LIVE | West Asia conflict: Trump warns of 'severe military consequences' if Iran mines Strait of Hormuz

The Iranian parliament speaker said that Tehran is not seeking a ceasefire in the war against the United States and Israel, adding that the "aggressor" should be punished.

Summary

The West Asia conflict, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, entered its twelfth day as attacks across the Gulf region roiled markets, upended global energy and transport sectors and pushed oil prices past $100 a barrel for the first time in years, even as Washington and Tehran remained poles apart on when the war might end.

TOP DEVELOPMENTS

• Trump says war will end 'soon': US President Donald Trump pushed the idea of the Iran war ending soon, but remained vague on a timeline. further warning of 'much, much harder' if Tehran blocks oil supplies.

• 'Eye for an eye' response: Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that any attack on the Islamic republic's infrastructure would result in a tit-for-tat response.

• Airline price surge: Air India's fares are set to go up as the airline on Tuesday announced a hike in fuel surcharge between Rs 399 and $50 (Rs 4,600) amid the ongoing conflict between the US-Israel coalition and Iran in West Asia.

• Ruwais refinery shut: UAE's largest refinery has halted operations as a "precaution" following a drone attack on the industrial complex housing the facility

• War 'not done yet': Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the country's military offensive against Iran was "not done yet", saying the operation was degrading Iran's clerical leadership.

• Death toll: Iran’s health ministry said on Monday that over 1,200 people had been killed, including about 200 women and 200 children under 12, with more than 10,000 civilians injured. In Lebanon, the health ministry said Israeli strikes had killed 486 people and wounded 1,313 since fighting began last week.

European bank chief says 'everything necessary' will be done to control inflation during Mideast war

Iran envoy says UN 'turning a blind eye' after strike kills diplomats

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday accused the Security Council of ignoring what he called a "war crime" after Iran said Israel killed four of its diplomats in a weekend strike on a Beirut hotel.

"The Council is turning a blind eye to this grave violation despite its primary responsibility under the UN Charter to maintain international peace and security," Amir Saeid Iravani told reporters in New York.

US says wouldn't be 'happy' if Russia giving Iran intel

The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump would not be "happy" if Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran during the Middle East war, but it held back any strong criticism for Moscow.

The Washington Post reported on Friday that Moscow had passed sensitive intelligence to Tehran, including the locations of US warships and aircraft in the region.

But Washington has taken a restrained tone in response so far, with Trump saying President Vladimir Putin wanted to be "helpful" on the Middle East in a call on Monday, even as Putin offered "unwavering support" to Iran's new supreme leader.

Washington has also halted sanctions on some Russian oil as crude prices spiked because of the Iran war. The sanctions were originally imposed to cut Russia's funds for its war on Ukraine.

New round of explosions heard in Tehran

Trump warns of severe military consequences if Iran mines Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Tuesday not to mine the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran vowed that no Gulf oil would pass through the key waterway while the Middle East war is ongoing.

"If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

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White House avoids explaining why Trump erroneously claimed Iran has Tomahawks

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t answer why Trump falsely asserted on Monday that Iran has access to the U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile, the weapon likely used to strike a girls school in Iran, killing 165 people.

She responded in part that “the president has a right to share his opinions with the American public” while noting “he has said he’ll accept the conclusion of that investigation.”

Raytheon, the U.S. manufacturer of the Tomahawk, sells the weapon to some allies, but there is no evidence to suggest that Iran has gotten its hands on the cruise missile.

Iran FM tells UN chief world body must condemn 'aggression': Iran media

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told UN chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday that Tehran expected him and the Security Council to take a stronger position condemning US and Israeli "aggression", the Tasnim news agency reported.

In a phone conversation, Araghchi noted the UN's role in maintaining peace and "emphasised the serious expectation of the Iranian government and people from the Secretary-General and the UN Security Council to adopt stronger and more responsible positions in explicitly condemning the aggression", Tasnim said.

Iran parliament speaker says 'we aren't seeking a ceasefire'

Iran is not seeking a ceasefire in the war against the United States and Israel, the powerful Iranian parliament speaker said on Tuesday, adding that the "aggressor" should be punished.

"Certainly we aren't seeking a ceasefire," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former top commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards and key figure after the killing of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wrote in an English-language X post.

"We believe the aggressor must be punished and taught a lesson that will deter them from attacking Iran again," he added.

About 140 US military personnel wounded in Iran war: Pentagon

About 140 US military personnel have been wounded in attacks since the start of the war against Iran, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

"The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

"Eight service members remain listed as severely injured and are receiving the highest level of medical care," he added.

Seven US military personnel were also killed in Iranian attacks early in the conflict -- six in Kuwait and one in Saudi Arabia -- the US military has previously said.

Blasts rock Tehran as US says strikes to intensify

Explosions thundered out in Tehran on Tuesday after the Pentagon chief warned US strikes on Iran would reach their highest intensity since the start of the war in the Middle East.

The war has been a shock to energy markets, and Iran has vowed that no crude exports would leave the Gulf if the United States and Israel kept up their bombardment.

But the war has shown no sign of relenting, with AFP journalists reporting three explosions in Tehran on Tuesday evening, with no immediate information available about the intended targets.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier told a news conference at the Pentagon that Tuesday would "be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran -- the most fighters, the most bombers".

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US Navy has not escorted any tankers through Strait of Hormuz: White House

The United States has not escorted any oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, the White House confirmed Tuesday, after the energy secretary deleted a post that had said so and Iran issued a denial.

"I can confirm that the US Navy has not escorted a tanker or a vessel at this time, though of course that's an option," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.

Explosions heard in Bahrain's Manama

Explosions were heard on Tuesday in Bahrain's capital, Manama, as Iran continued its retaliatory strikes across the Gulf, according to a report by AFP.

Bahrain has been targeted by waves of Iranian drones and missiles, which have so far killed two people in the country, according to authorities.

Iran says four of its diplomats were killed in weekend strike on Beirut hotel

Iran accused Israel on Tuesday of killing four of its diplomats in a weekend strike on a seafront hotel in Beirut, according to a letter addressed to the United Nations chief.

"In the early hours of Sunday, 8 March 2026, the Israeli regime carried out a deliberate terrorist attack against the Ramada Hotel in Beirut, which resulted in the assassination and martyrdom of four diplomats of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Tehran's permanent mission to the UN said.

The Israeli military had previously claimed responsibility for the attack.

It said it had "conducted a precise strike targeting key commanders" in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, its foreign operations arm.

Iran Guards say no US Navy vessel has 'dared' approach Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Tuesday that no US Navy vessel has "dared" approach the Strait of Hormuz, after a senior official in Washington said a warship had escorted a tanker through the strategic waterway.

"None of the US warships have dared to approach even the Sea of Oman, the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz during the war," Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said, calling the claim a "pure falsehood".

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright had initially said the navy had escorted an oil tanker through the strait, but the post was deleted minutes after it was published.

Fresh Israeli strikes hit Lebanon after evacuation warnings

Fresh Israeli strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs and south Lebanon on Tuesday after the Israeli army warned people to evacuate, with Lebanese authorities saying nearly 760,000 people had been registered as displaced.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

Israel, which kept up strikes targeting Hezbollah despite a 2024 ceasefire, has since launched new waves of attacks across Lebanon and sent ground troops into border areas.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported several strikes Tuesday on the capital's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah holds sway.