The War Expands. Four Americans Are Dead. Three U.S. Jets Were Shot Down By Kuwait.
The morning briefing on a widening Iran war that has claimed four U.S. lives, three American jets downed by an ally, Lebanon re-entering the conflict, and a Pentagon that says this will take "some time."
Day Three of Operation Epic Fury is the most consequential yet, and not in any of the ways the White House telegraphed. Four U.S. service members are now dead — the fourth dying Monday from injuries sustained in Iran’s initial retaliatory salvos over the weekend. Three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying active combat missions went down over Kuwait late Sunday after being fired upon by Kuwaiti air defense systems in a friendly fire incident. CENTCOM confirmed all six crew members ejected safely and were recovered in stable condition. Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense said “several” American warplanes crashed in the country. The collision of U.S. and allied air defense systems over a crowded combat airspace was an incident waiting to happen — and it happened.
On Monday morning, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine held the Pentagon’s first on-camera press briefing in three months. Hegseth attempted to rhetorically sidestep the regime change objective, saying “this is not a so-called regime-change war, but the regime sure did change.” Caine was blunter: “This is not a single overnight operation. The military objectives will take some time to achieve. We expect to take additional losses.” Trump told reporters the assault on Iran will last four to five weeks.
The conflict has now spread north. Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel, and Israel responded with strikes on Beirut suburbs and issued evacuation orders across dozens of Lebanese villages. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared Hezbollah’s military actions “illegal” and called on the group to surrender its weapons to the Lebanese state — a remarkable statement that nonetheless has not stopped the shooting. Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani responded to Trump’s claim that Iran wants to talk: “We will not negotiate with the United States.”
Quick Hits
- School Strike Death Toll Rises to 168 Children — Iranian state media now reports 168 children were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit a girls' elementary school in Minab, southern Iran on Saturday. School officials had reportedly cancelled classes, but students had not yet been evacuated when the missiles hit. Israel has still not formally responded to the reports. [Source]
- Iran Says 555+ Killed Since Strikes Began — Total Iranian casualties from the U.S.-Israeli strikes have reached at least 555 killed inside Iran as of Monday morning, according to Al Jazeera's count. That figure does not include casualties in Gulf states, Lebanon, or from Iranian retaliatory strikes. [Source]
- UAE Schools Switch to Remote Learning Through Wednesday — The United Arab Emirates ordered all schools and universities to switch to remote learning Monday through Wednesday as Iranian missile and drone attacks on Gulf states continue. Dubai's iconic Burj Al Arab hotel and Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi were both struck. Three people have been killed in the UAE since the conflict began. [Source]
What to Watch For
5:00 PM ET — House classified briefing on Iran war. Rubio, Hegseth, Ratcliffe, and Caine present. Watch whether the scope of Thursday’s congressional notification becomes an issue on the record.
War powers resolution timeline — Leadership is expected to announce a vote schedule this week. Whether any Republicans break with Trump is the number that matters.
Lebanon front — Israel has issued evacuation orders across dozens of Lebanese villages but says no ground invasion is imminent. Watch whether that holds into the evening.
Iran command and control — The foreign minister’s suggestion that some IRGC units are operating on pre-arranged instructions is one of the most alarming details to emerge Monday. If confirmed, it means the interim leadership council may not have full control over Iran’s ongoing strikes.
Oil markets close of trading — Today’s settlement price will be the first full day of trading since the war began. Watch for any movement toward Strait of Hormuz disruption pricing.
By The Numbers
U.S. service members killed since Operation Epic Fury began Saturday morning, with the Pentagon warning additional losses should be expected.
U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly fire incident overnight, with all six crew members safely ejecting.
Children killed in a single Israeli airstrike on a girls' elementary school in Minab, Iran, according to Iranian state media.
Approximate price per barrel oil stabilized at Monday, following an initial spike; analysts say the Strait of Hormuz remains the variable that could push prices dramatically higher.
Tankers anchored in open Gulf waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz, per ship-tracking data, as shipping insurers cancel war risk coverage across the region.
Quote of the Day
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine at Monday's Pentagon briefing: "We expect to take additional losses, and as always, we will work to minimize U.S. losses. But as the secretary said, this is major combat operations."
https://abc7.com/live-updates/iran-live-updates-trump-says-major-combat-operations-have-begun/18660347/
Bottom Line
The Pentagon said Monday to expect a war that lasts weeks, takes additional American lives, and involves "difficult and gritty work." Three U.S. jets went down to friendly fire on Day Three. Hezbollah opened a second front. Iran is striking a British base in Cyprus. An AI company was designated a national security risk for refusing to let its technology run autonomous weapons. All of this happened before the House received its first classified briefing on what it authorized none of. The accountability deficit at the center of this week isn't just about Iran — it's about who decides when America goes to war.