The US military said on Saturday it had received no reports of combat casualties after Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf states in response to a major US‑Israeli strike.
In a statement, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces “successfully defended against hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks. There have been no reports of U.S. casualties or combat-related injuries.” CENTCOM added that damage to US installations in the Gulf was minimal and has not affected operations.
CENTCOM said US forces began striking targets inside Iran on Saturday “to dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritizing locations that posed an imminent threat.” CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper said the President had “ordered bold action,” and praised US service members for answering the call.
The statement identified targets as Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command-and-control facilities, Iranian air-defence systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields. CENTCOM also said one-way attack drones were used in combat for the first time.
Separately, former US President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social network that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed in an Israeli strike. In the post he described Khamenei as “one of the most evil people in history,” said he had been located through US intelligence and tracking systems working with Israel, and claimed some Iranian security forces were seeking immunity and no longer wanted to fight. Trump added that “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue as needed to achieve his stated objective of peace in the region.
The US State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio would not travel to Israel on Monday amid the rising military tensions. State Department official Dylan Johnson posted on X that, “Due to current circumstances, Secretary Rubio will no longer travel to Israel on March 2.”