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In the news today: America mourns its first military casualties as the war in the Middle East widens following the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran; how the war in Gaza set the stage for the latest conflict; and a gunman wearing clothes with an Iranian flag design kills two people in Texas. Also, how a big night for ‘Sinners’ at the Actor Awards is shaking up the Oscar race. |
People watch as smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday. (AP Photo) |
Key developments in the widening war in the Middle East following US and Israeli attacks on Iran |
The war in the Middle East expanded on multiple fronts Monday, with attacks from Iran and Iranian-backed militias hitting Israel and Arab states. A senior Iranian official signaled that there would be no negotiations with the U.S. Fallout from the fighting has been felt around the globe, with deadly protests, canceled flights, suspended shipping and volatile stock markets. Read more on where things stand.
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Three American service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded during the U.S. attacks on Iran, the military announced Sunday. “We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” President Donald Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social platform on Sunday afternoon. “And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”
At least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far by the U.S.-Israeli campaign, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said, with more than 130 cities across the country having come under attack. Eleven people have been killed in Israel, according to authorities there.
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Breaking: The U.S. military said on Monday that Kuwait “mistakenly shot down” three American F-15E Strike Eagles during a combat mission as Iran attacked the country. “All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation,” the U.S. military’s Central Command said.
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Understanding what led to the latest attacks and the global reaction |
The war, while still in its early stages, is part of a much longer continuum of events that have severely weakened Iran, Hezbollah and other proxy militias, and upended the political balance in the region. The damage to Iran’s power radiated from the war in Gaza, where Israeli forces attacked Hamas after militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages during the Oct. 7 attacks. Read more.
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As Israel unleashed a sweeping military response to the brutal Oct. 7, 2023, assault by Hamas, it aimed punch after punch at the power of Iran, the militant group’s longtime sponsor, and its other proxies and allies in the region. The result has been a rapid and systematic degradation of Iran’s clout across the Middle East over the past 2½ years, a seismic change that led directly to this weekend’s devastating attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.
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Gunman wearing shirt with Iranian flag design kills 2 at Texas bar |
A gunman wearing clothes with the words “Property of Allah” killed two people and wounded 14 early Sunday at a Texas bar, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The FBI is investigating the shooting, which erupted a day after the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran, as a potential act of terrorism. Read more.
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Police in Austin shot and killed the gunman, who used both a pistol and a rifle to carry out the attack, police said. The shooting happened just before 2 a.m. along Sixth Street, a nightlife destination filled with bars and music clubs and only a few miles from the University of Texas at Austin.
Authorities haven’t provided a clear motive for the attacks but found “indicators” on the gunman, identified as Ndiaga Diagne, and in his vehicle leading them to look into the possibility of terrorism, said Alex Doran, the acting agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office. Diagne was originally from Senegal, according to multiple people briefed on the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.
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