US President Donald Trump stated that the ongoing US-Israeli joint military operation against Iran is "always a four-week process," adding that "because it's a big country, it could last four weeks—or less." This statement came amid ongoing intense airstrikes against regime targets in Tehran and allegations that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed. Meanwhile, on the evening of March 1, 2026, Iran launched a massive ballistic missile attack on Israel, with at least one missile carrying a cluster munitions warhead, according to the IDF. These munitions deploy in mid-air, scattering approximately 20 small explosives over an 8 km area, and images of dozens of small projects raining down on central Israeli airspace (particularly around Tel Aviv) circulated on social media and in news sources. Among the hundreds of missiles launched from Iran in these attacks, the cluster munitions are alleged to have targeted densely populated areas to inflict maximum civilian casualties, thus constituting a war crime. This wave of attacks comes in retaliation for recent US and Israeli operations against Iran (including the killing of Ali Khamenei), killing nine people and injuring dozens in areas like Beit Shemesh, and increasing the risk of the conflict spreading across the region. Israel extends state of emergency until March 12.