Iran War Live: US-Israeli Operation Killed At Least 555 People, Says Iranian Red Crescent Society

Two days after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint attack on Tehran by the US and Israel, the conflict in the Middle East has escalated sharply, with Iran responding with missile and drone attacks on Israel and on US military facilities and allied states across the Gulf region.

It is an extraordinary situation across West Asia, as fresh blasts have been reported in several countries in the region, including the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait, pushing the conflict into a broader confrontation.

The US and Israel, meanwhile, continue to strike Iran, hitting hospitals, TV stations and other buildings, according to Iranian state TV on Monday. The country also put the overall death toll since Saturday's strikes at 555.

The war has further widened as Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon targeted Israel, with Tel Aviv responding and killing at least 31 people, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Apart from Lebanon, casualties have been reported in other Middle East countries, while hundreds have been killed in Iran.

On Saturday, the US and Israel launched a joint offensive, described by Israel as part of 'Operation Lion's Roar' and by US officials as 'Operation Epic Fury', against Iran.

Hezbollah Fires On Israel, Prompting Massive Response

As the attacks on Iran continued, Hezbollah said it fired missiles from Lebanon into Israel early Monday in response to the killing of Ali Khamenei and “repeated Israeli aggressions.” There were no reports of injuries or damage, and Israel said that it had intercepted one projectile while several fell in open areas.

Israel retaliated with strikes on Lebanon, killing at least 31 people and wounding 149 others, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. About two-thirds of the dead were in the country's south. Lebanon’s government said it was holding an emergency meeting after Hezbollah’s attack on Israel triggered the Israeli airstrikes.

Thousands Mourn Khamenei In Iran And Elsewhere

Thousands of people, especially Shia Muslims, came onto the streets in Iran as well as in India and Pakistan to mourn the killing of Khamenei, the 86-year-old leader who was killed in the initial US-Israeli strikes along with several of his family members on Saturday.

Massive demonstrations were witnessed in Tehran and elsewhere in the country, with most mourners clad in black, beating their chests, and crying in memory of the slain leader. Similar demonstrations were held in Kashmir and in several other parts of the country.

United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that three US F-15E Strike Eagles were "mistakenly shotdown" by Kuwaiti air defence, highlighting a serious friendly fire incident amid ongoing regional hostilities.
The military command clarified in a statement published on X that the aircraft were engaged in error during active combat operations on Sunday.

Providing an update on the personnel involved, CENTCOM noted that "all six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defence forces and their support in this ongoing operation."

The loss of the three fighter jets occurred amidst a high-alert environment in the Gulf, where coalition forces have been responding to a series of regional threats. This volatility has led to heightened scrutiny of coordination between allies, and regarding the official inquiry into the friendly fire event, the statement added, "The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available."

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said that the U.S.-Israeli operation has killed at least 555 people. In Israel, where several locations were hit by Iranian missiles, 11 people were killed, reports AP. Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Hezbollah killed dozens of people in Lebanon. Iran’s top diplomat on Monday shared an aerial photo showing rows of graves that he said were for more than 160 girls killed during a U.S.-Israeli strike on an elementary school in Minab. “Their bodies were torn to shreds,” Abbas Araghchi, the country’s foreign minister, said on X. Tehran’s streets have been largely deserted with people sheltering during airstrikes. The paramilitary Basij force, which has played a central role in crushing recent nationwide protests, set up checkpoints across the city, witnesses said.

The United States attacked Iran "pre-emptively" on Saturday after learning that ally Israel was going to strike, which would have meant retaliation against US forces, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, reports AFP. "We knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties," Rubio told reporters on Monday. He expressed support for regime change in Tehran and clarified that toppling Iran’s leadership is not the stated objective of the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign. "We hope that the Iranian people can overthrow this government and establish a new future for that country. We would love for that to be possible," Rubio told reporters. "But the objective of this mission is the destruction of their ballistic missile capabilities and of their naval capabilities," he said.

The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for dozens of villages in southern Lebanon on Monday night, saying they would operate against Hezbollah activities in the area, reports AFP. "Hezbollah's activities are compelling the (Israeli military) to operate against it. The (Israeli military) does not seek to harm you. For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move north, beyond the line of villages marked on the map and their surrounding areas," the military's Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, wrote in an X post which listed more than two dozen villages.

A general in Iran's Revolutionary Guards threatened on Monday to "burn any ship" seeking to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for oil and gas shipments, AFP reports. "We will burn any ship that tries to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," General Sardar Jabbari said in a post on the Guards' Telegram channel. "We will also attack oil pipelines and will not allow a single drop of oil to leave the region. Oil price will reach $200 in the coming days."

According to Agence France-Presse, a total of six US military personnel have been killed since the start of the Iran war, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Monday, raising the death toll from four.

"US forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran's initial attacks in the region," CENTCOM said in a post on X. Earlier on Sunday, the US said three service members had been killed in the fighting against Iran. Centcom has also said in a Sunday morning update that five service members had been seriously injured.

An Iraqi Shiite militia claimed a drone attack Monday targeting U.S. troops at the airport in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, further widening the retaliation over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reports AP. The group, Saraya Awliya al-Dam, is one of a group of Shiite militias operating in Iraq following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of the country that toppled Saddam Hussein.

The U.S. and Iraq did not immediately comment on the claim. The attack comes as Iranian-supported militias, including the Lebanese group Hezbollah, have entered the war started by the U.S. and Israel in an airstrike campaign targeting Iran’s theocracy.

President Donald Trump on Monday defended ongoing US combat operations in Iran, saying the military was “substantially ahead” of schedule and determined to eliminate what he called an “intolerable threat” from Tehran’s missile and nuclear ambitions.​
“Today, the United States military continues to carry out large-scale combat operations in Iran to eliminate the grave threats posed to America by this terrible terrorist regime,” Trump said, providing an update during remarks at the White House.​He said the campaign followed what he described as the “obliteration of Iran's nuclear program in Operation Midnight Hammer,” and warned Tehran against rebuilding.​

“A short while ago, we warned Iran not to make any attempt to rebuild at a different location… but they ignored those warnings and refused to cease their pursuit of nuclear weapons,” he said.​Trump outlined what he called clear objectives.

“First, we're destroying Iran's missile capabilities, and you see that happening on an hourly basis, and their capacity to produce brand new ones… Second, we're annihilating their navy. We've knocked out already ten ships there at the bottom of the sea. Third, we're ensuring that the world's number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon, never going to have a nuclear weapon.”​

Kuwait's military said a navy sergeant was killed Monday while on duty, without elaborating further on the circumstances of his death, AFP reports. "The General Staff of the Army mourns... Sergeant Walid Majid Sulaiman," it said, adding he was killed "while performing his duty as part of the national missions entrusted to the armed forces".

According to Associated Press, moments before US First Lady Melania Trump led a U.N. Security Council session Monday on protecting children in armed conflict, Amir Saeid Iravani, Iranian ambassador to the U.N., blasted the subject of the meeting, saying that it was in contrast to the reported deadly strikes on a girl’s school in Iran on Saturday.

“It is deeply shameful and hypocritical,” Iravani told reporters, “that on the very first day of its presidency of the Security Council, the United States convenes a high-level meeting on protecting children, technology, and education in armed conflict under the agenda item ‘Maintenance of international peace and security,’ while at the same time launching missile strikes against Iranian cities and bombing schools and killing children.” He added, “For the United States, ‘protecting children’ and ‘maintaining international peace and security’ clearly mean something very different from what the UN Charter provides.”

The Israeli military said on Monday that it struck multiple Iranian intelligence offices and other command centres as it pressed ahead with attacks on the Islamic republic, reports AFP. "The (Israeli military) struck over 10 headquarters belonging to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence -- the regime's main intelligence body -- as well as numerous Quds Force headquarters," the military said in a statement, referring to the branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guards which oversees its foreign operations

The U.S. military said Monday that it has taken out 11 Iranian warships, AP reports. “Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have ZERO,” U.S. Central Command said in a post on X. The statement follows President Donald Trump’s Truth Social post on Sunday that U.S. forces had “destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships.” The president said they would be “going after the rest” and had “largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters.”

The United States hit more than 1,250 targets in the first 48 hours of the war against Iran, the US military said Monday -- up from more than 1,000 during the first day of the conflict, reports AFP, Targets struck included command-and-control centres, ballistic missile sites, Iranian navy ships and submarines, and anti-ship missile sites, according to a fact sheet released by the US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the region.

US President Donald Trump has not ruled out sending US troops into Iran “if necessary” in a further move away from his earlier opposition to getting involved in wars abroad. ​ He told the New York Post, ”Like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it.” ​He said it could happen “if they were necessary”, but “I'll say ‘probably don’t need them’”. ​His remark about possible troop involvement in the conflict came as the Central Command reported on X that four members of US forces have died as of Monday. ​He had foreseen the possibility of US casualties when he announced the start of Operation Epic Fury on Saturday morning. ​“The Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties — that often happens in war,” he said in the video announcement. ​Trump told the Post in the interview published on Monday that Operation Epic Fury is going “way ahead of schedule” and “is going to go pretty quickly”.

Americans’ initial reactions to President Trump ordering airstrikes against Iran over the weekend appear more negative than positive, according to a new snap poll from The Washington Post that was conducted via text message on Sunday, reports AP. About half of those polled opposed the strikes, while 39% were in support. Roughly 1 in 10 were unsure. Democrats and independents drove much of the disapproval, with nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and about 6 in 10 independents opposed to the military strikes. Republicans were much more supportive, with 81% backing the military action. About 1 in 10 Republicans were opposed, and a similar share were unsure. Respondents were about twice as likely to say the U.S. should stop the military strikes as that time, rather than continue them.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned on Monday that the United States "will no longer be safe", on the third day of joint US-Israeli attacks against the Islamic Republic, reports AFP. "The enemy should know that their happy days are over and they will no longer be safe anywhere in the world, not even in their own homes," the Guards' Quds force, which oversees its foreign operations, said in a statement carried by state TV.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday defended his decision not to join the US-Israel strikes on Iran over the weekend, saying his Labour Party government did not believe in “regime change from the skies”. Starmer was updating Parliament on his earlier announcement that the UK had granted permission for the Americans to use British bases for "limited defensive purpose” in West Asia. His statement to MPs in the House of Commons came after President Donald Trump said he was “very disappointed” that the UK PM took “far too long” to change his mind over the use of British bases. “This government does not believe in regime change from the skies,” Starmer told the Commons.

Iran accused Israel and the United States on Monday of having attacked its nuclear facility at Natanz, one of the main targets of the previous conflict between the three countries last June, reports AFP. "The criminal regimes of the United States and Israel, pursuing their aggression, again targeted the Natanz nuclear site on Sunday afternoon in two brutal attacks," Iran's atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami said in a letter to the UN's nuclear watchdog quoted by the IRNA news agency. The UN agency's head had said on Monday that there was "no indication" any nuclear installations had been hit.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the U.S. attack an “unjustifiable” and “dangerous” military intervention, reports AP. Defence Minister Margarita Robles said “no assistance of any kind, absolutely none,” had been provided from the Rota and Morón bases in southern Spain, which are shared with the U.S. but remain under Spanish command. “There is a deal with the U.S. over these bases, but our understanding of the deal is that operations have to comply with international legal frameworks and that there has to be international support for them,” Robles said. The US and Israel were acting “unilaterally without the support of an international resolution,” Robles said. Flight map data from FlightRadar24 showed that several U.S. military aircraft had left the bases in southern Spain since the weekend attack, including nine tankers that departed on Sunday from Morón for Germany.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone call on Monday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kremlin said, reports Associated Press. The two discussed “the escalation in the Middle East as a result of American-Israeli armed aggression” against Iran, and both “expressed serious concern over the real risks of the spreading of the conflict, which has already affected several Arab countries and is fraught with catastrophic consequences,” the Kremlin said in the readout of the call. Putin “emphasised the urgent need to resolve the current extremely dangerous situation through political and diplomatic means,” and Prince Mohammed “expressed the opinion that Russia could play a positive, stabilising role in these times, given its friendly relations with both Iran and the Persian Gulf countries,” the readout said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited the site of Beit Shemesh, where an Iranian missile attack killed nine people, said the ongoing US-Israeli campaign against Iran aims to both remove existential threats and allow the Iranian people to effect regime change. He said Israel launched a campaign to free itself from the attempt to renew existential threats against them. According to him, the attack created the conditions for the "brave Iranian" people to cast off the clutches of tyranny. Netanyahu spoke on the third day of the aerial assault. "This is the 3rd day of Operation Roaring Lion, the operation the Israeli army and the State of Israel set out, with our great friends in the United States and President @realdonaldtrump, to thwart existential threats to Israel, and great threats to America and the entire world."

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday that they had attacked an allegedly US-linked oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz as part of a wave of strikes retaliating against a US-Israeli assault, reports AFP. "The ATHE NOVA tanker, one of the American allies in the Strait of Hormuz, is still on fire after being hit by two drones," the Guards said in a statement. On Saturday, the Guards said they had closed the waterway, which is vital for oil and gas shipments, after the start of US and Israeli attacks.

President Donald Trump said on Monday that the US attack on Iran is meeting its goals ahead of schedule but also warned the war could go "far longer" than his initial estimates of about a month, reports AFP. "We're already substantially ahead of our time projections," Trump said at the White House, adding: "From the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that. We'll do it."

President Donald Trump said Monday that he took the decision to launch a war against Iran because it was the "last, best chance" to stop the country's alleged nuclear bomb program. "This was our last, best chance to strike, what we're doing right now, and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime," Trump said at the White House.

Loud explosions were heard in Beirut on Monday evening, as Lebanese state media reported strikes on the capital's southern suburbs after the Israeli military said it struck 70 Hezbollah targets.

AFP journalists heard loud blasts in the city. The state-run National News Agency said "enemy warplanes launched new raids on the southern suburbs".

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad's armed wing said on Monday that its commander in Lebanon was killed in Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.

In a statement, the Quds Brigades said Adham Adnan al-Othman, the head of the armed wing in Lebanon, was killed "as a result of the treacherous Zionist aggression that targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, at dawn on Monday".

The PIJ is an ally of both Hamas and Hezbollah.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended Monday his decision to keep Britain out of the US and Israel's initial strikes against Iran following criticism from President Donald Trump.

"President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain's national interest. That is what I have done, and I stand by it," Starmer told parliament.

The premier also said that British military bases in Cyprus "are not being used by US bombers", after he agreed to a US request to use UK bases for "specific and limited defensive purposes" in the war.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz left Berlin Monday for Washington, where he is set to become the first European leader to visit President Donald Trump since the United States and Israel started their attacks on Iran.

The previously scheduled White House meeting on Tuesday follows US-Israeli attacks on Iran on Saturday that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and set off a conflict in which Tehran has struck targets across the Middle East and beyond.

Qatar's air force shot down two aircraft inbound from Iran on Monday, Doha's defence ministry said in a statement after the Islamic republic earlier targeted gas facilities in the Gulf state.

"Qatar Emiri Air Force successfully shot down two (SU24) aircraft coming from the Islamic Republic of Iran. They also successfully intercepted seven ballistic missiles through air defenses, and intercepted five drones by Qatar Emiri Air Force and Qatar Emiri Navy Forces, which targeted several areas in the state today," the defence ministry said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to King Abdullah II, the King of Jordan. On an X post, Modi stated, "Conveyed our deep concern at the evolving situation in the region. We reaffirm our support for peace, security and the well-being of the people of Jordan. I thanked him for taking care of the Indian community in Jordan in this difficult hour."

The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that the situation in the Middle East region continues to be closely monitored to facilitate relief for passengers. Due to the ongoing situation, 357 flights planned for operation today were cancelled. "We at the Ministry of Civil Aviation are closely monitoring passenger grievances through the Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) and ensuring prompt redressal on priority. A total of 559 grievances have been addressed during this period through AirSewa, social media platforms, and dedicated helpline calls, in coordination with airlines and concerned stakeholders. Passengers are advised to check official airline channels for accurate updates regarding cancellations and rescheduling. For assistance, they may contact the Ministry’s PACR helpline numbers at 011-24604283 / 011-24632987," stated the Ministry in an X post.

US President Donald Trump on Monday told the New York Post he would not rule out sending ground troops into Iran if necessary.

"I don't have the yips with respect to boots on the ground, like every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground.' I don't say it," Trump told the Post in one of several brief interviews he has given since launching the Iran operation on Saturday.

"I say 'probably don't need them,' [or] 'if they were necessary,'" he said.

Iran's retaliatory strikes have so far targeted 500 sites linked to the United States and Israel in the Middle East, the Revolutionary Guards said on the third day of fighting, Monday.

"Since the start of the conflict, the brave soldiers of the Iranian armed forces have attacked 60 strategic targets and 500 American military targets and targets of the Zionist regime (Israel)," the Guards said in a statement. It added that they had launched more than 700 drones and hundreds of missiles.

US forces have achieved air superiority over Iran, top US military officer General Dan Caine said on Monday.

Strikes by American forces "resulted in the establishment of local air superiority. This air superiority will not only enhance the protection of our forces, but also allow them to continue the work over Iran," Caine told a news conference.

Israel's military chief Eyal Zamir on Monday warned that his country would strike "all terrorist leaders and factions" across the Middle East, vowing to deal a severe blow to Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

"We will end this campaign with not just Iran being struck but with Hezbollah suffering a devastating blow," Zamir was quoted as saying in a military statement.

"Our message is clear and resonates throughout the Middle East: We will strike all terrorist leaders and factions who rise to harm us. We have proven this and will continue to prove it," he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned Monday that a widening war between the United States, Israel, and Iran risks spilling over to Europe's borders, as he unveiled a new strategy for France's nuclear deterrence.

The conflict, which began on Saturday, "brings and will continue to bring instability and a possible conflagration to our borders, with Iran's nuclear and ballistic capabilities still intact", he said.

He also said France would increase the number of its nuclear warheads as he laid out how the European Union's only atomic arsenal could protect the continent, adding that European allies can 'participate' in nuclear deterrence exercises.

"An upgrade of our arsenal is essential," he said from France's Ile Longue nuclear submarine base. "That's why I ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads in our arsenal."

Macron added, however, that France, which holds the world's fourth-largest nuclear arsenal, estimated at around 290 warheads, would no longer be disclosing details on its contents.

He also stated that eight European countries had agreed to participate in an "advanced" nuclear deterrence scheme proposed by France, including Germany, Britain and Poland.

The countries, also including the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark, will be able to host French "strategic air forces", which will thus be able to "spread out across the European continent" to "complicate the calculations of our adversaries," he said.

The scheme could also involve "the conventional participation of allied forces in our nuclear activities," such as recent military exercises in which British forces have been involved, Macron added.

Several strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday after Israeli evacuation warnings, as seen on AFPTV's live broadcast, as Israel attacked the country following Hezbollah's dawn missile launches.

Plumes of smoke were rising from the targeted area as state media reported four Israeli strikes on the suburbs.

Iranian media said Mansoureh Khojasteh, wife of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died on Monday. She had been in a coma since Saturday’s strikes on her husband’s office.

Khojasteh, 78, was the only wife of Ali Khamenei. They married in 1964.

Separately, an Iranian human rights activist group cited an education ministry spokesperson as saying that 171 students were killed across Iran in the past 48 hours.

According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, the ministry spokesperson said the deadliest strike hit the Shajareh Tayebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab, where 168 students died, and 95 were injured. Additional casualties included two students in Tehran and a 9‑year‑old child in Abyek, Qazvin, while three others were injured in separate incidents in two districts of Tehran.

PM Modi had telephonic conversations with the Crown Prince and PM of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the King of Bahrain, Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa. Modi condemned the attacks in the Middle East and also thanked the two heads of state for their support for the Indian community in the respective countries.

Airlines called on Monday for civilian flights to not be targeted during the conflict in the Middle East after airports were struck.

"It is critical that states respect their obligation to keep civilians, and civil aviation, free from harm," said Willie Walsh, head of the International Air Transport Association.

"We all hope for an early peaceful resolution to the current hostilities," added Walsh, whose association unites more than 360 airlines that account for 85 per cent of commercial passenger traffic.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that the war against Iran is not an effort to build democracy in the Islamic Republic.

"No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise. No politically correct wars. We fight to win, and we don't waste time or lives," Hegseth told a news conference.

Iran's security chief on Monday said the Islamic Republic would defend itself no matter the costs, on the third day of war with the United States and Israel.

"We will fiercely defend ourselves and our six thousand years old civilization regardless of the costs and will make the enemies sorry for their miscalculation," Ali Larijani, the powerful head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, wrote in English in an X post.

China's foreign minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart on a call Monday that Beijing supports Tehran defending itself against US-Israeli strikes, as the situation in the Middle East escalated.

Wang told Abbas Araghchi that Beijing "cherishes the traditional friendship between China and Iran, supports Iran in defending its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity, and national dignity, and supports Iran in protecting its legitimate rights and interests", state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Amidst the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and passengers stranded in airports, 8 passenger flights have been able to take off from Abu Dhabi airport at 14:00 local time. Of these, two Etihad flights - EY216 and EY204 have taken off from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi and Mumbai respectively.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Monday to the United Arab Emirates president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to discuss “the unprecedented tragic events in the Middle East in the context of the American-Israeli aggression against Iran and Tehran’s harsh retaliatory actions,” the Kremlin said.

Putin noted that Russia had sought to help facilitate a settlement of the situation regarding the Iranian nuclear program, but those efforts were “thwarted by an unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign U.N. member state, in violation of the fundamental principles of international law.”

Al Nahyan described the Iranian strikes on the Emirates as completely unjustified, noting that the country’s territory wasn’t used for launching attacks on Iran. Putin expressed his readiness to convey these signals to Tehran and to provide all possible assistance to stabilize the overall situation in the region, the Kremlin said.

Saudi Arabia's military has raised its readiness levels following multiple attacks by Iran targeting its territory, a source close to the army told AFP on Monday.

"The Saudi army has raised its readiness to full alert," the source told AFP.

Iran fired a new salvo of missiles at Israel on Monday, state television said, in response to US-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"The 11th wave of Operation Honest Promise 4 is underway with missile and drone strikes on targets in Beersheva," Iranian state TV said at about 3:30 pm local time (1200 GMT), citing a statement from the Revolutionary Guards.

The US military on Monday announced that a fourth American service member had been killed in the war in Iran.

"As of 7:30 am ET (1130 GMT), March 2, four U.S. service members have been killed in action. The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran's initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries," US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X.

The Israeli military warned residents in the south Beirut suburb of Burj al-Barajneh to stay away from several buildings on Monday ahead of an imminent strike.

"You are located near facilities and assets belonging to Hezbollah, where the (Israeli military) will act against them forcefully in the near term," the army's Arabic-language spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya, said on X.

"For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate this building and those adjacent to it immediately and stay away from them by a distance of at least 300 metres," said the post, which included a map of the targeted building.

Two drones headed towards a British base in Cyprus were intercepted on Monday, a Cyprus government spokesman said.

"Two unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) heading toward the British Bases in Akrotiri were dealt with in a timely manner," spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis posted on X.

Following this, Greece is sending two frigates and two F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus, where an Iranian drone hit the runway of a UK air force base earlier Monday, the Greek defence ministry announced.

"The frigate Kimon is being immediately dispatched to the Republic of Cyprus, accompanied by a second frigate ... and a pair of F-16 fighter jets," the ministry said in a statement, adding that Greece would assist Cyprus in "countering threats and illegal actions on its territory".

Defence Minister Nikos Dendias also indicated that he will travel to Cyprus on Tuesday.

Qatar's state-run energy firm said on Monday it had halted liquefied natural gas production following Iranian attacks on facilities at two of its main gas processing bases.

"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," the company said in a statement.

European gas prices extended gains on Monday after QatarEnergy halted liquefied natural gas production following Iranian attacks on facilities at two of its main gas processing bases.

The Dutch TTF natural gas contract, considered the European benchmark, jumped almost 45 per cent to more than 46 euros.

Gas prices earlier gained more than 20 per cent on fears that the Iran war would cut supplies in the Gulf region.

The Lebanese government has imposed an "immediate ban" on Hezbollah's military and security activities and called on the group to hand over its weapons to the state, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced Monday.

Salam announced "the immediate ban of all Hezbollah security and military activities and considering them illegal", and demanded that the party surrender its weapons.

This decision comes after Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, provoking retaliatory Israeli strikes.

President Donald Trump told the UK’s Daily Telegraph he was "very disappointed" with Prime Minister Keir Starmer's initial refusal to let Washington use British military bases in its war against Iran.

Trump told The Daily in an exclusive interview that Starmer’s initial refusal over the use of the Indian Ocean Chagos Islands base was unlike anything that had "happened between our countries before", adding: "It took far too much time. Far too much time."

Starmer later relented, saying he had agreed to British bases being used for "specific and limited defensive purpose".

A British sovereign base in Cyprus was being evacuated on Monday after sirens sounded, an AFP correspondent said.

About 70 cars were seen leaving the Akrotiri base area on the southern coast of the Mediterranean island, the correspondent said, adding that most of them bore civilian license plates.

An airport in western Cyprus and the area around a British base were evacuated Monday, the Cypriot interior ministry said, following drone threats in the Mediterranean island.

"Following information received from the National Guard, instructions were issued for the evacuation of the Akrotiri Municipal District and Paphos Airport," the ministry said on X.

It came after two drones headed towards the Akrotiri base were intercepted earlier Monday.

In addition to British and other military personnel, the base also houses civilians working there.

An Indian was killed in the ongoing US-Iran war after a bomb-carrying drone boat exploded against a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Monday.

The state-run Oman News Agency said the attack occurred in the Gulf of Oman off Muscat, the sultanate’s capital. It identified the vessel as the MKD VYOM. It said the dead crew member was from India. Iran has been threatening vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

This is the first Indian casualty in the war, which has thrown the entire Middle East into disarray. There are hundreds of thousands of Indians working in the Middle East, with the Indian government saying it is coordinating with the countries for their safety.

The US military said Monday that Kuwait “mistakenly shot down” three American F-15E Strike Eagles during a combat mission as Iran attacked the country.

The US military’s Central Command said the combat included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones — the first time Iran’s ageing combat fleet has been engaged in the war.

“The US Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” it said. “All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.”

Wikipedia has compiled a list of 14 Iranian leaders and military officials who have been killed in the initial US-Israeli strikes in Iran on Saturday (Feb. 28, 2026). Updated on Monday, the list includes, apart from the Iranian Supreme Leader, most top security and military officials.

1. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran.
2. Ali Shamkhani, former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
3. Mohammad Pakpour, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
4. Aziz Naserzadeh, Minister of Defense.
5. Mohammad Shirazi Head of the Military Office of the Supreme Leader.
6. Hossein Jabal Amelian Chairman of the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND).
7. Reza Mozaffari Nia Former Chairman of the SPND.
8. Abdolrahim Mousavi Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.
9. Majid Mousavi Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force.
10. Gholamreza Rezaian Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Police Intelligence Organization.
11. Mohammad Baseri Senior Intelligence Ministry official.
12. Mohsen Darrebaghi Deputy for Logistics and Support, General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
13. Bahram Hosseini Motlagh Head of Operations Planning, General Staff of the Armed Forces.
14. Salah Asadi Head of Intelligence Directorate, Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters.

Iranian missiles targeting an air base near the Saudi capital of Riyadh were intercepted on Monday, a Gulf source briefed on the matter told AFP, as Iran fired wide-ranging barrages across the region.

"Iranian missiles targeting Prince Sultan Air Base were intercepted again on Monday morning," said the source. Two witnesses also said they heard explosions over the city of Kharj, southeast of Riyadh, on Monday.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday their missile attacks have targeted the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the headquarters of the Israeli air force commander.

"The office of the criminal prime minister of the Zionist regime and the headquarters of the regime's air force commander were targeted," the Guards said in a statement carried by Fars news agency, reported AFP. It said Kheibar missiles were used in the attack.

Russia remains "in constant contact with the Iranian leadership" while also keeping up communication with the Persian Gulf states, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

Peskov said Moscow was deeply disappointed to see the US and Israel attack Iran despite the progress made in the US-Iranian talks. He said Russia will continue to take part in the US-mediated talks on Ukraine and praised Washington’s efforts to help negotiate an end to the conflict.

Iran's Fars News on Monday released footage showcasing the country's massive drone and UAV arsenal as it continues to retaliate to US-Israel attack that killed its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei two days ago.

Fars News reported that these UAVs and drones were used to hit US bases in the region, though it is unclear whether the arsenal was actually used in retaliation for the joint US-Israeli strikes. The video shows a long line-up of the UAVs in a massive tunnel with pictures of Iran's religious leaders.

Read More: Iran Releases Footage Of Its Attack Drone Arsenal

Iran’s ambassador to the UN's nuclear watchdog alleged on Monday that US-Israeli airstrikes targeted Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment site, Associated Press reported on Monday.

Israel and the US have not acknowledged strikes at the site, which the United States bombed during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June last year. Iran's Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Reza Najafi, told journalists he condemned what he called the “unlawful, criminal and brutal” attacks by the US and Israel against Iran.

“Again they attacked Iran’s peaceful safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday,” he said. “Their justification that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons is simply a big lie.”

Israel’s military has launched an offensive campaign in Lebanon that could include “many prolonged days of combat ahead,” Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the military chief of staff, said on Monday morning, Associated Press reported.

Hezbollah launched several rockets and drones towards Israel overnight, and Israel responded by striking dozens of targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon, he said.

“Hezbollah will pay a very heavy price for this,” Israel’s military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said. He added that Israel is keeping “all options on the table” for a possible ground operation in Lebanon.

Israel has called up more than 100,000 reservists since the war with Iran began on Saturday. Israel also recommended that residents of 53 villages in southern Lebanon evacuate, causing massive traffic jams.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has “no indication that any of the nuclear installations, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor or other nuclear fuel cycle facilities” in Iran have been damaged or hit, the UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Monday, according to Associated Press.

Addressing a special session of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna, he said that the IAEA continues to try and contact the Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities via the IAEA’s own Incident and Emergency Center “with no response so far,” given the limitations in communications caused by the conflict.

Grossi urged military restraint, warning that Iran and many other countries in the region that have been targeted militarily have “operational nuclear power plants and nuclear research reactors, as well as associated fuel storage sites,” which increases the threat to nuclear safety. So far, he said, “no elevation of radiation levels above the usual background levels has been detected in countries bordering Iran.”

A total of 555 people have been killed across Iran in US and Israeli strikes that began two days ago, the Iranian Red Crescent said Monday.

"Following the Zionist-American terrorist attacks carried out in various regions of our country, 131 cities have been affected to date and, regrettably, 555 of our compatriots have been killed," the humanitarian group said in a post on Telegram, according to AFP.

Saudi Aramco has shut down operations at its Ras Tanura refinery, one of the Middle East’s largest oil hubs, after it came under attack on Monday from drones, the kingdom’s defense ministry said, with authorities downing the incoming aircraft.

A Saudi military spokesman made the announcement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Online videos from the site appeared to show thick black smoke rising after the attack. Even successfully intercepted drones cause debris that can spark fires and injure those on the ground. Ras Tanura, near Dammam, has a capacity over half a million barrels of crude oil a day.

Amid the ongoing war between Iran and US-Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called for maintaining peace and stability as he said India's position on "ongoing tensions in the world is clear".

"We have always called for maintaining peace and stability, and when two democracies stand together, the voice for peace becomes even stronger. The current situation in West Asia is a matter of deep concern for us. India supports the resolution of all disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. We will continue to work closely with all countries to ensure the safety of all Indian citizens in the region," the PM said in a joint press statement with visiting Canadian PM Mark Carney.

Kuwait's Defense Ministry said on Monday that 'several' US warplanes have crashed in the country, as Iran pressed on with a third day of strikes in the Gulf. The spokesperson for the Ministry said that several US military aircraft crashed this morning, confirming that all the crew were safe.

The spokesperson said that the relevant authorities immediately initiated search and rescue procedures, whereby the crews were evacuated and transferred to the hospital to check on their health status and provide the necessary medical care, noting that their condition is stable.

"Direct coordination was conducted with the friendly US forces regarding the circumstances of the incident, and joint technical measures were taken. The concerned authorities are following up on the investigations to determine the causes of the incident, calling for information to be obtained from its official sources," the spokesperson said.

Iran and Iranian-backed militias fired missiles at Israel and Arab states, apparently hitting the US Embassy compound in Kuwait, while Israel and the United States pounded targets in Iran as the war expanded on Monday with statements of defiance and increasing casualties.

Strikes were reported across Iran on Monday, with one apparently taking Iranian state television off air. Quoting witnesses, Associated Press reported that an attack in northern Tehran’s Niavaran neighbourhood struck one of the transmitters used for Iranian state TV.

Iran's state media has said that hospitals and residential areas had been hit in strikes by the Americans and Israelis, while not offering any details on its material losses so far.

Meanwhile, fire and smoke rose from inside the embassy compound in Kuwait City and an alarm wailed after the Iranian attack, which came not long after the US issued a warning to Americans there to take cover and for others to stay away.

The United States had earlier issued an urgent warning to Americans there to take cover and remain indoors. It said: “Do not come to the Embassy,” without elaborating.

The situation in the Middle East remains tense as more explosions have been reported from several countries, as the war between Iran and the US-Israel has engulfed the entire region.

As per the latest updates from AFP, blasts were heard in Jerusalem after the Israeli military said it had "identified missiles launched from Iran", triggering air raid sirens. Several loud blasts were also heard across Doha, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City.

The Lebanese health ministry said on Monday that Israeli strikes on the country have killed at least 31 people and wounded 149 even as Israel's military threatened to intensify its attacks following Hezbollah rocket fire.

"Israeli enemy raids" on Beirut's southern suburbs and southern Lebanon have resulted, in an initial count, in the "killing of 31 citizens and the wounding of 149 citizens", AFP reported, quoting a statement from the ministry.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked all states and UTs to monitor and identify pro-Iran radical preachers giving inflammatory speeches following the death of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sources said on Monday.

Khamenei was killed in a joint attack by Israel and the US on Saturday. Sources said the ministry believes such speeches "could incite unrest or communal tensions".

A high alert has also been sounded across Delhi, especially in areas surrounding embassies, including the US, Israel, and Iran, in view of Iran war and its impact in the Middle East.

On Sunday, violent clashes between protesters and security forces in Pakistan’s Karachi and in the country’s north left at least 22 people dead and more than 120 others injured as demonstrators supportive of the Iranian government attempted to storm a US Consulate, Associated Press reported.

As Israel said it was striking Hezbollah targets 'across Lebanon', Lebanese President Joseph Aoun rued that rocket attacks by Hezbollah on Israel on Monday hurt his government's efforts to spare Lebanon from regional war.

"The launching of missiles from Lebanese territory this morning targets all the efforts and endeavours made by the Lebanese state to keep Lebanon away from the dangerous military confrontations taking place in the region," Aoun said in a statement, according to AFP.

Iran-backed Hezbollah had earlier claimed rocket and drone attacks on Israel in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Following it, the Israeli military said it launched a wave of strikes against Hezbollah.

Iran "will not negotiate with the United States", Ali Larijani, the powerful head of Tehran's Supreme National Security Council said on Monday.

In a post on X, Larijani denied media reports that Iranian officials had sought to initiate talks with the Trump administration following a wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, which came after Tehran and Washington held nuclear negotiations.

In a separate post, Larijani said US President Donald Trump had plunged the region into chaos with his "delusional fantasies" and now fears more American troop casualties, which Trump said in his speech earlier on Sunday evening.

"With his delusional actions, he turned his self-made "America First" slogan into "Israel First" and sacrificed American soldiers for Israel's power-hungry ambitions..." he said, adding, "Today, the Iranian nation is defending itself. The armed forces of Iran did not initiate the aggression."

One person was killed by shrapnel from an intercepted Iranian missile in Bahrain, its government said on Monday. The killed person was a foreign worker at Salman Industrial City, working on a boat there, Associated Press reported. This marks Bahrain's first reported fatality in the war. Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, said it intercepted 61 missiles and 34 attack drones launched against it. Some fire has gotten through, striking buildings and the naval base.

The US and Israeli attacks on Iran have sent a chill through world markets, with US futures falling more than 1%, while benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty crashing in early trade on Monday, tracking a sharp spike in crude oil prices.

The 30-share BSE Sensex tanked 2,743.46 points or 3.37 per cent to 78,543.73 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty tumbled 533.55 points or 2.11 per cent to 24,645.10. The indices recovered a bit shortly but were still in red with Nifty down over 250 points or 1.02 per cent and Sensex down 868 points or 1.07 per cent by 10 am.

Shares opened sharply lower in Tokyo as well and oil prices soared. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index lost 2.3% shortly after the open and shares also fell in Australia. Traders were betting the supply of oil from Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East would slow or grind to a halt.

Attacks throughout the region, including on two vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, disrupt the region’s ability to export oil. Prolonged attacks would likely result in higher prices for crude oil and gasoline.

In early trade in Asia, Brent Crude rocketed to just over $80 per barrel compared to the closing price of $72.87 on Friday, before easing slightly to below $79. Gold, a safe haven investment, rose two percent.

US President Donald Trump, in a video posted on his Truth Social account late Sunday (Indian time), said more American military personnel are likely to be killed in the ongoing war that his country and Israel started by attacking Iran on Saturday.

Calling the attacks on Tehran "combat operations", he said they will continue "in full force until all of our objectives are achieved".

"As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives. We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen. And sadly, there will likely be more. Before it ends, that's the way it is. Likely be more, but we'll do everything possible where that won't be the case. But America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against, basically, civilization," Trump said.

US President Donald Trump says he has a shortlist of three names to lead Iran after he launched a war in Tehran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei along with several of Iran's military commanders. Trump told The New York Times that he had "three very good choices" for who could lead Iran, but he did not name them. "I won’t be revealing them now. Let’s get the job done first," he said.

The Israeli military said it launched a wave of strikes against Hezbollah "across Lebanon" on Monday, after rocket fire claimed by Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. A military statement said that "in response to Hezbollah's projectile fire toward the State of Israel", Israeli forces had "begun striking targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation across Lebanon".

Earlier, Hezbollah said that it launched rockets and drones at Israel overnight in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a statement, the group said it launched "a barrage of missiles and a swarm of drones" at Israel "in retaliation for the pure blood of... Ayatollah Imam Sayyid Ali Al-Husseini Khamenei... and in defence of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the repeated Israeli attacks". (AFP)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday night chaired a crucial meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review the evolving situation in West Asia. The Committee was briefed on the air strikes in Iran on 28 February and the subsequent escalation, including attacks in several Gulf countries. It expressed serious concern over the safety and security of the large Indian expatriate community in the region.

The CCS also reviewed the difficulties faced by Indian travellers transiting the region and students appearing for scheduled examinations, as well as the broader implications for regional security and economic and commercial activities.

During the meeting, the Committee directed all concerned departments to take necessary and feasible measures to assist Indian nationals affected by the developments. It also underscored the importance of an early cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy.

Read More | 'Safety Of Civilians Top Priority': PM Modi Dials Netanyahu, Seeks Early Cessation Of Hostilities

US President Donald Trump called the sweeping American military assault on Iran "one of the largest, most complex, most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever seen," declaring that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead and vowing that combat operations will continue "until all of our objectives are achieved". In an address to the nation posted on Truth Social, Trump described "Operation Epic Fury" as unprecedented in scale. "Nobody's seen anything like it. We have hit hundreds of targets in Iran, including Revolutionary Guard facilities, Iranian air defense systems," he said.

"We are undertaking this massive operation not merely to ensure security for us, but for our children as well. These actions are necessary to ensure Americans never have to face a radical bloodthirsty terrorist regime armed with nuclear weapons and threats," he added.

The United States and its Arab allies including Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have condemned Iran after it launched a wave of strikes on Gulf states hosting US troops in response to a US-Israeli attack. "The targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilizing behavior," the US State Department said in a joint statement with Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi and the UAE.

"These unjustified strikes targeted sovereign territory, endangered civilian populations, and damaged civilian infrastructure. The Islamic Republic’s actions represent a dangerous escalation that violates the sovereignty of multiple states and threatens regional stability," it said.

"We stand united in defense of our citizens, sovereignty, and territory, and reaffirm our right to self-defense in the face of these attacks. We remain committed to regional security and commend the effective air and missile defense cooperation that has prevented far greater loss of life and destruction," the statement added.

Strongly condemning Iranian missile attacks targeting both the United Arab Emirates and the "sisterly" Sultanate of Oman, the UAE termed it a "dangerous escalation" and announced the immediate closure of its embassy in Tehran along with the withdrawal of its ambassador and diplomatic staff. In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Iranian attacks represented a "blatant violation of state sovereignty" and posed a direct threat to regional security and stability. The Ministry said that broadening the scope of the attacks to include "sisterly and friendly nations" was unacceptable.

"Expanding the scope of these attacks to include sisterly and friendly nations is unacceptable and condemned by all legal and political standards, and constitutes an unacceptable escalation that undermines de-escalation efforts and exacerbates regional tensions," it said.

Two days after the start of a US-Israeli campaign against Iran, the Israeli military on Monday said it launched "large-scale strikes" on Tehran. The military said in a statement, "The Israeli Air Force... has begun an additional wave of strikes against the Iranian terror regime at the heart of Tehran."