BREAKING — March 10, 2026 — On Day 11 of Operation Epic Fury, Iran is sending a loud and defiant message to Washington and Jerusalem: this war is far from over. Even as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the “most intense day of strikes” yet against Iranian targets, Tehran launched a fresh wave of drone attacks — including a brazen strike on a military center in Haifa, Israel, and what Iran claims was a “spy satellite reception facility.”
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) doubled down on defiance Tuesday, declaring that “Iran will determine when the war ends” — a direct rebuke to President Trump, who suggested just 24 hours earlier that the conflict was “pretty much” complete.
Iran Targets Israeli Military Infrastructure in Haifa
In a dramatic escalation, Iran’s military announced Tuesday that it used attack drones to strike two high-value targets inside Israel: a military center in the port city of Haifa and what the Iranian army described as a “reception centre for spy satellites.” According to a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency, the Haifa facility “plays a key role in arms production and is of major strategic importance for strengthening the enemy’s combat capabilities.”
While Israel has not confirmed the extent of damage from the Haifa strikes, sirens also sounded in Jerusalem and explosions were heard in Tel Aviv as Israel’s Iron Dome and other air defense systems worked to intercept incoming barrages from Iran and Hezbollah.
Iran also released footage it says shows drones being launched toward Haifa’s oil and gas refinery, part of what analysts say is an escalating tit-for-tat targeting of energy infrastructure on both sides of the conflict.
Pentagon: ‘Most Intense Day of Strikes’ as 5,000+ Targets Hit
At a Pentagon press conference Tuesday morning, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth struck a triumphant tone, declaring Iran “badly losing on Day 10” and promising an unprecedented escalation.
“Today will be, yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran: The most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes,” Hegseth told reporters. He added that the Pentagon was giving President Trump “maximum options” and that the campaign would not be “endless.”
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, provided the most comprehensive accounting yet of Operation Epic Fury’s scope: U.S. forces have struck more than 5,000 targets since the operation began on February 28. Caine said the military’s focus was on striking “deeper into Iran’s military and industrial base,” targeting missile launchers, drone production facilities, IRGC headquarters, and naval assets.
According to Caine, Iranian ballistic missile attacks have dropped by 90% since the start of the operation, pointing to a significant degradation of Iran’s launch capabilities. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) confirmed via satellite imagery that the combined U.S.-Israeli force struck the Shahed Aviation Industries Production Facility in Esfahan — the factory responsible for manufacturing Iran’s Shahed-136, Shahed-129, and Shahed-171 drones.
‘Eye for an Eye’: Iran Threatens Infrastructure Attacks
Despite the mounting losses, Iran’s leadership has shown zero interest in backing down. Tehran issued its most aggressive threat yet on Tuesday: an “eye for an eye” warning that if the U.S. and Israel continue targeting Iranian infrastructure, Iran will respond in kind against Western and Israeli critical assets.
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said on social media that Iran was “definitely not looking for a ceasefire.” His statement was blunt: “We believe that the aggressor should be punched in the mouth so that he learns a lesson so that he will never think of attacking our beloved Iran again.”
Even more provocatively, senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani appeared to directly threaten President Trump, writing on X: “Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats. Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.”
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told PBS NewsHour on Monday that negotiating with the United States would not “be on the table” again. “We have a very bitter experience of talking with Americans,” he said, noting that indirect nuclear talks were underway last June when the U.S. first attacked Iran, and negotiations had resumed in February — just days before the current war began.
Gulf Nations Under Fire: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain Hit
Iran’s counteroffensive isn’t limited to Israel. Tehran has been systematically targeting Gulf Arab nations that host U.S. military assets, spreading the conflict far beyond its borders.
On Tuesday alone:
- United Arab Emirates: Nine drones struck the country, killing two people and wounding dozens more. Firefighters battled a blaze in the industrial city of Ruwais, home to major petrochemical plants. Since February 28, six people have been killed and 122 wounded in the UAE.
- Bahrain: An Iranian attack hit a residential building in the capital, Manama, killing a 29-year-old woman and wounding eight others. A previous drone attack injured 32 people, including several children, in Sitra.
- Saudi Arabia: The kingdom’s defense ministry said it intercepted and destroyed two drones over its oil-rich eastern region.
- Kuwait: The National Guard shot down six drones in areas north and south of the country.
The Strait of Hormuz: A Global Economic Chokepoint
Perhaps the most consequential front in this war is economic. Iran has effectively stopped tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil supply flows. Attacks on merchant ships near the strait have killed at least seven sailors, according to the International Maritime Organization.
Senior Iranian official Ali Larijani tweeted that the strait would “either be a Strait of peace and prosperity for all or will be a Strait of defeat and suffering for warmongers.”
President Trump responded with characteristic bluster, posting on Truth Social: “If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far.”
Oil markets remain volatile. Brent crude spiked to nearly $120 per barrel on Monday before retreating to around $90 on Tuesday — still roughly 24% higher than when the war began. The Dow Jones Industrial Average drifted lower at the open Tuesday as investors braced for continued uncertainty.
The Casualty Count So Far
According to the latest figures from multiple sources:
- Iran: More than 1,200 killed (Iranian health officials)
- Lebanon: 570 killed, 750,000 displaced (Lebanese government disaster management)
- Israel: 12 killed (Israeli authorities)
- United States: 7 service members killed in action (Pentagon)
- Gulf States: At least 6 killed in UAE, multiple casualties in Bahrain and Kuwait
- Maritime: 7 sailors killed near the Strait of Hormuz (International Maritime Organization)
The Pentagon identified its seventh fallen service member on Monday, as Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Hegseth attended a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base.
Allied Nations Mobilize
The war’s expanding footprint is drawing in additional Western military assets. Britain’s HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, departed Portsmouth naval base Tuesday bound for the eastern Mediterranean to protect RAF bases on Cyprus from potential drone and missile attacks by Iran and its proxies. Reports indicate the Royal Navy’s RFA Lyme Bay is also being prepared for deployment.
NATO has boosted Turkey’s air defenses after two Iranian missiles were intercepted over Turkish territory in recent days. Iraq’s military reported an airstrike killing at least five members of an Iran-linked militia in the city of Kirkuk, though it was unclear who conducted the strike.
What Comes Next?
Eleven days into Operation Epic Fury, the war shows no signs of slowing down. The U.S. has devastated Iran’s missile and drone capabilities — ballistic missile launches are down 90% — but Iran continues to find ways to strike back, targeting Israeli military sites, Gulf energy infrastructure, and the global oil supply chain.
President Trump continues to send mixed signals about the war’s timeline. At a CBS News interview Monday, he said “the war is very complete, pretty much.” But hours later at a Republican event in Miami, he struck a more hawkish tone: “We’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough. We go forward more determined than ever.”
Iran’s IRGC says they’ll decide when this ends. The Pentagon says it’s just getting started. And the rest of the world is watching oil prices, shipping lanes, and casualty reports — hoping someone blinks first.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as the situation evolves.