An Iranian Navy vessel has reportedly sunk near the coast of Sri Lanka, according to Sri Lankan authorities. After receiving a distress signal from the ship identified as 'IRIS Dena' early in the morning, Sri Lanka deployed naval and air force units to rescue the crew. The vessel had 180 people on board, and 30 injured sailors were rescued and taken to a hospital in the port city of Galle for treatment.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Wijitha Herath informed parliament about the incident, confirming the distress signal and the ongoing rescue efforts. The cause of the sinking remains unknown, and no official explanation has been provided by either government.

A member of the opposition in Sri Lanka questioned whether the ship might have been attacked as part of ongoing hostilities involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, but the government did not respond to that query.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned that whoever becomes Iran’s next supreme leader will be assassinated. He issued the warning on Wednesday in a post on social media platform X, days after Iran’s current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Saturday.

Katz wrote that any leader chosen by Iran’s ruling establishment to continue its plans to destroy Israel, threaten the United States and its allies, and oppress the Iranian people would be marked for killing, regardless of name or location. He added that both he and the Israeli prime minister had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare and act on this mission.

The statement comes amid heightened regional tensions following multiple attacks, including Israeli strikes in Iran’s Isfahan that killed five people and in Lebanon that left twelve dead, as well as an Iranian missile attack on a U.S. air base in Qatar.

In Jhenaidah, a man named Abu Zafar formally disowned his son for continuing political activities with the banned Chhatra League. On March 2, 2026, he appeared at the Jhenaidah District Notary Public Office and made the declaration through an affidavit. The document stated that his son, Nahid Hasan Sabuj, joint general secretary of the KC College unit of Chhatra League, had been living separately and engaging in political activities despite repeated warnings.

According to the affidavit, Abu Zafar said his son had been disobedient and living an undisciplined life for a long time. He alleged that even after the organization was banned in August 2024, Sabuj continued to participate in its programs, including raising the flag at the abandoned office of the district Awami League on February 21, which later went viral on social media. Feeling embarrassed, the father decided to sever all familial and legal ties.

The affidavit clarified that the family would bear no responsibility for Sabuj’s actions or financial matters. The legal process was completed through Advocate Md. Sadatur Rahman Hadi. Attempts to contact Sabuj for comment were unsuccessful.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli attack in Tehran on Saturday, will be buried in the holy city of Mashhad, his birthplace. The information was reported by Iran’s Fars News Agency on Tuesday. The exact date of the burial has not yet been announced. Khamenei’s father is also buried in the Imam Reza shrine complex in Mashhad.

Before the burial, a large farewell ceremony will be held in the capital, Tehran, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), though no details of the program have been released. Khamenei, 86, had served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, following his role in the Islamic Revolution under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his presidency during the Iran-Iraq war.

During his nearly 37-year rule, Khamenei faced multiple political and economic challenges, including widespread protests over the sharp fall of the Iranian rial that began in December last year and spread nationwide.

The United States has lost approximately $2 billion worth of military equipment during the first four days of its conflict with Iran, according to estimates compiled by Anadolu. The largest single loss came from an early warning radar at Qatar’s Al-Udeid Air Base, valued at $1.1 billion, which was damaged by an Iranian missile strike on Saturday. In Kuwait, three F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft were destroyed on Sunday in a friendly fire incident involving the Kuwaiti Air Defense Force, with repair costs estimated at $282 million.

Additional damage occurred in Bahrain, where Iran’s attacks destroyed parts of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters, two satellite communication terminals worth about $20 million, and several buildings. In the United Arab Emirates, a radar component of a deployed anti-ballistic missile system in Al-Ruwais Industrial City was also destroyed, valued at around $500 million. In total, Iran’s strikes have caused about $1.902 billion in US military losses across the Middle East.

Iran launched these attacks beginning Saturday in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes, targeting at least seven American military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, and Iraq’s Erbil base. US diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE were also targeted, though major human casualties were limited.

Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has confirmed that a full investigation is underway into the killing of Sharif Osman bin Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho. He said a new investigation process began after the current administration took office, and details will be disclosed once the inquiry is completed. The minister made the remarks on Wednesday while speaking to journalists at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police headquarters on Minto Road during a meeting with senior police officials.

During the same event, the minister also discussed efforts to address Dhaka’s traffic congestion, noting that the challenges posed by battery-powered rickshaws would be resolved gradually. Inspector General of Police Md Ali Hossain Fakir and Acting DMP Commissioner Md Sarwar, among others, attended the meeting.

The ongoing investigation and the minister’s comments indicate the government’s intent to pursue the case thoroughly while simultaneously focusing on urban management issues in the capital.

Leaked Pentagon assessments reported by US media suggest that if the current strikes on Iran continue beyond 10 days, the United States could face shortages of key missiles. The US and Israel began coordinated attacks on Iran while diplomatic talks over Tehran’s nuclear program and regional activities were still underway. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes across the region, targeting Israel and US military assets in several Middle Eastern countries. The Pentagon reportedly cautioned President Donald Trump that a prolonged campaign would carry serious risks, including the high cost of replenishing munitions. Trump, however, insisted that US stockpiles were sufficient to sustain extended operations.

Analysts told Al Jazeera that interceptor missiles such as THAAD, Patriot, and SM‑3 could run low within weeks if the conflict persists. The US military’s Central Command confirmed the use of more than 20 weapons systems, including advanced bombers, drones, and missile defense platforms. Experts warned that manufacturing replacements takes months, and high-end interceptors are designed for limited engagements, not prolonged wars. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that Iran can produce far more offensive missiles monthly than the US can build interceptors.

Reports also indicate that the US has already depleted some ship-borne interceptors and suffered friendly-fire losses. Sustaining the campaign is expected to be extremely costly, with early operations estimated to have cost over a billion dollars.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has declared that it now holds complete control over the Strait of Hormuz. The statement was made by IRGC naval officer Mohammad Akbarzadeh, who said the strategic waterway is under the full authority of the Islamic Republic’s naval forces. The announcement was reported by Iran’s Fars News Agency.

The IRGC had previously warned that it could close the strait if necessary. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime route for global oil shipments, and control over it has long been a point of contention in regional security. The report also recalled that U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier stated his readiness to deploy naval forces to protect oil tankers in the area.

The claim of full control adds to the ongoing military and political friction in the region, where recent incidents have included U.S. strikes on Iranian targets and heightened tensions involving Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The verdict in the Rampura war crimes case, scheduled for announcement today, has been postponed after the prosecution requested a four-week delay to submit new evidence against the accused. Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam stated that after assuming his role, he discovered additional evidence that he deemed necessary to present in the interest of justice. The application was submitted to the International Crimes Tribunal-1, chaired by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder, with Justices Shafiul Alam Mahmud and retired District Judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury as members.

The tribunal had earlier fixed today’s date for the verdict on February 15. The case involves charges of crimes against humanity during the July uprising, including the shooting of Amir Hossain and the killing of two others. Fourteen witnesses testified for the prosecution, while accused Chanchal Chandra testified in his defense. The prosecution completed its arguments on January 29, asserting that evidence and witness statements proved the involvement of five accused individuals, four of whom remain absconding.

The tribunal had formally framed charges against the five accused on September 18 last year, following the submission of the formal charge on August 7.

Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Ahmed announced that the government will soon publish a list of extortionists and terrorists and launch an operation against them. He stated that maintaining law and order remains the government’s biggest challenge. The minister made these remarks on Wednesday afternoon while speaking to journalists.

He emphasized that, unlike the previous government, the current administration will not use the police force for political purposes. The statement signals a renewed focus on law enforcement and accountability in tackling criminal networks.

Further details of the planned operation and the list of individuals involved have not yet been disclosed, but the announcement suggests that action will begin shortly.

At least six people were killed on Tuesday when a tunnel collapsed at the Rubaya coltan mine in the rebel-controlled eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to eyewitnesses cited by AFP from Goma. The incident occurred about 70 kilometers west of Goma in North Kivu province, killing three women and three men and injuring several others.

Witnesses reported that authorities had ordered evacuations following the collapse, and bodies were seen being carried away on stretchers. Many relatives rushed to the site in search of missing workers. The Rubaya mine, one of the largest coltan sources in the country, employs thousands of miners who work in hazardous conditions with minimal equipment.

The mine, which supplies an estimated 15 to 30 percent of global coltan production, has been under the control of M23 rebels since April 2024. This was the second deadly collapse in Rubaya in recent weeks, following a landslide late last month that the government feared had killed at least 200 people.

The United States military announced that it has carried out strikes on approximately 2,000 targets inside Iran. According to the US Central Command, the operation was nearly twice the scale of the 2003 Iraq invasion. The commander reported that 17 Iranian ships were destroyed, and senior Admiral Brad Cooper stated that no Iranian vessels remained in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or the Gulf of Oman.

Cooper described the campaign as the largest US troop deployment in the Middle East in a generation, involving more than 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets, two aircraft carriers, and bombers. He said the attacks focused on eliminating potential threats to US forces and targeted Iran’s navy, including its most capable submarines.

The report also noted that there was no evidence Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, despite the scale of the operation.

A drone attack targeted the CIA station inside the US Embassy compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday, March 2, according to a source cited by Reuters on Tuesday, March 3. The source confirmed that Iranian drones were used in the strike, though it remains unclear whether the CIA station was the intended target. The US Central Intelligence Agency declined to comment on the incident.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense reported that two drones hit the embassy premises, causing a limited fire and some material damage. Following the attack, the US mission in Saudi Arabia issued an emergency security alert, advising citizens to avoid the embassy area until further notice. It also warned of possible missile and drone threats in the Dhahran region.

The incident occurred amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East and has raised renewed concerns about the security of US diplomatic and intelligence facilities in the region.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they killed Daud Ali Zadeh, commander of the Lebanon branch of Iran’s Quds Force, in an airstrike in central Tehran. IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Efi Defrin stated that the attack specifically targeted the senior Quds Force officer. The Quds Force is a branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

According to the report, Israel said it has launched renewed attacks inside Iran. Earlier, strikes were reported against the Iranian presidential complex and residences of top leaders. Since February 28, various sources have claimed that the United States and Israel have been conducting attacks in Iran, with reports alleging the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family.

In response, Tehran reportedly announced plans for retaliatory strikes against Israeli and U.S. bases across the Middle East, signaling a potential escalation of regional conflict.

Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on a hotel in Beirut, Lebanon, without prior warning, according to Lebanese authorities. The number of casualties from the hotel attack remains unconfirmed. The Israeli military has not clarified the intended target but reportedly conducted overnight operations across the country.

Al Jazeera reported additional strikes on a residential building in Aramoun and a village named Saadiyat in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese Ministry of Health confirmed six deaths and eight injuries from those incidents. Another attack occurred in the eastern city of Baalbek near the Syrian border, where a residential building was hit, leaving at least four people dead and 11 injured.

The series of attacks mark a significant escalation of Israeli military activity in Lebanon, with multiple civilian areas affected and uncertainty surrounding the motives and targets of the operations.