US-Israel-Iran War Highlights: US moving to dismantle Iran's missile-building infra, says White House

"The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in an emailed statement. Eight US service members are currently "severely injured," Parnell added.

The new figure is the first insight into the broader toll of injuries that have been sustained by US troops in the wake of retaliatory rocket and drone strikes from Iran that have also claimed the lives of seven soldiers in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

(Associated Press)

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt asserts the ongoing military campaign against Iran will ultimately end when US President Donald Trump is able to determine that the stated objectives of the operation have been accomplished in full, including a position where Tehran is forced to make an "unconditional surrender."

She detailed that an unconditional surrender by Iran would include a scenario where "Iranian threats will not be backed by a ballistic missile arsenal" that protects Tehran while it builds a nuclear bomb and Iran does not pose any threats to the US and its allies. 

The United States has not yet escorted any oil tankers or vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.

Leavitt was responding to a question about why US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright deleted a post on X earlier in the day in which he said the US Navy had successfully escorted an oil tanker through the strait "to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets."

(Reuters)

Addressing a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says that US President Donald Trump had fully anticipated Iran's move to try and disrupt the global oil supply, adding that measures to counter the scenario had been planned "long before" the strikes on Iran began.

Addressing a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterates US President Donald Trump's warning to Iran, says any attempts to block oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz will invite a retaliation "20 times harder" than the intensity of strikes the country has endured so far.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt asserts that the military campaign against Iran will eventually result in lower oil prices across the US.

US intelligence assets have begun to see indications Iran is taking steps to deploy mines in Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, CBS News reporter says on X.

(With Reuters inputs)
 

The US military has not escorted any ships through the Strait of Hormuz so far, a US official told Reuters on Tuesday, after US Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted and deleted a tweet that had said the US Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the strait.

(Reuters)

As many as 150 US troops have been wounded so far in the war with Iran, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The injuries come as fighting between US-led forces and Iran continues to intensify across the region.

An airstrike targeted positions of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the border town of Al-Qaim near Syria, wounding six fighters, according to Iraqi army sources. The strike hit PMF locations close to the Syria-Iraq frontier, though it was not immediately clear who carried out the attack.

Iran has accused the United States of obstructing rescue efforts following the sinking of its Dena frigate earlier this month. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the warship had been invited by the Indian Navy to participate in a joint naval exercise and port visit when it was attacked near the coasts of India and Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

In a post on X, Esmaeil Baghaei described the strike as a “brutal act amounting to a war crime” and alleged that the United States had “deliberately obstructed rescue operations for the sailors.” According to Iranian officials, 104 sailors were killed in the incident.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Tuesday deleted a post on X that had said the US Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil continued flowing to global markets. The message had claimed American naval forces were actively protecting commercial shipping in the strategic waterway.

Several explosions were heard in Iran’s capital, Tehran, according to journalists on the ground. Reporters from Agence France-Presse (AFP) said they heard at least three blasts across the city.
 

Nearly 1,000 Indian nationals stranded in Qatar were flown to New Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi on Tuesday amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the Indian mission in Doha said. The embassy coordinated with Qatar Airways to arrange travel for stranded Indian citizens and urgent cases seeking to return home.

In an update on X, the mission said: “About 1,000 Indian passengers travelled to New Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi on Qatar Airways flights on March 10.” The embassy also thanked the airline for “giving priority to cases on humanitarian grounds”.

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said he held a detailed conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the latest developments related to the ongoing conflict in the region.

“A detailed conversation this evening with Foreign Minister @araghchi of Iran on the latest developments regarding the ongoing conflict. We agreed to remain in touch,” Jaishankar wrote on X.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson has played down concerns about rising gasoline prices amid the US military campaign against Iran, describing the spike as a “temporary blip.” Speaking on Tuesday, Johnson said the increase in fuel prices would likely ease once the conflict ends.

“I think that this current operation was by design limited in scope and in mission. I think the mission is being achieved, is nearly completed. And the commander in chief himself said in the last 24 hours that it will come to a close, so gas prices will readjust after that,” Johnson said during remarks at the House Republican retreat in Doral, Florida.

A Royal Navy warship has set sail for the eastern Mediterranean as tensions rise in the region. HMS Dragon departed Portsmouth Harbour on Tuesday to begin its deployment, the UK government said. 

The deployment was announced after a drone attack targeted the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus. According to British authorities, HMS Dragon is equipped with the Sea Viper air defence system, capable of launching eight missiles in under 10 seconds and guiding up to 16 missiles at the same time.

The death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 has risen to 570, according to a government report cited by the country’s state news agency. The report said the casualties have mounted as Israeli strikes continued across parts of Lebanon amid escalating hostilities in the region. 

The US State Department said most of its charter evacuation flights from the Middle East are operating with less than half their seats filled. Officials said the low occupancy suggests that many US citizens are either leaving the region on commercial flights or choosing to remain where they are.

Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson said the department has made charter options available to Americans seeking assistance but demand has been limited. “At this time, seats available on the Department’s charter options are significantly greater than the demand from Americans in the region. Many Americans continue to depart on commercial options,” Johnson said. He added that the flights have been running with particularly low occupancy. “Despite having made these options available to every American who has requested travel assistance, State Department charter flights continue to operate with less than 40% occupancy on average,” he said.
 

Hezbollah said it launched a rocket barrage targeting Israeli troops near the southern Lebanese town of Khiam. In a statement, the group said its fighters fired rockets at soldiers gathered in Wadi al-Asafir, south of Khiam, at around 3pm local time (13:00 GMT).

Hezbollah said the attack was carried out in response to what it described as “Israeli aggression” against Lebanon, as clashes between Israeli forces and the group continue along the border.