President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.
Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
The U.S. mission to Saudi Arabia is tracking “reports of threats against locations where American citizens gather," according to an updated security alert.
"We advise U.S. citizens that hotels and other gathering points including U.S. businesses and U.S. educational institutions may be potential targets,” the alert said.
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh is continuing to direct American government employees remaining in the country to shelter in place. Non-emergency U.S. personnel were ordered to depart on March 8.
-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston
At least 348 U.S. troops have been wounded in the war with Iran.
Of those wounded, 315 have been listed as “returned to duty.” In some cases, that designation reflects a change in medical status, no longer requiring in-patient care, rather than a full recovery and some troops may still be dealing with significant injuries.
The data shows nearly 11 troops are wounded each day on average.
-ABC News' Steven Beynon
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has issued a warning to American companies in the Middle East, saying they are "considered legitimate targets."
The companies named by the IRGC include Cisco, HP, Intel, Oracle, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, IBM, Dell, Planter, Nvidia, J.P. Morgan, Tesla, GE, Spire Solutions, G42 and Boeing.
"The IRGC warns the ruling regime of aggressive America: You ignored our repeated warnings about the necessity to stop terrorist operations, and today, in your terrorist attacks and those of your Israeli allies, several Iranian citizens were martyred," the IRGC said in a statement in Farsi.
"Since the main element in designing and tracking assassination targets are American ICT and AI companies, in response to this terrorist operation, from now on the main institutions involved in terrorist operations will be considered legitimate targets," the IRGC said.
President Donald Trump said he believes the Strait of Hormuz will “automatically open” when the U.S. exits, he said in a phone interview with the New York Post on Tuesday.
“We’re not going to be there too much longer. We’re obliterating the s--- out of them right now, it’s a total obliteration,” he told the Post.
Asked about the Wall Street Journal report that indicated he was considering ending the war without opening the Strait of Hormuz, Trump sidestepped but argued that the Strait will “automatically open” when the U.S. leaves Iran.
“I don’t think about it, to be honest,” Trump said, according to the NY Post. “My sole function was to make sure that they don’t have a nuclear weapon. They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. When we leave the strait will automatically open.”
Trump continued to shrug off responsibility to other countries to open the Strait.
“Well, I think it’ll automatically open, but my attitude is, I’ve obliterated the country. They have no strength left, and let the countries that are using the strait, let them go and open it… because I would imagine whoever’s controlling the oil will be very happy to open the strait," he said.
His remarks come despite his threats on Monday to bomb power plants, oil wells, Kharg Island and possibly, all of the country’s desalinization plants if the Strait of Hormuz did not “immediately” open.
“If for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately 'Open for Business,' we will conclude our lovely 'stay' in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!)" Trump wrote on social media.
Esmaeil Baqaei, the spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said Monday that Iran has “not had any negotiations with America,” even though President Donald Trump said this weekend that there have been talks both directly and indirectly.
Baqaei said "they have presented a request for negotiations along with a set of proposals, which has reached us through some intermediaries, including Pakistan.”
“Our position is very clear: we are currently in a situation where the military aggression and invasion by America continues with intensity, and we are certainly exerting all our efforts and capabilities to defend ourselves,” Baqaei said at a news conference.
"The information that has been conveyed to us [from the U.S.], regardless of what name you want to give it, as 15 articles or whatever you call it, involved a large number of requests that are excessive, unrealistic, and illogical,” he said.
-ABC News' Othon Leyva
