fbpx

March 1, 2026

Finally, Midnight for Mullahs

“No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight,” boasted President Donald Trump, speaking to the people of Iran shortly after unleashing a joint attack that may have finally ended the theocratic nightmare that has been their miserable fate since 1979.

He was right: For nearly half a century, the Iranian clerics who ruled the country with morality policemen and Revolutionary Guards did everything imaginable to deserve the retaliatory fury of the United States. And, yet, aside from last summer’s Twelve-Day War, which degraded Iran’s nuclear capabilities and led to the assassination of military brass, and the war that continues today, no other American president could make Trump’s claim.

Looking back, this failure is astonishing. Instantly in 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini made no secret of his nation’s contempt for international norms. Drunkards on radical Islam stormed the American Embassy, taking and holding 52 hostages for 444 days. Jimmy Carter was the first of our presidents to cajole Iran to join the civilized world, only to look like a smiling peanut farmer with a toothless understanding of how to wield American power.

Until Trump, six American presidents nonchalantly watched Iran become a regional menace and the world’s chief instigator of terror. America had no business lounging on the sidelines.

After all, it was a frequent Iranian target: bombings at the American Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut, which left nearly 300 dead; over 600 American servicemen killed in Iraq; a pizza shop bombing in Jerusalem that resulted in American casualties; scores picked off by drone strikes at military bases; and of the 1,200 slaughtered in southern Israel by Iran’s proxy, Hamas, on October 7, 2023, 40 were American citizens.

No other president had the gumption to show the Islamic regime the consequences of messing with America and its Western allies. Countless times, thousands would gather on the streets of Tehran and shout, “Death to America!”—with Uncle Sam and the Israeli flag torched in effigy.

No other nation provoked more fights and behaved in such barbaric fashion. Threats to wipe Israel from the map became the calling card of Iranian diplomacy. All the while its scientists enriched uranium at weapons-grade levels for ostensibly “civilian” purposes. Iran was a global exporter of oil. Were they spinning centrifuges to eventually operate toasters?

The United States—the first victim of Iran’s terror operations—always gave the mullahs the benefit of the doubt. Slavish appeasement reached a new low with Barack Obama’s haughty confidence that he could charm the mullahs. Such faculty lounge hubris led to the pathetic Iran “deal,” which had the mullahs laughing in mosques all over the country.

The deal was a death wish in disguise. Iran’s nuclear ambitions were merely delayed. Compliance was unverifiable. Ballistic missiles remained intact. Proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis grew in numbers. And, as a goodwill gift, Obama unfroze nearly $50 billion in Iranian assets, which ultimately funded terror operations that Israel, nearly a decade later, would be forced to destroy.

These presidents stood frozen in fear, completely overestimating Iran’s fighting force. They never realized that Iran’s only talent was as regional mischief-maker. It couldn’t fight its own battles. Worse still, time and again the United States thwarted Israel’s determination to go it alone and preempt the mullahs’ provocations and its enrichment of uranium.

And here we are—47-years later, having come full circle. The latest “Supreme” Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, staked everything on acquiring a nuclear weapon and lost his life to a Tomahawk missile. The same airstrike felled his defense minister, a senior advisor and the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards—along with an entourage of 40 henchmen.

The home of the former President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who frequently taunted Israel from the rostrum of the General Assembly, received a visit from an Israeli sortie that probably ended his life, too. Wiping the Jewish state from the map is proving to be both an empty threat and a serious health risk.

Wiping the Jewish state from the map is proving to be both an empty threat and a serious health risk.

In a perfect alignment of calendars, the Jewish holiday of Purim is upon us. Its origins story takes place 2,500 years ago in ancient Iran where Jews escaped yet another perilous biblical encounter.

The big megillah today, however, is the destiny of a post-Islamic Revolutionary Iran. Will the people be able to wrest control of their homeland from religious fanatics hellbent on hegemonic dreams of a modern caliphate across the globe?

The big megillah today is the destiny of a post-Islamic Revolutionary Iran. Will the people be able to wrest control of their homeland from religious fanatics hellbent on hegemonic dreams of a modern caliphate across the globe?

Hard to imagine, but prior to 1979, Iran was a sane, secular state. Women wore stylish European dresses. They were not beaten or imprisoned for showing hair and skin. Even more improbable, Iran was allied with both the United States and Israel!

Speaking of that fearsome pair of allies, for those Americans who know of no greater pleasure than hating Israel, is there a more qualified military partner-in-arms than the Jewish state—a wingman nation with such seamless coordination and adept intelligence-gathering, and that packs such a lethal punch?

There is no coincidence that the very same people cheering for Hamas on college campuses and in street rallies are now protesting the dismantling of the sugar daddy of state-sponsored terror. The fact that the Ayatollahs suppressed dissent by murdering 32,000 in the past two months places the humanity of Iran’s sycophants in sharp relief.

What can go wrong? Given the landscape so far, American boots on the ground and a forever war is not likely. The B-52 bombing campaign last summer left nuclear fission on the table. The same can’t occur this time with Iran’s massive stockpile of ballistic missiles.

The gravest concern is the borderless track meet of unvetted immigrants welcomed by the Biden administration. Surely sleeper cells are among them. One thing all such inchoate terrorists have in common: At some point the Prophet commands the killing of Americans and Jews.

The good news is that America’s new muscularity has placed the world on notice: This is no longer the United States of Obama and Biden. Red lines will be enforced. Provocations will not be ignored. Allies will be defended. No apologies for American Exceptionalism will be made. The United States will not enter a conflict it cannot finish. The days of cowardly appeasement are over.

Of course, protesters will be out in full force carrying anti-American signs and invoking the War Powers Act. It won’t matter to Trump. He has a far weightier constituency in mind: the Iranian, Israeli and American people.


Thane Rosenbaum is a novelist, essayist, law professor and Distinguished University Professor at Touro University, where he directs the Forum on Life, Culture & Society. He is the legal analyst for CBS News Radio. His most recent book is titled, “Beyond Proportionality: Israel’s Just War in Gaza.

Finally, Midnight for Mullahs Read More »

TIMELINE Missile Fire Follows Israeli Strikes on Iran; Over 100 Injured in Israel

On early Saturday morning, Feb. 28, Israel launched a series of strikes on Iranian targets in what officials described as a coordinated operation carried out with U.S. backing. Within hours, Iran fired missiles toward Israel, setting off sirens across parts of the country and sending families into shelters.

By midday Saturday in Israel, emergency services reported more than 100 injured, most lightly, and at least one confirmed fatality after missile strikes in central and southern areas. Israeli officials said multiple Iranian military sites had been hit overnight. Iranian state media reported damage at several locations inside Iran. Airspace disruptions were reported across parts of the Gulf as Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia heightened security and monitoring.

By 3 p.m. Israel time, hospitals said most of the injured had been treated and released, though trauma units remained on alert. The Israel Defense Forces indicated additional strikes were underway and described the operation as continuing. Iranian officials signaled further retaliation, while U.S. leaders reiterated support for Israel’s right to defend itself.

 

10:15 p.m. PDT (Israel time: 8:35 pm)

First strikes: CENTCOM says U.S. and partner forces began striking Iran targets (IRGC command/control, air defenses, missile/drone launch sites, military airfields).

11:00 p.m. PDT (9:00 a.m. Israel time)

Coordinated U.S.–Israeli strike campaign begins inside Iran.

11:05–11:20 p.m. PDT (9:05–9:20 a.m. Israel time)

Early strikes hit senior leadership compounds and military command infrastructure in Tehran.

11:20–11:40 p.m. PDT (9:20–9:40 a.m. Israel time)

Satellite imagery shows visible damage to high-security leadership areas in Tehran. 

12:30 a.m. PDT (10:30 a.m. Israel time)

Smoke plumes rise from secured government compounds in Tehran.

1:05 a.m. PDT (11:05 a.m. Israel time)

Iranian retaliation begins with ballistic missile launches toward Israel and Gulf states.

1:20–1:30 a.m. PDT (11:20–11:30 a.m. Israel time)

Confirmed missile impacts in central Israel, including a severe strike. Emergency services deploy.

1:26 am PDT (Israel time: 11:26 am)

Missile attack reported on the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet service center in Bahrain. Witnesses report hear a loud explosion.

1:40–1:50 a.m. PDT (11:40–11:50 a.m. Israel time)

Air raid sirens sound across multiple areas of Israel as the first missile wave approaches.

2:15 a.m. PDT (12:15 p.m. Israel time)

Confirmed missile impacts in central Israel, including a severe strike. Emergency services deploy.

2:26 am PDT (Israel time: 12:26 pm)

IDF says a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran was detected; sirens expected in the south.

5:30 a.m. ET (12:30 p.m. Israel time)

Iranian missile and drone waves continue toward Israel and Gulf states.

4:30 a.m. PDT (2:30 p.m. Israel time)

Israeli military assesses approximately 170 ballistic missiles launched by Iran since morning.

6:33 am PDT (Israel time: 4:33 pm)

Iran’s foreign minister says Khamenei is still alive “as far as I know.”

8:32 a.m. PDT (6:32 p.m. Israel time)

Israel confirms deaths of top Iranian military leaders from earlier strikes: Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, Ali Shamkhani.

8:33 a.m. PDT (6:33 p.m. Israel time)

Israeli emergency medical services update national toll: 121 injured (most lightly), 1 confirmed fatality.

9:39 pm PDT (Israel time: 7:39 pm)

Bahrain acknowledges Iranian missile strikes; confirms some projectiles hit sites and facilities.

10:04 a.m. PDT (8:04 p.m. Israel time)

Kuwait confirms Iranian missile strike on Ali al-Salem Air Base; three soldiers injured.

11:21 a.m. PDT (Israel time: 9:21 pm)

Netanyahu says increasing signs indicate Khamenei “is no more.”

Says Israel eliminated senior IRGC commanders and nuclear officials and will “hit thousands of targets.” Operation will continue “as long as is necessary.”

11:31 a.m. PDT (9:31 p.m. Israel time)

IDF says 200 fighter jets hit over 500 Iranian military targets in western and central Iran.

12:48 p.m. PDT (Israel time: 10:48 pm)

Medics and security forces respond to a ballistic missile impact in central Israel.

12:50 p.m. PDT (Israel time: 10:50 pm)

Image reportedly of Khamenei’s body retrieved from compound released.

12:53 p.m. PDT (Israel time: 11:53 pm)

Trump declares Khamenei dead. Says strikes will continue “uninterrupted” until peace is secured.

1:07 p.m. PDT (Israel time: 11:07 pm)

Iranian ballistic missile lands in Tel Aviv; MDA reports at least one person seriously wounded.

1:37 p.m. PDT (11:37 p.m. Israel time)

Medics report at least 20 wounded in Tel Aviv strike; one woman in critical condition.

1:49 p.m. PDT (11:49 p.m. Israel time)

UAE reports intercepting 137 ballistic missiles and 209 drones launched from Iran. Dubai International Airport reports minor structural damage and 4 injured.

2:02 p.m. PDT (12:02 a.m. Israel time)

Woman in her 40s dies of wounds from Tel Aviv missile impact.

2:10 p.m. PDT (12:10 a.m. Israel time)

Dubai International Airport hit by Iranian counterstrikes; 4 staffers wounded.

2:45 p.m. PDT (12:45 a.m. Israel time)

UAE confirms 137 missiles and 209 drones fired at its territory; majority intercepted.

2:49 p.m. PDT (12:49 a.m. Israel time – later confirmation)

Dubai International Airport reports minor structural damage and injuries.

4:22 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (2:22 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Los Angeles area Iranian-American community gathers  in Westwood, near the FederalBuilding and Persian Square to celebrate.

4:42 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (2:42 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz drops to 70%.

4:51 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (2:51 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Deaths of Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law, grandson and daughter-in-law confirmed by Iranian Fars News Agency

5:01 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (3:01 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

New round of U.S. and IDF Air Force airstrikes in Iran reported.

5:13 p.m. PST Feb. 28  (3:13 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Israeli military announces another “strike wave” targeting missile arrays and air defenses.

5:20 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (3:20 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancels planned Israel trip planned for Monday, March 2.

5:33 p.m. PST Feb. 28  (3:33 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Iranian state media formally announces Khamenei was killed, stating “To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.”

5:48 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (3:48 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Iran announces 40 days of mourning and a seven-day national holiday.

5:50 p.m. PST Feb. 28  (3:50 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

CENTCOM says U.S. strikes are still underway, calling them “swift and decisive.”

6:02 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (4:02 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Iranian state television calls Khamenei’s death martyrdom and warns of resistance. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vows retaliation and continuation of Khamenei’s path.

6:22 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (4:22 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Crowds gather to celebrate in Tehran and other cities. Some chant “freedom”; there are reports that some are mourning. Widespread outages of internet and cellular service are reported.

6:33 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (4:33 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Tasnim, the semi-official Iranian News Agency, reports Khamenei died in his home office during a strike early Saturday morning.

7:16 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (5:16 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Iranian media say the president, judiciary head and a Guardian Council jurist will oversee an interim government.

7:49 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (5:49 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

IRNA confirms the deaths of Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani and Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour.

8:00 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (6:00 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

President Trump remains out of public view, attends a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago.

8:28 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (6:28 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Air-raid sirens sound in Israel as Iran launches additional missile barrages toward Tel Aviv and parts of the West Bank.

9:05 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (7:05 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Report details CIA tracking of Khamenei and timing adjustment to strike during a leadership meeting. Israeli jets launch around 6 a.m. Israel time, missiles hit around 9:40 a.m. Tehran time.

9:20 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (7:20 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz says Khamenei was killed “in the opening blow.”

9:55 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (7:55 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Larijani,  promises continued resistance and stable governance.

10:04 p.m. PST Feb. 28 (8:04 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Bahrain reports renewed incoming fire targeting U.S. bases in the Gulf. sirens sound, no casualties reported.

12:07 a.m. PST (10:07 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Iranian state-controlled media publishes photos from inside Tehran showing people mourning Khamenei’s death.

 

12:23 a.m. PST (10:23 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi is reported killed in the strikes, Iran TV says.

 

 

12:29 a.m. PST (10:29 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Massive explosion strikes Iran’s capital as Israeli military says it is targeting the “heart” of the city.

 

 

12:44 a.m. PST (10:44 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

People take shelter in Tel Aviv parking structures as Iran launches missile barrages.

 

12:47 a.m. PST (10:47 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

 Oman says an oil tanker was attacked off its port of Khasab on the Strait of Hormuz, injuring four mariners on board.

 

1:17 a.m. PST (11:17 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Clashes in Karachi between police and protesters leave nine people dead after protesters breach the outer wall of the U.S. consulate.

 

 

1:26 a.m. PST (11:26 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

President Masoud Pezeshkian says Tehran views revenge as its “legitimate right and duty” and will fulfill that duty.

 

 

1:38 a.m. PST (11:38 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Emirates Airlines suspends all operations to and from Dubai until 3 p.m. PST (11:00 GMT) Monday. Airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait are hit.

 

1:41 a.m. PST (11:41 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Video verified by Reuters shows residents in Izeh, Iran, celebrating Khamenei’s death and waving prerevolutionary Iranian flags.

 

1:57 a.m. PST (11:57 a.m. Israel time — March 1)

Palau-flagged oil tanker Skylight is attacked five nautical miles off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula in the Strait of Hormuz. The 20-person crew is evacuated.

 

2:02 a.m. PST (12:02 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

U.K. says Iran fired two missiles in the direction of Cyprus.

 

2:03 a.m. PST (12:03 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Isaiah Scroll and other artifacts in the Israel Museum transferred to secure location.

 

 

2:11 a.m. PST (12:11 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Columns of smoke rise in Tehran after Israel launches another wave of attacks.

 

2:20 a.m. PST (12:20 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Hezbollah vows to “confront aggression” of U.S., Israel.

 

2:28 a.m. PST (12:28 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Debris from an intercepted drone damages Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi. A woman and her child sustain minor injuries.

 

2:47 a.m. PST (12:47 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Footage shows thousands of regime-aligned mourners in Tehran following Khamenei’s death.

 

2:56 a.m. PST (12:56 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Russian President Vladimir Putin sends condolences, describing Khamenei’s killing as murder committed “in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.”

 

3:14 a.m. PST (1:14 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,  posts on X calling for a transition and warning of escalation.

 

3:29 a.m. PST (1:29 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Photos show damage from an Iranian drone attack on tower in Bahrain.

 

3:37 a.m. PST (1:37 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Pope Leo calls for an end to the “spiral of violence,” saying: “I address a heartfelt appeal to the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss. …

Stability and peace are not built through mutual threats or through weapons … but only through reasonable, genuine, and responsible dialogue.”

 

3:45 a.m. PST (1:45 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

More explosions from air defenses are heard in Dubai.

 

3:52 a.m. PST (1:52 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Iranian state TV footage shows mourners packed into Enghelab (Islamic Revolution) Square in Tehran. Other verified videos show celebrations in Karaj, Dehloran and Izeh following confirmation of Khamenei’s death.

 

4:11 a.m. PST (2:11 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

U.K. Maritime Trade Operations reports a vessel struck by an unknown projectile 50 nautical miles north of Muscat, Oman. A fire in the engine room is brought under control. It is the second incident reported Sunday near the Strait of Hormuz.

 

 

4:18 a.m. PST (2:18 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Reuters details the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz: 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, with shipping lanes 2 miles wide in either direction. About a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption passes through the strait. More than 20 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels passed through daily last year. BBC reports that “at least 150 tankers have dropped anchor” in Gulf waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz. About 20% of global oil moves through the strait.

4:26 a.m. PST (2:26 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani says:

“We have the capabilities and the targets to keep going on for as long as necessary,”

Israeli air force reports it has conducted strikes to open the “path to Tehran” and dismantled the majority of aerial defense systems in western and central Iran.

4:38 a.m. PST (2:38 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi calls the attacks “unacceptable.”

China’s state-run Xinhua describes the strikes as “brazen aggression against a sovereign nation” and “power politics and hegemony.” It calls Washington’s use of military coercion a “flagrant violation” of the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.

 

4:46 a.m. PST (2:46 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

The Missile Defense Agency says 4 people were killed in a strike in central Israel.

 

4:51 a.m. PST (2:51 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Photos show protests and demonstrations in India, Iraq, Japan and Los Angeles reacting to Khamenei’s death.

 

4:54 a.m. PST (2:54 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Three foreign nationals are killed in Iranian attacks on the UAE, the UAE Ministry of Defense says; 58 people are lightly wounded.

 

4:59 a.m. PST (2:59 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

The Israeli ambulance service says six people have been killed in a missile strike on Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem.

 

5:06 a.m. PST (3:06 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Kuwaiti Health Ministry reports one killed and 32 injured after Iranian attacks on Kuwait.

 

5:10 a.m. PST (3:10 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani posts: “To the countries of the region: We are not seeking to attack you. But when the bases located in your countries are used against us, and when the United States carries out operations in the region relying on those forces, we will target those bases. Those bases are not the territory of those countries; they are American territory.”

5:53 a.m. PST (3:53 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem says it is not in a position to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel. U.S. personnel and families are ordered to shelter in place.

 

5:59 a.m. PST (3:59 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Large plumes of smoke are seen rising at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Port area, according to a Reuters witness.

 

6:01 a.m. PST (4:01 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

U.S. and Israeli strikes across Iran include Tomahawk cruise missiles and low-cost one-way attack drones. Iran responds with missiles fired at Israel and at least seven other countries, including Gulf states hosting U.S. bases.

6:02 a.m. PST (4:02 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Debris from drone damages Abu Dhabi building housing Israeli embassy; 2 lightly injured.

 

6:04 a.m. PST (4:04 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Iran’s foreign minister says a new supreme leader will be chosen in “one or two days.”

 

6:18 a.m. PST (4:18 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

German officials warn retaliatory measures, including possible Iranian sleeper cells in Europe, cannot be ruled out.

6:25 a.m. PST (4:25 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it launched four ballistic missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.

 

6:33 a.m. PST (4:33 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Updated toll from Beit Shemesh: eight people killed and more than 20 injured, medics say. The strike hit a public bomb shelter.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog says: “This is a historic effort to change the trajectory in the Middle East to a different future. A future of peace.”

6:52 a.m. PST (4:52 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

U.S. Central Command confirms U.S. service members were killed and five seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury. NBC San Diego reports the troops were in Kuwait; at press time there has been no official confirmation.

6:56 a.m. PST (4:56 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

U.S. Central Command says it sank an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette at a Chah Bahar pier.

“As the President said, members of Iran’s armed forces, IRGC and police ‘must lay down your weapons.’ Abandon ship.”

 

6:56 a.m. PST (4:56 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

US military says 3 service members have been killed and 5 seriously wounded in the Iran operation.

 

7:25 a.m. PST (5:25 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

U.S. military says the USS Abraham Lincoln was not hit and Iranian missiles “didn’t even come close.”

 

7:50 a.m. PST (5:50 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Video shows people dancing in the streets of Karaj celebrating Khamenei’s death. Thousands were killed during a crackdown on anti-government protests in January, the deadliest wave of unrest since 1979.

 

7:54 a.m. PST (5:54 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Central Command reports additional injuries:

“Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions – and are in the process of being returned to duty. Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,”

 

7:55 a.m. PST (5:55 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

In an interview with CNBC, President Trump says military operations against Iran are “ahead of schedule.”

 

8:05 a.m. PST (6:05 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Oman’s foreign ministry says Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his Omani counterpart Tehran is open to “any serious efforts at deescalation” after the Israeli and U.S. attacks.

8:13 a.m. PST (6:13 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Reuters podcast reports that with the supreme leader gone, Iran faces a power vacuum not seen since 1979.

 

8:20 a.m. PST (6:20 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Israeli military spokesperson says 100,000 reservists have been called up amid the operation with Iran.

 

8:23 a.m. PST (6:23 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

President Trump tells The Atlantic:

“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long.”

 

8:30 a.m. PST (6:30 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Strikes hit residential areas around Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah. Fairmont The Palm Hotel is set ablaze and the Burj Al Arab is damaged. Dubai International Airport sustains damage.

 

8:34 a.m. PST (6:34 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

U.S. State Department authorizes departures of nonemergency diplomats and family members from Qatar due to safety risks.

 

8:45 a.m. PST (6:45 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Eyewitness video shows crowds in Galleh Dar toppling a monument dedicated to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

 

9:00 a.m. PST (7:00 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Cyber operations hack Iranian news websites and the BadeSaba religious calendar app, which displays:

“It’s time for reckoning”

The app has reported more than 5 million downloads.

 

9:04 a.m. PST (7:04 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

CIA tracked Iranian leaders’ movements for months and timing of strikes adjusted partly due to that intel, AP source says.

 

9:09 a.m. PST (7:09 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Russia warns that closure of the Strait of Hormuz could lead to significant disbalances in global oil and gas markets.

“The Russian Federation resolutely and consistently condemns the practice of political assassinations and the ‘hunting’ of leaders of sovereign states, which contradicts the fundamental principles of civilized interstate relations and grossly violates international law.”

 

9:22 a.m. PST (7:22 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Iranian state media says death toll from strike on school in southern Iran has climbed to 165.

 

9:22 a.m. PST (7:22 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

NATO says adjusting forces to counter “potential threats” after Iran strikes.

 

9:24 a.m. PST (7:24 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah of Iran says:

“This is time now for a very strong, stable transition. I am leading this transition. …

We do have an absolutely ironclad plan in mind, s

o I feel extremely confident that we get this into place and make sure that we can fill the vacuum.”

9:27 a.m. PST (7:27 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

NATO spokesperson says Supreme Allied Commander Europe will adjust NATO’s “very strong force posture.”

 

9:28 a.m. PST (7:28 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

US military says it used B-2 stealth bombers to attack Iran’s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs.

 

Number of wounded in Beit Shemesh strike being treated in hospitals rises to 50.

 

9:38 a.m. PST (7:38 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Reuters explains it has no presence on the ground in Iran and verifies its reports through multiple methods.

 

9:38 a.m. PST (7:38 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Iran’s “potential new leadership” suggests they’re open to U.S. talks and Trump is “eventually” willing, AP source says.

 

9:40 a.m. PST (7:40 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Trump says U.S. has destroyed nine Iranian naval ships and “largely destroyed” Iran’s naval headquarters.

 

9:46 a.m. PST (7:46 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Nine people were killed in Beit Shemesh, according to Israel’s ambulance service. The UAE reports three killed. Kuwait reports one dead.

 

10:39 a.m. PST (8:39 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

UAE announces closure of its embassy in Tehran, withdrawal of ambassador.

 

10:39 a.m. PST (8:39 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Sirens sound in northern Israel amid Iranian missile attack.

 

10:52 a.m. PST March 1 (8:52 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Police say 11 still unaccounted for after Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh.

 

10:59 a.m. PST (8:59 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

IDF says wave of strikes “destroyed” IRGC HQ in Tehran.

 

11:03 a.m. PST (9:03 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

No injuries reported after Iranian missile attack on northern Israel — medics.

 

11:17 a.m. PST (9:17 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Police say 11 still unaccounted for after Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh.

 

11:28 a.m. PST (9:28 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Hospital officials say number of wounded in Beit Shemesh strike treated in hospitals rises to 50.

 

11:42 a.m. PST (9:42 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Prime Minister Netanyhu says Israel will “continue acting wherever necessary.”

 

11:58 a.m. PST (9:58 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

IDF says it struck missile launch sites in western Iran.

 

12:19 p.m. PST (10:19 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

IDF says air defenses intercept Iranian missiles over Haifa area.

 

12:31 p.m. PST (10:31 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Sirens sound in northern Israel amid additional Iranian missile fire.

 

12:44 p.m. PST (10:44 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

IDF Home Front Command says residents may leave shelters in northern Israel after missile barrage.

 

12:47 p.m. PST (10:47 p.m. Israel time — March 1)

Medics responding to a report of Iranian missile impact on Jerusalem-area road. Magen David Adom says it has dispatched medics to the scene and that it is treating several injuries. Channel 12 reporting 7 injured, with two severely wounded.

This is a developing story; updates will be posted.

TIMELINE Missile Fire Follows Israeli Strikes on Iran; Over 100 Injured in Israel Read More »