United States Defense and Military Forces – Page 21 – War Watch

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Trump Signals U.S. Is Prepared for a Long War Against Iran
ByShawn McCreesh, Tyler Pager, Eric Schmitt, Helene Cooper and Abdi Latif Dahir March 2, 2026

President Trump also declined to rule out sending ground troops into Iran as the conflict spread into the Gulf countries and Lebanon and Israel exchanged strikes.

Read More Trump Signals U.S. Is Prepared for a Long War Against Iran
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Rubio Warns Iran Faces ‘Hardest Hits’ Ahead, Offering Conflicting Rationales
ByRobert Jimison March 2, 2026March 3, 2026

The secretary of state signaled that an escalation in Iran was likely and said the attacks underway were both pre-emptive and defensive, describing a far more extensive mission than was initially laid out.

Read More Rubio Warns Iran Faces ‘Hardest Hits’ Ahead, Offering Conflicting Rationales
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U.S. Military Death Toll in Iran War Rises to 6
ByHelene Cooper March 2, 2026March 2, 2026

The number of U.S. service members killed in the first three days of the war grew as officials said the remains of two more troops had been recovered.

Read More U.S. Military Death Toll in Iran War Rises to 6
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How Trump Decided to Go to War With Iran
ByMark Mazzetti, Julian E. Barnes, Tyler Pager, Edward Wong, Eric Schmitt and Ronen Bergman March 2, 2026March 2, 2026

President Trump’s embrace of military action in Iran was spurred by an Israeli leader determined to end diplomatic negotiations. Few of the president’s advisers voiced opposition.

Read More How Trump Decided to Go to War With Iran
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U.S. Sends More Troops to the Mideast as Iran War Expands
ByHelene Cooper and Eric Schmitt March 2, 2026March 3, 2026

Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged the possibility of an extended campaign, as the military announced that six U.S. service members had been killed so far.

Read More U.S. Sends More Troops to the Mideast as Iran War Expands
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Spain Denies U.S. Military Use of Its Bases for Iran Attack
ByJason Horowitz March 2, 2026

The leftist government in Madrid said the war against Iran violated both international law and the agreement between Spain and the United States on the use of air bases.

Read More Spain Denies U.S. Military Use of Its Bases for Iran Attack
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3 U.S. Planes Are Shot Down in ‘Friendly Fire’ in Kuwait, U.S. Military Says
ByAaron Boxerman, Natan Odenheimer, Adam Rasgon, Malachy Browne and Amelia Nierenberg March 2, 2026March 3, 2026

Separately, a drone attack hit the U.S. Embassy compound in the Persian Gulf state, as Iran continues to target American assets across the Middle East.

Read More 3 U.S. Planes Are Shot Down in ‘Friendly Fire’ in Kuwait, U.S. Military Says
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Iran Strikes U.S. Military Facilities Across Gulf Region
ByDevon Lum and Haley Willis March 2, 2026

A Times analysis of satellite imagery and verified videos shows Iran found vulnerabilities in U.S. locations in the region.

Read More Iran Strikes U.S. Military Facilities Across Gulf Region
Deaths (Fatalities) | Defense Department | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Trump, Donald J | United States Defense and Military Forces | United States International Relations | United States Politics and Government | US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026)

Trump Says Iran War Could Last Weeks and Gives Competing Visions of New Regime
ByZolan Kanno-Youngs, David E. Sanger and Tyler Pager March 2, 2026March 2, 2026

In a brief interview, he said the country’s hardened military should simply surrender their weapons to the Iranian public.

Read More Trump Says Iran War Could Last Weeks and Gives Competing Visions of New Regime
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Strike on Girls’ School Kills at Least 175, Iranian State Media Says
ByMalachy Browne, Ephrat Livni and Sanam Mahoozi March 1, 2026March 2, 2026

Videos and images verified by The New York Times showed that at least half of the school was destroyed. It was not immediately clear why the school was hit, or which country’s forces had fired at it.

Read More Strike on Girls’ School Kills at Least 175, Iranian State Media Says