Toll in Iran rises again as 867 people die in US–Israel attacks
The death toll from the wave of attacks by the United States (US) and Israel on Iran has risen again. Iranian authorities reported more than 800 people killed in the bombardment launched by Washington and Tel Aviv since Saturday (28 February) local time. Iran’s Health Ministry spokesperson, Hossein Kermanpour, as reported by Anadolu Agency, on Thursday (5 March 2026), said the death toll had risen to at least 867 people. Thousands more were injured as a result of the series of attacks by the US and Israel that struck across various regions of Iran. ‘Of the 5,946 people injured, 2,184 remain receiving treatment in hospitals across the country,’ Kermanpour said in a statement quoted by ILNA on Wednesday (4 March) local time. Tensions in the Middle East region have escalated after the US and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran since Saturday 28 February local time and continued to the present. In recent days, the allied forces of the two countries have targeted targets across various regions of Iran, including missiles, the navy, and military command and control locations. The sequence of US-Israel attacks has killed a number of prominent figures and senior Tehran officials, including the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes against targets in Israel and US bases in Gulf states. Tehran claims that at least 560 US soldiers were killed and wounded as a result of the retaliatory attacks. However the US has so far confirmed at least six of its soldiers killed and several other personnel wounded as a result of Iran’s retaliation. CENTCOM, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, reported that US-Israel forces have attacked nearly 2,000 targets across various regions of Iran, using more than 2,000 munitions since the operation began over the weekend. Iran, according to CENTCOM’s report, responded with large-scale retaliation, launching more than 500 ballistic missiles and deploying more than 2,000 drones.