US-Israel-Iran War Enters Day 4: What we know so far

The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran entered its fourth day on Tuesday, with fighting spreading across the Gulf and into Lebanon. US President Donald Trump said the military campaign was the “last, best chance” to stop Iran’s missile and nuclear programmes and warned it could continue for “four to five weeks”, with the capacity to last longer if needed. The scale of the fighting has widened, with casualties rising and shipping routes and airspace disrupted across the region. Israeli forces continue their strikes on Tehran and Beirut, including a strike on the Iranian state broadcaster, as the death toll in Iran and Lebanon surpassed 700. ## What has happened so far? US and Israeli forces continued airstrikes on targets in Iran. Israeli strikes also expanded into Lebanon, where the Iran-backed group Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel. Israel said it responded by hitting Hezbollah positions in and around Beirut. The United Arab Emirates said its air defences intercepted ballistic missiles launched from Iran. Saudi Arabia said two drones struck near the US embassy compound in Riyadh, causing minor damage and a small fire. The US military said the number of American service members killed in the conflict has risen to six. It also confirmed that three US F-15 fighter jets were shot down by Kuwaiti air defences in what it described as an “apparent friendly fire incident”. All crew members ejected safely. ## Trump and Rubio outline US position Speaking at the White House, Mr Trump said: “Whatever the time is, it’s OK, whatever it takes.” He added that the US was “destroying Iran’s missile capability” and preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. > Mr. Rubio admitted what we all knew: U.S. has entered a war of choice on behalf of Israel. There was never any so-called Iranian "threat". Shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters.American people deserve better and should take back their country.— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 3, 2026 Mr. Rubio admitted what we all knew: U.S. has entered a war of choice on behalf of Israel. There was never any so-called Iranian "threat". Shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters.American people deserve better and should take back their country. In an interview with the New York Post, Mr Trump said he would not rule out deploying ground troops, saying: “I don’t say there will be no boots on the ground.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the strikes were carried out in “self-defence” and described them as a response to an “imminent threat”. He later told reporters that “the hardest hits are yet to come”. > To all American citizens in the Middle East: your safety and security is our number one priority.Sign up to receive STEP alerts at https://t.co/SpQfuj4gN2.Get information at @TravelGov and you can call the department 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444. pic.twitter.com/G8grZVgmCF— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 2, 2026 To all American citizens in the Middle East: your safety and security is our number one priority.Sign up to receive STEP alerts at https://t.co/SpQfuj4gN2.Get information at @TravelGov and you can call the department 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444. pic.twitter.com/G8grZVgmCF However, Democratic Senator Mark Warner said after a classified briefing that officials had not shown evidence of an imminent threat to the United States. ## Iran’s response and Strait of Hormuz threat Iranian officials said the country was prepared for a prolonged conflict. A senior adviser to the Revolutionary Guards said “not a single drop of oil” would pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for global energy supplies. He warned that any vessel attempting to cross could be attacked. Shipping traffic through the strait has slowed significantly, according to regional authorities and shipping companies. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Kuwait must explain why US aircraft were operating in its airspace, after earlier assurances that no attacks would be launched from its territory. ## Fighting in Lebanon and across the Gulf Israel said it carried out further strikes on Hezbollah command centres and weapons storage sites in Beirut. Lebanese health officials reported dozens of deaths since the fighting began. Qatar said it had lodged formal complaints with the United Nations over Iranian attacks in the Gulf. The Qatari defence ministry also said its air force intercepted two aircraft entering its airspace. Explosions have been reported in Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE, where the US has military bases. Some civilian infrastructure, including parts of Dubai’s airport, has been affected. ## Economic and travel disruption Oil and gas markets remain volatile. Naval traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, raising concerns over energy supplies. Qatar said it would halt some liquefied natural gas production. Airspace closures across parts of the Gulf have left thousands of travellers stranded, particularly in major hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The US State Department has advised American citizens to “depart now” from several countries in the region. As the conflict enters its third day, both Washington and Tehran say they are prepared for further action. There is no clear sign of de-escalation, and regional governments remain on high alert.