Mojtaba Khamenei chosen as Iran's next supreme leader, Iranian state media reports

He is the son of assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed by airstrikes in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His successor is yet to be named.

Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

(Read previous Iran live updates here.)

Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

Mar 06, 2026, 2:02 PM EST

US believes Russia is providing Iran intelligence, including locations of troops: Sources

The U.S. believes that Russia has been providing Iran the locations of American troops in the region, including aircraft and ships, according to two people familiar with the intelligence. An intelligence official confirmed the U.S. belief that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran.

The assistance, first reported by The Washington Post, is alarming because it would enable the Iranians to target specific locations with ballistic missiles and drones, putting U.S. service members at risk.

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer crew chief marshals a B-1 after returning from a CONUS-to-CONUS mission in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 4, 2026.
US Navy

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not deny the report on Friday, instead saying it didn’t matter because the U.S. was still winning the war.

“It clearly is not making a difference with respect to the military operations in Iran, because we are completely decimating them,” Leavitt told reporters.

Six U.S. service members were killed last weekend during an Iranian drone attack on a base in Kuwait. At least 10 other troops have been severely wounded in operations across the region.

The CIA declined to comment and the Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Russia has not addressed the allegations, but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said previously that Iran hasn’t asked for help.

-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty

Mar 06, 2026, 1:26 PM EST

IDF says over 400 targets struck in Iran on Friday

The Israel Defense Forces said more than 400 targets, including ballistic missile launchers and drone storage facilities, were struck in several areas of Iran on Friday.

Three command centers used by Hezbollah and one used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air Force were among the targets attacked by Israel on Friday, the IDF said.

Mar 06, 2026, 11:51 AM EST

Trump to attend dignified transfer on Saturday, White House says

On Saturday, President Donald Trump will attend the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base for the six service members killed in an Iranian retaliatory strike in Kuwait, a White House official confirmed.

“We grieve for these American patriots and their families as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives. President Trump intends to attend the dignified transfer of these American heroes to stand in grief alongside their families,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.

Rep. Zach Nuun, R-Iowa, said he’ll also attend.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

Mar 06, 2026, 11:45 AM EST

Trump says Iran doesn't need to become democratic state, open to religious leader

President Donald Trump elaborated on his vision for Iran’s new leadership in an interview with CNN on Friday, saying Iran does not need to become a democratic state and that he’s open to a religious leader.

“There has to be a leader that’s going be fair and just,” he continued. “Do a great job. Treat the United States and Israel well, and treat the other countries in the Middle East -- they’re all our partners.”

The president also discussed Iranian leadership with Politico on Thursday, saying he is going to have a “big impact” in selecting their next leader. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed last weekend in the US.-Israel attacks.

“Now they’re looking at the son. The reason the father wouldn’t give it to the son is they say he’s incompetent,” Trump told Politico, referring to a son of Khamenei.

A woman gestures while holding an image of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the day of an anti-Israeli and U.S. rally, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 6, 2026.
Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters

Trump also boasted about the military operation in Iran, telling Politico the U.S. is “being surgical” and that the U.S. has “unlimited supply of weapons.”

-ABC News’ Emily Chang

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