• United States President Donald Trump has promised to avenge the three American soldiers killed in Iranian attacks, and warns that more casualties could come.
• Trump has urged Iranians to rise up and topple the Islamic Republic, a day after a joint US-Israeli attack killed the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and up to 40 security officials.
• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he has accepted a request from the US to use his country’s military bases for “defensive” strikes against Iran.
• Countries in the Gulf have pledged to defend themselves against Iranian attacks, including by “responding to the aggression”, as Tehran continues to attack US assets in the region.
• Iran’s retaliatory strikes have hit Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with attacks reported on airports, residential buildings and hotels.

Trump threatens Iran with unprecedented force as US confirms military deaths

US President Donald Trump has ⁠warned that combat ⁠operations against Iran will continue until “all objectives are achieved”.

He also confirmed in a video posted on ⁠Truth Social that ⁠three US troops were ⁠killed and ⁠said ⁠there would likely be more American casualties.

“We have three, but we expect casualties. But in the end, it’s going to be a great deal for the world,” Trump told NBC News after the Pentagon announced that three unidentified US service members were killed and five were seriously wounded.

Trump said the operation, which has killed Iran’s supreme leader and dozens of other top government and military figures, is “ahead of schedule”.

Australia says no plans to join attacks against Iran

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the country’s Nine News on Monday that Canberra has no plans to join the US-Israel military campaign against Iran.

“We didn’t participate in these strikes, and we wouldn’t anticipate participating in the future,” Wong said.

Australia has had a tense relationship with Iran. In 2025, it expelled the Iranian ambassador to Canberra after accusing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard of orchestrating anti-Jewish arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne – allegations that Tehran rejected.

In the past, Australia has been part of US-led military campaigns, including in Iraq in 2003.

Iranian attack sets off fire near Bahrain’s Mina Salman Port

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior says “the Iranian aggression” has targeted a maritime facility near the Mina Salman port in Manama.

It said civil defense forces are “initiating its procedures to control the fire”.

Footage of the incident shows firefighters trying to put out flames as huge columns of smoke billow from the site.

There hasn’t been much clarity about exactly what will lead to the end of this particular operation.

The US president has just arrived back at the White House. He emerged from the helicopter, didn’t speak to the media, and went straight inside.

The White House said that there aren’t any plans to stage a formal delivery to the American people, but we do understand that the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, the director of the CIA, and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff will be briefing members of Congress on Tuesday.

Democrats have already pointed out the fact that the deaths of US soldiers announced earlier today is a consequence of Trump’s actions; a consequence, they argue, of his not involving Congress in the decision to start this conflict.

There will also be senior members of his MAGA movement – who have always been incredibly loyal – who may be pointing fingers and saying that ‘you were the president who said you didn’t want soldiers dying in foreign countries, and yet you are the president who has now done that’.

Bahrain says 1 dead in fire from debris of intercepted missile

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry says that falling debris from an intercepted missile caused a fire on a “foreign ship” in the Salman industrial zone.

“The fire resulted in the death of an Asian worker and serious injuries to two others,” it said in a statement.

“The fire has been brought under control and extinguished.”

Kuwait shoots down a ‘number of hostile aerial targets’

The Kuwaiti Army says its air defences have “confronted and intercepted” a “number of hostile aerial targets at dawn today” in the central parts of the country.

Death toll from Israeli attack on Iran girls’ school rises to ‘about 180’

Hossein Kermanpour, the head of public relations at Iran’s Health Ministry, says the Israeli attack on the girls’ school in Minab on Sunday has killed “about 180 young children”.

He added that the “same type” of missile was used to attack the Gandhi Hospital in Tehran hours ago.

The attack was carried out by the United States.

US, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE issue joint statement

The seven countries say they strongly condemn Iran’s “indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks” across the Middle East.

They said these “unjustified strikes” have “targeted sovereign territory, endangered civilian populations, and damaged civilian infrastructure”.

Tehran’s actions represent a dangerous escalation that threatens regional stability, the countries said, adding that they stand united in the defense of their citizens.

They also firmly reaffirmed their right to self-defense.

• Trump joined Netanyahu's resumption of the war on Iran that the Israeli started in June 2025, and vowed in December of that year to resume in 2026.
• Trump declared war on Iran making the United States an attacking belligerent. Netanyahu couldn't because the Israelis have been a war belligerent since they never lifted their declaration of war of 1967.
• The mentioned Arab countries are hosting US troops, materiel, and warplanes, and allow their guest to attack Iran from their soil. They are also accomplice in US violations of core rules of the UN Charter by allowing the US, which is facilitating. This makes them co-belligerent therefore responsible under states' responsibility laws for their guest's war on Iran.

Japan’s Itochu says fuel shipments from Gulf impacted by attacks on Iran

Japanese ⁠trading house Itochu has said it is experiencing “some impact” on shipments ⁠of its crude oil and petroleum products from ‌the Gulf, according to the Reuters news agency.

It said this was because several ports there have been affected by fallout from the US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

Itochu ⁠said it will respond ⁠by sourcing supplies from regions outside the ‌Middle East.

About 20 to 30 percent of global seaborne oil shipments travel through the Strait of Hormuz, which separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula.

Pentagon chief to hold news conference on Monday

The 8am local time (13:00 GMT) news conference by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will be the first time a top Trump official has faced the media since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Saturday.

Hegseth is set to appear alongside Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman John Caine. The Pentagon said the officials will discuss the attacks on Iran, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury”.

Trump has given several interviews since the strikes, and released two video speeches, but has not held a news conference.

Iran’s Araghchi calls for ‘immediate, concrete, and effective measures’ from UN

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council decrying the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in US and Israeli strikes.

The letter decried Khamenei’s killing as a “cowardly act of terror” and a “dangerous and unprecedented escalation that strikes at the most fundamental norms of statehood and civilized conduct among nations”.

“Such conduct does not merely violate established principles of international law; it recklessly opens a dangerous Pandora’s box, eroding the bedrock of sovereign equality and the stability of the international system,” he said.

Araghchi said Iran “solemnly calls upon the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Security Council to discharge their Charter-mandated responsibilities for the maintenance of international peace and security and take immediate, concrete, and effective measures to ensure the full accountability of the United States and the Israeli regime for the aforementioned atrocious terrorist act”.

UK reports suspected drone strike on military base in Cyprus

The UK’s Ministry of Defense has said that a suspected drone has hit its military base at Akrotiri in Cyprus.

It said there were no casualties and that the strike occurred at around midnight.

The base at Akrotiri is the UK’s main military facility for its operations in the Middle East, and the raid comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his country had agreed to a US request to use the UK’s bases for attacks on Iran.

Cyprus says drone attack on UK airbase caused ‘limited damage’

The government of Cyprus is now confirming that the attack involved an unmanned drone and said it “caused limited damage” on the UK’s Akrotiri base.

Konstantinos Letymbiotis, a spokesman for the Cypriot government, said authorities there are closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the UK.

UK RAF base in Cyprus hit by Shahed drone; minor damage caused: Cypriot president

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said that the overnight attack on the UK’s RAF Akrotiri base was caused ⁠by an unmanned Shahed drone, which caused ⁠minor material damage.

“I want to ‌be clear: Our country does not participate in any way and does not intend to be part ⁠of any military ⁠operation,” Christodoulides said in a statement, adding he was ‌in constant contact with European leaders and ‌others over ‌developments.

EU chief vows to stand firm with Cyprus after drone attack

The president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, says she has spoken with the government of Cyprus about the attack on the UK military base at Akrotiri.

“While the Republic of Cyprus was not the target, let me be clear: we stand collectively, firmly and unequivocally with our Member States in the face of any threat,” she wrote.

Drone hit runway on UK base in Cyprus: Foreign secretary

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper says a drone that struck a UK military base in Cyprus hit the runway.

“We’re not able to provide further information and detail at this point, but obviously all of the precautionary measures are being taken around the base,” Cooper told the Sky News broadcaster.

US has not requested use of Cyprus military base, UK says

The US had not asked to use ‌a UK military base in Cyprus, where a drone ⁠strike hit a ⁠runway overnight, ⁠British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has told Times Radio.

She added ⁠that the ⁠Royal ⁠Air Force base at Akrotiri remained operational.

Iranian commander vows to bomb Cyprus to force US aircraft to leave

Brigadier General Ibrahim Jabari, a commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been quoted by the Tasnim news agency as saying that Iran plans to launch missiles at Cyprus.

“The Americans have moved most of their aircraft to Cyprus, and we will launch several missiles at Cyprus to force them to leave from there as well,” he said, according to the report.

Drones targeting UK base in Cyprus launched from Lebanon: Report

An unnamed Cypriot government source says Iranian-made drones that targeted Akrotiri, a UK military base in Cyprus, were launched from Lebanon, probably by Hezbollah.

The AFP news agency quoted the source as saying that “it has been confirmed” that the drones, one of which struck a runway, set off from Lebanon. When asked if the Iran-backed group launched them, they replied, “Most likely”.

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

In addition to the military facilities, it houses families of serving personnel.

Trump slams UK for delayed permission to use Diego Garcia base for Iran attacks

US President Donald Trump says it took “far too much time” for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to change his mind after initially refusing to allow the use of the UK-US Diego Garcia base to target Iran.

Starmer announced late on Sunday that US forces would be allowed to operate from UK bases against Iran, but only in a limited role targeting missile sites.

Trump highlighted the issues around Diego Garcia, in the Chagos Islands, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

“That’s probably never happened between our countries before,” he said, adding, “It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”

More US lawmakers to join effort to curb Trump’s authority to attack Iran

US Senator Adam Schiff has said he will join other lawmakers in forcing a vote on a war powers resolution that would curb Trump’s authority to strike Iran.

“Congress holds the power to declare war – not the President,” Schiff said in a post on X.

“I will be joining Senators @SenTimKaine, @SenRandPaul and @SenSchumer in forcing a vote on our war powers resolution to make it clear: Congress has not authorized this use of our military.”

Such a resolution, if passed by the US House of Representatives and the US Senate, would require the president to seek congressional approval for future strikes.

But Trump could veto such a resolution, unless it has two-thirds support in both chambers of Congress, a likely unreachable barrier.

Under the US Constitution, only Congress can declare war.

Poll suggests only quarter of Americans support attacks on Iran

A Reuters Ipsos poll has found only that one in four respondents approve of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Some 43 percent of respondents said they disapproved of the war, and another 29 percent said they were unsure.

Approval among Republicans was stronger, but not resounding, with 55 percent saying they approved of the US-Israeli strikes,13 percent disapproved, and 32 percent were unsure.

Most significantly, about 42 percent of Republicans said they would be less likely to support the operation if it led to “US troops in the Middle East being killed or injured”.

Qatar changes strategy on Iranian attacks

Qatar has shifted away from its initial phase.

Doha activated Patriot defense systems to intercept Iranian missiles and drones. But if you intercept these projectiles, there are risks from falling debris.

Qatar Defense Ministry is saying that they are deploying fighter jets to shift from intercepting missiles over the city of Doha to shooting them down over the waters of the Gulf.

But people in central Doha are reporting that they haven’t heard any explosions. In fact, the explosions seem a bit distant now and far away, compared to the situation on Saturday.

Oil prices soar, stock markets fall amid regional conflict

Crude oil prices have risen sharply, while stocks are down, as investors weigh the fallout of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Brent crude rose as much as 13 percent in Asia on Monday morning before stabilising later in the day, with the international benchmark up by about 5 percent, at $76.48 per barrel, as of midday Tokyo time.

Asian stock markets opened lower, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index and Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 down about 2 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively.

In the US, stock futures, which are traded outside of regular market hours, racked up significant losses, signalling a choppy day ahead on Wall Street.

Futures tracking the benchmark S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite were both down about 0.7 percent.

 

Iranian-American lawmaker questions Trump’s intentions

Yassamin Ansari, one of two members of the US Congress with Iranian heritage, has expressed concern about President Trump’s plans for Iran.

Writing on social media, Ansari, a Democrat who represents a district in Arizona, said she does not believe that Trump has “good intentions or a plan” for the future of the country.

“This belief is rooted in the fact that Donald Trump has demonstrated a lack of good intentions or a plan as it pertains to the future of the United States. I genuinely hope I’m wrong,” Ansari, whose parents fled Iran in the wake of the 1979 Islamic revolution, said on X.

“90 million Iranians deserve a better future, and American lives are at stake.”

Iran’s leaders ‘fears surrender far more’ than war

Trita Parsi, the cofounder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, says he believes the US and Israel’s strategy in Iran was to kill as many senior leaders as possible until someone accepted a surrender.

But he said this was a miscalculation.

Trump thought that by bringing aircraft carriers into the Gulf, “this would scare the Iranians enough in order to get them to surrender, not understanding that this particular theocracy fears surrender far more than it fears war”, Parsi said.

This is because the Iranian government believes it can survive a war, but it will not be able to survive a surrender.

To find someone willing to capitulate “would essentially necessitate, not just taking out layers and layers of leadership, but really destroying the country as a whole”, he said.

“And the Trump administration does not know how long that would take, even if it’s achievable. And during that time, the Iranian strategy is to inflict as much damage as possible on the United States, on US troops, on the global economy, on neighbouring states, on global markets, in order to make this simply too costly for Trump to even try this.”

Kuwait successfully intercepts ‘hostile’ drones, state media says

Kuwaiti air defences successfully intercepted a “majority” of drones that approached the capital in the early hours of Monday morning, according to state media.

Brigadier General Mohammad Al-Mansouri said Kuwait Air Defence Force personnel neutralised the drones as they approached the areas of Salwa and Hawally, in the vicinity of Kuwait City, at dawn, the Kuwait News Agency reported.

Al-Mansouri said there were no injuries and the “situation in the country remains stable,” according to the news agency.

Al-Mansouri did not attribute the drone attacks to a particular country, but Iran has launched a wave of missiles and drones at US allies in the Gulf, including the UAE and Bahrain, in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks.

The Kuwaiti Army had earlier said that its air defences intercepted a “number of hostile aerial targets”.

 

‘We will not negotiate with the US,’ Larijani says

Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, has refuted US media claims that he had made a fresh push to resume nuclear talks with Washington.

“We will not negotiate with the United States,” he wrote in a post on X.

The statement came after The Wall Street Journal claimed Larijani made the push through Omani mediators after Khamenei’s killing.

Loud bangs heard in Doha

About half a dozen loud bangs have been heard in Qatar’s capital, indicating that the Iranian attacks continue.

Pentagon tells Congress no sign Iran planned to attack US first, report says

Trump administration officials have told the US Congress that there were no signs that Iran planned to attack the US before the US-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Reuters has reported.

In closed-door briefings, Pentagon officials told congressional staff that Iran’s ballistic missiles and proxy forces posed an imminent threat to US interests, but they acknowledged that there was no intelligence suggesting that Tehran planned to attack US forces first, according to the news agency, which cited two people familiar with the matter.

The report casts doubt on earlier claims by Trump administration officials that there were indications that Tehran could “preemptively” attack US forces.

"there were no signs that Iran planned to attack the US before the US-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei"

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.

Netanyahu started the war while there where still negotiation between Iran and the US.

Sirens blare in Kuwait

Sirens blared at least for the third time the alarms in the country in recent hours. Kuwaiti authorities reported earlier that the country’s air defences successfully intercepted a “majority” of drones that had approached the capital today.

Trump has turned ‘America First’ to ‘Israel First’, Larijani says

More from the top Iranian security official.

He said in a post on X that Trump has plunged the Middle East into chaos with his “delusional fantasies and now fears more American casualties”.

“He turned his self-made ‘America First’ slogan into ‘Israel First’ and sacrificed American soldiers for Israel’s power-hungry ambitions,” Larijani said.

It is American soldiers and their families who will pay the cost, he said, adding that Iran will continue to defend itself.

Reports of explosions in Abu Dhabi

Explosions have been heard in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Sirens blare in Bahrain

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior says it has activated air raid alerts and urged residents to head to the nearest safe place.

It said the Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Bridge linking Manama to nearby towns was closed and urged “residents to use main roads only when necessary”.

Rising concern over civilian deaths as US, Israel launch attacks across Iran

Reports from across the country signaling escalations ramping up and ongoing strikes.

In Sanandaj, footage showed huge explosions; also in other cities across the country, such as Bushehr, and in the southern part of Iran.

In Tehran, from midnight up until the last hour, sounds of massive explosions were heard, all indicating that the trajectory of the strikes by Israel and the US continues up to the moment.

That’s not limited only to military headquarters or political centers.

Across the city, residential areas and civilian areas are being targeted, leaving fatalities. In one of them, in Tehran’s Niloofar Square, at least 20 people were killed.

Added to that is the very disastrous footage that is coming from Minab, where an elementary school for girls was targeted, leaving more than 160 dead.

There are concerning numbers regarding the civilian deaths in other cities and places, as well.

Huge clouds of smoke seen near Iran’s Kermanshah airport

Huge clouds of smoke billowing behind buildings near the Kermanshah international airport outside the central Iranian city Kermanshah, and

Two workers injured by falling debris in Kuwait

The official Kuwait News Agency says some debris has fallen in the Mina al-Ahmadi refinery near Kuwait City, causing “minor injuries to two workers”.

Smoke seen rising from near US embassy in Kuwait: Report

A witness tells Reuters smoke was seen rising from near the US embassy in Kuwait.

Iran rejects talks after 2 rounds of US-Israel attacks

Media reports in the US suggested that Iran had asked for negotiations, but the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, has dismissed that.

He pointed out two things very clearly. He said Iran is not going to negotiate with the US, and said Iran is defending itself. He also said the country’s armed forces did not initiate this war.

This is the gist of the matter when it comes to Iran’s rhetoric over the past few days.

When asked whether Iran was going to try diplomatic engagement, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry told Al Jazeera that it had already tried diplomatic engagement twice: once with the negotiations in 2025 that were interrupted by the US-Israeli attacks, and now, very similarly, the country is again under attack while it was expecting two new rounds of negotiations with the US and the IAEA.

It is now unclear whether there is going to be a diplomatic solution to this standoff.

Two killed in US-Israeli attacks on Iran’s Sanandaj

The Iranian Fars news agency says at least two people have been killed in an “enemy attack” on the central city of Sanandaj.

It said the city was targeted by enemy missiles and that several residential buildings next to the city’s police station were destroyed.

The Tasnim news agency said US and Israeli forces dropped six missiles on different parts of the city, including densely populated neighborhoods.

Footage posted online shows the moment of one attack, with fire and huge clouds of smoke in the sky.

Dense smoke rises in Kuwait after jet crash

Videos circulating on social media show dense smoke rising in Kuwait’s al-Jahra city, 32km (19 miles) west of Kuwait City, after a fighter plane was seen crashing.

Unconfirmed reports suggest this was a US F-15.

Sirens in Jordan’s Aqaba

Sirens have been blaring in the coastal city for hours now.

Gulf states in big dilemma

When Iranian missiles slammed into Doha, Dubai and Manama over the weekend, they shattered more than glass and concrete – they were also a blow to the Gulf states’ carefully cultivated image as oases of stability, insulated from the crises and conflicts in the rest of the Middle East.

Now, countries in the region face what analysts describe as an impossible choice: strike back and risk being seen as fighting alongside Israel, or remain passive while their cities burn.

“For people and political leaders here, seeing Manama, Doha and Dubai bombed is as strange and unimaginable as seeing Charlotte, Seattle, or Miami bombed would be for Americans,” Monica Marks, a professor of Middle East politics at New York University Abu Dhabi, said.

“GCC states have seen this war coming in slow motion for weeks, if not months, and have exerted a huge amount of effort to stop it,” Marks said, referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council.

US Embassy in Kuwait warns of missile and drone threats

The US Embassy in Kuwait says there is a “continuing threat of missile and UAV attacks” over the country.

“The US Embassy in Kuwait urges US citizens in Kuwait to shelter in place, review security plans in the event of an attack, and to stay alert in case of additional future attacks,” it said in a statement.

Embassy personnel are sheltering in place, it added.

Iran’s leaders projecting calm as they navigate Khamenei’s succession

Trita Parsi, a Washington, DC-based analyst, said about the succession in Iran after Khamenei’s killing, that it was crucial for the Iranian leadership to act swiftly, but also in accordance with established rules.

“They want to show that they’re in control, that they’re not panicking, that they’re not improvising or setting aside the rules in order to expedite this,” Parsi said. “The question is whether they will go for a temporary solution of having a council rather than a supreme leader for the duration of the war, and postpone that decision. And perhaps even turning it into permanently a council.”

So far, the analyst said, Iranian leaders have taken great effort to give the impression that they are in control of that process.

Qatar Airways flights to remain suspended

The Qatari carrier says its flights remain suspended due to the ongoing closure of the country’s airspace.

It said it would resume operations as soon as Qatari authorities declare a safe reopening of the airspace.

A further update would be provided tomorrow by 9am Doha time (06:00 GMT).

UK preparing to evacuate citizens from Middle East

The United Kingdom is ⁠setting up support systems to help ⁠evacuate its citizens from the Middle East, with an estimated 300,000 people having ‌registered their presence in the region, British ⁠Foreign ⁠Secretary Yvette Cooper says.

“We are looking at a wide range of options, working, crucially with the ⁠travel industry and ⁠with government evacuation if necessary,” Cooper told the Sky News broadcaster.

The British ⁠government wanted airspace to ⁠be reopened, and it ⁠was sending rapid deployment teams to the region to ‌work with the travel industry, she said.

Chinese national killed in Iran: Foreign Ministry

China has called for a ceasefire and diplomatic talks to end the conflict in the Middle East, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning saying at least one Chinese citizen has been killed in Tehran.

“The most urgent task is a cessation of military operations and preventing a spillover of conflict,” she said, urging “a resolution through dialogue and negotiation”.

US Embassy in Bahrain advises citizens to avoid Manama hotels

The US Embassy in Bahrain has warned that “terrorist groups and those inspired by such organizations are intent on attacking US citizens abroad”.

In a statement, the embassy encouraged US citizens to avoid hotels in Manama, saying they could be targeted.

“Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Bahrain. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning,” it added.

‘Several’ US warplanes crashed in Kuwait: Defense Ministry

Kuwait’s Defense Ministry says “several” US warplanes have crashed in the country, and all the pilots have survived.

• All crew members survived.
• Kuwaiti authorities immediately initiated search and rescue operations, evacuating all crews and transporting them to hospital for medical treatment. Their condition is stable.
• Kuwaiti authorities are operating in coordination with the US.
• An investigation to determine the cause of the crash is under way.

Footage shows smoke rising from oil facility in Saudi Arabia

Footage shows large plumes of smoke rising from an oil facility in Ras Tanura city in eastern Saudi Arabia.

At least 35 people killed in southern Iran’s Fars province

At least 35 people have been killed in US-Israel attacks on southern Iran’s Fars province.

That’s according to a local official quoted by the Mehr news agency.

Amazon cloud services disrupted in Bahrain, UAE

Amazon’s AWS says its data centers in Bahrain and the UAE are experiencing power and connectivity problems amid Iran’s retaliatory strikes.

Two of AWS’s zones, which are clusters of ‌data centers, in the UAE were without power, the company said on its status page.

AWS said one zone in the UAE was affected after “objects” struck the data centre and created sparks and fire, following which power ⁠was shut off.

The cloud firm asked customers to ⁠rely on its services in other ⁠regions, adding that recovery was expected to be “multiple hours away”.

Saudi Arabia says it intercepted drones targeting oil refinery, debris sparked fire

Two drones that “attempted to attack” the Ras Tanura refinery this morning were intercepted and destroyed, the Saudi Defense Ministry has said in reports carried by the state-run SPA news agency.

A “small” fire broke out as a result of the debris falling during the interception operation, it said, adding that there were no civilian casualties.

Iran death toll surpasses 550: Red Crescent

At least 555 people have been killed in US-Israeli strikes across the country, the Iranian Red Crescent Society has said.

At least 131 Iranian counties affected by US-Israeli attacks, Red Crescent says

• So far, 131 counties have been affected by the US-Israeli attacks.
• Relief operations, led by the Red Crescent’s humanitarian mission, are continuing without interruption, with rescue teams present in the affected areas and more than 100,000 responders on full alert nationwide.
• At present, a network of about four million volunteers is on standby to deliver humanitarian services, assistance and psychosocial support.

Over 3,400 flights cancelled as Gulf countries’ airspaces remain closed

An estimated 300,000 people are currently stranded across the Gulf region, and we’ve heard the UK is reportedly sending teams to assist with evacuations.

According to flight-tracking data, more than 3,400 flights have been cancelled in the first few days of the conflict. Major international airports in the region, including Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, have suspended operations. In total, six or seven main airports across the region have been shut down.

Airspace over much of the region remains closed. This has had a major knock-on effect on global air travel, as Middle East hubs serve as critical connectors between Europe, Asia, Africa, and beyond. When these hubs shut down, the disruption spreads worldwide like a domino effect.

Social media is filled with posts from stranded passengers at Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports. Travelers report long queues to rebook flights, secure hotel vouchers, or receive assistance, with many sleeping inside terminals.

As long as the airspace remains closed and the conflict continues, thousands of passengers will remain in limbo.

Non-oil growth outlook downgraded for Bahrain, UAE: JPMorgan

JPMorgan, a leading global financial services firm in the US, has trimmed its outlook for non-oil growth across Gulf economies this year after the Iran conflict widened over the weekend, warning that further downward revisions may follow.

The Wall Street bank cut its non-oil growth forecast for the region by 0.3 percentage points overall. Bahrain and the UAE saw the largest downgrades, at 0.5 percentage points and 0.4 percentage points, respectively.

“Risks are elevated across multiple fronts and will depend heavily on the conflict’s outcomes,” JPMorgan analysts said.

The bank also said it no longer expects Turkey's central bank to cut interest rates at its March 12 meeting. It revised its end-2026 policy rate forecast to 31 percent from 30 percent and now expects inflation to reach 25 percent by then, up from a previous forecast of 24 percent.

“With Israel directly involved in the current conflict, it is probably fair to assume the Bank of Israel will not cut in March either,” JPMorgan added.

Top French diplomat suggests US-Israeli attacks on Iran lack legitimacy

French ⁠Foreign ⁠Minister Jean-Noel Barrot says Israeli ⁠and US “unilateral” attacks on Iran should ⁠have been debated in the collective bodies set up for this exact ‌purpose, such as the United Nations.

“Everyone could have taken their responsibilities, because it is only by going ⁠before the [UN] Security ⁠Council that the use of force can acquire the ⁠necessary legitimacy,” Barrot told reporters ⁠after holding ⁠a meeting at the ministry in Paris.

Barrot added that no ‌French victims had been reported at this ‌stage.

• The war is to achieve regime change by force, which violates the territorial sovereignty of Iran.
• The war is the ultimately employment of the Menachem Begin doctrine aimed to make sure that Iran has no nuclear program, which is a violation of the administrative sovereignty of Iran.
• Netanyahu and Trump are waging a war across borders.
• The war is not approved by UN Security Council thus illegal.

The war violates core rules of the UN Charter.

No sign that Iran’s nuclear sites hit, cannot reach Iranian authorities: IAEA

The ⁠International ⁠Atomic Energy Agency has no indication that Israeli ⁠and US attacks on Iran have ⁠hit any nuclear facilities, but it has not been able to reach ‌Iran’s nuclear authorities, its chief, Rafael Grossi, has told the agency’s Board of Governors.

“We have ⁠no indication that ⁠any of the nuclear installations … have been damaged ⁠or hit,” he said ⁠in a ⁠statement to the 35-nation board, adding: “Efforts to contact the Iranian ‌nuclear regulatory authorities … continue, with no response ‌so ‌far.”

Saudi Arabia temporarily closes Ras Tanura refinery after drone attack

Saudi state television says authorities have temporarily shut down the Ras Tanura refinery near Dammam following a drone attack.

As we reported earlier, the Saudi Defense Ministry said a fire broke out at the oil facility due to debris falling from two drones that were intercepted.

Iran ‘knows exactly what it’s doing’ targeting Gulf nations

Rob Geist Pinfold, lecturer in defense studies at King’s College London, has told Al Jazeera that Iran “knows exactly what it’s doing” by attacking the Gulf countries.

“It’s picking the Gulf countries because it sees them as a soft target. They’re easier to hit than Israel,” he said.

“These countries have less of an appetite for a fight, because at the end of the day, this is not their war. So, Iran is banking that they will want a ceasefire as soon as possible, that they will be pressuring the Trump administration. But we have no signs of that whatsoever so far,” he said.

Pinfold added that there seems to be a “show of force” and “of unity” coming from the Gulf states, at least rhetorically.

“They’re trying to get the message across that they are one and that they are united and that they are resilient. But under the surface, there are profound disagreements here about how to engage with Iran and whether to engage with Iran at all,” Pinfold said.

“There will be some [Gulf] states pressing for military force, but Iran knows that it has them in a bind, because if they were to get involved in the conflict, they could possibly be seen as throwing their lot into the US and Israel’s war. So, the options for nuance, which is what the core states have been pursuing all along, are decreasing here,” he said.

“They need to show that they can defend their sovereignty and that they can project their interests.”

France ‘ready’ to defend Gulf countries, Jordan against Iran

France is “ready” to defend Gulf countries and Jordan against Iran if necessary, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot says.

“To allied countries that have been deliberately targeted by the missiles and drones of the Revolutionary Guards and dragged into a war they did not choose – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Jordan – France expresses its full support and complete solidarity,” he said.

“It stands ready … to take part in their defense,” he added.

The United States is a attacking belligerent because Trump had declared war on Iran.

Gulf countries and Jordan are hosting the attacking belligerent, and if they allow their guest to attack Iran from their soil, they make themselves co-belligerent.

So, if France joins "to defend Gulf countries", Paris will then participate on the side of the attacking belligerent, making itself also a co-belligerent in the war on Iran.

Like the other co-belligerent countries, France would be held responsible under states responsibility laws.

Debris falls on Abu Dhabi warehouse, commercial facility after drones intercepted

Authorities in Abu Dhabi say they are responding to incidents of debris falling on a warehouse in ICAD and a commercial facility in the Mussafah area after air defence systems intercepted drones.

“The incident resulted in no injuries and minor building damage,” the Abu Dhabi media office said in a statement.

Iran views US presence in neighbouring countries as ‘offensive platform’

Abas Aslani, a senior research fellow at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies, said that Iran had anticipated the US-Israeli attacks and therefore had a “pre-planned operational scheme” in place, enabling it to respond swiftly.

“Iran, however, does not see the American presence in the neighbouring countries as a sovereign guest, but as an integrated offensive platform,” Aslani said.

“That’s why Iran is saying that the United States must not use the airspace or the territory of the neighbouring countries to attack them, and if Iran responds, the response would be against the US presence, the US military bases and its interests in those countries, not the neighbouring countries themselves,” he said.

On comparing the Iranian and the US military capabilities, Aslani said Iran is “forced to adopt asymmetrical methods” of response through widening its range of targets.

“This could create a potential for Iran to dilute the effectiveness of US defense systems in the region, and this can make Iran’s attacks more effective in targeting American assets and Israeli targets. So this is not intended to cause harm to the neighbouring countries, but to American assets in those countries,” he said.

“However, the longer this war goes on, the scope might grow even further.”

".. United States must not use the airspace or the territory of the neighbouring countries to attack .."

Netanyahu and Trump are waging a war across borders, which means that they are attacking Iran by crossing the airspace of other countries.  Such kind of war needs approval by UN Security Council. Netanyahu and Trump didn't submit an request for a mandate making their war illegal.

Five Iranian soldiers killed in US-Israeli attack on Khorramabad

Five soldiers have been killed in a US attack on Khorramabad city, in central-western Iran, the Tasnim news agency reported.

Iran says Natanz nuclear site hit in US-Israeli strikes

Reza Najafi, Iran’s ambassador ‌to the UN nuclear watchdog, says the country’s ⁠sprawling nuclear facility at Natanz was ⁠struck during US and ⁠Israeli military operations on Sunday.

“Again they attacked Iran’s peaceful, safeguarded ⁠nuclear facilities yesterday,” ⁠he told reporters at a ⁠meeting of the International ⁠Atomic Energy ⁠Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors.

Asked by the ‌Reuters news agency which facilities were hit, ‌he replied: “Natanz”.

Etihad Airways flights to, from Abu Dhabi suspended

Etihad Airways has announced that all flights to and from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates are suspended until 10:00 GMT on March 3.

Iran attacks targeted civilian infrastructure in Qatar, including airport: Foreign Ministry

Majed al-⁠Ansari, the spokesperson of Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, has given an interview to CNN about the latest developments in the region.

He said Qatar has intercepted Iranian attacks that targeted ⁠civilian infrastructure, ⁠including the international airport.

Al-Ansari said such attacks could ⁠not remain unanswered.

He added that ⁠Qatar was ⁠not ⁠engaging with Iran at the moment.

Cost disparity: Firing drones vs intercepting them

Analyst Rob Geist Pinfold about Iran’s drone attacks and the Gulf countries’ attempts to intercept them.

“The Shahed drones are very, very cheap and easy to produce,” Geist Pinfold, a lecturer in international security at King’s College London, said.

“It takes something exponentially more expensive to intercept them than it is to actually build and operate them. They are, by nature, suicide drones.”

From the Gulf states’ perspective, the central strategic question becomes what happens when the anti-missile stocks start to dwindle, he said.

“They will have no choice but to either pursue a ceasefire or to move from less passive to more active forms of defense.”

UKMTO says vessel in Bahrain port struck by projectiles

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says a vessel has been struck in a port in Bahrain by two unknown projectiles.

In a post on its website, the UKMTO said the impact of the projectiles caused a fire onboard.

“The fire has been extinguished, and the vessel remains in port. All members of the ship’s crew are safe and have evacuated the vessel,” it added.

Debris falls on UAE’s Ras al-Khaimah after drone intercepted

Authorities in Ras al-Khaimah say debris has fallen in the al-Hamra village area following the successful interception of a drone by air defence systems.

“No injuries were reported,” the media office said.

Jordan announces partial closure of airspace

Jordan’s Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission says the country’s airspace will be closed to all aircraft from 6pm (15:00 GMT) to 9am (06:00 GMT) daily from today until further notice.

The decision was made “in light of current regional developments and a risk assessment in accordance with international standards”, said the statement published by the commission on its website.

UK decision to allow US to use airbases ‘a major shift’

The UK government decided to allow the US to use UK airbases, following an incident in which an Iranian drone crashed into an RAF airbase in Cyprus.

Previously, the prime minister had indicated this would not happen, but he now says the US may use them for very specific and limited defensive purposes.

That could include targeting Iranian missile depots and launchers to stop further attacks on Gulf allies. The bases involved include RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, about 116km (72 miles) from London, and on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

The prime minister has spoken with his Cypriot counterpart by phone and assured him that Cyprus is not being targeted. He suggested the incident was the result of indiscriminate Iranian fire.

However, the decision to allow the US to use UK airbases signifies a major shift. The government has even published legal advice explaining why it believes the move is a legal decision under international law, which gives us a sense of how just concerned the UK is.

The real worry is whether the US will stick to the agreed terms and limit its use of the bases to defensive purposes only.

Sirens sound at UK’s Cyprus base: State media

Sirens have gone off at Britain’s Akrotiri base in Cyprus shortly after midday and hours after it was hit by a drone, Cyprus’s state TV CyBC is reporting.

In a live broadcast, CyBC said aircraft took off from the facility, located near the southern city of Limassol.

At least 1 person killed as oil tanker attacked off Oman: Maritime Security Centre

Oman’s Maritime Security Centre reports that the MKD VYOM oil tanker has been attacked by an explosives-laden boat while sailing 52 nautical miles (96km) off Muscat Governorate.

At least one crew member was killed when the attack resulted in a fire and an explosion in the engine room, according to the statement published on X.

It added that 21 other crew members were evacuated.

An Oman navy vessel is monitoring the tanker’s condition, and navigational warnings have been issued to ships in the area, it said.

Qatar says Iranian drones hit energy facilities

Qatar’s Defense Ministry says two drones have struck energy facilities in the industrial city of Ras Laffan and Mesaieed with no reported casualties.

“One drone targeted a water tank belonging to a power plant in Mesaieed, and the other targeted an energy facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, belonging to Qatar Energy,” it said.

“All damages and losses resulting from the attack will be assessed by the relevant authorities, and an official statement will be issued later,” the ministry added.

Explosions heard across Tehran: State media

Several explosions have been heard in Tehran, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

The report said “the air strike targeted an area near Revolution Square, where demonstrators were gathered in a rally condemning the aggression.”

“Iranian air defences intercepted the attack in the skies over central Tehran,” it added.

Three US fighter jets mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defence: CENTCOM

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has said three US F-15E Strike Eagles have “mistakenly been shot down” by Kuwaiti air defense on Sunday.

“All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation,” the statement published on X said.

“The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available,” it added.

Two drones heading towards UK base in Cyprus intercepted: Spokesperson

Two ⁠drones ⁠heading towards the UK’s Akrotiri base in Cyprus have been “successfully intercepted”, Cyprus ⁠government spokesperson ⁠Konstantinos ⁠Letymbiotis says on X.

Iran president names Majid Ebnelreza as acting defense minister

Iran’s president has appointed IRGC general Majid Ebnelreza as acting defense minister after his predecessor was killed in Israeli-US strikes.

“By order of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Revolutionary Guard general Majid Ebnelreza has been appointed as acting defense minister,” said the deputy for presidential communications, Mehdi Tabatabaei, on X.

IAEA chief Grossi urges resumption of diplomacy

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi says diplomacy must resume to find a durable solution to Iran’s nuclear program.

“We hope that this process, or a diplomatic process, shall resume – it must,” Grossi told reporters in Geneva.

The head of the UN nuclear agency said that a “long, durable” solution to provide a sense of predictability for Iran and neighbouring countries will have to be discussed once fighting is over.

• The US and Iran recognise that there has to be a dialogue, adding that the agency will be ready to assist if asked to.
• We have been repeatedly asking Iran since last fall if we could return, but to no avail.
• Communication with Iran is very limited, but still ongoing.

Qatar Energy halts LNG production after Iranian drone attacks

Qatar Energy, one of the world’s top natural gas producers, has announced it has halted the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and associated products.

This comes after Qatar’s Defense Ministry said, that two drones struck energy facilities in the industrial cities of Ras Laffan and Mesaieed with no reported casualties.

Emergency services building in Iran hit, staff injured: Report

The provincial emergency services building in central Tehran has suffered “serious damage” from a missile attack, a spokesperson has said, according to the Tasnim news agency.

“Several emergency workers were injured in this incident, but most of them are in good condition,” the spokesperson added, according to Tasnim.

Turkey extends most Middle East flight cancellations

Turkey has cancelled ⁠all ⁠flights to Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon until Friday ⁠over attacks in the region, while all planned ⁠flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have been cancelled until Tuesday.

However, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said that flights would resume to Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, Jeddah and ⁠Medina airports, as ⁠well as to Oman.

A Turkish Airlines and a Pegasus Airlines plane ⁠were grounded in Tehran, and personnel ⁠from the two ⁠airlines were safely brought back to Turkey, he said, adding that other personnel in Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE ‌were ‌not at risk.

Number of US service members killed since start of Iran attacks rises to 4

The US military says a fourth service member has been killed in action since the start of the operation against Iran.

The announcement came after CENTCOM announced yesterday that three soldiers had been killed and five were seriously wounded.

“The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries,” it said.

“Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,” it added.

".. killed in action .."

There is no boots on the ground of Iran. The four service people where killed during an Iranian air strike on a US base in Jordan. They are killed while on duty.

US expects ‘additional losses’ after four US soldiers killed in Iran operation: Caine

The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff says the US-Israeli operation against Iran is “not a single overnight mission”.

“We expect to take additional losses. As always, we will work to minimize US losses, but as the secretary said, this is major combat operations.”

Caine lays out objectives of US-Israel operation on Iran

The general laid out the objectives of the US-Israeli operation against Iran:

“Our mission is to protect ourselves and our regional partners, prevent Iran from the ability to project power from outside of its borders and be ready for follow-on actions as appropriate.”

Hegseth gives details on US casualties

The US defense secretary is providing further details about the US casualties during operations against Iran, saying most incoming threats had been intercepted by air defense systems.

He said that while the majority of projectiles had been shot down, one strike had penetrated defences and hit what he described as a fortified “tactical operations centre”, noting that the weapons used were “powerful”.

The US military has previously said four of its service members have been killed "in the operations."

Iran moving nuclear stockpiles would be ‘suicidal tactic’

Zeidon Alkinani, a Middle East politics lecturer at Georgetown University in Qatar, has said that the US and Israel “definitely know” where Iran’s nuclear stockpiles are, but that it does not seem that is being put at the forefront of the war.

Alkinani noted that if Iran decided to move those stockpiles, it would “be a suicidal tactic by the Iranian regime”, taking into account that Iran has been very evident in “trying to present itself as a regional player that is willing to accept international conditions to avoid facilitating uranium into a potential nuclear bomb”.

Speaking about the attacks on the oil facilities in the Gulf countries, he said that the biggest leverage that these countries can present to Iran in order “to ensure that they limit some of the geopolitical consequences they might face” is a “diplomatic element” and the fact that these countries have tried to mediate between Iran and the US in the past.

“One has to consider that Iran isn’t just a country that we’re looking at in terms of attacking US bases,” he noted, adding that Iran still has a “wide variety and array of proxy networks in the region, which includes Lebanon’s Hezbollah, some of the newer militias in Iraq, the Houthi movement, and many other armed groups”.

“This means that the war might be escalated and expanded if it continues through some of these associates. However, the actions and reactions coming from armed wings affiliated with Iran in Iraq have not indicated or reflected a strong response typically associated with Iran’s previous actions in the region,” Alkinani said.

Russia slams attacks on civilian targets

The Foreign Ministry of Russia has called for a ceasefire in the Middle East while also condemning attacks on civilian targets across the region.

“We advocate the immediate cessation of hostilities by all parties,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Any attacks on civilian targets, whether in Iran or Arab countries, are unacceptable.”

Iran raising the stakes to ‘unprecedented levels’

Bader al‑Saif, assistant professor at Kuwait University, argued about the latest regional developments., that Iran’s leadership is fighting a war of existence, warning that this mindset explains its targeting of countries in the Gulf region.

“This has been an issue since the beginnings of the Islamic Republic, and we’ve managed, sometimes with difficult responses and answers from their end,” he said.

“But we managed with all the meddling in the internal affairs of Gulf states, with the proxy activities, with some of the wars that happened at the time.”

However, al-Saif said the current moment is different. “We’ve reached a point in which they’re raising the ante to unprecedented levels.”

For Gulf states, this is now “a broaching of sovereignty”, not a dispute over US bases, he said.

Al‑Saif added that Gulf leaders must be “clear-eyed on their defences” and recognise that the old pattern of absorbing pressure and containing crises “cannot continue forever”.

Hegseth says US attacks on Iran focused on destroying missiles, security infrastructure

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, have begun a news conference about the operation in Iran.

Hegseth says Washington will pursue and kill those responsible for the deaths of US citizens, issuing a stark warning during a news conference.

Hegseth said Iran must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons and accused Tehran of building up conventional military capabilities as a protective shield for what he described as its nuclear ambitions.

He criticised the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated under former US President Barack Obama, describing it as a failed deal.

Hegseth said the current campaign, “Operation Epic Fury”, is focused on destroying Iranian missiles, missile production facilities, naval assets and other security infrastructure.

Hegseth urges Iranians to seize ‘opportunity’

The US defense secretary says Washington hopes the Iranian people will take advantage of what he describes as an “incredible opportunity”.

He pointed to previous remarks by Trump, saying the president has made clear that “now is your time” in an apparent message directed at the Iranian public to move against the government.

Hegseth also addressed Iran’s security forces, warning they should carefully consider their next steps.

US defense secretary says attacks on Iran will not turn into ‘endless war’

Hegseth says US forces are carrying out strikes in what he characterizes as a surgical and overwhelming manner.

He added that ongoing US military operations against Iran would not turn into an “endless war”.

Addressing reports that four US service members have been killed, Hegseth acknowledged that the operation would involve casualties.

The Red Crescent says at least 555 people have been killed in the US-Israeli attacks since Saturday. Iranian state media have reported that at least 165 have been killed in an attack on a school in southern Iran.

US has achieved ‘air superiority’ over Iran: Caine

US forces have achieved air superiority over Iran, Caine says during the news conference.

“[Strikes by US forces] resulted in the establishment of local air superiority. This air superiority will not only enhance the protection of our forces but also allow them to continue the work over Iran,” the general said.

Hegseth declines to rule out potential future deployment of US ground forces in Iran

The US defense secretary has reiterated that there are currently no US “boots on the ground” in Iran but declined to rule out such future steps.

He added that Washington would go as far as necessary to advance US interests while also saying it would act without being “foolish”.

Hegseth questioned the logic of publicly outlining potential military options, saying it would not make sense to inform an adversary of what actions the US might take in pursuit of its objectives.

Caine issues warning to US ‘enemies’

The general has issued a warning for US “enemies”.

“To those who would test our resolve or threaten the United States or its allies, understand clearly: We can reach you. We can sustain the fight, and we can scale the fight, and we will prevail.”

US expects strikes to ‘encourage internal unrest’ or ‘regime change’ in Iran

Hegseth says the US “didn’t start the war”, framing the operation as retaliation for actions attributed to the Iranian government since the 1979 revolution.

He cited several incidents, including Iran’s support for proxy groups and the alleged use of improvised explosive devices in Iraq that killed US soldiers.

The stated US objectives are to degrade Iran’s naval forces, ballistic missile capabilities and nuclear infrastructure. US officials described the air operation as highly successful so far. However, there is no clear timeline. Although Trump suggested it could last up to four weeks, his defence secretary declined to commit to a specific duration, saying it would not be an “endless war”.

There also appears to be an expectation, at least rhetorically, that pressure from these strikes could encourage internal unrest and potentially regime change.

However, experts note that regime change would likely require a significant ground presence – potentially hundreds of thousands of soldiers – rather than air operations alone. Meanwhile, opposition groups inside Iran remain unarmed and unsupported, and recent protests have already resulted in thousands of deaths, raising concerns about further crackdowns.

So while US officials say they have clear military objectives – eliminating Iran’s missile capacity, neutralising its navy and preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon – it remains unclear how those goals translate into political outcomes on the ground in Iran.

Hegseth says the US “didn’t start the war”

Netanyahu started resuming the 12-day war on Iran he waged in June 2025 after vowing in December 2025 to attack Iran again in 2026. He lured Trump in his resumption by promising him that the war would bring the Iranian regime to a collapse.

European gas prices soar by nearly 50 percent as Qatar halts LNG output after Iranian attacks

Benchmark Dutch and British wholesale gas prices have soared by nearly 50 percent, after major liquefied ⁠natural gas (LNG) exporter QatarEnergy said it had halted production due to attacks in the Gulf country.

The Dutch front-month contract at the TTF ⁠hub, seen as a benchmark price for Europe, was up 14.56 euros ($17.04) at 46.52 euros ($54.45) per megawatt hour (MWh), or around $15.92/mmBtu, by 12:55 GMT, ICE data showed.

Prices were already about 25 percent higher earlier in the day, but extended gains after QatarEnergy’s ⁠production halt.

Benchmark Asian LNG prices jumped almost 39 percent on Monday morning with the S&P Global Energy Japan-Korea-Marker (JKM), widely used as an Asian LNG benchmark, ⁠at $15.068 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), Platts data showed.

“If LNG/gas ⁠markets start to price in an extended period of losses to Qatari LNG supply, TTF could potentially spike to 80-100 euros/MWh ($28-35/mmBtu),” Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING, said. The British April contract was up 40.83 pence at 119.40 pence per ‌therm, ICE data showed.

Russia’s Putin expresses solidarity with Qatar in call with emir after Iranian attacks

Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to a statement from the emir’s office, Sheikh Tamim thanked Putin after the president expressed Russia’s solidarity with Qatar following Iran’s attacks and its readiness to provide any support or assistance.

The two leaders also discussed regional developments and stressed the importance of intensifying diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and maintain regional security and stability.

Emirates says limited flights to begin this evening

Dubai-based carrier Emirates has said it will begin operating a limited number of flights starting this evening.

“We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority, and those who have been rebooked to travel on these limited flights will be contacted directly by Emirates,” it said in a statement, urging people to “not go to the airport unless you have been notified”.

It added: “All other flights remain suspended until further notice.”

Russia, UAE reiterate call for ceasefire in US-Israeli conflict with Iran

Russia’s Foreign Ministry says President Vladimir Putin and United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have reiterated the need for an immediate ceasefire between Iran and the US and Israel during a phone call.

According to a Russian statement, the two leaders discussed what Moscow described as “tragic developments” in the Middle East.

Both sides emphasized the importance of returning to political and diplomatic efforts.

The Russian statement described recent military action against Iran as an “unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign UN member state”.

The UAE president, according to Moscow, said Iran is attacking his country “despite the fact that UAE territory is not being used as a launch pad for attacks against Iran and [the Iranian attacks on the UAE] are therefore unjustified”.

Italy says it receives requests for logistics help and supplies from Gulf countries

Italy ⁠has received requests for logistics support ⁠and supplies from Gulf ⁠countries caught up in the conflict between Iran and ‌Israel and the US, according to Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

Addressing ⁠a parliamentary ⁠committee in Rome, Tajani also said Italian ⁠soldiers deployed ⁠in Lebanon, ⁠Jordan and other parts of the region were ‌safe.

Bahrain says air defense systems intercepted new wave of Iranian missiles, drones

Bahrain says its air defense systems have intercepted a new wave of Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.

“The total number of hostile projectiles amounted to 70 missiles and 59 drones,” the National Communication Centre said, according to state media.

Bahrain is one of the co-belligerents because the HQ of the US Fifth Fleet is involved in the war on Iran.

Berlin to evacuate German children, pregnant women from Middle East

The German government is preparing to evacuate vulnerable nationals stranded due to the conflict in the Middle East, including children, sick people and pregnant women, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says.

Aircraft will be sent to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and Muscat in Oman, Wadephul said.

Up to 30,000 tourists travelling with German travel agencies are believed to be affected by the escalating regional conflict, which began on Saturday with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Tehran has since retaliated, attacking US forces in Gulf states, such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that also serve as key international air transport hubs.

A spokesman for the German Defence Ministry had said earlier in the day that evacuations would be a “last resort”.

Wadephul said the Federal Foreign Office would send crisis support teams to Muscat, Doha and Dubai while “further teams are investigating the situation at the border crossings”.

German nationals could be encouraged to cross borders into countries such as Oman and Saudi Arabia whose airspace is still open. A team from the German embassy in Cairo is assisting with the border crossings from Israel.

Loud explosions reported in area near Isfahan nuclear facility, airbase in central Iran

Loud explosions have been heard from the area near a nuclear facility and airbase in the central Iranian city of Isfahan.

Macron says France will increase nuclear warheads amid global uncertainty

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that his country will increase the number of nuclear warheads in its arsenal for the first time in decades.

Speaking at the L’Ile Longue military base in northwestern France, home to the country’s ballistic missile submarines, Macron said he had decided to raise the number of warheads, now at fewer than 300.

He did not specify how many would be added. It would mark the first increase in France’s nuclear stockpile since at least 1992.

Macron said the move was aimed at clarifying the role of France’s nuclear deterrent in Europe’s security architecture amid what he described as growing global threats and uncertainty surrounding US security guarantees to European allies.

Macron also said France would allow the temporary deployment of its nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries and announced that France, Germany and the UK would work together on “very long-range missile projects” as part of deeper cooperation on strike capabilities.

Iran ‘focusing on hurting the United States’ with Gulf attacks

Hassan Ahmadian, of the University of Tehran reacted on the question whether it’s a good idea for Iran to be making enemies of its Gulf neighbors with its attacks, by saying: “not at all … I don’t think it’s a rational choice”.

However, Iran is actually “focusing – as the official line goes – on US forces, on US bases and basically US interests in the region. And those interests seemingly, as we see in the attacks, include global oil and gas markets,” said Ahmadian.

Iran is “focusing on hurting the United States in the way that can hurt many in the region as well”, he said.

Iran is targeting energy infrastructure in Gulf countries to “ratchet up the pressure to force the United States to rethink its aggression against the country through driving up prices of oil and energy prices globally”, added Ahmadian.

Oil prices rise, financial markets fall in response to Middle East conflict

Oil prices rise while the markets, in general, are down on the news of what’s happening in the Middle East. Oil prices of course are going to go up when there is a disruption in the supply chain like what is happening today.

A fifth of all oil consumed in the world comes through the Strait of Hormuz, and that transportation location is now under threat.

The benchmark for stocks in oil, the Brent crude oil stock, are up nearly 8 percent to almost $80 a barrel now, and the concern is that that could reach $100 a barrel.

OPEC countries rally to try to prevent that from happening. They’re vowing to produce 200,000 more barrels a day to offset the rising prices, but if they can’t deliver that oil, then prices are likely to rise.

Rising oil prices could affect other goods and services, as well as the financial industry, so that’s why there is no a dramatic decrease in the market today, but certainly a decline of less than one percent in all the major stock indexes here as volatility and nervousness permeate the trading floor today.

UK PM Starmer says he ‘stands by’ decision not to take part in Iran strikes

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended his decision to keep Britain out of the US and Israel’s initial strikes against Iran after criticism from Trump.

“President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest. That is what I have done, and I stand by it,” Starmer told parliament.

“But it has become clear that Iran’s outrageous response has become a threat to our interests and our allies, and it cannot be ignored.”

The UK leader also said British military bases in Cyprus “are not being used by US bombers” after he agreed to a US request to use its bases for “specific and limited defensive purposes” in the war.

What does international law say when when a country allows its airbase to be used for “specific and limited defensive purposes” in attacks on a third country by an foreign war belligerent that is a guest of the country that allows?

Under international law, permitting a foreign belligerent to use domestic military facilities to launch attacks against a third country compromises the host state's neutrality. Regardless of whether the missions are labeled as "defensive," active operational use of territory for cross-border strikes risks making the host a co-belligerent, exposes its bases as lawful military targets, and creates potential state complicity.

‘We are not joining US-Israeli offensive’ on Iran, UK PM Starmer says

The UK prime minister says that while he has allowed British bases to be used in the US response to Iran’s attacks, they will be “limited to the agreed defensive purposes”.

“We are not joining the US-Israeli offensive strikes. The basis for our decision is for the collective self-defence of longstanding friends and allies and protecting British lives,” Starmer said.

He added that while the UK will not be joining the strikes, “we will continue our defensive actions in the region.”

See previous comment.

UK lets US use bases for Iran clash: A military, legal quagmire

Early on Monday, a suspected Iranian drone crashed into the runway at the United Kingdom’s RAF Akrotiri base in southern Cyprus. British and Cypriot officials said the damage was limited. There were no casualties.

Hours later, two drones headed for the base were “dealt with in a timely manner”, according to the Cypriot government.

But the drone attack has raised legal questions about the UK’s role in the regional conflict, as many legal experts argue the US violated international law following its strikes on Iran.

See previous comment.

Starmer says Iran stepping up ‘reckless’ strikes after Khamenei’s killing

The British prime minister says the killing of Khamenei has led Iran to strike military and economic targets in a more “reckless” manner in the region.

The death of Khamenei “will not stop Iran from launching these strikes”, Starmer told parliament.

“In fact, their approach is becoming even more reckless and more dangerous to civilians,” he added.

Iran's strikes are not "reckless" but self-defensive as it didn't start the war. The self-defense was a response to the months long preparation of Khamenei's assassination in the second half of 2025 by the Israeli Mossad and the CIA, while the involved leaders Netanyahu and Trump knew that Hezbollah would respond.

Then, 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. However, the Trump administration officials have told the US Congress that there were no signs that Iran planned to attack the US before the Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Qatar says it shoots down 2 Iranian fighter jets

Qatar’s Defense Ministry says its air force has “successfully shot down” two fighter aircraft incoming from Iran.

Naval and air defense systems also took down seven ballistic missiles and intercepted five Iranian drones, the ministry said in a statement.

“The threat was addressed immediately upon detection, in accordance with the operational plan, as all missiles were shot down before reaching their targets,” it said.

Trump claims 49 Iranian leaders killed, ‘big wave’ of strikes yet to come

The US president has said a “big wave” of US military action against Iran is still to come, describing the current campaign as only the beginning of a broader assault.

“We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon,” Trump said in an interview with CNN.

On the duration of the conflict, Trump said, “I don’t want to see it go on too long. I always thought it would be four weeks. And we’re a little ahead of schedule.”

The president also said the “biggest surprise” had been Iran’s attacks on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

He also claimed 49 Iranian leaders were killed in initial strikes.

Under international law, waging an aggressive war for forcible regime change is an illegal act of aggression violating the United Nations Charter (Article 2(4)). Systematically killing dozens of a nation's political leaders compounds this illegality, breaching state sovereignty, the prohibition on political assassinations, and rules governing the conduct of armed conflict.

• Article 2(4) of the UN Charter bans the use of force against the political independence and territorial integrity of any state.
• International law recognizes only narrow exceptions to this ban—inherent self-defense (Article 51) or authorization by the UN Security Council. Forcible regime change is not a lawful exception. The US did not request for an authorization, and the US is not launching military operations from its territory but from countries on other continents.

US-Israel trying to ‘blunt, degrade’ Iran’s weapons systems

A former operations director of the US military’s Central Command says the goal of destroying Iran’s missile and drone arsenal is “very achievable” along with “whatever enrichment capability is left” in the country.

“What’s playing out now is a discussion on how long it will take to do that,” Kevin Donegan said.

He said military operations such as this are extremely complex, noting the “friendly-fire” incident today in which Kuwaiti defense systems shot down three US fighter jets because of “misidentification”.

“Those are inherent risks in any military operation,” Donegan said.

“The focus on the United States and Israelis now is to blunt or degrade – as quickly as they can – the offensive capabilities of the Iranians to keep wreaking havoc. You want to stop these attacks or at least diminish them as much as you can.”

Amnesty calls for urgent probe into killings during Iran protests in Pakistan

Amnesty International has called for a “thorough, independent, impartial and effective” investigation into the killings of at least 26 people during protests that broke out across Pakistan following the killing of Khamenei.

“The killing of protesters and reports of the use of lethal ammunition by security forces against these assemblies raises serious concerns about unlawful use of force,” Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty’s deputy regional director for South Asia, said in a statement.

“Protesters have a right to gather peacefully and express dissent, even in moments of heightened tension. During such crises, security forces must demonstrate their commitment to protecting life and safeguarding peaceful assembly,” he added.

Iranian MP says nine hospitals attacked by Israel and US

Fatemeh Mohammad Beigi, a member of parliament’s health commission, says five of the attacked hospitals are in Tehran and four are in other cities, according to state media.

She added that Gandhi Hospital in Iran’s capital has been completely evacuated, its patients moved to other institutions.

Iranian govt urges people to rally in Tehran to support Islamic Republic

Iran’s government has urged people to gather this evening across the capital to show support for the Islamic Republic during ongoing attacks.

The rally is also to pay tribute to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on Saturday in US or Israeli air strikes.

The appeal was broadcast on state television on the third day of joint US-Israeli attacks on the country.

Trump says ‘everyone was behind us’ in attack on Iran

The US leader has justified the joint American-Israeli strikes on Iran, saying the country’s nuclear program was a growing threat to the United States.

“This was our last best chance to strike and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” US President Donald Trump told the media in the East Room of the White House.

He said the “objectives are clear”, with the first goal to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities.

“Second, we’re annihilating their navy; we’ve already knocked out 10 ships. They’re at the bottom of the sea. Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon,” said Trump.

‘You can’t deal with these people’: Trump says Iran backed out of deals twice

The US president has blamed the administration of his predecessor Barack Obama for allowing Iran to develop its nuclear program – a main justification he used for launching the war.

“They were on the road to getting one [a nuclear weapon] legitimately through a deal signed foolishly by our country,” said Donald Trump.

“Finally, we’re ensuring the regime cannot fund or direct armies outside of their borders. We thought we had a deal, and then they backed out. Then they came back, we thought we had a deal, and they backed out. I said, ‘You can’t deal with these people’. We gotta do it the right way.”

Oman, which was mediating the indirect talks between the US and Iran, has however said that Tehran did make major concessions on its nuclear programme — it was willing to stop stockpiling enriched uranium, and had agreed to dilute its existing enriched uranium dramatically. The two countries were “close” to a deal, Oman said, when the US and Israel attacked Iran.

President Barack Obama did not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Instead, his administration negotiated the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an international agreement designed to severely restrict Iran's nuclear capabilities, eliminate its stockpiles of enriched uranium, and subject its facilities to strict international inspections in exchange for sanctions relief.

• The agreement explicitly prohibited Iran from ever acquiring or developing a nuclear weapon, closing off potential routes via enriched uranium and plutonium.
• Iran was required to cut its enriched uranium stockpile by 98% and dismantle two-thirds of its centrifuges.
• The agreement extended the time Iran would need to produce enough fissile material for a weapon from a few months to a minimum of 12 months.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was granted continuous access to monitor Iran’s nuclear supply chain and facilities.

Iran war could go longer than four weeks: Trump

In his rambling speech, Trump also has referred to his comments in an interview with the Daily Mail on Sunday in which he said the military campaign against Iran could last up to four or five weeks.

In fact, he said, the US was prepared to go longer if needed, adding that he wouldn’t get “bored” if the war dragged on.

Trump says US military acting with ‘ferocious, unyielding resolve’

US President Donald Trump has honored the troops killed in Iranian attacks in the Middle East.

“Today we grieve for the four heroic service members killed in action and send our love and support to their families,” said Trump.

“In their memory we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve to crush the threat this terrorist regime poses to the American people.”

Italy says evacuating hundreds of citizens from UAE

Italy says it has been helping to evacuate hundreds of its citizens from the United Arab Emirates, estimating there are currently around 30,000 Italian nationals in the country.

Speaking in the Italian Senate, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said a group of 98 Italians had left the UAE for Oman yesterday and were due to arrive in Rome later today.

Another group of around 200 Italian students who had been stranded in Dubai are due to be evacuated on a UAE flight to Milan on Tuesday.

“We are creating corridors and networks of embassies to facilitate the movement of Italians to countries where there are flights available,” Tajani said.

He said Italy would help with charter flights to bring back thousands of Italians who were due to transit through Dubai on their way back from the Maldives.

Middle East war putting civilians ‘in grave danger’, Red Cross says

The unfolding war in the Middle East is endangering civilians as attacks intensify, says Mirjana Spoljaric, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

“Widening hostilities across the Middle East are putting civilian lives in grave danger,” Spoljaric said in a statement.

“The scale of major military operations flaring across the Middle East risks embroiling the region – and beyond – into another large-scale armed conflict that will overwhelm any humanitarian response.”

Erdogan tells NATO’s Rutte, Germany’s Merz that diplomacy is needed in Iran conflict

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in a phone call that diplomacy must be given an opportunity to achieve lasting and sustainable peace in the Middle East, according to the Turkish presidency.

The presidency said that issues on NATO’s agenda, as well as regional and global developments, were discussed during the call.

The office added that Erdogan told Rutte that Ankara was closely following the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.

Separately, Erdogan held talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the conflict.

According to his office, Erdogan told Merz that the conflicts in the region adversely affect regional and global security, reiterating his call for the parties to resume negotiations.

NATO chief says no plans for bloc to join war on Iran

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has praised US and Israeli military action against Iran but has ruled out the NATO alliance joining the Middle East conflict.

Speaking to Germany’s ARD television in Brussels, Rutte said it is “really important” what the US is doing “together with Israel” to degrade Iran’s capacity to develop nuclear and ballistic missile capability.

NATO as an alliance won’t be involved, however. “There are absolutely no plans whatsoever for NATO to get dragged into this or to be part of it,” Rutte said, adding that individual allies may support US efforts.

Turkey's Erdogan calls for ‘end to the bloodbath’ in Iran

The Turkish president has promised to help reach a ceasefire between the United States and Israel and Iran.

“We are on the side of peace. We want an end to the bloodbath, for the tears to stop flowing, and that our region finally reach the lasting peace it has cried out for for years,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told members of his party in Ankara.

Erdogan, who maintains good relations with US President Donald Trump despite frequently criticizing American ally Israel, insisted the United States-Israeli strikes on Saturday, which sparked the war and triggered retaliation from Tehran, were “illegal”.

“We will intensify our contacts at all levels until a ceasefire is concluded and tranquility is restored to our region,” he said, adding that he is “grieving at the sight of the suffering of the civilians and innocent children” in Iran hit by the conflict.

Muslim-majority Turkey, which is a member of NATO, shares a 500km (315-mile) border with Iran.

Iran’s IRGC attacks oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it attacked an alleged US-linked oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz as part of a wave of strikes retaliating against the US-Israel assault.

“The ATHE NOVA tanker, one of the American allies in the Strait of Hormuz, is still on fire after being hit by two drones,” the IRGC said in a statement.

On Saturday, the elite paramilitary force said it closed the waterway, which is vital for global oil-and-gas shipments, after the start of US and Israeli attacks.

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.

Drone hits fuel tank terminal in Abu Dhabi, situation contained

A drone has struck a fuel tank terminal in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi, causing a fire although operations have not been impacted.

“Abu Dhabi authorities have responded today to a fire resulting from the targeting of a Musaffah fuel tank terminal by a drone,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement.

“The situation was promptly contained. No injuries were reported and there was no impact on operations.”

 

Iran denounces US-Israel attacks on schools and hospitals

The Iranian president has condemned strikes on schools and hospitals by the US and Israeli forces.

“Attacks on hospitals strike at life itself. Attacks on schools target a nation’s future,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post.

“Targeting patients and children blatantly violates humanitarian principles. The world must condemn it. Iran will not remain silent or yield to these crimes,” he added.

Iran’s leaders ‘in denial of reality’ with ‘reckless’ attacks on Gulf states

Faisal al-Mudahka, editor-in-chief of the Qatari newspaper Gulf Times, says Iran’s government is “living in a bubble” and in “denial of reality”.

He said there appears to be a “disconnection between the political leadership and the revolution”, describing the situation as “very concerning”.

Al-Mudahka said three layers of the Islamic Republic’s leadership have been “decapitated” and suggested some remaining leaders may be acting recklessly.

Using energy distribution as leverage is “part of Iran’s philosophy”, he said, noting that Tehran has previously sought to disrupt the flow of oil and gas supplies in the Strait of Hormuz – one of the world’s most strategically important trade routes.

Faisal al-Mudahka, editor-in-chief of the Qatari newspaper Gulf Times, has showed no sense for facts. The issue is not “disconnection between the political leadership and the revolution.”

This is about self-defense against a war that is the resumption of the 12-day war in June 2025, now to achieve regime change by force.

Travel stocks reel as US-Iran war sparks worst disruption since COVID-19

Travel shares have shed $22.6bn as escalating conflict between the US and ⁠Israel and Iran disrupted flights worldwide, closed key Middle ⁠Eastern hubs, and sent oil prices surging.

Analysts warn of weeks of disruption. Data showed at least 4,000 flights have been cancelled worldwide in the past three days.

The UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization told countries they “have the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of air transport operations, facilities and passengers”.

Dubai, the world’s busiest international hub, and Doha remained shut for a third ⁠day, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded as aviation faced its biggest test since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oil prices jumped as much as 13 percent to their highest since January 2025 as Iran and Israel stepped up attacks, raising the prospect of higher fuel costs for airlines.

Kuwait says naval officer killed in military ‘operation’

The Kuwaiti army says a sailor was killed during an “operation” by the Gulf country’s armed forces.

The army did not provide details on the circumstances of the death.

Trump not ruling out US ground forces in Iran: Report

US President Donald Trump says a “big wave” of strikes on Iran is imminent.

“We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is
coming soon,” Trump told CNN in an interview, adding the US military is “knocking the crap” out of Iran.

“I don’t want to see it go on too long. I always thought it would be four weeks, and we’re a little ahead of schedule,” he said of the war’s potential duration.

Trump claimed it’s unclear who is now leading the country after dozens of the Islamic Republic’s officials were killed, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The president admitted “the biggest surprise” so far in the war has been Iran’s attacks on neighbouring Arab countries: the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.

“We were surprised. We told them, ‘we’ve got this,’ and now they want to fight, and they’re aggressively fighting. They were going to be very little involved and now they insist on being involved.”

Trump also told The New York Post newspaper on Monday that he’s not ruling out sending US ground troops into Iran “if they were necessary”.

GCC states’ actions will depend on intensity and length of the war: Analyst

Abdulaziz Algashian, senior non-resident fellow of the Gulf International Forum, says the Middle East situation is “heading towards some sort of escalation”.

“It is unfortunately taking a trajectory that is not very healthy and is concerning,” Algashian said.

The crucial question now is what “the threshold” is for Gulf nations being bombed “to enter the operation and begin to attack Iran”, he said.

The likelihood of this happening rises if the war goes on for weeks as US President Trump has suggested, he added.

The intensity of Iran’s attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure, which is increasing, is another concern, Algashian said.

“Some sort of a GCC-forward defense” is likely to be formed “to try to assert deterrence” if the attacks continue, he said.

Iranian army says it shot down seven more UAVs

A statement quoted by the state media says the total number of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) intercepted since the beginning of the war has reached 29.

Explosions heard over Doha

Explosions over Doha reported.

The capital of Qatar is among major Middle Eastern cities that Iran has tried to target with its ballistic missiles and drones.

Earlier on Monday, Qatar’s air force shot down two Iranian jets headed towards the country, and also intercepted several ballistic missiles and drones.

QatarEnergy’s LNG production halt could shake up global gas markets

QatarEnergy has suspended liquefied natural gas (LNG) production following a drone attack, straining the global LNG market.

On Monday, Iranian drones struck two sites, according to Qatar’s Ministry of Defense: a water tank at a power plant in Mesaieed Industrial City and an energy facility in Ras Laffan belonging to QatarEnergy, the world’s largest LNG producer.

While no casualties were reported, QatarEnergy suspended the production of LNG and other products at the impacted sites for security reasons.

Qatar’s LNG exports represent 20 percent of the global market. With fewer products reaching the market, LNG supply is down, causing prices to surge.

US army claims it destroyed all Iranian ships in Gulf of Oman

A statement by the US Central Command on X says: “Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have ZERO.”

“The Iranian regime has harassed and attacked international shipping in the Gulf of Oman for decades,” it added. “Those days are over.”

Majority of Americans opposed to Trump’s Iran strikes: Snap poll

US President Donald Trump’s air strikes against Iran on Saturday are opposed by significantly more Americans than those who support the attacks, a snap poll conducted by the Washington Post concludes.

The Post texted 1,003 Americans for their views on the strikes.

More than half of the respondents — 52 percent — were either strongly opposed or somewhat opposed to the attacks, in which Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was killed.

By contrast, 39 percent said that they strongly supported or somewhat supported the strikes.

Trump administration unclear on direction of war on Iran

Harlan Ullman, who advises government and business leaders as chairman of the Killowen Group, says the Trump administration in the US doesn’t appear to know what next steps to take in its joint attack with Israel on Iran.

“The [Trump] administration does not have a clear-cut strategy for what it is trying to do,” Ullman said.

“Obviously, the impact of the military strikes is to disarm Iran from its weapons systems, its missiles, its ships and its ability to fight. But that is not a strategy, it’s a tactic,” he added.

“The original message of ‘regime change’ seems to be going into the distance because how you effectuate a regime change from the air is uncertain and really never has happened before,” said Ullman.

The Trump administration appears to be taking a break to “come up with a message that it can present to the American public about what it’s doing in Iran and why it’s doing it and then what happens next”.

It will be a challenge for the US to justify the purpose of the war, given that Iran wasn’t posing an immediate threat to the country, said Ullman.

Iran’s top diplomat says it’s not at war with Gulf neighbors

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran is “not at war with regional countries” but it is with the United States after the country was attacked on Saturday.

Middle East nations must “pressure the US” over its actions against Iran, Araghchi added.

He accused the US of “betraying diplomacy” when it carried out air strikes alongside Israel despite ongoing negotiations to avoid a military confrontation.

Araghchi suggested US military bases – even if based in Gulf countries – are still legitimate targets.

“We’re not attacking our neighbours, we’re attacking US military bases,” he told state media. “US soldiers fleeing to hotels will not prevent them from being targeted.”

Iranian health official says missile struck near hospital

A missile detonated near a hospital earlier today, an official at Iran’s Health Ministry says. It’s unclear if there were any casualties or how severe the damage was.

In a post on X, Hossein Kermanpour said smoke was seen rising nearby from a missile that landed beside the hospital where he works as a member of the medical staff.

“Patients poured out in fear,” he wrote, calling on “all free people of the world to bear witness”.

Iranian authorities say several hospitals have been damaged in recent air attacks by Israel and the US, and some facilities have been evacuated.

Iranian officials also reported damage to the Aboozar Children’s Hospital in Ahvaz, in western Iran, as well as to three emergency medical centers in East Azerbaijan, Sistan-Baluchistan, and Hamedan provinces.

In Tehran, major strikes on Sunday damaged multiple health facilities in two areas, according to videos circulating on social media.

Six US troops killed during attack on Iran: CENTCOM

At least six US service members have been "killed in action" after the United States and Israel started bombing Iran on Saturday, the military says.

“US forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran’s initial attacks in the region,” said US Central Command in a statement.

“Major combat operations continue. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification.”

"killed in action"

As we commented on similar reports, there are no US boots on Iranian ground. There is no front(line) or a battlefield. The service people where killed while on duty at US bases in hosting GCC countries.

Iran says it will set vessels sailing Strait of Hormuz ‘ablaze’

A commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says the Strait of Hormuz is now closed and warned that any vessel trying to pass through it would be attacked, according to Iranian state media.

“The strait is closed. If anyone tries to pass the heroes of the Revolutionary Guard, the regular navy will set those ships ablaze,” said Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the IRGC commander-in-chief.

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 likely send crude prices sharply higher and raise fears of a regional escalation.

 

Kuwait must explain why US jets were over its airspace: Iran

In remarks to state media, Tehran’s top diplomat says the Kuwaiti government earlier announced that its military base would not be used against Iran.

“So what were these three fighter jets that were targeted today doing in Kuwaiti territory?” asked Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, referring to three US aircraft accidentally shot down by Kuwaiti air defences.

“Kuwait’s defence system is supplied by the US, and if their claim that Kuwait’s defence system mistakenly shot down three fighter jets is true, they are questioning the prestige of their own army,” Araghchi said.

“The Kuwaiti government must explain what American fighter jets were doing there.”

‘We knew Iran would hit us after Israel struck them’: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has tried to justify the coordinated attacks with Israel on Iran by saying they were driven by self-defence.

Faced with questions from reporters on whether the Trump administration needed congressional approval to wage war on Iran, Rubio attempted to frame the US actions as aimed at preempting Iranian strikes against US bases in the region.

“If we stood and waited for that attack [from Iran] to come first, before we hit them, we would suffer much higher casualties,” Rubio said. “And so, the president made a very wise decision: We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that would precipitate an attack against American forces. And we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties”.

Anyone with a logical thinking knows that Iran cannot attack the territory of the United States because of its geographical location beyond the horizon.

But, Iran uses international law: the is US is an attacking war belligerent that is hosted by GCC countries and Jordan. Tehran knows that these countries are co-belligerent of the US and has the right to consider these host countries military objectives. So yes, Iran attacks US presence in these countries.

Second Kuwaiti sailor killed while ‘carrying out duties’

Earlier, it was reported that a Kuwaiti sailor was killed while “carrying out duties” with the country’s armed forces.

The army has since announced that a second marine has also been killed. It did not provide further details in two separate statements on the circumstances surrounding both deaths.

Kuwait has been intercepting drones and missiles launched from Iran in recent days amid Tehran’s retaliatory strikes across the Gulf, following US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

US Embassy in Amman says staff temporarily evacuated after threat

The US Embassy in the Jordanian capital, Amman, says it temporarily evacuated its staff because of an unspecified threat.

“Out of an abundance of caution, all personnel at the U.S. Embassy have temporarily departed the Embassy compound due to a threat,” it said in a security alert posted on social media.

Jordan is among the countries across the Middle East that have been responding to Iranian counterattacks against a joint US-Israeli campaign that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iranian attacks ‘an unacceptable escalation’: Qatar to UN

In letters to the UN secretary-general and the president of the UN Security Council, Qatar has condemned Iran’s attacks on its territory and against other Gulf nations, calling them “an unacceptable escalation that threatens the security and stability of the region”.

The letters, by Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, Qatar’s ambassador to the UN, also said that the country reserved the right to respond to the attacks.

He detailed how, on Saturday, after US and Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran fired 83 missiles and 12 drones at Qatar.

Qatar was able to intercept 81 of those missiles and 11 of the drones, but two missiles slipped through and hit the Al Udeid airbase, where US forces are stationed. One drone managed to strike an early warning system. However, there were no casualties from these events.

“A number of missiles were intercepted over multiple civilian areas, including commercial and residential zones such as the West Bay residential area and the Barwa residential city,” the ambassador said in the letters.

By the morning of Sunday, March 1, “92 ballistic missiles and 17 drones were detected”, he added.

“The State of Qatar renewed its call for an immediate halt to any escalatory actions, a return to the table of dialogue, prioritization of the language of reason and wisdom, and efforts to contain the crisis in a manner that preserves the security of the region, safeguards the interests of its peoples, and prevents slippage toward broader confrontations.”

Rubio says US ‘would love’ for Iranians to topple their government

Speaking to reporters, the US secretary of state says the US would not “deliberately” target a school, after Iran said 168 people died in an alleged US-Israeli strike.

“The United States would not deliberately target a school. Our objectives are missiles, both the ability to manufacture them and the ability to launch them,” Rubio told reporters, while adding that the Pentagon was investigating the alleged incident.

He also voiced support for toppling Iran’s authorities, but said it was not the objective of the US-Israel war against Tehran.

“We hope that the Iranian people can overthrow this government and establish a new future for that country. We would love for that to be possible,” Rubio said.

“But the objective of this mission is the destruction of their ballistic missile capabilities and of their naval capabilities,” he added.

Some more of his remarks

• The United States will introduce action to mitigate rising energy prices due to a spike in the price of oil caused by the Iran conflict.
• The US is not postured for ground forces in Iran at this moment, but President Donald Trump has those options.
• The objective Washington has set can be achieved without ground troops.
• The hardest hits are yet to come in strikes on Iran.

".. voiced support for toppling Iran’s authorities, but said it was not the objective .."

On June 16, 2025, Netanyahu called on the US for help in the assassination of the Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei. During the following six months, the Israeli Mossad received help from the CIA in the preparation of the assassination. According the New York Times, the Mossad could not do it alone.

Then, there was the phone call Netanyahu had with Trump on the day of the assassination, in which he promised Trump that the war would bring the Iranian regime to a collapse. That's when Trump decided to join Netanyahu's war. So, the United States facilitated in the killing, and was regime change the objective.

‘Iran would have had nuclear bomb three years ago’: Trump

The US president claimed – without any evidence to back his assertion – that had he not scrapped the Iran nuclear deal signed by his predecessor, Barack Obama, Tehran would have had a nuclear bomb by now.

“If I didn’t terminate Obama’s horrendous Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA), Iran would have had a Nuclear Weapon three years ago. That was the most dangerous transaction we have ever entered into, and had it been allowed to stand, the World would be an entirely different place right now. You can blame Barack Hussein Obama, and Sleepy Joe Biden,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Most independent analysts and inspectors had concluded, at the time, that Iran had complied with the JCPOA and kept its uranium enrichment under limit – far below the levels needed to build nuclear weapons.

President Barack Obama did not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Instead, his administration negotiated the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an international agreement designed to severely restrict Iran's nuclear capabilities, eliminate its stockpiles of enriched uranium, and subject its facilities to strict international inspections in exchange for sanctions relief.

US tells citizens to immediately depart a dozen Middle East nations

The ⁠US ⁠State Department has called on nationals to immediately leave ⁠more than a dozen countries in the Middle East during ongoing US-Israeli strikes against Iran.

US citizens were urged to leave by commercial means from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, ⁠Israel, the occupied West ⁠Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, ⁠Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United ⁠Arab Emirates ⁠and Yemen, according to Mora Namdar, the State Department’s ‌assistant secretary for consular affairs.

The intensity of the attacks, the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the lack of any apparent exit plan have set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences.

Iran denounces US-chaired ‘kids in conflict’ UN meeting after deadly school attack

US First Lady Melania Trump has presided over a UN Security Council meeting focusing on children in conflict, days after dozens of children at a school in Iran were reportedly killed in US-Israel strikes.

Iranian state media said an air strike hit a girls’ school in southern Iran, killing at least 165 people and wounding dozens more on Saturday.

The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area. The US military said it is looking into the reports.

Shortly before Monday’s UN session began, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, said it is “deeply shameful and hypocritical” for the US to convene a meeting on protecting children during war while launching attacks on heavily populated Iranian cities.

“For the United States, ‘protecting children’ and ‘maintaining international peace and security’ clearly mean something very different from what the UN Charter provides,” Iravani told reporters.

Markets on edge over Iran’s ‘scorched-earth’ tactic of escalation

With strikes and counter-strikes under way throughout the Middle East, and Trump saying the conflict could go on for weeks, at least, analysts are focused on ⁠a long list of imponderables.

The scrutiny comes as oil prices jumped over the weekend from $70 to nearly $80 a barrel, and shipping through the critical oil lanes in the Strait of Hormuz ground to a halt.

“The conflict with Iran is a wild card, though markets may quickly lose interest if the situation looks likely to devolve from a regional ⁠to an internal conflict,” Tim Duy, chief US economist at SGH Macro Advisors, wrote.

In a separate note, SGH president and CEO Sassan Ghahramani – a Tehran native whose father was an Iranian diplomat before the 1979 Islamic revolution – pointed to the uncertainty of the current moment with the possibility of an Iranian civil war.

The situation could deteriorate, because of the “scorched-earth tactic of escalation from Tehran to [other] civilian centres… to hit the global economy and pressure an end to the war”, Ghahramani said.

Explosions heard over Doha

Multiple explosions in the skies over Doha reported.

Earlier, Qatar, in letters to the United Nations, detailed how its military had intercepted dozens of ballistic missiles and several drones from Iran since the US and Israel launched their attacks on Iran last Saturday.

On Monday, Qatar’s air force also shot down two Iranian jets headed towards the country.

UAE says it’s dealing with new missile strikes from Iran

The United Arab Emirates says it’s working to intercept a major missile attack launched by Iran.

“Emirati air defences are currently dealing with a barrage of ballistic missiles coming from Iran,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry “affirms its full readiness to deal with all threats to ensure the protection of the country’s territory and the safety of citizens and residents”, it added.