March 2, 2026

U.S., ISRAEL, IRAN WAR | Day 3. Violence continues across the Middle East today as U.S. and Israel continue operations targeting Iranian infrastructure and military assets and Iran expands its regional response with missile and drone strikes on Gulf nations, Israel, and U.S. military assets.

• More than 500 deaths have been reported in Iran, while at least four U.S. service members have been killed. At least 15 people have been killed, and more than 200 others have been wounded, in Iranian retaliatory strikes on Israel. [more]
• Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other senior military, intelligence, and security officials were killed in the initial wave of attacks carried out early Saturday. [more]
• U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have continued to urge the people of Iran to take control of their country from the government. [more]
• U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested the war could last "four to five weeks," but suggested he is open to talks – a suggestion some senior Iranian officials have rejected. [more]
• U.S. military officials say three U.S. F-15 fighter jets taking part in Iran combat operations were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses this morning. Reports say pilots and crew members of the fighter jets ejected and parachuted to the ground safely. [more]
• Among the Gulf countries targeted by Iranian strikes over the past days are: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain. [more]
• The war in Iran has raised concerns of escalation into a wider regional conflict, with incidents already occurring, including the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group firing missiles into northern Israel and Israel responding with strikes on southern Lebanon, and thousands of people taking part in protests in Pakistan over the weekend following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting the imposition of curfews in some Pakistani cities. [more]
• Global oil prices have risen about 10% since the beginning of the war, while stock markets and market futures have dropped sharply. [more]
• [Associated Press live updates] [Reuters live updates] [BBC live updates] [CNN live updates] [Al Jazeera live updates]

U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | Two high-profile incidents involving gun violence took place over the weekend, one of which is being investigated for possible links to the U.S. military action in Iran.

• Two people were killed, and 14 others were wounded, early Sunday when a gunman reported to be wearing a shirt with an Iranian flag design opened fire at a bar in Austin, Texas. The suspect – identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2013 – was killed by police at the scene of the shooting. [more]
• At least nine people were wounded early Sunday when yet-unidentified shooter(s) opened fire at a crowded nightclub and concert venue in Cincinnati, Ohio. The incident remains under investigation. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,465 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a new round of U.S.-brokered peace talks between Ukraine and Russia scheduled for later this week in Abu Dhabi will likely be moved due to the ongoing Israel-U.S.-Iran conflict affecting the larger Middle East region. [more]

U.S. MILITARY AND AI | Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Friday designated major artificial intelligence company Anthropic a "supply chain risk to national security" and terminated federal government contracts with the company after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei refused to allow its AI models to be used for mass domestic surveillance or autonomous military weapons. Reports note that the supply chain risk designation is intended to counter foreign threats and that this is the first time the designation has been applied to a U.S. company. [more]

U.S. 2ND AMENDMENT | The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments today in a case challenging the 1968 federal Gun Control Act that makes possession of a firearm illegal for anyone who "is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance." The Justice Department is seeking to defend the law following an appeals court ruling that found "there is no historical justification for disarming a sober citizen not presently under an impairing influence." [more]

AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN | Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan continues for a fourth straight day today. Reports cite Afghan authorities as saying Pakistani military jets entered Afghan airspace yesterday and attempted to bomb Bagram Air Base, the former U.S. military base north of Kabul. [more]

CANADA AND INDIA | In a move aimed at improving ties between their countries, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have announced plans to finalize a comprehensive economic partnership that is expected to increase Canada-India trade to as much as $50 billion by 2030. [more]

MYANMAR | Ahead of the country's first parliament session in more than five years, the military government of Myanmar said today that it has pardoned more than 10,000 prisoners, including more than 7,000 convicted under a national counterterrorism law, to mark Peasants' Day, a national holiday honoring farmers. [more]

FRANCE | Amidst perceived Russian threats and U.S. disengagement, French President Emmanuel Macron laid out his country's nuclear deterrence policy today, saying it is a strictly defensive strategy intended to safeguard the country’s “vital interests.” Reports note that France's arsenal includes an estimated 290 nuclear warheads, making it the world’s fourth-largest nuclear power after Russia, the United States, and China. [more]

NIGERIA | Rights group Amnesty International said yesterday that at least 15 people were killed when gunmen attacked three villages in the north-central Nigerian state of Niger on Saturday. Details on the attackers were not announced, and no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks. [more]

SOUTH SUDAN | Local officials say at least 169 people, including 90 civilians, were killed yesterday when insurgents attacked a village in South Sudan's Abiemnom county. Reports note that the attack is believed to be linked to ongoing violence in the African country between government forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those loyal to opposition leader Riek Machar. [more]

SPACE | NASA has announced a new timeline for its Artemis moon exploration program following a series of needed repairs to the program's Space Launch System. Under the new timeline, the Artemis II lunar fly-around is expected to take place in April of this year, while Artemis III will deploy a lunar lander into orbit around Earth in 2027, and an eventual moon landing will take place in 2028. [more]

NASCAR | Tyler Reddick won the Circuit of the Americas race yesterday, becoming the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win the first three races of the season. [more]

GOLF | Nico Echavarria shot a final-round 5-under-par 66 yesterday to win the Cognizant Classic at PGA National, overcoming a late-final-round lead by Shane Lowry, who had consecutive double bogeys at the 16th and 17th holes. [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "Scream 7" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $64.1 million in receipts, followed by "GOAT" and "Wuthering Heights." [more]

FILM AWARDS | "Sinners" actor Michael B. Jordan won the award for best male actor, while the film won for best ensemble, at the Screen Actors Guild’s 32nd Actor Awards last night. Jessie Buckley won the award for best female actor for her role in "Hamnet." [full list of awardees] [more]

MUSIC AWARDS | Olivia Dean won the awards for artist of the year and song of the year for "Rein Me In" at last night's Brit Awards. Spanish pop star ROSALÍA was named the International Artist of the Year, and late rock icon Ozzy Osbourne was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award. [full list of awardees] [more]

R.I.P. | Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka – best known for his decades of hits beginning in the 1950s, including such songs as "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," "Love Will Keep Us Together," and "Laughter in the Rain," died Friday at the age of 86. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1956, the North African country of Morocco, situated directly across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain, proclaimed its independence from France. [more history]