The field developments continue on the second day of the escalation, as Reuters reported that the Israeli Air Force launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran today, March 1, a day after the US-Israeli strike that the agency said killed the leader Ali Khamenei, and indicated that the new strikes came amid an Iranian pledge for more "terrifying strikes," and with Israeli talk of continuing to target structures related to missile and defense capabilities.At the same time, CBS coverage quoted the Israeli military as saying that for the first time since the campaign began, Israel targeted targets in the "heart of Tehran," describing it as a "broad wave" of strikes on "regime targets" inside the capital.
Inside Iran, Reuters reported that Khamenei's death (according to its version) has created a vacuum at the top of the pyramid, and that a temporary arrangement has been made for a "leadership council" that includes the president, the head of the judiciary and a member of the Guardian Council, pending a subsequent selection process. On the ground, CBS quoted Iranian official media as reporting contrasting scenes between gatherings that celebrated Khamenei's death on the first day and protests in Tehran, Yazd and southern Iran today demanding "revenge," according to the coverage.
The Iranian response, according to Reuters, included strikes and ballistic missile launches "toward a U.S. aircraft carrier" as part of a broader regional response that affected multiple countries.In additional details, CBS reported the Revolutionary Guard's claim that it "hit" the USS Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles in the Gulf, with a clear emphasis in the coverage that at the time of publication there was no immediate independent confirmation, and that the US Central Command declined to comment when asked. CBS also quoted Iranian official media as saying that the response operations included targeting US bases in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and targets in Gulf countries "in stages."
In the casualty file, CBS said that the US Central Command announced that three US soldiers were killed and five were "seriously injured" in the operation, the first US announcement of casualties since the escalation began, noting that the first statement did not specify where it occurred. On the Israeli side, CBS reported that Israeli medics spoke of killing at least eight people in an explosion near Jerusalem.
Reuters reports that Dubai and Abu Dhabi were hit by audible strikes/explosions today, and that there was damage to vital structures in the UAE, including damage to Dubai International Airport and Zayed Airport in Abu Dhabi, and a fire at the Jebel Ali port.In another report, Reuters said that a compound in Abu Dhabi that houses embassies was damaged, that explosions were heard over Dubai and Doha, and that Oman was hit "for the first time," according to the report, in a wave of retaliatory strikes that expanded on the second day. Reuters added that the disruption included remote work decisions in the UAE until March 3, the disruption of economic events, and a drop in Gulf markets with the suspension of trading in the UAE, according to the report.
In parallel, aviation tracking sources and international reports indicate that the crisis has turned into a regional "air paralysis": Flightradar24 reported continuous updates of airspace closures for several countries in the region after the strikes. The Associated Press reports that airports and airspace in countries such as Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE were closed or restricted, with extensive flight cancellations and the impact extending beyond the region.
On the energy and navigation front, Reuters reported that the crisis was immediately reflected near the Strait of Hormuz, with hundreds of oil and liquefied gas tankers in the vicinity of the strait halted or delayed due to the risks, raising concerns of global repercussions on supplies and prices.On the street outside Iran, CBS reported angry protests and storming attempts near the Green Zone in Baghdad, an attempt to storm the US Consulate in Karachi with fatalities according to local emergency services, and the US Embassy in Muscat warning its employees and US citizens to "shelter in place" due to "ongoing activity" outside Muscat.
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