Israel launches new strikes in Tehran as public farewell for Khamenei begins

"U.S. Central Command said late Tuesday that Iran's "air defenses and hundreds of ballistic missile launchers and drones" were "severely degraded" following U.S. and Israeli strikes on 2,000 targets. In a video posted on X, Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, described the U.S. operation as "ahead of our game plan.""

"The scale of the campaign - the largest buildup of U.S. forces in the region since the war in Iraq in 2003 - has sharpened questions in Washington about how far it could expand. The U.S. has deployed 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets and two aircraft carriers in the Middle East, according to U.S. officials."

"After a closed-door briefing with senior Trump administration officials Wednesday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he was "more fearful than ever" the U.S. could end up putting "boots on the ground." Other senators, including Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), also raised concerns about escalation and called for greater public accountability."

The conflict between Israel and Iran escalated into its fifth day with Israeli military conducting broad strikes on Tehran's internal security command centers, missile launchers, and other military systems. U.S. Central Command reported that combined U.S. and Israeli operations targeted 2,000 Iranian positions, severely degrading air defenses, ballistic missile launchers, and drone capabilities. The U.S. military destroyed 17 Iranian ships and Iran's most operational submarine. Iran retaliated with over 500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 drones. The U.S. deployed 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets, and two aircraft carriers to the region—the largest military buildup since 2003. Congressional concerns about potential ground troop deployment and further escalation emerged following briefings with Trump administration officials.

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