Iran live updates: 7th killed service member is identified

Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, was killed in Saudi Arabia.

ByDavid Brennan, Jon Haworth, Kevin Shalvey, Leah Sarnoff, Meredith Deliso, Nadine El-Bawab, and Bill Hutchinson ABCNews logo
Last updated: Monday, March 9, 2026 3:00PM GMT
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President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on Sunday to succeed him.

Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

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Mar 09, 2026, 5:09 PM GMT

7th killed service member is identified

The seventh service member to die from Iranian attacks has been identified by the Defense Department as Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky.

Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky.
Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky.

Pennington was wounded on March 1 when his base in Saudi Arabia was attacked. He died from his injuries on Sunday, the Defense Department said.

Pennington was at a strategic radar site that's part of the early warning systems for missile defense, according to a source familiar with the situation.

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Mar 09, 2026, 5:09 PM GMT

IDF begins 'limited' raid in southern Lebanon

The Israeli military said it had begun on Monday a "targeted and limited" raid in southern Lebanon, where it says it's targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.

"Prior to the entry of ground forces, numerous terror targets were struck from the air and ground," the Isreal Defense Forces said on social media.

"This operation aims to strengthen forward defensive positions and provide an additional layer of protection for residents of northern Israel," the military added.

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Mar 09, 2026, 10:45 AM GMT

3 injured as Iranian missiles target central Israel, emergency responders say

Two men were in serious condition in Israel after an Iranian missile attack targeted the center of the country, Magen David Adom, the Israeli emergency response organization, said in Hebrew in on social media.

"In another incident in the center of the country, Magen David Adom medics and paramedics are providing medical treatment and evacuating a man approximately 30 years old in serious condition with shrapnel injuries to Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer," the organization said in an update on social media.

The Israel Defense Forces said in an update that its personnel were responding to the impact sites.

Mar 09, 2026, 2:27 AM GMT

US orders evacuation of non-emergency government employees from Saudi Arabia

The State Department on Sunday ordered the evacuation of non-emergency government employees and their families from Saudi Arabia, updating earlier guidance that authorized them to depart due to safety risks. Saudi Arabia remains a Level 3 "Reconsider Travel" country for U.S. citizens.

The U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia remains operational with core staff in place, according to the State Department.

-ABC News' Chris Boccia