US and Israel Strike Iran, Death Toll 1,332 as Supreme Leader Succession Looms

An intense round of strikes has escalated across the Middle East after US and Israeli attacks on Iranian targets and Iranian strikes in the region, producing a complex mix of military claims and counterclaims.

“March 9, 2026 As US and Israeli strikes on Iran escalate, the death toll rises to 1,332”

Pakistan Today

The Pakistan Today report describes "Heavy strikes and counterstrikes" following the strikes and notes that US and Israeli forces "reportedly struck five oil facilities in and near Tehran overnight, killing four people and igniting large fires over the capital."

Pakistan Today

Iran has retaliated and both sides have traded accusations over civilian harm and military targeting.

The article also records specific naval losses, with Iran saying "104 personnel were killed and 32 wounded in a US strike on the Iranian frigate Dena near Sri Lanka."

The scale of reported civilian damage and military targeting is contested.

Pakistan Today cites Iran’s Red Crescent as saying "nearly 10,000 civilian sites have been damaged, including 65 schools and 32 medical facilities."

Pakistan Today

Pakistan Today also records the Israeli military’s claim that it "hit more than 3,400 targets in Iran."

US CENTCOM is quoted denying intentional strikes on civilians and accusing Iran of endangering them, underscoring the competing claims about who is responsible for civilian harm and the difficulty of independent verification.

The strikes have triggered diplomatic and regional security responses.

“March 9, 2026 As US and Israeli strikes on Iran escalate, the death toll rises to 1,332”

Pakistan Today

France’s president is reported as urging de-escalation: "President Emmanuel Macron urged Iran to stop strikes, guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and prioritized the safety and repatriation of a French couple sheltered at the French Embassy."

Gulf states, Jordan and other countries have "heightened defenses," the Arab League and GCC issued critical statements, and Egypt’s foreign minister declared solidarity with Gulf states while calling for dialogue.

Pakistan Today also highlights internal political fallout in Iran and the US, reporting that "Iran’s Assembly of Experts reportedly met to choose a successor to the slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei; no name was announced," and that "US President Donald Trump said any successor would need US approval — a comment Iran’s foreign minister rejected, demanding an apology from Trump."

The report lists discrete tactical claims, including an Israeli raid in Beirut that it said "killed five people, including three IRGC Quds Force commanders" and Israeli statements that it struck IRGC "space force" headquarters and fuel storage sites.

The report records the IRGC’s condemnation of US and Israeli strikes as "criminal aggression" and notes its warnings of further escalation.

Pakistan Today

Importantly, Pakistan Today cautions that these are competing government claims and that the reporting has not been independently verified.

The provided article does not corroborate a single, consolidated death toll of 1,332, because that specific figure is not present in the Pakistan Today excerpt and therefore remains unverified based on the material supplied here.