[00:00] Peter Rowan: This is Neural Newscast.
[00:03] Peter Rowan: It is Thursday, March 5th, 2026.
[00:07] Peter Rowan: Here is what matters this morning.
[00:11] Peter Rowan: From Neural Newscast, I'm Peter Rowan.
[00:14] Peter Rowan: And I'm Hena Whitmore.
[00:16] Peter Rowan: An elementary school in southern Iran was destroyed by three missiles on Saturday.
[00:22] Peter Rowan: The strike killed at least 168 people.
[00:26] Peter Rowan: The strike on the Shajare-Tayabe school in Minab has become a focal point for grief and outrage as the war enters its sixth day.
[00:36] Peter Rowan: Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that U.S. forces would not deliberately target a school.
[00:44] Peter Rowan: The Defense Department is currently investigating the incident.
[00:48] Peter Rowan: Local officials noted that the school facility was built on a revolutionary guard base.
[00:53] Peter Rowan: That base reportedly closed 15 years ago.
[00:57] Peter Rowan: Beyond the school strike, the human rights group H-R-A-N-A reports that civilian deaths in Iran have reached 1,114 since the conflict began.
[01:09] Peter Rowan: In Lebanon, Israeli forces have expanded their operations to target Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
[01:18] Peter Rowan: The Israel Defense Forces issued evacuation orders for southern Beirut this morning.
[01:24] Peter Rowan: The orders caused massive traffic jams as residents fled the capital.
[01:28] Peter Rowan: There has also been a significant escalation at sea.
[01:32] Peter Rowan: A U.S. submarine sank the Iranian warship Iris Denna in the Indian Ocean.
[01:38] Peter Rowan: Defense Secretary Pete Heggseth confirmed the sinking on Wednesday.
[01:43] Peter Rowan: He stated that 87 sailors were killed off the coast of Sri Lanka.
[01:48] Peter Rowan: Meanwhile, Iran has retaliated with strikes on several Gulf states that are allied with the United States.
[01:55] Peter Rowan: The United Arab Emirates and Qatar both reported missile and drone attacks today.
[02:01] Peter Rowan: The UAE says most were successfully intercepted.
[02:05] Peter Rowan: European nations are increasing their military presence in the Mediterranean,
[02:10] Peter Rowan: following drone incidents at a British base in Cyprus.
[02:14] Peter Rowan: The United Kingdom, France, and Spain are deploying warships to the area.
[02:20] Peter Rowan: This follows an Iranian drone crash at the RAF base in Akratiri.
[02:25] Peter Rowan: Here is what else we are watching.
[02:28] Peter Rowan: First, the formal results of the U.S. investigation into the Minab school strike.
[02:33] Peter Rowan: We are also following reports from Azerbaijan.
[02:37] Peter Rowan: Officials there claim Iranian drones struck a site near a school in its western territory.
[02:43] Peter Rowan: Finally, we are monitoring the deployment of the Royal Navy warship to Cyprus
[02:49] Peter Rowan: as it prepares to take up its position.
[02:51] Peter Rowan: From Neural Newscast, I'm Peter Rowan.
[02:54] Peter Rowan: And I'm Hannah Whitmore. Thank you for listening.
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