Cecilia Ley

Good morning.

The war that began in Iran spreads through the Gulf.

We'll bring you up to speed.

Meanwhile, Trump welcomes one European leader to the White House, then threatens to cut off trade with another.

And The Washington Post explains how the closure of one narrow shipping route could turn the conflict into a global energy crisis.

It's Wednesday, March 4th.

I'm Cecilia Ley, and this is Apple News Today.

The sounds of missiles and explosions filled the skies across the Middle East yesterday as the fast-moving conflict widened.

Last night, Israel began what it described as a new broad wave of attacks on Iran.

Their strikes yesterday targeted infrastructure and hit the leadership's compound.

In total, the U.S.

said it had struck nearly 2,000 targets so far, and an Iranian-based humanitarian group says the death toll there stands at nearly 800.

Crowds gathered for funerals held for the people killed in a strike that hit a girls' school in southern Iran.

State TV showed hundreds of mourners carrying small coffins draped with the flag of the Islamic Republic.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Trump suggested that the attacks over the past few days had effectively neutralized the regime's army.

Even so, Iran appears to be moving forward with its strategy to focus attacks in neighboring territories.

Last night, Iran hit a U.S.

base in Qatar, the largest U.S.

base in the Middle East, though no casualties were reported.

Iran has dispatched around 400 missiles and 800 drones in the past two days, the majority of which have been intercepted.