On Monday, March 2, 2026, the Iran conflict continues as the Islamic Republic fired missiles at Israel, Hezbollah attacked Israel, and the United States and Israel continue to pound targets.
Iran Conflict
Top Iranian security official Ali Larijani posted on social media: “We will not negotiate with the United States.”
After it was confirmed that joint airstrikes from the U.S. and Israel killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior leaders, U.S. President Donald Trump encouraged the people of the Islamic Republic to “take over” their government on Saturday. Yesterday, Trump indicated he was willing to talk with the new leadership in Iran.
The Islamic Republic’s foreign minister was asked about attacks on Gulf Arab nations. The response indicated military units were acting independently from central government control.
Iranian Nuclear Facilities
U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Mariano Grossi reported on Monday that “up to now” the International Atomic Energy Agency has “no indication that any of the nuclear installations, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor or other nuclear fuel cycle facilities” in the Iran conflict have been damaged or hit.
Grossi says the IAEA will continue its efforts to contact Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities through the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Center. So far, there has been no response.
The nuclear watchdog chief urges military restraint, warning that the Islamic Republic and other countries in the region that have been targeted have “operational nuclear power plants and nuclear research reactors, as well as associated fuel storage sites,” which increases the threat to nuclear safety.
Death Toll
The Iranian Red Crescent reported Monday that the joint strikes from the U.S. and Israel have killed at least 555 people in the Islamic Republic, and added that 131 cities have come under attack.
Iranian Escalation
The Islamic Republic targeted the Saudi refinery, significantly escalating the conflict by directly targeting the “lifeblood of the kingdom’s economy,” according to The Hill.
Additionally, the Islamic Republic has threatened ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow route through which a fifth of all oil trade passes.
Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst at the risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, says, “The attack on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery marks a significant escalation, with Gulf energy infrastructure now squarely in the Islamic Republic’s sights.
“An extended period of uncertainty lies ahead as Iran seeks to impose a heavy economic cost by putting tankers, regional energy infrastructure, trade routes, and U.S. security partners in the crosshairs.”
On Monday, the kingdom’s defense ministry said drones attacked the Ras Tanura oil refinery in Saudi Arabia. The announcement came from a Saudi military spokesman over the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
In videos online, thick black smoke can be seen rising from the site after the attack. Even the successfully intercepted drones cause debris that can send sparks and injure people on the ground. Ras Tanura has a capacity of more than half a million barrels of crude oil per day.
Israel in Lebanon
Israel launched a military campaign in Lebanon that could include “many prolonged days of combat ahead, according to Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the military chief of staff.
Hezbollah launched multiple rockets at Israel overnight. Israel responded by hitting dozens of targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon.
“Hezbollah will pay a very heavy price for this,” asserts a spokesman for the Israeli military, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, adding that Israel is keeping “all options on the table” for a possible ground operation.
Israel has called up more than 100,000 reservists since the strikes on Iran began on Saturday.
Israel encouraged the residents of 53 villages in southern Lebanon evacuate. This has caused massive traffic jams.
Sources:
The Hill: The Latest: Iranian militias join fight as war in Iran widens
AP News: Live updates: War widens to include Iranian-backed militias as US and Israel pound targets in Iran
Featured Image Courtesy of Babak Fakhamzadeh’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
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