• United States President Donald Trump says he ordered US forces to join Israel’s attack on Iran because he believed Tehran was about to strike first, a rationale that contradicts the account offered by his top diplomat on how the war began
• Iran continues attacks on Israel and US targets in the Middle East for a fourth night, with strikes reported on Washington’s consulate in Dubai and a port in the city of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
• The US and Israel keep up attacks on Iran, hitting the building of the Assembly of Experts in the city of Qom, as the death toll in the country since Saturday rises to at least 787.
• Trump says the US is prepared to deploy the navy to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz after the IRGC declared the vital waterway closed – a disruption already rippling through the region, with Iraq slowing or halting oil production at the Rumaila field and the West Qurna 2 project
• Qatari authorities say they have busted two sleeper cells operating for the IRGC and arrested at least 10 suspects.

UKMTO tracker reports explosion near vessel off Oman

The maritime security tracker says there has been an explosion near a vessel east of Muscat in Oman and that the crew and vessel are safe.

“UKMTO has received a report of an incident 137NM east of Muscat, Oman,” it said. “The Master reported a loud explosion in close proximity of the vessel followed by smoke in the water. The vessel and crew are safe. Authorities are investigating.”

US military claims strikes on nearly 2,000 targets in Iran

US Army Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper says the US has struck nearly 2,000 targets across Iran since the attacks began on Saturday, and destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including a submarine.

“More than 50,000 troops, 200 fighters, two aircraft carriers, and bombers from the United States are participating in this operation, and more capability is on the way,” Cooper said in a video posted on X.

He called it the largest US military build-up in the Middle East in a generation.

Cooper added that the US and Israel have launched nearly twice as many attacks on Iran as in the “shock and awe” bombings in the early stages of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

“We have severely degraded Iran’s air defences and destroyed hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers, and drones,” he added.

‘Third wave’ of US attacks still to come and expected to be ‘biggest yet’

Trump has said in the past 24 hours – and this has also been said by Marco Rubio – that there have been a number of waves of attacks by the Americans, but the third wave will be the biggest yet. And that has still to come.

That would fit in with what we have heard from Dan Caine, who is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Monday, when he said they were still moving more military hardware into the region.

That also suggests that the Americans went before they were fully ready. The fact is, they are still moving hardware – ships, planes, soldiers – into the region to carry out more operations.

US military says Iran’s ability to strike back is ‘declining’

The CENTCOM chief said that Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and more than 2,000 drones in retaliation for the US and Israeli strikes, but that Iran is facing a “lingering launch capability” due to the ongoing attacks on its missiles and launchers.

“We are seeing Iran’s ability to hit us, and our partners, is declining, while our combat power, on the other hand, is building. And my overall operational assessment is that we are ahead of our game plan,” said Cooper.

US attack on Iran ‘resembles’ Israeli military operation against Hezbollah: Analyst

Retired US General and former US Assistant Secretary of State Mark Kimmitt has said that a “strategic bombing campaign” is rarely a way to achieve objectives in a conflict, and historically, it is not a way to “win a war”.

“’Shock and awe’ didn’t work in Iraq,” Kimmitt said.

“But I think the sheer volume of the attacks, as well as the willingness for targeted assassinations of leaders, this really doesn’t resemble a strategic bombing campaign as much as it resembles the Israeli operations against Hezbollah after October 7,” he said.

“So, I think what we are going to see is the continued bombing of key installations, key facilities, key infrastructure, military facilities, and until there is a political organization that is a little more compliant… I think this will keep going. Which is why you can’t tell if it’s going to be days, weeks or months.”

Democrats sound alarm after Iran briefing, warn of long conflict

Democrats in the US Senate and House say the Trump administration’s justifications for attacking Iran are falling short after a briefing by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other White House officials.

“I am more fearful than ever after this briefing that we may be putting boots on the ground, and that troops from the United States may be necessary to accomplish objectives that the administration seems to have,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal.

The lawmaker said he was “no more clear on what the priorities are going to be of the administration going forward, whether it is destroying the nuclear capacity of Iran or simply the missiles or regime change or stopping terrorist activities”.

This raises the risk that the US could be drawn into a broader conflict.

Senator Chris Murphy, meanwhile, said the Trump administration anticipates further US casualties and appears to be committed to an “open-ended engagement with no end in sight”.

House Representative Jason Crow also slammed Rubio’s justifications, saying that it is “very clear that this is a war of choice by President Trump” and that there was no “imminent threat” from Iran that would have justified launching attacks.

UK maritime tracker says vessel struck off UAE

The UK maritime security tracker UKMTO has reported an incident off the UAE, saying a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile.

“UKMTO has received a report of an incident 7NM [13km] east of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. The Master reported the vessel being struck by an unknown projectile causing damage to the steel plating,” UKMTO said in a warning.

“There has been no fire or water intake. All crew reported safe. Authorities are investigating.”

This comes shortly after the UKMTO reported another incident off the coast of Oman.

Girl injured by shrapnel died of injuries in Kuwait

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health has reported the death of a girl from shrapnel-induced injuries.

“A girl was injured after shrapnel fell in a residential area in the capital governorate,” ministry spokesman Dr Abdullah Al-Sund said in a statement.

“And she passed away as a result of her injuries despite resuscitation attempts.”

At least three others have been killed in Kuwait since the start of the conflict between US-Israeli forces and Iran.

".. have been killed .."

If the victims lost their lives due to an impact by an projectile, they were killed. But, if the victims lost their lives as a result of activated air defenses hitting an projectile to explode in the air, causing debris to struck the victims, they are not killed but succumb from fallen debris.

Kuwait reports injuries, damage from shrapnel after interceptions

Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense says its forces have intercepted and destroyed several “hostile aerial targets” that entered the country’s airspace early this morning.

It said that shrapnel from the interceptions fell onto “residential homes”, causing injuries and material damage. The ministry did not provide additional details.

The announcement comes after Kuwait’s Ministry of Health reported that a girl had died from injuries caused by shrapnel this morning.

US-Israel’s ‘open-ended’ war on Iran will end when Tehran ‘concedes’

Mark Kimmitt, the retired US general, said that despite some “confusing talk out there”, the US has been clear about its objectives in Iran, which are: ending the country’s nuclear program, reducing its ballistic missile and drone capabilities, and wiping out its proxy network.

But he dismissed concerns, including from Democrats, that these objectives could require boots on the ground.

“The president has said he doesn’t want to get involved in forever wars, wars that bog down troops in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, as the mission goes from military operations to nation building, setting up stock exchanges and other non-critical missions like that,” Kimmitt said.

“So, I think, if the US can stay focused on those three objectives and nothing more, then I think things will be fine. It is an open-ended war because it’s going to end when the Iranians realise that they need to come back to the negotiating table.”

The retired general added that there was still scope for the US and Iran to negotiate an end to the war, so long as Tehran agrees to concede to Washington’s three demands in advance.

US officials to meet top defense contractors to boost weapons output: Report

The Reuters news agency is reporting that the Trump administration plans to meet with executives from the biggest US defense contractors at the White House on Friday to discuss accelerating weapons production, as the Pentagon works to replenish supplies after its strikes on Iran.

The agency cited five people familiar with the plan, who said companies including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon have been invited to the meeting. One of the people said the gathering was expected to focus on pressing weapon makers to move faster to boost output.

Reuters said the meeting reflects the growing urgency in Washington to replenish weapons stocks depleted by the attacks on Iran, as well as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. But in a social media post on Monday, Trump said there was a “virtually unlimited supply” of US munitions and that wars can be fought “forever”, and very successfully, using just these supplies.

Saudi Arabia shoots down nine drones

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defences says the country’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed nine drones that entered the country’s airspace.

Explosions rock Iran for a fourth night as death toll rises

This is night four of the US-Israeli strikes.

The US and Israel are targeting different places across the country, including the capital, Tehran. And similar to other nights, we’ve been hearing sounds of explosions here. This comes after a day of heavy bombardment in Tehran, including security installations. One police station in downtown Enqelab Square was targeted.

There’s also been bombardment in the cities of Isfahan, Qom and Urmia.

The IRGC is pledging to strike back, and they have issued a statement announcing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. They say that more than 10 oil tankers trying to approach the Strait of Hormuz have been targeted.

Across the country, there is concern over the growing number of casualties, especially civilians. We know that nearly 800 people have been killed and many more injured.

US Senate schedules vote on war powers resolution

The US Senate is set to vote on a war powers resolution that would bar Trump from further military action against Iran, as criticism builds over his decision to forge ahead with the attacks without congressional approval.

Debate on the bill is scheduled to begin at 11am local time (16:00 GMT) today, with the vote set to take place at 4pm (21:00 GMT).

War impacts global energy markets

Attacks on key energy facilities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, along with Iran’s blockading of the Strait of Hormuz, are sending global oil and gas prices soaring.

Analysts warn the disruptions could drive up energy costs worldwide, affecting gasoline, electricity, and heating.

US Senate may take up resolution on legality of war against Iran

[Congress’s permission for the war]: That’s the big question facing congressional Democrats and the few Republicans who say that the Trump administration has gone to war without the proper legal authorization.

There is the prospect that the Senate will take up a resolution on Wednesday that would determine whether or not Congress would be giving its consent to this military operation. The House has also been trying to get a similar resolution on its schedule.

Even so, the big question would be: Could they even get enough members of both chambers for these resolutions stopping the military operation?

It’s not clear that is possible, given that so many Republicans have already said that what the Trump administration is doing is legal.

And let’s not forget that Republicans control both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Democratic senator says Trump treating due process and US public with contempt

Earlier, US Senator Chris Murphy told reporters following a congressional briefing that the Trump administration appears to be committed to an “open-ended engagement with no end in sight”.

Here’s more from him:

“They told us in there that this is an open-ended operation that hasn’t even really started in earnest yet. There will be more Americans killed. They refuse to take off the table the insertion of ground troops. This is going to make the operation in Libya look like child’s play,” Murphy said.

“There is no question [that] this is war. They have contempt for the American people. They have contempt for the American people because they think that they can carry out the biggest war in the Middle East since Iraq and Afghanistan without a single vote, without a single discussion.”

Long war could favor Iran if US, Israel run low on interceptors

Ali Alizadeh, a political analyst and the host of Jedaal TV, says Iran has the resources to carry on the war for much longer than the US and Israel, and it has time on its side.

“You have to consider that Iranian defense strategy is built on making homemade, very cheap – in comparison to Western air defense – missiles and other capabilities, very cheap missiles or drones,” he said from London.

“So, if this war becomes any longer, I think it would be in benefit of Iran,” he said.

Alizadeh noted that although Trump said he was preparing for four or five weeks of war, the Israeli-US 12-day war on Iran last June shows that every passing day will become more difficult for the Israeli people.

“And then we have to see whether Israel and America, in the moment that they are running out of… anti-air missiles and other forms of protecting Israelis and other American bases, are they willing to pay the cost of not?”

Alizadeh echoed the growing opinion that Trump had been dragged into this war by Israel and has failed to grasp how resilient the Iranian government is.

“The state is very, very resilient, very plastic and very flexible. So, I think this is a joint war imposed on Trump, and Trump is just opening his eyes to understand how he has cornered himself,” he said.

Saudi Arabia intercepts two missiles over Al Kharj

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence says it has intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles over the Al-Kharj governorate.

It did not provide additional details.

US boots on the ground in Iran?

So far, the US has relied on air and naval strikes, and there has been no formal announcement of a ground invasion, but Trump has not ruled out the possibility. When asked directly whether US troops could be deployed in Iran, Trump said he would “never say never”, adding that the administration would do “whatever is necessary”.

Experts say air strikes alone are unlikely to permanently end Iran’s nuclear programme, which Tehran insists has always been of a peaceful nature.

“You cannot destroy, demolish, eradicate any country’s nuclear capabilities. They always have the ability to reconstitute,” Christopher Preble, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, said.

If the US were to deploy ground troops, however, the scale of the challenge – whether Trump’s goal is targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, missiles, or imposing regime change – would be significant.

“The difference, if you compare Iran to Iraq in 2003, is that it’s a country three to four times larger than Iraq was at the time,” Preble said. “The US never had sufficient troops in Iraq to fully pacify the country… and the US doesn’t have that many troops today to prevent a nation the size of Iran from descending into chaos.”

Middle East unrest sends European gas prices soaring

European gas prices are soaring as conflict spreads through the Middle East.

Qatar is among the countries to slow production, impacting global supply. These developments are reigniting the debate about whether cheaper Russian energy should be allowed in Europe.

Qatar Defense Ministry confirms one of two Iranian ballistic missiles intercepted earlier

Qatar’s Defense Ministry confirms media reports that two ballistic missiles were fired from Iran at Qatar, and Qatar’s defense forces managed to intercept one of them, but the other made landfall at the Al Udeid airbase.

The Al Udeid airbase is the largest military installation here in the Middle East that hosts thousands of US personnel.

The ministry stated that there were no casualties. But at the same time, they say there is no assessment of the damage.

Non-essential US personnel, family members authorized to leave Cyprus

US citizens have been told to reconsider travel to Cyprus, and non-essential government employees and their families have been authorized to leave the country “due to the safety risk”, amid the spreading conflict in the Middle East.

The US State Department announced the updated travel advisory for Cyprus in a security alert.

Earlier on Tuesday, the State Department said it had increased its security risk levels for Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

US citizens have been told to evacuate more than a dozen countries in the region.

UK says drone targeting British base in Cyprus did not originate from Iran

The British Defense Ministry says a drone that targeted the UK’s Royal Air Force base ⁠of Akrotiri in Cyprus was not launched from Iran.

It did not clarify where the attack came from.

Akrotiri, southwest of the sprawling coastal city of Limassol, is one of two bases the United Kingdom has retained in the former ⁠colony since independence in 1960. In addition to the military facilities, it houses families of serving personnel.

Monday’s attack took place after the UK said it would help the US in the war against Iran.

In an update on X, the ministry also said it resupplied air defense systems to British and allied bases across the region, including UK-made air defense missiles.

Royal Navy helicopters, armed with missiles, will arrive in Cyprus in the coming days, it added.

Saudi forces destroy drone in east of the country

The official spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense said Saudi forces have intercepted and destroyed a drone in the eastern part of the country.

It comes after Saudi forces earlier on Wednesday destroyed two ballistic missiles in the Al-Kharj region, southeast of the capital, Riyadh, according to the ministry.

Russia, China protest US-Israeli attacks on Iran

The foreign ministers of Russia and China have criticised the US-Israeli attack on Iran, with Beijing’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, calling on Israel to cease attacks immediately.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow saw no evidence that Iran was seeking to acquire a nuclear bomb.

Republican lawmaker Brian Mast defends attacks on Iran

US Representative Brian Mast, who is the chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, about Washington’s decision to attack Iran, said that the threats Iran has long posed to US assets and allies in the Middle East justify the ongoing attacks on the country.

When pressed on the specifics, he said discussions with Tehran during the recent failed talks in Geneva led the US to believe that there was a potential for an Iranian strike. He did not elaborate, however.

“You go beyond that, and you look at the US aircraft that had been knocked off the decks of our carriers because of the drones and ballistic missiles that Iran or their proxies had fired directly at our navy vessels,” Mast said.

“You look at their harassment of our merchant marine vessels as an ongoing threat. You look at their killing of three US service members in Jordan,” he said. “And the list of these continual threats goes on.”

The deadly strike in Jordan took place in January 2024 and was claimed by the pro-Iranian Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which said the attack was in retaliation for US support for Israel in its genocidal war in Gaza.

In Zionism, there is the narrative which says that one must always blame the victim. The United States has been a Zionist country since 1898.

It is the US which brought instability and insecurity into the region by wanting to be in the region for its own interest.

Then we have a Netanyahu who has been obsessed with Iran's nuclear program for more than 30 years, while the Israelis created the nuclear conflict:

In 1956, they "brought" the American invention of nuclear militarization secretly into the Middle East in 1956, and brought in 1967 that militarization to practice by having two or three nuclear devices, which were hastily assembled during the six-day war.

The Israeli general Moshe Dayan wanted to use these devices in that war. This prompted the international community to come with a treaty, known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty,  to prevent to spread of nuclear weapons. The creator of the nuclear problem in the Middle East, the Israelis, refused to join that treaty.

More from Brian Mast

The Republican congressman from Florida says the US’s objectives in the ongoing conflict with Iran were clear and well within reach.

“The objective is very specific: Destroy every single piece of Iranian military hardware that can reach out and touch American forces anywhere in the region … That is what mission accomplished looks like,” he told Al Jazeera. “I believe that we can accomplish that mission.”

The congressman appeared confident about preventing the war from widening further with the aid of additional US assets and allies.

“We plan for the worst, we hope for the best. We do not do that in the opposite way. But what we have going for us is every minute that goes forward, we are degrading their [Iran’s] capabilities,” he said. “And at the same time, we are bringing more capabilities online. Certainly the United States of America, but certainly allies in the region as well, because they see the justice in what we are doing, I think, in part, and additionally because of the attacks that Iran has taken against those allies in the region.”

Oil tanker sailed to UAE port via Strait of Hormuz amid fighting: Report

The Reuters news agency reports that an oil ⁠tanker sailed through the Strait of Hormuz en route to a United Arab Emirates ⁠port to load crude in a rare voyage since the Iran war disrupted shipping in the Gulf region.

Reuters reports that the tanker, Pola, switched off its AIS tracker late on March 2, when it approached the Strait, ‌and the vessel re-appeared on Tuesday off Abu Dhabi, according to sources and ship tracking data.

The tanker is heading to the port of Jebel Dhanna to load Abu Dhabi Murban crude for Thailand, two trade sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Tehran’s war with the US and Israel and its threats against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have all but halted navigation in the Gulf ⁠and forced production stoppages in countries from Qatar to Iraq, according to Reuters.

‘Under pressure from Merz, some EU members risk being placed on wrong side of history’: Iran

Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, has criticised German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who held talks with Trump at the White House yesterday.

“Under pressure from the German Chancellor, some EU members risk being placed on the wrong side of history by appearing complicit in U.S./Israel acts of aggression & war crimes” against Iran, he wrote in a social media post.

Baghaei said the European Union “must oppose any move reminiscent of historical NAZI mindsets and instead uphold its commitment to international law and justice”.

During his visit to Washington, DC, Merz voiced support for the US-Israeli war on Iran but he said he hoped it would end soon, since it was hurting the global economy.

Resolutions to try to force Trump to get consent from Congress unlikely to pass

There are resolutions trying to force the Trump administration to get consent from Congress to continue with this war.

It’s possible, but unlikely that this legislation will pass, given that Republicans control both the Senate and the House of Representatives by slim majorities.

Certainly, the resolutions, both in the Senate and the House, would get almost full support from Democrats. But they would need Republican support to pass. And if they wanted to survive a presidential veto, they would need to get two-thirds of both chambers to vote for the war powers resolution.

That brings the probability down to about zero at this point.

IRGC claims ‘complete control’ of Strait of Hormuz

The IRGC, which has pledged to close the Strait of Hormuz, maintains it has full control of the waterway, where Trump has said he is prepared to deploy the navy to escort tankers.

“Currently, the Strait of Hormuz is under the complete control of the Islamic Republic’s Navy,” IRGC navy official Mohammad Akbarzadeh said in a statement carried by Iran’s Fars news agency.

IRGC says it has launched 40 missiles at US, Israeli targets

The IRGC says it has launched more than 40 missiles in the 17th wave of air attacks against US and Israeli targets.

Trump, Netanyahu attacked Iran to boost flagging approval ratings, analyst says

Shaiel Ben-Ephraim, an analyst with Atlas Global Strategies and a former Israeli diplomat, about the motives for the attack on Iran.

He said that the attack and its timing are all about domestic politics in both the US and Israel, with “very little strategic rationale behind it”.

“The current approval numbers for Trump are the worst they’ve ever been, some of the worst this early in a term I can remember. And there’s signs that the economy is going to get worse, so he really needs a distraction from that in the form of a war,” he said.

“And if you look at searchers on Google for the Epstein files, they’ve plummeted since this started. So, at least temporarily, it’s succeeding. It’s taking up Congress’ time and it’s taking up the media’s time.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he added, may be hoping the war boosts his own approval ratings before elections, which he said local media are reporting may be called as soon as June.

“The Gaza war of genocide wasn’t particularly successful in terms of getting Netanyahu public approval because the enemy there, Hamas, is kind of weak, and Israel didn’t do particularly well,” Ben Ephraim said, calling Iran “a more impressive enemy”.

Israel-US war on Iran disrupts global ocean, air supply routes

Israel-US war on Iran is disrupting the global supply chain, with shipping closed in the vital Strait of Hormuz and planes carrying air cargo grounded by the closure of airspace in the Middle East.

That is expected to affect the availability and pricing of a wide range of goods, the longer the conflict continues, Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University, tells the AP news agency.

Clarksons Research, which tracks shipping data, estimates that about 3,200 ships, or about 4 percent of global ship tonnage, are idle in the Gulf, although that includes about 1,230 that likely operate only within the Gulf, the AP reports.

Meanwhile, about 500 ships, or 1 percent of global tonnage, are currently “waiting” outside the Gulf in ports off the coast of the UAE and Oman, according to the firm.

The US soldiers killed in Iran conflict

The US military has identified the first four American soldiers who have been killed since the conflict with Iran began.

They were identified as:

• Captain Cody A Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida
• Sergeant 1st Class Noah L Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska
• Sergeant 1st Class Nicole M Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota
• Sergeant Declan J Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa

Iran claims hundreds of drone attacks on US assets in Iraq, Kuwait 

The IRGC says it has fired 230 drones at several facilities hosting US troops in the Middle East, including a base in Iraq’s Erbil, and the Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.

It said the attacks are among its “first powerful steps” in the war.

Trump’s dispute with Spain over Iran

President Trump has been angered by Spain’s refusal to allow the country’s military bases, jointly operated by the US and Spain, to be used for attacks on Iran.

Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Monday that the country’s bases were “not being used for this operation” and would not be used “for anything not included in the agreement with the United States, or … not in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations”.

Earlier, Spain’s PM Pedro Sanchez had condemned the initial attacks as a breach of international law.

The US subsequently relocated 15 aircraft, including refueling tankers, from the Rota and Moron military bases in southern Spain.

On Tuesday, Trump said that he had directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all dealings” with Madrid, claiming the US was “going to cut off all trade with Spain”, which he lambasted as “terrible” for not allowing the US to use its bases.

Spain said it had the “necessary resources to contain the possible impact of the trade embargo by the US”, and said that Washington “must comply with international law and bilateral EU-US trade agreements”.

Spain PM says that’s ‘how humanity’s great disasters start’

Prime Minister Sanchez, a vocal critic of the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has said his government’s position is “no to war”, adding that the Spanish people are against “this disaster”.

He said the 2003 invasion of Iraq had led to a more insecure world, and that a war on Iran would not lead to a more just international order, a healthier environment or improved lives for common people.

Sanchez said the current crisis was “how humanity’s great disasters start”, adding that governments should “not play Russian roulette with [the] destiny of millions”.

Trump has threatened to cut off all trade with Spain for refusing to let the US military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.

Spain ‘surprised’ at German comments over Trump trade threats

Madrid has ⁠shared ⁠with Berlin its “surprise” at remarks made by German Chancellor Friedrich ⁠Merz that appeared to support US pressure on Spain over Iran, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has said.

“I cannot imagine Chancellors [Angela] Merkel or [Olaf] Scholz making such remarks,” Albares said in an ⁠interview with state broadcaster TVE.

During a visit to the White House on Tuesday, the German leader had said that Madrid needed “convincing” to agree to ⁠NATO’s higher defense spending target ⁠of 3.5 percent of ⁠GDP, following threats by Trump to cut trade with Spain.

Trump made the threats over Spain’s refusal to allow Washington to use its bases for attacks on Iran.

• Besides political motivation to join Netanyahu's resumption on his preemptive 12-day war on Iran, Trump is waging war across borders, which means he's not attacking Iran from the United States but from countries in the region and the United Kingdom. He needs to have a mandate from the UN Security Council.
• In the context of NATO, Trump's part in Netanyahu's war does not meet Article 5, as he is attacking, not Iran.
• When an attacking belligerent forces other countries under threat of sanctions to stop trade with the country it is attacking, international law views the action of threat through the lenses of economic coercion, state sovereignty, and the laws of neutrality.
  • General international law establishes a foundational rule against intervening in the internal or external affairs of another sovereign state.
  • International tribunals, such as in the Nicaragua v. United States case, note that intervention becomes unlawful when it uses coercion to deprive another state of free choice in its sovereign decisions.
  • Forcing neutral states to alter lawful trade policies under economic threat violates this principle of non-intervention.

Many legal scholars and General Assembly resolutions view unilateral extraterritorial economic coercion as an internationally wrongful act because it projects domestic law beyond national borders without a recognized basis in international jurisdiction.

EU chief expresses bloc’s ‘full solidarity’ with Spain amid Trump threats

European Council President Antonio Costa has spoken to Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in the face of threats from the US.

“I have just held a call ⁠with [Sanchez] ⁠to express the EU’s full solidarity with Spain,” Costa posted on X.

“The ⁠EU will always ensure that ⁠the interests ⁠of its Member States are fully protected”, he said, adding the bloc reaffirmed its “firm commitment to the principles of international law and the rules-based order everywhere in the world”.

Trump has threatened to cut off all trade with Spain for refusing to let the US military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.

Spain ‘will not be vassals’ to US, deputy PM says

Spain “will not be vassals” to Washington, Deputy Prime Minister Maria Jesus Montero says amid a widening row with the US over Madrid’s refusal to allow its bases to be used for operations against Iran.

“We are certainly not going to be anybody’s vassals. We won’t tolerate any threats, and we’ll defend our values,” she told reporters.

Trump has said Washington will cut trade ties with Spain over its refusal to allow its bases to be used in the US strikes against Iran.

Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez warned earlier that the conflict risks triggering a major global disaster.

“We’re not going to be complicit in something that’s bad for the world nor contrary to our values and interests simply to avoid reprisals from someone,” he said in a televised address.

Anger in Spain over lack of European solidarity against Iran war

There is outrage in Spain, not just because the United States is essentially embargoing Spanish trade, but also the statement – or the lack of it – from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, sitting beside the US president when he made those remarks about Spain.

It’s worth noting it was France and Germany that led the charge in 2003 when the Europeans decided the US declared an illegal war on Iraq, based on flimsy evidence.

Now, it is only the Spaniards who essentially stood up and said: “If the principles of Venezuela, Greenland and Ukraine are to be applied equally – then this war does not have any legal footing.”

And that’s why the US president is going after the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

European leaders expect to stand united on the principles that join them, rather than being coerced into whatever position taken by US President Donald Trump.

Iran praises Spain after US criticism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has praised Spain for refusing to allow its bases to be used in US strikes against Iran.

In a post on X, Pezeshkian said Spain’s stance showed “ethics and awakened consciences still exist in the West”, commending Spanish officials for opposing what he described as military aggression against Iran.

Earlier, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned the conflict risked triggering a major global disaster.

“We’re not going to be complicit in something that’s bad for the world nor contrary to our values and interests simply to avoid reprisals from someone,” Sanchez said in a televised address.

His comments come as US President Donald Trump said Washington would cut trade ties with Spain following Madrid’s refusal to allow its bases to be used in the strikes on Iran.

Spain agrees to cooperate with US military attack on Iran: White House

The White House says Spain agreed to cooperate with US military operations in the Middle East after President Donald Trump threatened to cut off trade with Madrid.

“With respect to Spain, I think they heard the president’s message yesterday loud and clear,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

“And it’s my understanding, over the past several hours, they’ve agreed to cooperate with the US military. And so I know that the US military is coordinating with their counterparts in Spain.”

Trump on Tuesday said he was going to “cut off all trade with Spain” the day after Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said his country wouldn’t allow the US to use jointly operated bases in southern Spain in any strikes not covered by the UN charter.

There was no immediate comment from Spain.

Spain denies White House claims of shift in military base policy

Spain’s government has refuted that it will cooperate with the US military attack on Iran, contradicting the White House.

Earlier today, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Spain agreed to cooperate with US military operations in the region after Trump threatened to cut off trade with Madrid.

That statement came after Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares prohibited the US from using bases in southern Spain in any strikes not covered by the UN charter.

Speaking at Cadena SER radio, Albares denied claims made Leavitt.

“The Spanish government’s position regarding the war in the Middle East and the bombings in Iran, regarding the use of our bases, has not changed by a single comma,” said Albares.

Iran’s Pezeshkian ‘commends Spain’ for opposing war

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has praised Spain’s refusal to help the United States in its war against Iran.

“Spain’s responsible conduct in opposing the Zionist-American coalition’s flagrant human rights violations and military aggression against countries, including Iran, shows that ethics and awakened consciences still exist in the West,” the Iranian leader said. “I commend Spanish officials for their stances.”

Trump has criticised Spain’s refusal to allow the US to use its bases, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has hit back, saying that Madrid refused to “play Russian roulette with the lives of millions”.

The US president then threatened to break all trade ties with Spain, and earlier on Wednesday, the White House claimed that Spain had buckled and agreed to cooperate with Trump’s demands.

But the Spanish government has since rejected that claim, insisting that its position regarding the war in Iran had not changed.

Sri Lanka rescues 30 sailors from sinking Iranian frigate

Sri Lanka has rescued 30 sailors from an Iranian frigate that issued a distress call and was sinking just outside the island’s territorial waters.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said that the injured sailors from the 180-crew vessel were taken to a hospital in the south of the country, AFP news agency reported.

An opposition legislator asked in parliament whether the frigate had been struck amid the US-Israeli attacks against Iran, but there was no immediate response from the government, the agency reported.

Bodies recovered from Iranian frigate off Sri Lanka’s coast

A Sri Lankan navy spokesperson has said bodies, suspected to be those of crew members, have been recovered in an ongoing rescue operation for the crew of an Iranian military ship that made a distress call just outside the island’s territorial waters earlier.

The spokesperson said they could not give details on the number of dead.

Thirty-two people were rescued from the vessel and are receiving treatment in hospital, the spokesperson said, adding that they did not observe any other ships in the area.

Questions surround fate of 150 missing crew members after Iranian frigate sinks off Sri Lanka

The air force and navy spokesmen are having a press conference in Colombo. They said rescue operations are taking place and there are 32 survivors who are in the Galle National Hospital emergency unit.

There are members of the special task force here for additional security.

The foreign minister made a statement in parliament earlier saying there were approximately 180 crew members on that navy frigate.

Thirty-two have been accounted for. We’re still trying to figure out where the rest might be.

Iranian diplomats seek clues over cause of sinking off Sri Lankan coast

Any potential diplomatic fallout would be linked to the possibility that this was not a standard accident and there was something more serious behind it.

At the moment, the Sri Lankan government is playing it safe and hasn’t said anything about the potential causes.

There was a distress signal from the vessel, approximately 40km (25 miles) off the coast here in Galle, which is just south of the capital, Colombo. They then sent out boats to try to assist the survivors.

At this point in time, sources say there is no evidence that there was another boat in the water.

The Iranian ambassador, as well as the embassy head, have said they have dispensed the military attaché and consular official to the hospital to try to see if they can talk to survivors to get some sense of what exactly happened.

A US submarine torpedoed the Iranian frigate.

Uncertainty over death toll from sunken Iranian vessel off Sri Lanka

Government officials have gone on record as saying up to 80 bodies have been recovered from the seas in international waters, where there was a distress signal in the early hours this morning.

The Sri Lankan navy and air force have mounted a rescue-and-recovery operation.

There are 32 survivors who have been admitted to hospitals. A couple of them are in critical condition and the rest are injured but receiving treatment.

And the first transfer of bodies that have been brought to the morgue.

Hegseth says US sunk Iranian warship in Indian ocean

The US defense secretary has said the US was behind the sinking of an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lanka’s navy recovers 87 bodies from Iranian warship

At least 87 bodies have now been recovered from the Iranian warship that US forces sank in international waters, Sri Lanka’s navy says.

In a statement reported by The Associated Press, Commander Buddhika Sampath said navy forces saw no sign of the ship by the time they arrived at the scene, just “oil patches and life rafts. We found people floating on the water.”

As reported earlier, 32 people were hospitalized. About 180 people were believed to be on board the Iranian frigate, Sri Lanka’s foreign minister told parliament.

The recovered bodies are in the process of being brought to land, the spokesman said.

Not ‘first since WWII’: Iranian warship joins Indian Ocean graveyard of warships

As he confirmed that a US submarine had sunk an Iranian warship just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, US secretary of defense boasted that it was the “first such attack on an enemy since World War II”.

For the US: Yes. For the Indian Ocean: No.

The IRIS Dena on Wednesday joined a series of warships at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, that graveyard a testament to the intense and deadly naval battles that India and Pakistan have waged in those waters, especially during their war in 1971.

At least 80 people were killed when the IRIS Dena sank, while 32 were rescued by Sri Lankan naval personnel, and dozens remain missing.

On December 4, 1971, the PNS Khyber, a Pakistani destroyer, was sunk by the Indian Navy. More than 200 people on board died when she went down. A minesweeper that was also patrolling Pakistan’s shore alongside PNS Khaibar was also sunk as Indian ships fired missiles.

That was in the Arabian Sea. On the other side of India, in the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Navy struck once again — sinking the PNS Ghazi, a Pakistani submarine, with 93 servicemen on board. That allowed the Indian Navy to effectively blockade what was then known as East Pakistan and is now Bangladesh.

Pakistan had its own successes in that war, including one of its submarines striking an enemy vessel with a torpedo, sinking the Indian Navy’s INS Khukri in the Arabian Sea on December 9. In all, 194 sailors on the warship died.

Asian markets tank, Seoul sees largest drop on record

Shares in Asian markets have tanked amid rising worries that a widening war in the Middle East will drive an oil shock that increases inflation and delays interest rate cuts.

Asia is heavily dependent on energy imports shipped through the ⁠Strait of Hormuz.

The biggest losses were recorded in Seoul, where the session finished with the market plunging 12 percent, the largest drop on record.

Over two days, the benchmark has lost more than 18 percent of its value while the currency has slumped to a 17-year low.

Japan’s Nikkei fell ⁠3.9 percent and Taiwan stocks dropped 4.3 percent as investors raced out of what has been one of the hottest bets of the last few months in semiconductor makers – likely as cover for losses elsewhere and to cut down on risks.

“Asia’s selloff is turning disorderly because markets are no longer treating this as a ‘one-week headline shock,'” Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo in Singapore, was quoted as saying by Reuters.

“The ‘sell-what-you-can’ phase is spreading.”

French jets neutralise Iranian drones over UAE: FM Barrot

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot says France’s Rafale jets have neutralised Iranian drones targeting the UAE, where hundreds of French navy, air force and army personnel are based.

On Tuesday, Barrot said France had deployed the jets, which are stationed at the Dhafra base near Abu Dhabi, over the UAE to protect the bases against Iranian attacks.

President Macron announced on Tuesday that France was sending its flagship aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the widening conflict.

More than 470 Chinese nationals evacuated from Iran

More than 470 ⁠Chinese citizens have ⁠been evacuated from Iran since the US and Israeli strikes began, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

The spokesperson also reiterated China’s call for “security and stability” in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters, emphasising its importance to global trade.

Trump betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him: Iran FM

Iran’s FM Araghchi says President Trump has “betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him” by launching attacks in the middle of nuclear negotiations with Iran.

“When complex nuclear negotiations are treated like a real estate transaction, and when big lies cloud realities, unrealistic expectations can never be met,” he said in a post on X.

“The outcome? Bombing the negotiation table out of spite.”

COSCO Shipping halts bookings for Middle East routes

Chinese shipping ⁠⁠company COSCO Shipping Lines has announced the suspension of all new bookings that require stops at Middle East ports, including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait.

It said the decision was because of the ongoing conflict and disruptions in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has pledged to close to traffic.

Iran will not negotiate with US, says senior Khamenei aide

Iran does not intend to negotiate with the US and has no contacts with Washington in any form, Mohammad Mokhber, a senior aide to the late supreme leader, said on Iranian state television.

Mokhber, who previously served as Iran’s acting president and first vice president, said Iran had “no trust in the Americans, and we have no basis for any negotiations with them”, adding that Tehran could continue the war “as long as we want”.

Iran’s judiciary chief warns public against ‘doing anything in line’ with US, Israel

Iran’s judiciary chief Gholam Hosseini Mohseni Ejehe has warned people not to “say or do anything” in support of the US-Israeli war against the country.

“We have now also announced that those who cooperate with the enemy in any way will be considered an enemy,” Ejehe told state television. “As we said during the unrest, riot cases are a priority.

“Those who say or do anything in line with the will of America and the Zionist regime are on the enemy’s side and must be dealt with on revolutionary, Islamic principles and in accordance with the time of war.”

The US and Israel have both called for Iranians to overthrow their government during the war, with President Trump saying it will likely be their “only chance for generations”.

Earlier this year, thousands were killed during nationwide protests, in which the UN and international human rights organizations documented widespread use of deadly force against demonstrators.

ASEAN expresses ‘serious concern’ about expanding conflict

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has expressed “serious concern” and called for the respect of international law amid the expanding conflict in the Middle East.

In a statement, ASEAN said the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and its counterattacks on Gulf states “heighten tensions in the Middle East and pose a grave threat to the lives and safety of civilians, as well as to regional and global peace and stability”.

ASEAN is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor and Vietnam.

US invented threat from Iran as pretext to overthrow gov’t: Russia

Russia has accused the US of ⁠inventing a supposed threat from Iran ‌as a pretext to overthrow its government.

At a briefing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria ⁠Zakharova said the ⁠US had used its nuclear negotiations with ⁠Iran as ⁠a ⁠cover to disguise its plan for a change in government.

She said that Iran’s nuclear facilities had again come under attack, posing a serious risk.

She added that Moscow was convinced there was no military solution to the crisis and stood ready to continue a search for solutions based on international law.

Projectile hits Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura refinery

A projectile has hit Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery, the biggest domestic oil refinery operated by Saudi Aramco, according to two sources quoted by Reuters news agency.

The report comes after Saudi Arabia shut down operations at the plant several days ago after a fire broke out that officials said was caused by debris from the interception of two drones.

Saudi Arabia intercepts drone attack targeting huge refinery

Saudi Arabia has intercepted a drone attack in targeting its massive Ras Tanura refinery, the defence ministry said.

“Initial estimates indicate that the attack was carried out by a drone and did not result in any damage,” the ministry said in a statement posted on X.

Qatar says 10 drones, 2 missiles from Iran intercepted

Qatar’s Defence Ministry says it has intercepted 10 drones and two cruise missiles launched from Iran.

UAE says it downed 3 missiles, 121 drones

The UAE’s Defense Ministry says its defences have downed three ballistic missiles and 121 drones, while eight drones landed inside the country.

UN experts ‘deeply disturbed’ by strike on Iran school that killed 165

A UN panel of experts has said it is “deeply disturbed” by the deaths of children in what Iran has described as a US-Israeli attack on a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab on Saturday that killed at least 165.

“The Committee is alarmed by reports of strikes on civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, which have injured and traumatised children, and claimed many young lives,” the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child said in a statement.

Children must be protected ⁠from war, added the committee, a body of 18 independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ⁠which protects children’s rights to education and safeguards them from violence.

Iran’s ambassador ‌to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, had raised the issue with UN human rights chief Volker Turk in ‌a ‌March 1 letter, calling the attack “unjustifiable” and “criminal”.

Europe fails to unite on war launched by Israel, US

Iran has warned European leaders against joining the US and Israel’s war that has destabilized the Middle East and upended economies around the world.

While countries in Europe have found common ground in condemning Iran’s retaliatory strikes on nonbelligerents in the Gulf, their positions have been confused and incoherent in response to the US-Israeli actions that caused them.

Some EU members are rallying around the concept of mutual defense, but there are major divisions within the bloc.

Pro-Iran armed group in Iraq claims attack on US target in Jordan

Saraya Awliya al-Dam, a pro-Iran armed group in Iraq, claims it has carried out an attack on a “vital American target inside Jordan”.

The group, which did not specify its exact target, shared footage on its Telegram channel appearing to show the launch of an airborne munition.

Little US LNG producers can do to immediately replace lost Qatari cargoes: Experts

The US has little spare capacity to quickly lift output of LNG and offset lost supply after Qatar halted production, according to Reuters calculations and industry analysts.

The US, the world’s largest LNG producer, ⁠exports nearly 19 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas that is converted into LNG, LSEG data shows.

While almost double the 10bcfd Qatar was forced to remove from the market on Monday after a wave of attacks, US export plants are running nearly full tilt with most cargoes locked into long-term contracts.

“There is no massive capacity on the ⁠sidelines,” said Alex Munton, director of global gas and LNG at research firm Rapidan Energy Group.

Leading exporter Cheniere Energy sold 46 million metric tonnes of LNG last year and on Tuesday was drawing more than 7bcfd of feed gas for its two Gulf Coast terminals.

While the company last week began production from Train 5 of its Stage 3 expansion at Corpus Christi, the unit – relatively small with capacity to produce 1.5 million tonnes per year – is expected to take about a month to reach full output. Most of it has been contracted out.

IAEA provides latest update on Iran’s nuclear sites

“Near Isfahan nuclear site, damage is visible at two buildings. No additional impact detected at Natanz after previously reported damage at entrances, and no impact at other nuclear sites, including Bushehr NPP,” it added.

Death toll in Iran rises to 1,045

The death toll in Iran from the US-Israeli attacks has risen to 1,045, Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency is reporting.

Turkey says missile from Iran intercepted

Turkey says NATO defenses have intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkish airspace.

Ankara did not provide evidence by making public the radar log data that shows the trajectory of the projectile.

Turkey says no casualties, ‘has ‘right to respond’ after missile intercepted

Turkey's Defense Ministry, which recently said NATO defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran, is saying in a statement, that the downed missile fell over Turkey's Dortyol district near the Mediterranean, causing no casualties.

It stressed that Turkey is “capable of ensuring the security of its territory and citizens, regardless of who or where the threat comes from”.

“We remind you that we reserve the right to respond to any hostile act towards our country,” it added, urging all parties to refrain from “actions that would further spread the conflict in the region”.

NATO denounces ‘Iran’s targeting of Turkey’

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart has said the defense alliance condemns Iran for firing a missile towards Turkish territory.

“NATO stands firmly with ‌all Allies, including Turkey, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the ⁠region,” said Hart.

“Our deterrence ⁠and defense posture remains strong across ⁠all domains, including when ⁠it comes ⁠to air and missile defense.”

Turkey conveys protest to Iran over missile fired towards airspace

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has conveyed his protest to Iran over a ballistic missile fired towards Turkish airspace, the Anadolu news agency is reporting.

Fidan made the comments during a call with his Iranian counterpart Araghchi, telling him any steps that could lead to the spread of conflicts should be avoided.

Turkey's Defense Ministry had earlier said NATO defences had intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran, adding that the downed missile fell over Turkey's Dortyol district near the Mediterranean, causing no casualties.

Rubio says attacks on Turkey ‘unacceptable’ after Iran missile launch

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says attacks on NATO ally Turkey's sovereignty are “unacceptable” after the alliance shot down an Iranian missile, which a Turkish official said veered off course.

In a call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Rubio said any strikes on Turkey's “sovereign territory were unacceptable” and he pledged the full support from the United States, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

UN independent inquiry condemns US-Israel attacks on Iran

An ⁠independent ⁠UN investigation into rights violations ⁠in Iran has strongly condemned US-Israeli strikes on the country.

“These attacks … run counter to the ⁠UN Charter, which prohibits ⁠the use of force against the ⁠territorial integrity or political ⁠independence of any ⁠State,” the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on ‌Iran said in a statement.

QatarEnergy declares ‘Force Majeure to its affected buyers’ after stopping LNG production

QatarEnergy says it “has declared Force Majeure to its affected buyers” after it earlier announced it was stopping production of LNG and associated products.

On Monday, the world’s largest LNG producer said in a statement that “due to military attacks on QatarEnergy’s operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City in the State of Qatar, QatarEnergy has ceased production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and associated products”.

Shortly after the announcement, benchmark Dutch and British wholesale gas prices soared by almost 50 percent, while benchmark Asian LNG prices jumped almost 39 percent.

Force majeure is a clause that frees parties ‌from liability if any failure to meet supply obligations is due to ‌events beyond ‌their control.

Starmer says UK needs to keep ‘cool head’ over Iran crisis

The UK ⁠needs to act “with a cool head” amid concerns about the widening Iran crisis, Prime ‌Minister Keir Starmer has said.

“We need to act, therefore, with clarity, with purpose ⁠and with a cool ⁠head,” he told parliament.

He also said ⁠the UK had been ⁠liaising closely ⁠with the US on pre-deploying military assets ‌to the region, including air defense and counter-drone systems, as well as F-35 ‌jets.

The UK is showing preparing itself to become a co-belligerent of the United States, risking being responsible under states responsibility laws, and assisting the US in the violation of the UN Charter

Container ship struck by projectile in Strait of Hormuz

A ⁠container ship has reportedly been hit ⁠by a projectile ⁠in the Strait of Hormuz north of ‌Oman, causing a fire in its engine room, UK Maritime Trade Operations says.

The organization, which monitors commercial shipping, said no environmental impact had been reported as a result of the strike.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says ‘more forces are arriving’

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is now giving a news conference.

He says “more forces are arriving” in the Middle East for the conflict with Iran, which the US will take its time to ensure victory in.

“It’s very early, and as President Trump has said, we will take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed.”

Hegseth says US, Israel to soon have ‘complete control of Iranian skies’

Continuing his remarks, Hegseth says US and Israeli forces expect to have “complete control of Iranian skies” in less than a week.

“We will fly all day, all night, day and night, finding, fixing and finishing the missiles and defence-industrial base of the Iranian military,” claims Hegseth.

Hegseth says US just getting started, to use unlimited stockpile of gravity bombs

The US defense secretary says his country and Israel are just getting started with their attacks on Iran, more waves of which are soon to come.

He added that the US will use an unlimited stockpile of precision gravity bombs.

Hegseth says fighting with Israel a ‘breath of fresh air’

Despite the US attacking Iran while negotiations were ongoing, Hegseth has accused Iran of having “negotiated in bad faith” while “scheming and preparing” an attack.

“We acted decisively,” said Hegseth.

He also praised Israel, accused of committing a genocide, in Gaza, as being a “steadfast partner” with “unmatched skill”.

“Fighting next to such a capable power is a true force multiplier and a breath of fresh air,” he said.

US General Dan Caine provides updates

US Air Force General Dan Caine during the joint news conference with Hegseth:

“We are targeting Iran’s ballistic missile system to prevent them from threatening the US forces, interests and partners in the region,” said Caine.

“Second, we are destroying the navy, degrading its capacity, capability and ability to conduct operations … around the world.”

And “third, we’re ensuring Iran cannot rapidly rebuild or reconstitute its combat capability or power, and those phases will advance as the campaign continues,” said Caine.

The next step, said Caine, is to “expand inland, striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory and create additional freedom of maneuver for US forces.”

Hegseth says ‘no sense’ missile destroyed in eastern Med could trigger NATO’s Article Five

Speaking to reporters, the US defense secretary says the US is aware of the reported interception of an Iranian missile in the eastern Mediterranean before entering Turkey's airspace.

However, he said he had “no sense” that the incident could trigger NATO’s article five on collective defense.

His statement sounds like an admission, that the incoming projectile could even be "from somewhere else."

Hegseth says US ‘investigating’ deadly strike on Iranian girls’ school

Asked about the Saturday attack on an Iranian girls’ school that killed more than 160 people, Hegseth said the US is “investigating”.

“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,” said Hegseth.

‘US Central Command is making steady progress,’ says Caine

“CENTCOM is now shifting, on day four already, from large deliberate strike packages using stand-off munitions at range outside an enemy’s ability to shoot at us, now into stand-in precision strikes overhead Iran,” said Caine.

“This will allow the joint force to deliver significantly increased precision effects on the target. This will allow us to maintain consistent pressure on the adversary over the coming days, disrupt their timelines.”

Hegseth about assassination of Trump

The US defense secretary says the leader behind an alleged plot to assassinate Trump has been killed.

The claim was first uttered on June 16, 2025 by Netanyahu on Fox News without any proof. He said "Iran wanted to kill Trump twice."

We know Netanyahu as a notorious, pathetic liar since the microphone mishap during the G20 Summit in Cannes, France in 2011.

In 2025, Netanyahu had his 30-year+ anniversary on spreading lies about Iran's nuclear program. News outlets brought online a compilation video showing him making statements contrary to existing facts about that program.

The US defense secretary has just spoken.

Pete Hegseth key points:

• US and Israeli forces expect to have “complete control of Iranian skies” in a few days, less than a week after the war began. He added that “more forces are arriving”.
• The US was behind the sinking of an Iranian submarine in the Indian Ocean.
• The US and Israel are just getting started with their attacks on Iran, and Washington will be using an unlimited stockpile of precision gravity bombs.
• Despite the US attacking Iran while negotiations were ongoing, Hegseth has accused Iran of having “negotiated in bad faith” while “scheming and preparing” an attack, without offering evidence.
• Asked about the Saturday attack on an Iranian girls’ school that killed more than 160 people, Hegseth said Washington is “investigating”.

The defense secretary was speaking alongside US Air Force General Dan Caine, who said:

• The US is targeting Iran’s ballistic missile system to prevent them from threatening the US forces and partners in the region.
• The US is going after destroying Iran’s navy and to make sure Iran cannot rapidly rebuild or reconstitute its combat capability.
• The next step is to “expand inland, striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory and create additional freedom of maneuver for US forces.”
• CENTCOM is now shifting, on day four already, from large deliberate strike packages using stand-off munitions at range outside an enemy’s ability to shoot at us, now into stand-in precision strikes overhead Iran.

Hegseth says China, Russia ‘non-factors’ in Iran war

Speaking at the reported news conference, he said he has no message for Russia and China, both of whom have longstanding diplomatic and trade ties with Iran.

“They’re not really a factor here, and our issue is not with them,” said Pete Hegseth, adding the US focus is purely on ending what he called “the nuclear ambitions of Iran”.

Everyone in the region should register themselves, US general says

The US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told a media conference that Americans in the Middle East should contact the government and provide their location and contact details.

“[It’s] a great opportunity to encourage everyone in the region to go to the State Department and register,” General Dan Caine said.

“We’ve also opened up space to allow C17s and other aero planes to come in and try to help folks get out” of the Middle East, Caine added.

Warning sirens blare in Bahrain

Sirens have been activated in Bahrain, the country’s Interior Ministry has said.

“Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place,” it added.

Damage near Isfahan nuclear site, no radiation risk detected: IAEA

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.

‘No let up’ in attacks across Iran

Tehran has been hit very hard, and the bombardment is not reducing. Karaj, to the west of Tehran, and the city of Isfahan have also been hit over the past few hours.

There is talk of casualties across the board in many of those areas, including civilians. Twenty schools so far have been hit.

On the other hand, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard are saying they are also stepping up their attacks. They have sent missiles and drones across the region – striking many places in Israel, as well as bases in Erbil in northern Iraq and in Kuwait.

There is no let-up in attacks on Iran or the reaction by Iran. The war is getting more and more intense, and casualties are rising among civilians.

Oman rescues 24 people from cargo ship attacked by two missiles

Oman’s navy has responded to a report that a cargo ship flying the Maltese flag was attacked by two missiles near the Strait of Hormuz, Oman News Agency has reported.

The ship’s crew of 24 was rescued and provided with necessary medical care, the report said, adding that they were all in “good health”.

Conflict expands into maritime domain

Here are some interesting data compiled by the conflict-monitoring group ACLED that highlights how the war has spread into the open seas.

• In the past 48 hours, ACLED recorded at least six maritime or maritime-linked attacks involving drones, projectiles and missile activity across the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and Bahraini waters.
• These include direct impacts on oil and chemical tankers.
• Two people were killed, and multiple people were injured.
• A missile interception over Khalifa Bin Salman Port resulted in shrapnel striking a commercial vessel.

“What we are seeing in the past 48 hours is not just a symbolic threat environment. Multiple vessels have been directly impacted or targeted across separate maritime zones, including fatal and injury-producing incidents. That pattern alone is sufficient to trigger a behavioral shift among commercial operators,” said Luca Nevola, ACLED’s senior analyst for Yemen and the Gulf.

“From a security standpoint, the most important variable is whether these incidents remain clustered or become repeatable. ACLED data on maritime and cross-border activity in the Gulf show that escalation cycles often begin with limited, symbolic acts that test international response thresholds,” Nevola said.

A key variable, he added, is whether the Houthis will join the conflict: “We have seen before that maritime theaters can expand rapidly during regional crises. If the Red Sea is reactivated as a pressure front, that would significantly widen the security and commercial impact.”

Saudia Airlines cancels flights to major cities until Friday

Saudia Airlines says it has extended flight cancellations to and from Amman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Moscow and Peshawar due to the ongoing regional conflict until 23:59 GMT on Friday.

UKMTO receives report of an incident 20 nautical miles west of Dubai

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says it has received a report of an incident 20 nautical miles (37km) west of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates during which a container ship witnessed a splash from an unknown projectile near the vessel.

No damage was reported, and authorities are investigating, UKMTO said in a statement shared on social media.

Trump’s ‘end game’ for Iran strikes unclear

Ben Hodges, a retired US lieutenant general, says the Trump administration’s ultimate desired outcomes in Iran remain unclear.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from Frankfurt, Hodges said that while various justifications had been given for launching the attacks, “we still don’t know what the president’s end game is.”

“I’ve never heard the president or his administration say, ‘The desired end state is this,’” he said.

“It’s not clear exactly what we want the region to look like when this is all done, and I think this is a challenge.”

While the future path of the conflict is unclear, he did not believe that the deployment of US troops on the ground was likely “because the president also knows that his own domestic base back in the United States is so against this”.

“This will be part of the calculus as well,” he said.

China to send special mediation envoy to Middle East

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is promising to send a special envoy for mediation to the Middle East.

The pledge 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 Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud that he appreciated Riyadh’s “restraint” and attempts to resolve differences through peaceful means.

He also told UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan that China considers attacks on civilians to be a “red line”.

Turkey summons Iranian envoy

Turkey has summoned Iran’s ambassador to Ankara to protest after a ballistic missile flew towards Turkish airspace, an unnamed Turkish diplomatic source tells the Reuters news agency.

Earlier, Turkey said a ballistic missile launched from Iran was destroyed by NATO air defense systems over the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The intended target of the missile was not immediately clear.

Turkey's Defense Ministry said the intercepted missile fell over the Dortyol district near the Mediterranean coast, adding no casualties were reported.

US has ‘sacrificed the interests of its own nation’ to serve Israel: Iran’s mission to UN

The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations says the US has launched its war on Iran for Israel’s benefit.

“The U.S. Government has sacrificed the interests of its own nation to the hegemonic ambitions of the Israeli regime in the region and to the illusory aspiration of establishing a ‘Greater Israel’ through the expansion of occupation,” it said in a social media post.

“The consequences for the global economic crisis arising from this aggression rest entirely upon the initiators of the war.”

Oil tanker traffic through Strait of Hormuz down 90%: Energy intelligence firm

Oil tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has plunged by 90 percent since the outbreak of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, according to the energy market intelligence firm Kpler.

Iranian military officials have said they completely choked off traffic in the crucial waterway, through which one-fifth of the world’s crude oil supplies transit, but Kpler said some vessels are risking the dangerous route.

“Unlike several other vessel segments where movements have largely ceased, some tankers are still traveling east and west through the strait with a number of voyages occurring under AIS blackouts,” Kpler analyst Matt Wright said, referring to the marine traffic tracking system.

Qatari PM receives call from Iran’s foreign minister, rejects claims attacks did not target civilian sites

Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, has received a phone call from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

A statement by the Qatari Foreign Ministry said Mohammed firmly rejected Iran’s claims that Iranian forces have targeted US assets in the Gulf country and not civilian infrastructure.

During the call, the Qatari prime 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 the statement.

These acts “constitute a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and of the principles of international law”, it added.

Qatari PM tells Araghchi Iran’s attacks reveal no goodwill but an intent to harm neighbours

During the phone call, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told Iran’s Abbas Araghchi that the Iranian attacks reflect an escalatory approach by the Iranian side and demonstrate no genuine desire for de-escalation or resolution, but rather an intent to harm its neighbours and drag them into a war that is not theirs.

Such attacks reveal no goodwill on Iran’s part towards its neighbors, the Qatari prime minister said.

Sheikh Mohammed also called for the immediate cessation of the attacks against neighbouring states that have kept themselves away from the war. While Qatar favours diplomacy, “it will confront any aggression that affects its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity, or national interests, affirming that these attacks cannot go unanswered” in accordance with its right to self-defence, the statement added.

US claims it has struck or sunk more than 20 Iranian ships

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.

As we previously reported, the US has also said it sunk an Iranian warship in international waters. Sri Lanka’s navy said it had recovered at least 87 bodies.

There was no immediate comment from Iran.

US and Israel aren’t necessarily 100% aligned on demands for Iran

While the United States and Israel will continue to coordinate their war on Iran, they are not perfectly aligned when it comes to their demands of the Islamic Republic, an analyst says.

“The Trump administration has certainly insinuated through its messaging to the Iranian people that it would like to see a regime change in Iran, but is still – at least in its public statements – prioritizing the destruction of the nuclear program, ballistic missiles and Iranian support for terrorism,” said Jason Campbell, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.

Israel, however, has been “much more assertive in calling for regime change”, Campbell said.

As the war continues, there may well be “some splits between the Israeli and American prerogatives”.

It is also unclear how many of these objectives can be “achieved solely through air operations”.

“[That] is very much in question,” said Campbell.

Maersk suspends cargo bookings across several Gulf countries

Shipping company Maersk says it temporarily suspended cargo bookings to and from several Gulf countries because of the “the evolving situation in the Middle East”.

In an operational update, the company said it would stop accepting bookings in and out of the United Arab Emirates, Oman (except the port of Salalah), Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and parts of Saudi Arabia, including Dammam and Jubail, until further notice.

Maersk said the decision followed a risk assessment aimed at protecting personnel, safeguarding cargo, and maintaining the stability of its shipping network because of the volatile situation in the region.

Iranian president tells Gulf nations Tehran had ‘no choice’ but to attack

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 security in the region must be achieved through a collective effort, he added.

His comments came after Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani spoke over the phone with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who rejected claims that Tehran targeted only US interests in the country.

US officials sending ‘mixed messages’ about goals in Iran

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has a characteristic, energetic way of delivering his remarks – it often seems like more of a pep rally than a news conference.

His press conference was part operational advances and part doubling down on the military objectives of the United States as it continues this coordinated attack on Iran in conjunction with Israel.

There were points in the news conference where Secretary Hegseth was simply touting some of those advances and the sinking of an Iranian warship by a torpedo, saying this was the first time such an incident has taken place since World War II.

Hegseth spoke about the uncontested control of Iranian airspace and the types of aircraft used, unmanned drones, and the fact the military is accelerating this operation and has an “unlimited stockpile” of weapons for “sustaining this fight for as long as it takes”.

The language here shows the difference in rhetoric between different senior White House officials, not only in the way the updates are delivered, but also what exactly is being said – which some experts say is sending mixed messages.

Iran’s indiscriminate Gulf attacks threaten itself: EU

Iran’s government is making a strong case for its demise by indiscriminately attacking its neighbours, says Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.

“Iran’s strategy is to sow chaos and set the region on fire,” Kallas told reporters.

The European Union has adopted sanctions against Iran in response to these attacks.

If you don't resort to politics, you will have the facts, which shows that Iran is just defending itself against countries that host US bases where preparatory activities for attacks and/or attacks on Iran are carried out. These countries have made themselves co-belligerent, which give Iran the right to consider them military objectives.

Kalas ignores international law.

Germany says ‘military force alone’ won’t resolve conflicts

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says that it is “illusory” to think that the conflict can be resolved “by military force and unilateral action alone”.

“We must emphasize this repeatedly to our American and Israeli friends, and we will continue to do so,” Pistorius told the German parliament.

In a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House yesterday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters that he backed the aims of the US-Israeli war on Iran, but called for its early end over concerns of its impact on the global economy.

Fears of energy crisis rattle Europe but no ‘immediate threat’

Europe’s gas coordination group has met in Brussels. They said there is no immediate threat but they are deeply concerned about the situation that is continuing to escalate in the Middle East.

They’re going to watch a number of things, apart from the prolongation of the conflict, such as how far the damage goes and how much it’s going to affect the supply lines.

The conflict has not directly impacted the supply of gas or oil to Europe yet, but it’s going to have an impact in the long run when it pushes prices further up.

The Qataris have now stopped producing liquefied natural gas, and the largest oil refinery in Saudi Arabia has also stopped working.

So it’s all about words of caution here in Europe.

Some in Trump’s base feel ‘betrayed’ at prospect of prolonged war

Manuel Rapalo, journalist in Washington, wrote:

"How this conflict is being received in the United States goes down party lines, but that’s starting to change as rifts grow within President Donald Trump’s base.

Immediately after these strikes, there was almost an understanding that Trump did not want a prolonged conflict. He understands the power of optics: He would not want a scenario that would include US service members returning in caskets, draped in US flags.

But at this point, that messaging is starting to get lost. What we’re hearing is confusion over what exactly the military objectives are, and whether this could be a sustained conflict.

The thing to underline is that the longer this conflict drags on, the more US service members are killed, and the more Trump will have to answer not only to lawmakers on Capitol Hill but also to his own base – many of whom feel betrayed."

About 17,500 Americans return home from Middle East

More than 17,500 American citizens have returned to the United States from the Middle East since February 28.

More than 8,500 arrived on Tuesday alone, said US State Department official Dylan Johnson.

India denies claim that US Navy is using its ports

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 US 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.”

The pushback from India came amid growing scrutiny of the US submarine attack on an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka, while it was leaving military exercises hosted by India.

Political constraints on Trump ‘greater than they appear’

US President Donald Trump will face increasing domestic scrutiny as the war on Iran continues, while Israel will likely enjoy more long-term public support, an analyst says.

“The political constraints on Donald Trump are greater than they appear,” said Paul Musgrave, an associate professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar.

Polling has shown dismally low support among Americans for strikes against Iran, with about 42 percent of Republicans saying they would be less likely to support the attack if it led to “US troops in the Middle East being killed or injured”.

In contrast, 93 percent of Israelis back Israel’s assault on Iran, the Times of Israel reported.

“So if President Trump were to try to continue this, he would face increasing costs and increasing backlash,” Musgrave said.

New missile barrage launched against Iran

Iran’s semi-official news agency Mehr reports that a new wave of missiles has been launched.

‘It was time to say stop’ to Iranian establishment: Belgian foreign minister

Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said that he “understand[s] why the US and Israel have launched these attacks”.

“Frankly speaking, Iran was not a model student regarding the respect of international law,” he said, citing “threats against its own population”, violence and torture.

“So it was time to say stop to the way Iran was managing the country,” he added.

Still, Prevot emphasized he and other European representatives are advocating for de-escalation and a ceasefire “as soon as possible”.

European Union foreign ministers are slated to meet their counterparts at the Gulf Cooperation Council tomorrow.

The lines in bold clearly shows that the Belgian minister ís influenced by January 2026 protest crackdown that became the main ingredient in an coordinated online campaign by Israeli officials to put regime change in the context of human rights in Iran.

However, the real context of regime change is clear. It is not the January 2026 protest crackdown. It is Netanyahu's call on the US for help in the assassination of the Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei, he made on June 16, 2025 during an interview with ABC News.

UN nuclear chief calls for ‘utmost restraint’ as US-Israel attacks Iran

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.

United Kingdom withdraws some embassy staff from Bahrain

The British embassy in Manama has taken the “precautionary measure” of temporarily withdrawing some of its staff and their dependents, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office says.

It was not immediately clear how many people were pulled from the site. The embassy will continue to operate, it said on social media.

The UK government has advised against all but essential travel to Bahrain, which has sustained a series of major strikes from Iran.

No clear opposition movement to take over Iran

The Trump administration’s idea that the ongoing conflict in Iran could lead to regime change is not credible, an analyst says.

“There is no organized opposition that is able to take charge of the country,” Maha Yahya, director of the Malcolm H Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, said.

Instead, power is distributed across multiple ethnic groups, political structures, and societal institutions, she said.

The only current declared opposition leader is the son of former Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who is based outside the country, while the notion that a Kurdish-led uprising could emerge is a “complete miscalculation”, Yahya added.

Instead, the path forward is marked by “internal strife” and the potential for “greater chaos” with a post-conflict Tehran likely to enforce more – not less – repression of citizens.

“Even if the bombs stop tomorrow, the situation inside Iran is going to remain quite tenuous,” Yahya said.

Conflict is ‘existential’ for Iran’s future governance

The combination of domestic protests that rocked Iran starting in December – followed by the ongoing conflict with the US and Israel – have presented an “existential crisis” for a regime already weakened, Maha Yahya, director of the Malcolm H Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, says.

“Once the dust settles it’s going to be very difficult to address all the things that are going to emerge,” Yahya said, including the economy, inflation, social restrictions and discontent.

But the idea “the system will fade away, or crumble away, is a mistake”, she added.

“We haven’t seen any cracks within the security sector [or] the political elite,” Yahya said. “Everyone’s come together in a very strong way to defend the system.”

This looks like conflation, as the war is sold as for regime change.

The January 2026 protest crackdown following the December 2025 protest, is an human rights issue.

The war since February 28, 2026, is a resumption of the preemptive 12-day war that Netanyahu was waging in June 2025 by claiming with no evidence, that Iran was accelerating its nuclear program. Netanyahu vowed in December 2025 that he will attack Iran in 2026 again.

See next.

Trump’s objectives in Iran

White House spokesperson Leavitt says Trump has four goals in Iran:

• Destroy Iran’s navy
• Destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capacity
• Ensure Iran’s proxies in the region can “no longer harm Americans”
• Ensure Iran “can never obtain a nuclear weapon”

Leavitt added “victory will be determined” once those objectives are “fully realised”, without providing a timeline or more detail.

In an earlier briefing, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the Trump administration will sustain “this fight for as long as it takes”.

Britain summons Iranian ambassador

The UK has summoned Iran’s ambassador in London over what it claimed was Tehran’s role in escalating tensions across the Middle East.

In a statement, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, summoned Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi.

The UK government claimed the move followed what it called “escalatory behavior” by Iran it said risked drawing the region into a wider conflict.

It comes after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was criticised by President Donald Trump over his refusal to let the US launch initial strikes on Iran from British bases.

Netanyahu asked White House about suspected US–Iran secret talks: Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the White House for clarification earlier this week after learning officials in the Trump administration might have been communicating with Iran.

According to a report by US news outlet Axios, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the issue, Israeli intelligence obtained information suggesting there may have been contacts between the Trump administration and Iranian officials to discuss a possible ceasefire.

Axios reported that Netanyahu called White House officials on Monday to ask whether such talks or exchanges of messages had taken place.

One source told the outlet the White House responded by telling Netanyahu that the Trump administration was not speaking to Iranian officials “behind his back”.

Spokesperson: Trump believes Americans support attacks on Iran

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt responded to a question about a lack of domestic enthusiasm for the US-Israel war on Iran, Leavitt said Trump “is smart enough to read ‌past many of the fake news headlines produced by people in this room that his action was unjustifiable”.

“This is a rogue terrorist regime that has ⁠been threatening the United States, ⁠our allies, and ⁠our people for 47 years, and the American people are ‌smart enough to know that,” she said.

Leavitt also hammered home the administration’s other talking points about the conflict, repeatedly calling Iranian leaders killed by the US military “terrorists”.

“Make no mistake, killing these brutal terrorists is good for America and makes the world a much safer place,” she said.

US struck Iran based on Trump’s ‘feeling’: Leavitt

In a lengthy defense of US President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has claimed the president “had a feeling, based on fact, that Iran was going to strike the United States” and its assets in the Middle East.

“He made a determination to launch Operation Epic Fury based on all these reasons, and I’d like the media to actually report on all of them, rather than just picking sound bites from people in the administration and saying, ‘Oh, they’re contradicting the other person,'” Leavitt said.
She added, “These decisions are not made in a vacuum”.

“The president was going to strike first, alongside Israel, and that’s obviously proven to be the right decision, and an effective one at that,” Leavitt said.

Levitt gives false information to the press.

While at Oman's diplomatic mission in Geneva for talks with Iran to prevent a war in the region, Jared Kushner told his father-in-law, the US president Donald Trump, that Iran was going to attack. Netanyahu began the war on Iran while Oman was still mediating between the US and Iran.

Then this:

Trump had no "feeling" but anticipated in false information.

Senate to vote on resolution to stop Trump’s war on Iran

The US Senate is expected to meet and vote on a resolution brought by Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Rand Paul seeking to curb President Donald Trump’s ability to wage war on Iran.

Republicans have a majority in the Senate, as they do in the House of Representatives.

“Among Republicans, there is pretty much ironclad support for the administration launching these attacks on Iran, save for Rand Paul,” Heidi Zhou-Castro said, adding that given the numbers, the resolution was unlikely to find enough traction in Congress to pass.

“But we did hear some pretty strong words from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer earlier in the day,” Zhou-Castro said. “He fears that eventually, Trump might order boots on the ground in Iran.”

No clear end objective for US war on Iran

Mike Hannah wrote:

"In 2003, the invasion of Iraq was preceded by weeks of persuading the American people of the need to carry out military action. It was debated publicly although the reasons given were false.

Move forward 22 years and there has not been a debate. It is a unilateral action announced by US President Donald Trump in a recorded address in the early hours of the morning.

This is a very different set of circumstances. What we have heard from the administration in terms of the rationale for this decision is essentially the military objectives.

What we do not have is the end objective – at what stage does he say we have achieved what we wanted to achieve? At the moment, that is the gap in information."

US senator pushes for Iran war resolution before Congress vote

The Senate is headed toward a vote on Wednesday on President Donald Trump’s decision to embark on a war against Iran.

The legislation, known as a war powers resolution, gives lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out.

The Senate resolution and a similar bill being voted on in the House later this week face unlikely paths through the Republican-controlled Congress, and would almost certainly be vetoed by Trump even if they were to pass.

Nonetheless, the votes marked a weighty moment for lawmakers. Their decisions on the five-day-old war – which Trump entered without congressional approval – could determine the fates of U.S. military members, countless other lives and the future of the region.

“Today every senator – every single one – will pick a side,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer during a floor speech.

“Do you stand with the American people who are exhausted with forever wars in the Middle East, or stand with Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth as they bumble us headfirst into another war?”

Have hit more than 2,000 targets in Iran: White House

The US has hit more than 2,000 targets in Iran, “destroying hundreds and hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday.

This, she said, would give the US and Israel complete dominance over Iran’s airspace.

The US, she also said, had destroyed 20 Iranian naval vessels, including the submarine that was sunk off the coast of Sri Lanka.

including the submarine that was sunk off the coast of Sri Lanka

The IRIS Dena was an frigate, not a submarine of the Iranian Navy that was torpedoed by an US submarine.

Dubai addresses loud blasts, cites air defense success

Authorities in Dubai say sounds heard in various parts of the emirate were the result of successful interceptions by the country’s air defence systems.

No casualties were reported, the Dubai Media Office said.

US President Trump discusses attack on Iran

The US leader says Iran would have had a nuclear weapon if he had not scrapped the “Obama” nuclear deal years ago.

He praised the US-Israel war on the Islamic Republic, saying it is in “a very strong position”.

“It’s an amazing thing that’s taking place right before your eyes because for 47 years we were pushed around and we shouldn’t have been,” Trump said in a live televised address from the White House.

“We’re making tremendous progress. Their missiles are being wiped out… It’s a great display of military strength.”

US offered Iran a joint civil nuclear program: White House

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt has spelled out what she says were the offers made by Trump’s negotiators to Iran, before the US decided to attack the country.

She claimed that the US had engaged in “good faith negotiations” with Iran — and that Tehran had not. That assertion is belied by revelations by Oman’s foreign minister, who was mediating the talks, and according to whom the US attacks on Iran came at a time when Tehran had agreed to unprecedented concessions relating to its nuclear program.

According to Leavitt, Iran rejected all of the US proposals, which she summarized as:

• US negotiators offered to lift crippling sanctions on Iran
• They offered that the US would provide nuclear fuel to Iran for peaceful purposes
• They proposed a joint civil nuclear program, with American investment
• In return, Iran would need to permanently dismantle its enrichment infrastructure.

“They refused to say yes to peace,” Leavitt said. “And now they are reaping the consequences of that.”

“..the US had engaged in good faith negotiations with Iran with Iran — and that Tehran had not.”

On February 28th, during the last mediation by Oman at its diplomatic mission in Geneva, to prevent a war, Iran offered to give up all of its nuclear ambitions.
 

Everyone who wants to lead Iran ‘ends up dead’, says Trump

The United States and Israel will continue the war on Iran, the US president says.

Donald Trump added that the leadership in Tehran is now in disarray.

“We’re in a very strong position now, and their leadership is just rapidly going. Everybody that seems to want to be a leader, they end up dead,” Trump said.

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says spoke to leaders of Bahrain, Kuwait about Iran conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he discussed the Middle East conflict with Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, king of Bahrain, and Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, crown prince of Kuwait.

Zelenskyy, speaking in his nightly video address, also said his administration is in daily contact with the United States and once the security situation around Iran permits, will resume trilateral talks with Moscow and Washington on a settlement of Kyiv’s four-year-old war with Russia.

Rubio speaks to Saudi Arabian counterpart about Middle East stability

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and discussed the threats from Iran to regional stability, the US State Department says.

Iranian strikes have hit numerous locations in Saudi Arabia, including the US embassy in the capital Riyadh and the country’s oil-rich eastern region.

Majority of Americans disapprove of US military strikes on Iran

A Reuters/Ipsos poll has found that 43 percent disapproved of the strikes, while only about one in four respondents said they supported the US-Israeli attacks.

The poll asked more than 1,200 US adults and was conducted over the weekend

A separate CNN poll conducted by SSRS between February 28 and March 1 found even stronger opposition, with nearly six in 10 Americans saying they disapproved of the decision to take military action in Iran. Forty-one percent said they approved.

The CNN survey also found that about six in 10 respondents said they did not believe President Donald Trump had a clear plan for handling the situation, while 39 percent said the US had not made enough diplomatic efforts before using military force.

The poll showed a sharp partisan divide: 82 percent of Democrats and 68 percent of independents said they disapproved of the strikes, compared with 23 percent of Republicans.

Iran says dozens of civilian sites hit in US-Israeli strikes

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has accused the United States and Israel of striking dozens of civilian sites during attacks across the country.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a post on X that locations hit included hospitals, schools, residential areas and markets in several Iranian cities.

Among the sites listed were residential areas in Tehran’s Niloufar Square, hospitals in Tehran and Ahvaz, the Tehran Grand Bazaar, the historic Golestan Palace complex south of the capital and an elementary school in Minab.

Baghaei also said residential areas in Maragheh in northwestern Iran and a sports hall in Lamerd in Fars province were struck, claiming civilians were killed in both incidents.

In total, the Iranian official listed 33 sites and facilities that he said had been targeted in the attacks.

War powers resolution fails to advance in US Senate

A ⁠majority of the US Senate ⁠backed President Donald Trump’s ⁠military campaign against Iran, voting to block a bipartisan resolution aiming ‌to stop the air war and require that any hostilities against Iran be ⁠authorized by Congress.

As ⁠voting continued, the tally in the ⁠100-member chamber was 52-47 ⁠not to ⁠advance the war powers resolution.

‘Secretary of War Crimes’: Iran’s foreign office hits out at Pete Hegseth

Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson of Iran’s foreign ministry, has described US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as a war criminal, quoting some of his public comments.

“‘Flying over Tehran, flying over Iran, flying over their capital…Iranians looking up only seeing U.S.-Israeli air power. Death & destruction from the sky all day long,'” Baghaei wrote, referencing Hegseth’s statements.

“This is a confession of War Crime and Crime against Humanity. Only a NAZI mentality can unleash, in cold blood, death & destruction on another nation just to ‘satisfy the desires’ of his boss.”

Iran’s attacks on neighbours ‘blatant’ violation of international law: Arab League

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has reiterated the League’s frustration with Iran’s ongoing attacks against Arab states.

In a new statement on Wednesday, Gheit said the attacks were not only a “blatant” violation of international law, but also an assault on the principles of “good neighborliness”.

Gheit said Iran’s assaults have created “unprecedented” hostility between Iran and Arab states that will have a “profound impact” on future relations.

Although no Arab state is downplaying the crisis Iran currently faces, it is not an acceptable justification for attacking other states, the League head added.

US-Israel attacks are ‘grave violation’ of law with ‘reckless’ consequences: UN experts

A group of nearly 30 United Nations special rapporteurs and experts have condemned the US and Israel’s “unprovoked attacks” against Iran, emphasizing that “we cannot pick and choose when international law applies”.

The targeting of civilians, educational institutions and medical facilities constitutes a “grave violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law”, the experts wrote, adding that the conflict now threatens to destabilize the Middle East as a whole.

They also expressed concern over Israel’s ongoing strikes in Lebanon and rejected the narrative – pushed by the administration of US President Donald Trump – that conflict with Iran could lead to a self-determined shift in Iranian governance.

“Unlawful military intervention must not be seen as the solution to the grievances of the Iranian people, nor would any future nuclear deal that does not address these wider grievances be mistaken for one,” the experts wrote. “Calls by the US and Israel for Iranians to seize control of their own government are reckless and put countless civilian lives at risk.”

Iran tells Turkey it will continue military response against US, Israel

Iran’s foreign minister has told his Turkish counterpart that Tehran will continue its military response to attacks by Israel and the United States.

In a phone call with Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s armed forces would not stop until what he described as “the evil of the enemies” had been repelled, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry on X.

Araghchi said Iran’s strikes were targeting bases used to plan and carry out attacks against the country, adding that Tehran considered its actions consistent with international law.

The call comes after Turkey summoned Iran’s ambassador to Ankara to protest over a ballistic missile that flew towards Turkish airspace, according to a Turkish diplomatic source cited by the Reuters news agency.

Earlier, Turkey said NATO air defense systems destroyed a missile launched from Iran over the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The intended target was not immediately clear.

Turkey's Defense Ministry said the intercepted missile fell over the Dortyol district near the Mediterranean coast and that no casualties were reported.

Iran accuses EU of ‘double standards’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson has accused the European Union of “hypocrisy and a blatant double standard” after comments by the bloc’s foreign policy chief about Tehran’s actions in the region.

In a post on X, Esmaeil Baghaei criticized European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, saying the bloc had “lost its moral and political compass” by failing to condemn attacks against Iran.

Baghaei said Iran was “under attack by brutal aggressors” and had the right under international law to defend itself.

His comments came after Kallas wrote on X that Iran was “sowing chaos” in the region and “indiscriminately attacking its neighbours”.

She added that while a democratic Iran would pose less of a threat to the region, “no one can predict which direction Iran will take”.

Based on the chronology since June 13, 2025, we can say that Iran is right.

Saudi Arabia intercepts three missiles

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense has said that three cruise missiles have been intercepted and destroyed outside al-Kharj city.