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.

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.

Mar 03, 2026, 9:19 PM EST

Qatar says Al Udeid Air Base hit by ballistic missile

The Al Udeid Air Base -- the largest US military base in the Middle East -- was struck by a ballistic missile from Iran, the Qatari Ministry of Defense said early Wednesday local time.

No one was injured, it said.

A second ballistic missile launched from Iran was intercepted, the defense ministry said.

Mar 03, 2026, 9:06 PM EST

Rubio says 'intensity' of attacks on Iran to ramp up

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the "intensity" of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran will ramp up in the coming hours and days.

"You're going to really begin to perceive a change in the scope and the intensity of these attacks as, frankly, the two most powerful air forces in the world take apart this terroristic regime and defang it and take away its ability to threaten its neighbors or hide behind the zone of immunity that allows them to develop nuclear ambitions," Rubio told reporters earlier Tuesday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters as he arrives to brief Senators on US military action in Iran, at the US Capitol in Washington, March 3, 2026.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Mar 03, 2026, 8:08 PM EST

Iran's air defenses have been 'severely degraded': Top US commander

The top U.S. commander in the Middle East said the U.S. has "severely degraded" Iran's air defenses, destroying hundreds of Iran's ballistic missiles, launchers and drones.

"In simple terms: We’re focused on shooting all the things that can shoot at us," Admiral Brad Cooper said in a video update on the operation released Tuesday.

Cooper said the U.S. has also destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including an Iranian submarine.

More than 50,000 troops are participating in the operation, which has so far struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran, he said.

"Many of you may remember the Shock and Awe strikes of 2003. The first 24 hours of this operation were nearly doubled the scale," he said.

Cooper referenced the first U.S. use of one-way drones, saying, "I'd like to point out these drones were originally an Iranian design. We took them back to America, made them better and fired them right back at Iran."

Cooper said the U.S.' combat power is "building" while Iran's is "declining."

"My overall operational assessment is that we are ahead of our game plan," he said.

-ABC News' Steven Benyon

Mar 03, 2026, 6:24 PM EST

Trump says over 9,000 Americans have returned from Middle East

More than 9,000 Americans have returned from the Middle East since the launch of the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, according to President Donald Trump.

This number reflects Americans who left on their own volition in recent days without the State Department assistance that is now being offered.

Emirates airline planes are parked on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, March 2, 2026.
Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images

Trump said in a social media post that if there are other U.S. citizens who wish to return home from the region, they should register with the State Department.

"The Department will identify where you are, and provide travel options to you," Trump said. "We are already chartering flights, free of charge, and booking commercial options, which we expect will become increasingly available as time goes on."

-ABC News' Mariam Khan and Nicholas Kerr

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