Feb 28, 2026, 5:19 PM EST
Rubio to brief G7 leaders: Official
Rubio will hold a call with G7 leaders to discuss the situation in Iran Saturday, according to a State Department official.
-ABC News' Shannon Kingston
As Iran retaliates, largest US military base in Middle East hit by ballistic missile, Qatar says
No one was injured, according to the Qatari Ministry of Defense.
ByJon Haworth, Jack Moore, Nadine El-Bawab, David Brennan, Kevin Shalvey, Meredith Deliso, and Leah Sarnoff
Last Updated: March 3, 2026, 10:02 PM EST
President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Saturday, with daytime strikes in the joint U.S.-Israel attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.
On Sunday, Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed by airstrikes in Tehran on Saturday.
Iran is responding to the U.S.-Israeli operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and Gulf nations. American diplomatic facilities have also been attacked.
In Lebanon, Israel is intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iranian-aligned Hezbollah militia.
Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Key Headlines
- Mar 04, 2026, 12:06 AM EST
- Mar 03, 2026, 11:54 PM EST
- Mar 03, 2026, 10:01 PM EST
- Mar 03, 2026, 9:19 PM EST
- Mar 03, 2026, 9:06 PM EST
Here's how the news is developing.
Feb 28, 2026, 4:44 PM EST
Trump confirms Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead
President Donald Trump has confirmed that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.
"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS," Trump said in a post on social media.
Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran via Getty Images
"This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country. We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us," Trump added.
Despite Khamenei's death, Trump said the "heavy and pinpoint bombing" will continue, "uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective."
Feb 28, 2026, 3:38 PM EST
Israeli officials say Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei believed dead in strikes
Multiple Israeli officials tell ABC News that Israel has determined that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran earlier Saturday. U.S. officials have been informed by the Israelis but have not independently confirmed the report, according to two U.S. officials.
President Donald Trump told ABC News he believes the supreme leader is dead, saying, "we believe so."
"I don't want to say anything definitively until I see things but we believe he is. And much of their leaders are gone," Trump told ABC News.
Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP
Earlier Saturday, an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei denied reports that Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian were killed in the strikes, saying they are "safe and sound," in an interview on ABC News Live.
The Israel Defense Forces said it believes almost the entirety of Iran’s military leadership was killed Saturday, including the head of the Iranian Security Council, the defense minister and a top intelligence official.
Among the officials are Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Iranian Security Council; Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; and Aziz Nasirzadeh, the defense minister of Iran.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller, Dana Savid, John Santucci, Anne Flaherty, Shannon Kingston and Luke Barr
Feb 28, 2026, 2:51 PM EST
Trump says 'a lot' of Iranian leadership gone in strikes
President Donald Trump expressed optimism about the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran saying it is going "very well," speaking to ABC News by phone.
Asked about how long it will last, Trump said, "As long as we wanted to, actually. But it’s done such damage already. It’s like — they are incapacitated, essentially -- as long as we wanted to."
Asked about Iranian leadership and whether the U.S. believes they were killed in strikes, Trump said, "A lot of it is, yeah. But we don’t know all, but a lot of it is. Was a very powerful strike."
Asked about the next leadership and if a leader has been identified, Trump said "Yes. We have a very good idea."
-ABC News' Jonathan Karl
