WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday spoke to widening concerns that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-03-02-2026-cb42936de1d8c261be8f30f11c6665fa">the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran</a>&nbsp;could spiral into a protracted regional conflict by declaring, “This is not Iraq. This is not endless.”

Hegseth, along with Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held the Trump administration's first news briefing since Saturday's strikes. President Donald Trump, while he’s conducted a few phone interviews with individual reporters, has not taken questions on camera and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-trump-address-f662a4f3378535d81197be699fb35a3e">only released two videos</a>&nbsp;since the operation began.

Hegseth said the operation had a “clear, devastating, decisive mission” to “destroy the missile threat” from Iran, destroy its navy and “no nukes.”

“No stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives,” Hegseth said.

He also suggested the U.S. was not seeking to change the Iraninan regime with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a>,

“This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it,” Hegseth said.

The briefing comes as the conflict has intensified into a wider war in the region. Iran and its allied armed groups have launched missiles at Israel, Arab states and U.S. military targets in the Middle East.

Four American troops have been killed in action. Trump on Sunday predicted there would be more U.S. casualties.

Caine on Monday said the U.S. expected to have additional losses.

“We grieve with you, and we will never forget you," he said of the family members of those killed.

The latest sign of the escalating upheaval came when U.S. ally Kuwait “mistakenly shot down”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-jets-downed-kuwait-friendly-fire-iran-f15-1151e092db4597e93e83c04f3b44bddc">three American fighter jets</a>&nbsp;during a combat mission as Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones were attacking. U.S. Central Command said all six pilots ejected safely from the American F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition.

U.S. officials have not offered any exit plan or offered signs that the conflict would end anytime soon, and the Khamenei cast doubt on the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">the Islamic Republic</a>&nbsp;and hurtled the region into broader instability.

In laying out a case for the strikes, Hegseth pointed to the Iranian regime as having started the conflict from its inception, declaring that for 47 years it has "waged a savage, one-sided war against America.”

“Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their Ayatolloah and his death cult,” he said.

He did not point to any threat of an imminent nuclear threat from Iran, and he said again that last summer’s strikes by the U.S. and Israel “obliterated their nuclear program to rubble.”

Instead, Hegseth pointed to threats from other weaponry such as ballistic missiles and drones that justified the operation.

“Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions,” Hegseth said.

He said that during negotiations with U.S. officials leading up to the attack, Iranian officials were “stalling."

“The former regime had every chance to make a peaceful and sensible deal. But Tehran was not negotiating," Hegseth said.

Trump, in an interview Sunday with The New York Times, said the assault could last “four to five weeks.”

Hegseth dismissed questions about the time frame and said, “President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take. Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks. It could move up. It could move back.”

The Republican president said the U.S. and Israel had struck hundreds of targets already. That included Israel and the U.S. bombing Iranian missile sites and targeted its navy, claiming to have destroyed its headquarters and multiple warships.

Caine said that, as with the operation that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-22-2025-c2baca52babe915e033ae175ce8b2687">dropped massive bunker-buster bombs</a>&nbsp;on Iranian nuclear facilities last year, Epic Fury also utilized B-2 stealth bombers, which the chairman said made a 37-hour round trip.

Caine several times referenced the use of cyber technologies in the strikes, which he said had “effectively disrupted communications and sensor networks,” leaving “the adversary without the ability to coordinate or respond effectively.”

Without giving specifics, Caine said the U.S. military “delivered synchronized and layered effects designed to disrupt, degrade, deny and destroy Iran’s ability to conduct and sustained combat operations on the U.S. side.”

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said at least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far by the U.S.-Israeli campaign. Eleven people have been killed in Israel and 31 in Lebanon, according to authorities there.

Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Charleston, S.C., David Klepper and Ben Finley in Washington and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday spoke to widening concerns that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-03-02-2026-cb42936de1d8c261be8f30f11c6665fa">the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran</a>&nbsp;could spiral into a protracted regional conflict by declaring, “This is not Iraq. This is not endless.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Chairman Caine provided an update on Operation Epic Fury. <a href="https://t.co/JmhJ25tAp1">pic.twitter.com/JmhJ25tAp1</a>&mdash; DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2028465469514997881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Hegseth, along with Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held the Trump administration's first news briefing since Saturday's strikes. President Donald Trump, while he’s conducted a few phone interviews with individual reporters, has not taken questions on camera and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-trump-address-f662a4f3378535d81197be699fb35a3e">only released two videos</a>&nbsp;since the operation began.Hegseth said the operation had a “clear, devastating, decisive mission” to “destroy the missile threat” from Iran, destroy its navy and “no nukes.”“No stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives,” Hegseth said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Secretary Hegseth: &quot;We&#39;re hitting them surgically, overwhelmingly and unapologetically.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/MGw83AJ0ZX">pic.twitter.com/MGw83AJ0ZX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2028459543940788629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Secretary Pete Hegseth: &quot;We didn&#39;t start this war, but under President Trump we are finishing it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Xbc0NsWMIZ">pic.twitter.com/Xbc0NsWMIZ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2028458036373725595?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He also suggested the U.S. was not seeking to change the Iraninan regime with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a>,“This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it,” Hegseth said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SECWAR</a> Direct Message to the Joint Force: “This is your moment. This is the generational turning point America has waited for since 1979 — and since the rudderless wars of hubris my generation endured. Don’t listen to the noise; just stay focused. Our commander-in-chief is… <a href="https://t.co/0cyw3Hjtx2">pic.twitter.com/0cyw3Hjtx2</a>&mdash; DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2028464733276279028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine: &quot;This is not a single, overnight operation...we expect to take additional losses...this is major combat operations...on February 28th the full strength of America&#39;s armed forces came together in a unified purpose against a capable and… <a href="https://t.co/ytRsEFAVwy">pic.twitter.com/ytRsEFAVwy</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2028462455098065025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The briefing comes as the conflict has intensified into a wider war in the region. Iran and its allied armed groups have launched missiles at Israel, Arab states and U.S. military targets in the Middle East.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SECWAR</a> “We are not going into the exercise of what we will and will not do… President Trump ensures that our enemies understand we’ll go as far as we need to go to advance American interests, but we are not dumb about it! You don’t have to roll two hundred thousand people in… <a href="https://t.co/gZx9IWFrar">pic.twitter.com/gZx9IWFrar</a>&mdash; DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2028469636522500550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SECWAR</a> “The President has been willing to make a deal… Radical Islamists can’t have a nuclear bomb that they wield against the world. He gave them every single opportunity.” <a href="https://t.co/gDNjWl828B">pic.twitter.com/gDNjWl828B</a>&mdash; DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2028467652193128934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SECWAR</a> “As the President warned, an effort of this scope will include casualties. War is hell, and always will be. A grateful nation honors the four Americans we have lost thus far – and those injured. The absolute best of America. May we prosecute the remainder of this… <a href="https://t.co/kmhuEmT4hP">pic.twitter.com/kmhuEmT4hP</a>&mdash; DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2028463102455333234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Four American troops have been killed in action. Trump on Sunday predicted there would be more U.S. casualties.Caine on Monday said the U.S. expected to have additional losses.“We grieve with you, and we will never forget you," he said of the family members of those killed.The latest sign of the escalating upheaval came when U.S. ally Kuwait “mistakenly shot down”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-jets-downed-kuwait-friendly-fire-iran-f15-1151e092db4597e93e83c04f3b44bddc">three American fighter jets</a>&nbsp;during a combat mission as Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones were attacking. U.S. Central Command said all six pilots ejected safely from the American F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition.U.S. officials have not offered any exit plan or offered signs that the conflict would end anytime soon, and the Khamenei cast doubt on the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">the Islamic Republic</a>&nbsp;and hurtled the region into broader instability.In laying out a case for the strikes, Hegseth pointed to the Iranian regime as having started the conflict from its inception, declaring that for 47 years it has "waged a savage, one-sided war against America.”“Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their Ayatolloah and his death cult,” he said.He did not point to any threat of an imminent nuclear threat from Iran, and he said again that last summer’s strikes by the U.S. and Israel “obliterated their nuclear program to rubble.”Instead, Hegseth pointed to threats from other weaponry such as ballistic missiles and drones that justified the operation.“Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions,” Hegseth said.He said that during negotiations with U.S. officials leading up to the attack, Iranian officials were “stalling."“The former regime had every chance to make a peaceful and sensible deal. But Tehran was not negotiating," Hegseth said.Trump, in an interview Sunday with The New York Times, said the assault could last “four to five weeks.”Hegseth dismissed questions about the time frame and said, “President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take. Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks. It could move up. It could move back.”The Republican president said the U.S. and Israel had struck hundreds of targets already. That included Israel and the U.S. bombing Iranian missile sites and targeted its navy, claiming to have destroyed its headquarters and multiple warships.Caine said that, as with the operation that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-22-2025-c2baca52babe915e033ae175ce8b2687">dropped massive bunker-buster bombs</a>&nbsp;on Iranian nuclear facilities last year, Epic Fury also utilized B-2 stealth bombers, which the chairman said made a 37-hour round trip.Caine several times referenced the use of cyber technologies in the strikes, which he said had “effectively disrupted communications and sensor networks,” leaving “the adversary without the ability to coordinate or respond effectively.”Without giving specifics, Caine said the U.S. military “delivered synchronized and layered effects designed to disrupt, degrade, deny and destroy Iran’s ability to conduct and sustained combat operations on the U.S. side.”The Iranian Red Crescent Society said at least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far by the U.S.-Israeli campaign. Eleven people have been killed in Israel and 31 in Lebanon, according to authorities there.___Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Charleston, S.C., David Klepper and Ben Finley in Washington and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed to this report.

🎥Pentagon officials answer questions on Iran strikes

WASHINGTON (AP) —A U.S. soldier has died during the war with Iran, the U.S. Central Command announced on Monday, bringing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-us-military-troops-casualties-793c3ea29a399c9a405e70b14c548595">official tota</a>&nbsp;l to four.

The soldier was wounded during the initial stage of Operation Epic Fury and died on Monday, it said.

A total of four U.S. soldiers have been killed since Israel and the U.S. launched strikes against Iran on Saturday.

U.S. President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/trump-says-there-will-likely-be-more-us-service-members-killed-in-iran-conflict-before-it-ends-a1dccc590afc4892b8c1becca337cbeb">said</a>&nbsp;in a video posted to his Truth Social platform on Sunday that “sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772458022901.png" alt="File photo Operation Epic Fury -U..S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File photo Operation Epic Fury -U..S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —A U.S. soldier has died during the war with Iran, the U.S. Central Command announced on Monday, bringing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-us-military-troops-casualties-793c3ea29a399c9a405e70b14c548595">official tota</a>&nbsp;l to four.The soldier was wounded during the initial stage of Operation Epic Fury and died on Monday, it said.A total of four U.S. soldiers have been killed since Israel and the U.S. launched strikes against Iran on Saturday.U.S. President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/trump-says-there-will-likely-be-more-us-service-members-killed-in-iran-conflict-before-it-ends-a1dccc590afc4892b8c1becca337cbeb">said</a>&nbsp;in a video posted to his Truth Social platform on Sunday that “sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”

Fourth US soldier dies in Operation Epic Fury

WASHINGTON —U.S. military officials are investigating a reported friendly fire incident in Operation Epic Fury.

At 11:03 p.m. ET, Sunday, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses.

All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.The cause of the incident is under investigation.&nbsp;

The U.S. Central Command released no additional details early Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1772307720134.png" alt="File photo Operation Epic Fury -photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File photo Operation Epic Fury -photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —U.S. military officials are investigating a reported friendly fire incident in Operation Epic Fury.At 11:03 p.m. ET, Sunday, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses.All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.The cause of the incident is under investigation.&nbsp;The U.S. Central Command released no additional details early Monday.

US fighter jets shot down in friendly fire Incident in Kuwait

KANSAS CiTY—Law enforcement are investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City.

Just after 10p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 1300 block of E 76th street in Kansas City, Missouri on a sound of shots call, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

As officers arrived they located two adult male victims inside a vehicle at the intersection of 76th and Lydia. One man was suffering from gunshot wounds and officers immediately began performing life saving measures while ordering EMS. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased a short time later. The other male victim sustained non life threatening gun shot wounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;

During the course of the initial investigation officers located a possible subject of interest in a nearby residence. Officers surrounded the house and an Operation 100, a police stand off, was initiated. Trained negotiators and tactical officers were called in to the scene to bring the situation to a peaceful resolution.&nbsp; Police ultimately determined the house was empty.

This is being investigated as a homicide, and no one is in custody at this point. Detectives are still working to determine what led to shots being fired and the victims being struck.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772451080033.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CiTY—Law enforcement are investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City.Just after 10p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 1300 block of E 76th street in Kansas City, Missouri on a sound of shots call, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772451062466.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>As officers arrived they located two adult male victims inside a vehicle at the intersection of 76th and Lydia. One man was suffering from gunshot wounds and officers immediately began performing life saving measures while ordering EMS. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased a short time later. The other male victim sustained non life threatening gun shot wounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;During the course of the initial investigation officers located a possible subject of interest in a nearby residence. Officers surrounded the house and an Operation 100, a police stand off, was initiated. Trained negotiators and tactical officers were called in to the scene to bring the situation to a peaceful resolution.&nbsp; Police ultimately determined the house was empty.This is being investigated as a homicide, and no one is in custody at this point. Detectives are still working to determine what led to shots being fired and the victims being struck.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim.

Homicide: Police end standoff in search for KC shooting suspect

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three American service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-explosion-tehran-c2f11247d8a66e36929266f2c557a54c">U.S. attacks on Iran</a>, the military announced Sunday, marking the first American casualties in a major offensive that President Donald Trump said could likely lead to more losses in the coming weeks.

The three who were killed were U.S. Army soldiers deployed to Kuwait as part of a unit that oversees supplies and logistics, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The development was reported earlier by NBC News and The Washington Post.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, announced the deaths in a post on X but did not say when and where they occurred as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-03-01-2026-693bc30bbbc98660d81f4a13f65ca10f">the Islamic Republic retaliates</a>&nbsp;over the joint strikes by the U.S. and Israel. The post said “several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions” and were going to return to duty.

“We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social platform on Sunday afternoon. “And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”

In the roughly six-minute video, Trump called those killed “true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.” He said the U.S. will avenge their deaths.

Trump earlier&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15604385/donald-trump-daily-mail-interview-iran.html" target="_blank">told the Daily Mail</a>&nbsp;in a phone interview Sunday that the U.S. troops who were killed were “great people.”

“You know, we expect that to happen, unfortunately,” Trump told the newspaper. “Could happen continuous — it could happen again.”

He also told the Daily Mail that he believes the conflict could last for “four weeks or so.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-ayatollah-khamenei-ad853dc1d5606fd9202b65a75bdbfc2f">He had previously warned</a>&nbsp;that American troops could be killed or injured in the operation.

“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties,” the Republican president said in a video address released early Saturday. “That often happens in war. But we’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the future.”

Central Command, meanwhile, described the situation “as fluid” and said it would withhold the identities of the service members who were killed for 24 hours after their families were notified.

Following the U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a>&nbsp;and other leaders, Iran’s counterattacks have struck U.S. bases in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

The U.S. military denied Iranian claims that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-iran-protests-us-military-58e6da912f9167df94f913d7dafe5af4">the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier</a>&nbsp;was struck with ballistic missiles, saying on X that the “missiles launched didn’t even come close.”

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has threatened to launch its “most intense offensive operation” ever targeting Israeli and American military installations.

Before the strikes, Trump had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-iran-buildup-nuclear-program-5663a8b0d81c8439adfaa010c59a36f5">built up the largest U.S. military presence</a>&nbsp;in the Middle East in decades. The arrival of the Lincoln and three accompanying guided-missile destroyers at the end of January bolstered the number of warships in the region.

The world’s largest aircraft carrier,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/greece-us-iran-protest-gerald-r-ford-trump-3aec7d2753dc33a5c2693b4a273e491f">the USS Gerald R. Ford</a>, and four accompanying destroyers later were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-aircraft-carrier-military-8db3fab10476949acda8b973be416204">dispatched from the Caribbean Sea</a>&nbsp;to head to the Middle East.

The Ford was part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-maduro-what-to-know-a57528ff315a7f70ed51a1721f5e0bc2">the U.S. raid in Venezuela</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-explosions-caracas-ca712a67aaefc30b1831f5bf0b50665e">captured leader Nicolás Maduro</a>, who was brought to New York to face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maduro-venezuela-trump-criminal-case-131f59e517cc8314a53c8dace230d328">drug trafficking charges</a>. The operation in January claimed no American lives but left seven U.S. troops with gunshot wounds and shrapnel-related injuries.

One of those injured&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-union-maduro-venezuela-wounded-pilot-69c70a7385ec14f58a84a4a7e4557c08">received the Medal of Honor</a>&nbsp;during Trump’s State of the Union address last week. Trump said Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover piloted the lead CH-47 Chinook helicopter that descended on the “heavily protected military fortress” where Maduro was staying.

Trump has launched several military operations during his second term, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-islamic-state-hegseth-trump-61dcee09576ce806de3a04aaec152495">strikes on members of the Islamic State group</a>&nbsp;in Syria in retaliation for an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-military-attack-palmyra-is-22f67e54c1a15fcc643de2672b83aacb">ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops</a>&nbsp;and an American civilian interpreter in December.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772415593532.png" alt="President Trump returned to the White House late Sunday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump returned to the White House late Sunday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Three American service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-explosion-tehran-c2f11247d8a66e36929266f2c557a54c">U.S. attacks on Iran</a>, the military announced Sunday, marking the first American casualties in a major offensive that President Donald Trump said could likely lead to more losses in the coming weeks.The three who were killed were U.S. Army soldiers deployed to Kuwait as part of a unit that oversees supplies and logistics, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The development was reported earlier by NBC News and The Washington Post.U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, announced the deaths in a post on X but did not say when and where they occurred as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-03-01-2026-693bc30bbbc98660d81f4a13f65ca10f">the Islamic Republic retaliates</a>&nbsp;over the joint strikes by the U.S. and Israel. The post said “several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions” and were going to return to duty.“We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social platform on Sunday afternoon. “And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”In the roughly six-minute video, Trump called those killed “true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.” He said the U.S. will avenge their deaths.Trump earlier&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15604385/donald-trump-daily-mail-interview-iran.html" target="_blank">told the Daily Mail</a>&nbsp;in a phone interview Sunday that the U.S. troops who were killed were “great people.”“You know, we expect that to happen, unfortunately,” Trump told the newspaper. “Could happen continuous — it could happen again.”He also told the Daily Mail that he believes the conflict could last for “four weeks or so.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-ayatollah-khamenei-ad853dc1d5606fd9202b65a75bdbfc2f">He had previously warned</a>&nbsp;that American troops could be killed or injured in the operation.“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties,” the Republican president said in a video address released early Saturday. “That often happens in war. But we’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the future.”Central Command, meanwhile, described the situation “as fluid” and said it would withhold the identities of the service members who were killed for 24 hours after their families were notified.Following the U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a>&nbsp;and other leaders, Iran’s counterattacks have struck U.S. bases in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.The U.S. military denied Iranian claims that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-iran-protests-us-military-58e6da912f9167df94f913d7dafe5af4">the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier</a>&nbsp;was struck with ballistic missiles, saying on X that the “missiles launched didn’t even come close.”Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has threatened to launch its “most intense offensive operation” ever targeting Israeli and American military installations.Before the strikes, Trump had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-iran-buildup-nuclear-program-5663a8b0d81c8439adfaa010c59a36f5">built up the largest U.S. military presence</a>&nbsp;in the Middle East in decades. The arrival of the Lincoln and three accompanying guided-missile destroyers at the end of January bolstered the number of warships in the region.The world’s largest aircraft carrier,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/greece-us-iran-protest-gerald-r-ford-trump-3aec7d2753dc33a5c2693b4a273e491f">the USS Gerald R. Ford</a>, and four accompanying destroyers later were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-aircraft-carrier-military-8db3fab10476949acda8b973be416204">dispatched from the Caribbean Sea</a>&nbsp;to head to the Middle East.The Ford was part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-maduro-what-to-know-a57528ff315a7f70ed51a1721f5e0bc2">the U.S. raid in Venezuela</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-explosions-caracas-ca712a67aaefc30b1831f5bf0b50665e">captured leader Nicolás Maduro</a>, who was brought to New York to face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maduro-venezuela-trump-criminal-case-131f59e517cc8314a53c8dace230d328">drug trafficking charges</a>. The operation in January claimed no American lives but left seven U.S. troops with gunshot wounds and shrapnel-related injuries.One of those injured&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-union-maduro-venezuela-wounded-pilot-69c70a7385ec14f58a84a4a7e4557c08">received the Medal of Honor</a>&nbsp;during Trump’s State of the Union address last week. Trump said Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover piloted the lead CH-47 Chinook helicopter that descended on the “heavily protected military fortress” where Maduro was staying.Trump has launched several military operations during his second term, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-islamic-state-hegseth-trump-61dcee09576ce806de3a04aaec152495">strikes on members of the Islamic State group</a>&nbsp;in Syria in retaliation for an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-military-attack-palmyra-is-22f67e54c1a15fcc643de2672b83aacb">ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops</a>&nbsp;and an American civilian interpreter in December.

New details on Army soldiers killed in Iran operation 

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 1a.m. Sunday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department Traffic Division reported a vehicle traveling west on Quindaro Blvd. in the westbound lane was struck at 10th Street by an eastbound vehicle that was also traveling in the westbound lane. 

One adult was pronounced deceased on the scene. Five additional adults were transported to an area hospital with injuries ranging from serious to critical. One of those individuals has also died from their injuries.

This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Traffic Division. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 1a.m. Sunday in Wyandotte County.The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department Traffic Division reported a vehicle traveling west on Quindaro Blvd. in the westbound lane was struck at 10th Street by an eastbound vehicle that was also traveling in the westbound lane. One adult was pronounced deceased on the scene. Five additional adults were transported to an area hospital with injuries ranging from serious to critical. One of those individuals has also died from their injuries.This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Traffic Division. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

Police: 2 dead, 4 injured in wrong-way crash on Kansas road 

BANGKOK (AP) — The U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran rattled world markets on Monday, with U.S. futures falling more than 1% and oil prices soaring, though gains for defense contractors and oil companies helped limit losses in Asian trading.

The futures for the S&amp;P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 1.7%.

The price of a barrel of U.S. benchmark jumped 9% to $73 per barrel. Brent crude jumped nearly 10% to nearly $80 per barrel.

European markets opened sharply lower. Germany’s DAX dropped 2.2% to 24,737.47, while in Paris the CAC 40 lost 1.9% to 8,413.91. Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 1% to 10,800.63.

Shares fell in most Asian markets but they rose in Shanghai, where higher oil prices lifted some oil company stocks such as CNOOC, China Petroleum &amp; Chemical and PetroChina to the 10% limit.

The Shanghai Composite index climbed 0.5% to 4,182.59, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 2.1% to 26,059.85.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index initially fell more than 2%. It closed 1.4% lower at 58,057.24. Offsetting other losses, shares in defense-related stocks including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and IHI Corp. advanced.

Australia’s S&amp;P/ASX 200 ended flat, at 9,200.90.

In India, which could face disruptions to its access to oil due to the hostilities, the Sensex fell 2.1%.

Taiwan’s benchmark lost 0.9% and Singapore’s dropped 2.3%. In Bangkok, a major tourism destination for the Middle East, the SET fell 3.1%.

Markets were closed in South Korea for a holiday.

The price of gold, which usually is viewed as a safe haven for investment in times of uncertainty, rose 3.4% to about $5,426 per ounce.

The U.S. dollar also gained, rising to 157.20 Japanese yen from 156.27 yen late Friday. The euro slipped to $1.1708 from $1.1762.

Traders are betting the war will disrupt oil supplies from Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East. Attacks throughout the region, including on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/us-israel-strikes-iran-khamenei-03-01-2026#0000019c-a994-dfc5-adbd-ad9fd8300000">two vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz</a>, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, have constrained oil exports to the rest of the world.

“Roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG (liquefied natural gas) flows squeeze through the Strait of Hormuz. This is not an obscure canal. It is the aorta of the global energy system,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

A prolonged war would likely result in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-iran-strikes-oil-prices-4a4a800739e53a30ff63b5e89e84ad71">higher prices</a>&nbsp;for other fuels and gasoline and could cascade throughout the global economy, adding to production costs overall.

Prolonged interruptions to oil flows through the Middle East would have “huge implications for oil and LNG and every market everywhere if it occurs. Energy is an input to ALL production,” RaboResearch Global Economics &amp; Markets said in a report.

Iran exports roughly 1.6 million barrels of oil a day, mostly to China. It may need to look elsewhere for supply if Iran’s exports are disrupted, another factor that could increase energy prices.

The size of China’s strategic oil reserves is a state secret. But a recent report by John Kemp of Base Research estimated them at 1.1 billion to 1.2 billion barrels –- equivalent to around 100 days or just over three months of imports.

The war’s impact on markets was muted somewhat because the attacks were anticipated, with a massive buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East. So traders had adjusted their positions to take that risk into account.

The conflict has shifted attention, for now, away from issues surrounding artificial intelligence that have dominated markets in recent months.

On Friday, the S&amp;P 500 fell 0.4% to finish just its second losing month in the last 10. The Dow industrials dropped 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.9%.

Treasury yields fell in the bond market as investors sought safer places for their money.

“When markets are fragile, they do not need a knockout blow. They just need another weight on the bar,” Innes said.

Also hurting the broad market was a report Friday showing that inflation at the U.S. wholesale level was at 2.9% last month, much higher than the 1.6% that economists expected.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772408124716.png" alt="Operation Epic Fury -photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Operation Epic Fury -photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>BANGKOK (AP) — The U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran rattled world markets on Monday, with U.S. futures falling more than 1% and oil prices soaring, though gains for defense contractors and oil companies helped limit losses in Asian trading.The futures for the S&amp;P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 1.7%.The price of a barrel of U.S. benchmark jumped 9% to $73 per barrel. Brent crude jumped nearly 10% to nearly $80 per barrel.European markets opened sharply lower. Germany’s DAX dropped 2.2% to 24,737.47, while in Paris the CAC 40 lost 1.9% to 8,413.91. Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 1% to 10,800.63.Shares fell in most Asian markets but they rose in Shanghai, where higher oil prices lifted some oil company stocks such as CNOOC, China Petroleum &amp; Chemical and PetroChina to the 10% limit.The Shanghai Composite index climbed 0.5% to 4,182.59, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 2.1% to 26,059.85.Japan’s Nikkei 225 index initially fell more than 2%. It closed 1.4% lower at 58,057.24. Offsetting other losses, shares in defense-related stocks including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and IHI Corp. advanced.Australia’s S&amp;P/ASX 200 ended flat, at 9,200.90.In India, which could face disruptions to its access to oil due to the hostilities, the Sensex fell 2.1%.Taiwan’s benchmark lost 0.9% and Singapore’s dropped 2.3%. In Bangkok, a major tourism destination for the Middle East, the SET fell 3.1%.Markets were closed in South Korea for a holiday.The price of gold, which usually is viewed as a safe haven for investment in times of uncertainty, rose 3.4% to about $5,426 per ounce.The U.S. dollar also gained, rising to 157.20 Japanese yen from 156.27 yen late Friday. The euro slipped to $1.1708 from $1.1762.Traders are betting the war will disrupt oil supplies from Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East. Attacks throughout the region, including on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/us-israel-strikes-iran-khamenei-03-01-2026#0000019c-a994-dfc5-adbd-ad9fd8300000">two vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz</a>, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, have constrained oil exports to the rest of the world.“Roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG (liquefied natural gas) flows squeeze through the Strait of Hormuz. This is not an obscure canal. It is the aorta of the global energy system,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.A prolonged war would likely result in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-iran-strikes-oil-prices-4a4a800739e53a30ff63b5e89e84ad71">higher prices</a>&nbsp;for other fuels and gasoline and could cascade throughout the global economy, adding to production costs overall.Prolonged interruptions to oil flows through the Middle East would have “huge implications for oil and LNG and every market everywhere if it occurs. Energy is an input to ALL production,” RaboResearch Global Economics &amp; Markets said in a report.Iran exports roughly 1.6 million barrels of oil a day, mostly to China. It may need to look elsewhere for supply if Iran’s exports are disrupted, another factor that could increase energy prices.The size of China’s strategic oil reserves is a state secret. But a recent report by John Kemp of Base Research estimated them at 1.1 billion to 1.2 billion barrels –- equivalent to around 100 days or just over three months of imports.The war’s impact on markets was muted somewhat because the attacks were anticipated, with a massive buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East. So traders had adjusted their positions to take that risk into account.The conflict has shifted attention, for now, away from issues surrounding artificial intelligence that have dominated markets in recent months.On Friday, the S&amp;P 500 fell 0.4% to finish just its second losing month in the last 10. The Dow industrials dropped 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.9%.Treasury yields fell in the bond market as investors sought safer places for their money.“When markets are fragile, they do not need a knockout blow. They just need another weight on the bar,” Innes said.Also hurting the broad market was a report Friday showing that inflation at the U.S. wholesale level was at 2.9% last month, much higher than the 1.6% that economists expected.

Oil prices soar after attacks in Middle East disrupt global energy supply

KANSAS CITY — Kansas City man who allegedly stole a bus and led police on a chase is facing multiple charges.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2816/ReiffPreston---Complaint-and-Warrant-Packet-1">Preston R. Reiff, 21,&nbsp;</a>faces one count of Stealing, one count of 1st Degree Tampering with a Motor Vehicle, and one count of 1st Degree Property Damage, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

According to court records, Kansas City police responded to a bus station on Feb. 24 after a bus was reported stolen. Witness accounts and surveillance footage captured Reiff driving the bus out of the lot, striking a wall, an automatic gate, and two signs, causing an estimated $55,000 in total damage to the facility, and further damage to the bus that has yet to be calculated.&nbsp;

Officers tracked the bus via GPS and attempted a traffic stop but Reiff refused to pull over. Officers successfully deployed stop sticks and Reiff pulled to the shoulder. He was taken into custody without further incident.&nbsp;

A Jackson County judge set Reiff's bond at $30,000 cash only.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1772139479144.png" alt="Reiff-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Reiff-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY — Kansas City man who allegedly stole a bus and led police on a chase is facing multiple charges.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2816/ReiffPreston---Complaint-and-Warrant-Packet-1">Preston R. Reiff, 21,&nbsp;</a>faces one count of Stealing, one count of 1st Degree Tampering with a Motor Vehicle, and one count of 1st Degree Property Damage, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.According to court records, Kansas City police responded to a bus station on Feb. 24 after a bus was reported stolen. Witness accounts and surveillance footage captured Reiff driving the bus out of the lot, striking a wall, an automatic gate, and two signs, causing an estimated $55,000 in total damage to the facility, and further damage to the bus that has yet to be calculated.&nbsp;Officers tracked the bus via GPS and attempted a traffic stop but Reiff refused to pull over. Officers successfully deployed stop sticks and Reiff pulled to the shoulder. He was taken into custody without further incident.&nbsp;A Jackson County judge set Reiff's bond at $30,000 cash only.&nbsp;

KC man caused thousands of dollars in damage after he stole a bus

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident in Cowley County.

Just before 7:30p.m. Saturday, the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to an injury accident involving a vehicle versus a pedestrian on US 77 Highway at 242nd Road, according to Undersheriff Christina McDonald.

&nbsp;Deputies determined that a silver Nissan Rogue traveling northbound on US 77 had struck a pedestrian who was walking in the roadway. The pedestrian sustained critical injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.&nbsp; The sheriff's office did not release the name of the victim.

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident in Cowley County.Just before 7:30p.m. Saturday, the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to an injury accident involving a vehicle versus a pedestrian on US 77 Highway at 242nd Road, according to Undersheriff Christina McDonald.&nbsp;Deputies determined that a silver Nissan Rogue traveling northbound on US 77 had struck a pedestrian who was walking in the roadway. The pedestrian sustained critical injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.&nbsp; The sheriff's office did not release the name of the victim.

Sheriff investigating fatal Kansas pedestrian accident

Three U.S. service members were killed in action and five&nbsp; seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. Central Command reported Sunday.

On social media Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall issued statement on the death of U.S. Soldiers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772408102033.png" alt="Operation Epic Fury -photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Operation Epic Fury -photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>Three U.S. service members were killed in action and five&nbsp; seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. Central Command reported Sunday.On social media Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall issued statement on the death of U.S. Soldiers.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The U.S. has lost three American heroes who were killed in action as part of the military operation in Iran. My prayers are with the families learning this devastating news and the troops who were wounded in action.&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/2028138268529705156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our hearts are heavy this morning as we learn of the loss of American service members overseas. We are praying for their loved ones, for the safety of those still in combat, and a swift end to this conflict.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/2028128823212945825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Kansas lawmakers react to U.S. military deaths after attack on Iran

DAWSON COUNTY&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of suspected cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.

Tuesday afternoon, an NSP Carrier Enforcement trooper conducted a commercial vehicle inspection on a semi tractor/trailer near mile marker 254 on Interstate 80, according to a media release. During the inspection, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity.

An NSP K9 detected the odor of a controlled substance inside the cab of the semi. A search of the cab revealed 242 pounds of suspected cocaine concealed underneath the sleeper bed.

The driver, Arwinderjit Singh, 30-years-old, of Manteca, California, was arrested for possession of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver, possession of an open alcohol container and displaying a fictitious license plate. He was lodged in Dawson County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1772216201651.jpeg" alt="Photo Nebraska State Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Photo Nebraska State Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>DAWSON COUNTY&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of suspected cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.Tuesday afternoon, an NSP Carrier Enforcement trooper conducted a commercial vehicle inspection on a semi tractor/trailer near mile marker 254 on Interstate 80, according to a media release. During the inspection, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity.An NSP K9 detected the odor of a controlled substance inside the cab of the semi. A search of the cab revealed 242 pounds of suspected cocaine concealed underneath the sleeper bed.The driver, Arwinderjit Singh, 30-years-old, of Manteca, California, was arrested for possession of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver, possession of an open alcohol container and displaying a fictitious license plate. He was lodged in Dawson County Jail.

Troopers found 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection

&nbsp;WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump said of U.S. service members killed that America will ’avenge their deaths.”

The president made the comments in a roughly six minute video he posted on social media Sunday afternoon. He called the three service members “true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.”

The president went on and added: “Sadly, there will likely be more, before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more.”

&nbsp;WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump said of U.S. service members killed that America will ’avenge their deaths.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Donald J. Trump provides an update on Operation Epic Fury: <a href="https://t.co/Vte8QKpISn">pic.twitter.com/Vte8QKpISn</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2028223915403669541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The president made the comments in a roughly six minute video he posted on social media Sunday afternoon. He called the three service members “true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.”The president went on and added: “Sadly, there will likely be more, before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more.”

🎥President Trump warns more U.S. troops will "likely" die in Iran attacks

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military says B-2 stealth bombers have struck Iran’s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs.

Ballistic missiles have been one of the concerns President Donald Trump had raised in the lead up to the attacks on Iran. Trump has claimed that Iran has been building ballistic missiles that could reach the U.S. homeland.

Iran hasn’t acknowledged it is building or seeking to build intercontinental ballistic missiles. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said in an unclassified report last year that Iran could develop a militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 “should Tehran decide to pursue the capability.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772387489513.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military says B-2 stealth bombers have struck Iran’s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Last night, U.S. B-2 stealth bombers, armed with 2,000 lb. bombs, struck Iran’s hardened ballistic missile facilities. No nation should ever doubt America&#39;s resolve. <a href="https://t.co/6JpG73lHYW">pic.twitter.com/6JpG73lHYW</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/2028153060782973175?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ballistic missiles have been one of the concerns President Donald Trump had raised in the lead up to the attacks on Iran. Trump has claimed that Iran has been building ballistic missiles that could reach the U.S. homeland.Iran hasn’t acknowledged it is building or seeking to build intercontinental ballistic missiles. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said in an unclassified report last year that Iran could develop a militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 “should Tehran decide to pursue the capability.”

US military: Stealth bombers dropped bombs on Iran missile sites

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran vowed revenge Sunday after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">killing of its supreme leader</a>&nbsp;and traded strikes with Israel as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/us-israel-strikes-iran-khamenei-03-01-2026">widening war</a>&nbsp;prompted by a surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment. The U.S. military said three service members have been killed, the first known American casualties from the conflict.

Blasts in Tehran sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky in an area of government buildings. Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have been killed since the start of the U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a>&nbsp;and other senior leaders.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">Iran</a>&nbsp;fired missiles at targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states in retaliation while Israel pledged "non-stop" strikes against Iran's leaders and military.

In Israel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-shelters-missiles-245b1675544434848160845a2e991b9d">loud explosions</a>&nbsp;caused by missile impacts or interceptions could be heard in Tel Aviv. Israel’s rescue services said nine people were killed and 28 wounded in a strike that hit a synagogue in the central town of Beit Shemesh, bringing the overall death toll in the country to 11. Eleven people were still missing after the strike, police said, as rescue crews combed the rubble.

The U.S. military, meanwhile, said B-2 stealth bombers have struck Iran’s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. Ballistic missiles have been one of the concerns Trump had raised in the lead up to the attacks. U.S. President Donald Trump said the military had also sunk nine Iranian warships.

The strikes and counterattacks underscored how the killing of Khamenei, and Trump's calls for the overthrow of the decades-old Islamic Republic, carried the potential for a prolonged conflict that could envelop the Middle East. It also represents a startling show of military might for an American president who swept into office on an “America First” platform and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-strike-conflict-us-war-opposition-8fa7a441a4a696a8562de583395ab0bf">vowed to keep out of “forever wars.”</a>

In Tehran, there was little sign that Iranians had heeded Trump's call for an uprising against the government.

The streets were largely deserted as people sheltered during heavy airstrikes, witnesses told The Associated Press, speaking anonymously for fear of retribution.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-middle-east-577c596775fb9a78d78107004d29d0f9">The paramilitary Basij</a>, which has played a central role in crushing protests, has set up checkpoints across the city, they said.

In southern Iran, at least 165 people were killed when a girls’ school was struck, and dozens more were wounded, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area. The U.S. military said it was looking into the reports.

The U.S. military said three service members were killed and five others seriously wounded, without providing further details. It said several others suffered minor injuries and concussions.

In the 12-day war last June, Israeli and American strikes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-fordo-us-strike-trump-israel-nuclear-sites-320a85327f94ed7496f09564261f3148">greatly weakened</a>&nbsp;Iran’s air defenses, military leadership and nuclear program. But the killing of Khamenei, who had ruled Iran for more than three decades, creates a leadership vacuum, increasing the risk of regional instability.

The CIA had been tracking the movements of senior Iranian leaders, including Khamenei, for months, according to a person familiar with the operation who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The intelligence was shared with Israeli officials, and the timing of the strikes was adjusted in part because of that information, the person said.

The New York Times earlier reported about the CIA’s efforts ahead of the Israeli-U.S. strikes.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a prerecorded message that a new leadership council had begun its work. The country's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said a new supreme leader would be chosen in “one or two days.”

A senior White House official said Sunday that “new potential leadership” in Iran has suggested they are open for talks with the United States. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations.

As word spread of Khamenei’s death, some in Tehran could be seen cheering from rooftops, witnesses said. Others mourned as a black flag was raised over the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.

“You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a televised address. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.”

“THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT,” he said in a social media post. “IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”

In a sign of how the attack could stoke regional unrest, hundreds of people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-protesters-attacked-us-consulate-karachi-iran-a3cc0c3c6f126cc54a657f61d312a203">stormed the U.S. Consulate</a>&nbsp;in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi. Police and paramilitary forces used batons and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, and at least nine people were killed in the clashes, authorities said.

Iran retaliates with missiles and drone attacks

As U.S. and Israeli strikes have pounded Iran, the Islamic Republic has retaliated with missiles and drone attacks on Israel and nearby Arab Gulf countries hosting U.S. forces.

The air war could rattle global markets, particularly if Iran makes the Strait of Hormuz unsafe for commercial traffic.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-strait-hormuz-us-protests-persian-gulf-db7159d715453977279ab9cfd918e6e4">Around 20% of the world's traded oil</a>&nbsp;passes through the vital waterway.

While Iran struck U.S. bases in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the attacks have also hit outside of military installations, including a hotel in the Emirati city of Dubai, and Kuwait’s international airport. At least four people have been killed in strikes on Gulf countries.

Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, blamed such strikes on the U.S. and Israel for starting the war. He said he had spoken to his counterparts in the Gulf countries and urged them to pressure the U.S. and Israel to end it.

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that Israel will have “a non-stop air train” of strikes against Iranian military and leadership targets. The U.S. military said it had struck an Iranian warship at a port on the Gulf of Oman that was now sinking.

Flights across the Middle East were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-flights-airspace-travel-0346e29ee99eaee2838c8e08f4facb78">disrupted</a>, and air defense fire thudded over Dubai. The United Arab Emirates’ commercial capital has long drawn business and expatriates by billing itself as a safe haven in a volatile region.

Iran forms council to govern until a new supreme leader is chosen

As&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-khamenei-supreme-leader-nuclear-protests-military-487aa76fd32f398f2ca37d316e543760">supreme leader</a>, Khamenei had final say on all major policies since 1989. He led Iran’s clerical establishment and the Revolutionary Guard, the two main centers of power in the governing theocracy.

An Iranian medical professional in northern Iran said he and colleagues spent the early hours of Sunday celebrating Khamenei's death indoors because armed security forces are still heavily deployed in his city.

There were forces stopping and interrogating people celebrating in their cars but there was no gunfire, said the doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

“It was one of the best nights, if not the best night of our lives,” the doctor said in a voice message from the city of Rasht. In fact, “it was actually my first time ever smoking a cigarette. It was a very very nice time. We didn’t sleep at all. And we don’t even feel tired.”

Strikes were planned for months and feared for weeks

Tensions have escalated in recent weeks as the Trump administration built up the&nbsp;<a href="http://tensions%20have%20soared%20in%20recent%20weeks%20as%20american%20warships%20moved%20into%20the%20region./">largest force of American warships</a>&nbsp;and aircraft in the Middle East in decades. The president insisted he wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program while the country struggled with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-protests-students-nuclear-khamenei-096e7ede9bc9c1e7b889878af9d6e750">growing dissent</a>&nbsp;following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-memorials-chehelom-71e5db503a287126a2d31cb32a2809eb">nationwide protests</a>.

Democrats decried that Trump had taken&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-war-powers-trump-iran-constitution-37ec6685d9ded1d467a719f91e537487">action without congressional authorization</a>. The White House said it had briefed several Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress in advance.

Though Trump had pronounced the Iranian nuclear program obliterated in strikes last year, the country was rebuilding infrastructure that it had lost, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss Trump’s decision-making process. The official said intelligence showed that Iran had developed the capability to produce its own high-quality centrifuges, an important step in developing the highly enriched uranium needed for weapons.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-enrichment-c0079c38746a896e2967a9a9cc2799d5">Iran has said it has not enriched since June</a>, though it has maintained its right to do so while saying its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. It has also blocked international inspectors from visiting the sites the U.S. bombed. Satellite photos analyzed by AP have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-nuclear-enrichment-satellite-d5c78b5fe974ec2fc338b8ad6d6a7d68">shown new activity at two of those sites</a>.

Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel; Boak from West Palm Beach, Florida; and Tucker from Washington. Associated Press writers Joe Federman in Jerusalem, Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, Amir Radjy in Cairo, Aamer Madhani, Konstantin Toropin and David Klepper in Washington, Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, Farnoush Amiri in New York, David Rising in Bangkok and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772379670099.png" alt="Operation Epic Fury -photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Operation Epic Fury -photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran vowed revenge Sunday after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">killing of its supreme leader</a>&nbsp;and traded strikes with Israel as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/us-israel-strikes-iran-khamenei-03-01-2026">widening war</a>&nbsp;prompted by a surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment. The U.S. military said three service members have been killed, the first known American casualties from the conflict.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/AeAfBbVaAq">pic.twitter.com/AeAfBbVaAq</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2028158948910776648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Blasts in Tehran sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky in an area of government buildings. Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have been killed since the start of the U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a>&nbsp;and other senior leaders.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">Iran</a>&nbsp;fired missiles at targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states in retaliation while Israel pledged "non-stop" strikes against Iran's leaders and military.In Israel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-shelters-missiles-245b1675544434848160845a2e991b9d">loud explosions</a>&nbsp;caused by missile impacts or interceptions could be heard in Tel Aviv. Israel’s rescue services said nine people were killed and 28 wounded in a strike that hit a synagogue in the central town of Beit Shemesh, bringing the overall death toll in the country to 11. Eleven people were still missing after the strike, police said, as rescue crews combed the rubble.The U.S. military, meanwhile, said B-2 stealth bombers have struck Iran’s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. Ballistic missiles have been one of the concerns Trump had raised in the lead up to the attacks. U.S. President Donald Trump said the military had also sunk nine Iranian warships.The strikes and counterattacks underscored how the killing of Khamenei, and Trump's calls for the overthrow of the decades-old Islamic Republic, carried the potential for a prolonged conflict that could envelop the Middle East. It also represents a startling show of military might for an American president who swept into office on an “America First” platform and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-strike-conflict-us-war-opposition-8fa7a441a4a696a8562de583395ab0bf">vowed to keep out of “forever wars.”</a><h2>Streets of Tehran are largely deserted</h2>In Tehran, there was little sign that Iranians had heeded Trump's call for an uprising against the government.The streets were largely deserted as people sheltered during heavy airstrikes, witnesses told The Associated Press, speaking anonymously for fear of retribution.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-middle-east-577c596775fb9a78d78107004d29d0f9">The paramilitary Basij</a>, which has played a central role in crushing protests, has set up checkpoints across the city, they said.In southern Iran, at least 165 people were killed when a girls’ school was struck, and dozens more were wounded, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area. The U.S. military said it was looking into the reports.The U.S. military said three service members were killed and five others seriously wounded, without providing further details. It said several others suffered minor injuries and concussions.In the 12-day war last June, Israeli and American strikes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-fordo-us-strike-trump-israel-nuclear-sites-320a85327f94ed7496f09564261f3148">greatly weakened</a>&nbsp;Iran’s air defenses, military leadership and nuclear program. But the killing of Khamenei, who had ruled Iran for more than three decades, creates a leadership vacuum, increasing the risk of regional instability.The CIA had been tracking the movements of senior Iranian leaders, including Khamenei, for months, according to a person familiar with the operation who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The intelligence was shared with Israeli officials, and the timing of the strikes was adjusted in part because of that information, the person said.The New York Times earlier reported about the CIA’s efforts ahead of the Israeli-U.S. strikes.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a prerecorded message that a new leadership council had begun its work. The country's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said a new supreme leader would be chosen in “one or two days.”A senior White House official said Sunday that “new potential leadership” in Iran has suggested they are open for talks with the United States. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations.<h2>Iran vows revenge for Khamenei killing</h2>As word spread of Khamenei’s death, some in Tehran could be seen cheering from rooftops, witnesses said. Others mourned as a black flag was raised over the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.“You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a televised address. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.”Trump warned against retaliation.“THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT,” he said in a social media post. “IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”In a sign of how the attack could stoke regional unrest, hundreds of people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-protesters-attacked-us-consulate-karachi-iran-a3cc0c3c6f126cc54a657f61d312a203">stormed the U.S. Consulate</a>&nbsp;in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi. Police and paramilitary forces used batons and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, and at least nine people were killed in the clashes, authorities said.<h2>Iran retaliates with missiles and drone attacks</h2>As U.S. and Israeli strikes have pounded Iran, the Islamic Republic has retaliated with missiles and drone attacks on Israel and nearby Arab Gulf countries hosting U.S. forces.The air war could rattle global markets, particularly if Iran makes the Strait of Hormuz unsafe for commercial traffic.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-strait-hormuz-us-protests-persian-gulf-db7159d715453977279ab9cfd918e6e4">Around 20% of the world's traded oil</a>&nbsp;passes through the vital waterway.While Iran struck U.S. bases in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the attacks have also hit outside of military installations, including a hotel in the Emirati city of Dubai, and Kuwait’s international airport. At least four people have been killed in strikes on Gulf countries.Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, blamed such strikes on the U.S. and Israel for starting the war. He said he had spoken to his counterparts in the Gulf countries and urged them to pressure the U.S. and Israel to end it.Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that Israel will have “a non-stop air train” of strikes against Iranian military and leadership targets. The U.S. military said it had struck an Iranian warship at a port on the Gulf of Oman that was now sinking.Flights across the Middle East were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-flights-airspace-travel-0346e29ee99eaee2838c8e08f4facb78">disrupted</a>, and air defense fire thudded over Dubai. The United Arab Emirates’ commercial capital has long drawn business and expatriates by billing itself as a safe haven in a volatile region.<h2>Iran forms council to govern until a new supreme leader is chosen</h2>As&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-khamenei-supreme-leader-nuclear-protests-military-487aa76fd32f398f2ca37d316e543760">supreme leader</a>, Khamenei had final say on all major policies since 1989. He led Iran’s clerical establishment and the Revolutionary Guard, the two main centers of power in the governing theocracy.An Iranian medical professional in northern Iran said he and colleagues spent the early hours of Sunday celebrating Khamenei's death indoors because armed security forces are still heavily deployed in his city.There were forces stopping and interrogating people celebrating in their cars but there was no gunfire, said the doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.“It was one of the best nights, if not the best night of our lives,” the doctor said in a voice message from the city of Rasht. In fact, “it was actually my first time ever smoking a cigarette. It was a very very nice time. We didn’t sleep at all. And we don’t even feel tired.”<h2>Strikes were planned for months and feared for weeks</h2>Tensions have escalated in recent weeks as the Trump administration built up the&nbsp;<a href="http://tensions%20have%20soared%20in%20recent%20weeks%20as%20american%20warships%20moved%20into%20the%20region./">largest force of American warships</a>&nbsp;and aircraft in the Middle East in decades. The president insisted he wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program while the country struggled with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-protests-students-nuclear-khamenei-096e7ede9bc9c1e7b889878af9d6e750">growing dissent</a>&nbsp;following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-memorials-chehelom-71e5db503a287126a2d31cb32a2809eb">nationwide protests</a>.Democrats decried that Trump had taken&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-war-powers-trump-iran-constitution-37ec6685d9ded1d467a719f91e537487">action without congressional authorization</a>. The White House said it had briefed several Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress in advance.Though Trump had pronounced the Iranian nuclear program obliterated in strikes last year, the country was rebuilding infrastructure that it had lost, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss Trump’s decision-making process. The official said intelligence showed that Iran had developed the capability to produce its own high-quality centrifuges, an important step in developing the highly enriched uranium needed for weapons.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-enrichment-c0079c38746a896e2967a9a9cc2799d5">Iran has said it has not enriched since June</a>, though it has maintained its right to do so while saying its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. It has also blocked international inspectors from visiting the sites the U.S. bombed. Satellite photos analyzed by AP have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-nuclear-enrichment-satellite-d5c78b5fe974ec2fc338b8ad6d6a7d68">shown new activity at two of those sites</a>.___Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel; Boak from West Palm Beach, Florida; and Tucker from Washington. Associated Press writers Joe Federman in Jerusalem, Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, Amir Radjy in Cairo, Aamer Madhani, Konstantin Toropin and David Klepper in Washington, Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, Farnoush Amiri in New York, David Rising in Bangkok and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.

President Trump says 9 Iranian warships have been sunk

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Three American service members have been killed and five have been seriously wounded in military operations targeting Iran, the U.S. military said.

They are the first reported American casualties since the U.S. and Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran.

U.S. Central Command said Sunday in a post on X that several others “sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions — and are in the process of being returned to duty.”

The post stated that major combat operations will continue. It did not provide further information about the casualties and described the situation as “fluid.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1772307892150.png" alt="Operation Epic Fury -photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Operation Epic Fury -photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Three American service members have been killed and five have been seriously wounded in military operations targeting Iran, the U.S. military said.They are the first reported American casualties since the U.S. and Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">First 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury: “The President ordered bold action, and our brave Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians, and Coast Guardsmen are answering the call,” - Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM Commander <a href="https://t.co/McrC7xeM0A">pic.twitter.com/McrC7xeM0A</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/2027990979253334026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. Central Command said Sunday in a post on X that several others “sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions — and are in the process of being returned to duty.”The post stated that major combat operations will continue. It did not provide further information about the casualties and described the situation as “fluid.”

3 US service members killed, 5 wounded in Iran operation

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">Morgan Chilson</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — CoreCivic can’t house immigration detainees before reaching an agreement with the city of Leavenworth on reopening its private prison, the Kansas Court of Appeals ruled Friday when it upheld a lower court’s decision.

“There is nothing to suggest that CoreCivic is being singled out here,” the Court of Appeals decision said. “The City is merely attempting to enforce its zoning regulations that impose requirements on every entity regardless of its status as a contractor with the federal government.”

Nashville-based CoreCivic&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/10/corecivic-appeals-to-overturn-injunction-keeping-it-from-housing-ice-detainees/">appealed an injunction</a>&nbsp;by Leavenworth County District Court that banned it from beginning to take detainees to fulfill its U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contract. The company announced in 2025 that it would reopen its closed prison as the Midwest Regional Reception Center.&nbsp;

Leavenworth officials said CoreCivic needed a special use permit to do so. The disagreement launched back-and-forth court cases, one of which spawned the injunction against housing detainees while the two worked it out.

In the midst of court actions, CoreCivic applied for a special use permit that is&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/25/after-marathon-meeting-corecivic-moves-closer-to-reopening-leavenworth-prison/">nearing approval</a>&nbsp;by city officials.

In its decision, Court of Appeals judges listed three facts they considered before upholding the decision by Leavenworth County District Judge John Bryant — whether the district court’s decision was “arbitrary, fanciful or unreasonable,” based on an error in law or a factual error.

Chief Judge Sarah Warner and Judges Thomas Malone and Stephen Hill issued a 22-page decision that stepped through district court arguments before determining no errors were made in the original ruling.

The appeals court decision outlines the case Leavenworth presented in support of the injunction and breaks down why the district court didn’t err in its decision.

CoreCivic argued the city’s case didn’t have crucial elements that make the injunction reasonable, including a “substantial likelihood” of success and tangible, irreparable harm. The Court of Appeals considered the district judge’s decision on those elements and disagreed with the company.

In considering whether irreparable harm was an issue, the court noted “alarming” testimony supporting the city’s reports that CoreCivic denied local law enforcement access to investigate crimes.

“Patrick Kitchens, the City’s Chief of Police, offered sworn testimony about CoreCivic’s operation of the MRRC that is, to put it mildly, somewhat alarming,” the Appeals decision said. “Kitchens testified that ‘the Leavenworth Police Department encountered many significant problems in responding to reports of crimes, including violent felonies, at the Facility. Due to frequent changes in leadership at CoreCivic, we had difficulty in getting these problems addressed.’ ”

Kitchens gave evidence of a November 2018 inmate death that CoreCivic didn’t report to police for six days, that CoreCivic discouraged police from investigating at least three sexual assaults and that the company didn’t allow employees who were crime victims to interview with city police while they were on duty.

“We have more than (enough) evidence of ‘past harms’ to support the City’s request for a temporary injunction,” the appeals judges wrote. “CoreCivic’s actions demonstrate a very real and imminent harm. … The substantial evidence of the City’s problems with CoreCivic’s operation of the facility combined with the minimal evidence the problems will be addressed supports a reasonable probability of irreparable harm.”

CoreCivic officials have been working through Leavenworth’s special permit process, including addressing Kitchens’ concerns. Kitchens told city commissioners at a meeting last week that he believes previous problems will be addressed by the special use permit.

The permitting process, which led to about 100 people offering public input on the issue, is nearing completion. The Leavenworth City Commission voted 4-1 to pass the permit on for second consideration, which will be March 10. At that point, the commission will vote on the permit or could remand it go back to the city’s planning commission and ask for changes.

If the city denies the permit, CoreCivic can appeal in district court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1772248143838.png" alt="The Kansas Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s injunction Friday, stopping CoreCivic from housing prisoners ahead of reaching agreement with Leavenworth city officials. Judge Stephen Hill questioned CoreCivic attorneys during the appeals on Feb. 10, 2026. (Photo by Thad Allton for the Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s injunction Friday, stopping CoreCivic from housing prisoners ahead of reaching agreement with Leavenworth city officials. Judge Stephen Hill questioned CoreCivic attorneys during the appeals on Feb. 10, 2026. (Photo by Thad Allton for the Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">Morgan Chilson</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — CoreCivic can’t house immigration detainees before reaching an agreement with the city of Leavenworth on reopening its private prison, the Kansas Court of Appeals ruled Friday when it upheld a lower court’s decision.“There is nothing to suggest that CoreCivic is being singled out here,” the Court of Appeals decision said. “The City is merely attempting to enforce its zoning regulations that impose requirements on every entity regardless of its status as a contractor with the federal government.”Nashville-based CoreCivic&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/10/corecivic-appeals-to-overturn-injunction-keeping-it-from-housing-ice-detainees/">appealed an injunction</a>&nbsp;by Leavenworth County District Court that banned it from beginning to take detainees to fulfill its U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contract. The company announced in 2025 that it would reopen its closed prison as the Midwest Regional Reception Center.&nbsp;Leavenworth officials said CoreCivic needed a special use permit to do so. The disagreement launched back-and-forth court cases, one of which spawned the injunction against housing detainees while the two worked it out.In the midst of court actions, CoreCivic applied for a special use permit that is&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/25/after-marathon-meeting-corecivic-moves-closer-to-reopening-leavenworth-prison/">nearing approval</a>&nbsp;by city officials.In its decision, Court of Appeals judges listed three facts they considered before upholding the decision by Leavenworth County District Judge John Bryant — whether the district court’s decision was “arbitrary, fanciful or unreasonable,” based on an error in law or a factual error.Chief Judge Sarah Warner and Judges Thomas Malone and Stephen Hill issued a 22-page decision that stepped through district court arguments before determining no errors were made in the original ruling.The appeals court decision outlines the case Leavenworth presented in support of the injunction and breaks down why the district court didn’t err in its decision.CoreCivic argued the city’s case didn’t have crucial elements that make the injunction reasonable, including a “substantial likelihood” of success and tangible, irreparable harm. The Court of Appeals considered the district judge’s decision on those elements and disagreed with the company.In considering whether irreparable harm was an issue, the court noted “alarming” testimony supporting the city’s reports that CoreCivic denied local law enforcement access to investigate crimes.“Patrick Kitchens, the City’s Chief of Police, offered sworn testimony about CoreCivic’s operation of the MRRC that is, to put it mildly, somewhat alarming,” the Appeals decision said. “Kitchens testified that ‘the Leavenworth Police Department encountered many significant problems in responding to reports of crimes, including violent felonies, at the Facility. Due to frequent changes in leadership at CoreCivic, we had difficulty in getting these problems addressed.’ ”Kitchens gave evidence of a November 2018 inmate death that CoreCivic didn’t report to police for six days, that CoreCivic discouraged police from investigating at least three sexual assaults and that the company didn’t allow employees who were crime victims to interview with city police while they were on duty.“We have more than (enough) evidence of ‘past harms’ to support the City’s request for a temporary injunction,” the appeals judges wrote. “CoreCivic’s actions demonstrate a very real and imminent harm. … The substantial evidence of the City’s problems with CoreCivic’s operation of the facility combined with the minimal evidence the problems will be addressed supports a reasonable probability of irreparable harm.”CoreCivic officials have been working through Leavenworth’s special permit process, including addressing Kitchens’ concerns. Kitchens told city commissioners at a meeting last week that he believes previous problems will be addressed by the special use permit.The permitting process, which led to about 100 people offering public input on the issue, is nearing completion. The Leavenworth City Commission voted 4-1 to pass the permit on for second consideration, which will be March 10. At that point, the commission will vote on the permit or could remand it go back to the city’s planning commission and ask for changes.If the city denies the permit, CoreCivic can appeal in district court.

Kansas Court of Appeals ruled CoreCivic can’t house ICE detainees without Leavenworth permit

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) &nbsp;—A massive explosion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-03-01-2026-693bc30bbbc98660d81f4a13f65ca10f">struck Iran’s capital</a>&nbsp;Sunday as the Israeli military said it was striking targets in central Tehran. Earlier,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">Iran&nbsp;</a>fired missiles at an ever-widening list of targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states in retaliation for the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei&nbsp;</a>by the United States and Israel.

The blast in Tehran sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky and shook the ground. It appeared centered in neighborhoods home to the country’s police headquarters and Iranian state television, as well as Tehran’s Revolutionary Court and a Defense Ministry building.

The joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran followed weeks of tensions as the Trump administration built up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-iran-buildup-nuclear-program-5663a8b0d81c8439adfaa010c59a36f5">the largest force of American warships and aircraft</a>&nbsp;in the Middle East in decades. The president insisted he wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program. Iran responded to the U.S.-Israeli strikes by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and targeting U.S. military installations in the region.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772371332312.jpeg" alt="Government supporters mourn during a gathering after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown in the poster, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)" />
 <figcaption>Government supporters mourn during a gathering after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown in the poster, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) &nbsp;—A massive explosion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-03-01-2026-693bc30bbbc98660d81f4a13f65ca10f">struck Iran’s capital</a>&nbsp;Sunday as the Israeli military said it was striking targets in central Tehran. Earlier,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">Iran&nbsp;</a>fired missiles at an ever-widening list of targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states in retaliation for the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei&nbsp;</a>by the United States and Israel.The blast in Tehran sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky and shook the ground. It appeared centered in neighborhoods home to the country’s police headquarters and Iranian state television, as well as Tehran’s Revolutionary Court and a Defense Ministry building.The joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran followed weeks of tensions as the Trump administration built up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-iran-buildup-nuclear-program-5663a8b0d81c8439adfaa010c59a36f5">the largest force of American warships and aircraft</a>&nbsp;in the Middle East in decades. The president insisted he wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program. Iran responded to the U.S.-Israeli strikes by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and targeting U.S. military installations in the region.<ul>
 <li>Khamenei has no known successor:&nbsp;The killing of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-khamenei-supreme-leader-nuclear-protests-military-487aa76fd32f398f2ca37d316e543760">86-year-old supreme leader</a>&nbsp;appeared certain to create a leadership vacuum, given that he had final say on all major policies during his decades in power.</li><li>Iran’s chief of army staff and defense minister killed in airstrike:&nbsp;Iran’s chief of army staff and defense minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-leadership-tehran-trump-israel-b046aea281a5a9b83eb82c4a62350f59">were killed in an airstrike</a>&nbsp;targeting a meeting of the country’s defense council, Iranian state television reported Sunday.</li>
 </ul><h2>US priority is Iran's ‘vast missile arsenal'</h2>The chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee says a priority for its joint military campaign is Iran’s “vast missile arsenal.”Republican Tom Cotton of Arkansas told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that those missiles threatened American troops “from bases as far flung as the Indian Ocean to Western Europe.”“We’re stopping a lot of them from being fired before Iran can fire them. It’s much easier to kill the archer on the ground than it is to shoot his arrows out of the sky,” he said in the television interview.<h2>Israel says it its strikes killed 40 top Iranian military officials</h2>Israel’s military claimed Sunday that its strikes had killed 40 top Iranian military officials, including the chief of staff for the Iranian armed forces, Abdolrahim Mousavi. Israel did not provide evidence, and neither Iran nor the United States immediately commented on the claim.The Israeli military also said it had “dismantled the majority of the aerial defense systems in western and central Iran” and was “paving the way towards establishing aerial superiority over the skies of Tehran.”<h2>Egypt’s leader warns of chaos in the Middle East</h2>Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt has warned that the Middle East could slide into chaos as the conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran entered a second day.He called for “dialogue and peaceful means” to settle the region’s crises, saying that the escalation has serious consequences that could push the Mideast into chaos. El-Sissi’s comments came in a phone call Sunday with Oman’s leader, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, according to the Egyptian leader’s office.<h2>Pope urges an end to the conflict</h2>Pope Leo XIV said Sunday he was “profoundly concerned” about the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and urged both sides to “stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss.”In the Holy See’s first reaction to the attacks, the American pope called for the resumption of diplomacy and a “reasonable, authentic and responsible” dialogue based on justice.Weapons only sow “destruction, pain and death," he said from his studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square at his traditional noontime blessing.<h2>China calls killing of Iran's supreme leader ‘unacceptable’</h2>China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi sharply criticized the killing of Khamenei in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.“The blatant killing of the leader of a sovereign state and the incitement of regime change are unacceptable,” he was quoted as saying by China’s official Xinhua News Agency. “These actions violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations.”He said attacking a sovereign state without U.N. Security Council authorization undermines the foundation for peace established after World War II.“The international community should speak in a clear and unequivocal voice, opposing the world regressing to the law of the jungle,” he said.<h2>British warplanes poised to knock out Iranian missiles and drones</h2>British Defense Minister John Healey said Iranian missile and drone strikes came within a few hundred yards (meters) of a group of 300 British military personnel in Bahrain and that two missiles were fired in the direction of Cyprus, where the U.K. has bases.“We don’t believe they were targeted at Cyprus, but nevertheless, it’s an example of how there is a very real and rising threat from a regime that is lashing out widely across the region, and that requires us to act,” Healey told Sky News.He said British planes will intercept any Iranian drones and missiles they see.Cyprus government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis posted on X that reports suggesting missiles had been fired toward Cyprus are not valid and that “there is no indication whatsoever that any threat to the country has occurred.”<h2>Putin, Hezbollah leader mourn Khamenei’s death</h2>Russian President Vladimir Putin said the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was “a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.”Putin on Sunday sent condolences to his Iranian counterpart, saying Khamenei will be remembered “as an outstanding statesman” who helped elevate Russian-Iranian relations.In Lebanon, the leader of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, Naim Kassem, mourned Khamenei’s death in a U.S.-Israeli strike, and said: “We will fulfill our duty in confronting aggression.” He vowed that Hezbollah will not abandon its resistance of confronting American and Israeli “tyranny.”<h2>3 people killed in the UAE</h2>The United Arab Emirates' Defense Ministry said Sunday that three people have been killed so far in Iranian attacks on the country.The ministry said Iran had launched 165 ballistic missiles targeting the country, of which 152 were destroyed. Thirteen fell into the sea, it added.Iran launched 541 bomb-carrying drones at the UAE, of which 506 were destroyed. Another 35 struck the country, killing three people from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, while 58 others were wounded.<h2>Iran has launched 97 ballistic missiles at Kuwait</h2>Iran fired 97 ballistic missiles and 283 drones at Kuwait since the start of the war between the U.S., Israel and Iran, the Gulf nation’s military said.The military said in a statement interception operations led to shrapnel falling in parts of the county, causing “limited damage.”On Saturday, the military said three Kuwaiti troops were wounded when shrapnel landed in the Ali Al Salem airbase.<h2>At least 6 killed in Israel</h2>Israel’s police said at least five people were killed and 23 others wounded in a strike that hit central Israel on Sunday.A spokesperson for the rescue services said searches were ongoing for additional victims.Iran has so far launched dozens of rockets at Israel.<h2>Pakistani prime minister offers condolences over Khamenei's killing</h2>Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday conveyed his condolences to Tehran following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.He said his country was gravely concerned about the violation of international law, as heads of state shouldn’t be targeted.<h2>Saudi Arabia summons Iranian ambassador</h2>This follows repeated Iranian attacks on the kingdom.The state-run Saudi Press Agency said the country expressed “dismay, condemnation and denunciation of the Iranian attacks on the kingdom and the Gulf states.”It added that the kingdom “will take all necessary measures to defend its security and protect its territory.”<h2>Israel’s state plane moved to Berlin airport</h2>Israel’s state plane has been moved to Berlin’s BER airport, according to a reporter at the German press agency, dpa, who said they saw the craft at the tarmac.According to dpa, which quoted Flightradar data, the plane left Israel Saturday afternoon, circled over the Mediterranean for hours, and then landed in Berlin in the evening.Israel’s state aircraft, “Wing of Zion,” is a Boeing 767 equipped for official government trips, serving both the president and the prime minister.There have been no immediate comments from the Berlin airport or the Israeli embassy in Berlin.<h2>Saudi Arabia strongly condemns Iranian attack on its capital</h2>Saudi Arabia has condemned in “the strongest terms” Iran’s attacks on the capital, Riyadh and the eastern region, which it said were “successfully intercepted.”The Saudi foreign ministry said Sunday in a statement the attacks came “despite the Iranian authorities’ knowledge that the Kingdom had affirmed it would not allow its airspace or territory to be used to target Iran.”