Letter reportedly sent by Adm. Brad Cooper, the Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), to American servicemembers across the Middle East on February 28, 2026, prior to the start of strikes against Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury:

To America's extraordinary sons and daughters deployed around the Middle East,

By order of the President of the United States, we are embarking on a mission of profound consequence. The time for preparation is over. The time for action has arrived.

As we move from deterrence into active combat, I write to tell you how honored I am to serve with you - the most exceptional Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Guardians and Coast Guardsmen on this earth.

Some of you are stationed in the Middle East. Many of you have deployed overseas on short notice. Others have been extended on deployment for this critical mission. You represent the strongest, most lethal warfighting force the world has ever known. You all selflessly serve our great country and make us so very PROUD.

Since 1979, the Iranian Regime has killed and wounded thousands of Americans, and they continue to threaten Americans and our friends. Today, by your courage and grit, you will change the course of human history.

My guidance for you is simple:

- Be Relentlessly Lethal. In the heat of conflict, remember who you are. Let your conduct be as professional as your aim is precise.
- Take Care of Your Teammates. The men and women on your flanks, in front of you and those at your six are your Guardian Angels. Be theirs.
- Steady Your Resolve. Combat is inherently chaotic. The hours, days and perhaps weeks ahead will challenge you. There will be noise and confusion. Fall back on your training. It is the best in the world.

You are the shield of the free world, and today, you are its sharpest sword.

As the eyes of the world fix upon us, stay safe, and GODSPEED.

Sources tell Reuters that two new explosions have been heard in Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter in the last few minutes, following an Iranian drone attack earlier against the U.S. Embassy.

Speaking tonight to NewsNation, President Donald J. Trump said “you’ll out find soon” what the retaliation will be for tonight’s attack by Iran on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and for the U.S. servicemembers killed in Kuwait.

More than a dozen U.S. Air Force KC-135R/T Stratotankers have launched from bases around the United States and are in the process of crossing the Atlantic Ocean and Europe, likely on their way to join forces in the Middle East for Operation Epic Fury. Some of them appear to be stopping in Bangor, Maine to rest & refuel before pressing onward toward Europe.

Air raid sirens now in Bahrain.

Multiple loud explosions reported in the last few minutes over Manama, Bahrain, as air-defenses attempt to down ballistic missiles fired against the country by Iran.

Two U.S. officials have now confirmed to Reuters reports from this past weekend that U.S. Marines, assigned to Marine Corps Embassy Security Group based out of Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, opened fired on crowds of rioters that were attempting to storm the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan. At least 10 rioters were killed during the incident, while dozens of others were injured, with it initially believed that the gunfire had originated from Pakistani Security Forces.

The Saudi Ministry of Defense reports that a total of eight Iranian attack drones have been downed so far tonight near the cities of Riyadh and Al-Kharj, following reports that at least two drones targeted and struck the U.S Embassy in Riyadh.

Fighter aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9), including F-35C Lightning lls, F/A-18E Super Hornets, and EA-18G Growlers, take off from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) in the Arabian Sea for strikes against Iran in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 2, 2026.

Qatar’s Ministry of Defense has published updated totals on the number of aircraft, drones, and missiles launched by Iran since Saturday, that have been successfully intercepted by the Qatar Armed Forces:

- 98/101 Ballistic Missiles
- 24/39 Drones
- 3/3 Cruise Missiles
- 2/2 Su-24s

Video shows an Iranian one-way attack drone being successfully intercepted tonight by a U.S. Army C-RAM at Erbil International Airport in Kurdistan, Northern Iraq.

The United States is considering the relocation of air defense systems and other military assets from South Korea to the Middle East, amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to Korean-language newspaper The Chosun Daily.

These include MIM-104 “Patriot” Surface-to-Air Missile Batteries and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Systems (THAAD), as well as surveillance and reconnaissance assets like the MQ-9 Reaper, permanently stationed at Kunsan Air Base with U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). Sources also believe that the THAAD Battery in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, and its interceptor missiles could be deployed to the Middle East.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has stated that since the start of offensive operations on Saturday, U.S. forces have destroyed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command-and-control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields, under Operation Epic Fury.

According to Yonhap, roughly 21,000 South Korean nationals are currently in 13 countries in the Middle East, as Iran continues to strike multiple Gulf nations amidst the ongoing reciprocal strike campaign between them and the U.S./Israel. According to Yonhap, roughly 4,000 of these “short-term visitors” are in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who has borne the brunt of Iranian ballistic missile, cruise missile, and drone strikes since the start of the war. Additionally, 59 South Korean nationals are currently in Iran. The information was released following a briefing where South Korean government officials discussed the ongoing situation with lawmakers.

The Israel Defense Force states that combat aircraft are currently carrying out simultaneous strikes on Beirut and Tehran.

According to CBS, citing three U.S. military officials with knowledge on the matter, the makeshift tactical operations center at Shuaiba port in Kuwait, where six U.S. servicemembers lost their lives in an Iranian drone strike, lacked adequate force protection measures and more were requested but never came. Sources state that T-walls, shown below, were the only form of protection around the operations center. According to one source, while Kuwaiti batteries were in the vicinity, no U.S. counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) or counter-rocket artillery and mortar (C-RAM) had been dedicated to the vicinity and its unclear if Kuwaiti batteries engaged the incoming threats.

The Israeli Air Force struck a “senior commander of the Iranian terror regime” in Tehran a short while ago, according to the Israel Defense Force.

Gen. Daoud Alizadeh, the Commander of the Lebanon Corps in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, is said to have been the target of this morning’s precision-strike by the Israeli Air Force on Tehran.

Security Alert issued moment ago by the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia:

*Security Alert: Threat of Imminent Missile / UAV Attacks Over Dhahran*

There is a threat of imminent missile and UAV attacks over Dhahran. Do not come to the U.S. Consulate.

Take cover immediately in your residence on the lowest available floor and away from windows. Do not go outside. The U.S. Consulate in Dhahran urges U.S. citizens in Dhahran to shelter in place, review security plans in the event of an attack, and to stay alert in case of additional future attacks. U.S. Consulate personnel are sheltering in place.
 
Actions to take:
 
•       If you hear a loud explosion, or if sirens are activated, immediately seek cover.
•       If in a home or building, go to the lowest level of the structure with the fewest exterior walls, windows, and openings; close any doors and sit near an interior wall, away from any windows or openings.
•       If you are outdoors, immediately seek cover in a hardened structure; if that is not possible, lie down and cover your head with your hands.
•       Be aware that even if the incoming missile or drone is intercepted, falling debris represents a significant risk.
•       After the attack, stay away from any debris, and monitor major news outlets for official guidance.

Video shows an Iranian one-way attack drone slamming into the Port of Duqm in Oman this morning, as Iran continues to launch both drones and missiles at the Gulf Nations and countries across the Middle East.

Thick black smoke pours Tuesday from the Port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, located on the Gulf of Oman as one of the UAE’s only oil terminals south of the Strait of Hormuz, following a drone attack this morning on oil storage tanks and other infrastructure at the port by Iran.