Everything we know on day 6 of the Middle East war

By CNN

Published March 5, 2026 4:47 am

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By Jessie Yeung, Billy Stockwell, Max Saltman, CNN

(CNN) — Now in its sixth day, the latest Middle East conflict continues to widen – with new strikes on Tehran, Israel ordering massive evacuations in Lebanon, and NATO countries increasing their missile defenses.

Here’s what to know.

What are the main headlines?

Fresh strikes: Explosions rocked the Iranian capital Tehran again this morning, according to state media. Overnight, Israel launched another wave of attacks against Iran, as well as striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut. Iran also launched three waves of missiles towards Israel overnight, according to the Israeli military.
Israel orders evacuations in Beirut: The Israeli military issued what it described as an urgent evacuation warning for entire neighborhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The order comes after Israel told all residents south of the Litani River to evacuate, a potential sign that a major military operation is on the way.
NATO ups its missile defenses: NATO member states increased their defense posture after a suspected Iranian missile was shot down while traveling toward Turkish airspace on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the alliance said. This would be the first time NATO forces have intercepted an Iranian missile heading toward a member country since this conflict began. However, Iranian military leaders claim they did not fire any missiles toward Turkey, per state media.
Senate vote: Republicans rejected a resolution Wednesday that would have reined in US President Donald Trump’s war powers. The Senate voted 47 to 53 to put down the measure. The House is expected to take a vote on the same issue on Thursday.
Warship torpedoed: Iran’s foreign minister has decried the deadly US torpedo attack on an Iranian warship as an “atrocity,” which he warned the US will come to regret. More than 80 people were killed, and a number remaining missing, after the IRIS Dena sank off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
Evacuations underway: The first US evacuation flight left the Middle East on Wednesday, after the Trump administration faced backlash for not having an evacuation plan ready. More than 17,500 Americans have returned to the US from the Middle East since February 28, the State Department said late Wednesday.
Sticker shock: The first 100 hours of the US military campaign against Iran is estimated to have cost $3.7 billion — more than $890 million a day — according to analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Less than $200 million of that total estimate are operational costs already included in the Pentagon budget.

What’s happening in Iran and Lebanon?

Death tolls: More than 1,100 civilians have been killed in Iran since Saturday, according to a US-based human rights group. Others have reported a higher figure, such as state-affiliated Islamic Republic News Agency, which said at least 1,230 people had been killed. And at least 77 people have been killed by Israeli bombardment in Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry – including three paramedics.
Lebanon attacks: As well as new strikes in Tehran, Israel’s overnight attack hit several command centers in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, belonging to Hezbollah, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Israel also struck the city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon on Thursday for the first time in the six-day conflict, the IDF said. Later in the day, Israel’s military warned entire neighborhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate, a significant expansion from previous orders that were typically limited to specific buildings.
Miserable conditions: Many residents in southern Lebanon have embarked on grueling journeys after Israel ordered them to evacuate; some displaced families have been forced to sleep on the streets at night. Many Tehran residents have fled to the countryside, while those who remain shelter at home, living in fear of constant bombardment.
Next supreme leader: Iran’s top clerics are still working to choose a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by the US-Israel strikes on Saturday. Israel has warned that any new leader would be “an unequivocal target for elimination.” Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he must be involved in the selection, telling Axios that Khamenei’s son would be an “unacceptable” choice.
School bombing: The White House didn’t rule out that the US military had carried out a strike on a girls’ elementary school in Iran during the initial joint US-Israeli strikes, which killed at least 168 children, according to Iranian state media.
Iran is “waiting” for US to invade: Iran is prepared to counter any ground invasion by the US military, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday. “We are confident that we can confront them, and that would be a big disaster for them,” he told NBC News. The foreign minister said his country had learned from previous conflicts and now has a more capable fighting force.
CNN in Iran: A team led by CNN’s Fred Pleitgen entered Iran on Thursday, encountering more checkpoints than usual and armed personnel on the road to Tehran, but no signs of panic. Shops are open and stocked, and gas seems readily available with no long lines.

What’s happening in the rest of region?

Iran strikes back: Alongside the fresh barrage of missiles fired toward Israel overnight, Iran continues to fire at neighboring Gulf states, which are armed with American weapons and air defenses. A missile hit an oil refinery in Bahrain on Thursday, according to a government press release and video posted on social media. And yesterday, Iran launched a drone attack on an Amazon data center in Bahrain, a state-affiliated news agency reported. Iranian drones have also targeted two Amazon facilities in the United Arab Emirates.
Deaths climb around the region: While the largest death tolls are in Iran and Lebanon, more than two dozen people have been killed elsewhere – by Iranian strikes in Israel and Gulf nations, as well as by US-Israeli airstrikes in Iraq.
Iran targets separatist groups: Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence says it targeted “separatist terrorist groups (that) intended to enter the country’s western borders” with the support of the United States. The ministry statement, reported by the country’s state media, is believed to have been referring to attacks by Iranian forces on Iraq-based Kurdish groups. It comes after sources told CNN that the CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces, with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran.
Iraq’s first lady says “Leave the Kurds alone”: Iraq’s First Lady Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed released a strongly-worded open letter on Thursday urging all sides involved in the war with Iran to “leave the Kurds alone,” adding that Kurdish people are not “guns for hire.” The letter comes amid reports that the CIA is encouraging Kurdish fighters in Iraq to challenge Iran. It also follows an Iranian attack on what Iranian media referred to as “separatist terrorist groups” in Iraqi Kurdistan on Wednesday.
US soldiers identified: On Wednesday night, the Pentagon publicly identified the two remaining service members killed in a drone attack in Kuwait on Sunday. The other four soldiers killed were previously identified on Tuesday.
Europe is getting drawn in: European nations have faced tough choices about whether and how to get involved in the military escalation in the Middle East. Countries including Britain, France and Spain have agreed to provide military support to protect the interests of their allies. A drone strike hit a British Royal Air Force base in the Mediterranean island of Cyprus on Monday.
Diplomatic departures: The US authorized non-emergency staff and their families to depart several Middle Eastern countries on Wednesday. Qatar authorities are evacuating residents living near the US Embassy, after Iranian strikes this week targeted US facilities across the region.
Travel disruptions: Israel began reopening its main international airport for incoming flights, with the first of two return flights landing on Thursday. Some flights have departed major Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai and Jeddah, but many travelers are still scrambling to find ways out of the region.
Markets: Asian stocks bounced back Thursday after steep falls the previous day. But US stocks extended losses Thursday afternoon as concerns about the war with Iran continue to push oil prices higher, and stocks in Europe were also lower.
First attack on Azerbaijan: Drone attacks injured two people and damaged the terminal building of an airport near the Iran-Azerbaijan border, Azerbaijani authorities said, the first strikes on the country since the beginning of the conflict. Iran’s armed forces denied launching the drones.

CNN’s Leila Gharagozlou, Eugenia Yosef, Laura Sharman, Jack Guy, Lauren Kent, Todd Symons, Haley Britzky, John Towfighi, Sophie Tanno, Nechirvan Mando, Eyad Kourdi, Vasco Cotovio, Avery Schmitz, Zeena Saifi, Joseph Ataman, and Oren Liebermann contributed to this report.