Israel Iran expands its targets - Nato alarmed
According to US estimates, Iran's fighting power has been considerably weakened - yet Tehran continues to expand the war in the entire Middle East. Following the firing of a missile at Turkey, NATO is increasing the alert and operational readiness of its ballistic defense systems. This was ordered by the commander of the Nato Air Force Command, the spokesman for Nato military headquarters announced in the evening. Meanwhile, the USA and Israel are continuing their attacks in Iran. "We have no shortage of ammunition," said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
06.03.2026, 07:07
SDA
According to US President Donald Trump, Iran's air defenses and missiles have already been completely or largely destroyed. "So they no longer have an air force, they no longer have an air defense. All their airplanes are gone," said Trump in Washington. In addition, 60 percent of their missiles and 64 percent of their launchers have been disabled, he said. The US President's claims cannot be independently verified.
US commander: Iran's missile attacks have decreased
According to Iran, it has fired more than 500 ballistic and cruise missiles since the start of the war on Saturday. According to the US commander in charge, Admiral Brad Cooper, the country is now firing significantly fewer missiles. Compared to the beginning of the war, ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90 percent. In addition, there are now significantly fewer threat attacks, explained Cooper.
The Iranian navy has also been hit hard. The number of ships destroyed or sunk is now more than 30, said Cooper. Most recently, an Iranian drone carrier "about the size of a World War II aircraft carrier" had been hit. According to the US regional command Centcom, the attacked drone carrier is on fire.
Iran's ability to cause major destruction will decrease as its missile arsenal weakens, Farzan Sabet of the Geneva Graduate Institute told the Wall Street Journal. Nevertheless, it could continue to attack in the Middle East. According to the report, Iran also has a large arsenal of low-cost drones. Hasan Alhasan from the International Institute for Strategic Studies said: "Iran is now focusing on endurance, not quantity".
Saudi Arabia: shelling of air force base repelled
According to estimates by US observers, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for global trade, has fallen by around 90 percent. The countries bordering the Strait include Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. US military bases are located in several of these countries, making them targets of Iranian attacks alongside Israel. Meanwhile, the Saudi Ministry of Defense announced on the night of X that the country's air defence system had repelled three ballistic missiles fired in the direction of the Prince Sultan base.
Iran further escalated the conflict by firing a missile at NATO member Turkey and launching a drone attack on a British base in Cyprus. The spokesman for Nato's military headquarters stated that Nato would continue to increase the alert and operational readiness of its ballistic defense systems until the threat from Iran's indiscriminate attacks in the region subsided. When asked whether additional missile defense systems would be deployed in the region, no details were given.
Israel continues to attack in Iran and Lebanon
Meanwhile, Israel's air force again attacked targets in the Iranian capital Tehran during the night. The army announced that it had launched a "large-scale wave of attacks against the infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in Tehran". Army chief Ejal Zamir previously announced a new phase of attacks. "In this phase, we will continue to smash the regime and its military capabilities," he said, announcing "more surprises".
In the northern neighboring country of Lebanon, Israel also continued to attack the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in the evening in suburbs of the capital Beirut, which are considered a stronghold of the militia. Residents reported explosions. During the night, Hezbollah called on residents in northern Israel to evacuate all Israeli settlements within five kilometers of the border. It was the militia's first warning of this kind since the outbreak of the new violence.
Since the beginning of the American-Israeli attacks on Saturday, more than 1,200 people are said to have lost their lives in Iran, according to Iranian media reports citing a state foundation. Iran's head of state Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed. There were also fatalities in Iranian counter-attacks on several countries in the region.
Trump: Must have a say in Iran's future leadership
Following the killing of Khamenei, the leadership trio appointed for the interim period was granted more power in Iran. The Iranian online portal Didban reported that the provisional leadership council had been given the authority to declare peace and war, among other things.
Trump wants to have a say in the future leadership of Iran. "I must be involved in the appointment, as I was with Delcy (Rodriguez) in Venezuela," he told the US news portal "Axios". He rejected Khamenei's son Modshaba Khamenei as the new head of state, he said: "Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me," said Trump. He is a "lightweight". The US government had previously denied that it was pursuing a change of power in Iran.
The Kurdish wife of Iraqi President Abdel Latif Rashid, Shanas Ibrahim Ahmed, previously spoke out against a possible offensive by Kurdish fighters in Iran. She referred to Trump's alleged plans to win over Iranian Kurds in Iraq for a ground offensive in Iran. According to the Washington Post, Trump is said to have offered support from US fighter jets. However, it is unclear whether a ground offensive by Kurdish fighters in Iran is imminent.
