US-Israel-Iran War Live Updates: Israel says Iran's firepower has been weakened; Hezbollah top official eliminated
Business Today Desk | Updated Mar 3, 2026 2:20 PM IST
US-Israel-Iran War Live Updates: Head of Hezbollah's Buildup Division, Rida Hazaa'i, has been eliminated during Israel's attack on sites linked to the group, and Lebanon’s capital Beirut.
US-Israel-Iran war: Israel initiates attack on Tehran, BeirutUS-Israel-Iran War Live Updates: Israel has said that the attacks on Iran have weakened the nation's firepower. Moreover, US President Donald Trump is not in a mood to back down. He said the country has the capability to go far longer than its projected timeline of four weeks. However, the US has asked the non-essential staff members to depart from West Asia due to imminent risks. US Ambassador to Israel, giving an update, acknowledged that options to depart are limited.
Israel has, meanwhile, stated that the Head of Hezbollah's Buildup Division, Rida Hazaa'i, has been eliminated. Tel Aviv had started striking targets linked to Hezbollah, and Lebanon’s capital Beirut.
Following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tehran hit back at Israel and its allies, including neighbouring Gulf states. It also said it will shoot down any ship that attempts to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, effectively closing the narrow waterway.
Moreover, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his decision to attack Iran. He said Iran was building ‘new sites, new places’ that would make “their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months”.
US Iran War Live Updates: Iran's firepower weakened, says Israel
US Iran War Live Updates: Israel said that Iran's firepower has been weakened. Army spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani stated that Israeli and US attacks on Iran have significantly limited Iran's ability to fire missiles. Shoshani added that Israel has targeted Iran's missile launchers and destroyed dozens of them.
He noted that Iran has fired hundreds of missiles, but it is difficult to determine the total number as Iran has also struck other countries. The pace of missile launches at Israel has slowed since the first two days of the war. Shoshani said the slowdown may also be due to Iran realising the war could last longer than expected and is trying to pace its missile launches accordingly.
US-Israel Attack Iran LIVE Updates: IDF eliminates Hezbollah division chief
US-Israel Attack Iran LIVE Updates: The IDF stated that it has eliminated the Head of Hezbollah's Buildup Division on behalf of 'Quds Force'. Rida Hazaa'i was eliminated after the Navy struck Beirut, guided by military intelligence.
WHO WAS HAZAA'I?
Hazaa'i served as the right-hand man to the corps commander and played a key role in strengthening Hezbollah. He managed the connection between Hezbollah and Iran, ensuring the organisation received necessary resources from Iran, said IDF. He led major efforts within the Lebanon Corps and Hezbollah, including the buildup using Iranian combat equipment and implementing the organisation's development plan. He also contributed to Hezbollah's recovery after Operation Arrows from the North.
Hazaa'i helped establish routes for transferring combat equipment from Iran to Lebanon and supervised Hezbollah's production of combat means within Lebanon.
US Iran War Live Updates: Hezbollah will bear the consequences, says IDF
US Iran War Live Updates: The IDF said its troops are operating in southern Lebanon, parallel to Operation Roar of the Lion. It said Hezbollah decided to help Iran, and will bear the consequences. Full text:
Parallel to IDF operations within Operation "Roar of the Lion," forces of the 91st Division are operating in the space of southern Lebanon and holding several points in the area as part of the concept of thickening the forward defense.
The IDF is working to create an additional layer of security for the residents of the north, through extensive strikes on infrastructures of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, in order to thwart threats and prevent attempts to infiltrate the territory of the State of Israel.
The Hezbollah terrorist organization chose to join the campaign and act on behalf of Iran and will bear the consequences of its actions. The IDF will not allow harm to the civilians of the State of Israel, and will continue to act by all means to protect them.
US-Israel-Iran War LIVE Updates: Govt makes arrangements to move stranded passengers
US-Israel-Iran War LIVE Updates: The government has made special arrangements for the movement of stranded passengers with airlines deploying additional capacity. IndiGo has planned 10 special relief operations from Jeddah to India on March 3. "Foreign carriers operating between India and the Gulf region are also undertaking limited operations, subject to operational and airspace considerations. Passenger safety remains paramount. All airlines have been advised to maintain transparent communication with passengers and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements concerning refunds, rescheduling, and passenger assistance," it said.
US-Israel Attack Iran LIVE Updates: US' non-emergency staff to leave Qatar, Kuwait
US-Israel Attack Iran LIVE Updates: US has asked all its non-emergency staff to depart from Qatar and Kuwait. This would include non-emergency government personnel and family members. A day earlier, it had asked non-emergency staff members to leave Iraq. It also asked non-essential staff members to leave Bahrain and Jordan.
US-Israel-Iran War LIVE Updates: US shuts embassy in Kuwait
US-Israel-Iran War LIVE Updates: The US Embassy in Kuwait is shutting down as the war in West Asia escalates. The embassy will close until further notice, it said in a social media post. Moreover, the US State Department has added Kuwait and Qatar to the evacuation list from its Mideast diplomatic outposts.
US Iran War Live Updates: US updates on evacuation efforts
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee took to social media to update Americans on the evacuation efforts. He said the options are very limited, and that he does not recommend trying to leave via Jordan. Israel's tourism ministry is helping US citizens evacuate, he added.
US-Israel-Iran War LIVE Updates: CBSC postpones exam in Gulf nations
US-Israel-Iran War LIVE Updates: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced that exams scheduled for March 5th and 6th for Class X and Class XII have been postponed in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. The new dates will be issued March 7th onwards, it added.
US Iran War Live Updates: Trump says US has unlimited supply of weapons
US Iran War Live Updates: President Donald Trump said that the country has unlimited supply of weapons. He said wars can be fought forever and successfully. Trump said the US is stocked and ready to win.
US-Israel Attack Iran LIVE Updates: IDF attacks Tehran and Beirut
US-Israel Attack Iran LIVE Updates: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have begun simultaneously attacking Tehran and Beirut. "The Air Force has now begun a wave of extensive strikes against the Iranian terror regime and the Hezbollah terror organization," it said.