20,000 seafarers, 15,000 passengers stranded in Gulf

[live_update time=”9:51 PM” title=”Israel ‘kills’ Hamas commander in Lebanon”]

The Israeli military has announced that it has targeted and killed a Hamas commander, Wassim Attallah Ali, in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

In a statement issued on Telegram, the military stated that the navy was responsible for killing Ali and accused him of training Hamas fighters. No reaction has been received from Hamas so far.

Earlier, Al Jazeera reported that Israel has expanded the scope of its attacks in Lebanon, and at least 10 people have been killed up to Thursday.

Residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs had already been ordered to evacuate; at that time, they were moving towards Tripoli to avoid danger.

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[live_update time=”9:48 PM” title=”20,000 seafarers, 15,000 passengers stranded in Gulf”]

The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) has reported that approximately 20,000 seafarers and 15,000 cruise ship passengers are stranded in the Persian Gulf region due to the ongoing war.

The IMO provided this information to the news agency AFP. The organisation’s Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, stated, “The IMO is prepared to work with all partners to ensure the safety and well-being of the affected seafarers.”

Since the war began on Saturday, seven incidents of attacks on ships have been recorded in the region. These attacks have resulted in two deaths and seven injuries.

Dominguez said, “Beyond the economic impact of these alarming attacks, a humanitarian crisis has also been created. No attack on innocent seafarers is acceptable. I once again call on all shipping companies to exercise maximum caution when navigating vessels in this region.”

Source: Al Jazeera

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[live_update time=”9:33 PM” title=”Four doctors killed in attack on Iranian health centre”]

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has confirmed that 13 attacks have been verified on health infrastructure in Iran. These attacks resulted in the deaths of four health workers and injuries to 25 others.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, without directly blaming anyone, he stated, “WHO has verified 13 attacks on healthcare in Iran and one attack in Lebanon.”

During the same briefing, Hanan Balkhi, the organisation’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, reported that four ambulances were also damaged in Iran. Hospitals and other health centers sustained minor damage due to attacks in nearby areas.

Earlier, the World Health Organization had stated that patients were evacuated from a hospital in Tehran as a result of these attacks.

Source: Reuters

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[live_update time=”9:04 PM” title=”11 hospitals damaged by US-Israeli strikes”]

“11 hospitals, seven emergency centres, nine ambulances and four other medical facilities have been damaged by US-Israeli attacks on Iran,” according to reporting by Al Jazeera.

The WHO had earlier verified “13 attacks on healthcare in Iran”.

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[live_update time=”8:53 PM” title=”Reza Pahlavi demands immediate transfer of power”]

Following the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the ousted Shah of Iran, has urged the officials of the Islamic Republic to “hand over power immediately.”

In a post on X, he stated that any effort to name a successor to Ali Khamenei would be unsuccessful, contending that any individual who replaces him would not possess legitimacy.

Dear compatriots,

As I emphasized in my message following the demise of Khamenei, any attempt to appoint a successor for him is pre-destined to fail. Whomever is introduced—be it Mojtaba or Hassan—will lack legitimacy and will be considered an accomplice to the bloody record of… https://t.co/mrWAQAHDXw

— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) March 5, 2026

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[live_update time=”8:37 PM” title=”Qatar attacked by a salvo of Iranian missiles and drones”]

Qatar’s defence ministry said 14 ballistic missiles and four drones were fired at the county.

It said air defences intercepted all the drones and 13 of the missiles, while the 14th fell in the sea off Qatar, according to Al Jazeera.

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[live_update time=”8:17 PM” title=”UK sending four more fighter jets to Qatar, Starmer announces”]

Prime Minister Starmer has announced that the United Kingdom will be sending four additional Typhoon fighter aircraft to Qatar.

Speaking from Downing Street, Starmer stated that these planes will join the existing UK forces stationed in Qatar to enhance Britain’s defensive capabilities in the region.

He mentioned that the UK had already moved defensive equipment, such as air defense systems, to Qatar during January and February to keep forces in a “heightened state of readiness” in anticipation of a possible escalation.

Starmer further noted that the UK has been utilising aerial refueling aircraft to support allied missions and that London is currently addressing further assistance requests from regional partners.

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[live_update time=”8:12 PM” title=”UN peacekeepers say combat underway in southern Lebanon”]

UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon say they have seen and heard clashes, including ground combat, in southern Lebanon as more Israeli forces have moved across the border.

“Ground combat was observed west of Kfar Kila,” a village near the border with Israel, overnight, which included “firing of shots,” said Tilak Pokharel, spokesperson for the mission known as UNIFIL.

In the town of Khiyam, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Israeli border, he said, peacekeepers saw “air attacks and flares and heard explosions.”

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[live_update time=”8:03 PM” title=”US-Israeli missiles strike two schools in Iran”]

Iranian media have reported that two schools in the country have been hit by missile attacks. However, no information on casualties has been released.

Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported that missiles fired by the United States and Israel struck two schools in the city of Parand, southwest of Tehran.

A classroom was destroyed in the incident, and images of the debris have been published. Several residential units near the attack were also damaged.

Earlier, missiles launched by the United States and Israel had hit a girls’ school in the city of Minab, Iran. At least 165 students were killed in that attack.

Source: Al Jazeera

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[live_update time=”7:55 PM” title=”Hezbollah claims missile attacks on Israeli troops”]

Hezbollah has announced that it carried out missile strikes against Israeli forces approaching the vicinity of the southern Lebanese town of Markaba.

In a statement, the organisation reported that its militants targeted Israeli military personnel around 12:30pm (10:30 GMT) after monitoring what it characterised as an Israeli contingent moving from the Manara position towards the town.

Hezbollah stated that two missile strikes directly hit the forces, describing the action as retaliation for what it termed Israeli strikes on Lebanese cities and towns, including Beirut’s southern suburbs.

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[live_update time=”7:43 PM” title=”Drone attack on US forces in Iraq”]

According to Iran’s military, it has attacked a base hosting US troops in Erbil in northern Iraq using drones, the semi-official Tasnim news agency has reported.

“Significant damage” was caused in the attack, the agency reported.

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[live_update time=”7:37 PM” title=”Israeli army issues mass evacuation warning for Beirut suburbs”]

The Israeli military issued an evacuation notice Thursday calling for all residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs to “save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” apparently signalling plans for heavy bombardment of the area.

Since the resurgence of hostilities between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, Israel has struck sites in Beirut’s suburbs and issued a blanket warning for residents of southern Lebanon south of the Litani River to evacuate their homes. But it had not issued a blanket evacuation order for areas outside of Beirut’s capital.

After the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran triggered a new war in the Middle East, Hezbollah launched missiles and drones into Israel Monday for the first time in over a year, and Israel has retaliated with bombardment of southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Seventy-seven people have been killed and more than 83,000 people displaced in Lebanon by the renewed conflict.

Source: AP

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[live_update time=”7:34 PM” title=”IRGC claims downing of US fighter jet”]

According to Tasnim news agency, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have asserted that they shot down an American F-15E strike aircraft near the nation’s southwestern frontier.

The US military has refuted these reports.

Tasnim, quoting the IRGC, stated that the two-seat jet was “targeted and crashed,” though it did not clarify when the alleged incident took place.

US CENTCOM declared on X that “rumors circulating on social media of a US F-15E crash in Iran early Wednesday are baseless and NOT TRUE.”

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[live_update time=”7:32 PM” title=”At least 38,000 people have crossed from Lebanon into Syria”]

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported that at least 38,000 people have crossed the border from Lebanon into Syria amidst the renewed conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.

UNHCR provided this information to the Associated Press (AP), citing Syrian authorities. The agency stated that the majority of those crossing the border are Syrian citizens.

Earlier, on Wednesday, UNHCR and Lebanese officials had reported that 84,000 people have been internally displaced within Lebanon.

UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch said on Thursday that a worrying picture of displacement is emerging due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and beyond.

The agency also reported that in the first two days of US and Israeli attacks on Iran, nearly 100,000 people were displaced within the country. However, there have been no immediate signs of a large number of people leaving the country so far.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported, citing a briefing by Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin, that over 300,000 Lebanese have been displaced amidst the ongoing operation in Lebanon.

The Israeli military has ordered Lebanese residents living south of the Litani River to leave the area. Defrin stated that more than 320 locations have been targeted in Israeli strikes, and various targets, including missile launchers, have been destroyed.

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[live_update time=”7:24 PM” title=”Death toll in Iran rises to 1,230″]

The death toll from the joint US-Israeli attacks across Iran, which began last Saturday, has reached 1,230.

The semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported this information in a report published on Thursday. The report cited the ‘Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs’ as its source.

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[live_update time=”5:00 PM” title=”Iran ‘close’ to becoming threat to Europe: NATO”]

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has told Reuters that Iran is approaching the point of being a direct threat to Europe.

During the interview, he voiced his support for the actions taken by President Trump to dismantle Iran’s missile and nuclear infrastructure, emphasizing the necessity of ensuring the country no longer represents a danger.

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[live_update time=”4:00 PM” title=”IRGC attacks US oil tanker”]

According to reports from the state-run IRNA news agency, the IRGC has announced that its naval forces successfully targeted an American oil tanker in the Gulf. The public relations department of the IRGC provided no additional details regarding the nature of the strike.

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[live_update time=”3:30 PM” title=”US, Israel ‘deliberately target civilian areas’”]

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, has alleged that the United States and Israel are purposely attacking civilian zones. In a post on X, Baqaei claimed that the “aggressors” are intentionally hitting locations intended to cause the highest levels of pain and casualties among the populace.

Source: Al Jazeera

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[live_update time=”3:00 PM” title=”Explosions in the skies above Qatar’s capital Doha”]

Source: Al Jazeera

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[live_update time=”2:50 PM” title=”French FM spoke to Iranian counterpart”]

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot recently held a telephone discussion with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, to advocate for a reduction in regional tensions. During the call, Barrot denounced the strikes by Iran and reiterated France’s dedication to maintaining stability in the Middle East through rigorous diplomatic engagement and adherence to international legal standards.

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[live_update time=”2:40 PM” title=”Middle East conflict cast doubt on Iraq’s World Cup participation”]

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has cast doubt on Iraq’s ability to participate in the upcoming World Cup qualifying playoffs in Mexico. Due to significant travel disruptions and the closure of Iraqi airspace, there are growing concerns regarding the logistical feasibility of getting the team to Monterrey for their scheduled match on 31 March . 

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[live_update time=”2:37 PM” title=”Limited flights begin in Abu Dhabi”]

Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi has begun a restricted resumption of flight services, according to the Abu Dhabi media office.

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[live_update time=”2:30 PM” title=”US and Israel continue attacks on Tehran”]

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[live_update time=”2:30 PM” title=”Second Iranian warship moving towards Sri Lanka”]

Iran has confirmed that a second warship is approaching Sri Lankan waters, entering the same vicinity where a US submarine destroyed an Iranian frigate earlier this week. Sri Lanka’s Media Minister, Nalinda Jayatissa, stated that the vessel, which reportedly carries over 100 personnel, is currently located just outside the country’s territorial boundaries.

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[live_update time=”2:17 PM” title=”Hezbollah’s strategy targeting Israel forces”]

Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for targeting Israeli forces within Lebanese territory, an engagement the Israeli military has confirmed, noting that two soldiers sustained injuries.

The group’s strategy involves using drones, rockets, and missiles to increase the cost of the conflict for Israel and to resist any territorial incursions.

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[live_update time=”2:10 PM” title=”Kurdistan region military will not be involved in war”]

Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, has emphasized that the region must remain neutral and avoid being drawn into any military escalations or conflicts that could jeopardize the safety of its citizens.

He further noted that safeguarding the region’s territorial integrity and constitutional milestones depends on the collective unity and national commitment of all local political groups.

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[live_update time=”2:05 PM” title=”Italy to send air defense aid”]

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced Italy’s intention to provide air defense assistance to Gulf nations currently facing Iranian strikes. In a statement to an Italian radio station, reported by Reuters, Meloni explained that Italy plans to join the UK, France, and Germany in offering specialized defense support.

She highlighted that this measure is intended to safeguard the tens of thousands of Italian citizens residing in the Gulf, as well as the approximately 2,000 Italian military personnel stationed there.

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[live_update time=”2:00 PM” title=”6 killed in Lebanon”]

According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, recent Israeli military strikes in the southern part of the country have claimed the lives of six people.

Reports specify that a family of four, including two children, was killed in a village near Kfar Tebnit. In a separate incident in the Nabatieh region, a village mayor and his wife were also killed.

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[live_update time=”1:40 PM” title=”Trump thanked Rutte for his comments”]

US President Trump recently thanked NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for his statement regarding the “massive” support among allies for US military strikes against Iran.

Rutte clarified that while NATO as an organization was not directly involved in the strikes, member nations are broadly supportive and are facilitating U.S. operations aimed at neutralizing Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

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[live_update time=”1:40 PM” title=”More than 80 bodies recovered from US torpedo strikes”]

Sri Lanka’s navy and air force rescued thirty-two sailors on Tuesday following a distress signal from an Iranian naval frigate approximately 40 kilometers from the coast. Search and rescue teams were unable to initially locate any debris or signs of the vessel.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth later announced that an American submarine had torpedoed the frigate while it was in international waters. The ship, the Dena, was returning from a multinational naval event in India attended by dozens of countries.

More than 80 bodies have been recovered and moved to a hospital in Galle, where nearby facilities are being prepared to accommodate the casualties.

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[live_update time=”1:35 PM” title=”Sri Lanka tries to rescue people”]

Sri Lanka is trying to “safeguard ⁠lives” on another ⁠Iranian ship off its coast, the country’s cabinet ‌spokesperson said, adding that the vessel was in the ⁠economic zone beyond ⁠the South Asian island nation’s territorial ⁠waters.

“We are doing ⁠our ⁠utmost to safeguard lives,” spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa ‌said.

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[live_update time=”1:30 PM” title=”IRGC hits US oil tanker in Northern Gulf”]

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced that its naval forces struck a US tanker in the northern Gulf this morning.

The group issued a warning that military and commercial vessels belonging to the United States, Israel, and their European allies will be denied passage through the region, stating that any such ships identified will be targeted.

Furthermore, according to reports from Iran’s Tasnim News, the IRGC asserted that, under international law during times of conflict, Iran maintains the right to control transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

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[live_update time=”1:20 PM” title=”We will ‘continue to the end’: US to Israel”]

According to a statement from the Israeli Defense Ministry, Defense Minister Israel Katz held a conversation with his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, last night.

The ministry’s report, as cited by The Times of Israel, indicates that Hegseth commended the “unprecedented level of cooperation” between the military forces of both nations. He further encouraged Katz to proceed with the military operations until their conclusion, reaffirming that the United States remains supportive of their efforts.

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[live_update time=”1:20 PM” title=”It doesn’t matter how long this war lasts: Iran”]

General Kioumars Heydari of Iran has declared that the country is prepared for a long-term conflict and will continue its military actions until its objectives are met and significant damage is dealt to the United States.

According to reports from the Tasnim news agency, Heydari, the deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters, emphasized that the duration of the war is not a concern for Iran.

Drawing on the nation’s history of an eight-year conflict, he stated that the current war would only conclude once their goals are reached and the opposition is made to regret their actions.

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[live_update time=”1:11 PM” title=”US-Israeli forces attacked 105 sites so far”]

The Iranian Red Crescent has documented 1,332 strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces across 174 cities since Saturday.

According to their records, raids have occurred at 636 different locations, with at least 105 of those being civilian sites. These targets reportedly include 14 medical facilities and seven buildings belonging to the Red Crescent itself.

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[live_update time=”1:00 PM” title=”Let’s stop the war now: Omani FM”]

Oman’s Foreign Minister, Badr al-Busaidi, has issued a fresh plea for an end to the current conflict, stating that his country is committed to helping all individuals stranded within its borders return home.

In a statement shared on X, he noted that the Omani government is coordinating with international airlines and foreign authorities to arrange repatriation flights.

He emphasized that safety and security are universal human rights that should be afforded to everyone, regardless of their nationality, and concluded with an urgent call to stop the war immediately.

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[live_update time=”12:50 PM” title=”‘Military assets’ sent to Middle East: Australian PM”]

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently informed Parliament that military resources have been stationed in the Middle East as a precautionary measure.

This move is part of a broader contingency strategy, which includes the dispatch of six crisis response units to the area. Although specific details regarding the hardware were not officially disclosed by the Prime Minister, reports from SBS News indicate that two military aircraft are included in this deployment.

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[live_update time=”12:35 PM” title=”People flee through Syrian border”]

A major humanitarian crisis is rapidly escalating at the Syrian border as thousands of people flee the widening regional conflict.

Reports indicate a massive influx of women, children, and elderly individuals seeking safety. Syrian officials have recorded over 25,000 arrivals at the Jdeidet Yabous and Jousieh crossings in Homs province over a single 48-hour period.

This movement is being driven by intensified military activity in Lebanon, including ongoing airstrikes in southern regions and Beirut’s suburbs. In response, international UN agencies and Syria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management are providing medical and psychological assistance to those arriving after days of travel.

Local authorities expect the number of displaced persons to continue rising as the violence escalates, but they have reaffirmed their commitment to accepting those seeking refuge.

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[live_update time=”11:30 AM” title=”Iran postpones funeral for Khamenei”]

Iran announced that the state funeral for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, originally scheduled for Wednesday evening in Tehran, has been postponed “in anticipation of unprecedented turnout,” state television reported.

“The farewell ceremony for the martyred Imam has been postponed. The new date will be announced later,” Iranian TV said on Wednesday, following Khamenei’s death at age 86 in US-Israeli strikes over the weekend.

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[live_update time=”11:30 AM” title=”Iran’s water, electricity supply facilities damaged”]

According to reports from the IRIB broadcaster, Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi stated that recent military actions by the US and Israel have damaged water and electricity networks across various regions of Iran.

The minister indicated that while maintenance is ongoing to prevent service outages, it is important for the public to be conservative with their consumption of these resources.

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[live_update time=”10:00 AM” title=”Evacuation threat reissued for Lebanon residents”]

Israeli military renews evacuation warning for residents in southern Lebanon, urging them to move north of the Litani River.

The army cautioned that anyone near Hezbollah fighters, facilities, or weapons risks their life, and stressed that any house used by Hezbollah for military purposes could be targeted.

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[live_update time=”09:30 AM” title=”87 dead as US sinks Iranian warship”]

A United States submarine has torpedoed and sunk the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka, marking the first such naval engagement since World War II, according to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

During a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Hegseth confirmed the strike, describing the incident as the “first such attack on an enemy since World War II”.

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[live_update time=”09:00 AM” title=”Canada can’t rule out military participation in Iran war”]

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he could not rule out the possibility of his country joining the escalating Middle East conflict with military involvement.

Carney’s visit to Australia this week has been overshadowed by expanding war in the Middle East, sparked by a massive US-Israeli strike on Iran that killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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[live_update time=”08:50 AM” title=” US Senate fails to curb Trump’s war power”]

The US Senate on Wednesday failed to advance a resolution seeking to restrict President Donald Trump’s authority to conduct a military campaign against Iran.

Republican senators voted down the measure intended to halt the war effort, indicating early backing for a conflict that has quickly widened across the Middle East with no clear strategy for a US withdrawal.

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[live_update time=”08:30 AM” title=”Tehran rocked by fresh explosions”]

Iran is enduring its sixth consecutive day of strikes carried out by the United States and Israel. A new wave of attacks began around midnight, and just an hour ago, powerful blasts shook the eastern part of the capital, with shockwaves felt across the city.

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[live_update time=”02:10 AM” title=”Spain denies US claim of military cooperation”]

The Spanish government has firmly dismissed White House claims that Madrid agreed to cooperate with the United States military, as tensions escalate over Spain’s refusal to support operations against Iran.

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Wednesday labelled assertions from Washington as “categorically false” following remarks by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

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