Developments in the early hours of Tuesday, March 3, 2026, pushed the region into a new phase of regional war. A series of air, missile, and drone strikes were reported in Iran and several Middle Eastern countries. At the same time, US, Israeli, and Iranian regime officials announced their official positions. These events are unfolding as the debate over succession to the supreme leadership in Tehran has also intensified.
US President Donald Trump, in an interview with NewsNation, stated that a response to the attack on the US embassy in Riyadh and the killing of US military personnel would be delivered soon. He emphasized that the response would be decisive. At the same time, media outlets affiliated with the Iranian regime reported extensive airstrikes in Tehran.\
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Early Tuesday, the compound of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the Iranian regime’s state broadcaster in Tehran, was targeted in an airstrike. Fighter jets also struck several locations in Tehran and Karaj. Precise details about the extent of damage and casualties have not yet been released. Reports indicate impacts at multiple sites.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that part of the wall of Evin Prison in Tehran was destroyed in a missile strike. The area around Imam Hossein University, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the prison wall were targeted. The organization warned that the condition of the prisoners is unknown and their lives are in immediate danger. This incident has intensified human rights concerns amid the regional war.
In another development, a political activist from Abdanan reported that nearly all detainees from the January 2026 uprising in that city have been released. Only Ahmad Alizadeh remains in custody. This news was published amid the escalation of the regional war.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) told Fox News that the Strait of Hormuz is completely open. It emphasized that the Iranian regime is not conducting any patrols and that there are no signs of minelaying. CENTCOM stated that navigation continues and the strait is under control. These remarks were made amid concerns about disruptions to global energy supplies.
Expansion of the regional war across several countries
CENTCOM also announced that US forces destroyed the command headquarters of the IRGC and its control facilities. Simultaneously, Tasnim, a state-run news agency affiliated with the IRGC, reported that the US embassy in Kuwait had been targeted. In statement No. 13, the IRGC claimed it had destroyed the main command building and headquarters of a US air base in Bahrain.
Reuters, citing the so-called Iraqi Resistance, reported that a drone attack was carried out against a hotel hosting US force in Erbil. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that Israel would not enter an endless war. He stressed that the action taken would be swift and decisive.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the objectives of the US operation are to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, drones, and naval forces. He added that the most severe blows by the US military are still to come and that the next phase will be more crushing. Rubio expressed hope that the Iranian people will be able to overthrow this government and shape a new future. These positions indicate that the regional war has expanded in scope.
Reuters reported that satellite images show strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. The Institute for Science and International Security also announced that two attacks on underground uranium enrichment facilities in Natanz have been recorded. In addition, Phase 11 of Pardis, a city northeast of Tehran, was targeted in the attacks.
Competition over succession in the shadow of regional war
Amid these developments, Ahmad Khatami’s colleague in the Assembly of Experts, cleric Mohsen Moallemi, stated that the time required to select a new supreme leader will not be long. He emphasized that the Assembly of Experts— the body constitutionally tasked with appointing the supreme leader—votes according to religious criteria and that political preferences are not involved. Hossein Marashi, a political figure close to the so-called reformist camp, said the Assembly of Experts must choose a leader capable of generating maximum national consensus. He added that the future leader must have social legitimacy.
Reuters reported that following Khamenei’s death, Mojtaba Khamenei, his son, and Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini, are the main contenders for succession. The agency also mentioned a temporary leadership council reportedly consisting of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Alireza Arafi (a senior cleric and member of the Assembly of Experts), and Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, head of the judiciary. It was further reported that Tehran remains hopeful about enduring the war.
Taken together, these developments indicate that the regional war has entered a new phase. Reciprocal attacks, the targeting of sensitive facilities, and the emergence of the succession debate have placed the region in an unprecedented state of instability.
Recent developments show that the political structure ruling Iran has turned the country into a focal point of regional war. Continuing on this path will bring neither domestic stability nor regional security. The experience of the past four decades demonstrates that this cycle of tension and repression will not stop without fundamental change.
