Fire after an airstrike on the Iranian capital Tehran.Image: keystone
According to US assessments, Iran’s fighting power has been significantly weakened – yet Tehran is continuing to expand the war throughout the Middle East. After firing a missile at Turkey, NATO is increasing the alert and operational readiness of its ballistic defense systems.
03/06/2026, 06:4003/06/2026, 06:40
This was ordered by the commander of the NATO Air Force Command, the spokesman for the NATO military headquarters said in the evening. Meanwhile, the USA and Israel continue their attacks in Iran. “We have no shortage of ammunition,” said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
According to US President Donald Trump, Iran’s air defenses and missiles have already been completely or largely destroyed. “So they no longer have an air force, they no longer have air defense. “All their planes are gone,” Trump said in Washington. In addition, 60 percent of their missiles and 64 percent of their launchers are deactivated, he said. The US President’s statements cannot be independently verified.
US commander: Iran’s missile attacks have declined
Iran said it had fired more than 500 ballistic and cruise missiles since the war began on Saturday. However, according to the responsible US commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, the country is now firing significantly fewer missiles. Compared to the beginning of the war, ballistic missile attacks have fallen by 90 percent. In addition, there are now significantly fewer threat attacks, explained Cooper.
The Iranian navy was also badly hit. The number of ships destroyed or sunk is now more than 30, said Cooper. Most recently, an Iranian drone carrier “about the size of an aircraft carrier from the Second World War” was hit. According to the US regional command Centcom, the attacked drone carrier is on fire.
Iran’s ability to cause great destruction will decrease as its missile arsenal is weakened, Farzan Sabet from the Geneva Graduate Institute told the Wall Street Journal. Nevertheless, it could continue to attack in the Middle East. According to the report, Iran also has a large arsenal of inexpensive drones. Hasan Alhasan from the International Institute for Strategic Studies said: “Iran is now focusing on endurance, not quantity.”
Saudi Arabia: Air Force base bombarded
According to US observers, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for world trade, fell by around 90 percent. The neighbors include Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. There are US military bases in several of these states – which means that, along with Israel, they have also become the target of Iranian attacks. Meanwhile, as the Saudi Ministry of Defense announced on X night, the country’s air defenses repelled three ballistic missiles that were fired towards the Prince Sultan base.
By firing a missile at the NATO country Türkiye and a drone attack on a British base in Cyprus, Iran caused the conflict to further escalate. NATO will maintain the now ordered increase in the alert and operational readiness of its ballistic defense systems until the threat from Iran’s indiscriminate attacks in the region subsides, said the spokesman for NATO military headquarters. When asked whether additional missile defense systems would be deployed to the region, no information was provided.
Israel continues to attack Iran and Lebanon
Meanwhile, Israel’s air force again attacked targets in the Iranian capital Tehran during the night. The army announced that a “large-scale wave of attacks had been launched against the infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime in Tehran.” Army chief Ejal Zamir previously announced a new phase of attacks. “In this phase we will continue to dismantle the regime and its military capabilities,” he said and announced “further surprises.”
Israel carried out attacks on Beirut during the night.Image: keystone
In its northern neighbor Lebanon, Israel continued to attack the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in the evening in suburbs of the capital Beirut, which are considered the militia’s stronghold. Residents reported explosions. During the night, Hezbollah called on residents in northern Israel to evacuate all Israeli settlements within five kilometers of the border. It was the militia’s first warning of its kind since the new violence broke out.
Since the American-Israeli attacks began on Saturday, a total of more than 1,200 people are said to have died in Iran, as Iranian media reported, citing a state foundation. Among other things, Iran’s head of state Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed. There were also deaths in Iranian counterstrikes on several countries in the region.
Trump: Must have a say in Iran’s future leadership
After the killing of Khamenei, the leadership trio appointed for the transition period in Iran was granted more power. The provisional leadership council was given, among other things, the powers to declare peace and war, reported the Iranian online portal Didban.
Trump wants to have a say in the future leadership of Iran. “I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy (Rodriguez) in Venezuela,” he told the US news portal “Axios”. He said that he rejected Khamenei’s son Moschtaba Khamenei as the new head of state: “Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me,” said Trump. This is a “lightweight”. The US government had previously denied that it was pursuing a change of power in Iran.
US President Donald Trump.Image: keystone
The Kurdish wife of Iraqi President Abdel Latif Rashid, Shanas Ibrahim Ahmed, previously spoke out against a possible offensive by Kurdish fighters in Iran. She was referring to Trump’s alleged plans to recruit Iranian Kurds in Iraq for a ground offensive in Iran. According to the Washington Post, Trump is said to have offered support from US fighter jets. However, it is unclear whether a ground offensive by Kurdish fighters in Iran is imminent. (dab/sda/dpa)