What we know on the ninth day of the US and Israel’s war with Iran

James Legge, Sophie Tanno, CNNSun, March 8, 2026 at 4:01 PM UTC

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A thick plume of smoke from a strike on an oil storage facility late Saturday lingers in the cloudy sky over Tehran, Iran, on Sunday. - Vahid Salemi/AP

Israel’s onslaught against Iran has entered a new phase, targeting energy resources in the country including fuel storage sites.

Meanwhile, Iranian clerics are close to picking the country’s next supreme leader, according to state media, but the chosen candidate has not yet been named. The new figurehead would replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of nearly four decades who was killed in the war’s opening salvo.

Iran’s retaliatory strikes against US-friendly Gulf nations appear to be continuing, despite President Masoud Pezeshkian apologizing Saturday for previous attacks on the oil-rich kingdoms and suggesting they would end.

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US President Donald Trump said American ground troops could “possibly” be sent to Iran, but added there would have to be a “very good reason.”

Here’s what to know on day nine.

What are the main headlines? -

Uncertainty over leader annnouncement: Hours after suggestions that a new supreme leader had been selected in Iran, no public statement has been made by the body responsible for choosing the successor to Khamenei. Some senior clerics in the 88-member Assembly of Experts have complained about the delay. Adding to this lack of clarity, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News on Sunday that “nobody knows” who will be the next supreme leader.

Iranian oil targeted: Israel has begun striking oil storage sites in Iran as part of the next phase of the war. The Israeli military said it hit fuel sites in the capital Tehran on Saturday evening that distribute fuel “to various consumers, including military entities in Iran.” A CNN team in Tehran saw blackened rain fall on the city on Sunday morning.

‘Surprises prepared’: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded statement that Israel and the US have achieved “almost complete control” over Iranian skies, and that there are “many more targets and surprises prepared.”

Gulf attacks continue: Countries across the Persian Gulf reported airstrikes and interceptions heading into early Sunday morning. The various drone and missile attacks come despite Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologizing to Gulf nations for the past week’s attacks on US bases in the region, saying Iran would stop striking its neighbors unless it came under attack.

What’s happening in Iran and Lebanon?

Two women from the Iranian Red Crescent Society stand as a thick plume of smoke rises in the sky in Tehran on Sunday. - Vahid Salemi/AP

A hotel building damaged by an Israeli strike is seen in central Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday. - Claudia Greco/Reuters -

Focus on Gulf states: Iran is using more of its firepower on neighboring Gulf states than it is on targeting Israel, with a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) saying Tehran is using 60% of its offensive capabilities to attack US assets in the Middle East, and 40% to fire at targets of the Israeli regime. “We consider the Americans the main enemy in this war, and for this reason, they are prioritized for punishment,” the spokesperson said.

US warning: US Central Command issued a warning to the Iranian people that Iran was putting them at risk by using “heavily populated civilian areas” to launch drones and ballistic missiles, potentially making those areas military targets.

Over 1,200 dead: At least 1,205 civilians have been killed in Iran since the conflict began last Saturday, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). The total, which includes 194 children, is as of 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, HRANA said.

‘Quagmire’: Iran’s top security official said Trump’s war against Iran is the result of his “international miscalculation,” in that Trump thought he could repeat the Venezuela model in Iran. In an interview broadcast on Iranian state TV, Ali Larijani said the US is now “stuck in the quagmire of its own miscalculations,” and that Trump had failed to achieve his aims through strikes on Iran.

Central Beirut hit: At least four people have been killed and 10 others wounded after an Israeli strike hit a hotel in central Beirut, Reuters reported early Sunday, citing Lebanon’s health ministry. The attack notably hit the heart of Beirut, rather than the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs. Israel’s military said it had “conducted a precise strike” targeting key commanders in the IRGC’s Quds Force. Overall, at least 394 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel began striking the country earlier this week, according to its health ministry.

What’s happening in the rest of region? -

Strikes continue: Countries across the Persian Gulf reported airstrikes and interceptions. The Kuwaiti Army said that a “wave of hostile drones” targeted fuel storage at Kuwait International Airport. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar also all reported fresh aerial attacks.

Desalination plant: During the ongoing strikes a desalination plant was damaged in Bahrain; however Bahraini authorities told CNN that water supplies were not disrupted. Across the Gulf, water desalination plants are critical infrastructure, providing between 60% and 90% of drinking water by desalination of seawater.

Israeli casualties: Two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon early Sunday morning, according to the Israeli military, marking the country’s first military deaths since the war began. Additionally, at least 14 Israeli soldiers have been injured in the latest fighting across the Israel-Lebanon border.

Travel chaos continues: Some airlines in the Middle East are running limited flight schedules, while other operations remain suspended, as aviation disruption persists. Meanwhile approximately 2,000 travelers are set to depart on 40 scheduled flights Sunday from Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, in the first outbound flights from the airport since the war began.

The latest from Trump

US President Donald Trump speaks with the media as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looks on aboard Air Force One during a flight from Dover, Delaware, to Miami, Florida, on Saturday. - Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images -

Possible escalation: Trump said US troops could “possibly” be sent on the ground in Iran, as the war continues, but there would have to be a “very good reason.”

Kurdish involvement: Trump said the US does not want Iranian Kurdish groups involved in the war with Iran, contradicting previous efforts by the CIA, reported by CNN, to arm them in the hopes of sparking an uprising. “We’re not looking to the Kurds going in. We’re very friendly with the Kurds, as you know, but we don’t want to make the war any more complex than it already is,” Trump said.

Shifting blame: The president cast blame on Tehran for the strike on an Iranian elementary school that killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers, despite analysis by CNN and experts suggesting the US military was likely responsible.

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