Iran live updates: 7th killed service member is identified

Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, was killed in Saudi Arabia.

ByDavid Brennan, Jon Haworth, Kevin Shalvey, Leah Sarnoff, Meredith Deliso, Nadine El-Bawab, and Bill Hutchinson ABCNews logo
Last updated: Monday, March 9, 2026 3:00PM GMT
ABC News Live

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on Sunday to succeed him.

Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

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ByAaron Katersky ABCNews logo
Mar 03, 2026, 11:09 PM GMT

Iranian clerics issue fatwas calling on Muslims to avenge Khamenei's death: DHS

Iranian clerics have issued fatwas calling on Muslims worldwide to avenge the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, the Department of Homeland Security said in a "Critical Incident Note" obtained by ABC News.

The first fatwa was issued on Sunday by Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi and said avenging Khamenei's death "is the religious duty of all Muslims in the world," according to the document. The second fatwa was issued by Ayatolla Nouri Hamedani and said "avenging the blood of the martyred leader of the revolution is obligatory for all Muslims," according to the document.

Shiite Muslims chant anti U.S slogans during a demonstration to condemn the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, March 2, 2026.
Shiite Muslims chant anti U.S slogans during a demonstration to condemn the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, March 2, 2026.

Iranian religious leaders have previously issued fatwas against President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The DHS document said the deadly shooting in Austin, Texas, on Sunday "probably preceded the issuance of the fatwas and the motive for the attack has not been confirmed." Authorities are continuing to explore whether there was a terroristic motivation.

BySteve Beynon ABCNews logo
Mar 03, 2026, 10:50 PM GMT

6 US troops were killed in drone strike at Kuwait command center: Defense officials

All six American service members were killed in the opening hours of the war against Iran by an Iranian drone at Shuaiba port in Kuwait, according to two defense officials.

The troops in Kuwait were killed in a command and control center, a building which is effectively a large trailer, according to the officials.

The center was encircled by 6-foot-tall concrete walls -- a staple in defending against rockets and mortars from the Iraq and Afghanistan war-era, but they do not protect against aerial attacks, according to the officials.

These centers are often ad hoc or semi-permanent locations for units to coordinate logistics and their forces.

ABCNews logo
Mar 03, 2026, 10:18 PM GMT

10 dead, nearly 360 injured in Israel

Ten people have been killed and nearly 360 injured in Israel amid Iran's retaliatory strikes, according to Israeli officials.

Emergency responders were dispatched Tuesday to "dozens of scenes throughout Israel following various missile impact incidents," according to Magen David Adom, Israel's rescue services.

ByChris Boccia ABCNews logo
Mar 03, 2026, 9:57 PM GMT

US embassies 'under direct attack,' Rubio says

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that a drone struck the parking lot near the U.S. Consulate in Dubai.

"All personnel are accounted for," he said.

While noting the U.S. drawdown of diplomatic staff has kept its personnel safe so far, Rubio called the threat "direct."

"Our embassies and our diplomatic facilities are under direct attack from a terroristic regime," he said.=