Two women from the Iranian Red Crescent Society stand as a thick plume of smoke rises in the sky in Tehran on Sunday. Photo: Vahid Salemi / AP via CNN
Israel’s onslaught against Iran has entered a new phase, targeting energy resources in the country including fuel storage sites.
Meanwhile, Iranian clerics are close to picking the country’s next supreme leader, according to state media, but the chosen candidate has not yet been named. The new figurehead would replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of nearly four decades who was killed in the war’s opening salvo.
Iran’s retaliatory strikes against US-friendly Gulf nations appear to be continuing, despite President Masoud Pezeshkian apologising on Saturday for previous attacks on the oil-rich kingdoms and suggesting they would end.
US President Donald Trump said American ground troops could “possibly” be sent to Iran, but added there would have to be a “very good reason.”Here’s what to know:
What are the main headlines?
- Uncertainty over leader annnouncement: Hours after suggestions that a new supreme leader had been selected in Iran, no public statement has been made by the body responsible for choosing the successor to Khamenei. Some senior clerics in the 88-member Assembly of Experts have complained about the delay. Adding to this lack of clarity, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News on Sunday that “nobody knows” who will be the next supreme leader.
- Iranian oil targeted: Israel has begun striking oil storage sites in Iran as part of the next phase of the war. The Israeli military said it hit fuel sites in the capital Tehran on Saturday evening that distribute fuel “to various consumers, including military entities in Iran.” A CNN team in Tehran saw blackened rain fall on the city on Sunday morning.
- ‘Surprises prepared’: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded statement that Israel and the US have achieved “almost complete control” over Iranian skies, and that there are “many more targets and surprises prepared.”
- Gulf attacks continue: Countries across the Persian Gulf reported airstrikes and interceptions heading into early Sunday morning. The various drone and missile attacks come despite Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologizing to Gulf nations for the past week’s attacks on US bases in the region, saying Iran would stop striking its neighbours unless it came under attack.
What’s happening in Iran and Lebanon?
- Focus on Gulf states: Iran is using more of its firepower on neighboring Gulf states than it is on targeting Israel, with a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) saying Tehran is using 60% of its offensive capabilities to attack US assets in the Middle East, and 40% to fire at targets of the Israeli regime. “We consider the Americans the main enemy in this war, and for this reason, they are prioritized for punishment,” the spokesperson said.
- US warning: US Central Command issued a warning to the Iranian people that Iran was putting them at risk by using “heavily populated civilian areas” to launch drones and ballistic missiles, potentially making those areas military targets.
- Over 1200 dead: At least 1,205 civilians have been killed in Iran since the conflict began last Saturday, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). The total, which includes 194 children, is as of 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, HRANA said.
- ‘Quagmire’: Iran’s top security official said Trump’s war against Iran is the result of his “international miscalculation,” in that Trump thought he could repeat the Venezuela model in Iran. In an interview broadcast on Iranian state TV, Ali Larijani said the US is now “stuck in the quagmire of its own miscalculations,” and that Trump had failed to achieve his aims through strikes on Iran.
- Central Beirut hit: At least four people have been killed and 10 others wounded after an Israeli strike hit a hotel in central Beirut, Reuters reported early Sunday, citing Lebanon’s health ministry. The attack notably hit the heart of Beirut, rather than the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs. Israel’s military said it had “conducted a precise strike” targeting key commanders in the IRGC’s Quds Force. Overall, at least 394 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel began striking the country earlier this week, according to its health ministry.
What’s happening in the rest of region?
- Strikes continue: Countries across the Persian Gulf reported airstrikes and interceptions. The Kuwaiti Army said that a “wave of hostile drones” targeted fuel storage at Kuwait International Airport. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar also all reported fresh aerial attacks.
- Desalination plant: During the ongoing strikes a desalination plant was damaged in Bahrain; however Bahraini authorities told CNN that water supplies were not disrupted. Across the Gulf, water desalination plants are critical infrastructure, providing between 60% and 90% of drinking water by desalination of seawater.
- Israeli casualties: Two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon early Sunday morning, according to the Israeli military, marking the country’s first military deaths since the war began. Additionally, at least 14 Israeli soldiers have been injured in the latest fighting across the Israel-Lebanon border.
- Travel chaos continues: Some airlines in the Middle East are running limited flight schedules, while other operations remain suspended, as aviation disruption persists. Meanwhile approximately 2000 travellers are set to depart on 40 scheduled flights Sunday from Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, in the first outbound flights from the airport since the war began.
The latest from Trump
- Possible escalation: Trump said US troops could “possibly” be sent on the ground in Iran, as the war continues, but there would have to be a “very good reason.”
- Kurdish involvement: Trump said the US does not want Iranian Kurdish groups involved in the war with Iran, contradicting previous efforts by the CIA, reported by CNN, to arm them in the hopes of sparking an uprising. “We’re not looking to the Kurds going in. We’re very friendly with the Kurds, as you know, but we don’t want to make the war any more complex than it already is,” Trump said.
- Shifting blame: The president cast blame on Tehran for the strike on an Iranian elementary school that killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers, despite analysis by CNN and experts suggesting the US military was likely responsible.
A top Iranian official warned in an exclusive CNN interview that the government is prepared for a long war with the United States, on the same day Iranians were directed to pledge their allegiance to the country’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
With little sign of an off-ramp, the war’s economic fallout has deepened, sending global oil prices spiraling past $100 per barrel for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Here’s what to know on Day 10.
What are the main headlines?
Mojtaba Khamenei (center), son of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, participates in the annual Quds Day rally in Tehran on May 31, 2019. Rouzbeh Fouladi/Middle East Images/ AFP/Getty Images
- Khamenei dynasty: Iran’s key power centers, including the Revolutionary Guards, have swiftly rallied behind Mojtaba Khamenei after he was chosen to succeed his slain father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader. The IRGC said it was ready to “fully obey and sacrifice their lives” for him. US President Donald Trump said last week that the younger Khamenei being selected would be “unacceptable.” Analysts say Mojtaba’s elevation suggests a continuity of his father’s hardline policies. And Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote to Khamenei Monday, reiterating Moscow’s support.
- Economic shockwaves: Policymakers are evaluating options to deal with the biggest oil disruption in history. The IMF chief has warned of global inflation risks, and said her advice to policymakers was to prepare for “the unthinkable.” G7 finance ministers are planning to meet Monday to discuss the potential joint release of strategic oil reserves. Asian and European markets plunged while oil futures surged — but Trump dismissed concerns, calling soaring oil costs a “very small price to pay.” South Korea will impose its first fuel cap in almost 30 years as global jitters deepen.
- Ready for a long war: A top Iranian official told CNN the government is prepared for a long war with the US and signaled it is willing to continue attacking Gulf countries. Kamal Kharazi, foreign policy adviser to the office of the Supreme Leader, ruled out diplomacy for now and said the war would only end through economic pain, indicating a hardening of the government’s stance.
- Regional attacks continue: Israel said it launched strikes on Beirut and Iran overnight and on Monday afternoon, while Tehran announced missile launches. Turkey’s defense ministry said NATO air defenses shot down an Iranian ballistic missile as it entered the country’s airspace. Gulf states reported interceptions and overnight strikes, including Bahrain, which said at least 32 people were wounded in an Iranian drone attack on a residential area. Bahrain’s national oil company BAPCO said its operations had been affected after video showed a large fire at the facility’s industrial zone in Riffa, and later declared force majeure on its operations.
- Growing death toll: At least 1,205 civilians have been killed in the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), while at least 486 people have been killed in Israel’s campaign in Lebanon, the country’s health ministry said.
- School strike: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US was still investigating a strike on an Iranian elementary school that killed at least 168 children, according to state media. His comments came after new video appears to confirm a US airstrike targeted a naval base next to the school, adding to a body of evidence contradicting Trump’s recent claims casting blame on Iran.
- Personnel told to leave: The US State Department ordered non-emergency diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia — a reflection of the risks facing US personnel as the conflict deepens. A US service member died after sustaining injuries during an attack last week in the country.
What’s happening in the region?
A bulldozer clears the debris of destroyed buildings at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Rweiss neighbourhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs, on March 8, 2026. AFP/Getty Images
- Public pledge: Iranian state media prominently covered rallies across Iran, which apparently thousands of people attended to show support for the new leader. Members of the public had been called on to gather to pledge allegiance to Mojtaba.
- “New phase” of war: A senior Iranian official told CNN there was no prospect for an immediate end to the conflict. He said Israel’s attacks on oil and fuel depots have pushed the war into a “new phase.” The official threatened retaliatory strikes on energy infrastructure, raising concerns about potential further disruptions to regional oil and gas facilities. A foreign ministry spokesperson added Monday that Iran has no interest in negotiations while it remains under attack.
- Stay or go?: One Tehran resident said his family was divided on whether to leave the city, saying people are “under a lot of pressure.” Israeli strikes on fuel depots Saturday night were “the heaviest bombardments since the start of the war,” he said.
- “Save our girls”: Five members of the Iranian women’s soccer squad are safe with police after fleeing the team’s hotel in Australia, where they have been playing in the Women’s Asian Cup, a source told CNN Sports. There have been growing calls for the players’ depature from Australia to be blocked for fear of persecution in Iran.
The latest from the US
High gas prices are displayed at a downtown Chevron station in Los Angeles, California, on March 3, 2026. Mario Tama/Getty Images
- Energy prices: Trump and administration officials are attempting to allay worries over rising gas prices, which have increased by nearly 50 cents, or about 17%, since the start of the war. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described rising costs at the pump as “a short-term disruption.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Trump to tap into the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the world’s largest stockpile of emergency oil, in an effort to lower energy prices.
- Terms of surrender: Trump said he will decide, together with Israel, when the war will end. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be part of the decision but Washington will have the final say, Trump said in an interview with The Times of Israel. Defense Secretary Hegseth also said that the US and Trump will set “the terms of surrender” with Iran, without offering specifics. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the government is “ready to resume negotiations” with Israel, adding that Israel had not responded to its proposal for resuming talks.
- Seventh deceased US service member identified: Army Sgt. Benjamin Pennington, 26, was named by US military as the seventh US service member killed in the Iran war. He died Sunday, a week after he was injured at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.