US Iran news highlights: US Senate backs Trump's Iran strikes; Tehran says over 1,000 killed

US Iran news LIVE updates: Iraqi Shiite carry a replica of a coffin of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Tehran, during a symbolic funeral, in Najaf, Iraq.

US Iran news highlights: Iraqi security forces reportedly foiled a rocket launch bid by seizing a mobile rocket launch platform carrying two missiles ready to fire at a neighboring country in the area of Zubair district, south of Basra, Reuters reported, quoting, adding that the operation was carried out based on precise intelligence provided by the Iraqi National Security Service.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) called Iran a country ‘out of control’, claiming that the pre-emptive strikes were carried out to prevent them from attacking Israel first. He said that the US is in a strong position against Iran now, adding that everyone who wants to be a leader ‘ends up being dead’. Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had indicated that Trump was a seeking a ‘bigger role’ in post-war Iran.

The United States has confirmed that it destroyed over 20 Iranian ships, including one of its top submarines, in the ongoing strikes against Tehran. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said this on Wednesday (local time) during a press briefing as

Over 1,000 people have been killed in the Israel-US strikes on Iran that started last weekend, Iranian state media said on Wednesday. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family, along with several top leaders of the Iran, were killed in the US-Israel joint strikes as talks failed to remove the confrontation between Washington and Tehran.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday told the head of neighbouring Gulf nations that Iran wanted to resort to diplomacy to avoid war, but the ‘American-Zionist military aggression’ left no choice but to defend itself.

“We respect your sovereignty, and we believe that the security and stability of the region must be achieved through the collective efforts of its states,” he said in a statement.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday said the US and Israel are on the cusp of taking ‘complete control of Iran’s airspace’ as he laid out plans to step up attacks deeper in the country as its defenses are destroyed.

A member of Iran's Assembly of Experts said that they are ‘close’ to choosing the new supreme leader to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"The Supreme Leader will be identified in the closest opportunity, we are close to a conclusion; however, the situation in the country is a war situation," Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami told state TV.

Iranians will begin paying their respects to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from 22:00 on Wednesday at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Musallah, according to state media.

The public mourning ceremony will allow people to bid farewell to Khamenei at the large prayer complex in the capital, Tehran. Authorities said the gathering will start late Wednesday night as the country prepares for additional mourning events in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had launched around 40 missiles at US and Israeli targets on the fifth day of the Middle East war.

“Several hours ago, the 17th wave of Operation Honest Promise 4 was carried out with the launch of 40 missiles by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ aerospace forces toward American and Zionist targets,” a statement broadcast on state television said, without providing further details.

Attack on Lebanese capital

Explosions shook the Lebanese capital as Israel announced a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, with the war spreading across the Middle East into Wednesday.

The United States has so far struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran as part of what it describes as the largest military buildup in the Middle East in a generation, the top American commander in the region said.

"We've already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions. We have severely degraded Iran's air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran's ballistic missiles, launchers and drones," Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said in a video message.

"The first 24 hours of this operation were nearly double the scale" of the first day of shock-and-awe strikes on Iraq in 2003, "and we continue with 24/7 strikes into Iran," he added.

Middle East conflict intensified

The conflict intensified on Tuesday, with explosions reported in Tehran and in Lebanon, where Israel said it had retaliated against Hezbollah militants.

The American embassy in Saudi Arabia and the US consulate in the United Arab Emirates came under drone attacks. Iran has fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, though most were intercepted.

Eleven people in Israel have been killed since the conflict began.

The Pentagon identified four US Army Reserve soldiers killed in a drone strike on Sunday at a command centre in Kuwait.

Two other service members were also killed in the attack.

‘Broad wave of attacks’ have started: Israeli military

Israel’s military said it had begun a “broad wave of attacks” across Iran, targeting missile launch sites, air defence systems and other infrastructure linked to what it described as the Iranian “terror regime”.

Days after joint US-Israeli strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the conflict shows no signs of easing, pushing West Asia closer to an all-out war.

Tehran has responded with retaliatory attacks on US-linked installations in Gulf countries.

Khamenei's son selected as successor

Iran’s Assembly of Experts has reportedly selected Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s next Supreme Leader.

Trump on future of Iran: A leader ‘as bad as’ Khamenei

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the “worst case” would be a new Iranian leader “as bad as” the late Supreme Leader. “I guess the worst case would be, we do this, and then somebody takes over who's as bad as the previous person, right?” he told reporters.

Trump also alleged that Iran was “hitting civilian areas” and said Tehran was targeting “countries which have nothing to do with what's going on.” He claimed he believed Iran would strike first and revealed that he “might have forced Israel's hand” on launching strikes.

Explosion in Tehran, Mehrabad and retaliation in Tel Aviv

Fresh explosions were reported in Tehran, as well as in the northwestern cities of Tabriz and Urmia, according to Iranian news agencies cited by Reuters.

Israel struck Tehran’s Mehrabad airport after issuing evacuation warnings in parts of the capital. An Iranian air carrier was destroyed on the ground in an Israeli strike on Bushehr airport.

Iran, in turn, launched strikes in the Tel Aviv area, Israel’s military said. First responders reported treating 12 people for injuries, while police confirmed multiple impact sites.

Iran’s foreign ministry rejected talks with the US and Israel, saying it was “standing against evil.” Earlier, Iran targeted the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia with drones. The attack by two drones caused a “limited fire” and minor damage at the US Embassy in Riyadh, according to Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry.

Too late for talks now: Trump

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said it was “too late” for talks. “Their air defence, air force, navy, and leadership is gone. They want to talk. I said: ‘Too late!’” he wrote. The US President had earlier said operations in Iran could last another four to five weeks and that he was prepared “to go far longer than that.”

Briefing members of Congress on ‘Operation Epic Fury,’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio was quoted as saying that the “hardest hits are yet to come from the US military".

Not an endless war: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes would continue but insisted it would not be an “endless war”.

India is closely monitoring the evolving airspace situation across parts of West Asia and its impact on flight operations. So far, 1,221 flights operated by Indian carriers and 388 by foreign carriers have been cancelled due to the conflict.

Indian carriers operated 24 flights

On Tuesday, Indian carriers operated 24 flights, while Emirates and Etihad operated nine flights from the Gulf.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation said Indian carriers are planning 58 flights on March 4, including 30 by IndiGo and 23 by Air India and Air India Express. Foreign carriers operating between India and the Gulf are also conducting limited services, subject to operational and airspace considerations.