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
Two-thirds of Iran's ballistic missile launchers neutralized: IDF
The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that two-thirds of Iran's ballistic missile launchers have been neutralized and about 80% of the regime’s defense systems have been neutralized.
More than 110 drones have been intercepted and destroyed, the IDF added.
“We've been able to neutralize hundreds of missile launchers and create a real bottleneck," IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said. "That is one of the main reasons why their launchers towards Israel and other countries in the region have diminished heavily.”
-ABC News’ Dorit Long
1st purported message from new supreme leader read on state TV
The first purported message from Mojtaba Khamenei, the newly installed supreme leader of Iran, was read on state TV on Thursday.
Khamenei did not appear in the address, which was read by a woman.
The message said that the “key is to overcome our enemy,” and he said attacking neighboring countries was necessary because they’re cooperating with the U.S.
He said several of his family members were killed besides his father, including his wife, his sister and his sister’s child.
He also vowed to avenge the "martyrs," including those killed in the strike near an Iranian girls' elementary school.
Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on Sunday to replace his father, Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader, who was killed on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Energy secretary says US 'not ready' to escort oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz yet
Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC that the U.S. Navy is “not ready” to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, but he said it could happen by the end of the month.
"It will happen relatively soon, but it can't happen now,” Wright said. “We're simply not ready. All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran's offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities.”
In an interview on CNN, Wright was asked if the U.S. can declare victory without the Strait of Hormuz being reopened.
“No, the Strait of Hormuz needs to be and will be reopened. The U.S. military is there for the -- is there to solve a long-term problem,” he said, pinning the blame on the Iranian regime.
-ABC News’ Emily Chang
New supreme leader to issue 1st message, state media says
Mojtaba Khamenei, the newly installed supreme leader of Iran, is expected to issue a "strategic" message on Thursday, Iranian state media reported.
Khamenei was chosen on Sunday to replace his father, Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader, who was killed on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli strikes.
-ABC News' Joe Simonetti