As Iran retaliates, largest US military base in Middle East hit by ballistic missile, Qatar says

No one was injured, according to the Qatari Ministry of Defense.

ByJon Haworth, Jack Moore, Nadine El-Bawab, David Brennan, Kevin Shalvey, Meredith Deliso, and Leah Sarnoff
Last Updated: March 3, 2026, 10:02 PM EST

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

On Sunday, Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed by airstrikes in Tehran on Saturday.

Iran is responding to the U.S.-Israeli operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and Gulf nations. American diplomatic facilities have also been attacked.

In Lebanon, Israel is intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iranian-aligned Hezbollah militia.

Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Mar 03, 2026, 3:51 AM EST

Beirut rocked by another wave of IDF strikes

The Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday morning that it launched a new "wave of strikes" against what it called "key Hezbollah centers of gravity" in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

This frame grab from AFPTV video footage taken on March 3, 2026 shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs.
Str/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images

The IDF said that among its targets were Hezbollah command centers, weapons storage facilities and satellite communication components.

The strikes targeted the Dahiyeh area in the south of the city, which is known as a Hezbollah stronghold.

Mar 03, 2026, 3:51 AM EST

IDF to 'advance' in south Lebanon, Israeli defense minister says

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a post to X on Tuesday that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had "authorized" the Israel Defense Forces "to advance and seize additional controlling areas in Lebanon to prevent firing on Israeli border settlements."

An Israeli Air Force UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter flies over the border area with southern Lebanon in northern Israel on March 2, 2026.
Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli forces have been occupying five positions within southern Lebanon since 2024, when the IDF entered the country as part of the last major round of fighting with Hezbollah.

Israeli forces did not withdraw from the five positions despite agreeing to do so as part of a November 2024 ceasefire deal. Israel has also continued launching airstrikes against Hezbollah targets all over Lebanon. The strikes intensified after Hezbollah began launching projectiles toward Israel on Sunday.

The IDF said in a post to X on Tuesday that Israeli soldiers "are operating in southern Lebanon and are positioned at several points near the border area as part of an enhanced forward defense posture."

Hezbollah took responsibility for multiple drone and rocket attacks into Israel on Tuesday morning.

Mar 03, 2026, 3:01 AM EST

IDF claims killing of Hezbollah commander in Beirut

The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday that the Israeli Navy killed a senior Hezbollah operative in strikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut on Monday.

Smoke plumes billow following Israeli bombardment on Beirut's southern suburbs, March 2, 2026.
Ibrahim Amro/AFP via Getty Images

The IDF alleged that Rida Hazaa'i served as the "head of the buildup division for Hezbollah" on behalf of Iran's Quds Force -- a unit within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps tasked with supporting Iran-aligned armed groups abroad.

The IDF said Hazaa'i also served as chief of staff of the Quds Force's Lebanon Corps.

Mar 03, 2026, 12:54 AM EST

Ambassador Huckabee says options for Americans leaving Israel are 'very limited'

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee advised Americans in Israel that there are “VERY LIMITED” options for leaving the country.

"As of now, the best is utilizing Israel's Ministry of Tourism shuttle bus to Taba, Egypt and getting flights from there or going on to Cairo for flights back to the US,” he said in a post on X.

Huckabee advised against exiting via Jordan, which has been the State Department’s primary ground option during past conflicts.

-ABC News' Shannon Kingston

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