The Daily Brief - Mar. 4, 2026
The latest on Iran, FBI agent firings, the Texas primaries, and more
These are today’s top stories, delivered straight to your inbox. Read below to catch up on all the news you might’ve missed.
Iran
The fifth day of the US-Israel-Iran war saw hostilities stretch across a larger portion of the globe.
A US naval destroyer in the Mediterranean Sea shot down an Iranian ballistic missile speeding toward a base in Turkey that hosts US forces and nuclear weapons. It was the first time Iran had targeted the territory of a NATO country.
In the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka, a torpedo from a US submarine sank an Iranian warship with a crew of 180, at least 80 of whom were thought to have been killed. American submarines had not fired a torpedo at an enemy ship since World War II.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that “America is winning, decisively, devastatingly and without mercy,” and that it was still “very early” in the campaign. US officials said that American and Israeli strikes would continue.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that American forces were now striking “deeper” in Iranian territory and suggested that Iran’s capacity to target the United States and its allies was being degraded.
The most recent Israeli strikes have targeted the infrastructure of Iran’s Basij paramilitary and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, both of which were used to crush internal protests against the regime in January.
The State Department said it was trying to arrange charter flights to evacuate American citizens in Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. Iran has attacked US allies and facilities throughout the region with drones and missiles.
In Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was reportedly a leading candidate to become his father’s successor. The elder Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on the first day of the war, along with several of his senior advisers.
Iran’s main relief organization, the Red Crescent, said that 787 Iranians have been killed in the conflict so far. Six members of the American military have been killed.
Senate Iran Resolution
The Senate was scheduled to vote Wednesday on a resolution that would limit the president’s ability to continue military operations against Iran. The resolution would require the US to cease current hostilities unless Congress formally authorizes them.
Most Democrats are expected to support the measure, and most Republicans to oppose it. If it passes, it will go to the House for a vote on Thursday, and if it reaches the Oval Office from there, President Trump will veto it. A veto override would then require support from two-thirds of Congress.
“I pray that my colleagues will vote to end this dangerous and unnecessary war that has already resulted in the loss of six service members and injured others,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, who sponsored the Senate resolution.
The Constitution requires Congress to make formal declarations of war, but modern presidents have often launched limited military operations without seeking Congress’s consent.