Trump calls Strait of Hormuz 'something that we don't need'
Trump told reporters that he is talking to countries about policing the Strait.
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 in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on Sunday to succeed him.
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.
Key Headlines
- IRGC declares it continues efforts to 'pursue and kill' Netanyahu
- CENTCOM calls Iranian claims US targeted Gulf countries a 'lie'
- War with Iran ‘will certainly’ end in next few weeks: Secretary Wright
- Pentagon identifies 6 Air Force airmen killed in KC-135 refueling aircraft crash
- Trump repeats calls for other countries to help with Strait of Hormuz
3 Ohioans among 6 killed during refueling mission
Three Ohioans are among the six service members killed when their refueling aircraft went down in friendly airspace in western Iraq, according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
They were deployed with the Ohio Air National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing, DeWine said on X while offering his "sincere condolences to their families."
Trump says U.S. executed strike on Kharg Island
President Donald Trump said Friday that U.S. Central Command executed a strike on Iran's Kharg Island "moments ago," at his direction.
In a social media post announcing the strike, Trump noted that the "bombing raid" did not target the island's oil infrastructure but "obliterated every MILITARY target."
"However," he said, "should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision."
The president urged the Iranian military to surrender.
"Iran's Military, and all others involved with this Terrorist Regime, would be wise to lay down their arms, and save what's left of their country, which isn't much!" Trump added.
Refineries on Kharg Island process 90% of Iranian oil exports. The island is located roughly 300 miles away from the Strait of Hormuz.
Army sends nearly 10,000 AI drones to fight Iran
The Army has deployed nearly 10,000 AI-powered drones to the Middle East since the war with Iran started, according to a U.S. official.
The drones, known as Merops, were developed by Perennial Autonomy, a defense venture backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and are designed to hunt and destroy enemy drones.
The system has already seen extensive use on the Ukrainian front, where Merops have downed more than 1,000 Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russia, according to the official.
The Shahed is the same drone being used against U.S. troops in the Middle East.
-ABC News' Steven Beynon
US offering up to $10M reward for information on top Iranian officials
The U.S. government is offering a "reward of up to $10 million for information on the key leaders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its component branches," according to the Rewards for Justice website.
The U.S. is looking for information on 10 officials, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Supreme Leader Office Ali Asghar Hejazi and Director and Minister of Intelligence and Security Esmail Khatib.
It is also seeking information on unnamed individuals holding key positions, including secretary of the Defense Council, the IRGC commander and advisor to the supreme leader.