State Department tells Americans worldwide to 'exercise increased caution'
The war entered its fourth week on Saturday.
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.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes and his son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen to succeed him. Iran is responding with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Iran is also attempting to block some shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
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Key Headlines
- Strait of Hormuz 'is not closed,' Iranian foreign minister says
- Iran says Strait of Hormuz open to all except 'enemies,' state media, Iranian president say
- 'Iran endangers the entire world,' Netanyahu says
- Iran warns of retaliatory strikes if US attacks power plants, state media says
- Trump threatens to 'hit and obliterate' Iranian power plants if Strait of Hormuz not opened in 48 hours
IRGC confirms death of Basij commander
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed that Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani has been killed in an "Israeli-U.S. attack."
In a statement on Tuesday, the IRGC said that Soleimani's assassination shows "importance and role of the Basij" in the fight against Israel and the United States.
Israel says it will deepen its position in Southern Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday they are deepening their position into Southern Lebanon, claiming they are creating "additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel."
"In recent days, IDF troops from the 36th Division have begun limited and targeted ground operations aimed at enhancing the forward defense area," the IDF said in a statement.
"The troops are continuing efforts to establish the forward defensive posture in order to remove threats and create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel," the IDF said.
IDF claims without evidence that Hezbollah preparing for an attack
The Israel Defense Forces claimed, without evidence, that Hezbollah is planning for an attack against Israel, including rocket barrages, in the coming hours, according to a statement.
In a letter addressed to Hezbollah fighters, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem praised them and pledged to continue fighting on Tuesday.
Trump says most NATO allies won't join war, but US doesn't 'need' them
President Donald Trump said that "most of our NATO 'allies'" do not want to join the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran.
Trump claimed allies' refusal to join is "despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon," he wrote in a post on social media.
"Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea .... WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!" he said in the post.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the country would never take part in operations to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, and that it is carrying on with work to prepare a coalition that could provide freedom of navigation once hostilities ended, according to Reuters.
"We are not party to the conflict and therefore France will never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context," Macron said at the start of a cabinet meeting to discuss the conflicts in the Middle East, according to Reuters.