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.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that military operations in Iran will continue until all objectives are achieved. He made the statement in a recently released video, emphasizing that the campaign would not stop before its goals are met.

Trump acknowledged the likelihood of additional American casualties, calling it an unfortunate but necessary consequence. He described the ongoing campaign as the only viable path and vowed that the United States would avenge the deaths of its soldiers by delivering the most punitive strikes against terrorists who, he said, had launched a war against civilization.

The president urged Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and military police to surrender their weapons in exchange for full immunity, warning that refusal would lead to certain death. His remarks underscored a continuation of U.S. military pressure on Iran, with no indication of an immediate de-escalation.

Israel has instructed residents of more than 50 villages and towns in southern Lebanon to leave their homes and move at least 1,000 meters away to open areas. The warning stated that the evacuation was necessary for their safety and cautioned that anyone staying near Hezbollah members, facilities, or military equipment would be putting their lives at risk.

According to the report, Israel carried out attacks on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including in the capital Beirut, on Monday. The directive and strikes come amid heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in the region.

The situation underscores the growing security risks in southern Lebanon, where civilians are being urged to relocate as military operations intensify.

The United States and Israel have continued airstrikes on Iran for a third consecutive day, while Iran has responded with counterattacks. A Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that only one in four Americans support the US military action against Iran. The survey found that 27 percent of respondents backed the strikes, 43 percent opposed them, and 29 percent remained undecided.

Nearly half of Americans believe President Donald Trump is overly eager to use military force, according to the same poll. Even among Republicans, one in four share that view. The findings highlight a divided public opinion over the administration’s handling of the escalating conflict with Iran.

Following the reported death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Trump claimed that Iran’s new leadership has expressed willingness to engage in talks with the United States, and he stated his own readiness to meet them.

At least 20 people were killed in an Israeli attack on Niloufar Square in Tehran, according to reports published on March 2, 2026. The strike damaged Gandhi Hospital and a police building in the Iranian capital. Al Jazeera reported explosions in both eastern and western Iran, raising fears that not only military headquarters but also civilian residential areas were being targeted.

Iran’s Mehr news agency said the death toll in the Niloufar Square attack exceeded 20, indicating the broad scope of the assault across the country. The attacks reportedly began in Tehran’s Pasteur area, where the offices of Iran’s Supreme Leader and President are located. An official also stated that a separate strike on a girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, killed 180 people.

The reports suggest a significant escalation in hostilities, with both political and civilian sites affected, though details on the broader military or diplomatic response were not provided in the source.

A suspected drone attack struck a British Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Cyprus late on Sunday, March 1, according to the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence. The incident occurred at the RAF Akrotiri base around midnight local time. Initial reports indicated no casualties, and the armed forces were said to be preparing to respond to the attack.

In an official statement, the Ministry of Defence said that the safety of its forces in the region remains at the highest level and that defensive measures have been implemented from the base to protect personnel. The ministry did not provide details about the origin of the drone or the extent of any damage.

The report, published by the BBC on Monday, noted that the situation was being closely monitored as the UK military maintained readiness in response to the incident.

Israel’s military launched extensive airstrikes across Lebanon, including in the capital Beirut, on Monday following a large-scale rocket attack by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah on northern Israel. The Israeli army said it was targeting Hezbollah positions throughout Lebanon in response to the assault, vowing to prevent the group from posing any threat to the state of Israel.

According to Al Jazeera, multiple explosions were heard in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh, a known Hezbollah stronghold, as Israeli warplanes carried out repeated bombings. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an earlier attack on a military base in Israel’s Haifa, saying it was retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike. The group described its actions as a defense of Lebanon and a response to ongoing Israeli aggression.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned against rocket launches from southern Lebanon, calling them irresponsible and dangerous to national security. Analysts fear that the escalating confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah could further intensify and widen the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The new government of Bangladesh has launched a nationwide anti-drug campaign following directives from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Inspector General of Police Ali Hossain Fakir stated that the Prime Minister’s instruction is clear: there will be no drugs in society. The police have already begun implementing this directive through special operations across the country. The initiative aims to make Bangladesh drug-free, addressing a growing social concern that has alarmed parents and communities.

A recent survey by Bangladesh Medical University, supported by the Department of Narcotics Control, found that 8.2 million people—4.88 percent of the population—are addicted to drugs, with 92 percent aged between 8 and 25. Cannabis, yaba, and phensedyl are the most commonly used substances, while ice, LSD, and cocaine are spreading among affluent groups. The report identified 29 border districts as high-risk entry points, with drugs entering mainly from Myanmar and India.

The government’s strategy includes law enforcement operations, community awareness, and youth engagement through education, sports, and employment programs. Local leaders and citizens are urged to form committees to support the campaign and help identify drug hotspots.

More than five million people live in Bangladesh’s southwestern coastal districts of Satkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat, where livelihoods depend on fishing and the Sundarbans. These communities face recurring natural disasters, waterlogging, salinity intrusion, and a lack of safe drinking water and healthcare. Despite previous mega projects, implementation hurdles and political changes have slowed progress. The newly formed government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is now being urged to take urgent, sustainable measures to protect agriculture, ensure freshwater access, and strengthen embankments.

The article highlights worsening conditions for fishers and forest-dependent workers due to pollution, illegal fishing with poison, and renewed threats from forest bandits in the Sundarbans. Many families are losing income and migrating to cities. Farmers are struggling as saline water damages croplands, reducing rice production and arable land. Health and education services remain inadequate, particularly for women exposed to high salinity and for children lacking access to schools.

The author calls for the government to prioritize employment, environmental protection, healthcare, and education in coastal areas, and to restore the region’s role in national economic growth.