Day: March 4, 2026

NEW: The combined US-Israeli force has designed its campaign to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities before the force depletes its interceptor stockpiles. The destruction of missile launchers mitigates the risk that either the United States or Israel will run out of interceptors by limiting Iran’s ability to launch missiles in the first place. The decrease in Iranian missile attacks against Israel and the UAE strongly suggests that the effort to destroy ballistic missile launchers has had considerable success.

Other Key Takeaways ⬇️

1. The IDF struck key decision-making institutions on March 3, including the Assembly of Experts building in Tehran, as part of an effort to disrupt senior decision-making. The Assembly of Experts is an 88-member clerical body that is responsible for appointing and supervising the Supreme Leader, according to the Iranian constitution. Strikes that disrupt or prevent the Assembly of Experts from fulfilling its constitutional duty to select the next Supreme Leader would undermine the legitimacy of the regime. The regime is based on the principle of Velayat-e Faqih, in which a jurist, the Supreme Leader, controls Iran.

2. Iranian leaders have devolved powers to lower-level officials in response to the combined force’s strikes targeting senior officials and central decision-making institutions, likely to ensure continued state functions despite disruptions to central Iranian leadership.

3. The IDF continued to strike sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program, including facilities linked to weaponization research conducted by Iranian nuclear scientists.

4. Iran continued to conduct drone and ballistic missile attacks targeting US forces and sites in Gulf countries, which has prompted two US embassies to close.

5. The United States and Israel continued to strike Iranian-backed Iraqi militias on March 2 and 3 to degrade their ability to conduct retaliatory attacks against US forces and Israel.

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) Mar 4, 2026

US banks on high alert for cyberattacks as Iran war escalates https://t.co/RaqEJf9BDw https://t.co/RaqEJf9BDw

— Reuters (@Reuters) March 4, 2026

Motorists reported higher fuel prices as the US-Israel conflict with Iran disrupts energy exports and closes the Strait of Hormuz pic.twitter.com/UawOPNNeWl

— Reuters (@Reuters) March 4, 2026

A war with Venezuela and Iran was not enough : U.S. Opens Military Action in Ecuador Against ‘Terrorist Organizations’ https://t.co/b9Wzas3Gxu via @NYTimes

— Jeff Stein (@SpyTalker) March 4, 2026