The joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran and its regional allies entered its fourth consecutive night, with fresh airstrikes reported in both countries. In Lebanon, a strike hit a hotel near Beirut, according to local sources.
In Iran, the building housing the Assembly of Experts in the city of Qom was also targeted.
Tehran has continued its retaliatory operations, launching further attacks on Israeli territory and US assets across the Middle East. Reports indicate strikes on the US consulate in Dubai and a port facility in the city of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
The exchanges mark a significant escalation in a conflict that shows no sign of de-escalation, with both sides maintaining military pressure across multiple fronts. Casualty figures and the extent of damage from the latest strikes remain unclear.
[live_update time=”9:36 PM” title=”China to dispatch special mediator to Middle East”]
China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, has committed to sending a special envoy for mediation to the Middle East.
According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, this commitment follows separate telephone conversations between Wang and his counterparts in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Wang expressed to Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah that he appreciated Riyadh’s “restraint” and its efforts to resolve differences through peaceful means.
He also conveyed to UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan that China views attacks on civilians as a “red line.”
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[live_update time=”9:06 PM” title=”80 dead after Iranian ship sinks off Sri Lanka”]
We are receiving more information regarding the Iranian naval vessel that sank off the coast of Sri Lanka.
According to a Reuters report, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister has informed local television that at least 80 people have died following the attack in the Indian Ocean.
A spokesperson for the Sri Lankan navy stated that based on the ship’s documents, it is believed there were approximately 180 people on board.
Earlier, the Sri Lankan navy confirmed that they had rescued 32 individuals after receiving a distress signal from the Iranian navy ship “IRIS Dena”.
If the figures provided by the Sri Lankan Deputy Foreign Minister and the navy spokesperson are accurate, approximately 68 people are still unaccounted for.
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[live_update time=”9:02 PM” title=”Oman Navy saves 24 crew after missile strike on cargo vessel”]
Oman’s naval forces responded to an incident involving a Maltese-flagged cargo ship that was struck by two missiles in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Oman News Agency.
The report stated that the vessel’s entire 24-member crew was rescued and received essential medical attention, noting that they are all in “good health.”
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[live_update time=”8:46 PM” title=”Iran launches fresh missile barrage at Israel, says IDF”]
The Israeli military has announced in a statement that it has detected another volley of missiles launched from Iran heading toward Israeli territory.
“Defence systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the military stated. “In the last few minutes, the Home Front Command has issued an advance alert directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas.”
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[live_update time=”8:30 PM” title=”UN watchdog reports damage near Isfahan Nuclear Facility”]
Satellite images indicate that two structures near an Iranian nuclear site in Isfahan have sustained damage.
Nevertheless, the United Nations’ nuclear oversight body stated there is no evidence of harm to buildings containing nuclear material, and currently, there is no threat of radioactive contamination.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) posted on X that no additional damage has been identified at the Natanz nuclear facility.
The UN agency also confirmed that no other destruction has been discovered at Iran’s remaining nuclear sites, including Bushehr.
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[live_update time=”8:11 PM” title=”Hezbollah claims drone strike on Israeli military installation”]
Hezbollah has announced that it carried out an attack using a barrage of combat drones against an Israeli army base.
In an official communication, the organisation stated that its operatives targeted the “Tel Hashomer base,” identifying it as a General Staff command center located southeast of Tel Aviv, around 12:00 GMT (2pm local time) today.
The group stated that the operation was conducted “in response to the criminal Israeli aggression that targeted dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, including the southern suburbs of Beirut.”
Earlier, the Israeli military had reported detecting several launches from Lebanon heading toward Israel, asserting that “most of which” were successfully intercepted.
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[live_update time=”7:56 PM” title=”Hegseth says war with Iran could last 8 weeks”]
The defense secretary says the timeline could go further than previously speculated.
“You can say four weeks, but it could be six, it could be eight, it could be three,” he says. “Ultimately, we set the pace and the tempo.”
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[live_update time=”7:28 PM” title=”Hegseth claims US sank Iranian vessel in Indian Ocean”]
The United States Secretary of Defense has stated that the US was responsible for the sinking of an Iranian naval vessel in the Indian Ocean.
As previously reported, an Iranian warship went down beyond Sri Lanka’s maritime boundaries, resulting in over 100 individuals being unaccounted for.
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[live_update time=”7:14 PM” title=”US, Israel to soon have ‘complete control of Iranian skies’, says Hegseth”]
Continuing his remarks, Secretary for the Department of War Pete Hegseth has said that US and Israeli forces expect to have “complete control of Iranian skies” in a few days, less than a week after the war began.
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[live_update time=”7:10 PM” title=”Projectile strike hits container vessel in Strait of Hormuz”]
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, which oversees commercial maritime traffic, a container vessel was struck by a projectile north of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a blaze in its engine compartment.
The monitoring body stated that no environmental consequences from the attack have been reported.
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[live_update time=”7:05 PM” title=”Israel launches fresh wave of attacks on southern Lebanon”]
The Israeli military has announced the commencement of another round of strikes on southern Lebanon, an area it has been targeting continuously from the air and advancing ground forces into throughout the day.
Following this declaration, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported a renewed Israeli airstrike on the southern town of Khiam.
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[live_update time=”6:44 PM” title=”QatarEnergy halts LNG output, invokes ‘Force Majeure’ with customers”]
Following its earlier declaration of suspending the production of LNG and related goods, QatarEnergy has stated that it “has declared Force Majeure to its affected buyers.”
In a statement released on Monday, the globe’s leading LNG exporter announced that “due to military attacks on QatarEnergy’s operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City in the State of Qatar, QatarEnergy has ceased production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and associated products.”
Immediately after this news, standard Dutch and UK wholesale gas rates surged by nearly 50%, and the benchmark Asian LNG price climbed close to 39%.
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[live_update time=”6:40 PM” title=”Turkey talks with Iran over intercepted missile”]
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has spoken by phone with his Iranian counterpart after an Iranian ballistic missile that was detected heading toward Turkish airspace Wednesday was intercepted.
During the call with Abbas Araghchi, Turkey stressed that “all steps that could escalate the conflict and contribute to its spread” must be avoided, a Turkish official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol.
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[live_update time=”6:30 PM” title=”Damage to Israel’s economy could reach $2.9 billion a week”]
Damage to Israel’s economy from the war could reach $2.9 billion a week, according to the country’s finance ministry.
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[live_update time=”6:25 PM” title=”23 injured in strike on manufacturing company in Alvand, Iran”]
23 people were injured after an attack on a manufacturing company in Alvand, Iran, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
Six people have been killed across the province since the war started.
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[live_update time=”6:21 PM” title=”UN independent probe strongly condemns US-Israel attacks on Iran”]
An independent UN probe investigating rights violations in Iran has strongly condemned US-Israeli strikes on the country.
“These attacks… run counter to the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State,” the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said in a statement.
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[live_update time=”6:17 PM” title=”US Embassy in Qatar urges Americans to ‘leave now'”]
The United States embassy in Qatar has issued an urgent advisory calling on American citizens to depart the Gulf nation immediately.
In a post on X today, the embassy stated: “On 3 March, the Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees and their family members to leave Qatar due to the threat of armed conflict. If safe to do so, Americans should leave Qatar now.”
The advisory noted that while Qatari airspace and maritime routes remain closed, the Salwa land border crossing to Saudi Arabia is currently open for departure.
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[live_update time=”6:17 PM” title=”Turkiye warns of right to respond after Iranian missile intercepted”]
Turkiye’s Defence Ministry has confirmed that NATO air defences intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran, which subsequently fell over the country’s Dortyol district near the Mediterranean coast.
In an official statement, the ministry reported no casualties resulting from the incident, adding that the downed missile caused no injuries or damage on Turkish soil.
The ministry emphasized the country’s defensive readiness, stating that Turkiye is “capable of ensuring the security of its territory and citizens, regardless of who or where the threat comes from.”
“We remind you that we reserve the right to respond to any hostile act towards our country,” the statement continued, while also urging all parties to refrain from “actions that would further spread the conflict in the region.”
The incident marks the first direct spillover of the ongoing Gulf conflict into Turkish territory, raising concerns about wider regional entanglement.
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[live_update time=”6:10 PM” title=”Turkiye intercepts missile from Iran”]
Turkiye says NATO defences have intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkish airspace.
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[live_update time=”5:56 PM” title=”Death toll in Iran rises to 1,145″]
The number of fatalities in Iran resulting from ongoing US-Israeli strikes has climbed to 1,045, according to the country’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
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[live_update time=”5:47 PM” title=”Iran internet blackout enters 100th hour”]
Iran has now been offline for 100 consecutive hours, according to the latest update from Netblocks, an internet connectivity watchdog.
In a statement posted on social media, the organisation said: “Metrics show internet connectivity flatlining at 1% of ordinary levels as the regional conflict escalates.”
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[live_update time=”5:34 PM” title=”Iranian naval ship sinks off Sri Lanka, at least 140 missing”]
At least 140 people are feared missing after an Iranian naval vessel sank off the coast of Sri Lanka, according to defence officials.
The Sri Lankan navy confirmed it received a distress call from the Iranian ship ‘IRIS Dena’ early Wednesday morning and launched a search and rescue operation. Spokesman Budhika Sampath stated that 32 survivors have been rescued so far, found floating in the water with life rafts and oil patches visible at the scene.
“Though it was beyond our waters, it was within our search and rescue region. So we were obliged to respond as per international obligations,” Sampath said. He added that according to the ship’s documentation, approximately 180 people were believed to be on board, though the exact number remains uncertain.
Earlier, Defence Ministry Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuiyakontha told BBC Sinhala that around 140 individuals are thought to be missing.
The navy spokesman rejected reports suggesting a submarine attack caused the sinking, stating that the cause remains unknown. The vessel was not sighted during rescue operations, only debris and oil patches were observed.
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