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Tensions in the region have escalated and the conflict has escalated following six days of attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.
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Published March 6, 2026
The war between the United States, Israel, and Iran is entering its seventh day, with attacks continuing in Iran and other countries in the Middle East.
Iran continues to launch missile and drone attacks across the Gulf as Washington and Tel Aviv claim that the operation, code-named Operation Epic Fury, is decimating Iranian forces.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated on Thursday that the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury would cost $3.7 billion, or about $891 million per day. According to a CSIS report, most of this cost ($3.5 billion) has not been budgeted for.
Here’s what happened in the past day:
in iran
Ongoing US-Israel military operations: The US and Israel continue their military offensive against Iran, with the conflict entering its seventh day. More than 1,230 people have been killed in Iran since the attacks began on Saturday. The Israeli military claimed to have gained “almost complete air superiority” and said it had carried out 2,500 airstrikes and destroyed 80 percent of Iran’s air defense systems. Leadership Succession and US Intervention: Following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a US and Israeli attack on Tehran on Saturday, questions remain over his successor, with reports suggesting his son Mojtaba Khamenei could succeed him. But on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he intended to play a direct role in choosing Iran’s next leader, making it clear that Mojtaba was an “unacceptable” choice. Invasion Warning: Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security Secretary Ali Larijani has warned that Iranian forces are “waiting” for a possible U.S. ground invasion, threatening to kill and capture thousands of U.S. soldiers. Refusal to negotiate: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was “no reason to negotiate with the United States,” insisting that Washington could not be trusted. Iran Attacks: The US says Iranian ballistic missile attacks have fallen by 90% since the first day of the conflict, and drone attacks have fallen by 83% over the same period.
in the gulf countries
KUWAIT: The United States has suspended operations at its embassy in Kuwait City following Iran’s retaliatory attack after Kuwait’s air defense system intercepted missiles and drones. Bahrain: Iranian missiles hit a state-run oil refinery in Bahrain’s industrial city, but the fire has been extinguished. UAE and Qatar: The UAE announced that its air defense forces intercepted multiple Iranian missiles and more than 120 drones. Qatar also reported being the target of Iranian missile and drone barrage after loud explosions were heard in the capital Doha on Thursday. About 20,000 Americans have left the Middle East: The State Department has reported that thousands have already left the region, largely without assistance, but the government is arranging charter flights for civilians still seeking refuge. Evacuation chaos: A French evacuation flight chartered by the government to rescue stranded citizens in the United Arab Emirates was forced to turn back mid-flight due to a missile launch in the region.
in israel
Tel Aviv targeted: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say it has launched a combined drone and missile attack on Tel Aviv and central Israel. Domestic Shutdown and West Bank Violence: Amid security threats, Israel’s Civil Administration has closed all holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City and canceled Friday prayers.
in the US
Military Attacks: U.S. Central Command reported hitting approximately 200 targets inside Iran in the past 72 hours, including ballistic missile launchers and naval vessels. President Trump’s claims: President Trump said Iran is being “destroyed” “ahead of schedule and to a level that people have never seen before,” and claimed that the country currently has “no air force, no air defense.” The Air Force is “gone,” he said. CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT: The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives voted 219-212 against the effort to halt the war and seek Congressional authorization for hostilities against Iran. Instability Denial: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has pushed back against criticism, denying that the US and Israel are causing instability in the region. Economic Impact: The ongoing war has roiled U.S. financial markets. Earlier this week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged more than 1,000 points, or 2.2%, as oil prices rose due to the war.
in Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt
Iraqi military base: Iraqi forces shot down a drone that targeted a military base with U.S. assets near Baghdad International Airport. The drone reportedly approached Air Force Victoria Victoria overnight Wednesday but was intercepted before reaching its target. Iran attacks Kurdish groups: Iranian state television Press TV reported early Thursday that Iran was attacking “anti-Iranian separatist forces,” referring to Iranian and Iraqi Kurdish groups believed to be based in hard-to-reach mountainous areas near the Iran-Iraq border. US President Donald Trump is known to be in talks with some of these groups with a view to participating in an attack against Iran. Offensive intensifies in Lebanon: Israel is heavily shelling Lebanon and has issued an evacuation warning for Beirut’s southern suburbs and parts of the Bekaa Valley. WARNING FOR EGYPT’S ECONOMY: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has warned that the country is in a “near state of emergency” economically as the ongoing Middle East war threatens to increase prices.
in europe
Europe under pressure: European governments are divided on how to respond to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, with some deploying defensive military assets and others emphasizing diplomacy. Britain and France moved their naval and air defense resources to the Eastern Mediterranean to protect their allies’ interests. On Monday, the Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri, Cyprus in the Mediterranean, came under a drone attack. Other European countries, including Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, have so far focused on diplomatic responses and have not announced direct combat deployments. Azerbaijan: The country has suspended truck traffic across the border with Iran and is preparing “retaliatory measures” after an Iranian drone attack injured four civilians in the enclave of Nakhchivan.
