Three tankers damaged in Gulf and one seafarer killed as US-Iran conflict escalates

By Yousef Saba, Jaidaa Taha and Jonathan Saul

FILE PHOTO: Illustration shows map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran

DUBAI/LONDON, March 1 (Reuters) - At least three tankers were damaged off the Gulf coast and one seafarer was killed as Iranian retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran exposed ships to collateral damage, shipping sources and officials said on ‌Sunday.

Risks to commercial shipping have surged in the past 24 hours, with more than 200 vessels including oil and liquefied gas tankers dropping anchor around ‌the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, shipping data showed on Sunday.

Iran has said it has closed navigation through the critical waterway, prompting Asian governments and refiners - key buyers - to assess oil stockpiles.

Major container shipping ​lines have rerouted round the Cape of Good Hope.

"The U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran dramatically increases the security risk to ships operating in the Persian Gulf and adjacent waters," said Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at shipping association BIMCO.

It was not immediately clear who launched the projectiles and drones that targeted or damaged ships on Sunday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said meanwhile that the United States had destroyed nine Iranian navy ships and pummeled Iran's naval headquarters.

'SHIPS MAY BE TARGETED DELIBERATELY OR IN ERROR'

"Ships with business connections to U.S. or Israeli interests ‌are more likely to be targeted, but other ships may ⁠also be targeted deliberately or in error," BIMCO's Larsen said.

A projectile hit the Marshall Islands–flagged product tanker MKD VYOM, killing a crew member on board as the vessel sailed off the coast of Oman, vessel manager V.Ships said on Sunday.

"The vessel suffered an explosion ⁠and subsequent fire after being struck," V.Ships Asia said in a statement.

"It is with great sadness that we confirm one crew member, who was in the engine room at the time of the incident, has died," the statement said.

The International Maritime Organization, the U.N.'s shipping agency, urged companies to avoid sailing through the affected area until conditions improved.

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A Palau-flagged oil tanker under U.S. ​sanctions ​was also hit on Sunday off Oman's Musandam peninsula, injuring four people, the country's maritime security ​centre said without specifying what hit the vessel.

Another tanker in the ‌UAE port of Jebel Ali was almost damaged by falling debris from an aerial interception after overnight Iranian attacks targeting Gulf states, maritime security sources said.

A third, oil-bunkering tanker was damaged off the UAE coast, two shipping sources said.

A fourth vessel, an oil products tanker, was targeted with a drone off the coast of the UAE, although it managed to sail without being damaged, maritime security sources said.

Port operations at Jebel Ali have been paused due to the situation, officials said on Sunday.

RISK OF MINES

Vessels were advised to keep clear of the Strait of Hormuz and wider Gulf of Oman because of the risk of retaliatory strikes by Iran, the U.S. transport ministry's Maritime Administration ‌said separately in a note on Saturday.

"Any U.S.-flagged, owned or crewed commercial vessels that are operating ​in these areas should maintain a standoff of 30 nautical miles from U.S. military vessels to reduce ​the risk of being mistaken as a threat," it said.

There was also the ​potential risk of mines being laid by Iranian forces in the narrow lanes within the Strait of Hormuz, security sources said.

The Iranian ‌military loaded naval mines on vessels in the Persian Gulf in ​June, heightening concern in Washington that Tehran was ​gearing up to establish a Strait of Hormuz blockade, two U.S. officials told Reuters in July.

Maritime sources said they expected war risk insurance rates to surge when underwriters reviewed cover on Monday.

War risk cover is required when sailing into perilous areas and the Lloyd's of London market has already listed Iran, the ​Gulf and parts of the Gulf of Oman as high-risk.

"We ‌would estimate that near-term rate increases for marine hull insurance in the Gulf could range from 25% to 50%," said Dylan Mortimer at insurance ​broker Marsh.

(Reporting by Yousef Saba, Jaidaa Taha and Jonathan Saul, Additional reporting by Yannis Souliotis, Arathy Somasekhar, Enes Tunagur, Muhammad Al Gebaly and Nadine ​Awadalla; writing by Jonathan Saul; Editing by Ros Russell, David Goodman and Aidan Lewis)

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 01, 2026

Three tankers damaged in Gulf and one seafarer killed as US-Iran conflict escalates

By Yousef Saba, Jaidaa Taha and Jonathan Saul FILE PHOTO: Illustration shows map showing the Strait of Hormuz ...

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Law enforcement investigating whether Iran strike was part of Austin mass shooter’s motivation, sources say

Law enforcement is investigating whether the strike on Iran motivated the suspect in an early Sunday morning shooting in Austin's entertainment district that killed two people and left 14 others wounded, multiple law enforcement officials briefed on the case said, though officials cautioned that it was too early to draw any conclusions.

Authorities are also reviewing past mental health encounters the suspect had while living in Texas, the officials added. The suspect -— who was also killed — had a shirt with an Iranian flag design, two law enforcement officials briefed on the attack told CNN.

Three of those hospitalized are in critical condition, officials said.

"Obviously, it's still way too early in the process to determine an exact motivation, but there were indicators on the subject and then his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism," Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI San Antonio Division, said at a news conference Sunday morning.

The suspected gunman was a 53-year-old naturalized US citizen originally from Senegal, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. The man appears to have arrived in the United States in the early 2000's and initially settled in New York, the official told CNN. It's not clear when the suspect arrived in Texas, but he did have multiple addresses in the state, the official added.

The suspect had both a pistol and an assault rifle in his possession, a spokesperson for the FBI's San Antonio office told CNN on Sunday.

There have been at least 56 mass shootings in the US so far this year – defined as when at least four people are shot, not including the shooter – according to theGun Violence Archive.

Authorities received a call about a man shooting from a large SUV, outside Buford's Backyard Beer Garden at West Sixth and Rio Grande streets, according to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis. The SUV had been spotted circling the block before the shooting, she said.

"At one point, he put his flashers on, rolled down his window, and began using a pistol, shooting out of his car windows, striking patrons of the bar that were on the patio and that were in front of the bar," Davis she said.

The suspect then drove westbound on Sixth Street, parked his vehicle and got out on foot with a rifle, Davis said. He then began shooting at people walking by, she said.

Because police and emergency medical teams are predeployed downtown on weekends, authorities reached the suspect in less than a minute, Davis said.

"Our suspect was coming toward East Austin or East Sixth Street, officers were coming toward him, and at the intersection, he was shot and he was killed at this time," Davis said.

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Davis previously told reporters three officers "returned fire" when they encountered the suspect.

The bomb squad was called in after investigators saw items inside the suspect's vehicle that raised concerns, Davis said, but the vehicle was "cleared pretty quickly," and it was determined there were no explosives.

"This is a tragic, tragic incident," Davis said. "Our federal partners are here, as well as others, and this will be a scene that will take several hours to process."

The FBI San Antonio Division, which covers the Austin area, confirmed the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation based on evidence found at the scene.

Paramedics embedded in the entertainment district with the Austin Police Department on weekends quickly responded, according to Robert Luckritz, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services chief.

"We had more than 20 EMS resources that responded to the scene. We had all critical patients off the scene within 24 minutes, and all patients off the scene within 47 minutes," Luckritz said.

"Our hearts go out to the people that are victims of this. And I want to again reiterate my thanks to our public safety officers and officials that so rapidly were on the scene," Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said at the news conference. "They definitely saved lives."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott condemned the attack and said he ordered the Department of Public Safety to increase patrols and law enforcement personnel in the Sixth Street area on weekends.

"This act of violence will not define us, nor will it shake the resolve of Texans," he said in a statement.

CNN's Amanda Watts and John Miller contributed to this report.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 01, 2026

Law enforcement investigating whether Iran strike was part of Austin mass shooter’s motivation, sources say

Law enforcement is investigating whether the strike on Iran motivated the suspect in an early Sunday morning shooting in ...

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CIA tracked Iranian leaders for months ahead of attacks that began with 3 strikes in 60 seconds

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli and American authorities spent weeks tracking the movements of senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sharing information that allowed the strikes to be carried out in a surprise daylight attack, according to an Israeli military official and a person familiar with the operation.

Trump

The eventual barrage ofU.S.-Israeli attacks on Irancame so quickly that they were nearly simultaneous — with three strikes in three locations hitting within a single minute — killing Khamenei and some 40 senior figures, including the head of the Revolutionary Guard and the country's defense minister, the Israeli military official said Sunday.

The official insisted on anonymity to more fully detail the attack, but said that a variety of factors created a golden opportunity to take out much of Iran's leadership, like weeks of training and monitoring the movements of senior figures as well as intelligence in real-time before the attack began that key targets were gathered together.

Striking by day also gave an additional element of surprise, said the official, who said that so many major, rapid-fire strikes were critical to keep key officials from fleeing after the first strike. The official said Israel closely cooperated with its U.S. counterparts and had used a similar tactic at the beginning of last June's war — which resulted in the killing of several senior Iranian figures.

The official also noted Khamenei having posted defiant tweets taunting President Donald Trump in the days before the attack.

The details about the strikes came as the conflict entered its second day, with Trump saying in a video message Sunday that he expected it would continue until "all of our objectives are achieved." He did not spell out what those objectives were.

The Republican president also said the U.S. military and its partners hit hundreds of targets in Iran, including paramilitary Revolutionary Guard facilities, Iranian air defense systems and nine warships, "all in a matter of literally minutes."

CIA had long tracked top Iranian leaders

Before the attacks, the CIA had for months tracked the movements of senior Iranian leaders, including the country's supreme leader.

The intelligence was shared with Israeli officials, and the timing of the strikes was adjusted in part because of that information about the Iranian leaders' location, according to the person, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The intelligence-sharing between U.S. and Israel reflects the preparation that went into the strikes, which continued for a second day Sunday afterKhamenei's killingthrew the future ofthe Islamic Republicintouncertaintyand raised the risk of escalating regional conflict.

Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CBS' "Face the Nation" that tracking the movements of the supreme leader and the heads of other adversarial nations "is obviously one of the highest priorities of our intelligence community."

The U.S. regularly shares intelligence with allies including Israel. Those partnerships, and the accuracy of the intelligence they yield, is often critical not only to the success of a military operation but also to thepublic's support for it.

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Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the committee, told The Associated Press that, historically, "our working relationship with the Mossad and Israel is really strong." Mossad is the Israeli spy agency.

Warner said he has serious concerns about the justification for the strikes, Trump's long-term plans for the conflict and the risks that U.S. service members will face. The military announced that three American troops had been killed in the Iran operation.

"No tears will be shed over their leadership being eliminated, but always the question is: OK, what next?" Warner said.

Iran has signaled it's open to talks with the US

A senior White House official said Iran's "new potential leadership" has suggested it is open to talks with the United States. That official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations, said Trump has indicated he's "eventually" willing to talk but that for nowthe military operation "continues unabated."

The official did not say who the potential new Iranian leaders are or how they made their alleged willingness to talk known. Separately, Trump told The Atlantic that he planned to speak with Iran's new leadership.

"They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them," he said Sunday, declining comment on the timing.

The potential future diplomatic opening comes as the details were emerging aboutthe detailed planning that went intothe U.S.-Israeli strikes and some of the targets that were hit in Iran.

U.S. Central Command said that B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran's ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. That mirrors the approach that the military took in June, when Trump agreed to deployB-2 bombersto attack three key Iranian nuclear sites.

Trump said during hisState of the Union speechlast week that Iran had been building ballistic missiles that could reach the U.S. homeland — a justification he repeated again Saturday as he announced that the bombardment of Iran was underway.

Iran has not acknowledged that it is building or seeking to build intercontinental ballistic missiles. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, however, said in anunclassified reportlast year that Iran could develop a militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 "should Tehran decide to pursue the capability."

Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Will Weissert and Ben Finley contributed to this report.

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 01, 2026

CIA tracked Iranian leaders for months ahead of attacks that began with 3 strikes in 60 seconds

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli and American authorities spent weeks tracking the movements of senior Iranian leaders, includin...

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US lawmakers see no Trump plan for Iran following strikes

By Doina Chiacu

Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran

March 1 (Reuters) - The United States has yet to spell out a "day-after" strategy for Iran following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed much of the country's leadership, lawmakers from both major political parties said on Sunday.

U.S. President Donald Trump has called for a change in Iran's government, which has entered a period of uncertainty following the death of Supreme Leader ‌Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Saturday's attack. The strategy Trump has publicly outlined so far hinges largely on the hope that the Iranian people will rise up and determine their own future after decades ‌of repression.

Republicans expressed optimism about the attacks, while Democrats were skeptical they would lead to a favorable outcome, but lawmakers on both sides were uncertain about the immediate future. Trump told the Daily Mail later on Sunday that the military operation could continue for four weeks.

WHAT ​COMES NEXT?

Lawmakers appearing on Sunday morning talk shows all opposed deploying U.S. ground forces to Iran.

"There's no simple answer for what's going to come next," Senator Tom Cotton, the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee from Arkansas, said on CBS News' "Face the Nation."

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a staunch Trump ally and defense hawk, echoed the U.S. president's call for the Iranian people to decide who should lead their government.

"You know, this idea, 'You break it, you own it,' I don't buy that one bit," Graham said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program. "This is not Iraq. This is not Germany. This is not Japan. We're going to free the people up from a terrorist regime."

Khamenei's death set ‌off a process under which a three-person council will run the country until ⁠a separate clerical body selects a new supreme leader.

Asked if the U.S. had identified a leader of the Iranian opposition that Iran's people could rally behind, Cotton said: "The opposition is 90 million Iranians who have suffered under the brutal Islamic Republic Revolutionary regime for the last 47 years."

Senator Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, said he could not see ⁠how regime change in Iran could happen with the current operation.

"There's no example I know of in modern history where regime change has happened solely through air strikes," Coons said on CNN's "State of the Union" program.

Before Saturday's air strikes, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency assessed that hardline figures from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could replace Khamenei if he were killed, two sources briefed on the intelligence said.

Trump on Sunday said that 48 leading figures in Iran's government had been killed so ​far. ​Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, pointed to the earlier CIA assessment.

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"So, we are not going to get a democracy. We ​are going to get an even worse Iranian leadership," Murphy told the CBS program. "It's ‌no secret that this administration has no plan for the chaos that is unfolding right now in the Middle East."

'WAR OF CHOICE'

The U.S. and Israeli strikes, as well as Iranian retaliation, have sent shockwaves through multiple sectors, such as shipping, air travel and oil, amid warnings of rising energy costs and disruption to business in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway.

Three U.S. service members have been killed and another five were seriously wounded, in the first U.S. casualties of the unfolding operations against Iran, the U.S. military said on Sunday.

Trump justified the attack in part by pointing to the threat of an Iranian nuclear program that he had until recently claimed had been "obliterated" by U.S. air strikes last June.

While Trump's fellow Republicans largely fell in line behind the president, several Democratic lawmakers said the attack was illegal because only Congress has the right to declare war under the Constitution.

Senator Mark ‌Warner, the Democratic vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee from Virginia, who was among the eight lawmakers briefed last week ​before the strikes, said the administration did not provide evidence of an imminent threat. Instead, Warner said, Trump started a "war of choice."

"I ​saw no intelligence that Iran was on the verge of launching any kind of pre-emptive strike ​against the United States," Warner said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Warner and U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, expressed concern that it could drag the United States into another ‌long and messy conflict in the Middle East.

Khanna, who is helping lead an ​attempt in the House of Representatives to block further military ​action without congressional approval, said it was unclear how Iran would be governed following Khamenei's death.

"Khamenei was a brutal dictator, but Americans are not safer today," Khanna said. "The question is: 'Is the country going to descend in civil war? Are billions of our dollars going to be spent there? Are American troops going to be at risk?'"

Lawmakers said they wanted to avoid a prolonged and costly conflict reminiscent of ​the Iraq War, which dragged on for years and claimed thousands of U.S. ‌lives.

Senator Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida, said he hopes U.S. involvement in Iran can be completed within a month.

"It all depends on... whoever the new leader is in Iran," Scott ​told Fox's "Sunday Morning Futures" show. "We're going to finish this, and if we don't, we'll be doing this in five years, in 10 years."

(Reporting by P.J. Huffstutter in Chicago, Doina Chiacu in ​Washington, Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut and Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Sergio Non and Bill Berkrot)

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 01, 2026

US lawmakers see no Trump plan for Iran following strikes

By Doina Chiacu Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in ...

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Some celebrate in Iran after supreme leader's death, but deep fear and uncertainty remain

CAIRO (AP) — Some of the jubilation was open and even raucous — people dancing in Iranian streets, honking car horns in celebration, screaming joyfully from windows and rooftops over the killing of the country's supreme leader. But asbombardment by the United States and Israelfell from the air for a second day Sunday, many expressed fear and uncertainty over what direction Iran will take.

The death ofAyatollah Ali Khamenei, who stood at the pinnacle of Iran's Islamic Republic for nearly four decades, along with a number of top military leaders in the first day of the U.S.-Israeli campaign, stunned Iranians and stirred a mix of complex emotions in a divided nation.

"Inside, we are in party mode," said one man in northern Tehran who expressed joy overKhamenei's death. He was reached via messaging apps. "But unless we are safe from them, people are not celebrating publicly because they are ruthless and even more vengeful."

Authorities moved to show public support, rallyingmassive crowds in several citiesto mourn a leader that state media declared a martyr. Video run on state media — verified by the AP — showed tens of thousands filling the sprawling main squares of the southern and central cities of Isfahan and Yazd, waving Iranian flags and chanting, "Death to America."

Several of those who joined past anti-government protests, reached by The Associated Press on Sunday, said the state's security grip remained too strong to go out for a new round of mass demonstrations, despite calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for Iranians to "seize their government." With communications into Iran unstable, AP contacted eight Iranians, some of whom spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Golshan Fathi, a woman living in Tehran, said the Basij paramilitary, which played a key role in the bloody crushing of mass protests last month, was showing a heavy presence in the streets of the capital. A doctor in the northern city of Rasht said Basijis pulled one man out of his car after he honked his horn in celebration.

Iranian society at the moment, Fathi said, is living "between hope and fear."

Some cheered, some honked

Iranian society is deeply divided. Hundreds of thousands marched in the streets across Iran last month, chanting "Death to Khamenei" in what were likely the biggest protests ever against the clerics' rule in place since 1979. A bloody crackdowncrushed the street movement, but not thebitterness against the government. At the same time, large numbers of loyalists remain tied to the system for religious, social or patronage reasons.

Iran's leadership quickly moved to show it was still in control even after the deaths of Khamenei, the defense minister, army chief of staff and a top security adviser. President Masoud Pezeshkian said a new leadership council had begun its work, and the foreign minister saida new supreme leaderwould be chosen in "one or two days."

Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf delivered an address on state TV on Sunday, saying the government and military did not depend on individuals.

"We prepared ourselves for these moments and set plans for all scenarios," he said, "even for after the martyrdom of our dear Imam Khamenei."

State media announced Khamenei's death just after dawn on Sunday. Celebrations erupted in some areas. Videos circulating online and verified by the AP showed dozens cheering and dancing and cars honking their horns in the streets of Karaj, a city near Tehran. Fathi in Tehran and the doctor in Rasht said cheers and celebratory chants were heard from windows and rooftops around their neighborhoods.

"It was one of the best nights, if not the best night, of our lives,"the doctor saidin a voice message. "It was actually my first time ever smoking a cigarette. ... We didn't sleep at all. And we don't even feel tired."

During the day, Iranians faced the reality of living under bombardment, with no idea when it will end. Blasts in Tehran sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky in an area where there are government buildings. Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have been killed in the strikes, including at least 165 killed in a strike at an all-girls school in the country's south.

Residents of Tehran rushed to supermarkets on Sunday, emptying shelves of bottled water, bread, eggs and milk. Long lines at gas stations across the capital suggested fears of possible fuel shortages or plans by many to leave the city. State television footage showed heavy traffic on major highways, with cars packed bumper-to-bumper as families attempted to reach northern provinces. Others said they were staying home, deciding that was safer.

Iranfired missiles at an ever-widening list of targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states in retaliation while Israel pledged "non-stop" strikes against Iran's leaders and military.

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Some talk about a possible 'new page' for Iran

Fathi said she fears the Islamic Republic will hold onto power, "leading to chaos or even causing the splitting of the nation.

"But maybe, maybe from this morning, that new page for Iran where everything changes has begun. People are hopeful," she said. As she spoke, she heard the sound of explosions in the capital. "Right now, you see, Israel is hitting us. Fighters have violated our country's airspace and are freely bombing us and we are just sitting here."

Iranians arestill reeling from last month's crackdown, when security forces killed thousands. That and the ensuing wave of arrests have made many fearful of taking the streets again. Others are wary of U.S. and Israeli intentions or fear that Iran will be thrown into chaos and division.

"I don't think that the people have their determination in their own hands yet," the doctor in Rasht said. "This is a foreign war at the end of the day. But if the regime is so weakened and then another call for protests is made, this is another story."

Reza Mehrabi, 67, said celebrations of the deaths of Iranian senior leaders seem premature. He recalled similar celebrations after the 1979 revolution when the Shah was deposed, and the Islamic Republic's reign began.

"I saw some people were happy about the losses, but when I remember 1979 revolution and its aftermath, I need more consideration to understand if the nation and the country is on the right path."

But there's uncertainty about how much the strikes will embolden Iranians

One 27-year-old Tehran resident said a strike fell a few hundred yards (meters) away from her house, terrifying her with the explosion. "I have no idea which direction we are heading," she said. "I wish all these things were just a bad dream that vanishes when I wake up."

Despite Trump's calls for Iranians to rise up, experts say launching a new wave of mass demonstrations may not be so simple.

"The reality is, the Iranian people don't have the means to displace the Islamic Republic on their own," said Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies-Europe.

The strikes will embolden some people, he predicted, but many will be wary of taking to the streets again "because the regime retains its repressive capacity … and there should be no doubts it would be willing to use violence again against protesters."

"Even within families and within neighborhoods there may be very disparate views" about Khamenei's killing, especially because it was at the hands of foreign powers, he said.

Both in last summer's 12-day war with Israel and so far in this round of bombardment, "the political and military apparatus has been hit hard, but they have replaced people and maintained their cohesion," said Arang Keshavarzian, professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at New York University.

During the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iranians from across society held massive protests lasting for months, eventually leading to the shah fleeing the country. "But we are far from the 1979 model in which Iranians organized strikes and nationwide organizations of merchants, students, and clerics," Keshavarzian said.

"Just because Iranians have many grievances and make claims on the state on a daily basis, it does not necessarily mean that this will scale up to a social revolution," he said. "And bombing Iran does not change this."

El Deeb and Chehayeb reported from Beirut.

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 01, 2026

Some celebrate in Iran after supreme leader's death, but deep fear and uncertainty remain

CAIRO (AP) — Some of the jubilation was open and even raucous — people dancing in Iranian streets, honking car horns in c...

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Spring Is Coming In Hot As Millions Across The US Face Record Highs This Week

March 1 is thestart of meteorological spring, but the forecast might look more like the beginning of summer for millions across the country. (Astronomical spring begins March 20). This is a major flip compared to last week, when we hadan historic blizzardand cold temperatures to start the week.

Over the course of this week, we will see dozens of high temperature records fall from the Desert Southwest to the mid-Atlantic.

Heat Dominates Southwest And Deep South First Half Of The Week

Warm temperatures will continue across the Southwest and Deep South to start the week. Dozens of record highs could fall from Phoenix to Jackson, Mississippi, and even north into Grand Junction, Colorado.

Those hot highs will hang on for one more day across the Southwest, as Monday is expected to hit 91 degrees in Phoenix. This will be the 3rd day in a row temperatures have topped 90 degrees.

Mid to upper 80s will dominate much of Texas to start the week. Just last Thursday, the Falcon Dam cooperative weather station, along the Rio Grande River about 70 miles south-southeast of Laredo, reported ahigh temperature of 106 degrees.This is a preliminary record of the hottest temperature ever recorded during the winter months in the U.S.

The record warmth will stick around across the South through midweek, then begin to shift eastward.

Southeast And Mid-Atlantic Feeling The Heat Later This Week

By the latter half of the week, the heat will spread eastward, impacting much of the Southeast and mid-Atlantic, with the record heat peaking on Friday for most.

On Friday, record highs could fall from Houston to Tampa, and stretch northward into portions of Ohio. This sprawling area will see high temperatures as much as 25-30 degrees above average for this time of year.

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On Friday, we could see record highs in places like Atlanta, Memphis, Charlotte and even Zanesville, Ohio.

On Saturday, places as far north as Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh could see a high in the mid 70s.

While the Northeast isn't expected to set any records, they will definitely be feeling the spring vibes with temperatures reaching the mid 50 by the weekend. This will be a welcomed change from the two and a half feet of snow that was dumped on the region byWinter Storm Hernandoless than two weeks prior.

March Is Trending Warmer For Many

As we make this major flip from such a cold winter to a mild March, this warming trend is expected to continue for most of the country, especially the west, through at least the first half of the month.

So if you have been counting the days until the sun and warmth reaches you, enjoy!

This doesn't mean the cold weather is behind us, but we can make the most of the warmer days while they last.

(MORE:March Forecast Trending Warmer)

Jennifer Grayis a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.

byAlex Forten

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 01, 2026

Spring Is Coming In Hot As Millions Across The US Face Record Highs This Week

March 1 is thestart of meteorological spring, but the forecast might look more like the beginning of summer for millions ...

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Americans worldwide urged to be cautious after US operations in Iran

The State Department has issued a worldwide caution for Americans, not just in the Middle East.

Americans worldwide urged to be cautious after US operations in Iran

"Following the launch ofU.S. combat operations in Iran, Americans worldwide and especially in the Middle East should follow the guidance in the latest security alerts issued by the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate," theState Department announcedFeb. 28. "The Department of State advises Americans worldwide to exercise increased caution."

A number of U.S. embassies and consulates across the Middle East have advised U.S. citizens toshelter in place.

Travelers hoping to either leave or enter the region are also being limited by temporary airspace closures.

US-Iran live updatesIsrael, Iran trade strikes after Khamenei killed

Airports, airspace closed

In the United Arab Emirates, one person was killed and seven people were hurt by falling debris after a drone targetingZayed International Airportwas intercepted, according toAbu Dhabi Airports.The airport and UAE airspace are currently closed.

Four workers were hurt when a concourse sustained minor damage at Dubai International Airport, one theworld's busiest, according toDubai Airports.A spokesperson said most terminals had already been evacuated at the time. The airport and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International have both suspended flights until further notice.

Several workers suffered minor injuries in a drone attack on Kuwait International Airport, a spokesperson for the country's civil aviation authority told state-ownedKuwait News Agency KUNA.

Bahrain International AirportandHamad International Airportin Qatar have suspended flight operations due to airspace closures over their respective countries. Israel has also closed its airspace and evacuated passengers at Ben Gurion International Airport and Haifa Airport, according to itsAirports Authority.Some of Israel's land border crossings are also closed.

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The vast majority of El Al, Emirates, FlyDubai, Gulf Air and Qatar Airways flights for March 1 are cancelled, according toflight tracking website FlightAware. More than half of Etihad Airways' flights are canceled as well.

What travelers should do

U.S. citizens currently abroad or heading out of the country are urged to enroll in the State Department's freeSmart Traveler Enrollment Programfor important updates and easier reach in the event of an emergency.

"Also follow our WhatsApp channel 'U.S. Department of State – Security Updates for U.S. Citizens' and@TravelGovsocial media," State Department Assistant Secretary for Consular AffairsMora Namdar posted on X,adding that the safety and security of Americans is their highest priority. "Americans in the Middle East region who need consular assistance can call 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 from overseas or +1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada."

Travelers trying to rebook flights to the Middle East should reach out to their respective airlines.

In a statement to USA TODAY, a spokesperson for Israel's El Al said the airline is proactively reaching out to existing ticketholders and will give them first priority once flights are allowed to resume. Ticket purchases for other flights have been closed until March 21 or until existing ticketholders can be rebooked.

"Closing ticket sales is intended to ensure full priority for customers whose tickets were issued before the current situation and to guarantee their travel as soon as possible," the airline said, directing customers toEl Al's websiteand social media for the latest updates.

The U.S. Department of Transportation requires travelers to be given a refund if their flight is canceled for any reason and they choose to no longer fly.

Travelers who already purchasedtravel insurance for their tripsmay have additional options. However, Squaremouth Travel Insurance notes, "Most standard travel insurance plansexclude cancellation coverage for military action, acts of war, or government-imposed airspace closures."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Americans urged to exercise caution abroad: What travelers should know

byAlex Forten

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March 01, 2026

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