U.S. & Israel Strike Iran, Tensions Escalate

0:00It's March 23, I'm Cory with The Story, and this is Canada News Today, your AI-powered local news. The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East says the campaign against Iran is running smoothly, either on schedule or ahead. Navy Admiral Brad Cooper shared this in his first interview of the conflict, aired on a Farsi-language network early Monday. At the same time, Israel launched major strikes on what it calls Iranian terror infrastructure. Even Trump issued a strong warning over the weekend from his Florida home, threatening to wipe out Iran's power plants unless they fully reopen. The Strait of Hormuz, oil prices are spiking, adding pressure at home. Iran fired back, saying it might hit American and Israeli energy sites in response. The human cost keeps climbing, with more than 1,500 dead in Iran, over 1,011 on, 15 in Israel and 13. U.S. troops lost. The U.S. and the Gulf have also died, and millions are displaced across Lebanon and Iran.

1:03Admiral Cooper noted the U.S. and Israel are hitting missile and drone factories, while Iran's launches from crowded areas endanger people. He urged Iranians to stay indoors for now, promising a future signal to rise up. Early Monday brought more action, with intercepts over Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait, plus one injury from. Tensions simmer in the region as defenses hold firm, and strikes continue, leaving the next moves uncertain.