US-Israel-Iran war highlights: New supreme leader of Iran could be chosen within 24 hours: Report

An Iranian attack on Saturday caused a fire in Bahrain’s capital of Manama, damaging a house and other buildings, the interior ministry said, without specifying if there were any casualties.
“The Iranian aggression caused a fire and material damage to a house and several surrounding buildings in Manama,” the ministry said, adding that civil defence is taking the necessary measures to extinguish the fire.

The United Arab Emirates will emerge “stronger” after the Middle East war, the president told Abu Dhabi TV in a rare address on Saturday, as Iran continued its retaliatory strikes across the Gulf.
The UAE “is in a period of war,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told the TV channel, adding, but “we will emerge stronger”.

Israel said on Saturday that its forces destroyed 16 planes belonging to the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said aircraft "loaded with weapons and cash" had been taking off from Mehrabad to supply Iran's proxy groups, including Hezbollah.

It claims that the 16 destroyed aircraft in the strike were transferring weapons to Hezbollah, adding that "several Iranian fighter jets" were also targeted.

A member of the body that will choose the next supreme leader of Iran says he has “strong hope” a decision will be made in the next 24 hours, reports the Fars news agency, which is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Hossein Mozzafari, a member of Iran's Assembly of Experts (Majles-e Khobregan-e Rahbari), a body of 88 elected Islamic scholars (Mujtahids), has urged the public to refrain from speculation while the process is continuing, reports Fars.

Kuwait said on Saturday that it is reducing oil production as a “precautionary” measure due to the war in the Middle East. It blamed Iran’s attacks on the country as well as threats to the Strait of Hormuz for the decision.

The Kuwaiti statement did not reveal how much output was being reduced, but Saturday’s announcement threatened to further jolt global energy markets. Kuwait is one of the world’s largest oil producers.

Turkey is considering the possibility of sending F-16 fighter jets to Northern Cyprus as a security measure, said a Turkish defence ministry source days after the island was targeted by a drone attack.

“In light of recent developments, phased planning is being carried out to ensure the security of the TRNC,” the source said, referring to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a territory consisting of the northern third of the island, which is only recognized by Ankara.

“The deployment of F-16 aircraft to the island is among the options being considered.”

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US is doing "very well" in Iran. "It's been amazing," he said, adding that the US has knocked out "42 navy ships" in three days, as well as the Iranian air force and telecommunications.

Trump, who was heading to greet the families of the US service personnel that have already died in the conflict, said they are all "great heroes in our country", who are "coming home from Iran in a different manner than they thought they'd be coming home".

He added that the US will be keeping the deaths of US soldiers "to a minimum".

Ukrainian manufacturers of low-cost interceptor drones said they have the capacity to export them in large volumes, amid inquiries from the United States and the Middle East prompted by the Iran war, Reuters reported.

US President Donald Trump signalled he will escalate the war in Iran today, saying “today Iran will be hit very hard” in a post on Truth Social.

UAE said on Saturday (March 7) that it intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones amid the Iran war. 

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned the Lebanese government on Saturday (March 7) to disarm or "pay a very heavy price."  "Israel has no territotiral claims againsy Lebanon, but will act against threats originatinf in Lebanon," he said in a statement.

The Iranian President has stated that Tehran does not intend to attack neighbouring countries, a remark that sources say may be part of a broader understanding aimed at easing regional tensions. After this, the cargo movement near the Strait of Hormuz appeared to be resuming. 

Flights into and out of Dubai’s main international airport resumed on Saturday afternoon after being suspended amid drone attacks. Flights to Jeddah and Vienna were among the first to depart the airport, usually one of the world’s busiest, when traffic resumed.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday (March 7) that they targeted the US air combat centre and a satellite communications hub at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. 

Fox News says that the carrier strike group “is expected to deploy soon” and head to the eastern Mediterranean, where USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was recently stationed.

The president also apologised to the neighbouring countries for the strikes that took place in the past days and said that Tehran has no enmity with regional countries.

Israel's strikes on Nabi Sheet in east Lebanon a day prior killed at least 16 people, said Lebanon's health ministry on Saturday.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised on Saturday to neighbouring countries for attacks launched during the Islamic republic's war with Israel and the United States.

"I apologise...  to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran," said Pezeshkian in a speech broadcast by state TV.

Lebanon's health ministry on Saturday said Israel's strikes on Nabi Sheet in east Lebanon a day prior killed at least 16 people, with Hezbollah saying Israeli troops infiltrated the town from the air.

In a statement, the ministry said "the series of raids launched by the Israeli enemy on the town of Nabi Sheet in the Baalbek district resulted in a preliminary toll of 16 killed and 35 wounded".

Iran's army said Saturday its navy had launched a wave of drone attacks targeting Israel as well as US bases in the UAE and Kuwait, as the regional war raged into its second week.

"The Iranian Navy targeted American bases and occupied territories with a massive wave of drone attacks," the army said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

It said the targets included the UAE's Al Minhad base and another in Kuwait, as well as a "strategic facility" in Israel.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Saturday they have targeted "separatist groups" in Iraq's Kurdistan region, as the war against Israel and the United States entered its second week.

"Three locations of separatist groups in the Iraqi region (of Kurdistan) were hit... this morning," said the Guards in a statement carried by Tasnim news agency.

"If separatist groups in the region (of Kurdistan) make any move against Iran's territorial integrity, we will crush them."

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it is “waiting” for US forces to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

An explosion was heard over Dubai airport on Saturday followed by a cloud of smoke in the air, a witness told AFP.

Dubai Media Office described "a minor incident resulting from the fall of debris after an interception", but dismissed unspecified social media reports about the airport in a post on X.

Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, urged Iran on Saturday to "exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation", following repeated missile and drone launches at the kingdom.

After meeting with Pakistan's military chief, the Saudi minister posted on X: "We discussed Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and the measures needed to halt them... We stressed that such actions undermine regional security and stability and expressed hope that the Iranian side will exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation."

A Pakistani national accused of working with Iranian contacts to assassinate US political figures has been found guilty in a federal court in New York, prosecutors said Friday (Mar 6). The wannabe assassinator, identified as Asif Raza Merchant, hired a hitman to kill a US politician, with three people on the hit list: President Trump, former president Joe Biden and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. 

Read more.

Lebanese official media reported on Saturday that clashes had erupted as Israeli forces attempted a landing operation along the Lebanon-Syria border, with militant group Hezbollah saying its fighters were involved.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA), citing the Lebanese health ministry, said Israeli strikes on Nabi Sheet killed at least three people and wounded 16 others.

US President Donald Trump on Friday (Mar 6) claimed that major US defence companies have agreed to quadruple production of ‘exquisite’ advanced weapons, amid the ongoing war between the US, Israel, and Iran. Taking to Truth Social on the seventh day of his war against Tehran, the POTUS wrote, "The largest US Defense Manufacturing Companies" have "agreed to quadruple Production of the 'Exquisite Class' Weaponry."

Read more here.

AFP journalists heard explosions in Dubai and Bahrain's capital Manama on Saturday, one week into Iran's retaliatory attacks on targets around the Gulf.

Two blasts were heard in Dubai and one in Manama, where a warning siren sounded.

"Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," Bahrain's interior ministry posted on X.

An AFP journalist heard an explosion in Jerusalem on Saturday, after air raid sirens warned of an incoming Iranian missile attack.

The Israeli military said earlier that air defences were "operating to intercept the threat", before giving the all-clear.

An earthquake of magnitude 4.1 struck West of Bandar Abbas in Iran, according to USGS.

The Israeli military said that air defences were responding to an Iranian missile attack on Saturday.

Forces had "identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said in a statement.

Air raid alerts across the country's north were lifted several minutes later.

A drone attack just after midnight Friday targeted the Baghdad airport complex, which houses a military base and a US diplomatic facility, security sources said.

A security official told AFP that "the airport came under a series of attacks" with drones and missiles, adding that ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

Another security source confirmed there was a drone attack followed by a fire at the airport.

A drone struck an oil facility housing foreign energy companies in southern Iraq for the second time on Friday, two security sources told AFP.

A security official in the Basra province said that "two drones were shot down over the Burjesia oil complex, but a third got through" and hit the site.

Another security source confirmed the drone strike.

The United States struck more than 3,000 targets during the first week of the Iran war, the US military said on Friday.

Targets include command-and-control centers, air defense systems, missile sites, and Iranian navy ships and submarines, US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said in a fact sheet.

An Iranian attack on Saturday caused a fire in Bahrain’s capital of Manama, damaging a house and other buildings, the interior ministry said, without specifying if there were any casualties.
“The Iranian aggression caused a fire and material damage to a house and several surrounding buildings in Manama,” the ministry said, adding that civil defence is taking the necessary measures to extinguish the fire.

The United Arab Emirates will emerge “stronger” after the Middle East war, the president told Abu Dhabi TV in a rare address on Saturday, as Iran continued its retaliatory strikes across the Gulf.
The UAE “is in a period of war,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told the TV channel, adding, but “we will emerge stronger”.

Israel said on Saturday that its forces destroyed 16 planes belonging to the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said aircraft "loaded with weapons and cash" had been taking off from Mehrabad to supply Iran's proxy groups, including Hezbollah.

It claims that the 16 destroyed aircraft in the strike were transferring weapons to Hezbollah, adding that "several Iranian fighter jets" were also targeted.

A member of the body that will choose the next supreme leader of Iran says he has “strong hope” a decision will be made in the next 24 hours, reports the Fars news agency, which is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Hossein Mozzafari, a member of Iran's Assembly of Experts (Majles-e Khobregan-e Rahbari), a body of 88 elected Islamic scholars (Mujtahids), has urged the public to refrain from speculation while the process is continuing, reports Fars.

Kuwait said on Saturday that it is reducing oil production as a “precautionary” measure due to the war in the Middle East. It blamed Iran’s attacks on the country as well as threats to the Strait of Hormuz for the decision.

The Kuwaiti statement did not reveal how much output was being reduced, but Saturday’s announcement threatened to further jolt global energy markets. Kuwait is one of the world’s largest oil producers.

Turkey is considering the possibility of sending F-16 fighter jets to Northern Cyprus as a security measure, said a Turkish defence ministry source days after the island was targeted by a drone attack.

“In light of recent developments, phased planning is being carried out to ensure the security of the TRNC,” the source said, referring to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a territory consisting of the northern third of the island, which is only recognized by Ankara.

“The deployment of F-16 aircraft to the island is among the options being considered.”

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US is doing "very well" in Iran. "It's been amazing," he said, adding that the US has knocked out "42 navy ships" in three days, as well as the Iranian air force and telecommunications.

Trump, who was heading to greet the families of the US service personnel that have already died in the conflict, said they are all "great heroes in our country", who are "coming home from Iran in a different manner than they thought they'd be coming home".

He added that the US will be keeping the deaths of US soldiers "to a minimum".

Ukrainian manufacturers of low-cost interceptor drones said they have the capacity to export them in large volumes, amid inquiries from the United States and the Middle East prompted by the Iran war, Reuters reported.

US President Donald Trump signalled he will escalate the war in Iran today, saying “today Iran will be hit very hard” in a post on Truth Social.

UAE said on Saturday (March 7) that it intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones amid the Iran war. 

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned the Lebanese government on Saturday (March 7) to disarm or "pay a very heavy price."  "Israel has no territotiral claims againsy Lebanon, but will act against threats originatinf in Lebanon," he said in a statement.

The Iranian President has stated that Tehran does not intend to attack neighbouring countries, a remark that sources say may be part of a broader understanding aimed at easing regional tensions. After this, the cargo movement near the Strait of Hormuz appeared to be resuming. 

Flights into and out of Dubai’s main international airport resumed on Saturday afternoon after being suspended amid drone attacks. Flights to Jeddah and Vienna were among the first to depart the airport, usually one of the world’s busiest, when traffic resumed.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday (March 7) that they targeted the US air combat centre and a satellite communications hub at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. 

Fox News says that the carrier strike group “is expected to deploy soon” and head to the eastern Mediterranean, where USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was recently stationed.

The president also apologised to the neighbouring countries for the strikes that took place in the past days and said that Tehran has no enmity with regional countries.

Israel's strikes on Nabi Sheet in east Lebanon a day prior killed at least 16 people, said Lebanon's health ministry on Saturday.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised on Saturday to neighbouring countries for attacks launched during the Islamic republic's war with Israel and the United States.

"I apologise...  to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran," said Pezeshkian in a speech broadcast by state TV.

Lebanon's health ministry on Saturday said Israel's strikes on Nabi Sheet in east Lebanon a day prior killed at least 16 people, with Hezbollah saying Israeli troops infiltrated the town from the air.

In a statement, the ministry said "the series of raids launched by the Israeli enemy on the town of Nabi Sheet in the Baalbek district resulted in a preliminary toll of 16 killed and 35 wounded".

Iran's army said Saturday its navy had launched a wave of drone attacks targeting Israel as well as US bases in the UAE and Kuwait, as the regional war raged into its second week.

"The Iranian Navy targeted American bases and occupied territories with a massive wave of drone attacks," the army said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

It said the targets included the UAE's Al Minhad base and another in Kuwait, as well as a "strategic facility" in Israel.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Saturday they have targeted "separatist groups" in Iraq's Kurdistan region, as the war against Israel and the United States entered its second week.

"Three locations of separatist groups in the Iraqi region (of Kurdistan) were hit... this morning," said the Guards in a statement carried by Tasnim news agency.

"If separatist groups in the region (of Kurdistan) make any move against Iran's territorial integrity, we will crush them."

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it is “waiting” for US forces to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

An explosion was heard over Dubai airport on Saturday followed by a cloud of smoke in the air, a witness told AFP.

Dubai Media Office described "a minor incident resulting from the fall of debris after an interception", but dismissed unspecified social media reports about the airport in a post on X.

Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, urged Iran on Saturday to "exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation", following repeated missile and drone launches at the kingdom.

After meeting with Pakistan's military chief, the Saudi minister posted on X: "We discussed Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and the measures needed to halt them... We stressed that such actions undermine regional security and stability and expressed hope that the Iranian side will exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation."

A Pakistani national accused of working with Iranian contacts to assassinate US political figures has been found guilty in a federal court in New York, prosecutors said Friday (Mar 6). The wannabe assassinator, identified as Asif Raza Merchant, hired a hitman to kill a US politician, with three people on the hit list: President Trump, former president Joe Biden and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. 

Read more.

Lebanese official media reported on Saturday that clashes had erupted as Israeli forces attempted a landing operation along the Lebanon-Syria border, with militant group Hezbollah saying its fighters were involved.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA), citing the Lebanese health ministry, said Israeli strikes on Nabi Sheet killed at least three people and wounded 16 others.

US President Donald Trump on Friday (Mar 6) claimed that major US defence companies have agreed to quadruple production of ‘exquisite’ advanced weapons, amid the ongoing war between the US, Israel, and Iran. Taking to Truth Social on the seventh day of his war against Tehran, the POTUS wrote, "The largest US Defense Manufacturing Companies" have "agreed to quadruple Production of the 'Exquisite Class' Weaponry."

Read more here.

AFP journalists heard explosions in Dubai and Bahrain's capital Manama on Saturday, one week into Iran's retaliatory attacks on targets around the Gulf.

Two blasts were heard in Dubai and one in Manama, where a warning siren sounded.

"Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," Bahrain's interior ministry posted on X.

An AFP journalist heard an explosion in Jerusalem on Saturday, after air raid sirens warned of an incoming Iranian missile attack.

The Israeli military said earlier that air defences were "operating to intercept the threat", before giving the all-clear.

An earthquake of magnitude 4.1 struck West of Bandar Abbas in Iran, according to USGS.

The Israeli military said that air defences were responding to an Iranian missile attack on Saturday.

Forces had "identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said in a statement.

Air raid alerts across the country's north were lifted several minutes later.

A drone attack just after midnight Friday targeted the Baghdad airport complex, which houses a military base and a US diplomatic facility, security sources said.

A security official told AFP that "the airport came under a series of attacks" with drones and missiles, adding that ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

Another security source confirmed there was a drone attack followed by a fire at the airport.

A drone struck an oil facility housing foreign energy companies in southern Iraq for the second time on Friday, two security sources told AFP.

A security official in the Basra province said that "two drones were shot down over the Burjesia oil complex, but a third got through" and hit the site.

Another security source confirmed the drone strike.

The United States struck more than 3,000 targets during the first week of the Iran war, the US military said on Friday.

Targets include command-and-control centers, air defense systems, missile sites, and Iranian navy ships and submarines, US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said in a fact sheet.

An Iranian attack on Saturday caused a fire in Bahrain’s capital of Manama, damaging a house and other buildings, the interior ministry said, without specifying if there were any casualties.
“The Iranian aggression caused a fire and material damage to a house and several surrounding buildings in Manama,” the ministry said, adding that civil defence is taking the necessary measures to extinguish the fire.

The United Arab Emirates will emerge “stronger” after the Middle East war, the president told Abu Dhabi TV in a rare address on Saturday, as Iran continued its retaliatory strikes across the Gulf.
The UAE “is in a period of war,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told the TV channel, adding, but “we will emerge stronger”.

Israel said on Saturday that its forces destroyed 16 planes belonging to the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said aircraft "loaded with weapons and cash" had been taking off from Mehrabad to supply Iran's proxy groups, including Hezbollah.

It claims that the 16 destroyed aircraft in the strike were transferring weapons to Hezbollah, adding that "several Iranian fighter jets" were also targeted.

A member of the body that will choose the next supreme leader of Iran says he has “strong hope” a decision will be made in the next 24 hours, reports the Fars news agency, which is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Hossein Mozzafari, a member of Iran's Assembly of Experts (Majles-e Khobregan-e Rahbari), a body of 88 elected Islamic scholars (Mujtahids), has urged the public to refrain from speculation while the process is continuing, reports Fars.

Kuwait said on Saturday that it is reducing oil production as a “precautionary” measure due to the war in the Middle East. It blamed Iran’s attacks on the country as well as threats to the Strait of Hormuz for the decision.

The Kuwaiti statement did not reveal how much output was being reduced, but Saturday’s announcement threatened to further jolt global energy markets. Kuwait is one of the world’s largest oil producers.

Turkey is considering the possibility of sending F-16 fighter jets to Northern Cyprus as a security measure, said a Turkish defence ministry source days after the island was targeted by a drone attack.

“In light of recent developments, phased planning is being carried out to ensure the security of the TRNC,” the source said, referring to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a territory consisting of the northern third of the island, which is only recognized by Ankara.

“The deployment of F-16 aircraft to the island is among the options being considered.”

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US is doing "very well" in Iran. "It's been amazing," he said, adding that the US has knocked out "42 navy ships" in three days, as well as the Iranian air force and telecommunications.

Trump, who was heading to greet the families of the US service personnel that have already died in the conflict, said they are all "great heroes in our country", who are "coming home from Iran in a different manner than they thought they'd be coming home".

He added that the US will be keeping the deaths of US soldiers "to a minimum".

Ukrainian manufacturers of low-cost interceptor drones said they have the capacity to export them in large volumes, amid inquiries from the United States and the Middle East prompted by the Iran war, Reuters reported.

US President Donald Trump signalled he will escalate the war in Iran today, saying “today Iran will be hit very hard” in a post on Truth Social.

UAE said on Saturday (March 7) that it intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones amid the Iran war. 

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned the Lebanese government on Saturday (March 7) to disarm or "pay a very heavy price."  "Israel has no territotiral claims againsy Lebanon, but will act against threats originatinf in Lebanon," he said in a statement.

The Iranian President has stated that Tehran does not intend to attack neighbouring countries, a remark that sources say may be part of a broader understanding aimed at easing regional tensions. After this, the cargo movement near the Strait of Hormuz appeared to be resuming. 

Flights into and out of Dubai’s main international airport resumed on Saturday afternoon after being suspended amid drone attacks. Flights to Jeddah and Vienna were among the first to depart the airport, usually one of the world’s busiest, when traffic resumed.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday (March 7) that they targeted the US air combat centre and a satellite communications hub at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. 

Fox News says that the carrier strike group “is expected to deploy soon” and head to the eastern Mediterranean, where USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was recently stationed.

The president also apologised to the neighbouring countries for the strikes that took place in the past days and said that Tehran has no enmity with regional countries.

Israel's strikes on Nabi Sheet in east Lebanon a day prior killed at least 16 people, said Lebanon's health ministry on Saturday.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised on Saturday to neighbouring countries for attacks launched during the Islamic republic's war with Israel and the United States.

"I apologise...  to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran," said Pezeshkian in a speech broadcast by state TV.

Lebanon's health ministry on Saturday said Israel's strikes on Nabi Sheet in east Lebanon a day prior killed at least 16 people, with Hezbollah saying Israeli troops infiltrated the town from the air.

In a statement, the ministry said "the series of raids launched by the Israeli enemy on the town of Nabi Sheet in the Baalbek district resulted in a preliminary toll of 16 killed and 35 wounded".

Iran's army said Saturday its navy had launched a wave of drone attacks targeting Israel as well as US bases in the UAE and Kuwait, as the regional war raged into its second week.

"The Iranian Navy targeted American bases and occupied territories with a massive wave of drone attacks," the army said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

It said the targets included the UAE's Al Minhad base and another in Kuwait, as well as a "strategic facility" in Israel.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Saturday they have targeted "separatist groups" in Iraq's Kurdistan region, as the war against Israel and the United States entered its second week.

"Three locations of separatist groups in the Iraqi region (of Kurdistan) were hit... this morning," said the Guards in a statement carried by Tasnim news agency.

"If separatist groups in the region (of Kurdistan) make any move against Iran's territorial integrity, we will crush them."

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it is “waiting” for US forces to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

An explosion was heard over Dubai airport on Saturday followed by a cloud of smoke in the air, a witness told AFP.

Dubai Media Office described "a minor incident resulting from the fall of debris after an interception", but dismissed unspecified social media reports about the airport in a post on X.

Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, urged Iran on Saturday to "exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation", following repeated missile and drone launches at the kingdom.

After meeting with Pakistan's military chief, the Saudi minister posted on X: "We discussed Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and the measures needed to halt them... We stressed that such actions undermine regional security and stability and expressed hope that the Iranian side will exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation."

A Pakistani national accused of working with Iranian contacts to assassinate US political figures has been found guilty in a federal court in New York, prosecutors said Friday (Mar 6). The wannabe assassinator, identified as Asif Raza Merchant, hired a hitman to kill a US politician, with three people on the hit list: President Trump, former president Joe Biden and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. 

Read more.

Lebanese official media reported on Saturday that clashes had erupted as Israeli forces attempted a landing operation along the Lebanon-Syria border, with militant group Hezbollah saying its fighters were involved.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA), citing the Lebanese health ministry, said Israeli strikes on Nabi Sheet killed at least three people and wounded 16 others.

US President Donald Trump on Friday (Mar 6) claimed that major US defence companies have agreed to quadruple production of ‘exquisite’ advanced weapons, amid the ongoing war between the US, Israel, and Iran. Taking to Truth Social on the seventh day of his war against Tehran, the POTUS wrote, "The largest US Defense Manufacturing Companies" have "agreed to quadruple Production of the 'Exquisite Class' Weaponry."

Read more here.

AFP journalists heard explosions in Dubai and Bahrain's capital Manama on Saturday, one week into Iran's retaliatory attacks on targets around the Gulf.

Two blasts were heard in Dubai and one in Manama, where a warning siren sounded.

"Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," Bahrain's interior ministry posted on X.

An AFP journalist heard an explosion in Jerusalem on Saturday, after air raid sirens warned of an incoming Iranian missile attack.

The Israeli military said earlier that air defences were "operating to intercept the threat", before giving the all-clear.

An earthquake of magnitude 4.1 struck West of Bandar Abbas in Iran, according to USGS.

The Israeli military said that air defences were responding to an Iranian missile attack on Saturday.

Forces had "identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said in a statement.

Air raid alerts across the country's north were lifted several minutes later.

A drone attack just after midnight Friday targeted the Baghdad airport complex, which houses a military base and a US diplomatic facility, security sources said.

A security official told AFP that "the airport came under a series of attacks" with drones and missiles, adding that ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

Another security source confirmed there was a drone attack followed by a fire at the airport.

A drone struck an oil facility housing foreign energy companies in southern Iraq for the second time on Friday, two security sources told AFP.

A security official in the Basra province said that "two drones were shot down over the Burjesia oil complex, but a third got through" and hit the site.

Another security source confirmed the drone strike.

The United States struck more than 3,000 targets during the first week of the Iran war, the US military said on Friday.

Targets include command-and-control centers, air defense systems, missile sites, and Iranian navy ships and submarines, US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said in a fact sheet.

An Iranian attack on Saturday caused a fire in Bahrain’s capital of Manama, damaging a house and other buildings, the interior ministry said, without specifying if there were any casualties.
“The Iranian aggression caused a fire and material damage to a house and several surrounding buildings in Manama,” the ministry said, adding that civil defence is taking the necessary measures to extinguish the fire.

The United Arab Emirates will emerge “stronger” after the Middle East war, the president told Abu Dhabi TV in a rare address on Saturday, as Iran continued its retaliatory strikes across the Gulf.
The UAE “is in a period of war,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told the TV channel, adding, but “we will emerge stronger”.

Israel said on Saturday that its forces destroyed 16 planes belonging to the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said aircraft "loaded with weapons and cash" had been taking off from Mehrabad to supply Iran's proxy groups, including Hezbollah.

It claims that the 16 destroyed aircraft in the strike were transferring weapons to Hezbollah, adding that "several Iranian fighter jets" were also targeted.

A member of the body that will choose the next supreme leader of Iran says he has “strong hope” a decision will be made in the next 24 hours, reports the Fars news agency, which is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Hossein Mozzafari, a member of Iran's Assembly of Experts (Majles-e Khobregan-e Rahbari), a body of 88 elected Islamic scholars (Mujtahids), has urged the public to refrain from speculation while the process is continuing, reports Fars.

Kuwait said on Saturday that it is reducing oil production as a “precautionary” measure due to the war in the Middle East. It blamed Iran’s attacks on the country as well as threats to the Strait of Hormuz for the decision.

The Kuwaiti statement did not reveal how much output was being reduced, but Saturday’s announcement threatened to further jolt global energy markets. Kuwait is one of the world’s largest oil producers.

Turkey is considering the possibility of sending F-16 fighter jets to Northern Cyprus as a security measure, said a Turkish defence ministry source days after the island was targeted by a drone attack.

“In light of recent developments, phased planning is being carried out to ensure the security of the TRNC,” the source said, referring to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a territory consisting of the northern third of the island, which is only recognized by Ankara.

“The deployment of F-16 aircraft to the island is among the options being considered.”

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US is doing "very well" in Iran. "It's been amazing," he said, adding that the US has knocked out "42 navy ships" in three days, as well as the Iranian air force and telecommunications.

Trump, who was heading to greet the families of the US service personnel that have already died in the conflict, said they are all "great heroes in our country", who are "coming home from Iran in a different manner than they thought they'd be coming home".

He added that the US will be keeping the deaths of US soldiers "to a minimum".

Ukrainian manufacturers of low-cost interceptor drones said they have the capacity to export them in large volumes, amid inquiries from the United States and the Middle East prompted by the Iran war, Reuters reported.

US President Donald Trump signalled he will escalate the war in Iran today, saying “today Iran will be hit very hard” in a post on Truth Social.

UAE said on Saturday (March 7) that it intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones amid the Iran war. 

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned the Lebanese government on Saturday (March 7) to disarm or "pay a very heavy price."  "Israel has no territotiral claims againsy Lebanon, but will act against threats originatinf in Lebanon," he said in a statement.

The Iranian President has stated that Tehran does not intend to attack neighbouring countries, a remark that sources say may be part of a broader understanding aimed at easing regional tensions. After this, the cargo movement near the Strait of Hormuz appeared to be resuming. 

Flights into and out of Dubai’s main international airport resumed on Saturday afternoon after being suspended amid drone attacks. Flights to Jeddah and Vienna were among the first to depart the airport, usually one of the world’s busiest, when traffic resumed.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday (March 7) that they targeted the US air combat centre and a satellite communications hub at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. 

Fox News says that the carrier strike group “is expected to deploy soon” and head to the eastern Mediterranean, where USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was recently stationed.

The president also apologised to the neighbouring countries for the strikes that took place in the past days and said that Tehran has no enmity with regional countries.

Israel's strikes on Nabi Sheet in east Lebanon a day prior killed at least 16 people, said Lebanon's health ministry on Saturday.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised on Saturday to neighbouring countries for attacks launched during the Islamic republic's war with Israel and the United States.

"I apologise...  to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran," said Pezeshkian in a speech broadcast by state TV.

Lebanon's health ministry on Saturday said Israel's strikes on Nabi Sheet in east Lebanon a day prior killed at least 16 people, with Hezbollah saying Israeli troops infiltrated the town from the air.

In a statement, the ministry said "the series of raids launched by the Israeli enemy on the town of Nabi Sheet in the Baalbek district resulted in a preliminary toll of 16 killed and 35 wounded".

Iran's army said Saturday its navy had launched a wave of drone attacks targeting Israel as well as US bases in the UAE and Kuwait, as the regional war raged into its second week.

"The Iranian Navy targeted American bases and occupied territories with a massive wave of drone attacks," the army said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

It said the targets included the UAE's Al Minhad base and another in Kuwait, as well as a "strategic facility" in Israel.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Saturday they have targeted "separatist groups" in Iraq's Kurdistan region, as the war against Israel and the United States entered its second week.

"Three locations of separatist groups in the Iraqi region (of Kurdistan) were hit... this morning," said the Guards in a statement carried by Tasnim news agency.

"If separatist groups in the region (of Kurdistan) make any move against Iran's territorial integrity, we will crush them."

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it is “waiting” for US forces to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

An explosion was heard over Dubai airport on Saturday followed by a cloud of smoke in the air, a witness told AFP.

Dubai Media Office described "a minor incident resulting from the fall of debris after an interception", but dismissed unspecified social media reports about the airport in a post on X.

Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, urged Iran on Saturday to "exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation", following repeated missile and drone launches at the kingdom.

After meeting with Pakistan's military chief, the Saudi minister posted on X: "We discussed Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and the measures needed to halt them... We stressed that such actions undermine regional security and stability and expressed hope that the Iranian side will exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation."

A Pakistani national accused of working with Iranian contacts to assassinate US political figures has been found guilty in a federal court in New York, prosecutors said Friday (Mar 6). The wannabe assassinator, identified as Asif Raza Merchant, hired a hitman to kill a US politician, with three people on the hit list: President Trump, former president Joe Biden and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. 

Read more.

Lebanese official media reported on Saturday that clashes had erupted as Israeli forces attempted a landing operation along the Lebanon-Syria border, with militant group Hezbollah saying its fighters were involved.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA), citing the Lebanese health ministry, said Israeli strikes on Nabi Sheet killed at least three people and wounded 16 others.

US President Donald Trump on Friday (Mar 6) claimed that major US defence companies have agreed to quadruple production of ‘exquisite’ advanced weapons, amid the ongoing war between the US, Israel, and Iran. Taking to Truth Social on the seventh day of his war against Tehran, the POTUS wrote, "The largest US Defense Manufacturing Companies" have "agreed to quadruple Production of the 'Exquisite Class' Weaponry."

Read more here.

AFP journalists heard explosions in Dubai and Bahrain's capital Manama on Saturday, one week into Iran's retaliatory attacks on targets around the Gulf.

Two blasts were heard in Dubai and one in Manama, where a warning siren sounded.

"Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," Bahrain's interior ministry posted on X.

An AFP journalist heard an explosion in Jerusalem on Saturday, after air raid sirens warned of an incoming Iranian missile attack.

The Israeli military said earlier that air defences were "operating to intercept the threat", before giving the all-clear.

An earthquake of magnitude 4.1 struck West of Bandar Abbas in Iran, according to USGS.

The Israeli military said that air defences were responding to an Iranian missile attack on Saturday.

Forces had "identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said in a statement.

Air raid alerts across the country's north were lifted several minutes later.

A drone attack just after midnight Friday targeted the Baghdad airport complex, which houses a military base and a US diplomatic facility, security sources said.

A security official told AFP that "the airport came under a series of attacks" with drones and missiles, adding that ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

Another security source confirmed there was a drone attack followed by a fire at the airport.

A drone struck an oil facility housing foreign energy companies in southern Iraq for the second time on Friday, two security sources told AFP.

A security official in the Basra province said that "two drones were shot down over the Burjesia oil complex, but a third got through" and hit the site.

Another security source confirmed the drone strike.

The United States struck more than 3,000 targets during the first week of the Iran war, the US military said on Friday.

Targets include command-and-control centers, air defense systems, missile sites, and Iranian navy ships and submarines, US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said in a fact sheet.

An Iranian attack on Saturday caused a fire in Bahrain’s capital of Manama, damaging a house and other buildings, the interior ministry said, without specifying if there were any casualties.
“The Iranian aggression caused a fire and material damage to a house and several surrounding buildings in Manama,” the ministry said, adding that civil defence is taking the necessary measures to extinguish the fire.

The United Arab Emirates will emerge “stronger” after the Middle East war, the president told Abu Dhabi TV in a rare address on Saturday, as Iran continued its retaliatory strikes across the Gulf.
The UAE “is in a period of war,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told the TV channel, adding, but “we will emerge stronger”.

Israel said on Saturday that its forces destroyed 16 planes belonging to the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said aircraft "loaded with weapons and cash" had been taking off from Mehrabad to supply Iran's proxy groups, including Hezbollah.

It claims that the 16 destroyed aircraft in the strike were transferring weapons to Hezbollah, adding that "several Iranian fighter jets" were also targeted.

A member of the body that will choose the next supreme leader of Iran says he has “strong hope” a decision will be made in the next 24 hours, reports the Fars news agency, which is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Hossein Mozzafari, a member of Iran's Assembly of Experts (Majles-e Khobregan-e Rahbari), a body of 88 elected Islamic scholars (Mujtahids), has urged the public to refrain from speculation while the process is continuing, reports Fars.

Kuwait said on Saturday that it is reducing oil production as a “precautionary” measure due to the war in the Middle East. It blamed Iran’s attacks on the country as well as threats to the Strait of Hormuz for the decision.

The Kuwaiti statement did not reveal how much output was being reduced, but Saturday’s announcement threatened to further jolt global energy markets. Kuwait is one of the world’s largest oil producers.

Turkey is considering the possibility of sending F-16 fighter jets to Northern Cyprus as a security measure, said a Turkish defence ministry source days after the island was targeted by a drone attack.

“In light of recent developments, phased planning is being carried out to ensure the security of the TRNC,” the source said, referring to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a territory consisting of the northern third of the island, which is only recognized by Ankara.

“The deployment of F-16 aircraft to the island is among the options being considered.”

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US is doing "very well" in Iran. "It's been amazing," he said, adding that the US has knocked out "42 navy ships" in three days, as well as the Iranian air force and telecommunications.

Trump, who was heading to greet the families of the US service personnel that have already died in the conflict, said they are all "great heroes in our country", who are "coming home from Iran in a different manner than they thought they'd be coming home".

He added that the US will be keeping the deaths of US soldiers "to a minimum".

Ukrainian manufacturers of low-cost interceptor drones said they have the capacity to export them in large volumes, amid inquiries from the United States and the Middle East prompted by the Iran war, Reuters reported.

US President Donald Trump signalled he will escalate the war in Iran today, saying “today Iran will be hit very hard” in a post on Truth Social.

UAE said on Saturday (March 7) that it intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones amid the Iran war. 

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned the Lebanese government on Saturday (March 7) to disarm or "pay a very heavy price."  "Israel has no territotiral claims againsy Lebanon, but will act against threats originatinf in Lebanon," he said in a statement.

The Iranian President has stated that Tehran does not intend to attack neighbouring countries, a remark that sources say may be part of a broader understanding aimed at easing regional tensions. After this, the cargo movement near the Strait of Hormuz appeared to be resuming. 

Flights into and out of Dubai’s main international airport resumed on Saturday afternoon after being suspended amid drone attacks. Flights to Jeddah and Vienna were among the first to depart the airport, usually one of the world’s busiest, when traffic resumed.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday (March 7) that they targeted the US air combat centre and a satellite communications hub at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. 

Fox News says that the carrier strike group “is expected to deploy soon” and head to the eastern Mediterranean, where USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was recently stationed.

The president also apologised to the neighbouring countries for the strikes that took place in the past days and said that Tehran has no enmity with regional countries.

Israel's strikes on Nabi Sheet in east Lebanon a day prior killed at least 16 people, said Lebanon's health ministry on Saturday.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised on Saturday to neighbouring countries for attacks launched during the Islamic republic's war with Israel and the United States.

"I apologise...  to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran," said Pezeshkian in a speech broadcast by state TV.

Lebanon's health ministry on Saturday said Israel's strikes on Nabi Sheet in east Lebanon a day prior killed at least 16 people, with Hezbollah saying Israeli troops infiltrated the town from the air.

In a statement, the ministry said "the series of raids launched by the Israeli enemy on the town of Nabi Sheet in the Baalbek district resulted in a preliminary toll of 16 killed and 35 wounded".

Iran's army said Saturday its navy had launched a wave of drone attacks targeting Israel as well as US bases in the UAE and Kuwait, as the regional war raged into its second week.

"The Iranian Navy targeted American bases and occupied territories with a massive wave of drone attacks," the army said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

It said the targets included the UAE's Al Minhad base and another in Kuwait, as well as a "strategic facility" in Israel.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Saturday they have targeted "separatist groups" in Iraq's Kurdistan region, as the war against Israel and the United States entered its second week.

"Three locations of separatist groups in the Iraqi region (of Kurdistan) were hit... this morning," said the Guards in a statement carried by Tasnim news agency.

"If separatist groups in the region (of Kurdistan) make any move against Iran's territorial integrity, we will crush them."

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it is “waiting” for US forces to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

An explosion was heard over Dubai airport on Saturday followed by a cloud of smoke in the air, a witness told AFP.

Dubai Media Office described "a minor incident resulting from the fall of debris after an interception", but dismissed unspecified social media reports about the airport in a post on X.

Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, urged Iran on Saturday to "exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation", following repeated missile and drone launches at the kingdom.

After meeting with Pakistan's military chief, the Saudi minister posted on X: "We discussed Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and the measures needed to halt them... We stressed that such actions undermine regional security and stability and expressed hope that the Iranian side will exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation."

A Pakistani national accused of working with Iranian contacts to assassinate US political figures has been found guilty in a federal court in New York, prosecutors said Friday (Mar 6). The wannabe assassinator, identified as Asif Raza Merchant, hired a hitman to kill a US politician, with three people on the hit list: President Trump, former president Joe Biden and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. 

Read more.

Lebanese official media reported on Saturday that clashes had erupted as Israeli forces attempted a landing operation along the Lebanon-Syria border, with militant group Hezbollah saying its fighters were involved.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA), citing the Lebanese health ministry, said Israeli strikes on Nabi Sheet killed at least three people and wounded 16 others.

US President Donald Trump on Friday (Mar 6) claimed that major US defence companies have agreed to quadruple production of ‘exquisite’ advanced weapons, amid the ongoing war between the US, Israel, and Iran. Taking to Truth Social on the seventh day of his war against Tehran, the POTUS wrote, "The largest US Defense Manufacturing Companies" have "agreed to quadruple Production of the 'Exquisite Class' Weaponry."

Read more here.

AFP journalists heard explosions in Dubai and Bahrain's capital Manama on Saturday, one week into Iran's retaliatory attacks on targets around the Gulf.

Two blasts were heard in Dubai and one in Manama, where a warning siren sounded.

"Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," Bahrain's interior ministry posted on X.

An AFP journalist heard an explosion in Jerusalem on Saturday, after air raid sirens warned of an incoming Iranian missile attack.

The Israeli military said earlier that air defences were "operating to intercept the threat", before giving the all-clear.

An earthquake of magnitude 4.1 struck West of Bandar Abbas in Iran, according to USGS.

The Israeli military said that air defences were responding to an Iranian missile attack on Saturday.

Forces had "identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said in a statement.

Air raid alerts across the country's north were lifted several minutes later.

A drone attack just after midnight Friday targeted the Baghdad airport complex, which houses a military base and a US diplomatic facility, security sources said.

A security official told AFP that "the airport came under a series of attacks" with drones and missiles, adding that ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

Another security source confirmed there was a drone attack followed by a fire at the airport.

A drone struck an oil facility housing foreign energy companies in southern Iraq for the second time on Friday, two security sources told AFP.

A security official in the Basra province said that "two drones were shot down over the Burjesia oil complex, but a third got through" and hit the site.

Another security source confirmed the drone strike.

The United States struck more than 3,000 targets during the first week of the Iran war, the US military said on Friday.

Targets include command-and-control centers, air defense systems, missile sites, and Iranian navy ships and submarines, US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said in a fact sheet.