Middle East War: Israel intensifies strikes on Tehran as U.S. Senate backs Trump’s war authority

International, Middle East, North America

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (NPA) — March 4, 2026 — Israel carried out extensive airstrikes on Tehran Thursday, targeting facilities it said were linked to Iranian authorities, after missile attacks forced millions of Israelis into bomb shelters.

The U.S.–Iran war, now in its sixth day, has spread beyond the Gulf into Asia, disrupting global markets and leaving thousands of tourists and residents scrambling to leave the region.

In Washington, Republican senators late Wednesday blocked a measure that would have required congressional approval for continued military action against Iran. The move leaves President Donald Trump with broad authority to direct the campaign as fighting intensifies.

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U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth assured Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz in a phone call: “Keep going until the end — we’re with you,” according to Israel’s defence ministry.

Iran’s foreign minister condemned the sinking of the frigate Dena off Sri Lanka, which killed at least 80 sailors. He said the vessel, visiting under the Indian navy’s invitation, was struck without warning in international waters, calling the attack an “atrocity at sea” and warning Washington would “bitterly regret” the precedent.

General Kioumars Heydari of the Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed on state television: “We have decided to fight Americans wherever they are. We do not care how long the war lasts.”

Later Thursday, the Guards claimed responsibility for striking a U.S. tanker in the northern Gulf, leaving the vessel ablaze. State media reported that the force declared that during wartime, passage through the Strait of Hormuz would remain under Iran’s control.

Later on Thursday, the Revolutionary Guards said they ​had hit a U.S. tanker in the northern part of the Gulf, and the vessel was on fire. The Guards said in the statement carried by state media that in time of ​war, passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be under the control of the Islamic Republic.