US-Iran-Israel war LIVE | The conflict in West Asia continues to escalate since the US and Israeli military launched strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei and several other top Iranian officials. The operation was named ‘Epic Fury’ by the US and ‘Lion’s Roar’ by Israel. The attacks came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and ongoing talks over Iran’s nuclear program.
In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on Israel and US military bases in the region, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Azerbaijan. Iran has ruled out any possibility of a ceasefire, while US President Donald Trump has claimed victory multiple times, suggesting that the objective is nearly met. Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its operations in Lebanon, targeting Iran’s ally Hezbollah and has ruled out diplomacy with the Lebanese government.
Following Khamenei’s death, Iran has named his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the Islamic Republic's new supreme leader. While the new leader has made several statements, he has not made any public appearances. Since then, rumours have circulated about his health, with claims that he was injured in the strikes that killed his father.
Amid the escalating tensions in West Asia, Iran has shut down the Strait of Hormuz and warned that any vessel attempting to pass could be targeted and set on fire, with several oil tankers being hit in recent days. In recent days, at least 3 India-flagged LPG tankers have crossed the strait after discussions with Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz is the only maritime outlet for ports located in the Persian Gulf. Its blockage has significantly affected global energy supply, triggering a sharp rise in oil prices.
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The war in Ukraine served as an early warning for Western defence readiness, but the opening 16 days of the Iran conflict have escalated that warning into an urgent alarm about sustainability. The scale at which advanced munitions have been consumed during Operation Epic Fury highlights a serious weakness: the West is operating with a dangerously unfavourable cost-to-effect ratio that its industrial base cannot maintain over time.
The Israeli government has approved the call-up of up to 400,000 reservists amid the ongoing conflicts with Iran and Hezbollah. The military said that this does not constitute the actual number of reservists that the IDF will be calling up, but rather a “ceiling that allows flexibility… according to operational needs.”
“The framework is intended to address challenges across the various arenas, particularly within the framework of Operation Roaring Lion,” the IDF said, referring to the current war with Iran.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Wednesday ordered the Foreign Ministry to summon the US Embassy’s charge d’affaires in Baghdad over attacks targeting “military sectors”, according to Reuters.
The Israeli military claimed on Wednesday that it targeted a submarine development facility in Isfahan, a day after its air force launched a wave of strikes on the central Iranian city. "As part of the strikes, the IDF, guided by Israeli navy intelligence, targeted the Iranian terror regime's Underwater Research Centre in Isfahan," the military said, AFP reported.
"The centre is the only facility in Iran responsible for the design and development of submarines and support systems for the Iranian navy," it said. Israel military added that the site also produced various types of "unmanned vessels". The military had also claimed on Tuesday, launching a "wide-scale wave of strikes" in Isfahan.
Iraq said on Wednesday that it will submit a formal complaint to the UN over strikes.
Iran navy said on Wednesday that they have fired missiles at a US aircraft carrier, according to the AFP.
Iran's parliament speaker warned Washington on Wednesday not to test the determination of Islamic Republic to defend its territory after the United States was reported to send more troops to the Middle East.
"We are closely monitoring all US movements in the region, especially troop deployments. What the generals have broken, the soldiers can't fix; instead, they will fall victim to (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's delusions," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a post on X, and added, “Do not test our resolve to defend our land.”
The UN Human Rights Council is set to convene a second emergency debate this week related to the Middle East war, focused on a deadly strike on an Iranian school. Council president Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro informed the UN’s leading human rights body that its bureau had reviewed a request from Iran, China and Cuba to hold an urgent discussion on the strike, which targeted a school in the southern city of Minab on the first day of the war, February 28. He added that the bureau had decided the debate could be scheduled for Friday.
"The decision to cut commercial supplies is a calibrated move due to disruption in supplies in the current war scenario. Our focus is on the domestic household demands," said the Indian govt
Pakistan handed over a US proposal to Tehran, venue of talks still being discussed, Reuters reported.
"There will be no hike in fuel prices. Government is focused on PNG expansion," says PIB.
"There is no shortage of fuel, kindly avoid panic buying": India
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned Wednesday that the Middle East war presented a "far worse" scenario than the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
"This is not the same scenario as the illegal war in Iraq. We are facing something far worse. Much worse. With a potential impact that is far broader and far deeper," he told parliament.
"This time, it's an absurd and illegal war. A cruel one that sets us back from achieving our economic, social, and environmental goals."
Iran's ambassador to Pakistan on Wednesday said there had been no talks between Washington or Tehran, after US President Donald Trump signalled tentative progress in diplomatic efforts to end the war.
"We have also heard such details through the media, but according to my information -- and contrary to Trump's claims -- so far no negotiations, direct or indirect, have taken place between the two countries," said ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam, adding that it was "natural that friendly countries are always engaged in consultations with both sides to end this illegitimate aggression".
Strikes around Iran and Israel's nuclear sites risk unleashing an "unmitigated catastrophe", the UN rights chief said Wednesday as the UN Human Rights Council discussed Tehran's attacks across the Gulf.
"Recent missile strikes near nuclear sites in both Israel and Iran underscore the immense danger of further escalation. States are flirting with unmitigated catastrophe," Volker Turk said in a video statement.
A strike on a base in western Iraq killed seven security personnel, the defence ministry said Wednesday, a day after an attack on the same base targeted the former paramilitary Hashed al-Shaabi.
"This resulted in the death of seven of our heroic fighters and the injury of 13 others," the ministry said of the strike in Anbar province, saying it specifically targeted the base's military healthcare clinic. Rescue operations were ongoing, it added.
The base hosts Iraqi police, soldiers from the regular army and Hashed al-Shaabi forces, a security official told AFP. It was hit by a deadly strike on Tuesday that the former paramilitaries blamed on the United States.
Iran's ambassador to Pakistan on Wednesday said there had been no talks between Washington or Tehran, after US President Donald Trump signalled tentative progress in diplomatic efforts to end the war.
"We have also heard such details through the media, but according to my information -- and contrary to Trump's claims -- so far no negotiations, direct or indirect, have taken place between the two countries," said ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam, adding that it was "natural that friendly countries are always engaged in consultations with both sides to end this illegitimate aggression".
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday (Mar 24) said that the United States “negotiates with bombs” even as the White House stated that the diplomatic path remains open to end the war with Iran. Hegseth reiterated US President Donald Trump’s stance that Washington will not allow Tehran to possess a nuclear weapon. This comes as the war in West Asia entered its 26th day on March 25.
While speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for the Secretary of Homeland Security, Hegseth claimed that it was the first time in history that a modern military had been so obliterated.
“The air campaign we’ve conducted was one for the history books,” Hegseth said. “We have a president who, when he sends his warfighters out to fight, he unties their hands to actually go out and destroy the enemy as viciously as possible from moment one.”
Even as US President Donlad Trump is pushing for a peace plan with Iran after almost a month of fighting, Iranian military spokesman has mocked him for his negotiation claims. The United States is negotiating with itself, said Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari, according to state media on Wednesday (Mar 25).In a video address, Ebrahim Zolfaqari taunted Washington, questioning whether its internal divisions had reached a point where it was “negotiating with itself,” and added that people like them could never get along with people like the US, dismissing any suggestion of ongoing talks. Iran has not confirmed the talks with the US yet, despite Trump claiming that Washington is speaking to a “top person” who is not the Supreme Leader.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he believed Israel will try to 'sabotage' diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war. He insisted the conflict must be brought to an end through dialogue and serious negotiations but suggested that Israel's position was undermining diplomacy.
Iranian Red Crescent footage posted on social media on Wednesday (Mar 25) shows a search and rescue team intervening at an impact site in Tehran after a US-Israeli strike.
A Thai oil tanker has safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz following diplomatic coordination between Thailand and Iran and was not required to pay to escape the blockade, a Thai official and the oil major that owns the vessel said on Wednesday.
The Bangchak Corporation (BCP.BK), opens new tab-owned tanker, crossed the strategic waterway on Monday after successful talks between Thai foreign minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and Iran's ambassador to Thailand.
Iraqi defense ministry says seven fighters killed, 13 wounded in a strike in Anbar: State news agency
A new strike in western Iraq targeted the former paramilitary coalition Hashed al-Shaabi, a security official said Wednesday, a day after a similar attack killed 15 Iraqi fighters.
"Two missiles were fired from a fighter jet" at the same base in Anbar province that was struck on Tuesday, the official said.
He reported that there were some casualties, but did not give further details.
Tuesday's strike was the deadliest in Iraq since the start of the Middle East war on February 28, killing 15 fighters including a commander.
Iran launched a new missile salvo across the Middle East on Wednesday, after US President Donald Trump's signals that he was eager to talk with Tehran steadied global markets.
Oil prices dropped sharply and stocks in Asia rose on broader de-escalation hopes following nearly four weeks of war, as Trump appeared to be ramping up efforts to bring an end to his joint military operation with Israel.
Trump, whose daily statements have swung wildly from threatening to conciliatory, said Washington was "in negotiations right now" with Tehran.
Oil prices tumbled and stocks rose on Wednesday (Mar 25) on hopes for a de-escalation of the Middle East war after reports said Washington had sent a peace plan to Iran, while Tehran announced it will let "non-hostile" oil vessels through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
After nearly four weeks of conflict, investors jumped on the first signs that hostilities could wind down, though analysts pointed out that the arrival of more US troops in the region suggested the chance of escalation remained.
International Energy Agency Fatih Birol said that the International Energy Agency is ready to release more oil reserves “if and when necessary” amid the West Asia war. He notes that member nations have already unlocked 400 million barrels—the largest release ever—but adds there is still “a significant amount” of oil available if the crisis continues.
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of national energy emergency on Tuesday, warning that there was an “imminent danger” to the “availability and stability of the country’s energy supply.”
Channel 12 broadcaster says the Lebanese group has launched 30 projectiles towards Israel
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif says he has spoken with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, condemning recent attacks on Saudi Arabia while praising the kingdom’s “remarkable restraint.” He calls for an immediate end to hostilities and greater unity in the Muslim world, while highlighting Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for regional peace. Both leaders agree to maintain close coordination, as Pakistan positions itself as a potential host for US-Iran talks aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict.
According to Al Jazeera, Hezbollah said it targeted a military facility in northern Israel, claiming its missiles struck the Birya barracks in the Upper Galilee.
Qatar’s former PM Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani says GCC states must have a place in any US-Iran negotiations. He stresses that the Strait of Hormuz “is not a bargaining chip” and must remain open “without condition or restriction,” cautioning that any attempt to control or weaponise it would threaten regional stability and the global economy.
Hezbollah claims to have intercepted an Israeli jet during a potential attack on southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported
Iran’s Education Ministry says at least 243 students and teachers have been killed since start of the war
Iran named a former Revolutionary Guards commander, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, as head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, succeeding Ali Larijani, who was killed last week in an Israeli strike.
Iranian authorities said that 466 people have been arrested, accused of seeking to destabilise the country through their online activity.
Iran Khatam al-Anbia Headquarters (the unified combatant command headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces) spokesperson mocked the claims of US President Donald Trump, who had claimed that the US was negotiating with Iran and that the war was coming to an end.
In a video posted by Fars News on Wednesday, the military spokesperson took a jibe at the US, saying that the situation had reached a stage where the Americans were negotiating with themselves.
"The strategic power you used to boast about has now turned into a strategic defeat...Do not label your defeat as an 'agreement.' The era of your promises has come to an end. Today, there are two fronts in the world: Truth and Falsehood. No freedom-seeking truth-seeker will be deceived by your media waves. The level of your internal conflicts has reached the stage where you are negotiating with yourselves. There will be no more talk of your investments in the region, nor will you ever see the former prices of energy and oil again, until you understand that stability in this region is guaranteed only by the powerful hand of our armed forces," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson further underlined that the Iranian forces would never come to terms with the US-Israel forces.
China's top diplomat Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in a phone call that "talking is always better than to keep fighting," after Tehran denied Trump's claim that negotiations had taken place.
Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Iran to "engage in good faith" in talks to end the war, after a call with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Mar 24) revealed that he has sent a peace plan to Iran, nearly after almost a month of starting the war in West Asia. The announcement by US president about diplomatic solution came despite Iranian missile causing injuries in Israel, and Tehran accusing Israel of attacking Bushehr nuclear plant.
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US President Donald Trump is facing his most severe domestic crisis since returning to the White House as public approval for his administration craters. According to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday (Mar 25), Trump's approval rating has plummeted to lowest ever at 36 per cent, driven by a brutal surge in fuel prices and widespread opposition to his ongoing war in Iran. This is down four per cent from last week, when another Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump still had 40 per cent support. Now, with gasoline prices jumping $1 per gallon since the February 28 strikes, only 25 per cent of Americans now approve of the President's handling of the cost of living—a core pillar of his 2024 campaign.
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US President Donald Trump said he was upbeat about a negotiated deal with Iran after its surviving leadership gave him a "very big present" related to the Strait of Hormuz, "worth a tremendous amount of money".
He earlier said negotiations to end the Middle East war were under way "right now," adding that Tehran wants to make a deal "so badly".
In a stunning departure from military protocol, President Donald Trump has confirmed that the three American F-15 jets shot down over the skies of Kuwait were targeted by the US' own Patriot missiles. Speaking on Tuesday (Mar 24), Trump revealed that Kuwaiti forces—using US-made Patriot missiles—accidentally shot down three allied aircraft after misidentifying them as enemy threats.
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Iraq said it would summon the US charge d'affaires and the Iranian ambassador after deadly strikes blamed on their countries, as Baghdad granted targeted former paramilitary groups the "right to respond".
Brent crude oil, the global market benchmark, was down 6.3 per cent at $97.90 per barrel at around 0200 GMT.
Benchmark US oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, was down 5.2 per cent at $87.52.
Drones hit a fuel tank and sparked a fire at Kuwait International Airport, the Gulf state's civil aviation authority said on Wednesday, as Iran presses on with its attacks in the nearly four-week regional war.
Citing preliminary information, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement posted online that the attack had caused only "limited" damage and no casualties.
Firefighters were working to bring the blaze under control, said agency spokesman Abdullah Al-Rajhi.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB that they had launched missiles and drones at military bases hosting US forces in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain as well as targets in Israel.
The Kuwait National Guard said in a statement that its forces intercepted six drones early Wednesday, and the army said air defences were "responding to hostile missile and drone attacks".
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had fired missiles at Israel as well as military bases hosting US forces in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain, Iranian state television reported on Wednesday.
A Guards statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB said that "targets in the heart of the occupied territories", meaning Israel, and US military bases in the region "were struck by precision-guided liquid- and solid-fuel missile systems and attack drones".
Kuwaiti air defences responded to missile and drone attacks early Wednesday, the army said, as Iran continues strikes on Gulf nations in the nearly four-week regional war.
"Kuwaiti air defences are currently responding to hostile missile and drone attacks," the army posted on X, after authorities had announced drone attacks including one that sparked a fire at the country's main international airport.
The Israeli military said early Wednesday that it was striking targets in the Iranian capital Tehran, shortly after it announced a salvo of missiles had been fired towards Israel by Iran.
"Initial report -- the IDF has begun a wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran," the Israeli military wrote on its official Telegram channel.
Israel's military on Tuesday warned residents of Beirut's southern suburbs, long a stronghold of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, of imminent strikes and called for them to evacuate.
"The IDF continues to operate and attack the military infrastructure belonging to the terrorist Hezbollah throughout the suburb with increasing force. The IDF does not intend to harm you, therefore, for your safety, you must evacuate immediately," the Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said on his official Telegram channel.
French President Emmanuel Macron called on Iran on Tuesday to "engage in good faith" in talks to end the war in the Middle East, after a call with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian.
"I called on Iran to engage in good faith in negotiations," Macron posted on X, saying he had also urged an end to "unacceptable" attacks on countries in the region and to "restore freedom of navigation" in the vital Strait of Hormuz, whose effective closure by Iranian forces has sent global oil and gas prices soaring.
The UN nuclear watchdog said Iran had informed it that "another projectile hit the premises" of the Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday, without causing damage to the plant itself.
"IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reiterates call for maximum restraint to avoid nuclear safety risks during conflict," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a post on X.
Iran's atomic energy organisation accused the US and Israel on Tuesday of attacking its Bushehr nuclear power plant, saying a projectile had landed within its compound but caused no damage.
"The American-Zionist enemy has attacked the Bushehr nuclear power plant site again," the organisation said in a statement, adding that "a projectile hit inside the enclosure of the Bushehr power plant".
"Initial reports indicate this incident did not cause any financial or technical damage, or human casualty, and the various areas of the power plant are unharmed."
Iraq's foreign ministry will summon the United States charge d'affaires and the Iranian ambassador following two deadly strikes targeting former paramilitaries and Iraqi Kurdish fighters from the autonomous northern region, an official statement said Tuesday.
The ministry of foreign affairs will summon the representatives to "deliver formal notes of protest regarding the attacks", the Iraqi prime minister's office said in a statement following a meeting of the National Security Council.
Iraq has granted former paramilitary groups the right to respond and defend themselves against "military attacks" from drones or aircraft targeting their bases, a statement from the prime minister's office issued late on Tuesday said.
The decision came after a deadly air strike that killed 15 fighters from the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), part of a coalition of armed groups including pro-Iranian factions that is integrated into Iraq's regular armed forces. The PMF blamed the strike on the United States.
The coalition was permitted to "confront and respond to military attacks carried out by military aircraft and drones targeting the headquarters... using available means, in accordance with the right to respond and self-defence".
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it was operating "according to an unchanged plan" in Iran and Lebanon, regardless of any talks aimed at reaching an agreement to end the hostilities.
"Regarding this or that agreement, we are currently operating according to an unchanged plan," military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said during a televised briefing when asked about efforts to launch a diplomatic process that could put an end to the war.
"We are acting, and will continue to act... to deepen the damage and remove existential threats," Defrin added. "We are striking both in Iran and in Lebanon".
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that negotiations with Iran to end the Middle East war were underway "right now," adding Tehran wants to make a deal "so badly."
"We're in negotiations right now," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, saying that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner were involved.