The U.S. and Israel continued launching strikes against Iran over the weekend, the Israeli military telling CBS News it has neutralized about 70% of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers. Iran, in turn, has continued launching strikes against targets in the Gulf.
Iran targeted Kuwait’s main airport with multiple drones over the weekend; Kuwaiti authorities reported no casualties. New details emerged about an Iranian attack on a base in Saudi Arabia where at least 12 American service members were injured. Images circulating appear to show wreckage consistent with an AWACS surveillance aircraft; there has been no official Pentagon confirmation.
The first U.S. Marines arrived in the region in recent days, increasing options for American commanders. U.S. officials have said they do not need ground troops to achieve their objectives in Iran, but Iranian officials warned that U.S. ground forces would be “set on fire” if they invaded the Islamic Republic.
Retired Israeli General Amir Avivi told CBS News he believes the Iranian regime may eventually surrender; if it does not, he predicted Israel and the U.S. would continue striking and could support Iranians seeking to topple their government by providing air cover. Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv hundreds protested the war; police described a demonstration as illegal and arrested at least 13 people.
A senior Iranian official accused the U.S. of publicly signaling a willingness to negotiate while “secretly plotting a ground attack.” The conflict’s human and economic costs are mounting: officials and analysts cite rising energy prices and market volatility tied to the fighting, and health organizations have reported thousands of deaths in the region since the crisis escalated.
CBS News correspondent Holly Williams reported from Tel Aviv on the continuing exchanges of strikes, the damage seen at bases and airports in the Gulf, and the growing regional and global ramifications as U.S. and allied forces press their campaign while Iran conducts retaliatory attacks.