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Just like the last war, Iran is not the aggressor.
UPDATES
EU has started calling for diplomatic approach and end to the war after Iran's retaliation.
Various international flights suspended, airspaces closed
Wizz Air suspends all flights to and from Israel, the UAE’s Dubai as well as Abu Dhabi and Jordan’s Amman with immediate effect until March 7
Lufthansa suspends Saturday and Sunday flights to and from Dubai, Tel Aviv, Lebanon’s Beirut and Oman’s Muscat
KLM cancels flights from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv
Oman Air suspends all flights to Iraq’s capital Baghdad
Russia suspends all flights to Iran and Israel
Kuwait suspends all flights to Iran until further notice
Iraq cancels all inbound and outbound flights, closing its airspace
Israel cancels all civilian flights, closing its airspace...
Tel Aviv residents report of GPS services malfunctioning following Israel-U.S. strikes in Iran.
Videos show smoke rising near US Navy facility in Bahrain: Videos geolocated by CNN show smoke rising from the direction of a US Navy base in Bahrain. The base was targeted by an Iranian missile attack a US official told CNN.
Iran confirms targeted sites in Gulf region
According to the Fars news agency, Iran has targeted:
Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar
Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait
Al-Dhafra Air Base in the UAE
The fifth US base in Bahrain
Loud explosion heard in Tehran.
At least one person killed in Abu Dhabi after UAE intercepts several Iranian missiles: Report
At least one person has been killed in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, after several missiles launched from Iran were intercepted, according to the country’s state news agency.
UAE says “this attack is a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law”. It says “it reserves its full right to respond to this escalation”.
EU’s Kallas says developments across Middle East ‘perilous’, calls to protect civilians. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has described the latest developments in the Middle East as “perilous” and called for civilians to be protected and international law upheld.
Kallas said she spoke to Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and other ministers in the region and was coordinating with Arab partners to pursue a diplomatic path.
Air India suspends Middle East flights
Air India has suspended all flights to the Middle East due to the ongoing situation.
UK not involved in attack, BBC understands.
It is understood that the UK did not participate in the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to chair a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee on Saturday.
At least one man injured after nine-storey building hit in northern Israel: A nine-storey building has been hit in northern Israel after Iranian missiles had been intercepted, leaving one man with minor injuries after he was struck by shrapnel from interceptor missiles, according to Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster.
Iran’s state news agency says Israeli attack hits elementary school, kills 5: Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency has reported that an Israeli strike hit an elementary girl’s school in Minab, a city located in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran.It added that five students were killed. No injuries were reported.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry said it is “deeply alarmed by today’s strikes by the US and Israel against Iran,” calling on “all parties to exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that the US and Israeli strikes on Iran “bring the Middle East to the edge of catastrophe,” urging Washington and Tehran to “pursue a diplomatic off-ramp rather than further escalation.”
Saudi Arabia condemns attacks on Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait:Saudi Arabia has condemned in the “strongest terms” the Iranian attacks on the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait. Saudi Arabia warned of “dire consequence” over the continued violation of “state sovereignty and the principles of international law.”
More explosions reported in Qatar’s capital
New explosions have been reported in Doha. This comes shortly after Qatar’s defence ministry said it had downed all missiles targeting the country in a “second wave” of attacks.
Fresh sirens sound across southern Israel amid a new Iranian ballistic missile barrage. The IDF says air defense systems are working to shoot down the projectiles.
Explosions in Tel Aviv: Explosions have now been reported from Tel Aviv.
Qatar condemns Iranian missile attack, says it reserves right to respond
We have a new statement from Qatar’s Foreign Ministry saying the country reserves the right of response following the Iranian attack, in according with international law.
EU’s Von der Leyen, Costa call for ‘maximum restraint’: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa have said developments in Iran are “greatly concerning”.“We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law,” the two leaders said in a joint statement.
US military bases hit in 1st phase of ‘Operation True Promise-4’: IRGC
US military bases hit in 1st phase of ‘Operation True Promise-4’: IRGC: The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has struck several US military bases in the region, including the American Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
In its second statement, following the launch of missile and drone strikes, in response to the US-Israeli aggression against Iranian soil, the IRGC said it severely targeted the American bases in Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as military hideouts in the heart of the occupied Palestinian lands.
The statement continued, by saying that the IRGC launched the operation “True Promise-4” against “the criminal US army and the child-killing Zionist regime”, with comprehensive attacks on the regional targets of the aggressive enemy.
The IRGC pledged the missile and drone attacks by Iran’s armed forces will continue.
Israeli military official says focus of operation is not "regime change": Israel’s focus is not “a regime change operation,” an Israeli military official said in a news briefing on Saturday, emphasizing that its focus is on military targets.
Trump’s Call for Regime Change in Iran Carries Risks: President Trump on Saturday outlined a set of far-reaching aims for the current U.S. military operation against Iran. He called on Iranians to topple the regime and take over their country after the extensive U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign ends.Trump’s declaration of broad aims is likely to rattle U.S. allies in the region, including Gulf states and Turkey, who are worried about a wider regional war that could bring instability to their doorsteps.
New Iran missile launch detected; sirens set to sound in south: The IDF says it has detected a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.
Sirens are expected to sound in southern Israel in the coming minutes.Israelis who get an alert are instructed to enter bomb shelters.
Iranian army says will “deliver a historic lesson” to Israel and US: Iran’s army said it will deliver a “historic lesson” to Israel and the United States after strikes on Iranian cities. “As we have already stated, any base anywhere in the region that assists Israel will be a target of the sacred Islamic Republic and our armed forces, and we will show no hesitation,” the Senior Armed Forces Spokesman Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi said, according to Iranian state-affiliated media.
Iran’s National Security Council tells residents to leave Tehran: Iran’s National Security Council has advised residents to leave the capital Tehran.
Because of the situation, “you should, as far as possible and while maintaining calm, travel to other places and cities if you are able”, the country’s security body said in a statement.
IDF: Launches detected from Iran; sirens expected in south, center and Jerusalem
The IDF announced that missile launches were detected from Iran and the Home Front Command reported that sirens are expected to sound in wide areas, in the south, in Jerusalem and in the center of the country.
In first 3 hours: Dozens of missile launchers destroyed in Iran: The IDF and U.S. military say they have successfully neutralized dozens of launchers in Iran in the last three hours. An Israeli official said that 'we are suppressing their launch capability.'
Russia calls on its citizens to leave Iran, with former president Dmitry Medvedev saying that talks with the United States had just been a “cover.”
Kuwait condemns Iranian attack, says it reserves right to respond
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry has condemned attacks on its soil, which it said were conducted by Iran “in flagrant violation” of its airspace and of international law.
Netanyahu says US, Israel attacked Iran to remove ‘existential threat.
Analysis:This conflict could still get a whole lot worse,Frank Gardner,BBC Security correspondent.
From up and down the Gulf reports are coming in of explosions, sirens, air defences going into action and plumes of smoke.Iran always said it would retaliate against US bases in the region and it has, wasting little time before sending a volley of missiles at America’s Gulf Arab allies.
"It’s really scary", a British expat resident in Bahrain tells me as he watches a Patriot missile battery intercepting an incoming missile right overhead.
Report in Iran: Dozens killed in strike on school in Minab: According to an Iranian report, dozens of people were killed in a strike that targeted a school in Minab in Hormozgan Province.
National Security Council to Israelis abroad: Take precautions and avoid sharing location details
The National Security Council called on Israelis staying abroad to take heightened precautionary measures in all destinations, in light of the war with Iran and the possibility that the Iranian regime will act to carry out attacks abroad. It is recommended to avoid posting on social networks, in real time, details of location, accommodation, leisure plans or any detail that could provide current information about future plans and location; avoid attending events/sites identified with Israel/Judaism that are not secured; pay attention to what is happening around you while staying in areas identified with Israel/Judaism; in case of a threat, report immediately to local security forces; avoid entering areas with a hostile character toward Israelis and Jews.
Russia urges immediate halt to US, Israeli attacks on Iran: We also have reaction from Russia, which has called for an immediate stop to US and Israeli attacks on Iran, saying the situation must be “returned to the path of political and diplomatic settlement”. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the international community should swiftly deliver an objective assessment of what it called irresponsible actions that risk further destabilising the region.
Belgium: “The Iranian people must not pay the price for their government’s choices,” Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said. “We deeply regret that diplomatic efforts could not lead earlier to a negotiated solution.”
Norway: “The attack is described by Israel as a preventive strike, but it is not in line with international law,” Foreign Minister Espen Barth said. “Preventive attacks require an immediately imminent threat.”
Pakistan: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar “strongly condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran and called for an immediate halt to escalation through urgent resumption of diplomacy to achieve a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the crisis”.
Indonesia says President Prabowo ready to facilitate US-Iran dialogue: Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry says President Prabowo Subianto is prepared to mediate between Washington and Tehran. “Indonesia deeply regrets the failure of negotiations between US and Iran, which has resulted in military escalation in the Middle East. Indonesia calls on all parties to exercise restraint and to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy,” the foreign ministry wrote on X.
Bahrain Interior Ministry evacuating Juffair residents: Bahrain’s Interior Ministry says it has started evacuating people residing in the Juffair area, where a US naval base is hosted.
Trump's top general voiced uncertainty about potential fallout of Iran strikes in recent meetings:
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, President Donald Trump’s top military adviser, has been building possible strike options for weeks and briefed Trump several times ahead of today’s strikes.In separate Pentagon meetings, Caine has been vocal about the potential downsides of launching a major military operation targeting Iran, raising concerns about the scale, complexity and potential for US casualties of such a mission, CNN previously reported.
Pro-Iranian militia in Iraq: 'We will attack American bases': Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq, a pro-Iranian militia operating in Iraq, announced that "we will soon begin attacking American bases in response to their aggression."
Norway says Israeli strikes on Iran breach international law: Norway’s foreign minister argues that the strikes on Iran broke international law, calling for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
“The attack is described by Israel as a pre-emptive strike, but it is not in accordance with international law. A pre-emptive attack would require the existence of an imminent threat,” Espen Barth Eide says in an email sent to AFP by his office.He does not mention US strikes.
US to continue launching ‘extensive’ air and sea strikes: A US official has told Al Jazeera that it will continue to launch “extensive” strikes from air and sea at Iran. The US-Israeli attacks aim to dismantle the Iranian security apparatus and are currently limited to targets inside Iran, the official said. They confirmed that the US Air Force was participating in the strikes and that it was coordinating with the Israeli military.
Israeli military official says forces strengthened along Lebanese and Syrian borders after it launched strikes on Iran: Israel is strengthening and reinforcing its forces along its borders with Lebanon and Syria, following its strikes on Iran, an Israeli military official told reporters on Saturday.
Iran’s senior officials ‘in perfect health’, local media claims: The Fars news agency says Iran’s senior officials are “in perfect health”, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and security chief Ali Larijani.: “While Israeli sources have claimed to have targeted and succeeded in attacking the president and senior Iranian leaders, official sources within the country report that senior regime officials, including the heads of the armed forces, are in perfect health,” the report said.
'Legitimate right of self-defence': Iran issues statement to Gulf states: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the country will use all its military means under its right of self-defence to protect itself. A statement says Araghchi has made phone calls with counterparts in countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq, telling them Iran will use "all its defensive and military capabilities under legitimate right of self-defence" to protect the integrity of Iran. Araghchi also "reminds" these countries of "their responsibility to prevent the misuse of their facilities and territories" by the US and Israel to attack, according to the statement.
Iran: We launched dozens of drones toward Israel; smoke rises from strike site in Abu Dhabi
Iran's military announced that dozens of drones were launched toward Israel. Meanwhile, Bahrain claimed it successfully intercepted an Iranian missile attack, and in Abu Dhabi, smoke was documented rising from a strike site near the coast.
Airlines halt flights to Middle East: All the major airlines have diverted or cancelled flights to the region, citing safety, and apologising to customers. Virgin Atlantic said it had cancelled its VS400 service from London Heathrow to Dubai and warned that flights to the Maldives, India and Saudi Arabia might experience longer flight times due to re-routing.
Death toll after Israeli attack on school in Iran jumps to 40: State media: We have reported earlier that an Israeli strike hit an elementary girl’s school in Minab, a city in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran, killing 24 people. The death toll now jumped to 40, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Israeli army says it hit ‘hundreds of Iranian military targets’: Israel’s military has issued a statement claiming to have hit “hundreds of Iranian military targets”, including missile launchers, as it conducted air strikes on western Iran. It added that its air force was working to intercept incoming retaliatory attacks from Iran.
Iran launches "large-scale" drone attack at Israel: Iran has launched its first large scale drone attack at Israel, firing “dozens of attack drones,” the Iranian army said.
Analysis'What does success look like?'
Despite overwhelming US military might, Iran campaign would pose complex challenges
A massive edge over the Islamic Republic still leaves US vulnerable to support-sapping attacks, and success will remain elusive unless Trump figures out what he wants to achieve.
Macron says ‘dangerous escalation must top’
We have just received a statement from Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, who says the outbreak of war between the US, Israel and Iran “has grave consequences for international peace and security”. “The current escalation is dangerous for everyone. It must stop,” he said.
‘Dozens of drones’ launched towards Israel: Iran army: Iran’s army says a wave of attack drones has been launched towards Israel, according to the Tasnim news agency. The military statement cited by the agency said it was the first large drone offensive carried out from Iran against Israel. Thank you for report of action on both sides. However do not fail to understand that the world has had enough of the Ayatollahs and spread terrorism all over the world. The whole of the Middle East do not agree with permitting Iran to possess nuclear weapons. They have showed examples with their distribution of various military hardware to their proxies. Finally, the war has come to their land. This must be termed "the father of all wars". After all Saddam Hussein termed the world's response to his reckless invasion of Kuwait as "the mother of all wars". For the Iranians, this is not the eight year Iran-Iraq war. This is a war against the world's strongest military power allied with one of the most strongest military powers in the world. The Middle East is on fire for the first time, but Iran will not remain the same after this. |
