Escalating Iran war: Civilian toll mounts as U.S. lawmakers back Trump’s military action

MORE than 1,000 people, including at least 181 children, have been killed in Iran since the war began on Saturday, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, as the conflict widens across the Middle East and Washington deepens its involvement.

The rights organisation said that as of Tuesday afternoon, at least 1,097 civilians had been killed and more than 5,400 injured, including 100 children.

AP cited the agency describing the figures as preliminary, adding that it was verifying hundreds more reported deaths.

The mounting civilian toll comes as Senate Republicans moved to shield U.S. President Donald Trump from congressional constraints on the war effort.

Lawmakers voted down a war powers resolution by 47 to 53, rejecting a measure that would have required congressional approval before any further attacks on Iran. A parallel bill in the House faces similarly long odds when it is put to a vote.

In the Senate, Republican Senator Susan Collins argued that the threat posed by Tehran justified continued military action.

“We cannot tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran. The Iranian regime’s pursuit of nuclear capabilities, ballistic missile development, and support for terrorist proxies pose serious and longstanding threats to the national security of the United States and our allies,” she said.

On that note, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that a US submarine had sunk an Iranian warship in international waters and that additional American forces would be deployed to the region.

He added that the United States “will take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed.”

The conflict has rapidly expanded beyond direct US–Iran hostilities. Israel has struck targets in Tehran and hit the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, including airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs following evacuation warnings.

Lebanese officials say more than 70 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the latest escalation began.

Iran has launched missiles and drones towards Israel, Bahrain and Kuwait. Turkey said NATO defences intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran before it entered Turkish airspace.

The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon reported that both Israel and Hezbollah had violated the 2006 ceasefire, while also accusing Israel of breaching Lebanese sovereignty.

In northern Iraq, residents described feeling trapped amid drone and missile attacks targeting US bases and diplomatic facilities.

“It’s difficult to be a victim of a war that we’re not part of,” said Hawkar Hadi, whose home in Irbil was damaged by an explosion. “We’re paying the cost of things we didn’t do.”

Global markets have reacted nervously to the escalating hostilities.

Oil prices have surged following Iranian attacks on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears that sustained disruption could weigh heavily on the world economy. While US markets opened steadier on Wednesday, volatility has intensified in recent days.

Amid the widening conflict, Trump struck a confident tone at a White House event, declaring that the United States was “doing very well on the war front, to put it mildly.”

Asked to rate America’s performance out of 10, he replied: “about a 15.” - March 5, 2026