Live updates: Russia helping Iran as war death toll rises
The barrage of missiles and airstrikes in Iran targeting its military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program, continued into the weekend.
The stated goals and timelines set by the Trump administration for the war have repeatedly shifted, as the U.S. has at times suggested it seeks to topple Iran’s government or elevate new leadership from within.
The death toll continues to rise. At least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 200 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel have been killed, according to officials in those countries. Six U.S. troops have been killed.
Here’s the latest for Saturday:
State Dept. says 28K Americans returned to US from Middle East
10:35 a.m. ET: The State Department says more than 28,000 Americans have returned to the United States from the Middle East since the start of the Iran war seven days ago.
The vast majority of those have made their way home without government assistance on commercial flights, although the department said Saturday it had organized more than a dozen charter flights that had evacuated several thousand Americans.
It said it had offered direct assistance - in the form of safety and security information as well as providing charter options - to more than 16,000 U.S. citizens who have reached out for help.
‘Iran will be hit very hard!’
10:30 a.m. ET: President Donald Trump warned in a Truth Social post that more Iranian officials will be targets, saying, "Today Iran will be hit very hard!,"
Iran's president apologizes to ‘neighboring countries’
10:15 a.m. ET: Iran’s president apologized Saturday for attacks on "neighboring countries" even as more missiles and drones flew toward Gulf Arab states.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, a member of the three-man leadership council overseeing Iran since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, delivered the message.
Pezeshkian also dismissed Trump’s call for Iran to surrender unconditionally.
"That’s a dream that they should take to their grave," he said.
The message, seemingly filmed in a hurry without professional broadcast equipment, underlined the limited powers exercised by the theocracy’s leaders over the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which controls the ballistic missiles targeting Israel and other countries. It answered only to Khamenei and now appears to be picking its own targets.
Russia aiding Iran, officials say
Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter.
Smoke rises from the area after it was targeted in attacks as a series of explosions are heard in Tehran, Iran on March 01, 2026. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The people, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that the U.S. intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information.
Still, it’s the first indication that Moscow has sought to get involved in the war that the U.S. and Israel launched on Iran a week ago.
US and Israel attack Iran
The backstory:
On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Tehran, and President Donald Trump said the U.S. was starting major combat operations against Iran.
Iran war: US to quadruple weapons production
Operation Epic Furry has officially been in full gear for one week. Now President Trump says the US will work with top weapons manufactures to quadruple the US's weapons stockpile. In week on Central Command say it has hit 3,000 targets and just this morning, multiple waves of airstrikes have targeted Iran, with reports of significant damage to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters, air defense systems, and ballistic missile facilities. Retired Navy Veteran Matthew "Whiz" Buckley weighs in.
The strikes killed the country’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other high ranking officials, throwing its leadership into question and raising the risk of regional instability.
Big picture view:
Trump said there were four objectives for the operations:
- Destroy Iran’s missile capabilities
- Wipe out its naval capacity
- Stop the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon
- "Ensure that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders."
Trump: "Today Iran will be hit very hard"
President Trump says today Iran will be hit very hard. This as the US strikes on Iran continue to intensify. According to the US Central Command the US has hit 3,000 targets in the first week of "Operation Epic Fury" and they have no plans of slowing down.
This is the second time in eight months that the Trump administration has attacked the Islamic Republic during talks over its nuclear program.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous reporting by FOX Local.