The US Department of Defense informed Congress that it found no clear evidence Iran had planned a preemptive strike against the United States before the recent joint US-Israel attack. According to a Reuters report, Pentagon officials told congressional staff in a closed-door meeting that Iran’s ballistic missile program and allied forces were viewed as immediate threats to US interests. However, they acknowledged that there was no specific intelligence indicating Tehran had planned to attack US forces in advance.

The report noted that officials from the Trump administration had previously claimed there were signs Iran might carry out a preemptive strike. The new Pentagon assessment has raised questions about the validity of those earlier claims.

The disclosure adds a new dimension to ongoing debates in Washington about the accuracy of intelligence assessments and the justification for military actions involving Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the UN Security Council condemning the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint attack by the United States and Israel. In the letter, Araghchi described the assault as a violation of international law and called for accountability from the governments of both countries.

The letter urged the UN to fulfill its responsibilities under the UN Charter to maintain international peace and security. Iran requested that the organization take immediate, firm, and effective measures to ensure full accountability for what it termed a brutal act of terrorism.

The report also noted that the United States and its Gulf allies have described Iran’s recent actions as dangerous, reflecting heightened regional tensions following the incident.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before Khamenei could attack him. Trump made the statement in an interview with ABC News, saying Iran had tried twice to target him but he struck first. His remarks are being linked to an alleged 2024 assassination attempt against him involving Iran.

Iranian media confirmed that Khamenei was killed in recent U.S. and Israeli strikes that began on Saturday, February 28. The attacks reportedly caused extensive damage in Iran. Semi-official news agencies Tasnim and Fars confirmed Khamenei’s death on Sunday, March 1.

Following the death, Iran’s government declared seven days of public holiday and forty days of national mourning, marking a significant moment of political and regional tension.

At least 31 people were killed and 149 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry. The ministry reported that many of the injured were civilians and were being treated at various hospitals. Officials warned that the death toll could rise as several victims remain in critical condition.

Details about the exact targets and extent of the damage have not yet been fully clarified. Local sources said rescue operations are ongoing in the affected areas, where the security situation remains tense. The incident has drawn international concern, with calls for restraint from all parties to prevent further escalation.

The health ministry continues to monitor the situation as emergency teams work to assist those affected and assess the full impact of the attack.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has publicly questioned President Donald Trump’s decision to order an attack on Iran. In an Instagram post on Sunday, Sanders wrote that Trump justified the strike by claiming Iran should not possess nuclear weapons, a reasoning Sanders appeared to challenge.

Referring to statements made in June, Sanders noted that Trump had previously declared Iran’s nuclear facilities completely destroyed after a 12-day conflict. He concluded his post with the remark, “Vietnam, Iraq, Iran. Another lie, another war,” suggesting skepticism toward the administration’s justification for military action.

The post adds to ongoing debate in the United States over the rationale and transparency behind recent military operations targeting Iran.

Japan’s stock market suffered a sharp decline on Monday following military strikes by the United States and Israel in Iran, which reignited global economic concerns. According to AFP reports from Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index dropped 2.07 percent to 57,628.07 points in early trading, marking a significant setback at the start of the week.

Analysts attributed the fall to heightened tensions in the Middle East, which have created uncertainty and fear among investors. The resulting anxiety has spread across Asian markets, leading to widespread caution. Many investors have reportedly adopted a wait-and-see approach as they monitor the evolving situation.

The report noted that the sudden and steep decline reflects the sensitivity of regional markets to geopolitical developments, particularly those involving energy-producing regions like the Middle East.

Bangladesh’s Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir held a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma at the minister’s secretariat office in Dhaka on Monday, March 2, 2026. The meeting began around 11:30 a.m., with the Indian envoy received by the ministry’s senior information officer. A press briefing is scheduled to follow the meeting.

The discussion marks another engagement between Bangladesh and India at the ministerial level, reflecting ongoing diplomatic and trade interactions. The source notes that the meeting took place in an official setting, continuing a pattern of bilateral consultations between the two neighboring countries.

Further details about the agenda or outcomes of the meeting were not disclosed in the source, but a briefing to journalists is expected after the session concludes.

The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that a suspected drone attack targeted an RAF base in Cyprus on Sunday night. The incident occurred at RAF Akrotiri, one of Britain’s key military installations on the island. Authorities reported no casualties from the attack and stated that security measures at the base remain at the highest level, with personnel responding immediately to the threat.

The attack came amid heightened regional instability following the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli airstrike. UK Defence Secretary John Healy said indiscriminate retaliatory attacks by Iran have increased risks for British troops and civilians across the Middle East. The Ministry of Defence emphasized its commitment to protecting its forces and maintaining operational readiness in the region.

The situation underscores growing security concerns for Western military assets in the eastern Mediterranean as tensions escalate between Iran and Western allies.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth will hold a press conference on Monday morning to address the joint US-Israel military operation, marking the first official briefing by a senior American official since the operation began on Saturday. According to AFP, the Pentagon announced on social media that the briefing will take place at 8 a.m. local time, with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Kane also attending.

The White House stated on Sunday that Hegseth will visit Congress on Tuesday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to brief lawmakers on the progress of the operation. The opposition Democratic Party has criticized the administration, claiming it was not consulted before the operation began.

The joint forces of the United States and Israel launched attacks in Iran on Saturday. Iranian state media confirmed on Sunday that the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a strike in Tehran.

Four defeated candidates from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have filed cases in the High Court alleging vote rigging in the 13th national parliamentary election. The candidates are Sohel Hossain Kaykobad from Kurigram-2, Saiful Islam from Rangpur-6, Emdadul Haque Bhorsa from Rangpur-4, and Major General (Retd.) Md. Sharif Uddin from Rajshahi-1. The information was confirmed by court sources on Monday, March 2, 2026.

Earlier, on Sunday, March 1, the High Court ordered the preservation of ballot papers and result sheets for Rajshahi-4 and Pabna-4 constituencies after taking into account similar allegations of vote rigging. The Election Appeal Tribunal, led by Justice Zakir Hossain, accepted the petitions and set May 11 for the next hearing. These petitions were also filed by defeated BNP candidates.

Previously, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami had filed petitions in the High Court alleging vote rigging in three constituencies: Dhaka-6, Dhaka-7, and Gaibandha-4.

Iran has declared that it will not engage in discussions with the United States. The country’s National Security Council Secretary, Ali Larijani, made the statement on Monday through a post on the social media platform X. His remarks came after U.S. media reports claimed that Iran was pushing to restart nuclear negotiations with Washington.

Larijani rejected a Wall Street Journal report alleging that, following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he had urged renewed nuclear talks through Omani mediators. He dismissed the report as false and reaffirmed that Iran would not hold talks with the United States.

The statement underscores Tehran’s continued resistance to U.S. diplomatic overtures amid ongoing speculation about possible backchannel efforts to revive nuclear discussions.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the ongoing conflict and tense situation in the Middle East. Modi urged Netanyahu to bring an immediate end to the hostilities. The discussion was revealed in a post on social media platform X early Monday night, where Modi confirmed that the two leaders exchanged views on the current regional situation.

During the call, Modi conveyed India’s concern over recent developments and emphasized that the safety of civilians should remain the highest priority. He reiterated India’s position that the conflict must stop immediately. The conversation came as tensions escalated following Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran early Saturday, which caused explosions in several Iranian cities and reportedly killed senior figures including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The exchange between Modi and Netanyahu highlights India’s diplomatic engagement amid a volatile regional crisis involving multiple powers and ongoing military actions.

Israel’s Defense Forces claimed to have dropped more than 2,000 bombs on Iranian targets within 30 hours since the start of its offensive. According to the IDF, hundreds of Iranian military sites and installations have been attacked since Saturday. Israeli security officials said that over 700 air missions were conducted by the Israeli Air Force, targeting ballistic missile launchers, air defense systems, and command centers across Iran.

Israel also claimed to have destroyed the headquarters of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a claim echoed by the United States. In parallel, Israel launched strikes in Lebanon following a major rocket attack by Hezbollah on northern Israel. The Israeli military stated that it was hitting Hezbollah positions “across Lebanon” to prevent the group from posing a threat to the state of Israel.

Al Jazeera reported multiple explosions in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh, known as a Hezbollah stronghold, as Israeli warplanes continued heavy bombardment in the area.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced that 415 Afghan Taliban members were killed in military strikes across Afghanistan. According to his post on social media platform X, the attacks also left 580 people injured. The Pakistani military claimed to have destroyed 182 checkpoints and captured 31 others, along with 85 tanks, armed vehicles, and guns. The operations reportedly included airstrikes at 41 locations nationwide, with the Kharchar checkpoint near the Kurram sector among those destroyed.

Pakistan stated that the strikes were a strong and effective retaliatory campaign against what it described as unprovoked attacks by Afghan Taliban forces along the border. The announcement marks a significant escalation in cross-border hostilities between the two neighboring countries.

The scale of the operation and the high casualty figures suggest a deepening conflict dynamic along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier, though independent verification of the claims was not mentioned in the report.

Crude oil prices rose sharply on Monday following a US-Israel strike on Iran that disrupted supply and limited investor access to oil. Brent crude jumped about 13 percent in a single day, while the international benchmark increased nearly 5 percent. By midday in Tokyo, the price per barrel reached 76.48 dollars, according to Al Jazeera.

Asian stock markets opened lower as investors reacted to the oil price surge. The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong fell around 1 percent, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped about 1.5 percent. In the United States, stock futures traded outside regular hours also showed significant losses, with both the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite down roughly 0.7 percent.

The developments suggested a volatile trading day ahead for global markets as energy costs spiked and geopolitical tensions heightened following the attack on Iran.