The Israeli military said it launched a “broad wave” of strikes in Tehran early on Wednesday, just hours after Iranian state media reported that the Revolutionary Guard had carried out a fresh barrage of missile and drone strikes on Israel.
IDF said the strikes targeted “the Iranian terror regime’s launch sites, aerial defence systems and additional infrastructure”.
The US Central Command said American and Israeli forces had struck over 1,700 targets in Iran since the start of the war and “severely degraded” Iranian air defences.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, named the first four American personnel killed in the widening conflict with Iran.
Capt Cody A Khork, 35, Sgt 1st Class Noah L Tietjens, 42, Sgt 1st Class Nicole M Amor, 39, and Sgt Declan J Coady, 20, were identified on Tuesday, two days after they were killed in Kuwait.
They were killed in a drone attack on a military facility at Port Shuaiba while “supporting Operation Epic Fury”.
The Donald Trump administration had yet to identify two other American service members killed in the conflict.
Israel issued evacuation warnings for multiple villages in southern Lebanon ahead of a likely offensive, while Saudi Arabia said it intercepted nine drones overnight.
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Maroosha Muzaffar4 March 2026 05:20
Trump threatens to ‘cut off all trade’ with Spain over Iran war base dispute
US president Donald Trump has threatened to “cut off all trade” with Spain after it refused to allow US aircraft to use Spanish bases for strikes on Iran.
“So we’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” Trump said, adding that he had asked treasury secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all dealings with Spain”.
Speaking at the White House alongside German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump criticised Spain’s government for blocking the request and for not backing his push for Nato members to raise defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez said US use of Spanish bases must comply with the UN Charter.
Madrid responded that trade ties with the US are “mutually beneficial” and warned that any review of the relationship must respect international law and EU-US agreements.
“If the US administration wishes to review this relationship, it must do so while respecting the autonomy of private companies, international law and bilateral agreements between the European Union and the US,” it said.
“Our country has the necessary resources to contain possible impacts, help sectors that may be affected, and diversify supply chains.”
Maroosha Muzaffar4 March 2026 05:10
Trump ‘does not care’ whether Iran plays in the 2026 FIFA World Cup
US president Donald Trump has said he “does not care” whether Iran plays in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as tensions escalate following US and Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks in the Gulf.
“I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes,” he told Politico.
The US is co-hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July, and Iran has already qualified, with group matches scheduled in Los Angeles and Seattle.
Despite the conflict, Iran has not withdrawn, though the head of Iran’s football federation, Mehdi Taj, has reportedly cast doubt on participation, saying it is “far from our expectations that we can look at the World Cup with hope”.
FIFA has not commented directly on Trump’s remarks, but its general secretary said the focus remains on ensuring a safe tournament “with everybody participating”.
Maroosha Muzaffar4 March 2026 05:00
US navy could begin escorting oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz, Trump says
President Donald Trump said the US Navy could begin escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary, as the US-Israel war with Iran drives up global energy prices and threatens shipping routes in the Gulf.
He also said he had directed the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to provide political risk insurance and financial guarantees to support maritime trade, in an effort to stabilise oil markets after crude prices spiked due to disrupted tanker movements.
Framing the move as both an economic and security measure, Trump said in a social media post: “No matter what, the United States will ensure the free flow of energy to the world.”
Maroosha Muzaffar4 March 2026 04:50
Iran’s air defences ‘severely degraded’, claims US Central Command
The US Central Command says it has “severely degraded” Iran’s air defences and destroyed “hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers and drones” as part of its ongoing campaign.
Providing an update on Operation Epic Fury, Admiral Brad Cooper said US forces had “struck nearly 2,000 targets and destroyed 17 Iranian ships”, adding that “there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman”.
He said the focus remains on “shooting all the things that can shoot at us”.
Cooper also claimed Iran had launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones, which he described as “indiscriminately targeting civilians”, calling the US campaign so far an “unprecedented success”.
“We will not stop. We will continue to conduct dynamic targeting operations or hunting Iran’s last remaining mobile ballistic missile launchers,” he said.
Maroosha Muzaffar4 March 2026 04:40
US officials to meet top defence contractors to boost weapons output – report
The Trump administration is set to meet top US defence contractors at the White House on Friday to push for faster weapons production, according to Reuters.
Executives from major firms including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon have reportedly been invited, as the Pentagon looks to replenish stockpiles depleted by strikes on Iran and ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
The meeting signals growing urgency in Washington over weapons supplies, despite Trump saying earlier this week that the US has a virtually unlimited supply of munitions and can fight wars “forever” using existing stockpiles.
Maroosha Muzaffar4 March 2026 04:30
Fire caused by drone strike on US embassy in Dubai ‘contained’, media office says
A drone strike sparked a small fire near the US consulate in Dubai, but authorities say it has been fully extinguished with no injuries reported.
Officials confirmed the drone hit a parking area, and emergency teams quickly contained the blaze.“Dubai authorities have confirmed that a fire resulting from a drone-related incident near the US Consulate has been successfully contained,” Dubai’s media office posted online.
It added that “emergency teams responded immediately”, and in a post about 45 minutes later, the media office said the fire had been “fully extinguished” with “no injuries reported”.
The incident comes amid escalating regional tensions, with recent drone strikes also reported at the US embassy in Saudi Arabia and heightened security measures across the Gulf.
Maroosha Muzaffar4 March 2026 04:20
Israel launches 'broad wave' of strikes in Tehran
The US-Israeli war on Iran has entered its fifth day, with Israel launching a “broad wave” of strikes in Tehran.
Israel Defense Forces said the strikes targeted “the Iranian terror regime’s launch sites, aerial defence systems and additional infrastructure”.
This comes after reports from Iranian state media that the Revolutionary Guard had carried out a fresh barrage of missile and drone strikes on Israel just hours earlier.
Maroosha Muzaffar4 March 2026 04:15
Israel orders evacuations in southern Lebanon amid strikes on Hezbollah
Israel has urged residents of more than a dozen villages and towns in southern Lebanon to evacuate, warning of further strikes it says are targeting Hezbollah positions.
The alert was delivered by Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee, who instructed people to move at least 1km away from specified areas.
The warning stated: “Anyone who is near Hezbollah operatives, facilities, and weapons is putting their life at risk.”
Israel says the measures are aimed at Hezbollah infrastructure, though the escalation has heightened fears among civilians in the region.
Lebanese authorities said six people were killed in Israeli strikes in the country’s south.
The evacuation warnings apply to the villages and towns of Rabaa Thalathin, Hawla, Qalaat Dibba, Qabrikha, Touline Khirba, Shaqra, Sawana, Majdal Selm, Tamriya, Tayri, Talousa, Safad, Batikh, Jmeijmeh and Bani Hayyan.
Maroosha Muzaffar4 March 2026 04:10
UK working with airlines to boost Oman evacuations
Britain is coordinating with airlines to increase flight capacity out of Muscat, Oman, to prioritise the evacuation of vulnerable British nationals, foreign minister Yvette Cooper told parliament on Tuesday.
She added that she was in close contact with her counterparts in the Gulf countries, noting that 130,000 British citizens have now registered their presence in the region.
Cooper said: “We are also working with airlines on increasing capacity out of Muscat for British nationals, with priority for vulnerable nationals.”
She confirmed that a government charter flight “will fly from Muscat in the coming days, prioritising vulnerable nationals, but British nationals in Oman must wait to be contacted by the foreign office regarding these options”.
The UK Foreign Office noted that the chartered flight is scheduled to depart from Muscat at 1900 GMT on Wednesday, but Britons should “not go to the airport unless they are contacted”.
In addition, IAG-owned British Airways said it would operate a separate flight from Muscat to London’s Heathrow Airport on Thursday.
Maroosha Muzaffar4 March 2026 03:50NewerOlder