Middle East airports closed and thousands of travelers stranded after attack on Iran

LONDON (AP) — Theattack on Iranby the United States and Israel disrupted flights across the Middle East and beyond Saturday as countries around the region closed their airspace and key airports that connect Europe, Africa and the West to Asia were directly hit by strikes.

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Airports across the Middle East remained closed Sunday as the conflict moved into its second day. Emirates Airlines suspended all flights to and from Dubai until at least Sunday afternoon. The Qatar airport was closed until at least Monday morning, according to Qatar Airways. Israeli airspace also remained closed Sunday.

The closures have stranded tens of thousands of travelers around the world.

Hundreds of thousands of travelers were either stranded or diverted to other airports Saturday after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace. There also was no flight activity over the United Arab Emirates, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said, after the government there announced a "temporary and partial closure" of its airspace.

That led to the closure of key hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, and the cancellation of more than 1,800 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines. The three major airlines that operate at those airports — Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad — typically have about 90,000 passengers per day crossing through those hubs and even more travelers headed to destinations in the Middle East, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Two airports in the United Arab Emirates reported incidents as the government there condemned what it called a "blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles" on Saturday.

Officials at Dubai International Airport — the largest in the United Arab Emirates and one of thebusiest in the world— said four people were injured, while Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi said that one person was killed and seven others were injured in a drone strike. Strikes were also reported at Kuwait International Airport.

Though Iran did not publicly claim responsibility, the scope of retaliatory strikes that Gulf nations attributed to Iran extended beyond the American bases that it previously said it would target.

"For travelers, there's no way to sugarcoat this," said Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group. "You should prepare for delays or cancellations for the next few days as these attacks evolve and hopefully end."

Airlines that are crossing the Middle East will have to reroute flights around the conflict with many flights headed south over Saudi Arabia. That will add hours to those flights and consume additional fuel, adding to the costs airlines will have to absorb. So ticket prices could quickly start to increase if the conflict lingers.

The added flights will also put pressure on air traffic controllers in Saudi Arabia who might have to slow traffic to make sure they can handle it safely. And the countries that closed their airspace will miss out on the overflight fees airlines pay for crossing overhead.

But Mike McCormick, who used to oversee air traffic control for the Federal Aviation Administration before he retired and is now a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said over the next few days these countries might be able to reopen parts of their airspace once American and Israeli officials share with the airlines where military flights are operating and how capable Iran remains at firing missiles.

"Those countries then will be able to go through and say, okay, we can reopen this portion of our space but we'll keep this portion of our airspace closed," McCormick said. "So I think what we'll see in the next 24 to 36 hours how the use of airspace evolves as the kinetic activity gets more well defined and as the capability of Iran to actually shoot missiles and create additional risk is diminished due to the attacks."

But it is unclear how long the disruption to flight operations could last. For comparison, the Israeli and U.S. attack on Iran in June 2025lasted 12 days.

'No one knows'

The situation was changing quickly and airlines urged passengers to check their flight status online before heading to the airport.

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Some airlines issued waivers to affected travelers that will allow them to rebook their flight plans without paying extra fees or higher fares.

Jonathan Escott and his fiance had arrived at the airport in Newcastle, England, on Saturday only to find out that his direct flight to Dubai on Emirates airline was canceled, leaving everyone on the flight stuck there.

Escott left to go back to where he was staying with family, about an hour from the airport, but has no idea when he may be able to travel.

"No one knows," Escott said. "No one really knows what's going on with the conflict, really. Not Emirates, Emirates don't have a clue. No one has a clue."

At least 145 planes that were en route to cities like Tel Aviv and Dubai early Saturday were diverted to airports in cities like Athens, Istanbul or Rome, according to FlightAware. Others turned around and returned to where they took off from. One plane spent nearly 15 hours in the air after leaving Philadelphia and getting all the way to Spain before turning around and returning to where it started.

Numerous airlines canceled international flights to Dubai through the weekend, as India's civil aviation agency designated much of the Middle East — including skies above Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon — as a high-security risk zone at all altitudes.

Air India canceled all flights to Mideast destinations. Turkish Airlines said flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan were suspended until Monday and flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman were suspended.

The airline said additional cancellations may be announced, and many other airlines were suspending flights into the region through the weekend.

Travelers advised to be 'very creative'

U.S.-based Delta Air Lines and United Airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv at least through the weekend. Dutch airline KLM had already announced earlier in the week that it was suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv.

Airlines including Lufthansa, Air France, Transavia and Pegasus canceled all flights to Lebanon, while American Airlines suspended flights from Philadelphia to Doha.

Virgin Atlantic said it would avoid flying over Iraq, meaning flights to and from India, the Maldives and Riyadh could take slightly longer. The airline already was not flying over Iran and said all flights would carry appropriate fuel in case they need to reroute on short notice.

British Airways said flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain will be suspended until next week, and flights to Amman, Jordan, were canceled Saturday.

"Travelers should anticipate that there will be a lot of disruptions," Harteveldt said. "To be honest, if you haven't left home, chances are you won't be leaving home if you're supposed to travel to or through these destinations for at least several days, if not longer. And if you are returning home, you will have to be very creative about how you get home."

Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Bangkok, Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, and Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed.

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February 28, 2026

Middle East airports closed and thousands of travelers stranded after attack on Iran

LONDON (AP) — Theattack on Iranby the United States and Israel disrupted flights across the Middle East and beyond Saturd...

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Chocolate supplement recalled over erectile dysfunction drug

A chocolate male enhancement supplement is being recalled because it contains a prescription drug used to treat erectile dysfunction, federal health officials said Friday.

Brooklyn-basedUSALESS.COMis recalling its Rhino Choco VIP 10X product due to the undeclared presence ofTadalafil, which is the active ingredient in Cialis, the company said in an announcement shared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The drug, which is not declared on the ingredients label, is not allowed in over-the-counter products.

The recall applies to the company's 10-gram, 12-piece chocolate supplement packaged in a black cardboard box with an expiration date of October 2027. The product is sold both online and in retail stores.

Tadalafil may interact with nitrates in some prescription drugs and has the potential to "lower blood pressure to dangerous levels," the company warned. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease often take nitrates.

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"The product has been immediately removed from our online store until we are certain that the problem has been corrected," USALESS.com said.

Consumers who bought the recalled product are being asked to immediately return it for a full refund.

In 2018, theFDA warned consumersnot to purchase or ingest "Rhino"-branded male enhancement products, citing a spike in health issues related to hidden drugs in the purported dietary supplements.

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What the death of Iran’s supreme leader means

President Donald Trump placed a huge wager by launching amassive air assault on Irandespite having done little to prepare Americans for a new Middle East war with immense risks and years of future consequences.

But the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei opens up a scenario in which Tehran's brutal Islamist regime is overthrown, ending decades of repression that sawthousands of civiliansgunned down in the streets in December and January.

"This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country," Trump wrote on Truth Social after backing up earlier Israeli reports that Khamenei, whom he described as "one of the most evil people in history" was killed in an air strike.

The demise of Khamenei — the successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the instigator of the 1979 Iranian revolution — was confirmed by Iranian state media. It is a seismic political event in Iranian history. And it threatens the grip on power of hardline Islamists who turned Iran into a ruthless theocratic dictatorship.

It also adds urgency to one of the most critical questions raised by Trump's assault: Would the removal of top leaders unleash a torrent of institutional reform, or set off uncontrollable political forces that would deepen repression and tear the country apart?

Trump told NBC the attacks had "inflicted tremendous damage."

"At some point they'll be calling me to ask who I'd like (as leader)," Trump said. He added: "I'm only being a little sarcastic when I say that."

No one needs reminding of thetreacherous possibilities of foreign warsthat begin with shock-and-awe violence but can unravel disastrously. Many will view Trump's impulsive attack as a reckless, imperial error. His critics in Congressare already slammingwhat they see as a unilateral, illegal andunconstitutional warthat makes a mockery of democracy.

Iranian counterattacksagainst US allies in Bahrain and Qatar — and the sight of an Iranian drone crashing into a luxury hotelin a tourist area of Dubai— underscored the potential for his bet to spiral out of control.

But while the Middle East usually destroys the preconceptions of outsiders, it's possible that history may eventually remember Trump as the savior of Iranians.

The combined US-Israeli attack launched from Israel and a vast US naval armada early Saturday is the most significant twist in a bitter 47-year showdown with the Islamic clerical regime. It seems to end Trump's diplomatic quest for a deal with Iran that now looks like a ruse as a fearsome US force gathered.

Trump's fleeting public arguments ahead of the strikes were incomplete and self-contradictory. He insisted, for instance, that he'd already "obliterated"Iran's nuclear facilities, which formed a key rationale for Saturday's attack.

His claims that the nuclear program andlong-range missilesposed an immediate risk to the United States are overblown and contradict US intelligence assessments reported by CNN. The president even seemed to admit publicly that the threats were not so imminent as to justify immediate US action. "We're doing this not for now. We're doing this for the future," Trump said in a video released from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida early Saturday.

But this is now another American operation based on questionable claims of immediate national security peril. In this, it recalls the war waged on false pretenses in Iraq that destroyed President George W. Bush's second term. And it will alienate Trump from sectors of his own MAGA movement.

"It's always a lie and it's always America Last," Trump's former ally Marjorie Taylor Greenewrote on X."But it feels like the worst betrayal this time because it comes from the very man and the admin who we all believed was different and said no more."

The opening that Trump saw and past presidents lacked

If Trump's decision casus belli was impulsive, its broader rationale was familiar. The US and its allies have long tried to thwart Iran's push toward nuclear weapons. They've also been fixated on its long-range missiles and a proxy terror network that made it a pernicious regional power.

But if a crisis point had not been reached, why did Trump act now?

The new dimension in the US-Iran standoff is the weakness of the Tehran regime. This created an opening the US and Israel might rue missing if they didn't act.

Iran has been locked in worsening political turmoil. Khamenei's succession process has been opaque. Iranians are hungry and desperate after decades of iron-fist repression. The economy is splintered by international sanctions and disruption to the most basic services, such as food and water distribution. Israeli attacks have pummeled regional proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah that were once an insurance policy against US and Israel action.

Although Iran launched frightening counterattacks by firing missiles against Israel and US allies in the Gulf, the potential costs of a US effort to destroy the regime are perhaps lower now than they have ever been.

When Trump called on Iranians to revolt against their government in his message, he was trying to leverage these political factors to catalyze change.

"The factor that clearly seems to have changed is the level of hatred that people of Iran have for the regime, given the massacre that happened back in January," said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. "So if you're sitting in the White House, or if you're sitting in Jerusalem, you look at this as a window of opportunity. The regime is weak. It's not just the sanctions … it's the fact that they did what they did and kept massacring their own people, and so that creates a window of opportunity."

The president also needed to rescue himself. His repeated warnings that the US would protect protesters in Iran during the recent uprising meant that a failure to act risked deepening Tehran's repression and shattering his own credibility. And he makes no secret of being motivated by vengeance. He had frequently warned Iran was steeped in the blood of Americans following years of terror attacks and the Tehran-backed militia killings of US soldiers during the occupation of Iraq.

And Trump, more than most of his modern predecessors, is enthralled by the ruthless application of American military power.

A commander in chief nearing 80 is also a man in a hurry. The chance to be the president who solved the Iran conundrum that bedeviled every predecessor since Jimmy Carter must have been tantalizing. But his hubris will leave his legacy condemned by history if he's made a bad bet.

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Consequences could linger for years

Trump has not just committed the United States to toppling a foreign government. He's trying to end a revolution — a process that he will struggle to influence, especially in the absence of US ground troops.

Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, warned of "consequences that will outlast this presidency."

"Against the clear wishes of the American people, President Trump has thrust our nation into a major war with Iran — one he never made a case for, never sought congressional authority for, and for which he has no endgame," Reed said in a statement.

Several key factors will shape the conflict in the short term.

► Will US and Israeli strikes succeed in taking out the top level of Iranian leaders?

► Now that Khamenei is dead, will Iranians heed Trump's call to take to the streets, take over their country and end the Islamic Revolution's stranglehold?

► The possibility of a regional conflagration remains acute. But do Iran's initial reprisals — which were alarming but limited — betray diminished capability or a desire to keep options in reserve?

► Eyes will soon turn to Trump's staying power. The president prizes quick wins; he is adept at tearing things down, but has shown less capacity for building something in their place. He told Axios on Saturday, however, that he was ready to stay the course if necessary. "I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: 'See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding (nuclear facilities).'"

► The domestic response to Trump's move will also be important. He's saddled with hisworst-ever approval ratingsahead of November's midterm elections. Polls show that majorities of Americans believe he doesn't share their priorities.

What could go wrong?

The best day for the United States in recent wars — in Afghanistan and Iraq, for instance — has come early in a conflict where the massive, overwhelming advantage of US military force looks decisive.

Even if its regime is overthrown and top leaders are killed, a transition to a democratic, nonthreatening Iran may still be a pipe dream.

If the authority of central government breaks down, anarchy could erupt. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seem to have calculated this is a worthwhile risk to remove Khamenei. But it could seed decades of regional instability.

"I think the calculus, is that in some sense, stars have aligned with regard to the weakness of the regime internally — the kind of battle that it's facing domestically, plus its regional defeats and its reduced capacity for retaliation," said Ian Lesser, a distinguished fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. "Now, all of that may not add up to a change in the regime. This is a strong and, in some ways, resilient country, but what is the risk?"

While Lesser said there's little chance of a regime worse than the current one, the danger persists that Trump's operation is "inconclusive, and that the regime strikes out in ways that may only manifest themselves months and years to come, in terms of support for proxies, in terms of support for state-sponsored terrorism in the West generally."

Another danger — seen as the most likely scenario by US intelligence assessments cited by CNN — is that the clerical regime could simply be replaced by equally hardline remnants of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. A classic strongman Middle East government might mean imminent threats to the US or Israel. But it would fall far short of the popular awakening Trump hopes for.

The worst-case scenario is a disintegration of central control in Tehran over major cities that leads to armed factions creating rival fiefdoms that pose a serious risk of civil war and national fracturing. Refugee crises could follow and destabilize the region for years to come.

There's little in Trump's mindset or conduct that suggests he's got the depth or staying power for such an outcome.

Still, some Republicans are adamant the US will not get sucked into another long-term conflict that would strain American resources and the public's will.

"I don't know why anybody would say this is going to be a forever war. I think it's going to be pretty short," Texas Sen. John Cornyn told CNN. But Iran has a much simpler goal than Trump: an outcome that ends with the current regime in place equals victory.

"Iran has prepared itself for a long war," an Iranian source with knowledge of the country's military strategy told CNN's Frederik Pleitgen.

It's too early to predict a quagmire.

But this new war already has its defining irony. Trump — who rose to power on a tide of angst over foreign wars — is now the latest president to willingly plunge into a new Middle East conflict.

"He has so much respect for American force, but that's just part of the equation," Vatanka said. "American force without any strategic objective in mind is essentially useless. You can just blow up anything you want, but doesn't mean much. That doesn't mean you're going to end up with a better product."

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

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What the death of Iran’s supreme leader means

President Donald Trump placed a huge wager by launching amassive air assault on Irandespite having done little to prepare...

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What US bases did Iran target? Were any Americans killed?

No American servicemembers were killed or wounded in awave of attacksIran launched at U.S. bases across the Middle East in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli missile strikes on the country on Feb. 28, the U.S. military announced hours later.

The military "successfully defended" against hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones, and there were "no reports of U.S. casualties or combat-related injuries," U.S. Central Command said in a Feb. 28statementposted to X. "Damage to U.S. installations was minimal and has not impacted operations," the statement said.

There are between 30,000 and 40,000 U.S. troops in the region on any given day, Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for Central Command,previously told USA TODAY.

A service center for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which is headquartered in Bahrain, wasattackedwith missiles, according to the country's communication center.Videoverified by multiple news outlets showed the moment a missile struck near the naval base, leaving a billowing cloud of smoke.

The United States attacked Iran roughly an hour after midnight on Feb. 28, hitting targets to "dismantle the Iranian regime's security apparatus," including the command and control facilities for its Revolutionary Guard Corps, "air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields," according to the statement.

This picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency shows the site of a strike on a girls' school in Minab, in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, on February 28, 2026. The strike killed 85 people, according to Iranian media and officials.

According to President Donald Trump, the United States joined Israel in launching military strikes, as well as "major combat operations," to target Iran's missile capabilities. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the joint strikes with Israel on Iran, an Israeli source confirmed to USA TODAY. Trump also confirmed on Truth Social that the leader had been killed.

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85 killed at girls' school in Iran amid US-Israeli strikes, state media reports

This picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency shows the site ofa strike on a girls' school in Minab, in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, on February 28, 2026. The strike killed 85 people, according to Iranian media and officials.According toPresident Donald Trump, the United States joined Israel inlaunching military strikes, as well as "major combat operations," to target Iran's missile capabilities. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the joint strikes with Israel on Iran, an Israeli source confirmed to USA TODAY. Trump also confirmed on Truth Social that the leader had been killed.

PresidentDonald Trumphas for monthsthreatened to attack Irana second time, ordering the largest buildup of U.S. troops and military assets in the region since the Iraq War began more than a decade ago. The U.S. military previously dropped penetrating bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities in June.

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In the aftermath of the U.S. attack, Iran launched attacks at U.S. allies where American troops are stationed across the region, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Videos posted to social media and media outlets showed missiles smashing into urban areas and high0rise buildings.

Videos on X also showed a missile taken down over Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command. Qatar's Defense Ministrysaidmissiles fired at the base were intercepted.

Three members of Kuwait's armed forces suffered minor injuries from falling shrapnel after Ali Al-Salem Air Base, whichhoststhe 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, came under attack, according to the country'sdefense ministry.

Erbil, a city in Iraq that is home to a U.S. air base, was also hit by missiles, the Iraqi government said in astatement. Witnesses in Al Dhafra, the site of a U.S. air base south of the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi, also heard explosions, Reutersreported.

Jordan, the home of Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base, which hosts the Air Force's 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, also intercepted missiles, according to newsreports.

The same could not be said in Iran. According to state media, more than 200 people were killed and more than 700 injured across Iran in the attack, including40 at a girls' schoolin the country's south.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What US bases did Iran target? Were any Americans killed?

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February 28, 2026

What US bases did Iran target? Were any Americans killed?

No American servicemembers were killed or wounded in awave of attacksIran launched at U.S. bases across the Middle East i...

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No. 3 Michigan beats No. 10 Illinois 84-70, clinches Big Ten regular-season title

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. had 19 points and 11 rebounds against his former team as No. 3 Michigan defeated No. 10 Illinois 84-70 on Friday night and clinched Big Ten regular-season title.

Johnson, who played for the Illini last season after verbally committing three years earlier, was booed throughout the game by Illinois fans.

Aday Mara had 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting and Yaxel Lendeberg finished with 16 points and seven rebounds for the Wolverines (27-2, 17-1), who are 10-0 on the road and have won 23 games by 10 or more points.

The Wolverines won their first outright conference regular-season title since 2014, when they also clinched with a win at Illinois.

Michigan's 17 conference victories are the most in school history.

Keaton Wagler scored 23 points for the Illini (22-7, 13-5), who have lost four of six, including three in overtime. Wagler scored in double figures for the 21st straight game.

Kylan Boswell scored 15 points and David Mirkovic had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Illini, who entered the game as the Big Ten's top 3-point shooting team. Illinois was just 9 of 29 from distance against Michigan.

Michigan led 38-31 at halftime behind Johnson's 13 points.

Down 16-11 after a four-point play by Wagler, the Wolverines responded with an 11-point run capped by a 3 by Johnson and never trailed again. They led by as many as 21 points in the second half.

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NO. 21 MIAMI (OHIO) 69, WESTERN MICHIGAN 67

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Trey Perry scored on a driving layup with a second remaining and Miami of Ohio rallied to beat Western Michigan to remain the only unbeaten Division I team.

The RedHawks (16-0 Mid-American Conference) remain the only undefeated team in Division I men's basketball. Miami extended the best start in program history and added to its school record for wins in a season. Miami also boasts the best start and longest win streak in MAC annals.

Peter Suder scored 18 points for the RedHawks before fouling out with just over seven minutes remaining. Almar Atlason added 16 points, Perry finished with 14 and Eian Elmer 10.

Jayden Brewer led Western Michigan (10-19, 4-12) with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Justice Williams and EJ Ryans each added 14 points.

Miami is used to playing close games and won for the seventh time this season by less than six points.

The RedHawks trailed by four points, 30-26, at the half and fell behind by eight points twice early in the second half before tying the game at 49-all with 11:02 remaining.

Western Michigan ran off eight straight points for a 57-49 advantage with 8:40 remaining and led by nine (59-50) with 6:38 left before Miami chipped away and moved ahead 66-65 on a layup by Antwone Woolfolk with 14 seconds left.

Elmer's free throw with 37 seconds remaining gave the RedHawks a 67-65 edge, but Western Michigan tied it with 11 seconds left on a basket by Williams before Perry made the game winner.

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February 28, 2026

No. 3 Michigan beats No. 10 Illinois 84-70, clinches Big Ten regular-season title

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. had 19 points and 11 rebounds against his former team as No. 3 Michigan defeated...

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Cuba unveils new details in fatal US boat shooting and says a 2nd boat on mission failed

HAVANA (AP) — Top officials with Cuba's Ministry of the Interior unveiled for the first time late Friday the items they said were aboard aFlorida-flagged speedboatthat opened fire against troops in waters off the island's north coast this week, with soldiers responding and killing four suspects.

Cuba Boat Shooting

Officials also revealed to The Associated Press that authorities were able to establish that the 10 Cuban suspects left the U.S. in two boats, but one failed, so they transferred all the supplies to the remaining one and left the other adrift.

The government said the detained suspects revealed those details and stressed that theyimmediately contacted the U.S. Coast Guard.

Among the items Cuban officials said were aboard the boat: a dozen high-powered weapons, including one with a scope; a big cooler filled with more than 12,800 pieces of ammunition; 11 pistols; heavy-duty boots, helmets with cameras; and camouflage backpacks.

"We were clearly able to assess that we were facing a terrorist action from a boat coming from the United States," 1st Col. Ivey Daniel Carballo of the Cuban Border Guard Troops told the AP.

According to Carballo, the 30-foot (nine meter) border patrol boat detected an intruder on Wednesday morning and approached to within about 600 feet (185 meters) to investigate, but it was met with high-caliber gunfire.

He said that three of the attackers were immediately killed and that a fourth was wounded and later died.

Caraballo said the speedboat was located about one mile (1.6 kilometers) northeast of Cayo Falcones off the island's north coast. The border guard commander was injured, he added.

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Victor Eduardo Álvarez Valle, one of the heads of Criminal Investigation for State Security at the Ministry of the Interior, told the AP that authorities were surprised by the resistance they encountered.

"We didn't expect it, especially with that many people and weapons," he said.

"The military equipment found on board has been identified by the assailants, including where and how they acquired it, and the training they received. They also revealed who financed it," Álvarez added.

He noted that officials detected 13 bullet holes on the border guard boat and 21 others on the suspect's vessel, "meaning that there was combat."

The Cuban government had reported Wednesday that a person had been captured on land, but Álvarez said that so far, there is no information that the suspects had any support network on the island.

Cuba's chief prosecutor of the directorate at the Attorney General's Office, Edward Robert Campbell, told the AP that the six arrested, all of Cuban origin, could face terrorism charges, which carries a possible sentence of 30 years in prison, life imprisonment or even the death penalty, although the latter has been on moratorium for more than a decade.

The Associated Press was given access to Cuban military officials and shown the items displayed at the headquarters of the former Cuban Institute of Radio and Television ahead of a program that showed them to the public for the first time.

U.S.Secretary of State Marco Rubiohas said it was not a U.S. government operation and thatthe American governmentwas gathering its own information.

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February 28, 2026

Cuba unveils new details in fatal US boat shooting and says a 2nd boat on mission failed

HAVANA (AP) — Top officials with Cuba's Ministry of the Interior unveiled for the first time late Friday the items th...

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Cargo plane carrying money crashes near Bolivia's capital, killing at least 15 people, official says

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — A cargo plane carrying money crashed Friday near Bolivia's capital, damaging about a dozen vehicles on highway, scattering bills on the ground and leaving at least 15 people dead and others injured, an official said.

APTOPIX Bolivia Plane Crash

Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas said the Hercules C-130 plane was transporting newly printed Bolivian currency when it "landed and veered off the runway" at an airport in El Alto, a city adjacent to the capital of La Paz, before ending up in a nearby field. Firefighters managed to put out the flames that engulfed the aircraft.

Fire chief Pavel Tovar said at least 15 people died but he did not clarify if the dead were in the plane or in the cars on the nearby highway.

Salinas did not specify how many people had been killed in the crash and said the cause was being investigated.

Bolivian Air Force Gen. Sergio Lora said two of the plane's six crew members had not been found as of late Friday, adding that the aircraft was arriving from the eastern city of Santa Cruz.

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Images on social media showed debris from the aircraft, destroyed cars and bodies scattered on the road. According to Tovar, at least 15 vehicles were damaged.

The plane, belonging to the Bolivian air force, was transporting money to La Paz and images on social media showed people rushing to collect the bills scattered at the crash site, while police in riot gear tried to disperse them.

Tovar said the hundreds of people trying to collect the spilled bills were hindering rescue efforts.

More than 500 soldiers and 100 police officers took control of the area to disperse the mob, according to official reports. Police and military personnel burned the cash boxes in the presence of Central Bank President David Espinoza, who said the bills "have no legal value because they never entered circulation," without clarifying what that meant.

Espinoza did not specify the amount of money being transported but he said the banknotes had arrived in Santa Cruz from abroad.

Authorities temporarily suspended all flights to and from the terminal.

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February 28, 2026

Cargo plane carrying money crashes near Bolivia's capital, killing at least 15 people, official says

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — A cargo plane carrying money crashed Friday near Bolivia's capital, damaging about a dozen veh...

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How tall is Diego Pavia? NFL combine measurements for Vanderbilt QB

Diego Paviais hoping to reach the highest level of professional football in 2026, but will his height hold him back?

TheVanderbiltquarterback shined for theCommodoreslast season, leading the group to the first 10-win season in program history. Pavia dazzled on Saturdays in the fall and finished as the runner-up to Fernando Mendoza for the Heisman Trophy as Vanderbilt challenged for a spot in the 2025-26 College Football Playoff.

While the college star proved capable of measuring up against the competition, NFL teams will likely care more about the number that the measuring tape reveals at the scouting combine.

Vanderbilt officially listed the quarterback at 6-0, butmeasurements at the Senior Bowlcame away with Pavia standing at about 5-9 7/8 inches. That measurement would make Pavia the shortest among current NFL starting quarterbacks, but not in NFL history.

For Pavia, passing the height test might be one of the bigger hurdles he faces in the pre-draft process. Here's a look at the measurements for Pavia at the NFL combine, as well as his NFL draft projection.

2. New York Jets – Arvell Reese, LB/DE, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 3. Arizona Cardinals – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 4. Tennessee Titans – Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 5. New York Giants – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 6. Cleveland Browns – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 7. Washington Commanders – David Bailey, DE/OLB, Texas Tech

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 8. New Orleans Saints – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 9. Kansas City Chiefs – Makai Lemon, WR, USC

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 10. Cincinnati Bengals – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 11. Miami Dolphins – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 12. Dallas Cowboys – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 14. Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 17. Detroit Lions – Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 18. Minnesota Vikings – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 19. Carolina Panthers – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 21. Pittsburgh Steelers – KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 22. Los Angeles Chargers – Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 23. Philadelphia Eagles – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars) – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 27. San Francisco 49ers – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 29. Los Angeles Rams – Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 30. Denver Broncos – CJ Allen, LB, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 31. New England Patriots – Cashius Howell, OLB, Texas A&M

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 32. Seattle Seahawks – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl

Diego Pavia NFL combine measurements

This section will be updated.

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How tall is Diego Pavia?

This section will be updated.

Diego Pavia NFL draft projection

Pavia is ranked as the ninth-best quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft class, according to USA TODAY Sports' Ayrton Ostly.

The former Vanderbilt star will undoubtedly be a popular name throughout draft week, especially after entering the Heisman Trophy race in 2025, finishing as the runner-up. It came on the heels of a breakout season that saw him complete 70.6% of passes, totaling 29 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He also wasn't shy on the ground, tacking on 862 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

Pavia earned plenty of praise for his ability to make plays off-schedule, producing highlight reel moments. However, questions remain about his size and whether he has enough athleticism to make up for it.

There is no denying his competitive spirit, moxie and what he did to help turn the Commodores into a winning program, but it remains to be seen how those skills would translate against better competition at the NFL level.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Diego Pavia height, combine measurements: How tall is Vanderbilt QB?

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February 28, 2026

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