US-Israel-Iran War News: Iran Operations Likely To last 4 To 5 weeks, Says Trump

Israel launched multiple strikes on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, after the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired missiles across the border early Monday.

The Israeli military said it intercepted a projectile that crossed the border, saying that several others fell in open areas. No injuries or damage were reported.

Hezbollah said in a statement that the strikes were carried out in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader on Saturday by U.S. and Israeli strikes in a sudden and intensifying military operation against Iran.

It was the first time in more than a year that Hezbollah had claimed a strike against Israel.

Inputs from AP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to deliver a “decisive blow” to Iran, on Sunday said he has given instructions to his forces to continue to escalate their offensive against Tehran.

"I have given instructions for the continuation of the campaign. Yesterday, we eliminated the tyrant Khamenei. Along with him, we eliminated dozens of senior figures of the oppressive regime," the Israeli premier said.

"Our forces are now striking at the heart of Tehran with increasing intensity, and this will only continue to escalate further over the coming days," he said.

"We are in a campaign in which we are bringing the full strength of the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to the battle, as never before, in order to ensure our existence and our future. But we are also bringing to this campaign the assistance of the United States, my friend, US President Donald Trump, and the US military," Netanyahu said, referring to the joint US-Israel offensive.

"This coalition of forces allows us to do what I have yearned to do for 40 years: smite the terror regime hip and thigh. This is what I promised – and this is what we shall do," the Israeli premier said.

After Hezbollah fired into Israel, the Israeli military ordered residents of around 50 villages in eastern and southern Lebanon to leave before potential retaliation attacks.

The U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prompted the Hezbollah attack.

Civilians were advised by the Israeli military to leave their homes and relocate to open spaces at least 1,000 meters from villages.

An Iraqi Shiite militia claimed a drone attack Monday targeting U.S. troops at the airport in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, further widening the retaliation over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Saraya Awliya al-Dam is one of several Shiite militias that have been active in Iraq since the 2003 invasion led by the United States, which overthrew Saddam Hussein.

Iraq and the United States did not immediately respond to the assertion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss the situation in West Asia and conveyed India's concerns.

During his telephonic conversation with Netanyahu, Modi emphasised the safety of civilians as a priority.

"Had a telephone call with PM Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the current regional situation. Conveyed India's concerns over recent developments and emphasised the safety of civilians as a priority. India reiterates the need for an early cessation of hostilities," Modi said in a post on 'X'.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are planning to hold a press conference Monday morning about the military operation against Iran.

The Pentagon announced the 8 a.m. EST media briefing on social media Sunday night.

On Tuesday, Hegseth and Caine will join U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe in briefing the full membership of Congress on the strikes, the White House said.

Rubio also was slated to brief Hill leadership Monday.

Inputs from AP

In a statement Monday, President Joseph Aoun said Hezbollah’s rocket launches from Lebanon “target all the efforts and endeavors exerted by the Lebanese state to keep Lebanon away from the dangerous military confrontations taking place in the region.”

He added that while Israeli strikes on Lebanon are condemned, “persisting in using Lebanon once again as a platform for proxy wars in which we have no involvement will expose our country to risks once more.”

Inputs from AP

in a joint statement, the E3 countries, Britain, France, and Germany have called Iran’s missile attacks as indiscriminate and disproportionate. The leaders said they are ready to take steps to defend their interests in the region after missile attacks by Iran.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that the US can use British bases for defensive strikes against Iranian missiles. 

Loud explosions were heard in Dubai, UAE, and Doha, Qatar, according to Reuters.

Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani has said that the country "will not negotiate" with US.

Larijani denied media reports that Iranian officials had sought to open talks with the Trump administration after a wave of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

As per The Atlantic, Trump stated that Iran wanted to talk to the US. "They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long," he said.

Trump administration officials acknowledged in closed-door briefings with congressional staff on Sunday that US intelligence did not indicate Iran was planning to attack US forces first, Reuters reported.

According to AP reports atleast 31 have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon. Israel was responding to Hezbollah's previous strike.

Lebanon’s government is holding an emergency meeting after Hezbollah’s attack on Israel triggered Israeli airstrikes in different parts of the country.

The meeting started Monday morning and is being attended by the army chief, Gen. Rudolph Haikal.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the Cabinet will discuss the volatile situation and the measures it plans to take.

Witness says smoke is seen over Kuwait neighbourhood that's home to US Embassy as Americans are urged to stay away, reports AP.

Previously, US had issued an urgent warning to Americans there to take cover and remain indoors as Kuwait faces an ongoing attack.

It said: “Do not come to the Embassy,” without elaborating.

Fire and smoke rose from inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait after an Iranian attack on the small Mideast nation on Monday, confirming that the Embassy was targeted.

Video obtained by The Associated Press showed the smoke with an alarm wailing.

The World Health Organization called for the sparing of civilians and health care facilities in the Middle East amid a regional conflict triggered by Israeli-US strikes on Iran over the weekend.

“The protection of civilians and health care must be absolute,” Hanan Balkhy, regional dietitian at WHO wrote on social media.

“All parties must … ensure medical facilities remain protected.”

Israel declared that as long as the war with Iran lasts, crossings to Gaza, which are crucial for the delivery of humanitarian goods, will stay closed.

The Israeli defence agency COGAT, which is in charge of monitoring aid into Gaza and the crossings, stated that the missile threat prevented the crossings from being used securely.

Israelis have been instructed to remain close to bomb shelters and places that are not within a certain distance to a bomb shelter are closed.

“The measures taken are temporary and are based solely on a security assessment,” COGAT said.

COGAT claimed that Gaza has sufficient stockpiles of food for an “extended period” though some organizations, including the World Central Kitchen which operates soup kitchens across Gaza, have warned that they are running out of supplies.

“We need food deliveries every single day to feed hungry families who are not part of this war,” chef Jose Andres, the founder of World Central Kitchen, wrote on X.

-AP

Three people have been killed in strikes that hit the western Iranian city of Sanandaj early on Monday, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. The agency reported that two residential sites were targeted, but gave no further details on the nature of the strikes or who was responsible.

-AP

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has condemned Israel’s recent deadly air strikes on southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, describing them as brutal. He accused Israel of repeatedly and seriously violating Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as breaching the November 2024 ceasefire agreement.

Baghaei also criticised the silence of those who claim to support the rule of law and human rights in the face of these actions, calling it shameful. He warned that the current situation puts international peace at serious risk.

Germany has no intention of taking part in military action against Iran, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Monday morning. Speaking to Deutschlandfunk radio, he stated that the federal government does not plan to get involved in the conflict and noted that Germany does not have the necessary military resources anyway.

He added, however, that German soldiers at multinational bases would defend themselves if attacked. Bundeswehr personnel are present at bases targeted over the weekend amid the regional escalation, including in Irbil in northern Iraq and Al-Azraq in Jordan. The German news agency dpa reported that no German soldiers were injured and all remain safe.

-AP

At least 35 people have been killed in attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran’s southern province of Fars, according to the IRGC-affiliated Mehr news agency. The agency cited a local official as saying the strikes took place in the province. No further details were given on the targets or the circumstances of the attacks.

-Reuters

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said that Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem is now a target for elimination following rocket fire from the group towards Israel. In a post on X, Katz wrote that Hezbollah would pay a heavy price for the shooting.

-Reuters

The Iranian Red Crescent Society has reported that at least 555 people have been killed in US and Israeli strikes across the country. The figure was given in an update from the organisation on Monday. More details are expected shortly.

-Reuters

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have said they carried out missile attacks on several Israeli targets, including a government complex in Tel Aviv, military and security sites in Haifa, and a location in east Jerusalem.

In a statement broadcast on state television, the Guards described the operation as the tenth wave of strikes and said they used Kheibar ballistic missiles. The announcement was reported by AFP. No further details on the impact or Israeli response were given in the statement.

-AFP

The Iranian Red Crescent Society has said that 131 cities across the country have so far been affected by US and Israeli attacks.

Relief operations are continuing without pause, with rescue teams active in the affected areas. The organisation added that more than 100,000 responders remain on full alert nationwide.

It also stated that around four million volunteers are currently on standby to provide humanitarian aid, assistance and psychosocial support as needed.

Iran’s Army has said it carried out missile attacks on the US Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait and on enemy vessels in the northern Indian Ocean.

The statement said the strikes were carried out by missile units from the army’s ground and naval forces operating from various locations over the past hours. It added that 15 cruise missiles were used in the attacks.

The army linked the operation to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US and Israeli strikes.

-AFP

More than 3,400 flights have been cancelled in the opening days of the conflict, according to flight-tracking data. Airspace across large parts of the Gulf region remains shut, with no immediate sign of reopening.

An estimated 300,000 people are currently stranded in the area. Major airports including Dubai International, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Hamad International in Doha have suspended operations. In total, six or seven key airports in the region are not functioning.

The closures are causing widespread disruption beyond the Gulf. These hubs are vital for connecting Europe, Asia, Africa and other regions, so the shutdowns are affecting flights worldwide in a chain reaction.

The UK is reported to be sending teams to help with evacuations.

On social media, passengers stuck at Hamad International, Dubai International and Abu Dhabi airports are posting about long queues to rebook flights, obtain hotel vouchers or get any assistance. Many are spending nights sleeping in the terminals.

Until the airspace reopens and the conflict eases, large numbers of travellers will remain unable to move on.

-Reuters

Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog, has told a special session of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna that, as of now, the agency has no indication of any damage to Iranian nuclear facilities.

He specifically mentioned that sites including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor, and other nuclear fuel cycle facilities have not been hit or damaged.

Grossi said the IAEA is still trying to reach Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities through its Incident and Emergency Centre but has received no response so far, due to communication difficulties linked to the ongoing conflict.

He called for military restraint, pointing out that Iran and several other countries in the region that have been targeted have operational nuclear power plants, research reactors, and associated fuel storage sites. He warned that this raises the risk to nuclear safety.

The IAEA has detected no increase in radiation levels above normal background readings in countries bordering Iran.

-AP

Oil prices have risen about 9% as the US-Israel war with Iran unsettles global markets.

European markets opened lower on Monday morning. The US dollar strengthened against both the Japanese yen and the euro.

In Asian trading, shares fell in Tokyo and most other markets, though they rose in Shanghai where higher oil prices boosted energy company stocks. The conflict in the Middle East is expected to cause disruptions to oil supplies.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were down 1.3% as of 0900 GMT.

-AP

Saudi Aramco has temporarily closed its Ras Tanura oil refinery near Dammam following an attack by Iranian drones on Monday.

Saudi state television reported the shutdown, quoting an official source. It said the decision was taken as a precaution and that there were no casualties from the resulting fire.

The Ras Tanura refinery processes more than half a million barrels of crude oil per day.

-AP

Iran has carried out a 10th wave of missile attacks on Israel, increasing anxiety among people in Israel and in the occupied West Bank.

Residents in the West Bank do not have the same access to home front alert systems, air raid sirens, Israeli defence systems, or reinforced shelters as those in Israel.

There were fewer Iranian-led strikes in the early part of the night, but since morning there has been heavy bombardment from Iran. Loud explosions have been heard, though it is not clear whether these were from interceptions or from missiles striking inside Israel.

Yesterday in Beit Shemesh, near West Jerusalem, nine Israelis were reported killed by debris from a rocket that hit a fortified structure or shelter.

More Israelis are now having to stay in shelters compared with the fighting in June. Although the total number of missiles may not match the previous round of conflict, people are sometimes required to remain in shelters for long periods, up to three hours at a time. This reflects the sustained intensity of the Iranian missile barrages targeting Israel.

Israel’s air force carried out fresh airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday. Explosions were heard across parts of the Lebanese capital.

The strikes targeted an area where Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed group, has a large hall used for rallies. It is not yet known whether there were any casualties.

Hezbollah said it launched missiles from Lebanon into Israel early on Monday in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and what it called repeated Israeli aggressions.

Israel responded with strikes on Lebanon. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that at least 31 people were killed and 149 wounded in those attacks, with about two-thirds of the deaths occurring in the south of the country.

-AP

Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, has said that US-Israeli airstrikes targeted the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in Iran.

Neither Israel nor the United States has confirmed any strikes on the site. The US previously bombed Natanz during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.

“Again they attacked Iran’s peaceful safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday,” Najafi said. He described claims that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons as “simply a big lie.”

-AP

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has said the country is ready to help defend Gulf states and Jordan if needed.

He named Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Jordan as allied countries that have been deliberately targeted by missiles and drones from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and pulled into a war they did not choose.

“To these countries, France expresses its full support and complete solidarity,” Barrot said.

He added that France “stands ready … to take part in their defence.”

Authorities in Abu Dhabi say debris has fallen on a warehouse in the ICAD area and a commercial facility in Mussafah after air defence systems intercepted drones.

The Abu Dhabi media office stated that the incidents caused no injuries and only minor damage to buildings.

This is developing story.

Iranian state television has said that Iran targeted one of the US aircraft that crashed in Kuwait. No further details were given.

Earlier on Monday, Kuwait’s Defence Ministry reported that several US warplanes had crashed. It said all the pilots ejected safely and are in stable condition.

The US military has not yet commented on the reports.

Iran’s ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog, Reza Najafi, has said that the Natanz nuclear facility was struck during US and Israeli military operations on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation board of governors, he said: “Again they attacked Iran’s peaceful, safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday.”

When asked by Reuters which facilities were targeted, he replied: “Natanz.”

Several US military aircraft have crashed in Kuwait early on Monday, according to Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence.

The ministry said all crew members survived the crashes and are in stable condition.

In a separate incident, a witness reported seeing smoke rising from near the US Embassy compound in Kuwait City, with fire trucks and ambulances attending the area.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari has told CNN that Iranian attacks targeted civilian infrastructure in the country, including Hamad International Airport.

He said Qatar’s air defences intercepted the attacks.

Al-Ansari added that such strikes could not go unanswered.

He also said Qatar is not engaging with Iran at the moment.

Displaced families from southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs have taken refuge in schools across the capital following Israel’s heaviest airstrikes in more than a year. The attacks came hours after Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel.

At one public school turned temporary shelter, people arrived carrying mattresses, plastic bags and bundles of clothes. Some sat on the pavement with their belongings, waiting quietly for space to become available inside.

Hussein Abu Ali, who fled with his wife and children, described the strikes hitting close by. “My son began shaking and crying... Where are you supposed to go? I stepped outside, then back in because I was afraid of shooting in the air. I gathered my children and went down to the street.”

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the Israeli attacks killed at least 31 people and wounded 149.

A series of fresh explosions were heard over Jerusalem on Monday according to journalists from AFP, shortly after the Israeli military reported detecting new missile launches from Iran.

In a statement, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said it had identified missiles fired from Iran toward Israeli territory. “Defensive systems are currently operating to intercept the threat,” the military added.

Source: AFP

Israel’s military said it sees no immediate need to launch a ground invasion of Lebanon after an overnight attack by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah prompted Israeli retaliatory air strikes.

Military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters that the current situation does not justify sending Israeli ground forces into Lebanon in the near term.

“There is nothing on the ground that indicates a ground invasion is imminent,” Shoshani said, adding that in the immediate timeframe the answer to whether troops would be deployed in Lebanon was “no.”

Source: AFP

Pakistani authorities deployed troops and enforced a three-day curfew in the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu after several people were killed and dozens injured during violent protests triggered by the reported killing of Ali Khamenei in US–Israeli strikes, officials said.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Pakistan and its consulates in Karachi and Lahore suspended visa appointments and American Citizen Services on Monday due to security concerns. Pakistani authorities also tightened security around US diplomatic missions nationwide, including near the US consulate in Peshawar, to prevent further unrest.

Source: AP

A bomb-carrying drone boat struck a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Monday (March 2, 2026), killing one mariner on board, Oman said.

The state-run Oman News Agency reported the attack in the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Muscat, the sultanate’s capital. It identified the vessel as the MKD VYOM. It said the dead crew member was from India.

Iranian President appoints Guards General Majid Ebnereza as acting Defence Minister.

Two Iranian drones targeted a power plant in Qatar and a separate energy facility on Monday, the Qatari Defence Ministry said, on the third day of Iranian retaliatory strikes against countries in the region.

“One drone targeted a water tank belonging to a power plant in Mesaieed, south of Doha, and another targeted an energy facility in Ras Laffan on the north coast, Qatar’s main site for production of liquefied natural gas,” the Ministry said.

There were no reports of casualties, it added

Source: AP

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Monday they had launched missile strikes on Israeli targets, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and other sites in Tel Aviv, Haifa and east Jerusalem, calling it a “tenth wave” of attacks.

A series of new explosions were heard above Jerusalem on Monday. 

Source: AFP

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Monday that the UN nuclear watchdog has found no evidence suggesting that Iran’s nuclear facilities were damaged or struck during the recent US and Israeli military strikes on the country.

Earlier in the day, Iran’s ambassador to the agency claimed that the nuclear facility at Natanz Nuclear Facility had been targeted. However, Grossi said that, so far, the agency has not observed anything similar to the strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iranian nuclear sites in June.

Source: Reuters

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday accused the United States and Israel of attempting to engineer regime change in Iran and undermine efforts to normalise relations between Tehran and its Arab neighbours.

In a statement, the ministry said it had become evident that United States and Israel were not only seeking to remove Iran’s leadership through what it described as “unscrupulous methods,” including the assassination of a sovereign nation’s leaders, but were also trying to disrupt the ongoing process of improving ties between Iran and neighbouring Arab states.

Fifteen US aircraft have departed the Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base in southern Spain since the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran over the weekend, according to flight maps from the tracking website Flightradar24 on Monday.

Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said the country would not permit its military bases, jointly operated by the United States and Spain but under Spanish sovereignty, to be used for attacks on Iran, which Madrid has condemned.

FlightRadar24 data showed that at least seven of the aircraft later landed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

Iran’s security chief on Monday said the Islamic Government was prepared for its war with the United States and Israel to last for a long period of time.

“Iran, unlike the United States, has prepared itself for a long war,” said Ali Larijani, the powerful head of Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council, in a post on X.

Source: AP

The US Embassy in the Lebanese capital of Beirut has called on its citizens to not travel to the country.

It has also urged those already in the country to “depart Lebanon NOW while commercial flight options remain available”, it said in a social media post.

“The security situation in Lebanon is volatile and unpredictable. Airstrikes have occurred throughout the country, especially in the south, the Beqaa, and parts of Beirut.”

Britain evacuated one of its sovereign bases in Cyprus on Monday while the Cypriot Government evacuated its second biggest airport, after it said two drones heading for Akrotiri had been “dealt with”.

It came hours after an Iranian Shahed drone crashed into the Akrotiri base, causing minor damage, according to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.

An AFP correspondent heard sirens sounding at the Akrotiri air base and saw about 70 vehicles, mostly with civilian number plates, leaving the area on the southern tip of the island around noon local time (1000 GMT).

State broadcaster CyBC later reported the evacuation, saying that three fighter jets took off from the base at the same time.

Source: AFP

Amid rising tensions in West Asia, the Indian government on Monday said it is coordinating with its diplomatic missions in the Gulf to ensure the safety and possible evacuation of stranded Indian nationals. State governments have also begun assisting residents affected by the crisis.

The Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Narendra Modi, expressed concern over the safety of the large Indian expatriate community in Gulf countries and directed relevant departments to take necessary steps to assist them.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Centre is prepared to bring back Indians if needed and is in touch with embassy officials to facilitate their safe return.

Source: PTI

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended on Monday his decision to keep Britain out of the U.S. and Israel’s initial strikes against Iran following criticism from President Donald Trump.

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

The premier also said that British military bases in Cyprus “are not being used by U.S. bombers”, after he agreed to a U.S. request to use U.K. bases for “specific and limited defensive purposes” in the war.

Source: AFP

Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said the joint military campaign by Israel and the United States against Iran was partly intended to create conditions for Iranians to remove their current leadership, adding that such a moment could be approaching.

Speaking to journalists during a visit to a site struck by an Iranian missile, Netanyahu said that when the time comes, Israel and the United States would stand alongside the Iranian people. However, he stressed that any move to change the leadership ultimately depends on the Iranian public.

Since the strikes on Iran began on Saturday, Netanyahu has urged Iranians to “cast off the yoke of tyranny,” while Donald Trump has called on them to “take back your country.

Source: AFP

The Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi to Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport will operate tonight. The flight has arrived at 10 p.m and will depart at 11:10 p.m. to Abu Dhabi from KIA.