stability, and when two democracies stand together, the voice for peace becomes even stronger. The current situation in West Asia is a matter of deep concern for us. India supports the resolution of all disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. We will continue to work closely with all countries to ensure the safety of all Indian citizens in the region," Modi said in Delhi after holding a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security late on Sunday.

The crisis claimed the first Indian victim on Monday as an oil tanker was hit in the Gulf of Oman. The person was a crew member onboard.

War expands as militias join in

The war expanded during the day, as Iran and Iranian-backed militias fired missiles at Israel and Arab states while Israel and the US pounded targets in Iran, with statements of defiance and warnings of more US casualties.

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As the American and Israeli airstrikes continued, top Iranian security official Ali Larijani vowed defiantly on X that “we will not negotiate with the United States.” In Iraq, a pro-Iranian militia claimed a drone attack targeting US troops at the Baghdad airport, the day after it said it fired at a US base in Irbil in the north, and Cyprus said a drone attack targeted a British base on the Mediterranean island nation.

Strikes escalate Middle East conflict

Israel and the US bombed Iranian missile sites and targeted its navy, claiming to have destroyed its headquarters and multiple warships. More than 500 people have been killed since the start of the strikes, according to Iranian leaders.

As the bombardment continued, Hezbollah said it fired missiles from Lebanon into Israel early Monday in response to the killing of Khamenei and “repeated Israeli aggressions”. There were no reports of injuries or damage, and Israel said that it had intercepted one projectile while several fell in open areas.

Also read | By striking Iran, Trump and Netanyahu make a mockery of global order

Israel retaliated with strikes on Beirut and urged civilians in nearly 50 villages in eastern and southern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of more possible attacks, sending people fleeing.

Trump vows vengeance for US deaths

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said in a video posted on social media that the US would “avenge” the deaths of the service members and that “there will likely be more” killed before the conflict ends.

Israel, which had pledged “nonstop” strikes, said it was increasing its attacks, with 100 fighter jets simultaneously striking targets in Tehran, Brig Gen Effie Defrin told reporters at a briefing.

The US military, meanwhile, said B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran's ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. Trump said on social media that nine Iranian warships had been sunk and that the Iranian navy's headquarters had been “largely destroyed.”

Iranian strikes extend beyond US, Israel

In the Gulf, Iran's retaliatory strikes went beyond US and Israeli targets, pushing the conflict into cities that have long marketed themselves as regional safe havens.

Also read | Protests across India over killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader: ‘A thousand Khameneis will rise’

The foreign ministers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain said Sunday that their countries retain “the legal right to respond and the right to self-defence” after Iranian strikes hit hotels, airports and other sites in multiple cities throughout the Gulf.

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