Washington/Tehran (Rajeev Sharma)— The military confrontation between the United States, Israel, and Iran entered its third day on Monday, March 2, 2026, with US President Donald Trump stating that the war could persist for four to five weeks. Speaking from the White House, Trump emphasized that the American military possesses the capacity for even longer operations if necessary, adding that the United States has not yet deployed its full military might. In a warning to Tehran, the President remarked that the “largest attack” is yet to come, even as coalition forces continue large-scale operations across Iranian territory.
The humanitarian impact of the conflict has intensified rapidly since the opening strikes on February 28, which resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to reports from Al-Jazeera, US and Israeli forces have targeted more than 1,000 locations, dropping over 2,000 bombs within the first 30 hours of the campaign. These strikes have resulted in at least 555 deaths and more than 740 injuries within Iran. On the coalition side, the US military confirmed that three American soldiers were killed during hostilities on Sunday.
Retaliatory actions from Tehran have expanded across the region, with Iran striking six American military bases situated in four different Middle Eastern countries on Monday. A notable incident occurred in Kuwait, where three US fighter jets crashed after being mistakenly targeted by Kuwaiti defence systems that identified them as enemy aircraft. While the planes were lost, officials confirmed that all American pilots survived the incident. Despite these exchanges, senior Iranian national security official Ali Larijani maintained a defiant stance, declaring on Monday that Iran has no intention of engaging in any negotiations with the United States.
