Israel, US strike Iran cities, leadership: Israel and the US launched multiple airstrikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities on Wednesday, the fifth day of the war, targeting leadership and security sites.
Hegseth says more forces arriving in Middle East, US will take all the time it needs against Iran: Speaking from the Pentagon’s briefing room, Hegseth also said more forces, including jet fighters and bombers, will soon arrive in the region. He added that the U.S. “will take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed.”
Iran close to choosing next Supreme leader: A top cleric on Wednesday said Iran is close to choosing its next supreme leader.
Iran presses attacks region-wide: Iran responded with missile barrages and drone attacks on Israel and across the region, targeting US bases in Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar, while Iranian-linked militant groups in Iraq also launched strikes. Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said it intercepted a drone attack aimed at its Ras Tanura oil refinery, following an earlier strike on the complex.
Israel targets Lebanon: Israel carried out multiple strikes across Lebanon, saying it was retaliating after the Iran-backed Hezbollah group fired on its territory. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the attacks killed more than 50 people and wounded over 300. Israeli army also entered Khiam in southern Lebanon of as part of its ground incursion.
Iran in complete control of Hormuz: Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said it had taken "complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for world oil and gas supplies, and any vessels seeking to pass risked damage from missiles or stray drones.
Death toll in Iran crosses 1,000: Iran's official IRNA news agency said on Wednesday that US-Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,000 people nationwide since Saturday.
Khamenei funeral postponed: The funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that was due to take place on Wednesday evening has been postponed, state television announced, "in anticipation of unprecedented turnout". A new date will be announced later, it said.
Mojtaba to be elected Supreme Leader: Senior clerics in Iran’s Assembly of Experts have reportedly decided on electing Mojtaba, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son, as the new Supreme Leader.
Iran says ready for long haul: Iran has no intention of negotiating with the US and can continue the war for "as long as we want", Mohammad Mokhber, a senior aide to the late Ayatollah Khamenei, told state TV.
US hits Iranian frigate off Sri Lanka: An Iranian Navy frigate with a 180-member crew, was hit by a torpedo fired by US Navy's nuclear-powered attack submarine in the Indian Ocean early on Wednesday. At least 87 sailors were killed as the vessel sank just outside the island’s territorial waters following an explosion.
The United States said Wednesday it ordered non-emergency staff at two Pakistani consulates to leave the country and granted permission for staff to leave missions in Saudi Arabia, Cyprus and Oman as Iran retaliates to US-Israeli raids.
The State Department ordered non-emergency US government employees and their family members at the consulates in Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to "safety risks," the US embassy in Pakistan said in a statement.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the figure Wednesday. The foreign ministry said on X that most of the evacuees left by land from Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Qatar, and that they left through Egypt, Jordan and Turkey.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a prominent religious leader based in Iraq, condemned the "military aggression" against Iran.
He said attacking a country that is a member of the United Nations without UN approval is a violation of international law.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks says Iran has been offline now for 100 hours. This is the second such blackout this year imposed by Iranian authorities.
The first was for nationwide protests in January.
NetBlocks says metrics show internet connectivity at 1% of normal levels.
The death toll in Iran from the ongoing war with the United States and Israel has reached at least 1,045 people, an Iranian government agency said Wednesday.
The Iran's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs offered the toll, saying it represented the number of bodies so far identified and prepared for burial.
A top cleric on Wednesday said Iran is close to choosing its next supreme leader.
The comments of Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a member of the Assembly of Experts -- the body charged with picking a new leader, were aired on state television.
"The options have become clear," he said. Other top officials have also indicated a decision may be close.
The UN nuclear watchdog says facilities housing nuclear material in Iran suffered no damage in the recent US-Israeli strikes.
However, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi called for the “utmost restraint” in the conflict to avoid a radiation threat to the Middle East during US-Israel attacks.
“Based on analysis of latest available satellite imagery, IAEA sees no damage to facilities containing nuclear material in Iran and, therefore, no radiological release risk at this time,” it said.
Near the Natanz site in the central city of Isfahan, “damage is visible at two buildings,” but there’s “no additional impact detected.”
The IAEA reported no impact at other nuclear sites, including the Bushehr facility in the southeast.
Based on analysis of latest available satellite imagery, IAEA sees no damage to facilities containing nuclear material in Iran and therefore no radiological release risk at this time. Near Isfahan nuclear site, damage is visible at two buildings. No additional impact detected at… pic.twitter.com/boUtjRTpAk
— IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) March 4, 2026
Two drones were shot down on Wednesday evening near Baghdad's international airport, hours after a similar attack on the facility, two security sources told AFP.
"Two drones were downed near Baghdad airport, with no casualties or material damage reported," an Iraqi security source said. Another security source in Baghdad confirmed the incident.
The airport includes a military base that hosts a US diplomatic facility and previously housed US-led coalition troops.
A container ship was attacked Wednesday afternoon off the coast of Oman, causing fire in its engine room, an agency of the UK military said.
The vessel was transiting eastbound through the Strait of Hormuz, 2 nautical miles north of Oman, when it was hit by an unknown projectile, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, UKMTO.
Oman, long an intermediary between the West and Iran, has repeatedly come under attack by Iran.
Lebanon’s health ministry, cited by U.N. children’s agency, said Wednesday that seven children were killed and 38 injured in Israeli airstrikes across the country in the past 24 hours.
Nearly 60,000 people, including about 18,000 children, were displaced in the last 24 hours, UNICEF said, adding to tens of thousands already uprooted.
“No child should ever be killed or left to bear the lifelong physical and emotional scars of violence,” UNICEF’s Lebanon representative Marcoluigi Corsi said.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has rejected claims that it had allowed the US Navy to use its ports in the war against Iran.
Douglas McGregor, a former adviser to the secretary of defense in the US, had claimed on the far-right One America News Network (OAN) that American naval ships might be using Indian ports amid the conflict.
“Claims being made on OAN, a US based channel that Indian ports are being used by the US Navy are fake and false,” the Indian foreign ministry said. “We caution you against such baseless and fabricated comments.”
More than 17,500 Americans have returned to the United States since the country and Israel launched war on Iran last weekend, the State Department said Wednesday.
More than 8,500 Americans returned on Tuesday, assistant secretary of state Dylan Johnson said.
He said that the State Department had assisted nearly 6,500 people with most Americans leaving on their own, and virtually all taking commercial flights.
The United States is in the process of arranging charter flights and, in a break with precedent, is waiving fees for Americans who board.
Since February 28, over 17,500 American citizens have returned to the United States from the Middle East — with over 8,500 American citizens returning to the U.S. yesterday alone.
— Dylan Johnson (@ASDylanJohnson) March 4, 2026
Many more Americans have left the Middle East to other countries in Europe and Asia, and others…
Air India will resume its regular flight operations from Jeddah to Delhi and Mumbai starting Thursday. The airline has already been operating select flights to and from Dubai and Jeddah to repatriate stranded passengers.
Meanwhile, IndiGo is also operating special flights from Jeddah to facilitate passenger travel.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says the death toll from Israeli strikes in the country has risen to 72.
At least 437 have been wounded, it added.
Iran’s armed forces have threatened to target Israeli missions worldwide if Israel attacks Tehran’s mission in Lebanon, a military spokesman says.
Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman of the Iranian armed forces, said live on television “if Israel commits such a crime it will force us to make all Israeli embassies around the world our legitimate target”.
Yesterday, Avichay Adraee, an Arabic-language spokesman for the Israeli military, said it “warns representatives of the Iranian terror regime who are still in Lebanon to leave immediately before being targeted”, giving them 24 hours to flee.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has asked the US ambassador to the country to urge Washington to intervene to stop Israeli attacks, according to a statement from the presidency.
استقبل رئيس الجمهورية العماد جوزاف عون عصر اليوم في قصر بعبدا، السفير الاميركي في لبنان ميشال عيسى وعرض معه الأوضاع الراهنة في لبنان والمنطقة، في ضوء التطورات الأمنية المستجدة.
— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) March 4, 2026
وطلب منه تدخل الولايات المتحدة الأميركية لوقف الاعتداءات الإسرائيلية على لبنان.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday said it was "illusory" to think that conflicts in the Middle East can be resolved "by military force and unilateral action alone".
"We must emphasise this repeatedly to our American and Israeli friends, and we will continue to do so," Pistorius told the German parliament.
"History teaches us that starting wars is much easier than ending them," Pistorius said.
"This means that a robust exit strategy is needed," he said, adding: "I do not see one at present."
President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed Iran’s neighbouring countries saying Iran sought to avert war through diplomacy but US-Israel attacks left it “with no choice” but to retaliate.
“We respect your sovereignty,” the president said in two separate posts in Arabic and Persian on X.
Iran believes that security in the region must be achieved through a regional collective effort, he added.
روسای محترم کشورهای دوست و همسایه ما کوشیدیم با کمک شما و از طریق دیپلماسی از جنگ اجتناب کنیم اما حمله نظامی آمریکایی صهیونی هیچ راه دیگری جز دفاع از خود برای ما باقی نگذاشت ما به حاکمیت شما احترام میگذاریم و هنوز هم معتقدیم آرامش منطقه باید به دست کشورهای منطقه تامین شود https://t.co/6s6dYepSmv
— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) March 4, 2026
Israel’s military says it has carried out a large-scale strike on what it described as a major Iranian military complex east of Tehran.
In a statement posted on X by Arabic-language military spokesperson Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army said fighter jets targeted a complex that it said housed command centres used by several branches of Iran’s security establishment.
The Israeli military said the site included headquarters linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Quds Force, the Basij, military intelligence and other security units, claiming that Iranian personnel were present at the complex at the time.
US forces have struck or sunk more than 20 ships belonging to Iran’s government since the start of operations, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has claimed.
In a statement, CENTCOM said it had added a Soleimani-class warship to the list after an attack overnight.
U.S. forces have struck or sunk to the bottom of the ocean more than 20 ships from the Iranian regime. Last night, CENTCOM added a Soleimani-class warship to the list. pic.twitter.com/KgW8cS726P
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 4, 2026
Turkey on Wednesday summoned Iranian ambassador after a ballistic missile launched from Iran headed toward its airspace, a diplomatic source said.
"The Iranian ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry, and we conveyed our reaction and concerns over the incident," the source said.
Turkish officials said the missile was destroyed by NATO air-defence systems.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has firmly rejected claims made by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that Iranian forces targeted US assets in the Gulf country, and not civilian infrastructure.
During a phone call, the Qatari minister stressed that “the facts on the ground clearly show that the attacks struck civilian and residential areas inside the State of Qatar, including the vicinity of Hamad International Airport, vital infrastructure, and industrial zones housing liquefied natural gas production facilities,” according to a statement.
These acts “constitute a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and of the principles of international law,” it added.
The Omani navy rescued 24 crew members of a Malta-flagged container ship struck by missiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, state media said, as Iran pressed its Gulf retaliation campaign.
The cargo ship was "hit by two missiles" and Oman's royal navy rescued its "crew of 24 people" who are now in good health, the Oman News Agency said.
US forces killed the leader of an Iranian unit that tried to assassinate President Donald Trump, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday.
"Iran tried to kill President Trump, and President Trump got the last laugh," Hegseth told a news conference at the Pentagon.
He said the United States has known "for a long time that Iran had intentions on trying to kill President Trump and or other US officials."
Iran's security chief Ali Larijani said Wednesday that US President Donald Trump had dragged the American people into "an unfair war" with Iran.
"Mr. Trump, with Netanyahu's clownish antics, dragged the American people into an unfair war with Iran," Larijani posted on X.
The story continues. The martyrdom of Imam Khamenei will exact a heavy price from you. God willing. pic.twitter.com/ktuPrm087t
— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 4, 2026
Israel had initially planned to strike Iran in mid-2026, but developments inside the Islamic republic and shifting regional dynamics brought the timetable forward to February, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday.
"An operation was planned for the middle of the year with the same target set," Katz said in an address to military intelligence officials, according to a statement issued by his office.
"But due to developments and circumstances -- mainly what happened inside Iran, the position of the US president and the possibility of creating a combined operation -- it became necessary to move everything up to February."
Oil tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has plunged by 90 percent since the outbreak of US-Israeli attacks on Iran, the energy market intelligence firm Kpler said Wednesday on X.
Iranian military officials have said they have completely choked off traffic though the waterway that a fifth of the world's crude oil supplies transit, but Kpler said some are risking the trip.
"Unlike several other vessel segments where movements have largely ceased, some tankers are still travelling east and west through the strait, with a number of voyages occurring under AIS blackouts," said Kpler Principal Freight Analyst Matt Wright, referring to the marine traffic tracking system.
Tanker traffic through Strait of Hormuz down by 90%
— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) March 4, 2026
Analysis of vessel activity indicates tanker transits are now around 90% lower than last week. Matt Wright, Principal Freight Analyst at Kpler, explains: "Unlike several other vessel segments where movements have largely… pic.twitter.com/JIhFoAkQKO
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is promising to send a special envoy for mediation to the Middle East. The development comes after separate phone calls between Wang and his counterparts in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
Wang told Saudi’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah he appreciated Riyadh’s “restraint” and attempts to resolve differences through peaceful means.
He also told the UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan that China considers attacks on civilians to be a “red line”.
The number of ballistic missiles fired by Iran has decreased 86 percent from the first day of the conflict, while drones launched by Tehran's forces are also down, General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, said Wednesday.
"Iran's theater ballistic missile shots fired are down 86 percent from the first day of fighting, with a 23 percent decrease just in the last 24 hours," Caine told a news conference at the Pentagon.
"Their one-way attack drone shots are down 73 percent from the opening days," he said.
The US Senate is set to vote Wednesday on a resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump's authority to continue military strikes on Iran, in the first congressional test of support for a conflict launched without explicit approval from lawmakers.
The bipartisan measure, introduced by Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Rand Paul, would require the withdrawal of US forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress authorizes the campaign.
The sirens for the past hour and a half are warning of incoming drones and projectiles. The Israeli military says at least some of the fire has come from Lebanon.
The Israel’s military in a statement said that it identified a new barrage of missiles fired by Iran towards Israel.
“Defence systems are operating to intercept the threat,” it said.
“In the last few minutes the Home Front Command has issued an advance alert directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas.”
Satellite imagery shows two buildings have been damaged near an Iranian nuclear site in Isfahan.
However, there are no signs of damage to facilities containing nuclear material and currently no risk of radiological release, the UN’s nuclear watchdog said.
In a post on X, the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) said no further damage has been detected at the Natanz nuclear site.
No other damage has been discovered at Iran’s other nuclear sites including Bushehr, the UN agency said.
Based on analysis of latest available satellite imagery, IAEA sees no damage to facilities containing nuclear material in Iran and therefore no radiological release risk at this time. Near Isfahan nuclear site, damage is visible at two buildings. No additional impact detected at… pic.twitter.com/boUtjRTpAk
— IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) March 4, 2026
A ballistic missile launched from Iran and heading toward Turkish airspace via Iraq and Syria was destroyed by NATO air defence systems, Turkish officials said Wednesday.
The defence ministry said it had been "engaged and neutralised by NATO air-and-missile defence assets deployed in the eastern Mediterranean".
It did not specify the missile's intended target.
Hezbollah says it launched a swarm of attack drones at an Israeli military base.
In a statement, the group said its fighters targeted the “Tel Hashomer base”, which it described as a General Staff headquarters southeast of Tel Aviv, at about 12:00 GMT (2pm local time).
Hezbollah said the attack was carried out “in response to the criminal Israeli aggression that targeted dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, including the southern suburbs of Beirut”.
The US defense chief on Wednesday dismissed China and Russia as non-factors in Washington's decision making when it comes to the war against Iran.
"I don't have a message for them, and they're not really a factor here, and our issue is not with them," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a press conference, adding that the US focus was purely on ending what he called "the nuclear ambitions of Iran."
Russia and China have longstanding diplomatic and trade ties with Iran, while Russia has close military links to the country. Both Moscow and Beijing have criticized the US-Israeli war to topple the Iranian government and destroy its military.
The United States and Israel expect to achieve “complete control of Iranian skies” within days, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday, signaling a rapid escalation in the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Speaking at a Pentagon press conference alongside US Air Force General Dan Caine, Hegseth said American and Israeli forces were intensifying operations and that additional military assets were being deployed to the region.
“More forces are arriving,” Hegseth said, adding that air superiority over Iran could be secured in less than a week from the start of hostilities.
Hegseth also confirmed that US forces were responsible for sinking an Iranian submarine in the Indian Ocean, marking a direct and previously unacknowledged American naval strike in the conflict.
He also declared that the joint US-Israeli campaign was only in its early stages, stating that Washington would continue operations using what he described as an “unlimited stockpile of precision gravity bombs.”
US General Caine outlined the military’s operational objectives, saying US forces are targeting Iran’s ballistic missile systems to prevent threats to American personnel and regional partners.
He added that efforts are also underway to dismantle Iran’s naval capabilities to ensure Tehran cannot rapidly rebuild its combat strength.
“The next step is to expand inland, striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory and create additional freedom of manoeuvre for US forces,” Caine said.
According to the general, US Central Command (CENTCOM) has already shifted tactics by the fourth day of the campaign. After initially conducting large-scale strikes using stand-off munitions launched from outside Iranian defensive range, operations are transitioning to “stand-in precision strikes” conducted directly over Iranian territory.
The ship was in the Indian Ocean, heading back to Iran from an eastern Indian port, the deputy foreign minister told local TV.
Hegseth on Wednesday said Washington is “investigating” the Saturday attack on an Iranian girls’ school that killed over 160.
“All I can say is that we are investigating that. We of course never target civilian targets, but we are taking a look and investigating that,” he said.
A US submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday.
"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo," Hegseth told reporters.
Nearly 150 were missing and several dead after the frigate IRIS Dena sank Wednesday off Sri Lanka, officials said.
Turkey "was not a target" of a missile launched from Iran, heading toward Turkish airspace that was destroyed by NATO air-defence systems, a Turkish official told AFP on Wednesday.
"We believe it aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus but veered off course," the official said wishing to remain anonymous.
Israeli media said the military was planning "at least one or two more weeks of operations in Iran, during which it aims to hit thousands more Iranian regime targets," the Times of Israel reported after a briefing to the nation's military reporters.
Earlier the Israeli military said it had begun a fresh wave of strikes on Tehran, as an AFP journalist reported a fresh explosion in the northeast of the Iranian capital.
The army said it had struck "dozens" of targets, including security command centres in Tehran and a missile facility in Isfahan in western Iran, and had shot down an Iranian fighter jet over the capital.
Israel’s army says it has started to carry out another wave of strikes on Lebanon’s south, which it has been attacking from the air throughout the day and pushing troops deeper into. After the announcement, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported a new Israeli air raid on the southern town of Khiam.
An Iraqi official says a senior Iranian official requested that Iraq take measures to prevent Iranian opposition groups based there from breaching the border.
A statement says Ali Bagheri, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, made the request in a call with Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassim al-Araji.
Qatar's state-run energy firm on Wednesday announced force majeure following attacks on two of its main facilities that halted liquefied natural gas production and as Iran pressed missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.
"Further to the announcement by QatarEnergy to stop production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and associated products, QatarEnergy has declared Force Majeure to its affected buyers," the company said in a statement.
Iran's official IRNA news agency said on Wednesday that US-Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,000 people nationwide since Saturday.
"During the military aggression... 1,045 of our dear military personnel and civilians" were killed, IRNA said, citing a statement from Iran's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs.
The IRGC says it is prepared for the “complete destruction of the region’s military and economic infrastructure.” The statement came via Iranian state television.
“The continued mischief and deception by the United States in the region will come at the cost of the complete destruction of the region’s military and economic infrastructure,” it says.
It alleges, without offering evidence, that the US military was using “civilian facilities... as cover.”
A container ship was struck off the coast of Oman while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, a British maritime security agency reported, as Iran presses its retaliation campaign in the Gulf. It was the fourth reported attack in regional waters within 24 hours, after projectiles struck on or near three other vessels off the Emirati and Omani coasts.
The ship was two nautical miles north of Oman, "transiting eastbound in the Straits of Hormuz" when it was "hit by an unknown projectile just above the water line causing a fire in the engine room," according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, denounced on Wednesday the "in the strongest terms the unjust war" on Iran.
Sistani, himself born in Iran, called "on all Muslims and free people around the world to denounce" the war and "stand in solidarity with the Iranian people." He urged "all countries, particularly Islamic nations, to make every possible effort to end it immediately and to reach a just and peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue."
Despite his non-Iraqi roots, Sistani has been a vital figure in Iraq's recent history, guiding his followers through decades of dictatorship, occupation and conflict. But his influence extends beyond Iraq with millions of followers across the Muslim world.
The United Arab Emirates and Qatar separately said Wednesday they had intercepted drone and missile barrages as Iran pressed its campaign targeting its neighbours into a fifth day.
The UAE's ministry of defence said its air defences "successfully engaged today (March 4, 2025) with 3 ballistic missiles and detected 129 drones, of which 121 drones were intercepted while 8 fell on state territory."
Qatar's military said it was targeted "at dawn today, by 10 drones and 2 cruise missiles coming from the Islamic Republic of Iran," with all of the projectiles intercepted by its forces.
Iran announced that a state funeral for supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which had been planned for Wednesday evening in Tehran, was postponed "in anticipation of unprecedented turnout," state television reported.
"The farewell ceremony for the martyred Imam has been postponed. The new date will be announced later," Iranian television reported on Wednesday after Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes over the weekend.
At least 101 people were missing and 78 wounded after a submarine attack on an Iranian ship off Sri Lanka's coast on Wednesday, reported Reuters.
The ship was an Iranian Navy frigate that had participated in the Indian Navy’s International Fleet Review (IFR) and the multinational Exercise Milan in Visakhapatnam in mid-February.
The frigate, IRIS Dena, was on its return voyage to Iran after attending the naval engagements hosted by India when it sent a distress call around dawn.
The Sri Lankan military has rescued at least 30 people on board the ship, said the country's foreign minister Vijitha Herath. The injured have been admitted to a hospital in Galle.
Lebanese state media reported on Wednesday that the Israeli army entered the southern Lebanese town of Khiam, about six kilometres from the Lebanon-Israel border.
"The town of Khiam is witnessing continuous artillery shelling, while the Israeli enemy army penetrated into the town," state media said.
A Lebanese military source told AFP on Tuesday that Israel had launched a ground incursion into a border area in southern Lebanon, in parallel with its campaign of airstrikes.
The Israeli military on Wednesday said that Iran still has significant capacity to launch missiles at Israel, even as it continues to strike missile launchers in the Islamic republic.
"We have destroyed dozens of missile launchers that posed significant threats to the Israeli front," military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a televised briefing. "We will continue to strike the missile launchers and reduce the firing, but the regime still has significant capacity, and I would like to remind you that our defence is not impenetrable."
In a separate statement, the military said it had struck overnight a facility "for the storage, production, and launch of ballistic missiles -- including Ghadr missiles -- in Isfahan in western Iran."
Chinese shipping giant Cosco, which operates one of the world's biggest oil tanker fleets, has said that it is suspending services to and from Gulf countries including the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait, starting Wednesday.
"In view of the escalating conflicts in the Middle East region and the resultant restrictions on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz," Cosco has decided to "suspend all new bookings ... for relevant routes with immediate effect until further notice," it said in a statement.
A tanker was hit off the coast of the UAE by "debris from an unknown projectile," a British maritime security agency reported Wednesday.
The incident occurred early Wednesday, 10 nautical miles east of the Emirati city of Fujairah, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
"The tanker experienced a loud blast and debris from an unknown projectile was found on the deck. The funnel of the tanker sustained minor damage but no major damage has been observed," it said, adding that all crew were safe and accounted for.
The US Central Command used Anthropic’s Claude artificial intelligence model for “intelligence assessments, target identification and simulating battle scenarios” during strikes on Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The AI tool was used to inform the joint US-Israel bombardment that began on Saturday, despite US President Donald Trump’s decision to sever ties with the company and its technology after Anthropic refused to agree to unconditional military use of its Claude models.
According to the Journal, the military used Claude for intelligence analysis, target selection and battlefield simulations.
Iran FM accuses Trump of ‘betraying diplomacy’ — Abbas Araghchi said Donald Trump “betrayed diplomacy” by launching strikes during nuclear talks, accusing him of “bombing the negotiation table out of spite” in a post on X.
The Israeli military said its air force shot down an Iranian fighter jet over Tehran on Wednesday, the fifth day of the Middle East war sparked by joint US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic, reported AFP.
"An Israeli Air Force F-35I fighter jet ('Adir') shot down an Iranian Air Force YAK-130 fighter jet a short while ago over the skies of Tehran," a military statement said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hit back on Wednesday at US President Donald Trump's criticisms of Madrid's refusal to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran.
"The position of the government of Spain can be summed up in four words: no to war," he said in a televised address, a day after Trump threatened to sever all trade with Spain.
"We will not be complicit in something that is harmful to the world and contrary to our values and interests, simply out of fear of retaliation."
Iran has no intention of negotiating with the United States and can continue the Middle East war for as long as needed, Mohammad Mokhber, a senior aide to the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told state TV, reported AFP.
He told the broadcaster that Iran had "no trust in the Americans and we have no basis for any negotiations with them", adding that: "We can continue the war as long as we want."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said US-Israeli strikes on Iran appear “inconsistent with international law” and called for rapid de-escalation of the conflict. Speaking in Australia, he said Canada supports efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear programme but regretted that diplomatic avenues had failed and criticised Washington and Tel Aviv for acting without engaging the United Nations or consulting allies. Carney said Canada is prepared to assist in reducing hostilities, describing the war as another sign of strain in the global order.
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened on Wednesday to assassinate any Iranian leader picked to succeed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
"Any leader selected by the Iranian terror regime to continue leading the plan for Israel's destruction, threatening the United States, the free world and countries in the region, and suppressing the Iranian people, will be a certain target for assassination, no matter his name or where he hides," Katz said in a post on X.
Kuwait's health ministry said Wednesday an 11-year-old girl was killed after being hit by falling shrapnel following waves of Iranian attacks across the Gulf.
"Resuscitation was performed in the ambulance while the girl was being transported to the hospital, and attempts continued for nearly half an hour upon arrival at Al-Amiri Hospital. However, she passed away due to her injuries," said the ministry in a statement posted on X.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday they had launched around 40 missiles at US and Israeli targets.
"Several hours ago, the 17th wave of operation Honest Promise 4 was conducted with the launch of 40 missiles by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' aerospace forces, towards American and Zionist targets," a statement read on state TV said, without giving further details.
Iran will hold a three-day state funeral for supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes, official news agency Irna said.
"Starting at 10:00 pm (12:30 AM IST), the faithful will be able to pay a final homage to the body of the martyred guide of the nation, by visiting the Imam Khomenei grand mosque" in Tehran, Irna said, citing a statement from the Islamic Development Coordination Council.
Khamenei was 86 years old when he was killed, and will be buried in his home city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that they have “complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil and gas shipping chokepoint, warning that vessels attempting to pass through could face missile or drone strikes.
In a statement carried by Fars news agency, Guards Navy official Mohammad Akbarzadeh said the waterway was under the full control of the Islamic Republic’s navy.
However, according to a report by The Guardian, Admiral Brad Cooper of US Central Command rejected the claim, saying Washington had effectively neutralised Iran’s naval capabilities. “Today there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman,” he said, adding that US forces had destroyed 17 Iranian vessels.
Trump has said that the US Navy could begin escorting oil tankers through the strait if necessary, in a bid to stabilise global energy markets rattled by the conflict.
Admiral Cooper also said the scale of US strikes in the first 24 hours of the war nearly doubled the “shock-and-awe” bombardment of Iraq in 2003, and that nearly 2,000 targets in Iran have been hit so far.
The US State Department said on Wednesday it had ordered non-emergency personnel from US consulates in the cities of Karachi and Lahore and their families to leave Pakistan due to security concerns.
"The Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees and the family members of US government personnel from US Consulates Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to safety risks," the US embassy in Pakistan said in a statement.
It said there was no change to the status of its embassy in the capital Islamabad.
The intensity and frequency of attacks across the Gulf appear to be declining, though security risks remain, reported PTI.
Saudi Arabia said its forces shot down a drone in the eastern region on Tuesday, after earlier intercepting two ballistic missiles headed toward al-Kharj, home to Prince Sultan Air Base, which has hosted US troops.
Analysts note that even a limited number of strikes can force airspace closures and trigger major disruptions. As long as Iran sustains even low-level attacks, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are likely to face continued instability.
A drone was shot down on Wednesday near Baghdad's international airport, a day after a similar attack on the facility, two security sources told AFP.
"A drone was downed near Baghdad airport, with no casualties or material damage reported," an Iraqi security source said. Another security source in Baghdad confirmed the incident.
The airport includes a military base that hosts a US diplomatic facility and previously housed US-led coalition troops.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday they control the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for oil and gas, and any vessels seeking to pass through the waterway risk damage from missiles or stray drones.
"Currently, the Strait of Hormuz is under the complete control of the Islamic Republic's Navy," said Guards Navy official Mohammad Akbarzadeh in a statement issued on Fars news agency.
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the US Navy was ready to escort oil tankers through the crucial Gulf shipping route.
A drone struck the logistical support camp of the US Embassy near Baghdad International Airport, Al Jazeera reported, citing local sources. There were no immediate details on casualties or damage.
Missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday triggered air raid sirens across large parts of Israel, with the military saying it was "operating to intercept the threat".
The order to seek shelter covered Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other areas across the country.
It was lifted after several minutes, with no immediate reports of any direct impact.
Israel's emergency medical service Magen David Adom said it had received no reports of casualties.
Israeli media reported that shrapnel fell in an area near Jerusalem, causing a fire.
Police said officers in the Jerusalem area were "conducting searches to locate impact sites involving fallen munition debris or interceptor fragments".
The Israeli military had reported a previous missile launch from Iran about five hours earlier.
Ministry of External Affairs sets up control room amid rising tensions in West Asia and the Gulf region.
In a press release, the MEA stated that the control room will function from 9 am to 9 pm.
The control room can be contacted at 1800118797 (toll free), +91 11 2301 2113, +91 11 2301 4104, +91 11 2301 7905.
The U.S. State Department said early Wednesday it had authorized non-emergency American government personnel and family members to evacuate Saudi Arabia should they choose due to the war.
The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia has come under attack by Iran in the war.
Fuel prices surged across the US and Europe as the widening Middle East war disrupted oil flows through the Persian Gulf. The average US gasoline price jumped 11 cents overnight to USD 3.11 per gallon (or 4.55 litres), while diesel prices in Europe have risen 27% since Friday, with long queues reported at petrol stations in France. Benchmark US crude climbed 8.6% to USD 77.36 a barrel and Brent crude rose 6.7% to USD 81.29 — the highest levels in over a year.
Israel said its air defenses were activated due to incoming missile fire from Iran.
The Israeli military called on people to leave 16 towns and villages in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, in an "urgent warning" before using force against Hezbollah militants, reported AFP.
"For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately" and head to "open areas", said a statement shared by the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee, listing 16 locations near the border.
Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport is set to reopen for limited inbound flights from Thursday, with one arrival per hour initially. No outbound commercial flights have been approved.
Airspaces over Iran, Iraq, Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Syria remain closed, while others are partially restricted, according to Flightradar24. Airlines are rerouting flights north and south, increasing costs and delays.
Cruise ships have also been affected amid Strait of Hormuz tensions.
While many remain stranded, some travellers have secured costly private charters to Europe, with demand soaring and prices reportedly reaching 200,000 Euros.
Washington said it is “actively securing” military and charter aircraft to assist nearly 3,000 Americans who have sought help. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said evacuations would take time due to airspace restrictions.
The US Embassy in Jerusalem said it cannot currently evacuate Americans but shared details of Israeli shuttle options to Egypt.
Frustrated travellers scrambled for exits as widening Iran war-related airspace closures entered a fourth day, grounding tens of thousands across the region and beyond.
The conflict, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Saturday, has led to widespread shutdowns across Gulf airspace. The US State Department urged Americans to leave more than a dozen countries using available commercial options, though flights remain scarce.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium said about 18,000 flights, nearly 55% of scheduled traffic in the Middle East , have been cancelled since Saturday, including 3,800 on Tuesday.
“Iran's Assembly of Experts elected Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba as the next Supreme Leader under pressure from the Revolutionary Guards”, Iran International reported, citing informed sources.
According to a report by The New York Times, some clerics had initially expressed reservations, fearing that naming him could expose him as a direct target for the United States and Israel, consensus ultimately consolidated around his candidacy. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal deliberations.
The clerics, known as the Assembly of Experts, held two virtual meetings — one in the morning and another in the evening, according to the report. Israel had struck a building in Qum, one of Shia Islam’s main seats of power, where the assembly was originally scheduled to convene and elect the new supreme leader. However, the building was empty at the time of the strike, the report said, citing Fars News agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is an influential but reclusive figure who has long operated in the shadows of his father’s political and religious establishment. His election comes days after Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes.
The Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin Brig. said Tuesday that Israel struck a building in Qom where clerics were expected to meet to discuss the selection of a new supreme leader. He said the army was still assessing whether anyone was hit.
“We’re not going to let this regime rehabilitate its command and control capabilities.,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has affirmed that it will take all necessary measures to defend the country’s security, territory, citizens, and residents, according to a state news agency citing a cabinet statement.
The statement comes amid a barrage of Iranian strikes against targets within the kingdom, including an Iranian attack on the US embassy in Riyadh.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called on Wednesday for the rapid de-escalation of the conflict unleashed by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, urging all parties to respect the international rules of engagement.
Speaking in Sydney, Carney said the war in the Middle East represented "another example of the failure of the international order".
"Canada calls for a rapid de-escalation of hostilities and is prepared to assist in achieving this goal," he said.
"Canada reaffirms that international law binds all belligerents," he said.
Carney has backed the Israeli-US strikes targeting Iran, saying Tehran had failed to dismantle its nuclear program and cease support for militant groups.
He expressed "regret" on Wednesday that international efforts had failed to disarm Iran.
But he noted that "the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada".
Carney's comment came on the second day of an official visit to Australia, a trip aimed at bringing in investment and deepening ties with a fellow "middle power" partner.
He will address a meeting of the Lowy Institute think tank later in the day.
Israel's military said Wednesday it has launched a "broad wave of strikes" on targets in Iran, after the Islamic republic launched three separate missile barrages at Israeli territory in recent hours.
The military said the targets of its latest strikes include "launch sites, aerial defence systems, and additional infrastructure."
The Pentagon has released the names of four of the six service members who have been killed in the Iran war, saying they died in a drone strike in Kuwait.
All four Army Reserve soldiers were killed Sunday when a drone hit a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. That was just a day after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran, which has launched retailatory strikes.
All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, lowa.
Killed were Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Spc. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has slammed Iranian attacks targeting the Saudi capital Riyadh after the US embassy was hit earlier.
“Iranian strikes on Riyadh, including on the US embassy, are completely unacceptable. We condemn these reckless and destabilising attacks that target innocent civilians,” Cooper said on social media.
“We stand with Saudi Arabia and our others partners across the region in the face of these attacks.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO, said after Tuesday’s closed-door briefing on the Iran operation that he would still vote ‘no’ on a war powers resolution, “unless they were to introduce ground troops.”
He added: “I didn’t hear in there any prediction of ground troops.”
“Personally, I would hope for a very swift conclusion, but I don’t know if that’s going to be the case,” he said.
Hawley said he learned more about the scope of the operation, which he said was “quite large” and “rapidly, rapidly evolving.”
“The briefers emphasized this, it’s really almost changing by the hour,” he said.
The Gulf kingdom has successfully destroyed 74 missiles and 92 drones since Iran began launching attacks on targets throughout the Middle East, Bahrain’s military says.
It didn’t give a figure for failed interceptions.
“The General Command states that the use of ballistic missiles and drones to target civilian infrastructure and private property constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the Charter of the United Nations, particularly the principles of distinction and proportionality,” an update shared on social media reads.
“These indiscriminate and heinous attacks represent a direct threat to regional peace and security.”
The UAE says it has been targeted by more than 1,000 attacks, a number that according to the Foreign Ministry exceeds the combined total of attacks suffered by all other targeted countries.
The emirate has not made a decision to change its defensive posture amid Iran’s attacks, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the country reserves the right to defend itself.
It added that the UAE also has not participated in the war, nor has it permitted the use of its territory, territorial waters, or airspace in any attack against Iran.
Tom Fletcher said civilians must be protected under international law but strikes are hitting homes, hospitals and schools.
“Civilians and civilian infrastructure have been under attack in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, the occupied Palestinian territory, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and beyond,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
Fletcher said he has activated contingency plans across Iran and the region including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Gaza and the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
He said the U.N. is constantly assessing damage and scaling up the humanitarian response required.
Qatar’s security agencies have arrested two cells of operatives associated with the Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, the state-run Qatar News Agency reports.
These are the first known arrests of the kind in Qatar since Israel and the US launched their bombing campaign against Iran on Saturday, and since Iran responded by attacking its Gulf neighbours with missiles and drones.
The Qatari Ministry of Defense has said that the country was targeted by two ballistic missiles launched from Iran, one of which was intercepted and another of which struck the Al-Udeid Air Base, which hosts US forces.
“Qatar Ministry of Defense announces that the State of Qatar was targeted by two ballistic missiles launched from the Islamic Republican of Iran,” a statement reads.
“Air defense systems successfully intercepted one of the missiles, while the second missile struck Al-Udeid Air Base without causing any casualties.”
— وزارة الدفاع - دولة قطر (@MOD_Qatar) March 3, 2026
Rafael Grossi says there’s no evidence Iran is building a nuclear bomb but he noted the country’s refusal to grant International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors full access to facilities is a matter of “serious concern”.
“I have been very clear and consistent in my reports on Iran’s nuclear programme: while there has been no evidence of Iran building a nuclear bomb, its large stockpile of near-weapons grade enriched uranium and refusal to grant my inspectors full access are cause for serious concern,” Grossi said in a social media post.
“For these reasons my previous reports indicate that unless and until Iran assists the IAEA in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues, the agency will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.”
“I’m sure we will be able to show that superiority in the next few days,” Israeli ambassador Danny Danon told reporters at the United Nations.
He cautioned, however, that while U.S.-Israeli attacks have degraded Iranian capabilities and it’s harder for them to launch missiles, “they put missiles underground, in caves, in secret locations.”
He said Israel has told its own citizens and people in the region, “give us some more time” to further degrade the Iranian military and achieve its objectives: “no nuclear weapons, no missile threat, no terror infrastructure.”
“It will not continue forever,“ Danon said.
The French president says the US and Israel violated international law when they launched an unprovoked attack on Iran over the weekend, but Tehran bears “primary responsibility” for the situation.
“The United States of America and Israel decided to launch military operations conducted outside international law, which we cannot approve of,” said Emmanuel Macron.
He nonetheless stated Iran’s “dangerous” nuclear programme, support for regional proxy groups, and shooting “its own people” meant it “bears primary responsibility” for the confrontation.
The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency has said there’s no evidence Iran is making a nuclear bomb.
The secretary of state insisted that Trump made the decision to attack Iran because this past weekend presented what he called a unique opportunity for the mission to be successful.
“The president is determined we were not going to get hit first. It’s that simple,” Rubio said ahead of a closed-door briefing for lawmakers.
Rubio was revisiting his remarks from a day earlier that have generated fierce blowback. At the time, he said Trump believed Israel was determined to act and wanted the U.S. to go first with a preemptive strike on Iran to prevent any retaliation on American bases and operations in the region.
“We are not going to put American troops in harm’s way,” he said.
Amid the administration’s shifting reasons for the war with Iran, Rubio also returned to Trump’s initial rationale. “There is no way in the world that this terroristic regime was going to get nuclear weapons, not under Donald Trump’s watch,” he said.
Iran’s indiscriminate retaliatory attacks on targets across the Gulf states are the “wrong strategy”, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says in a televised interview with state-run TRT HABER television.
“Iran’s bombing of Arab countries without making any distinction – Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan — all of them — is, in my opinion, an incredibly wrong strategy,” said Fidan.
“It significantly increases the risk in the region. But from Iran’s own perspective as well, it is an extremely mistaken strategy.”
Iran fired another salvo of missiles at Israel this evening, the Revolutionary Guard says.
“The sixteenth wave of ‘Operation True Promise 4’ has begun with a large number of missiles and drones launched by the aerospace forces of the Revolutionary Guards against the heart of the occupied [Palestinian] territories,” a statement carried by Fars news agency said.
Israel said it launched air strikes against Iranian missile launchers and a nuclear research site on Tuesday.
US President Trump said on Monday the military campaign’s four objectives are to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities, wipe out its navy, prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and ensure it cannot continue to support allied armed groups.
Trump said on social media he ordered the United States’ development finance arm to provide political risk insurance for tankers carrying oil and other goods through the Persian Gulf “at a very reasonable price.”
Political risk insurance is a type of coverage intended to protect firms against financial losses caused by unstable political conditions, government actions, or violence.
He said that, if necessary, the U.S. Navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. About a fifth of the world’s oil passes through the strait. The disruption to that traffic caused by the war has pushed oil prices higher.
The Navy has at least eight destroyers and three smaller littoral combat ships in the region. These ships have previously been used to escort merchant shipping in the region and in the Red Sea.
The United States said Tuesday that it had arranged charter flights to help Americans leave the Middle East after Washington joined Israel in attacking Iran.
US officials have helped arrange charter flights from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates "and will continue to secure additional capacity as security conditions allow," the State Department said.
It said that more than 9,000 Americans have returned from the Middle East since the United States and Israel started the war on Saturday, with more than 300 of them from Israel.
The State Department on Monday urged Americans in all of the Middle East from Egypt eastward to leave commercially for their own safety, though airports are shut down or operating at sharply reduced capacity across much of the region.
A drone attack caused a fire near the US consulate in Dubai on Tuesday, a government statement said, a day after the US embassy in Riyadh was hit by an Iranian strike.
"Dubai authorities have confirmed that a fire resulting from a drone-related incident near the US Consulate has been successfully contained," the official Dubai Media Office posted on X.
The Dubai media office says that no injuries have been reported following a “drone-related incident” around the US consulate.
“Dubai authorities have confirmed that a fire resulting from a drone-related incident near the US Consulate has been successfully contained,” the media office said in a social media post. “Emergency teams responded immediately. No injuries have been reported.”
Iran is ready for a long war against the United States and Israel and has so far not fired its most advanced weapons, its Defence Ministry says.
“We have the capacity to resist and to continue an offensive defence longer than what [the enemy] has planned for this imposed war,” ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.
“We do not intend to deploy all our advanced weapons and equipment in the first days,” he added.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the US navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if needed amid the Iran war, and ordered Washington to provide insurance for shipping.
"If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Israel's transport minister said Tuesday that the country will gradually reopen its airspace overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, after it was closed to civilian flights as the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
"The airspace will reopen gradually starting already on the night between Wednesday and Thursday, and of course subject to security developments," Miri Regev said during a press conference at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport.
A spokesperson for the ministry told AFP that the airspace will initially reopen for repatriation flights only, and that people will not be allowed to fly out.
The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that it struck an underground nuclear site in Iran where it said scientists were "covertly" developing a key component for an atomic weapon.
"The IDF intelligence continued to follow the scientists' activities and located their new location at this site in a manner that enabled a precise strike on the covert underground compound," the military said, displaying a map showing the facility on the western outskirts of Tehran.
"In the site, a group of nuclear scientists operated covertly to develop a key component for nuclear weapons," it said, adding the scientists had been working at the underground location after Israel struck several Iranian nuclear sites during the previous war in June.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that the United States and Israel's military operations in Iran were conducted "outside international law", but placed primary blame on the Islamic republic.
"The United States of America and Israel decided to launch military operations, conducted outside international law, which we cannot approve of," said Macron.
But "the Islamic Republic of Iran bears primary responsibility for this situation," Macron added, citing their "dangerous" nuclear programme, support for regional proxies, and orders to shoot "its own people" during protests in January.
President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that French forces downed drones "in self-defence" during the opening hours of the Middle East conflict sparked by strikes on Iran by the US and Israel.
"We reacted immediately and shot down drones in self-defence in the early hours of the conflict to defend the airspace of our allies, who know they can count on us," Macron said, referring to defence agreements with Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said France was sending extra air defence forces and a French frigate to Cyprus following a drone attack on a British base on the Mediterranean island.
"I have ... decided to send additional air defence assets and a French frigate, the Languedoc, which will arrive off the coast of Cyprus this evening," he said in a televised speech, a day after Iranian-made drones hit the British Royal Air Force (RAF) base.
Daoud Alizadeh, the acting commander of the Lebanon Corps in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force, was killed on Tuesday in an airstrike in Tehran, the Israeli military said in a statement.
The Quds Force works with Iran’s allied militant groups in the region, including Hezbollah. The army said the Lebanon Corps “supports Hezbollah force-building and functions as the connection between senior IRGC personnel and Hezbollah leadership.”
It said Alizadeh replaced the Lebanon Corps’ previous commander, Hassan Mahdavi, killed in an earlier Israeli strike.
Turkey's foreign minister said Tuesday that the United States should limit its attacks on Iran to degrading its military capabilities as forcing regime change would causes "risks" for the region.
Attacking military targets and regime change were the two main options for the war, Foreign Ministeer Hakan Fidan said in a television interview. "Moving toward the second (regime change) means introducing very different scenarios and risks for the region," he declared.
Israel's military chief on Tuesday said his forces would keep attacking Hezbollah until the Iran-backed Lebanese group was disarmed, as the war in the Middle East raged for a fourth day.
"We are determined to eliminate the threat Hezbollah poses and will not stop until this organisation is disarmed," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir was quoted as saying in a military statement.
The latest round of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel started early Monday when Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli attacks on Saturday.
The Spanish government has responded to US President Donald Trump’s threat to cut off all trade with Spain after Madrid refused to let the US military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran. “We have the necessary resources to contain the possible impact of the trade embargo by the US,” it said in a statement. “The US must comply with international law and bilateral EU-US trade agreements.”
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed Saturday in US-Israeli strikes, will be buried in the holy city of Mashhad, the Fars news agency said Tuesday.
Khamenei, who died at 86 after leading for 36 years, was originally from Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, where his father is buried at the Imam Reza shrine. No date for the burial was disclosed.
Seven children have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past two days, Lebanon’s health ministry said Tuesday.
In total, 40 people have been killed in Lebanon, including a Palestinian militant leader and a Hezbollah intelligence official, and 246 wounded in the new escalation between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
The United Nations has condemned the violence inflicted on children during the war in the Middle East, which has seen the US and Israel launch attacks on Iran’s military and civilian infrastructure. “The military operations in Iran and across the region are devastating and present a serious threat to children,” said the UN in a post.
“Civilians, schools and hospitals must not be attacked. Every child has a right to live free from fear.”
Iran held a mass funeral on Tuesday for 165 schoolgirls and staff killed in what it described as a US-Israeli attack on a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab.
It was the deadliest incident in the campaign against Tehran so far.
The military operations in Iran & across the region are devastating & present a serious threat to children.
— United Nations (@UN) March 3, 2026
Civilians, schools & hospitals must not be attacked.
Every child has the right to live free from fear.
— @childreninwar & @UN_EndViolence https://t.co/i8TX4CDF8V pic.twitter.com/g1pc9t4yoX
Israel steps up strikes: Israel intensified airstrikes on Iranian missile launchers and factories, fuelling concerns over regional stability and global oil markets. Iran retaliated across the Gulf, disrupting energy supplies and travel.
Mojtaba elected Supreme Leader: Senior clerics of Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected Mojtaba, Ayatollah Khamenei's son 56, as the new Supreme Leader.
Strike on leadership meeting: Israel targeted a session of Iran’s top leadership body as officials gathered to select the new Supreme Leader, reportedly striking while votes were being counted.
Trump claims ‘everything’s been knocked out’: US President Donald Trump said extensive damage had been inflicted on Iran, denied Israel forced his hand, and said a leader from within Iran should take power after the conflict rather than exiled figure Reza Pahlavi.
Ground incursion into Lebanon: Israeli troops advanced into southern Lebanon after Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered forces to seize additional strategic positions. Military spokesperson Effie Defrin said the aim was to create a buffer zone “between our residents and any threat.”
Iran hits Gulf targets: Explosions were reported in Gulf cities as Iran struck industrial and diplomatic sites, including US bases in Bahrain and Qatar. Saudi Arabia said two drones hit the US embassy in Riyadh, causing minor damage and a fire. The embassy suspended consular services.
Strait of Hormuz shut: The IRGC announced closure of the Strait of Hormuz, warning it would “burn” vessels attempting to pass through the waterway that carries about 20% of global oil and gas supplies.
US strikes IRGC assets: The US military said it destroyed IRGC command posts, air defence systems and missile launch sites.
Death toll rises: Iranian state media, citing the Iranian Red Crescent, said more than 787 people have been killed in Israeli and US attacks. Tehran said 165 died in a strike on a girls’ school in Minab. The UN human rights chief called for a “prompt, impartial and thorough investigation.”
Tehran to hold three-day ceremony for Khamenei: A commemoration for the late Supreme Leader will begin at 10pm (12:30 AM IST) at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla
