U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday announced further “hard” strikes against the Islamic Republic in his first public appearance since the U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran began. He told CNN that “the big onslaught is coming soon.” He also reaffirmed, according to U.S. Media reports, his goal of ending the war in approximately four to five weeks: “We are even ahead of schedule.”
This contribution accompanies the special broadcasts of ORF television and ORF radio, March 2, 2026.
The escalation follows a weekend of coordinated attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, a move that has dramatically heightened tensions in the Middle East and raised concerns about a wider regional conflict. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated during a joint press conference with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine that regime change was not the objective of the military action. “This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime has in fact changed and the world is better off for it,” Hegseth said.
The initial wave of attacks on Saturday reportedly killed a number of senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The conflict expanded on Monday with Israeli strikes on Lebanon following drone and rocket attacks by the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia.
Tehran has vowed “retaliation” for Khamenei’s death and responded by launching numerous rockets and drones toward Israel and Arab U.S. Allies. Negotiations with the United States were rejected by the Iranian regime following the start of the war, though diplomatic channels reportedly remain open, according to Swiss officials.
U.S. Fighter jets accidentally shot down
Three U.S. Fighter jets were accidentally shot down over Kuwait on Monday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command (Centcom). All crew members survived, and the circumstances are under investigation. Iran has reportedly included Kuwait as a target for potential retaliatory strikes, according to its own statements.
The U.S. And Israel continue to conduct ongoing attacks against Iran. While initial reports indicated that a deployment of ground troops was not planned, Trump has since indicated to the New York Post that he would not rule out such a move. Four U.S. Soldiers have died as a result of the war so far, and the U.S. Anticipates further casualties.
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