Trump claims 9 Iranian warships sunk as Gulf strikes expand

"I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large and important. We are going after the rest — They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also! In a different attack, we largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters. Other than that, their Navy is doing very well!" he stated.

On March 1, U.S. military officials reported striking an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette during operations in the Gulf of Oman, adding that the vessel was sinking.

United States Central Command said it had destroyed the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "The IRGC no longer has a headquarters," the command said in a post on X.

CENTCOM confirmed that three U.S. service members were killed and several others wounded during operations. It also dismissed Iranian claims that ballistic missiles struck the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, stating the missiles "did not come close to their target."

Iran responded with a wave of missile and drone attacks across the region, including the United Arab Emirates. Strikes were reported overnight in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. According to Emirati authorities, one person was killed and four seriously injured following an attack near Zayed International Airport.

The UAE Ministry of Defense said 136 ballistic missiles and 209 drones heading toward its territory were intercepted. It also reported that two Iranian drones struck a warehouse at Al Salam Naval Base in Abu Dhabi, causing a fire in storage containers but no casualties.

The base, also known as Camp de la Paix, is operated by the UAE and hosts French forces at the invitation of Emirati authorities.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said London has approved a U.S. request to use British bases for limited defensive operations aimed at preventing further Iranian missile attacks. He stressed that the United Kingdom is not participating in offensive strikes against Iran and that the decision is focused on protecting civilians and upholding collective self-defense under international law.