The Daily Brief - Special Edition - Mar. 2, 2026

The latest on the US-Iran conflict

Get caught up with the top stories from over the weekend with today’s midday brief.

Troops and Civilians Killed and Wounded

Four US troops were killed over the weekend during an Iranian strike on base housing American soldiers in Kuwait, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed today, while five others were “seriously wounded,” and several others were injured. In retaliation for the barrage of strikes by the US and Israel, Iran has hit US military and commercial sites in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Sites in Jordan and Saudi Arabia were also targeted, but officials said the attacks were intercepted.

The Defense Department has not yet announced the identities of the soldiers who were killed. In remarks this morning, both Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine offered condolences to the families of those who were killed.

An Iranian strike in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh also killed at least nine people and wounded several others, and a strike in Syria killed four people.

Since the war began, 555 people have been killed in Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent emergency service. Israel has also bombed Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, killing more than 30 people.

Strike on Girl’s School

A strike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran on Saturday killed at least 175 people, most of them believed to be children, according to Iranian state media. It appeared to be the deadliest single attack in the American-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran.

At least half of the two-story school in the town of Minab was destroyed. Videos verified by The New York Times showed emergency workers and families searching through rubble strewn with schoolbooks and book bags. The head of Iran’s Red Crescent said the attack had “no comparison with any other incident.”

It is not clear why the school was hit or which country struck it. The school sits next to an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps naval base, and satellite images show the building was once part of the base before being separated by a wall in 2016. Other buildings inside the base were also hit that day.

A US Central Command spokesman said they were “aware of reports concerning civilian harm” and were “looking into them.”

Under international law, intentionally striking a school is a war crime, and even if a building is being used for military purposes, armed forces are required to minimize harm to civilians.

Fighter Jets Shot Down

Three US fighter jets went down over Kuwait late last night in what US Central Command says was an “apparently friendly fire incident.”

The jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses, and all six crew members ejected safely, and are in stable condition.

The US said, “Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.”

TX Bar Shooting

Two people were killed and fourteen wounded in a mass shooting outside a bar in Austin, Texas last night, and the FBI is investigating it as an act of terror.

The gunman was wearing clothing with an Iranian flag design on it, and the words “Property of Allah,” according to law enforcement. He’s been identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53 year old man, and was a naturalized American citizen from Senegal.

The bar is close to the University of Texas, and one witness said it was packed with college students. The shooter drove past in an SUV and opened fire from his car, hitting people outside. He then parked the car, got out and continued to shoot and was killed by police.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he’s increased active safety patrols, including in downtown Austin.