Sunday's developments
Israel, Iran trade fire: Israel’s military said on Sunday it had begun a broad wave of strikes on western Iran as Tehran retaliated with a new wave of missiles and drones towards Israel. A US-Israeli airstrike on an industrial area in Isfahan killed at least 15 people, according to Iran’s Fars news agency.
IRGC vows to kill Netanyahu: Amid rumours and speculation about Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s health, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Sunday said it would pursue and kill the leader “if the child-killing criminal is alive.”
Trump seeks Hormuz help, Iran warns: US President Donald Trump urged countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK to send warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, adding the US would “help” them. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged countries to refrain from actions that could lead to the “escalation” and “expansion” of the war with Israel and the US.
UK seeks de-escalation: Britain’s energy minister Ed Miliband said it was essential to calm the situation in West Asia after Trump demanded help to protect oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The “plan now has to be to de-escalate the conflict,” Miliband told the BBC, adding the country was “intensively looking” at what it could do to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz alongside its allies.
Lebanon preparing to negotiate: Lebanon is working to form a delegation to negotiate with Israel in a bid to stop the war, as Hezbollah said it was involved in “direct clashes” with Israeli forces in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam.
‘No problem with supreme leader’: Iran’s foreign minister said there was “no problem” with the country’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who US officials say was wounded.
Several drones struck Kuwait's international airport on Saturday and hit its radar system but did not injure anyone, the country's civil aviation authority said.
"Kuwait International Airport was targeted by several drones this evening, which struck its radar system," the authority said. "Thankfully, no injuries were recorded."
Bahrain's interior ministry said on Saturday that six people were arrested for allegedly posting videos and spreading misinformation about Iranian attacks on the country.
"Six people were arrested and referred to the public prosecution for posting videos about the effects of the Iranian aggression, praising its hostile actions and spreading false news," the ministry said.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said countries that rely on oil carried through the Hormuz strait should take responsibility for keeping the passage open -- with American help.
"The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help -- A LOT!" he said on social media.
"The US will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well."
Lebanon is preparing to form a delegation to negotiate with Israel in a bid to stop the war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to a report by AFP.
The report, which quoted an official, said that there was still no Israeli commitment to the initiative.
"Negotiations are on the table and preparations are underway to form a delegation, but... neither the timing nor the location has been determined, with Paris and Cyprus being considered," the official said.
"We also need an Israeli commitment to a truce," the official added.
An Axios report on Saturday cited sources as saying the French government had drafted a plan to end the war in Lebanon that would require the government in Beirut to officially recognise Israel.
Police have arrested three people in Kuwait for using camera drones, authorities said on Saturday, after the country warned against filming and spreading information about Iranian strikes.
"Three people were arrested for using aerial camera drones in violation of warnings and instructions," the government's communications centre said.
France's foreign ministry said Saturday there was "no French plan" to stop the fighting in Lebanon between Israeli forces and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
"France has supported the Lebanese authorities' openness to direct talks with Israel and has offered to facilitate them," said a ministry statement sent to AFP.
"But it is for the parties, and only the parties, to set the agenda for these talks," it added.
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it was involved in "direct clashes" with Israeli forces in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam late on Saturday.
In a statement, it said the clashes were ongoing, having started at 9:20 pm (1920 GMT) and involved "light and medium weapons as well as rocket-propelled projectiles".
It said it had also targeted Israeli forces in three border villages.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said late on Saturday they had launched a missile salvo at US forces stationed at a major base in Saudi Arabia's Al-Kharj.
The Guards said the base was being used to equip "F-35 and F-16 fighter jets and is the storage place for fuel tankers".
While there has been no immediate confirmation of the attack from Saudi Arabia, the kingdom's defence ministry said earlier it intercepted six ballistic missiles headed towards Al-Kharj.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said Saturday on a visit to Beirut that diplomatic channels remained open to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah and urged the international community to support Lebanon.
Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war last week when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes, and the Tehran-backed group's leader has said the militants were ready for a long confrontation with Israel.
On Saturday, Israel kept up strikes on Lebanon as Hezbollah claimed attacks against northern Israel and Beirut said the death toll in the country since March 2 had climbed to 826, including 106 children.
The top US broadcast regulator on Saturday threatened media outlets over negative coverage of the Middle East war, after President Donald Trump slammed critical headlines from the "Fake News Media."
The president since his first term has derided mainstream media as "fake news" and has sued major outlets over what he sees as unfair coverage.
Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) -- which oversees US radio, television and internet media -- said broadcasters risked losing their licenses over news coverage.
"The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not," Carr said in a post on X.
"Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions -- also known as the fake news -- have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up."
Three Iranian women footballers granted asylum in Australia have changed their minds and decided to return home to Iran, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Sunday.
"Overnight, three members of the Iranian Women's Football Team made the decision to join the rest of the team on their journey back to Iran," Burke said in a statement.
One other team member seeking refuge had a change of heart earlier in the week and left the country, leaving a total of three out of seven asylum seekers from the squad still in Australia.
The Formula One grands prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been cancelled due to the United States' and Israel's war with Iran, motorsport's governing body the FIA announced Saturday.
"It has been confirmed today that, after careful evaluations, due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April," the FIA said in a statement.
The United Arab Emirates has the right to defend itself against Iran's ongoing strikes but chooses restraint, a senior UAE official has said, as Tehran continues its retaliatory attacks across the Gulf.
"The UAE has the right to defend itself against this imposed terrorist aggression, but it is still prioritising reason and logic, continuing to exercise restraint and seeking a way out for Iran and the region," presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said late Saturday on X.
The UAE "made sincere efforts until the very last moment to mediate between Washington and Tehran to avoid this war", he wro
Explosions rang out over Bahrain's capital of Manama early on Sunday as Iran continued its strikes across the Gulf, AFP reported.
Bahrain said it has intercepted 125 missiles and 203 drones since the start of Iran's attacks, which have killed two people in the kingdom and 24 others in neighbouring Gulf nations.
Iraq will travel to Mexico for a playoff match ahead of the 2026 World Cup despite the challenge of traveling during a war that has engulfed West Asia, the country's football association said on Saturday.
"The national team will depart at the end of the week to Mexico via a private plane," said Adnan Dirjal, the president of Iraq's football association, adding they had contacted FIFA to help facilitate the trip during the conflict in the region that has hampered flights.
The match date has been set for March 31 in the Mexican city of Monterrey.
According to Al Jazeera, the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said it fired a salvo of rockets at Israeli soldiers stationed at the Avivim barracks. The report came after Hezbollah claimed it had carried out 47 attacks on Israeli positions on Saturday.
The United States Department of Defense on Saturday identified six US crew members killed when a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq earlier this week, adding that the loss was not caused by hostile fire.
The aircraft went down on Thursday during operations linked to the war with Iran, bringing the number of US troops killed in the conflict to at least 13. The crash is under investigation, while the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed Iraqi factions , has claimed it downed the aircraft.
The Pentagon said the six members killed in the crash were: John Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Ariana Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Ashley Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky; Seth Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Curtis Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tyler Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.
South Korea is evacuating 204 of its citizens and seven other nationals from the Middle East using a military aircraft, the foreign ministry said, calling the operation "unprecedented."
The evacuees are due to arrive in South Korea on Sunday afternoon.
Explosions rang out over Bahrain's capital of Manama early on Sunday, two AFP journalists said.
Bahrain said it had intercepted 125 missiles and 203 drones since the start of Iran's attacks, which have killed two people in the kingdom and 24 others in neighbouring Gulf nations.
Three members of the Iranian women's football team granted asylum in Australia have changed their minds and decided to return home to Iran, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said.
One other team member seeking refuge had a change of heart in the past week and left the country, leaving a total of three out of seven asylum seekers from the squad still in Australia.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards vowed on Sunday to target Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the war with Israel and the United States continues.
"If this child-killing criminal is alive, we will continue to pursue and kill him with full force," said the Guards on their website Sepah News.
Saudi Arabia said it has intercepted 10 drones in the areas surrounding Riyadh and the eastern regions of the country, reported Al Jazeera.
However, Iran's Revolutionary Guards has denied responsibilty of the attacks.
"This attack has no connection to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Saudi government should seek to discover the origin of the attacks," the IRGC said in a statement.
A senior Japanese policy adviser said Sunday the threshold is "extremely high" for Tokyo to send its warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, as asked by US President Donald Trump.
"I regard the threshold as extremely high" for sending Japanese navy ships to the region under existing Japanese laws, Takayuki Kobayashi, the policy chief of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said Sunday on the public broadcaster NHK's political debate programme.
"Legally speaking, we do not rule out the possibility, but given the current situation in which this conflict is ongoing, I believe this is something that must be considered with great caution," he said.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Sunday said it has launched 10 missiles and an unidentified number of drones against US forces at the UAE's al-Dhafra airbase, Al Jazeera reported, citing Iranian news agencies.
Iranian authorities have arrested at least 20 people in the country's northwest on suspicion of cooperating with Israel, local media reported on Sunday.
The arrests took place during raids on networks linked to Israel in the West Azerbaijan province, the Fars news agency said, quoting provincial prosecutor Hossein Majidi.
"Twenty people were arrested and detained" after they were found to be "sending details of military, law enforcement and security locations to the Zionist enemy", it added.
The developments so far
The West Asia war entered its third week with the United States and Israel intensifying strikes on Iran, with targeted attacks on Iranian military and strategic infrastructure, including those linked to Tehran’s oil export network. Washington has warned that Iran’s energy facilities could be targeted if Tehran disrupts shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
IRGC vows to kill Netanyahu: Amid rumours and speculations regarding Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu's health, Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Sunday said it will pursue and kill the leader "if the child-killing criminal is alive."
Israel, Iran trade fire: Israel's military on Sunday said it began a broad wave of strikes on western Iran. A US-Israeli missile attack on an industrial area of Isfahan killed at least 15 people, Iran's Fars news agency reported earlier today. Meanwhile, Iran launched a new wave of missiles towards Israel, state TV reported.
Trump asks other countries to secure Hormuz Strait: US President Donald Trump urged countries such as China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain to send warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the US will "help" them.
Lebanon preparing to negotiate: Lebanon is working to form a delegation to negotiate with Israel in a bid to stop the war as Hezbollah said it was involved in "direct clashes" with Israeli forces in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam.
'New genocide': Turkey expressed deep concern Saturday over Israel's ongoing strikes on Lebanon stating it would commit "a new genocide" under the guise of fighting Hezbollah. Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli strikes had killed 826 people, including 65 women and 106 children since March 2.
South Korea evacuates over 200 people: South Korea is evacuating 204 of its citizens and seven other nationals from the Middle East using a military aircraft, the foreign ministry said, calling the operation "unprecedented."
'No problem with supreme leader': Iran's foreign minister said that there was "no problem" with the Islamic republic's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who US officials say was wounded.
Iran threatens US oil targets: Following the Kharg Island attack, Iran’s military command reiterated its threat to strike US-linked oil and energy facilities in the region if the Islamic Republic’s oil infrastructure were hit.
Attack on Baghdad military base: A drone attack late Saturday targeted the Baghdad airport complex, which houses a military base and a US diplomatic facility.
US base in Saudi Arabia targeted: Iran's Revolutionary Guards said late Saturday that they had launched a missile salvo at US forces stationed at a major base in Saudi Arabia's Al-Kharj.
Ukraine does not want to lose US support for its struggle against Russia as a result of Washington's war with Iran, President Volodymyr Zelensky has told journalists.
"We don't want to lose the Americans" while they are "without a doubt currently preoccupied with the Middle East", the Ukrainian leader told the press, including AFP reporters, on Saturday.
"We are showing our willingness to help the United States and their allies in the Middle East" by offering to share Ukraine's drone expertise, and "we strongly hope that as a result of the Middle East, the United States will not turn its back on the question of the war in Ukraine", he added.
Israel's military said it began a broad wave of strikes on western Iran on Sunday, more than two weeks into the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic.
"A short while ago, the IDF began a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in western Iran," the army said in a statement.
South Korea said on Sunday it was paying close attention to US President Donald Trump's call for Seoul and other countries to send warships to help protect oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
"We are closely monitoring President Trump's remarks on social media and will carefully consider the matter in close consultation with the United States," a presidential official told AFP.
Iraq warned that drone attacks near Baghdad airport threatened the security of the nearby prison housing Islamic State group suspects recently brought from Syria.
They have been held since in Baghdad's al-Karkh prison, once a US Army detention centre known as Camp Cropper, which is part of Baghdad airport's complex that has been subjected to repeated strikes.
Since the start of the Middle East war, Tehran-backed armed groups have been claiming daily drone and rocket attacks against US bases in Iraq.
A British minister on Sunday said it was essential to calm the situation in the Middle East after US President Donald Trump demanded that other nations help protect world oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The "plan now has to be to de-escalate the conflict", Energy Security Minister Ed Miliband told the BBC.
"We are intensively looking with our allies at what can be done, because it's so important that we get the strait reopened," he added, speaking to Sky News.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged other countries on Sunday to refrain from any action that could widen the scope of the war with Israel and the United States.
In a phone call with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Araghchi called on other countries to "refrain from any action that could lead to escalation and expansion of the conflict," according to an Iranian foreign ministry statement.
His remarks came after US President Donald Trump called for other nations' warships to help protect world oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been virtually blocked by the threat of Iranian attacks.
Iran's army said on Sunday it had targeted a police unit and a satellite communications centre in Israel with drone strikes.
In a statement, carried by the official IRNA news agency, the army said "it has targeted the security centres and police headquarters of the Zionist terrorist regime, including the regime's special police unit called 'Lahav 433' and the 'Gilat Defence' satellite communications centre with powerful drone attacks".
Pope Leo XIV renewed his appeal for peace in the Middle East on Sunday, calling for an end to the war and reopening of dialogue.
"Dear brothers and sisters, for two weeks the peoples of the Middle East have suffered the atrocious violence of war," the US pontiff said at his weekly Angelus prayer at the Vatican.
"Thousands of innocent people have been killed, and countless others have been forced to flee their homes."
"On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East and of all women and men of goodwill, I address those responsible for this conflict," he said in Italian.
"Cease fire! Let paths of dialogue be reopened! Violence can never lead to the justice, stability and peace that people await."
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store says the war in Iran appears to be escalating, adding that the US-Israeli plan for the military campaign seems unclear.
Gahr Store also said no nuclear weapons would be stationed in his country.
Norway strongly criticised Israel’s “preemptive” attacks on Iran, which launched the war, saying they violated international law and labelled Israel an “aggressive nation”.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview published on Sunday that the war will only end when Tehran can be certain it will not be restarted.
"This war will end when we are certain it will not be repeated and that reparations will be paid. We experienced this last year: Israel attacked, then the United States... they regrouped and attacked us again," Araghchi told Arabic-language news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, referring to Iran's war with Israel and the US in June 2025.
A rocket has fallen in the cities of Bnei Brak and Ramat Gan in the greater Tel Aviv area, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
The Times of Israel reported that one man in Bnei Brak was hit by glass shards. The newspaper reported that the latest incident made "impact in a central city" while fragments caused damage to an apartment building. Haaretz reported that another elderly man was injured in Ramat Gan. Two others were injured in Petah Tikva.
Israeli police said they are investigating several sites where rocket and projectile shrapnel has fallen.
The UAE’s Ministry of Defence says it has intercepted four ballistic missiles six and drones launched from Iran.
It added that air defences have “intercepted 298 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,606 drones” since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran.
In the UAE, at least six people have been killed and 142 injured in Iranian attacks during the war.
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has held a phone conversation with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, to discuss "the escalating military tensions in the region resulting from Iran’s reprehensible aggression against regional countries", according to a statement posted by Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry on social media.
Al-Sabah also held a similar conversation with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.
The war in West Asia entered its third week with the United States and Israel intensifying strikes on Iran, targeting military and strategic infrastructure, including facilities linked to Tehran’s oil export network. Washington warned Iran’s energy facilities could be targeted if Tehran disrupts shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
TOP DEVELOPMENTS
Israel, Iran trade fire: Israel’s military said on Sunday it had begun a broad wave of strikes on western Iran as Tehran retaliated with a new wave of missiles and drones towards Israel. A US-Israeli airstrike on an industrial area in Isfahan killed at least 15 people, according to Iran’s Fars news agency.
IRGC vows to kill Netanyahu: Amid rumours and speculation about Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s health, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Sunday said it would pursue and kill the leader “if the child-killing criminal is alive.”
Trump seeks Hormuz help, Iran warns: US President Donald Trump urged countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK to send warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, adding the US would “help” them. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged countries to refrain from actions that could lead to the “escalation” and “expansion” of the war with Israel and the US.
UK seeks de-escalation: Britain’s energy minister Ed Miliband said it was essential to calm the situation in West Asia after Trump demanded help to protect oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The “plan now has to be to de-escalate the conflict,” Miliband told the BBC, adding the country was “intensively looking” at what it could do to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz alongside its allies.
Lebanon preparing to negotiate: Lebanon is working to form a delegation to negotiate with Israel in a bid to stop the war, as Hezbollah said it was involved in “direct clashes” with Israeli forces in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam.
‘No problem with supreme leader’: Iran’s foreign minister said there was “no problem” with the country’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who US officials say was wounded.
Mike Waltz was asked on CNN Sunday whether the US President was prepared to target oil facilities on Kharg island, which handles 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports, and if so, if he was worried that that could risk even more of an escalation in the war.
“President Trump’s not going to take any options off the table,” Waltz said. “I would certainly think he would maintain that optionality if he wants to take down their their energy infrastructure.”
US Central Command posted on X Saturday that it had struck military targets on the island, but had preserved the oil infrastructure.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran has "ample evidence" US bases in the Middle East have been used to target the Islamic republic.
"We have ample evidence of this: satellite imagery and electronic surveillance demonstrate that US bases in this region are being used for attacks," Araghchi told Arabic-language news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, claiming that missiles had been launched from the UAE to attack Kharg Island, a vital Iranian oil hub.
Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said its fighters targeted an Israeli air base south of Tel Aviv on Sunday, as Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon.
In a statement, Hezbollah said it targeted the Palmachim air base, around 140 kilometres (85 miles) from the Lebanese-Israeli border, with "an advanced missile", after claiming several other attacks on sites in northern Israel and on Israeli troops in Lebanon near the frontier.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s comments about the reopening of the crucial Strait of Hormuz came in an interview with the London-based Al-Araby al-Jadeed published on Sunday.
“The Strait of Hormuz is not generally closed, but only to the US and its allies, and we will continue this policy as long as the attacks continue,” he was quoted as saying.
Lebanon's health ministry said on Sunday that Israeli attacks have killed 850 people in the country during two weeks of war between Israel and Hezbollah. The ministry statement said the toll included 66 women, 107 children and 32 health workers, with 2,105 other people wounded.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told NBC News on Sunday that there’s been a “short-term disruption’ to the flow of energy and that “Americans are feeling it right now. Americans will feel it for a few more weeks.”
Asked whether the war will be over in a matter of weeks, Wright said: “I think that’s the likely time frame, yes.”
He said gas prices will start to come back down after the war is over. “At the end, we will have removed the greatest risk to global energy supplies. We’ll go to a world more abundant in energy, more affordable energy.”
Police and city workers scoured the area of what appeared to be a cluster munition impact in Tel Aviv on Sunday, attempting to locate and clear any unexploded ordnance. City workers used street sweepers and power washers to hose down an area where a small munition damaged two cars and spread shrapnel across a small park.
Cluster bombs can be exceptionally dangerous for the public as small munitions that are released may not explode on impact and pose a serious danger for passersby.
The impact also left a hole in the pavement, next to a bomb shelter that serves as a youth center at the local swimming pool. Within 90 minutes, bulldozers and other heavy equipment arrived to clear debris and patch the hole.
Israel police said there were a number of impact sites in the greater Tel Aviv area after Sunday’s attacks that left four people injured, one moderately.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi promised “full support and solidarity” in a message to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
Foreign minister Badr Abdelatty, who was visiting Qatar on Sunday on the first stop of a tour of the Gulf region, delivered the president’s message.
Abdelatty called for a deescalation of hostilities in the region. He said activating a Joint Defense Treaty would “safeguard the security, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Arab states.”
Iranian authorities have arrested dozens across the country on suspicion of cooperating with Israel, local media reported on Sunday, more than two weeks into the Middle East war.
"Twenty people were arrested and detained" after they were found to be "sending details of military, law enforcement and security locations to the Zionist enemy," the Fars news agency said, quoting provincial prosecutor Hossein Majidi. Those arrests took place during raids on networks linked to Israel in West Azerbaijan province, it added.
At least 18 people were also arrested over "sending images of locations bombed by Israel and the US" and other sites to the London-based TV channel Iran International, the Tasnim news agency said, quoting the intelligence ministry.
Italy's military said on Sunday there had been a drone attack on the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait hosting Italian and US forces, but said all its personnel were safe.
"This morning, Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait, which hosts American and Italian personnel and capabilities, was the target of a drone attack," Chief of the Defence General Staff, General Luciano Portolano, said in a statement posted by the military on X.
It "hit a shelter housing a remotely piloted aircraft of the Italian Task Force Air (TFA), which was destroyed."
"At the time of the attack, all personnel were safe and uninjured."
The statement posted by the Armed Forces General Staff said the number of personnel had been reduced in recent days in response to the "evolving security situation in the area."
"The personnel remaining at the base are being deployed to carry out essential mission activities," it said.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran was not interested in talks with the United States, pushing back on President Donald Trump's stance that Tehran wants a deal to end the war.
"We are stable and strong enough. We are only defending our people," Araghchi told CBS's 'Face The Nation', in an interview aired on Sunday.
"We don't see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us... There is no good experience talking with Americans."
"We never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiation," Araghchi said.
He added that Iran was ready to talk to countries who want to negotiate for selected oil tankers to pass through the key Strait of Hormuz export route. "I cannot mention any country in particular, but we have been approached by a number of countries who want to have a safe passage for their vessels," he said.
An Israeli military source told The Associated Press on Sunday that the country has enough interceptors to continue defending its skies against missiles from Iran. The source spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military protocol.
The comment appeared to be an effort to tamp down growing speculation that Israel’s vaunted air defense system is running low.
Interceptors are the missiles that Israel’s air defense system uses to destroy incoming rockets before they hit populated areas.
European soccer’s governing body said on Sunday that the security of the marquee game had been plunged into doubt by increasing tensions in the Middle East. The Finalissima between South American champion Argentina and European champion Spain had been scheduled to take place in Doha on March 27.
Argentina and Spain were to play at Lusail Stadium, which staged the epic 2022 World Cup final. Argentina won a penalty shootout against France after Lionel Messi scored twice and Kylian Mbappé secured a hat trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
The violence in the Middle East has impacted international sport beyond the Finalissima.
Formula 1’s races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, scheduled for April, have been called off due to the war, while Trump has suggested that Iran will not participate in this summer’s World Cup that is co-hosted by the US.
The International Energy Agency, which is helping to coordinate global efforts to lower prices, says its member countries in Asia and Oceania plan to release stocks “immediately” and that reserves from Europe and the Americas “will be made available starting from the end of March.”
“This emergency collective action, by far the largest ever, provides a significant and welcome buffer,” it says in a statement.
The IEA announced on Wednesday that it will make 400 million barrels of oil available from members’ emergency reserves — more than double the 182.7 million barrels that the IEA’s 32 countries released in 2022 in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The IEA’s update on Sunday said its members have so far committed to making available a total of nearly 412 million barrels from government, industry and other stocks — of which 72% will be crude oil and the rest as oil products.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a short video on Sunday making light of rumours on social media that he was dead.
"I'm dead for coffee," he said sarcastically on his official X account as he received a steaming cup at a cafe outside Jerusalem, employing a colloquial Hebrew expression meaning to love something to death.
He then raised his hands to the camera, asking, "Do you want to count the number of fingers?" -- a reference to speculation on social media that his latest televised address was generated by AI as he appeared to have six fingers on one hand.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) threatened on Sunday to kill Netanyahu, as the war against the Islamic republic led by Israel and the US entered its third week. "IRGC vows to pursue and kill 'child-killer' Netanyahu if he is still alive," Iran's IRNA news agency said in a post on X.
Pope Leo XIV renewed his appeal on Sunday for peace in West Asia and criticised those who invoke religion to wage war, saying that "God cannot be enlisted by darkness."
"Currently, many of our brothers and sisters in the world are suffering from violent conflicts, caused by the absurd claim that problems and differences can be resolved through war," he said on a pastoral visit to a Rome suburb.
He added: "Some claim to involve the name of God in these deadly decisions, but God cannot be enlisted by darkness.
"It is peace that those who invoke him must seek."
Several drones and rockets targeted on Sunday a military base at the Baghdad airport complex, which also houses a US diplomatic facility, three security sources told AFP.
"Nine attacks with drones and rockets targeted the Victory military base in the airport," a security official said, with an AFP journalist reporting hearing explosions in the capital.
Another security source said at least three drones were downed. It remains unclear if the military base was directly hit.
A strike on the Javadieh neighborhood of southern Tehran on Friday hit a police station and several surrounding buildings.
Elham Movagghari, a resident of the area who spoke to journalists Sunday, said she was shocked by the attack. “We were confused and didn’t know what had happened,” she said. “We just ran away.”
Another resident, Hossein Ghardashi, said the strike threw him across the room. “When I got up and came to my senses, I saw that two or three pieces of glass had gone into my face and head” he said.
A rocket attack on Baghdad International Airport, which houses a US diplomatic facility, wounded five people on Sunday including security personnel, Iraqi authorities said.
"Five rockets targeted Baghdad International Airport and its surrounding area, injuring four airport employees and security personnel, and an engineer," the security media cell said in a statement.
It added that rockets "struck the airport and a water desalination plant", while others crashed near a prison where Islamic State group suspects are detained and an Iraqi airbase base next to a US diplomatic facility.
The military’s statement says the territory’s crossing with Egypt will open Wednesday for “limited” movement in both directions: people only, not cargo. It says procedures will be the same as before the crossing closed.
Israel closed Gaza’s crossings on the first weekend of the Iran war. Rafah has been critical for medical evacuations abroad.
