As Iran retaliates, largest US military base in Middle East hit by ballistic missile, Qatar says

President Donald Trump said on social media that the U.S. government is going to provide risk insurance and guarantees for "ALL Maritime Trade, especially Energy, traveling through the Gulf,” and he said the U.S. Navy would provide escorts through the Strait of Hormuz “if necessary.”

The move is an attempt to restart shipping across the Strait of Hormuz, the critical passageway between Iran, Oman and the UAE where about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through.

Analysts say shipping has been at a virtual standstill as insurance costs have spiked because of the safety risks of crossing the Strait. A prolonged closure of the passageway would be historic and would significantly boost the price of oil, according to analysts.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

The temporary commander of the Lebanon Corp of the Iranian Quds Forces was killed in an air strike in Tehran, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The IDF statement describes Ali Zadeh as the "highest ranking Iranian commander responsible for Lebanon" and a key link between Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp.

In a post on social media, the IDF said any representative of Iran currently in Lebanon would be given 24 hours to leave.

"After that, there will be no safe place for representatives of the Iranian regime in Lebanon, and the Defense Army will target them wherever they are found,” the IDF said.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

President Donald Trump was pressed by reporters Tuesday about future plans for Iran.

The president said strikes on Iran were continuing, saying there was a strike on Tuesday “on the new leadership.”

“I guess there was another hit today on the new leadership, and it looks like that was pretty substantial, also. So they're getting hit very hard, and we'll see what happens,” Trump said.

The president also seemed to claim an early victory, saying the U.S. has Iran "beaten militarily."

"They're still lobbing some missiles. At some point, they won't even be able to do that because we're hitting all of their carriers. We're hitting all of their missile stock. You know, they built up all these missiles over the last few years. They had a lot of them. They've shot a lot of them. And we're knocking out a lot,” Trump said.

-ABC News’ Isabella Murray

President Donald Trump suggested that the worst-case scenario to come from these strikes is that regime change would go wrong and “somebody takes over who's as bad as the previous person.”

He also suggested the people of Iran would have their “chance” to choose a leader, but he’s instructed, “Don't do it yet.”

“It would probably be the worst -- you go through this, and then in five years, you realize you put somebody in who is no better. So we'd like to see somebody in there that's going to bring it back for the people, and we'll see what happens with the people. You know, they have their chance. We've said, ‘Don't do it yet.’ If you're going to go out and protest, don't do it yet. It's very dangerous out there. A lot of bombs are being dropped,” Trump said.

-ABC News’ Isabella Murray