US-Israel, Iran war Highlights: IDF attacks Tehran's F-14 jets at Isfahan airport

The Arab League’s secretary-general accused Iran of being “reckless” over attacking member states ’reckless’ and urged Tehran to end what he called a “massive strategic mistake”.

Speaking to other Arab foreign ministers, Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the strikes “cannot be justified under any pretext or excuse”, and repaid peace efforts by Gulf countries with “treacherous rockets and drone strikes.”

UAE's foreign ministry affirmed that it is acting in self-defence against the brutal and unjustified Iranian aggression, including the launch of more than 1,400 ballistic missiles and drones targeting civilian sites and infrastructure.

This constitutes a grave violation of international law and the UN Charter, an infringement upon the UAE’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a direct threat to its security and stability.

The Israeli military on Sunday (local time) said that two of its soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon, marking the first fatalities since hostilities began between Israel and Lebanon.

Israel has issued evacuation orders for south Lebanon, stretching to about 27km into the country, and has said its objective is to disarm Hezbollah.

At the Nabih Berri Governmental University Hospital in southern Lebanon, staff say that they have received patients and bodies early this morning after an Israeli strike killed at least 20 in the village of Seir al-Gharbiyah.

The hospital is now trying to transfer the patients to a safer part of the country.

As conflict escalates in the Middle East, Australia's Foreign Minister, Penny Wong saud that the government has ordered the departure of dependents of Australian offiicals posted in the UAE.

The Israeli rescue service on Sunday said that at least three people who were injured by shrapnel are receiving assistance.

According to the UAE's defence ministry, the country's air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran,

“MOD asserts that the sounds heard are the result of the Air Defence Systems intercepting missiles and drones,” the statement published on X said in Arabic and English.

According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 1,205 civilians have been killed so far in Iran since the US and Israel launched strikes on 28 February.

Kuwait's interior ministry on Sunday said that two of its officers have been killed while “performing duties."

The ministry did not provide further details about the circumstances of their deaths.

It comes as Kuwait’s air defenses have been intercepting drones and missiles fired from Iran that have breached the country’s airspace.

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Sunday said that 20,000 Italians have been repatriated from the Middle East since the start of the war.

According to an Al Jazeera report, French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Cyprus on 9 March, his office said, as France deploys warships to the Mediterranean following an Iranian-made drone attack on Cyprus days ago.

Macron will meet Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Paphos to show “solidarity” and detail moves to “strengthen security around Cyprus and in the eastern Mediterranean”, the Elysee said.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on Sunday said that military targets in Israel's capital and Beersheba cities have been hit by Iranian missiles.

The IRGC statement carried by the Tasnim news agency also claimed the Muwaffaq al-Salti airbase in Jordan’s Azraq town – “the largest and most active offensive base of the American aggressor fighter jets” – was hit on several times.

“The volume and depth of the attacks of the Iranian armed forces on the enemy will expand in the coming hours and days,” it said.

The United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Defence Ministry on Sunday said at least four people, citizens of Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, have been killed after Iran targeted its neighbours following the US-Israeli strikes.

The Israeli army on Sunday (local time) issued a forced evacuation order for all Lebanese residents located south of the Litani River.

According to an Al Jazeera report, the body tasked with selecting Iran's new supreme leader has reached a decision, although the name is yet to be announced, say members.

“The most suitable candidate, approved by the majority of the Assembly of Experts, has been determined,” said Mohsen Heydari, a member of the selection body who represents Khuzestan province, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) on Sunday said that at least 9,669 civilian units have been destroyed in US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Iran's ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi, on Sunday spoke to BBC's Kuenssberg in a pre-recorded interview. Seyed Ali Mousavi told Kuenssberg his country would have a "right to self-defence" if the UK directly joined US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Over 20 people were killed and 50 other were left injured in a US-Israeli double-tap missile attack in Iran's central city of Najafabad

The IDF, in a post on X, said, “After neutralizing the tyrant Khamenei, the terrorist regime of Iran is attempting to rebuild itself and select a new leader.”

“Iran's Assembly of Experts, which has not convened for decades, will soon gather in the city of Qom. We want to tell you that the hand of the State of Israel will continue to pursue every successor and every person who seeks to appoint a successor,” it added.

“We warn all those who intend to participate in the successor selection meeting that we will not hesitate to target you either. This is a warning!”

Three Indonesian crew members are missing after the United Arab Emirates-flagged tugboat Musaffah 2 sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, AFP reported.

"One Indonesian survivor is currently receiving burn treatment at a hospital in the city of Khasab, Oman. The other three Indonesians are still being searched for by the local authorities," the news agency quoted Jakarta's health ministry as saying said Saturday.

Before it sank, the Musaffah 2 experienced an explosion that caused it to catch fire, the statement said, adding that an investigation is ongoing by local authorities.

Explosions hit Iran's central Yazd province on Sunday, news agency AFP reported citing state media.

It was not immediately clear what was hit in the strikes but the official IRNA news agency said the blasts occurred on the periphery of Yazd city.

Bahrain's interior ministry said on Sunday an Iranian drone attack had damaged a water desalination plant, news agency AFP reported.

"The Iranian aggression randomly bombs civilian targets and causes material damage to a water desalination plant following an attack by a drone," the ministry said in a statement, after Tehran earlier accused the US of striking one of its own desalination plants from a base in Bahrain.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Sunday said it the Air Force had carried out a “broad wave” of airstrikes on F-14 jets at the Isfahan airport.

The strikes, carried out under the direction of the Intelligence Directorate, took place on Saturday, the statement said.

“This attack joins the destruction of 16 aircraft used by the 'Quds Force' unit at the 'Mehrabad' airport in Tehran on the previous day, as part of efforts to deepen the Air Force's air superiority in Iranian skies,” the IDF statement added.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Sunday claimed to have struck Israel's Haifa refinery in retaliation to strikes by Tel Aviv.

The public relations department of the IRGC issued also reportedly said in a statement on Saturday night that the attack on the Haifa facility was in "in response to [Israel] targeting Tehran refinery."

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran "will be forced to respond" to any attack or invasion attempt from a neighbouring country, in remarks aired by state TV on Sunday.

According to a report by AFP, the President warned that if Iran's enemies “try to use any country to attack or invade our land, we will be forced to respond to that attack. Responding does not mean we have disputes with that country or wish to harm its people -- we would be responding out of necessity.”

On Saturday Pezeshkian had apologised to neighbouring countries hosting US military bases for attacks on their territory.

The US-Iran war has jeopardised India's $1.68 million bilateral trade with Iran and its strategic assets at Chabahar Port.

Read more about its impact here.

“The IDF identified that shortly ago, missiles were launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defense systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the IDF said on Sunday morning.

The IDF also advised Israeli citizens to follow safety protocol and head to protected spaces till further notice.

Tehran can fight an intense war against the United States and Israel for at least six months, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday, as per a report by AFP that cited the Fars news agency.

"The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are capable of continuing at least a 6-month intense war at the current pace of operations," Guards spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini was quoted as saying.

The IRGC, Iran's elite force, also said they had targeted "more than 200" locations related to American and Israeli bases and facilities across the region.

“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump said on Saturday.

“That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer — But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!,” the US President added.

The US Central Command on Saturday (local time) shared fresh, unclassified footage on US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.

Watch the video here.

The US embassy in Oslo was hit by an explosion early on Sunday, causing minor damage but no injuries, Reuters reported citing Norwegian police.

A loud blast was heard near the embassy compound in western Oslo at around midnight GMT, and smoke was seen rising from the compound, eyewitnesses told local media.

"We've determined that an explosion hit the American embassy," police spokesperson Mikael Dellemyr told public broadcaster NRK, adding that the blast occurred at the entry to the consular section.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blast or who was involved, the Oslo police department said in a separate statement.

“The Iranian regime recently claimed (via its verified account at the United Nations) that it only attempted to target military sites, and that its missiles and drones were diverted from their course due to American effects and deceptions. Fake news,” the US Central Command wrote on X.

"U.S. forces stood side by side with their regional partners to repel the Iranian regime's deliberate, indiscriminate, and irresponsible targeting of civilian airports, hotels, and residential neighborhoods," CENTCOM added.

Lebanon's health ministry said Sunday that an Israeli strike on a hotel in central Beirut killed at least four people and wounded 10 others, as per a report by AFP.

Israel on Sunday said it had targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders in its strikes in Beirut.

“The IDF struck a short time ago in a targeted manner, key commanders in the Quds Force's Lebanon Corps of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who were operating in Beirut,” the Israeli Defence Forces said on Sunday.

“Commanders of the Quds Force's Lebanon Corps operated to advance terror plots against the State of Israel and its citizens in Lebanese territory, parallel to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' activities in Iran,” the IDF statement added.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday spoke about the idea of sending ground troops into Iran to secure the country's stockpiles of enriched uranium

"At some point maybe we will. That would be a great thing," he was quoted as saying by AFP during a briefing aboard Air Force One.

"We haven't gone after it [enriched uranium] but it's something we could do later," Trump said.

Asked about the use of ground troops in general, Trump did not rule it out, saying: "Could there be? Possibly, for a very good reason — it'd have to be a very good reason."

"And I would say if we ever did that, they [Iran] would be so decimated that they wouldn't be able to fight at the ground level," he said.

Diana Magnay, international correspondent for Sky News, witnessed missile interceptions while reporting from Jerusalem.

She reported seeing missiles being intercepted in the sky during the latest attack.

Magnay said it was the sixth wave of ballistic missiles fired from Iran towards Israel since midnight.

“Streaks of white” were visible across the sky as interception systems responded to the incoming missiles.

The interceptions were followed by “loud blasts”, indicating missiles being destroyed mid-air.

The incident occurred amid continuing missile barrages between Iran and Israel, escalating regional tensions.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has spoken with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi about the evolving regional situation.

In a post on X, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two ministers “exchanged views on recent developments”.

The Saudi Ministry of Defence said a ballistic missile fell in an uninhabited area near Prince Sultan Air Base.

The information was shared in a post on X by the defence ministry.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson addressing António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, wrote on X:

"This is not "the fighting"; this is an 'unprovoked act of aggression' launched by two nuclear armed regimes against Iran.

We WERE in "serious diplomatic negotiations" while the U.S./Israel attacked Iran, for a second time during the past 9 months.

You are concerned about "grave risk to the global economy"; what about the innocent civilians, including 175 little angels slaughtered in the City of Minab, and many more killed and maimed across Iran during the past 7 days of American/Israeli criminal acts?!

The UN shall be forthright and shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities regarding this illegal war on Iran."

UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan made his first public remarks since the Iran-related war escalated in the region, saying the United Arab Emirates is now “in a time of war.”

The UAE president issued a defiant warning, declaring that the country has “thick skin and bitter flesh — we are no easy prey.”

Mohamed bin Zayed said the leadership would fulfil its duty to protect the nation, its citizens, and residents, describing expatriates as part of the country’s family.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted US forces at the Jufair base in Bahrain in retaliation for a US strike on Iranian infrastructure, as per Iranian state media.

The attack was reportedly carried out in response to a US strike on a desalination plant on Qeshm Island in southern Iran.

Kuwait announced it is reducing oil production as a precautionary step due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Authorities did not disclose how much oil output would be reduced. (AP)

"I’ll be going for Dover, very sad situation, to greet the families of the heroes coming home from Iran and coming home in a different manner than they thought they’d be coming home," Trump said while speaking at the “Shield of the Americas Summit” in Doral, Florida in front of heads of state from the Western Hemisphere. "But they’re great heroes in our country, and we’re going to keep it that way. When it comes to war, there’s always that."

Over 28,000 Americans have returned to the United States from the Middle East since the Iran war began seven days ago, according to the US State Department.

Most returned on commercial flights without direct government assistance.

The State Department organized more than a dozen charter flights, evacuating several thousand Americans.

Over 16,000 US citizens contacted the government for help during the crisis.

US President Donald Trump said that American strikes on Iran have significantly damaged the country's military capabilities, claiming that its navy, air force, and communications infra have been heavily hit.

The Israeli military on Saturday said it destroyed 16 aircraft belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC ) Quds Force, which is tasked with carrying out operations beyond Iran's borders, during the overnight attacks on Tehran, Al Jazeera reported.

In a statement, the Israeli army said its air force carried out a “broad wave of attacks” across the Iranian capital, including strikes on Mehrabad Airport.

As tensions escalate, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said its forces have targeted a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf.

“An oil tanker with the trade name ‘Louise P’ with the flag of the Marshall Islands, one of the assets of the terrorist America, was hit by a drone in the middle of the Persian Gulf,” it said on its website

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has issued a statement saying representatives from Bahrain, the UK, and the US held a virtual meeting on March 5 in which they discussed “the importance of working together to ensure peace and stability”.

The Israeli military on Saturday said that missiles were launched from Israel towards its territory. In a statement on X, the Israeli army said it identified missiles heading towards its territory and that interception systems were being activated.

Lebanon's health ministry on Saturday said that at least four children were killed among six, who were killed by Israeli forces after they carried out attacks in Shmestar in the Baalbek-Hermel governorate.