At least 555 killed in U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran
At least 555 people have been killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran since Saturday morning, the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said on Monday.
In a statement published on its official website, the IRCS noted that 131 Iranian counties were targeted in the strikes.
More than 100,000 rescuers are on full alert across the country, and relief and rescue operations, as well as the transfer of the wounded to medical centers, are underway, the statement said.
U.S. Central Command says 6 killed in Iran operation
The U.S. Central Command announced on Monday the death of two additional U.S. service members in the attacks against Iran, bringing the total number to six.
"As of 4 pm ET, March 2, six U.S. service members have been killed in action. 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 command said in a post on X.
In another post earlier in the day, the command said the U.S. forces have sunk 11 Iranian naval vessels operating in the Gulf of Oman.
15 injured in Iran's missile strike on S. Israel
A missile from Iran struck a residential area in the southern Israeli city of Be'er Sheva on Monday, injuring at least 15 people, according to Israeli authorities.
The strike triggered sirens across multiple regions in the early afternoon, including central and southern Israel and the occupied West Bank, the military said. The alerts sent millions of residents to shelters at midday.
Footage circulating on social media showed the missile striking Be'er Sheva, sending a plume of black smoke into the sky.
Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service reported that one person sustained moderate injuries, while at least 14 others were treated for light injuries following the impact.
Iran says it fired 26 drones, five ballistic missiles at U.S. targets in Gulf
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday it launched 26 drones and five ballistic missiles at U.S. military targets in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement on its official Sepah News outlet, the IRGC described the operation, the 12th wave of attacks against U.S. bases in the region, as "decisive and targeted."
The statement said that 12 drones struck Camp Arifjan in Kuwait in two stages, while six drones and five ballistic missiles hit the U.S. command and control center at Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE. Six more drones targeted U.S. naval facilities in Bahrain.
Trump says he will not rule out sending ground troops to Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he is not ruling out sending U.S. ground troops into Iran if necessary.
"I don't have the yips with respect to boots on the ground -- like every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground,' I don't say it," Trump told New York Post in an interview.
"I say 'probably don't need them,' (or) 'if they were necessary,'" he said.
Trump claimed that the military campaign launched on Saturday morning was "way ahead of schedule" in terms of killing dozens of senior Iranian officials.
Britain not joining U.S., Israeli "offensive strikes" on Iran
Britain is not joining the U.S. and Israeli "offensive strikes" on Iran, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday.
Speaking to the British parliament, Starmer said making decisions like this requires "a lawful basis for what the United Kingdom is doing" and "a viable thought-through plan."
He said this is the principle he applied to the decision not to get involved in the "offensive strikes" of the United States and Israel on Iran, adding, "This government does not believe in regime change from the skies."
"President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain's national interest," he said.
Germany has no intention of participating in military action against Iran
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Monday clarified that Germany has no intention of participating in military operations against Iran.
In an interview with German radio station Deutschlandfunk, Wadephul expressed concerns over the escalation in the Middle East.
France, Britain, and Germany on Sunday issued a joint statement saying they would "take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region."
Wadephul emphasized that the interpretation of this statement varies by country.
UN chief renews call for de-escalation, immediate cessation of hostilities in Middle East
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his call for de-escalation, immediate cessation of hostilities, and genuine dialogue and negotiations in the Middle East, in line with the UN Charter, his spokesperson said Monday.
"As far as the situation on the ground, the position expressed by the Secretary-General on Saturday in the Security Council remains very much valid," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a daily briefing.
"What is needed now in the region more than anything is a way out," he said.
Dujarric said that over the past 48 hours or so, the secretary-general has been in touch with a number of regional leaders, including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi.
CNN poll shows 59 pct of U.S. citizens disapprove of strikes on Iran
A newly released CNN poll showed Monday that 59 percent of U.S. citizens disapprove of the U.S. decision to take military actions against Iran.
The poll, conducted by SSRS, was "fielded shortly" after U.S. and Israeli forces launched the strikes.
Sixty percent of the respondents said they do not think U.S. President Donald Trump has a clear plan for handling the situation, and 62 percent said he should get Congressional approval for any further military action.
About 39 percent said the United States did not try hard enough at diplomacy before using military force, while only 27 percent feel that the United States made enough of an effort at diplomacy, and 33 percent were unsure.
Israel strikes near Beirut city center, first such attack since 2024 ceasefire
Israeli airstrikes hit the Jnah and Bir Hassan areas in Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday evening, the first strikes near central Beirut since a ceasefire in November 2024, local broadcaster al-Jadeed reported.
The Israeli military said it targeted a Hezbollah official but gave no further details.
Israeli strikes across Lebanon killed at least 52 people and wounded 154 on Monday, the government said, updating an earlier toll of 31 dead and 149 injured. The bombardment of southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs displaced more than 28,500 people, the government's disaster management unit reported.
6 killed, several trapped in building collapse in Johannesburg
At least six people were killed and several others remained trapped after a building collapsed on Monday in a southern suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, local authorities said.
Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Xolile Khumalo told reporters at the scene that two individuals were confirmed trapped under the debris, while three others remain missing. One person has been successfully rescued.
The incident occurred at Amethyst Business Park in Ormonde, where 12 workers were on the ground floor of a two-story building when part of the structure gave way, said Khumalo.■
