Iran strikes Gulf energy

Iran has escalated its response to Israel-US strikes by hitting critical energy infrastructure across the Gulf – from LNG facilities in Qatar and refineries in Saudi Arabia to ports in Dubai and oil tankers in key shipping lanes.

This marks a dangerous shift from targeting US military assets to striking the energy lifelines of Gulf states that have tried to remain neutral in the conflict.

Analysts warn that these attacks could drag Gulf countries into direct confrontation with Iran, even as regional leaders emphasize diplomacy, de-escalation and restraint, while reassessing their security red lines.

Qatar waives expired entry permits for a month amid tensions

Qatar’s Ministry of Interior says the country will waive expired visas or other entry permits by a month.

Qatar has temporarily closed its airspace since Saturday, when Iran started firing ballistic missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbours, after the US and Israel began their bombing campaign against Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

With the airspace closed, Qatar Airways and other airlines have temporarily suspended operations in and out of Doha.

Qatar says it intercepted ballistic missiles

The Qatari military has said it shot down two ballistic missiles targeting “several areas of the country” before they entered Qatar’s territory.

“The Ministry affirmed that the threat was dealt with immediately upon detection, in accordance with pre-approved operational plans, and that both missiles were intercepted before reaching Qatari territory,” a statement from the Defence Ministry reads.

Kuwait says dealing with wave of Iranian missiles and drones

Kuwait says its armed forces are currently dealing with a wave of Iranian missiles and drones that have been detected in its airspace.

“The army affirms full readiness to deal with all threats to ensure the protection of the country’s lands and airspace, as well as the safety of citizens and residents.”

Earlier, the UAE also reported that its air defences were dealing with a barrage of missiles launched from Iran.

Multiple explosions were also heard over Doha, Qatar, early on Tuesday morning.

Fire at US Embassy in Riyadh after blast: Reuters

A fire has broken out at the US Embassy in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, following a blast there, Reuters has reported, citing two unnamed sources.

Qatar says missile interceptors remain ‘well-stocked’

The Qatari government has stated that the country retains ample supplies of Patriot interceptor missiles, despite having to use them repeatedly over the past three days to counter Iranian missiles.

“The inventory of Patriot interceptor missiles held by the Qatar Armed Forces has not been depleted and remains well-stocked. The Qatar Armed Forces have repeatedly demonstrated their capability to defend the nation against external threats and remain at full readiness to protect all citizens, residents, and visitors for as long as necessary,” Qatar’s international media office said in a statement.

The statement came after the Bloomberg news outlet reported that Qatar’s stocks of interceptor missiles were depleting. The media office said the report was “deeply irresponsible”.

US Embassy in Riyadh struck by two drones

Saudi authorities are reporting a “limited fire” at the US Embassy in Riyadh after it was struck by two drones.

“The US Embassy in Riyadh was subjected to an attack by two drones according to initial estimates, resulting in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building,” a spokesperson for the Defense Ministry said.

‘Iran does not seek war, but will not surrender sovereignty: Iran’s UN envoy

Even as Gulf countries unanimously condemn Iran for firing missiles and drones at their territories, Tehran’s envoy to the UN on Monday insisted that his government was not seeking a war and did not want escalation.

“Iran does not seek war. Iran does not seek escalation,” Amir-Saeid Iravani said, speaking in a media briefing at the UN headquarters in New York. “But Iran will not surrender its sovereignty.”

Heavy bombardment continues in Tehran

Starting from midnight in Tehran, there are continuous series of blasts in the capital.

The sound of multiple blasts can be heard across the city.

The IRIB state television complex has been reported as targeted. But there are no updates yet on casualties, and their television broadcast is still going on.

A building belonging to Iran’s Expediency Council has also been reported as targeted. The council is one of the most important parts of the political establishment.

The ongoing bombardments were heavier compared to the previous nights. There’s smoke in the air across the capital. There are also reports of heavy bombardment in other cities, including Karaj and Qom.

Over 600 people have already been reported killed across the country as a result of these strikes happening in the past few days.

Iran launches attack on US base in Kuwait

The IRGC says it has carried out a “new wave of attacks” on the Arifjan base hosting US troops in Kuwait, using 10 drones.

The drones successfully hit their targets, it claimed.

There was no immediate comment from Kuwait or the US.

Trump, Rubio lay out US objectives for Iran war

President Trump has spoken for the first time live to the American public on the campaign against Iran.

His previous comments about this operation have been on prerecorded videos posted on his social webpage. But he held a medal ceremony at the White House, during which he addressed his decision to attack Iran and what the objectives were.

He said the aims were fourfold: destroying Iran’s missile capabilities and its capacity to produce new ones; “annihilating” the Iranian navy; ensuring Tehran can never obtain a nuclear weapon; and finally, ensuring it cannot arm and fund groups outside its borders.

However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was talking about another reason for this ongoing operation. He said Iran was hiding behind its missile batteries to continue to develop a nuclear weapon program – a view the intelligence would have some issues with. Certainly, what it has stated publicly in recent months.

"..Iran was hiding behind its missile batteries to continue to develop a nuclear weapon program.."

Iran's missile program was not on the JCPOA agenda. But, making it part of current demands, that Iran must not have a nuclear program, is derived from the Israeli narrative that enemies do not have the right to self-defense. Rubio resorts to conflation politics.

Iran claims attack on US forces in Dubai

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps says its naval forces carried out a “complex attack with drones and missiles” on American forces in Dubai in the UAE.

The IRGC has also claimed a drone attack on the Arifjan base in Kuwait.

US Embassy in Saudi Arabia issues shelter in place notice

US authorities have urged Americans in several cities in Saudi Arabia to shelter in place and avoid the country’s embassy in Riyadh after the facility was struck by two drones.

“The US Mission to Saudi Arabia has issued a shelter in place notification for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran and are limiting non-essential travel to any military installations in the region – we recommend American citizens in the Kingdom to shelter in place immediately and avoid the Embassy until further notice due to an attack on the facility,” the embassy said in a social media post.

Saudi authorities said that the attack caused a “limited fire” and minor damage.

US urges citizens to immediately leave more than dozen Middle East countries

A senior State Department official has urged US citizens to immediately leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to safety risks.

Mora Namdar, the State Department’s assistant secretary for consular affairs, said US citizens should “DEPART NOW” from the following: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, and Yemen.

The call to evacuate was “truly bizarre”, as the notice did not follow the “complex processes” the State Department has long had in place “to notify Americans in these places that they need to leave”.

“It’s not quite clear what this means, and exactly how Americans could leave the entire Middle East, since commercial traffic has been interrupted,” she said.

US sends more refueling aircraft, fighter jets to Middle East: Report

The US is bolstering its forces in the Middle East by deploying an additional 15 refueling aircraft, according to the Israel Hayom news outlet.

These aircraft allow for air-to-air supply to fighter jets and other military aircraft without having to land, making fuel transfer faster.

Israel Hayom also reported that the refueling aircraft were accompanied by fighter jets.

It did not say how many fighter jets were deployed.

Two new blasts heard in Riyadh: Report

The Reuters news agency is reporting two new blasts in Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter after Saudi authorities confirmed a strike on the US Embassy in the city.

The agency cited two sources.

UN says bombing Iranian school a violation of humanitarian law

UNESCO, the UN’s education agency, says the US-Israel bombing of an Iranian primary school on Saturday constitutes a grave violation of humanitarian law.

“The killing of pupils in a place dedicated to learning constitutes a grave violation of the protection afforded to schools under international humanitarian law,” it said in a statement.

More than 160 people, mostly students, died in the bombing, Iranian officials said.

Australia says Iran hit base used by its troops near Dubai

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles says Iranian forces struck the Al Minhad airbase, where Australian troops are stationed, on the first night of the conflict.

He said all Australian troops are “safe and accounted for” and that about 100 of them are stationed across the Middle East.

Most of them are based in the United Arab Emirates, he added.

Several flights to UAE, Saudi Arabia diverted: Monitor

Flight Radar says two Etihad Airlines flights bound for Abu Dhabi have been diverted to the Omani capital, Muscat, while an Emirates flight to Dubai appeared to be heading back to India’s Mumbai.

Several flights heading to Riyadh’s King Khalid airport are also in a holding position or are turning back to their origin, according to the monitor, following reports of an attack on the US Embassy there.

The diversions came amid reports of ongoing retaliatory strikes from Iran targeting several areas in the Gulf region.

Trump says US response to attacks on Riyadh embassy coming soon: Report

Kellie Meyer, a journalist for NewsNation, says Trump has told her, “You’ll be finding out very soon” what the response to the attack on the US Embassy in Riyadh will be.

Meyer added that Trump said he “doesn’t think boots on the ground will be necessary” in the war against Iran, after stating earlier in the day that he was not intimidated by the prospect of deploying US ground forces.

US speaker says strikes on Iran ‘absolutely necessary for our defense’

Top US officials have briefed Congress on the strikes against Iran, with Rubio telling reporters beforehand that Washington acted on an imminent threat – knowing Israel would strike Iran and that US forces would likely face Iranian retaliation as a result.

Republican lawmakers have backed that narrative.

“Because Israel was determined to act with or without the US, our commander in chief and the administration… had a very difficult decision to make,” House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters after the classified briefing.

“In my view, right now… our military and the commander in chief, he is presiding over the completion of an operation that was limited in scope, limited in its objective, and absolutely necessary for our defence. I think that operation will be wound up quickly,” Johnson said.

"Rubio telling reporters beforehand that Washington acted on an imminent threat"

There is no so-called "imminent threat" because Iran is not attacking the territory of the United States.

The threat were Netanyahu's attack plans presented to Trump in December 2025, to resume the 12-day preemptive war on Iran, that Netanyahu with Trump were waging in June of that year.

That war and the resumption on February 28, 2026, were  wars across borders and needed authorization from the UN Security Council.

Both wars are political motivated: "Iran must not have a nuclear program" is not a military objective. The motive is to ensure that the Israelis are the only nuclear power in the Middle East..

Both Netanyahu and Trump just violated the UN Charter.

The cost of the US war on Iran

Predicting the total cost of an ongoing military campaign is difficult, and experts say it is too early to say how much the new war might end up costing the US.

“The Pentagon has not published that information, and so we can only speculate…, but there’s a lot of moving pieces, and we can speculate on the cost of the individual weapons; we can speculate on the cost of the operations, the naval operations,” Christopher Peble, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, said.

Reports by the Anadolou news agency estimate that the US may have spent roughly $779m during the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury. The pre-strike military build-up, including repositioning aircraft, deploying more than a dozen naval vessels and mobilizing regional assets, is estimated to have cost an additional $630m.

According to the Center for New American Security, it costs approximately $6.5m a day to operate a carrier strike group, such as the USS Gerald R Ford.

But experts suggest the bigger concern may not be the financial sustainability, but the inventory.

“It is reasonable to speculate that the pace of operations right now, in terms of numbers of interceptions, could not continue indefinitely, certainly, and perhaps could not continue for more than several weeks,” Peble said.

Qatar claims vast majority of Iranian missiles and drones intercepted

Qatar’s Ministry of Defense claims it has intercepted the vast majority of Iranian projectiles fired at the country since the attacks began – including all three cruise missiles, 98 of 101 ballistic missiles, 24 of 39 drones – and detected both SU-24 fighter jets.

‘No appetite for negotiations’ in Iran amid ‘unprovoked’ war

Hassan Ahmadian, an associate professor at the University of Tehran, says US explanations for launching the war on Iran are “really vague” and have no basis in international law.

“Iran was attacked by the United States. Civilians are being bombed, school kids were bombed, hospitals are bombed. The world is watching what is happening… It’s a clear violation of international law. It’s unprovoked and unlawful.”

Ahmadian said that there is no “appetite for negotiations” in Iran.

“Iran negotiated in good faith two times, and both times led to a war on the country,” he said, noting that the head of Iran’s National Security Council, Ali Larijani, has rejected Trump’s claim that the Iranians want to negotiate.

“After all, the country is under aggression – continuous – and the Israelis are starting carpet bombing in Tehran and other cities in the country,” he said. “In such a circumstance, strategic culture in Iran tells us that they will not negotiate. They will stand firm and fight back, and then after a ceasefire, they will see where things go.”

Rights group says at least 96 people killed in Iran on Monday

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) is reporting that at least 85 civilians and 11 military personnel have been killed following the joint Israel-US strike in Iran in the last 24 hours.

The Washington, DC-based group said the latest figures take the total civilian death toll to at least 742 since the Israel-US attacks began on February 28.

These include 176 children, it added.

Earlier, the Iranian Red Crescent Society put the death toll at 555 people.

Al Jazeera cannot independently verify the figures.

HRANA said the Israel-US attacks hit a range of locations and infrastructure on Monday, including several military bases, two residential areas, and Shahid Bahonar Pier in Bandar Abbas.

US troops fired on protesters storming consulate in Karachi: Report

The Reuters news agency is reporting that US Marines opened fire on Pakistani protesters during the storming of the Karachi consulate over the weekend.

The agency cited two US officials, and its report marks the first confirmation that Marines were involved in firing at the protesters.

The officials told Reuters that it was unclear whether the rounds fired by Marines struck or killed anyone. They also did not know whether shots were also fired by others protecting the mission, including private security guards and local police.

At least 10 people were killed during the protest, when demonstrators breached the compound’s outer wall.

A provincial government spokesman, Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, said “security” personnel had opened fire, without specifying their affiliation.

US cancels all visa appointments in Pakistan

The US Embassy in Islamabad has announced the cancellation of all visa appointments, citing the “current security situation” in the country.

The order covers the embassy in Islamabad, as well as the consulates in Lahore and Karachi, according to the US Embassy.

It said the cancellation will be effective until Friday, March 6.

On Sunday, at least 10 people were reported killed when security personnel fired on demonstrators during the storming of the Karachi consulate, following reports of the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israel strikes.

Saudi forces intercept 8 drones near Riyadh and Al-Kharj

Saudi Arabia has intercepted and destroyed at least eight drones heading towards Riyadh and the nearby city of Al-Kharj, according to the country’s Defence Ministry.

There were no additional details.

Early on Tuesday, the ministry confirmed that the US Embassy in Riyadh was subjected to at least two drone attacks, resulting in “a limited fire and minor material damage” to a building inside the embassy complex.

Vance says Trump will not let US get ‘into a multi-year conflict’

US Vice President JD Vance has dismissed critics who say Trump has broken his campaign promise to avoid “endless” foreign wars.

Speaking on Fox News, Vance argued that Trump’s decision to attack Iran was different from the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“What’s different about this is that the president has clearly defined what he wants to accomplish, and there’s just no way Donald Trump is going to allow this country to get into a multi-year conflict with no clear end in sight and no clear objective,” he said.

That objective is to ensure Iran does not get a nuclear weapon, Vance said.

Trump “will not let the country go to war unless there is a clearly defined objective”, and “it means we are not going to get into the problems we’ve had with Iraq and Afghanistan”, he said.

Netanyahu says ‘this is not an endless war’

The Israeli prime minister says the war against Iran is a “gateway for peace” in the region, while downplaying concerns that the US and Israel could become bogged down in a longer conflict despite promises of a swift and easy campaign.

Netanyahu told Fox News that the current conflict could pave the way for further deals normalising ties between Israel and countries in the region.

“We [Netanyahu and Trump] brought forward the Abraham Accords, which was four peace treaties with four Arab countries. And now, working together against Iran, we will be able to bring many, many more peace treaties,” he said.

“This is not an endless war, this is a gateway to peace. It’s the exact opposite of what people are saying,” he added.

IRGC makes announcement on the Strait of Hormuz

The IRGC has announced it is closing the vital waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil consumption passes.

Brigadier General Ebrahim Jabari, the adviser to the IRGC commander says:

“The price of oil has reached $81, and the world is certainly waiting for it to reach at least $200. The Strait of Hormuz is closed. Our heroes in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy and the Army will set fire to any ships that wish to pass through this strait,” he said on state television.

“We’ll also target their oil pipelines in the region, and we will not allow oil exports from this region until we put pressure on the enemy. The Americans have debts of hundreds of thousands of billions of dollars, and they are thirsty for the region’s oil. They will not get a single drop.”

Iranian state media confirms attack on IRIB broadcaster

The Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) says parts of the IRIB headquarters in Tehran have been hit by Israel-US strikes.

Due to “precautions” taken by IRIB, the signal to broadcast news has not been affected, and the operation is still ongoing, ISNA said in a post on X.

The Shahid Motahhari government complex, near Vali Asr and Imam Khomeini Streets in downtown Tehran, was also targeted this morning, ISNA said in a separate post on X.

Several blasts were also heard in the centre, north and west of the capital, ISNA added.

Closure of Hormuz Strait raises fears of soaring oil prices

Oil prices rose above $79.40 per barrel on Monday, after hitting $73 per barrel on Friday amid rising tensions in the lead-up to Saturday’s joint Israel-US attacks on Iran.

Vessel tracking service Kpler is reporting that commercial operators, major oil companies, and insurers have effectively withdrawn from the Strait of Hormuz.

Cormack McGarry, the director of maritime intelligence and security services at Control Risks, said that a total shutdown of the strait by Iran would mean it was “tightening the noose around its own neck”.

“If they attack shipping, they are encouraging the Gulf states to join the war, and it’s a big step for Iran to go there,” he said. “The idea they could affect a long-term sustained closure of the strait is completely unlikely,” he added. “I’m more worried for regional supply chains.”

Iran claims attack on US airbase in Bahrain

The IRGC says it has carried out a “massive drone and missile attack” on a US airbase in the Sheikh Isa area of Bahrain this morning.

It said it deployed 20 drones and three missiles, “destroying the main command and headquarters building of the US airbase and setting its fuel tanks on fire”.

There was no immediate comment from Bahrain.

Iran’s Araghchi says US launched strikes ‘on behalf of Israel’

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has weighed in on his US counterpart’s justification for attacking Tehran.

“Mr. Rubio admitted what we all knew: U.S. has entered a war of choice on behalf of Israel. There was never any so-called Iranian ‘threat’,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X.

“Shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters. American people deserve better and should take back their country,” he added.

Rubio told reporters that the US was aware Israel was going to attack Iran and joined in because Washington felt that Tehran would retaliate against UA assets in the region.

Oil prices rise for a third day

Oil prices have risen for a third day as the widening Israel-US conflict with Iran and threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz heightened fears of supply disruptions.

Brent crude future was at $79.44 a barrel, up $1.70 or 2.2 percent, by 04:00 GMT on Tuesday, the Reuters news agency reported.

On Monday, the contract surged to as high as $82.37, its highest since January 2025, though it pared those gains to settle 6.7 percent higher.

US West Texas Intermediate crude also jumped $1.17 or 1.6 percent, to $72.40 a barrel. In the previous session, the contract initially climbed to its highest level since June 2025 before sliding back to still settle up 6.3 percent.

“With no quick de-escalation in sight, the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and Iran showing a willingness to target energy infrastructure in the region, upside risks remain, and they grow the longer the conflict drags on,” Tony Sycamore, IG market analyst, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

US military claims IRGC ‘command and control facilities’ destroyed

The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for US military operations in the Middle East, said its forces destroyed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, air defense installations, as well as missile and drone launch sites and airfields.

CENTCOM provided no evidence for its claims, made on social media.

“We will continue to take decisive action against imminent threats posed by the Iranian regime,” it added.

South Korean shares plunge more than 5% as global markets unsettled amid Middle East turmoil

South Korean stocks have slumped more than 5 percent as instability in the Middle East is unsettling global markets.

The benchmark Kospi index dropped 5.2 percent to 5,922.30 in afternoon trading.

The index has been the best performer globally since the start of the year, surging about 50 percent on the back of a rally in tech firms, including Samsung and SK hynix.

‘Substantial next wave’ of US attacks to target Iranian ballistic capabilities: Analyst

Michael Mulroy, former US deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, says Washington is expected to launch a second wave of attacks focusing on ballistic missile arsenals.

“We are probably at the earlier phase of this campaign. We’ve taken out a lot of their air and missile defense systems, which is what you do first, so you are allowed to get air dominance,” Mulroy said.

“And apparently we are about to see a very substantial next wave, which I think is going to go after arsenals of the ballistic missiles and everything that the US and Israel want to deplete as much as possible before this comes to an end,” he said.

UN ‘deeply alarmed’ by attacks on civilians, schools and hospitals

Top UN officials are warning about a “serious” threat to children following the rapidly escalating military operations in Iran and across the region.

“We are deeply alarmed by attacks on civilians, including civilian infrastructures, schools, and hospitals. Schools and hospitals must not be attacked,” special representatives of the UN secretary-general, Vanessa Frazier and Najat Maalla M’jid, said in a joint statement.

They called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, stressing that “maximum restraint is imperative, and full compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law must be ensured at all times by all parties”.

Iranian officials say an attack on a primary school in Minab killed at least 165 people, while nine hospitals in the country have been reported as seriously damaged.

Prolonged war could cause inflation spike: European Central Bank

A persistent fall ⁠in oil and gas supplies from the Middle East ‌region amid a sustained war against Iran could cause a spike in inflation and a sharp ⁠drop in output in ⁠the euro zone, Philip Lane, European Central Bank chief economist, has told the Financial Times.

The magnitude of the shock from the Middle East would depend “on the breadth and duration of the conflict”, Lane said.

He cited an analysis the ECB published in 2023 that highlighted “a substantial spike in energy-driven inflation and a sharp drop in output” if a conflict in the Middle East led to a “persistent drop in energy supplies” as well as “disruptions in regional economic activity”, the FT reported.

How Trump's administration is justifying the attacks on Iran

The Trump administration – President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth – are providing a variety of reasons why the US launched its attack on Iran.

There is no one reason why. But everything has been offered from trying to neutralize Iran’s ability to support groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as following the lead from Israel, and trying to deal with the ongoing threat the US says comes from Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Criticism has fallen largely along partisan lines.

Democrats say the US military operation against Iran is illegal because Congress has not given its official authorization of military action. That’s required by the US Constitution.

Republicans say there was and is an imminent threat from Iran, and so the Trump administration was correct to act.

That war and the resumption on February 28, 2026, were  wars across borders and needed authorization from the UN Security Council.

"..ongoing threat the US says comes from Iran’s nuclear ambitions."

This is not a military objective but a political motive, as it has been for decades that it is about to ensure that the Israelis are the only nuclear power in the Middle East..

"Republicans say there was and is an imminent threat from Iran"

There is no so-called "imminent threat" because Iran is not attacking the territory of the United States.

The threat were Netanyahu's attack plans presented to Trump in December 2025, to resume the 12-day preemptive war on Iran, that Netanyahu with Trump were waging in June of that year.

Witkoff says Iran rejected US demand for 10 years of no enrichment

Steven Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy in the recent nuclear talks with Iran, says the Iranian side opened the negotiations by asserting their “inalienable right to enrich all the nuclear fuel they possessed”.

“We, of course, responded, ‘The president feels that we have the inalienable right to stop you,'” he told Fox News.

He said he was “flummoxed” by the Iranian “starting point” and thought at that point: “We are really in for it now.”

The US envoy said there were discussions on 10 years of no uranium enrichment for Iran, and Washington pledged to pay for the fuel. “And it was flatly rejected,” he said.

“They had no notion of anything other than retaining enrichment for the purpose of weaponising,” Witkoff added.

There was no immediate comment from Iran on the US envoy’s comments, but Tehran has previously denied seeking to develop a nuclear weapon.

Peace ‘within reach’ as Iran agrees no nuclear material stockpile: Oman FM

Iran agreed during indirect talks with the United States never to stockpile enriched uranium, said Oman’s top diplomat, who described the development as a major breakthrough.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi also said on Friday that he believed all issues in a deal between Iran and the US could be resolved “amicably and comprehensively” within a few months.

Investors in Asia ‘extremely worried’ by Iran conflict

Markets have closed for the morning, and it seems that investors here are still extremely worried about the conflict, especially since there seems to be no short-term solution and it could go on for weeks, if not months.

This is concerning to investors in Asia, especially those selling off stocks related to energy, aviation, shipping and transport. We’ve also seen South Korea, in particular, taking the biggest hit in its financial market. It closed in the morning down about 5 percent. In Japan, the market was down, the Nikkei at minus 2.3 percent.

Interestingly, in China, we saw a decline of about 2 percent on Monday, but on Tuesday, it’s kind of even, at just under by half a percent in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

This could be because the government is stepping in to stabilise the markets before the big “Two sessions” meetings later this week. But it also could be related to the fact that China has been stockpiling its own reserves of oil, in particular, crude oil from Iran. There aren’t any clear figures, but it’s reported that China could have up to three months’ worth of stock, giving it some time to make up the shortfall if the Strait of Hormuz is indefinitely disrupted.

US cancels all consular services in Saudi Arabia after embassy attack

The US Embassy in Riyadh has announced the cancellation of all its services across several missions in Saudi Arabia.

All routine and emergency appointments are cancelled on Tuesday, it said, adding that a “shelter in place” is in effect at its several missions in the kingdom, including Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran, according to the embassy statement posted on X.

“Avoid the Embassy until further notice due to an attack on the facility,” it added.

“We advise all US citizens to maintain a personal safety plan,” the embassy said.

‘Major impact’ if Iran places sea mines in Strait of Hormuz: Analyst

Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Mulroy said that the US is focused on destroying the Iranian navy due to the threats posed to shipping in the Hormuz Strait, particularly from sea mines.

“The maritime issue has become very critical,” Mulroy said.

Noting the vast amount of oil and gas that transits the strait, Mulroy said the placing of sea mines by the Iranian navy could have a long-term effect.

“Not being able to use the strait would not only stop the flow to countries around the world that rely on it [for energy] but also it does devastating actions against the Gulf countries,” he said.

“If they can lay sea mines in any part of it, which is not very difficult, it could take multiple months to be completely clear and to convince insurance companies to allow and insure vessels to go through those straits,” he added.

“It could have a major impact for the long term if that were to actually happen. And we’ve already seen them close it by simply shooting at ships going through.”

Why Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz is important

The US and Israel’s war with Iran has spilled over into the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, prompting a surge in oil prices.

On Monday, an IRGC commander declared the strait was “closed” and that any vessel attempting to pass through would be set “ablaze”.

As of Tuesday, oil prices have risen for a third day, with the Brent crude future nearing $80. There are fears that the price of a barrel of oil could go up to $100 in the coming days if the war continues.

The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, with roughly 20 percent of global oil supplies passing through it.

Any disruptions there will further send crude prices soaring and raise fears of a regional escalation.

The majority of the crude oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz goes to Asia, with China, India, Japan, and South Korea accounting for nearly 70 percent of shipments, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Apart from oil, energy products facing supply pressures include jet fuel and liquefied natural gas.

Some 30 percent of Europe’s supply of jet fuel originates from or transits via the strait, while one-fifth of the global supply of LNG passes through the waterway.

‘This could turn into a big political problem’ for Trump

President Donald Trump campaigned for re-election in 2024, stating that he would not be starting any new wars and that he certainly was not interested in being entangled in any new conflicts in the Middle East.

And yet, for the second time in less than a year, there have been massive air strikes on Iranian targets – this time including the deployment of tens of thousands of US forces in the region.

This is a question that the president is going to have to address to the US public.

New polling indicates that the majority of US people disapprove of going to war against Iran. There has not been a very public buildup of an argument for why US forces have been deployed.

Certainly, now with the loss of six US military members, there has not been an explanation of why they are being asked to put their lives on the line.

This could turn into a big political problem for the US president if more explanations are not forthcoming as quickly as possible.

Democrats say any threat posed by Iran was to Israel, not the US

Democratic members of the US Congress have criticized claims by the Trump administration that the strikes on Iran were justified because of the threat posed by Tehran to Washington, saying any threat posed was to Israel.

Mark Warner, a Democratic senator from Virginia and vice-chair of the select committee on intelligence, told reporters after a briefing that there was “no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians”.

“There was a threat to Israel. If we equate a threat to Israel as the equivalent of an imminent threat to the United States, then we are in uncharted territory,” he said.

Joaquin Castro, a House Representative from Texas, criticised remarks from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that “it was abundantly clear that if Iran came under attack by … the United States or Israel or anyone, they were going to respond … against the United States.”

“Secretary Rubio’s remarks indicate that Israel put US forces in harm’s way by insisting on attacking Iran,” said Castro. “And the administration was complicit – joining their war instead of talking them down.”

He continued: “This is unacceptable of the President, and unacceptable of a country that calls itself our ally.”

".. the threat posed by Tehran to Washington, saying any threat posed was to Israel."

Even the Democrats are painting a false picture.

Netanyahu's call on the US for help in the assassination of Khamenei, he made on June 16, 2025. the six-month preparation of the assassination by the Israeli Mossad with the CIA, and the attack plans which Netanyahu presented to Trump on December 17, 2025, they all were already an imminent threat but to Iran.

Washington war rhetoric will ‘increase suspicion’ Israel leading US foreign policy: Analyst

Henry Ensher, former US ambassador and deputy assistance secretary of state, said the rhetoric emerging from Washington, DC, that there was a “need to strike Iran because Israel was going to do so”, will feed public opinion that US foreign policy is beholden to “what Israel wants”.

“Some people would go so far as to say that Israel is leading our Middle East policy,” Ensher said.

Rhetoric from US officials as to the rationale for striking Iran will “play into those suspicions here and have some effect”, he said, adding that Washington is likely to change that narrative.

“I suspect we will see the administration talking more about the US national interests and why it was necessary to act on the basis of those interests, going forward,” Ensher said.

“We are in a wider regional war already,” he added.

“need to strike Iran because Israel was going to do so”

The former US ambassador and deputy assistance secretary of state is actually saying, that Trump had to follow suit because Netanyahu had already began.

Canada’s embassy in Riyadh announces closure

The mission said it is closing today “due to the current security situation” and said all in-person appointments are cancelled through Friday, March 6.

US embassy in Kuwait closes ‘until further notice’

The US embassy in Kuwait has suspended operations until further notice, citing the “ongoing regional tensions”.

“We have cancelled all regular and emergency consular appointments. We will communicate when the embassy returns to normal operations,” it said.

The closure follows days of mounting casualties and military incidents, with six US soldiers killed and three jets crashing in Kuwait in what the US military described as an “apparent friendly fire incident”.

China denies reports of military support to Iran

China imports about 70 percent of its oil and about half of that comes through the Strait of Hormuz. Much of it is from Iran, but also from other countries in the region, including Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

China has been watching the situation escalate with much concern.

It has strongly condemned the actions of the US and Israel, saying the recent nuclear negotiations [with Iran] did seem to be on track. China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, spoke on Monday to the foreign ministers of Oman, Iran, and France, and concluded that the US and Israel intentionally derailed this diplomacy, sending the region into what he called an irreversible state.

China continues to call for a ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table.

Let’s not forget China is one of the major economies that supports Iran, at least economically. Beijing has called the Iranian government a friend and has made it clear that it supports Iran’s right to defend its territory and interests. However, Wang Yi did not endorse any retaliation from Iran, and when asked about it, China’s Foreign Ministry denied supplying weapons or helping Iran militarily. It says its support only comes down to political and moral backing.

Qatar Airways flights remain suspended

The Qatari carrier said flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of the country’s airspace.

“Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace,” it said.

Who runs Iran now?

Following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran has announced the formation of a three-member transitional council to handle state duties.

Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, a member of the powerful constitutional watchdog, was appointed on Sunday to the interim transitional council, whose other two members are the country’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Court Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei.

According to Article 111 of the Iranian constitution, the transitional council will govern the country until an 88-member panel, called the Assembly of Experts, chooses a new supreme leader after the almost 37-year rule of Khamenei was cut short in a deadly Israel-US attack on Saturday.

While the leadership council assumes its governance role in the interim, the Assembly of Experts “must, as soon as possible”, pick a new supreme leader, according to the Iranian constitution.

Explosions in Iran’s Isfahan and Shiraz

Iran’s Mehr News Agency is reporting that explosions have been heard in the Iranian cities of Isfahan and Shiraz.

Fuel tank at Oman’s Duqm port hit in drone attack

Oman’s new agency is reporting that a fuel tank at the country’s Duqm commercial port has been hit in a drone attack.

There were no casualties, and the material damage was contained, it said.

It is the latest attack on the facility located in the Al Wusta governorate in central Oman since the start of the conflict.

On Sunday, another attack involving two drones wounded an expatriate worker.

Satellite images show damage at Iran’s Natanz nuclear site

The US and Israel carried out two new strikes on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility over the weekend, according to Mohammad Eslami, Tehran’s atomic energy chief.

Satellite imagery captured on Sunday and Monday shows the aftermath of the attack on the Natanz nuclear complex.

Iran holds mass funeral for people killed in school attack

Iran has held a mass funeral ceremony for 165 people, including students, killed in an attack on a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab.

Iranian state television showed thousands of people filling a public square. From the stage, a woman who said she was the mother of “Atena” held up a printed image of portraits that she called “a document of American crimes”.

The crowd erupted into chants of “Death to America”, “Death to Israel”, and “No surrender”.

Iranian state media has blamed Israel for targeting the school. An Israeli military spokesperson said on Sunday that he was not aware of any Israeli or US attacks in the area.

Safety warnings to public in GCC countries

Iran may continue to say that it is not at war with these GCC countries, but the fact is that it doesn’t mind putting these populations in the firing line.

Today, on the fourth day of this conflict, the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia is telling Americans in the country to avoid the embassy until further notice due to an attack on the facility.

Two drones were used to attack the embassy. There was a limited fire that broke out in a diplomatic compound, and minor material damage. But people are saying that targeting of sites is continuing in parts of Saudi Arabia.

In Bahrain, the IRGC announced it was carrying out another large-scale drone and missile attack. Twenty drones and three missiles hit their intended targets, according to the IRGC.

In Qatar, loud booms from what the Defense Ministry confirmed were the interceptions of two ballistic missiles that were headed in the direction of the country.

The Interior Ministry put out a statement urging the public to remain indoors and leave their residences strictly in cases of urgent necessity.

US Congress to vote on War Powers Act

The US Congress is poised to vote later this week on a resolution that could force President Trump to halt military action against Iran.

The War Powers Act limits a US president’s ability to send troops overseas without the clear approval of Congress.

Several members of Congress, many of them Democrats, have described Trump’s decision to launch a war against Iran as illegal. Trump and senior government officials insist that they had to act due to an imminent threat.

As of Tuesday, the civilian death toll from the joint Israel-US strikes on Iran has surpassed 550.

According to the law, the president “shall in every possible instance consult with Congress before introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities or into situations where imminent involvement is clearly indicated by the circumstances”.

It also requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of any such deployments of US forces without a prior declaration of war from Congress, with a justification for the constitutional and legislative authority for the actions.

Trump has argued that the military operation against Iran is limited to aerial strikes and that there are no ground forces involved.

It’s the second time in less than a year that members of Congress have raised major concerns about the US military operation against Iran, absent Congressional approval.

In June 2025, the US also launched deadly strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, as well as several targets in the Iranian capital Tehran, killing hundreds of people.

Huge explosion rocks eastern Tehran, IRGC reports new strikes across GCC

A huge explosion was heard, and thick smoke is rising from the eastern part of Tehran.

The government has not given any information about what was hit.

The IRGC has suffered major blows, particularly following the killing of the supreme leader. The attacks have also targeted the IRGC’s commander-in-chief and more than 10 other senior military figures. That is a huge blow.

Also, several headquarters and centers linked to them across Tehran and in other cities have been attacked.

The IRGC continues to make statements outlining developments and confirming what they describe as ongoing retaliatory strikes.

Last night, the IRGC said it had attacked a military base in Kuwait and a gathering of US military forces in Dubai. On the ground, we see not only military headquarters and political centers being attacked, but also citizens being affected.

Israel-US strike kills 13 Iranian soldiers

Thirteen Iranian soldiers have been killed in a Israel-US strike on a military base in Kerman province, according to the Iranian army.

The attack targeted the base in the south of the country.

France to send anti-drone, antimissile systems to Cyprus after base targeted: Report

France plans to ⁠send antimissile and ⁠anti-drone systems to Cyprus ‌after a British airbase there was targeted by drones, ⁠the semiofficial Cyprus ⁠News ⁠Agency (CNA) is reporting.

The Akrotiri base, southwest of Limassol, is one of two bases the UK has retained in the former ⁠colony since independence in 1960.

Australia urges against panic buying of fuel over Iran war

Australia’s energy minister has urged motorists not to panic-buy fuel, as the widening Israel-US war on Iran leads to concerns about global supply disruptions.

Chris Bowen said Australia holds 36 days of petrol, 34 days of diesel and 32 days of jet fuel in reserve – the highest levels in more than a decade.

“There is no need for panic buying. That will just make the situation worse,” he said.

Oil prices climbed for a third straight day on Tuesday amid mounting fears that attacks across the Middle East could choke supply routes. Iran has responded with attacks on energy infrastructure in Gulf states and tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Five killed, dozens wounded in attack on western Iran

At least five people have been killed and 25 injured in a Israel-US attack on residential neighborhoods in Hamadan, western Iran, Mehr news agency is reporting.

The report added that the strikes hit populated areas, causing civilian casualties.

Jets patrol skies over Qatar after Iranian missiles taken down

Qatar’s Defense Ministry has confirmed that two ballistic missiles were taken down offshore.

There are many concerns in the region because it’s not just about US military installations. Energy infrastructure are being targeted – two separate attacks, in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

What’s really concerning is the question of what happens next. If Iran is willing to target Qatar’s LNG infrastructure, the lifeblood of the economy of this country, or Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure, then the calculation has definitely shifted.

The region is one of the biggest contributors to the world’s energy supplies. If this disruption is prolonged, it’s not just going to affect the region here; everybody is going to feel the consequences.

Qatar’s Defense Ministry strategy has shifted towards not just having missile detectors but also jets – that’s one of the reasons that we saw Iranian jets taken down.

The conflict itself is not winding down. It’s escalating and it could have deeper consequences for the region if it’s not stopped soon.

Trump attacks UK PM Starmer for not joining Iran war

President Trump has lashed out at UK PM Keir Starmer for refusing to back Washington’s war against Iran, warning that the so-called “special relationship” now faces strain.

“He has not been helpful … I never thought I’d see that. I never thought I’d see that from the UK,” Trump said.

He added that ties between the two countries had shifted dramatically.

“It’s a different world, actually. It’s just a much different kind of relationship that we’ve had with your country before.”

Trump said he had never expected to see what he described as the once “most solid of all” alliances come under such pressure.

He also suggested that the US no longer depends on the UK to prosecute its wars in the Middle East.

“It’s not going to matter, but [Starmer] should have helped … he should have,” Trump said.

With the declaration of war on Iran, Trump made his country an attacking belligerent and must comply to international law, and so must Britain.

If Starmer is to allow Trump to carry out attacks on Iran from British soil, the prime minister makes his country a co-belligerent and is then responsible under states responsibility laws.

Satellite images show damage at Iran’s Choqa Balk-e facility

Satellite photos show the aftermath of an attack on the Choqa Balk-e drone facility in Iran’s Kermanshah province.

Indian firms reduce gas supply to industries after Qatar halts LNG production: Report

Companies in India have reduced fuel supplies to industries in anticipation of tighter supply after ⁠top producer Qatar suspended its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production following a drone attack, Reuters has reported, quoting four industry sources with knowledge of the matter.

India, ‌the world’s fourth-largest buyer of LNG, relies heavily on producers from the Middle East for its imports. It is the top LNG client for Abu Dhabi National Oil Company ⁠and the second-largest buyer of Qatari LNG.

Top LNG importer Petronet LNG Ltd has informed GAIL (India), the top gas marketing company, and other companies about lower supplies, two of the sources told the news agency.

GAIL ⁠and Indian Oil Corp informed customers of the gas supply cut late on Monday, one of the sources said.

The cuts range from 10 percent to 30 percent, two of the ⁠sources told Reuters.

The cuts have been set at minimum lifting quantities that would shield the suppliers from ⁠any penalties from the customers based on ⁠contractual terms, the sources said.

To make up for the LNG shortfall, companies including IOC, GAIL and Petronet LNG are planning to issue spot tenders, two of the sources ‌said, ‌although spot prices, freight, and insurance costs have surged.

Drone debris sparks fire at UAE’s Fujairah port

Authorities in the UAE say they have brought a fire under control at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone after debris from a downed drone ignited flames.

No casualties have been reported.

In a statement on X, officials in Fujairah said emergency teams moved swiftly after debris fell following the interception of a drone by air defense systems.

Pakistan says ‘no restrictions’ on airspace

Correction 13:40 GMT: A previous version of this post said Pakistan had announced a partial closure of commercial airspace until the end of March. That was incorrect. It has since been fixed.

Pakistan Airports Authority says “there are no restrictions on commercial operations, arrivals, departures, or over flights across Pakistan”.

Chinese refiner cuts operations as Middle East conflict tightens crude oil supplies

Zhejiang Petrochemical Corp, a major Chinese refiner backed by Saudi Aramco, is shutting a ⁠200,000-barrel-per-day crude unit as it brings forward maintenance at a time when the Middle East conflict is tightening crude oil supplies.

The month long overhaul in March will cut ⁠output by 20 percent, a company representative told the Reuters news agency.

Designed to process 800,000 barrels per day, the refinery is one of China’s largest and ran above its capacity in February, sources said.

The Israel-US war with Iran has cut off nearly all shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for ‌20 percent of global oil supplies.

China, the world’s biggest oil importer, sources roughly half its crude from the Middle East, and the lengthening supply squeeze is pushing up oil prices and is expected to spur other refiners to trim their operations, industry sources said.

Iran death toll reaches 787

The death toll from Israel-US attacks across Iran has risen to 787, state media report, citing the Iranian Red Crescent.

China urges return to talks, respects right to peaceful nuclear use

China ⁠has condemned US strikes on Iran, urging a return to negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson says.

Mao Ning ⁠said US strikes on Iran “during ongoing negotiations … violate ⁠international law and ⁠basic principles of international relations”.

“The ⁠Iran nuclear issue should eventually return to the track ‌of political and diplomatic settlement,” Mao ‌said, adding that Beijing respects ⁠Iran’s “legitimate right to the peaceful use ⁠of nuclear energy”.

Pakistan defense minister says Zionism a ‘threat to humanity’, conflict ‘imposed upon’ Iran

In a social media post, Khawaja Asif calls Zionism a driving force behind instability in the Muslim world and a “threat to humanity”, warning that the war on Iran threatens Pakistan’s security.

“From the establishment of Israel on the land of Palestine until today, every catastrophe that has befallen the Islamic world, every war imposed upon it, will show the direct or indirect hand of Zionist ideology and the state,” the defense minister said as he hailed Pakistan’s nuclear capability as a shield against external threats.

Asif argued that the current conflict had been “imposed upon” Iran despite its readiness to reach an agreement in negotiations with the US.

France ready to defend partners, its foreign minister says

France is ready ⁠to ⁠defend its partners if they request support and reserves its right to intervene, Foreign Minister ⁠Jean-Noel Barrot says.

In comments to French broadcaster BFM TV, he said fighting was “dragging a number of countries in the region into the ‌conflict with which we have relations, defense agreements and interests, including military bases”.

He said about 400,000 French nationals were in affected countries in the region and France was ready to repatriate those most at risk with commercial and military flights.

France has a military presence in the UAE, which is a co-belligerent of the United States. Paris would make itself also a co-belligerent, as defending a co-belligerent is participating in a war by a attacking belligerent which also has a presence in the UAE.

Top Democrat says there was no imminent threat to the US from Iran

US Democratic senator Mark Warner says there was no “imminent threat” from Iran to the US, after receiving a briefing on the attacks on Iran.He called for President Trump to explain the goal of the US’s military action.

(youtube)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w26vU7--Co(/youtube)

In the context of international law:

Like in June 2025, Netanyahu started with Trump a war across borders, which means that both belligerents where crossing airspaces of other countries to attack Iran, while Iran was not attacking the territories of the belligerents at the time they started the war. Targeting US interests is targeting US assets in countries on another continent, which is legal when the US started first to attack Iran.

The Israelis and the Americans needed to be in the possession of a mandate from the UN Security Council, which they defied to request.

Impact of Israel-US attacks on Iran so far

Update from Iran’s Red Crescent Society:

• At least 153 cities across the country have been affected by recent attacks
• A total of 504 locations have been struck so far by Israel-US attacks
• The number of recorded attacks has reached 1,039

At least 787 people have been killed in the attacks.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejects talks, says it is fighting ‘the devil’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry says the government is focused on “defence” following attempts at negotiations.

“Eternal disgrace will remain upon those who claimed to pursue diplomacy but, in the face of Iran’s logic, bowed down and turned to the military option,” said spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.

On escalating tensions with regional neighbours by attacking their energy infrastructure, he only emphasized that Tehran considers itself “committed to humanitarian principles”.

“The Zionist regime refrains from no act of malice. I ask my Arab friends to reflect carefully. The regime has no hesitation in expanding the scope of the war, smearing Iran’s reputation, and committing crimes in other countries.”

Baghaei said “Iran is currently the only remaining force standing against evil”, also appearing to refer to the US as “the devil”.

Saudi Arabia condemns Iranian attack on US embassy in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the Iranian attack on the US embassy in Riyadh.

In a statement, the ministry said it condemned the “treacherous” assault “in the strongest terms”.

It also said the kingdom reaffirms its right to take all measures to defend itself and its interests, including the option of responding to any ‌aggression.

Explosions in Bahrain reported 

Sirens are sounding in Bahrain. AFP is also reporting several explosions in Manama.

Qatar not notified of incoming missile attacks by Iran

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari is holding a news conference in which he says the country was not notified by Iran of incoming missile attacks.

More lines from Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson during his news briefing:

• The Iranian jets that were shot down on Monday entered Qatari airspace despite being warned.
• They were heading for Doha before they were targeted.
• Qatar is still searching for their crew
• Qatar has proven that it cannot be threatened.
• We remain fully prepared.
• Such attacks will not go unanswered.
• There is no ongoing communication with Iran
• Our stockpile of interceptor missiles has not run out, and we have enough to deal with the ongoing threat.
• The claim that pressuring Gulf countries would lead to a return to negotiations is false.

Almost 8,000 people stranded in transit: Qatar

Qatar says there are almost 8,000 people stranded in transit in the country as the airspace remains closed.

Qatar reports attempt attack on its airport

Qatar says there were attempts to attack Hamad international airport, which failed.

‘Iranian targets are not just military but all of Qatar’s territory’

Qatar’s FM spokesperson has added that Iranian targets are not just military but all of the country’s territory.

‘They must stop the war. We did not start it,’ says Iran’s Foreign Ministry

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei:

• They must stop the war. We did not start it. Our choice was diplomacy.
• The international community must decide to fulfill its responsibility before it is too late. The process that has begun will soon engulf Europe. The fire, that the US and the Zionist regime ignited, will engulf the entire world.
• All of Europe’s approaches are contradictory. Any violation of the law and any breach of moral principles and the UN Charter will have consequences that affect every single human being on Earth.
• If European countries understand this, they will certainly move out of their state of indifference.
• The UN Security Council has a clear and heavy duty to condemn the aggression against Iran and differentiate between those who are committing the aggression.

Like in June 2025, Netanyahu started with Trump a war across borders, which means that both belligerents where crossing airspaces of other countries to attack Iran, while Iran was not attacking the territories of the belligerents at the time they started the war. Targeting US interests is targeting US assets in countries on another continent, which is legal when the US started first to attack Iran.

The Israelis and the Americans needed to be in the possession of a mandate from the UN Security Council, which they defied to request.

QatarEnergy to stop production of some downstream products

“Further to the decision by QatarEnergy to stop production of LNG and associated products, QatarEnergy is stopping the production of some downstream products in the State of Qatar, including urea, polymers, methanol, aluminum and other products,” it said on X.

This comes after two of its installations were targeted in northern Qatar earlier this week.

Kuwait condemns ‘treacherous’ attack on US embassy

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry has condemned “in the strongest terms” an attack on the US embassy in the country, calling it “treacherous” and “a flagrant violation of all international norms and laws”.

“The ministry reiterates its affirmation of the State of Kuwait’s right to take all necessary measures and actions to protect its security, the safety of its territories, its citizens, and the residents therein,” it said.

Iran targets civilian infrastructure to ‘display military strength’

One of the reasons why Iran is resorting to hitting civilian infrastructure in neighbouring countries is to “demonstrate their military capabilities”, Luciano Zaccara, Iran and Gulf analyst at Qatar University, has said.

“Iran is retaliating against all the attacks, not in one place, but in almost 10 simultaneously,” he said.

“The other thing is the political message they want to give that if Iran is attacked, the impact will be global,” Zaccara said, noting that the main message is that not only Iran, but the economy of the whole region, will be affected.

“And neither the US, the region, nor the consumers of energy are able to continue this way,” he said. “But at this point, they [Iran] don’t care that much, considering that they have been under sanctions for a long time.

“So it’s not affecting the Iranian economy that much. And the fact that the oil price is going up – even though they export very little – means they are still surviving,” Zaccara said.

US role in Iran war hinges on resources and political will

How long the US remains involved in the war on Iran depends on several factors, including military resources, funding and political will.

Realistically, the only way Congress could compel the Trump administration to scale back or stop the military operation would be for a majority in both chambers to pass a resolution either authorizing or denying the continuation of the campaign.

Congress, not the executive branch, holds the sole constitutional power to declare war.

Congressional Democrats have introduced a resolution seeking a vote on the matter. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated that such a vote would likely not occur before Thursday. He also suggested he would not support any action that might “hamstring” what he views as a justified military operation.

Whether Democrats can persuade enough Republicans to break ranks remains uncertain, especially given the narrow Republican majority in both chambers.

Additionally, military supplies are not infinite. There is a finite stockpile of missiles, warheads and equipment. Unless defense contractors are actively producing and replenishing supplies under Pentagon contracts, those stockpiles will eventually be depleted.

Russia’s Lavrov warns attacks on Iran could unleash nuclear arms race in region

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that US and Israeli attacks on Iran could drive not only Tehran but its neighbours to seek to acquire nuclear weapons.

The widening conflict in the region raises the risk of nuclear proliferation, he said.

Oman says drone crashed near Salalah port, no casualties

Oman’s state media, quoting a security source, says a drone has crashed near the vicinity of Salalah port.

Two other drones were intercepted in Dhofar governorate, it added.

There were no casualties.

Prolonged Iran conflict risks waning support in US

Netanyahu has defended the decision to attack Iran alongside the US. He has characterized the conflict as a quick and decisive action, not an endless process.

But this could get prolonged. And historically, prolonged conflicts tend to face diminishing political support in the US. While President Trump may express confidence to maintain morale and backing, sustaining a long-term military campaign depends on practical realities – money, manufacturing capacity and public support.

The US has maintained strong military and strategic ties with Israel. However, there has been a debate in Washington over whether the US should automatically back Israeli military actions.

And we should not forget that the US continues to provide weapons to other countries, including Ukraine, which is still engaged in a war with Russia. This further strains available resources.

Sirens sound in Kuwait City

Sirens are sounding in Kuwait City.

This comes after Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry condemned “in the strongest terms” an attack on the US Embassy in the country.

Greece sets up repatriation plan for nationals stranded in Middle East

Prime ‌Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis says Greece has a plan to repatriate thousands of its citizens stranded in the Middle East amid widespread air traffic closures caused by the growing conflict in the region.

He acknowledged, however, their return would be difficult, given the closure of airspace in the region.

Earlier, French Foreign Minister ⁠Jean-Noel Barrot said France was ready to repatriate the most at risk of the 400,000 French nationals in affected countries in the region with commercial and military flights.

India, Europe feel fuel crunch as Gulf gas supplies disrupted amid war

Indian companies have reduced natural gas supplies to industries in anticipation of tighter supply from the Middle East after ⁠top global producer Qatar halted LNG production, as European gas prices have jumped further by more than 30 percent since the launch of the Israel-US war on Iran.

Industry sources with knowledge of the matter told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday that top gas importer Petronet LNG Ltd had informed GAIL (India), the state-owned top gas marketing company, and other companies about lower supplies.

India is the world’s fourth-largest buyer of LNG and relies heavily on the Middle East for its imports. The South Asian nation is the top LNG client for Abu Dhabi National Oil Company ⁠and the second-largest buyer of Qatari LNG.

Zelenskyy says discussed with UAE president how to ‘help, support the protection of lives’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he and his team have spoken with Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and expressed condolences over the lives lost “as a result of Iran’s insane strikes”.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy said the leaders discussed “key aspects of the situation” in the region, with the UAE president telling him that “the Iranian regime is targeting not only military facilities but virtually everything – residential buildings, shopping malls, even mosques”.

Zelenskyy said the pair discussed “how we can help in this situation” and agreed to work on supporting “the protection of lives” amid the conflict.

“It was agreed that our teams will work on this,” he said.

UAE Defense Ministry says 186 missiles, 812 drones launched from Iran

UAE Defense Ministry spokesperson says:

• 186 missiles were launched against our country
• 172 of them were destroyed, 13 of them in the sea
• One missile landed on our territories
• 812 Iranian drones were monitored, and 755 of them were intercepted

Iranian attacks kill 3 in UAE, 68 injured

Three people have been killed and 68 injured across the UAE by Iranian attacks, the UAE’s Defence Ministry spokesperson has said.

Indonesia to import more US crude oil amid Middle East conflict

Indonesia will import more crude oil from the US to replace supplies from the Middle East.

Attacks by the US and Israel on Iran and the latter’s retaliatory strikes have disrupted crude flows, with the crucial Strait of Hormuz – through which about a fifth of global oil transits – closed off.

Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia said 20 to 25 percent of Indonesia’s total crude oil imports come from the Middle East and pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

“For the crude oil we currently take from the Middle East, we are diverting part of it to purchases from the United States, so that we have certainty regarding the availability of our crude oil,” Bahlil told reporters.

Bahlil said 30 percent of Indonesia’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports also came from the Middle East, and the government would seek alternative suppliers.

Bahlil said Indonesia had enough crude oil supply for three weeks and that it couldn’t import more because the country did not have adequate storage facilities.

Indonesia has pledged to buy $15bn of US energy under a newly-signed trade agreement with the US.

Bahrain says it destroyed 73 missiles, 91 drones

Bahrain says its air defense systems have destroyed 73 missiles and 91 drones launched by Iran since the start of the latest war.

US and Israel’s messaging aims to ‘weaken Iran’s morale’

Wolfgang Pusztai, a security policy and defense analyst in Vienna, has said that the situation in Iran is a part of “information warfare” that the US and Israel are playing to “send a message to Iran – don’t expect this to be over within one or two weeks.”

“They want to undermine the morale of the IRGC and of all the others fighting against the offensive of Israel and the US in the hope that they give up,” Pusztai said.

“Iran wants to send a message through the missiles towards Israel and ongoing attacks on various US military and civilian facilities in the Gulf states that they can also continue the war indefinitely.

“So this is part of information warfare. We will see in the next few days and weeks whether this will really lead to an early end of the war or to a longer campaign.”

‘Too late’ for talks, Trump tells Iran

US President Donald Trump has ruled out talks with Iran, claiming in a social media post that Iran had asked for talks after the Israel-US attacks had started.

Iran’s president says country ‘has not come to a halt’

Iran’s President Pezeshkian says the government remains operational despite the escalating war on the country, insisting that state functions continue across the country.

In a post on X, Pezeshkian said authorities are coordinating closely with provincial leadership as the situation unfolds.

“We are in direct contact with the governors. The situation is exceptional, but the country has not come to a halt,” he wrote.

“Ongoing activities are continuing across the country.”

Iran denies attacks on Oman: State media

Iran has denied carrying out attacks on Oman, Iranian state media is reporting.

Oman has been hit with numerous attacks, including one on Sunday involving two drones that wounded an expatriate worker.

Earlier, Oman’s news agency reported that a fuel tank at the country’s Duqm commercial port was hit by a drone attack, before a drone crashed near the vicinity of Salalah port, and two other drones were intercepted in Dhofar governorate.

This report comes amid other reports stating that the US has deployed LUCAS kamikaze drones, which are a copy of the Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones.

US embassy warns of imminent attack in eastern Saudi Arabia

The US Embassy in Riyadh has warned of an imminent attack in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia.

“There is a threat of imminent and UAV attacks over Dhahran. Do not come to the US Consulate,” it said in a social media post.

Iran bans food exports as wartime measure: Report

Iran has announced a ban on all exports of food and farm products, the semiofficial Tasnim news agency is reporting.

“The export of all food and agricultural products has been banned until further notice,” the agency reported, citing a government statement.

“The government has prioritized the supply of essential goods for the people.”

Tehran’s actions may force GCC countries into ‘decisive anti-Iran stance’

Hesham Alghannam, a Saudi political analyst, says that we are witnessing a “gradual shift” from Saudi Arabia and the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from a “pre-escalation neutrality” to something completely different.

“I wouldn’t say it is anti-Iran at this stage, but it is definitely heading in that direction,” he said.

Alghannam noted that Iran “would eliminate moderate Gulf positions once and for all if oil and gas facilities continue to be targeted”.

“Iran is probably banking on this pressure and on the GCC countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which have good relations with the Americans, to perhaps convince the Trump administration to dial back.

“But do these countries have that leverage today? If push came to shove, could they be the ones to convince the US and Israel to step back? I think it is much more complicated than that.

“Signals from the US show that this will take weeks, not days.”

Jordan’s civil aviation authority reopens airspace

The Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission has announced the reopening of the country’s airspace, reversing a partial closure in effect since Monday night.

In a statement, the authority said the decision had been made after an in-depth risk assessment in coordination with all stakeholders.

Former US official Bolton urges Trump to justify war is in American interests

John Bolton, former national security adviser to Trump during the president’s first term and former ambassador to the UN, says Trump must make the case as to why this war is in the interests of the American people.

“I think the case is plain and can be made very effectively, but that has not happened yet, and if this communication problem is not corrected, Trump will have serious political problems to face,” said Bolton, a longtime Iran hawk who supports the Israel-US strikes.

Bolton said Israel and the US share a goal of seeing change in Iran with Washington leading the way in its combat capacity and intelligence support while Israel provides the strategic thinking behind the operation.

“The logic behind this is that to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program, to eliminate Iran’s support for terrorism, you have to eliminate the system in power,” Bolton said.

“If you don’t do that, if you simply wound it and diminish its capacity, it will grow back, and in some period of time, we will be right back where we were before this attack started.”

Iran doubts usefulness of negotiations with US, says ambassador to UN

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva has cast doubt on the prospect of negotiations with the US, three days after the US and Israel launched joint strikes on the country.

“For the time being, we are very doubtful about the usefulness of negotiation,” Ali Bahreini, ambassador of the Iranian mission to the UN in Geneva, told reporters.

“The only language for talking with the US is the language of defense; there is no time for negotiation.”

Israel-US war on Iran could cost region up to $60bn in lost tourism revenue

The Israel-US war on Iran could wipe out up to a quarter of international tourism to the Middle East this year, according to new projections.

Data released on Tuesday by Tourism Economics suggests international arrivals to the region could fall by between 11 and 27 percent in 2026 if the conflict continues.

That marks a dramatic reversal from the firm’s December forecast, when it predicted a 13 percent rise in visitor numbers this year.

If the higher-end estimate materializes, the region could lose between 23 million and 38 million international visitors compared with earlier expectations. The financial impact would also be severe, with losses in visitor spending projected at between $34bn and $56bn.

Moscow may benefit from the war in Iran

Moscow for decades has been Iran’s main international backer, shielding it from UN resolutions while trying to soften Western sanctions and selling weaponry worth billions of dollars to Tehran.

President Putin lambasted the killing on Saturday of Supreme Leader Khamenei as a “cynical violation of all norms of human morals and the international law”.

As US and Israeli air strikes on Iran raged on for a fourth day on Tuesday, Russia appeared poised to benefit far more from the war than it looked to lose. Moscow’s most immediate gain is a boost in its oil revenues.

We will continue our defense until aggression ends: Iran’s ambassador to UN

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, said Iran will continue its campaign of defense against Israel and the US “until the point this aggression is stopped”.

“If any base in a neighbouring country is used to attack and invade other countries, that would be a legitimate target.”

Explosions heard throughout Iran continuously

Explosions have been heard every now and then around Tehran and other cities in Iran.

It’s a continuous situation. Strikes have also been reported in Isfahan, where the nuclear facilities are located.

The government here doesn’t give figures or any details about the targets that have been struck, but we know from sources close to the government that overnight, the TV station was targeted and also some of the security headquarters.

Nine hospitals have been hit. Some strikes were near schools and residential buildings, and there were casualties amongst civilians here and there across the country.

The Health Ministry spokesperson told us that the number of civilians killed has so far neared 800, and the number of wounded is above 5,000.

He saw horrible scenes of people wounded, who are already sick, and those hospitals being evacuated in the most extreme, precarious condition.

Atomic agency head says no proof of Iran weapons program

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog says inspectors have not found evidence of a coordinated Iranian program to build nuclear weapons despite Israeli and US claims.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi told NBC News that the agency had not identified “elements of a systematic and structured program to manufacture nuclear weapons” in Iran.

At the same time, he confirmed that Tehran has enriched uranium to 60 percent purity – a level far beyond civilian energy needs.

Grossi said such enrichment is something “only countries with nuclear weapons have”.

He stressed that inspectors could not conclude Iran intends to build a bomb, but said the stockpiling raised serious questions.

This enrichment, he said, was “the source of the concerns we had”, and there was “no clear objective” for accumulating material at that level.

“The centrifuges were spinning constantly and producing more and more of that material,” he said, adding that theoretically this would have been “enough to produce more than 10 nuclear warheads. But do they have them? No.”

The 2003 US war on Iraq resembles here, as it was falsely justified that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Scott Ritter was UN weapons inspector at that time and found no evidence while the then-secretary of state, Colin Powell was showing white powder at the UNSC claiming it was anthrax.

US stocks open sharply lower, joining global sell off

Wall Street stocks have tumbled, joining a global sell off as markets worry about the impact of the US-Israel war on Iran, which has been boosting oil prices and inflation.

All three major indices were firmly lower a few minutes into trading, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 1.7 percent to 48,066.36.

The broad-based S&P 500 shed 1.7 percent to 6,767.35, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index slid 2.0 percent to 22,305.35.

Iran, the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), pumps about 4.5 percent of global oil supplies.

Russia, Oman discuss war on Iran

Russian ⁠Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone ⁠call with his Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi to discuss the situation ‌around Iran, the Russian Foreign Ministry says.

The ministers urged the earliest possible halt ⁠to hostilities and a ⁠return to political and diplomatic ⁠efforts to resolve the burgeoning ⁠crisis.

Both sides ⁠said they were ready, including at the ‌United Nations, to support a peaceful compromise ‌based on international law.

Bahrain activates sirens, urges residents to take shelter

Sirens in Bahrain have been activated, the country’s interior minister says in a statement.

“Citizens and residents are requested to proceed to the nearest safe place,” it added.

EU foreign ministers to talk with Gulf colleagues on Thursday

European Union foreign ministers will hold a videoconference with their counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday morning, an EU official tells Reuters.

The immediate fear for Gulf leaders centres on their most vulnerable infrastructure: strikes on power grids, water desalination plants and energy infrastructure.

Analysts said the current crisis marks a dramatic shift in regional security dynamics. For years, the Gulf states focused their concerns on nonstate actors, such as the Houthis in Yemen or Hezbollah in Lebanon. That calculus has now changed.

Israel-US air strikes hit western Tehran: Report

Joint Israel-US strikes have targeted areas in western Tehran, Iran’s ISNA news agency reports.

Iran won’t ‘automatically’ fall after Khamenei’s death: Shah’s widow

The death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is “historically significant” but will not “automatically” lead to the fall of the Iranian system, says the widow of the country’s last shah.

“The passing of a man – however central he may be to the architecture of power – does not automatically mean the end of a system,” said Farah Pahlavi, who has lived in exile in Paris since being driven out of Iran during the 1979 revolution.

“What will be decisive,” she told the AFP news agency, is “the ability of the Iranian people to unite around a peaceful, orderly and sovereign transition to a state governed by the rule of law”, which she added her son Reza Pahlavi “is in the process of preparing”.

US embassy in Oman instructs staff, US citizens to seek shelter

The US embassy in Oman has instructed its staff and American citizens to take shelter “until further notice” because of “ongoing activity”.

“Find a secure location within your residence or another safe building,” said a statement.

Iran vows to hit all Middle East economic hubs if US-Israeli attacks persist

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Ebrahim Jabbari has warned that continued US-Israeli attacks will see Iran conduct reprisals against “all economic centers” in the Middle East.

“We are saying to the enemy that if it decides to hit our main centers, we will hit all economic centers in the region,” said Jabbari.

“We have closed the Strait of Hormuz. Currently, the price of oil is above $80 and will soon reach $200,” he was quoted as saying by Iranian news agency ISNA.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas exports from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. About 20 percent of global daily oil consumption — roughly 20 million barrels — passes through the narrow corridor.

EU starts helping evacuate citizens from Middle East

The European Union has begun helping member countries Italy, Austria and Slovakia repatriate their citizens stranded in the Middle East.

Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said the three countries were the first so far to ask Brussels to assist in funding evacuation flights from the region.

UAE exchanges to reopen Wednesday after two-day suspension

The United Arab Emirates’s stock markets will resume trading after a two-day suspension following Iran’s missile and drone strikes on the Gulf state.

The UAE Capital Markets Authority (CMA) said the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and Dubai Financial Market (DFM) would both open for trading on Wednesday.

“The resumption follows continued coordination between the Authority and the exchanges in line with the previously communicated timeframe,” CMA said in a statement, adding it would continue to monitor developments and take measures to protect investors.

In a separate statement, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) said Nasdaq Dubai would also resume trading on Wednesday.

No radioactive leak recorded at Iran’s nuclear site hit by US-Israeli strikes

No ⁠radioactive leakage has been recorded ⁠at the Natanz ⁠nuclear facility after US and Israeli air strikes, Iranian ‌media reports.

Iran’s ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog ⁠said on Monday ⁠the facility was struck ⁠during military operations ⁠by the ⁠United States and Israel against his country.

Qatar not part of campaign targeting Iran: Foreign Ministry spokesperson

Majed al-Ansari, the spokesperson of Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, has stressed in a social media post that the country “has not been part of the campaign” against Iran.

“We are exercising our right in self defense and deterring Iranian attacks against our country. We urge media outlets to use credible Qataris sources when reporting on Qatar,” he said.

 

Iran’s ‘axis’ of proxies waylaid by Israel-US strikes

The network of proxy armed groups – long used as a regional force against Israel – has been weakened since the Gaza war and now risks collapse, upending the regional balance, analysts say.

The weakening of Lebanon’s Hezbollah after its 2024 war with Israel and the fall of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad paved the way for Israel to aim directly at Iran, they say.

Most of the axis’s members – such as Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, or Iraqi armed groups – are “trying to understand how to survive”, said Renad Mansour, senior research fellow at the Chatham House international affairs think-tank.

To Mansour, these groups lack “the necessary military capabilities to inflict significant damage” while the most prominent ones are now “intertwined in the Iraqi state”.

The Houthis in Yemen have so far stayed away from the US-Israeli attack on Iran.

“The Houthis are in a calculated holding pattern, or perhaps a defensive approach,” said Ahmed Nagi, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group.

However, Nagi said that while the axis “is facing an existential threat, that does not necessarily mean it will disintegrate”.

Qatari air defense intercepts projectiles in the skies over Doha

Bangs were heard over Doha just a few minutes ago, as Qatar’s air defense systems intercepted projectiles in the sky.

UK sends destroyer, helicopters to Cyprus after Iran attacks

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the UK is sending helicopters with counter-drone capabilities to Cyprus and deploying the air defense destroyer HMS Dragon to the region.

“The UK is fully committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based there,” said Starmer in a post.

“We’re continuing our defensive operations and I’ve just spoken with the president of Cyprus to let him know that we are sending helicopters with counter drone capabilities and HMS Dragon is to be deployed to the region.”

 

Loud bangs heard in Dubai, Abu Dhabi: Report

Loud bangs have been heard in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, according to a witness cited by Reuters news agency.

Trump’s worst-case scenario in Iran

Asked about what his worst-case scenario in Iran would be, the US president on Tuesday said, “I guess if someone as bad comes in”.

Trump made the comments while responding to media questions, seated next to visiting German Chancellor Friederich Merz at the White House in Washington, DC.

Video shows strikes on Tehran

Video on social media shows explosions in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

The description suggests the attacks occurred in the west of the city. The death toll in Iran since attacks began on Saturday has risen to 787, medical sources say.

US military says it attacked 1,700 targets in Iran operation

The US military has carried out strikes against more than 1,700 targets in Iran, according to US Central Command.

In a fact sheet, CENTCOM said the strikes, which started on Saturday, targeted Iranian navy ships, submarines, and antiship missile sites along with command and control centers.

‘We’re doing very well’ in Iran: Trump

The US president painted a positive picture of his administration’s war against Iran on Tuesday.

“We’re doing very well,” Donald Trump said, speaking at the White House, seated next to visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

“They have no navy; it’s been knocked out. They have no air force; it’s been knocked out. They have no air detection — that’s been knocked out,” he said.

Trump acknowledged that Iran was still “lobbing” missiles at its Gulf neighbours, but said that the US was striking Iranian launch facilities.

Blasts over Dubai were ‘successful’ interceptions: Media office

The Dubai Media Office says explosions heard in the area are from “successful air defence interceptions”.

“The competent authorities in Dubai confirm that the sounds heard in various areas of the Dubai Emirate are the result of successful interceptions by air defences,” it said in a statement.

“The relevant teams continue to monitor the situation and take necessary measures to ensure everyone’s safety, and they urge the public to obtain information from its official sources.”

Trump says someone within Iran better to lead after US-Israel war

US President Donald Trump has said that he leans towards someone within Iran, rather than Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah, as the prospective leader of the the country once the US-Israel war on Iran has ended.

“He [Pahlavi] seems like a very nice person. But it seems to me that someone from within might be better” to take over, Trump told reporters as he met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House.

He also said that the worst-case scenario in his attack on Iran would be a new leadership not different from the current one that the US is fighting.

“I guess the worst case would be, we do this, and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person, right?” said Trump.

“That could happen. We don’t want that to happen.”

This is clearly about regime change by military force, which is a violation of the UN Charter.

‘I might have forced Israel’s hand’ on attacking Iran: Trump

Asked if Israel might have “forced” his hand on attacking Iran, Trump responded, “No, actually, I might have forced their hand.”

He said that the direction in which negotiations mediated by Oman were going convinced him that Iran was going to attack the US, even though US intelligence itself had said that there was no imminent threat from Iran.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said that the US attacked Iran because it knew Israel was about to bomb that country, and because the Trump administration believed that Iran would then strike US facilities in the region.

The war is the resumption of the 12-day war on Iran in June 2025. During that war, Netanyahu called on the US for help in the assassination of the Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei. In the six months following that war, the Israeli Mossad and the CIA prepared the assassination. On December 17, 2025. Netanyahu offered Trump attack plans during his visit to Washington.

In February 2026, and during talks at Oman's diplomatic mission in Geneva to avoid a war, Jared Kushner told his father-in-law, the US president Donald Trump, that Iran was going to attack.

Trump declared war on Iran while Netanyahu was already going to assassinate Khamenei.

US ‘publicly acknowledging’ it was ‘entrapped by the Israelis’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested that Israeli plans to attack Iran determined the timing of the US strikes that initiated the war.

Rubio said Washington was aware Israel was going to attack Iran, and Tehran would retaliate against US interests in the region, so US forces struck pre-emptively.

“What he’s basically publicly acknowledging would be that the United States was entrapped by the Israelis,” Kelly Grieco, senior fellow at the Stimson Center, said of Rubio’s comments.

She added the United States has “enormous sources of leverage when it comes to Israel”, referring to the billions of dollars in military aid that Washington gives to Israel annually.

“The notion that the Israelis were going to do it anyway, and so we had to do it as well – if that’s the case, then there’s a really serious conversation to be had here in the United States about US and Israeli interests, and where those are aligned and where they diverge,” Grieco said.

See previous comment.

Trump says US will cut all trade with Spain

President Trump ⁠says the United States plans ⁠cut off all trade with Spain after ⁠the European country refused to let the US military use its bases ‌for missions linked to strikes on Iran.

He also chastised the United Kingdom for similar decisions.

“Spain has been terrible,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with German ⁠Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The president ⁠added he told US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut ⁠off all dealings” with Spain.

“We’re going ⁠to cut ⁠off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to ‌do with Spain,” said Trump.

Oman calls for immediate ceasefire, says ‘off ramps available’

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi says off-ramps are still “available” to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East.

“Oman reaffirms its call for an immediate ceasefire and a return to responsible regional diplomacy. There are off ramps available. Let’s use them,” the top diplomat said.

Russian FM urges de-escalation in call with Iranian counterpart

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has urged de-escalation in the Middle East war in a call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, according to Moscow’s Foreign Ministry.

Lavrov “confirmed a fundamental position in favor of de-escalating the situation and rejecting the use of force”, the ministry said.

It said Lavrov also stressed the need to “ensure the safety of the civilian population and civil infrastructure in all countries of the region”.

Merz: Iran war hurting economies; hopes it ends ‘as soon as possible’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz voiced support for the US-Israeli war on Iran but said he hopes it ends soon because the attack is hurting the global economy.

“This is, of course, damaging our economies,” Merz told reporters as he met US President Trump at the White House.

“This is true for the oil prices and this is true for the gas prices as well. So that’s the reason why we all hope that this war will come to an end as soon as possible.”

What did Trump say during visit German Chancellor's visit?

• Asked whether Israel “forced” his hand on attacking Iran, Trump responded, “No, actually, I might have forced their hand.”
• He said the direction in which negotiations mediated by Oman were going convinced him that Iran was going to attack the US, even though US intelligence itself said there was no imminent threat.
• Trump also spoke about Reza Pahlavi – the son of the late shah, who has presented himself as an opposition figure ready to lead the country in a transition towards democracy should the Islamic Republic collapse.
• The US president, however, brushed Pahlavi off, saying someone from within the country would be a better fit.
• Trump said he expects oil prices to drop ‌as soon as his administration’s military operations in Iran end.
• He said war with Iran unfolded “very ‌quickly” when asked why Washington did not have an ⁠evacuation plan for ⁠US embassies and to ⁠get US ⁠citizens ⁠out of harm’s way.

President Zelenskyy holds talks with Qatar, UAE leaders

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed Iranian strikes with United ⁠Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad ⁠Al Thani.

Ukraine has great expertise in countering drones and missiles, honed over four years facing waves of Russian attacks.

“We discussed how we can help in ‌this situation and support the protection of lives. It was agreed that our teams will work on this,” Zelenskyy said after a call with the UAE leader.

After ⁠the call with Sheikh Tamin, Zelenskyy ⁠added that the Ukrainian and Qatari teams will remain in contact to “determine how we can jointly provide greater protection to ⁠people”.

Kyiv officials say Ukraine is ready to ⁠send drone specialists to the Middle ⁠East to help down Iranian drones if its partners help to broker a ceasefire in its war with Russia.

US securing military, charter flights for Middle East evacuations

The ⁠United ⁠States is securing military and charter flights to ⁠evacuate Americans from the Middle East, ⁠an unnamed US State Department official says.

The government is in contact with nearly 3,000 US citizens abroad.

In Israel, US officials are in contact with ⁠about 500 Americans seeking ⁠to leave, the department said in a separate statement. ⁠More than 130 citizens ⁠have left ⁠already and another 100 more are expected to depart on ‌Tuesday.

Kuwait condemns Iranian attack on US embassy in strongest terms

Kuwait has condemned in the “strongest terms” an Iranian attack targeting the US embassy in the country.

In a statement on X, the Kuwaiti cabinet affirmed “full solidarity” with countries that have also been targeted by Iran and “support them in the measures they take to preserve their sovereignty”.

A “limited fire” broke out earlier at the US embassy in the Saudi capital of Riyadh after it was hit by two drones.

UAE extends remote learning until Friday

The UAE has announced that remote learning will continue until Friday, March 6.

This measure will apply to “students, educational and administrative staff in all public and private schools and universities nationwide”, the country’s Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research said in a statement shared on social media.

Trump brushes off surge in petrol prices during Iran attack

The US president says he can live with higher oil prices for a period of time because it’s more important to remove what ⁠he said was “an imminent threat” from Iran.

Petrol prices in ⁠the United States have jumped as a result of uncertainty about oil supplies, with the conflict showing no signs of ending soon.

Trump described the war effort as successful so far against many Iranian naval and air targets. “Just about everything has been knocked out,” he said.

Iran ‌has responded to the attack by firing missiles and drones at neighbouring Arab states and strangling shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for energy trade.

But Trump predicted Tehran will eventually lose its capability ‌to ‌continue lobbing missiles because of a sustained assault. “They’ve shot a lot of them, and we’re knocking out a lot,” he said.

UN condemns impact of US-Israel war on children across Middle East

The United Nations has condemned the violence inflicted on children during the war in the Middle East, which has seen the US and Israel launch attacks on Iran’s military and civilian infrastructure.

“The military operations in Iran and across the region are devastating and present a serious threat to children,” said the UN in a post.

“Civilians, schools and hospitals must not be attacked. Every child has a right to live free from fear.”

Iran held a mass funeral on Tuesday for 165 schoolgirls and staff killed in what it described as a US-Israeli attack on a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab.

It was the deadliest incident in the campaign against Tehran so far.

Trump’s latest justification for attacking Iran

Kimberly Halkett said that Trump’s comments on the war in Iran are significant.

“This is the first time that reporters have had the opportunity to question the president, who has been, throughout the last 72 hours, giving various different arguments as to why the US combined with Israel has attacked Iran.

And the top question was whether or not Israel had forced the US’s hand.

The reason this question is being asking is because Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Monday, said that the US took preemptive military action to avoid Iran retaliation after the US anticipated that Israel was going to strike Iran.

But that’s not what Trump just said in the Oval Office. Instead, he said the US believed that Iran was in one month of a nuclear weapon, and he said that he believed they were getting ready to attack Israel. That’s why he said the US attacked first, and he now says they are being decimated.

So this is going to have a tremendous place in the US because … the US president doesn’t have the power to declare war unless there is a threat to the US. The US president has not offered any evidence of that, instead saying he anticipated Israel was going to be hit and that’s why he took military action.”

".. after the US anticipated that Israel was going to strike Iran."

The US did not anticipate after Netanyahu was going to strike Iran but joined after Netanyahu's phone call in which he promised Trump that the war would bring the Iranian regime to a collapse. Trump declared war on Iran after that phone call.

Spain baulks at Trump’s threat to cut off all trade over bases

The Spanish government has responded to US President Donald Trump’s threat to cut off all trade with Spain after Madrid refused to let the US military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.

“We have the necessary resources to contain the possible impact of the trade embargo by the US,” it said in a statement. “The US must comply with international law and bilateral EU-US trade agreements.”

France sends aircraft carrier to Mediterranean, Macron says

French President Emmanuel Macron says France deployed in the recent hours Rafale fighter jets, anti-air systems and air radars for the purpose of intercepting missiles and drones.

He also confirmed Paris is sending its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle – the flagship of the French navy – towards the Mediterranean.

He stressed France has defense agreements with Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Jordan and Iraq and it “will show solidary”.

Macron touched upon the situation in Lebanon, where fighting between Hezbollah and Israel has resumed. He condemned the group’s attack on Israel as a “big mistake” and warned Israel against a land incursion into its northern neighbor.

No easy way out for tens of thousands looking to flee the Gulf

Tens of ⁠thousands of people are stranded across the Gulf with few options for leaving a region suddenly engulfed by war.

Airspace remains closed in Qatar, where 8,000 travellers who had been in transit became marooned following the start of US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Only a limited number of flights were allowed to depart the United ⁠Arab Emirates starting from Monday, leaving tourists and some expatriates scrambling for a way out as Iran launched strikes across the Gulf.

Dubai and neighbouring Doha sit at the crossroads of east-west air travel, funnelling long-haul traffic between Europe and Asia and handling tens of thousands of passengers every day.

 

Most advanced weaponry still on the shelf, says Iran

Iran is ready for a long war against the United States and Israel and has so far not fired its most advanced weapons, its Defense Ministry says.

“We have the capacity to resist and to continue an offensive defense longer than what [the enemy] has planned for this imposed war,” ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.

“We do not intend to deploy all our advanced weapons and equipment in the first days,” he added.

US consulate in Dubai reportedly attacked

Smoke is seen rising from an area near the American consulate in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, the Reuters news agency reports, citing witness accounts.

Earlier, the US embassy was attacked in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh. Damage was reported, but no casualties.

Iran continues to target US interests in the Middle East after Israel and the United States launched deadly attacks on Saturday.

Video shows smoke from near US consulate in Dubai

Video on social media shows smoke rising from the vicinity of the US consulate in Dubai following reports of an Iranian attack.

Dubai says no casualties reported in ‘drone-related incident’ near US consulate

The Dubai media office says no injuries have been reported following a “drone-related incident” around the US consulate.

“Dubai authorities have confirmed that a fire resulting from a drone-related incident near the US Consulate has been successfully contained,” the media office said in a social media post.

“Emergency teams responded immediately. No injuries have been reported.”

Virgin Atlantic to resume London-Dubai flights

Virgin Atlantic says it plans to operate flights as scheduled between London Heathrow Airport and Dubai as airspace in the Middle East reopened to limited operations on Monday.

The airline’s statement comes after it also announced the resumption of its services between London ⁠Heathrow ⁠and Riyadh.

More than 44,000 travelers in the UAE to be repatriated

Tens of thousands of travelers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be repatriated in successive phases, the country’s Economy and Tourism Minister Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri says.

The first phase includes 17,498 passengers on 60 flights operated by national carriers. The second phase is set to enable more than 27,000 passengers to travel on 80 flights per day.

Nearly 9,000 Americans evacuated from Middle East: Rubio

About 9,000 Americans have evacuated the ⁠Middle East ⁠since the ⁠start of joint ⁠US-Israeli strikes ⁠on Iran, US Secretary of ⁠State Marco Rubio says.

All US personnel were accounted for after a ⁠drone struck a ⁠parking lot ⁠adjacent to ⁠the ⁠US consulate in Dubai, Rubio added.

About 1,600 US citizens are currently requesting assistance in the region, he said.

Turkish FM says Iran regime change would bring ‘risks for the region’

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says the US should limit its attacks on Iran to degrading its military capabilities, as forcing regime change would cause “risks” for the entire Middle East.

Attacking military targets and regime change were the two main options for the war, Fidan said in a televised interview with state-run TRT HABER.

“Moving toward the second [regime change] means introducing very different scenarios and risks for the region,” he said.

Turkey says Iran’s indiscriminate bombing is ‘wrong strategy’

Iran’s indiscriminate retaliatory attacks on targets across the Gulf states are the “wrong strategy”, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says in a televised interview with state-run TRT HABER television.

“Iran’s bombing of Arab countries without making any distinction – Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan — all of them — is, in my opinion, an incredibly wrong strategy,” said Fidan.

“It significantly increases the risk in the region. But from Iran’s own perspective as well, it is an extremely mistaken strategy.”

Internet outage in Iran nears 4th consecutive day

According to the digital monitoring group NetBlocks, Iran has been offline for more than 84 hours.

Foreign Ministry calls on Qataris overseas to register via app

Qatar has called on its citizens outside the country to register with the Foreign Ministry through an application to facilitate communication in case of emergency.

Sirens sound for third time in Jordan’s Aqaba

Sirens have gone off for a third time in the Jordanian port city of Aqaba, which is located opposite the Israeli port city of Eilat.

This comes a few hours after Jordan announced the reopening of its airspace to civilian aviation traffic.

Macron says Iran bears ‘primary responsibility’ for situation

The French president says the US and Israel violated international law when they launched an unprovoked attack on Iran over the weekend, but Tehran bears “primary responsibility” for the situation.

“The United States of America and Israel decided to launch military operations conducted outside international law, which we cannot approve of,” said Emmanuel Macron.

He nonetheless stated that Iran’s “dangerous” nuclear program, support for regional proxy groups, and shooting “its own people” means it “bears primary responsibility” for the confrontation.

The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency has said there’s no evidence Iran is making a nuclear bomb.

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IAEA chief says no evidence Iran building nuclear bomb

Rafael Grossi says there’s no evidence Iran is building a nuclear bomb, but he notes that the country’s refusal to grant International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors full access to facilities is a matter of “serious concern”.

“I have been very clear and consistent in my reports on Iran’s nuclear program: while there has been no evidence of Iran building a nuclear bomb, its large stockpile of near-weapons grade enriched uranium and refusal to grant my inspectors full access are cause for serious concern,” Grossi said in a social media post.

“For these reasons, my previous reports indicate that unless and until Iran assists the IAEA in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues, the Agency will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.”

Qatar says ballistic missile struck Al Udeid airbase, no casualties reported

Qatar says it was targeted by two ballistic missiles launched from Iran, one of which was intercepted, while another hit the Al Udeid airbase, which hosts US forces.

The Defense Ministry announcement comes after a series of blasts were heard near the capital, Doha, several hours ago.

“Our armed forces possess full capabilities to protect and preserve the sovereignty of the state and its territory, and to firmly confront any threat,” it said in a statement.

Qatar arrests two cells working for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard

Qatar’s security agencies have arrested two cells of operatives associated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the Qatar News Agency reports.

These are the first known arrests of the kind in Qatar since Israel and the US launched their bombing campaign against Iran on Saturday, and since Iran responded by attacking its Gulf neighbours with missiles and drones.

UAE says it was targeted by 1,000 attacks from Iran

The United Arab Emirates says it sustained more than 1,000 attacks launched by Iran, exceeding the combined total of strikes suffered by all other targeted Gulf countries.

The UAE has not made a decision to change its defensive posture during Iran’s attacks, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that the country reserves the “right to defend itself”.

The UAE also said it has not participated in the US-Israeli war on Iran or permitted the use of its territory, territorial waters, or airspace in any attack.

Bahrain ‘successfully’ intercepted 74 missiles, 92 drones since Saturday

The Gulf kingdom has successfully destroyed 74 missiles and 92 drones since Iran began launching attacks on targets throughout the Middle East, Bahrain’s military says.

It didn’t give a figure for failed interceptions.

“The General Command states that the use of ballistic missiles and drones to target civilian infrastructure and private property constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the Charter of the United Nations, particularly the principles of distinction and proportionality,” an update shared on social media reads.

“These indiscriminate and heinous attacks represent a direct threat to regional peace and security.”

Trump says US military to escort ships through besieged Gulf

President Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the US Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible”.

“No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD,” he added. “The United States’ ECONOMIC and MILITARY MIGHT is the GREATEST ON EARTH — More actions to come.”

The price of oil has shot up by more than 15 percent since the US and Israel began strikes on Tehran three days ago.

Costs are expected to rise even higher as oil supplies decrease as a result of Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as attacks on energy installations throughout the Gulf.

Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia ‘completely unacceptable’: UK

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has slammed the Iranian attacks on the Saudi capital, Riyadh, after the US Embassy was hit earlier.

“Iranian strikes on Riyadh, including on the US embassy, are completely unacceptable. We condemn these reckless and destabilizing attacks that target innocent civilians,” Cooper said on social media.

“We stand with Saudi Arabia and our other partners across the region in the face of these attacks.”

Marco Rubio pushes back against criticism over US rational for war

The secretary of state insists President Trump made the decision to attack Iran because he was presented with what he called “a unique opportunity” for the mission to be successful.

“The president is determined we were not going to get hit first. It’s that simple,” Rubio said ahead of a closed-door briefing for lawmakers.

Rubio was revisiting his remarks from a day earlier, which have generated fierce blowback. At the time, he said Trump believed Israel was determined to act and wanted the US to go first with a preemptive strike on Iran to prevent retaliation on US bases in the region.

“We are not going to put American troops in harm’s way,” he said.

Amid the administration’s shifting reasons for the war with Iran, Rubio also returned to Trump’s initial rationale. “There is no way in the world that this terroristic regime was going to get nuclear weapons, not under Donald Trump’s watch,” said Rubio.

Middle East war ‘increasingly daunting’ for civilians: UN

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has warned about the impact the war in the Middle East is having on civilians in nearly a dozen countries.

“First, civilians are paying the price across the region. Civilians must be protected – full stop. Yet, strikes are hitting homes, hospitals, and schools,” Fletcher said.

“Civilians and civilian infrastructure have been under attack in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and beyond.”

Fletcher added that while contingency plans across Iran and other nearby countries have been activated, the already limited presence of international organisations in Iran has made aid workers’ challenges much greater.

Saudi cabinet says country will take necessary measures to defend itself

Saudi Arabia has affirmed that it will take all necessary measures to defend the country’s security, territory, citizens, and residents, according to a state news agency citing a cabinet statement.

The statement comes amid a barrage of Iranian strikes against targets within the kingdom, including an Iranian attack on the US embassy in Riyadh.

Canada requests use of Oman’s airspace to evacuate citizens

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand says she has asked her Omani counterpart, Badr al-Busaidi, to use Oman’s airspace “if necessary” to evacuate Canadians from the Gulf region.

“Our top priority right now is the 100,000 Canadians that are in the region,” Anand said during an event in Toronto.

Anand said she was speaking with her counterparts from Gulf nations and the wider Middle East, and affirmed that Ottawa is “making sure that there are possibilities for Canadians” to receive the support they need in those countries.

However, Anand’s office said she is urging Canadians to leave the region by their own means, and there is no current plan for Ottawa to coordinate evacuations.

US embassy in Riyadh urges citizens against travelling to Saudi Arabia

The US embassy in Riyadh has raised it travel warning to “level three,” urging citizens to reconsider traveling to Saudi Arabia “due to risk of armed conflict, terrorism, exit bans and local laws regarding social media activity”.

It also warned against traveling to the border with Yemen.