US-Israel-Iran War | Iran Says It Has 'Necessary Will' To End War, But Seeking Guarantees For Lasting Peace

Trump predicted the U.S. will be done with the conflict “within maybe two weeks, maybe a couple of days longer to do the job. But we want to knock out every single thing they have.”

Despite repeatedly listing four or five objectives for the war, Trump said he “had one goal: They will have no nuclear weapon and that goal has been attained.” He did not explain how he felt that goal had been reached.

He said the U.S. may strike a deal with Iran before the next few weeks are up but said, if not, “We’ll hit some bridges, got a couple of nice bridges in mind. But if they come to the table, that’ll be good.”(AP)

The U.S. State Department’s consular affairs branch said that it was “tracking reports” that hotels and other gathering points, such as U.S. business and educational institutions, could be targeted.

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh also told U.S. government employees to shelter in place. Iran has repeatedly threatened educational and business places connected to Americans in the region during the war. (AP)

While welcoming Pakistan’s desire to help mediate in the Iran conflict, U.S. officials have nonetheless soured on the idea of using third-party mediators to do anything more than initiate talks, according to AP.

These officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the diplomatic effort, said the experience with Oman as mediator before the war had clearly not worked and that direct negotiations, if they can be started, are far more efficient.

The officials also expressed doubts about Islamabad being chosen as a venue for any upcoming negotiations, mainly because of security risks. Travelling there would mean flying over one of two war zones — Russia-Ukraine or the various Middle East conflicts — or taking a very long route over Asia.

A U.N. diplomat familiar with the talks, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations, acknowledged the risk given Pakistan’s proximity to Iran, but added that given that the South Asian country is one of few in the region with no U.S. airbases, it’s a safer bet.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed “serious concern” about the ongoing war to his Emirati counterpart, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during their phone conversation on Tuesday.

The Kremlin readout of the call said they emphasised: “the importance of a swift cessation of hostilities and intensification of political and diplomatic efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict, while respecting the legitimate interests of all states in the region, with which Russia traditionally maintains friendly and mutually beneficial relations.”(AP)

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has threatened to attack U.S. companies, including some of the biggest tech giants after accusing them of being involved in “terrorist espionage” operations in Iran.

A statement carried by Iranian state media listed 18 companies whose offices in the Middle East region they claimed would be legitimate targets for Iran starting Wednesday. Those include Apple, Microsoft, Google and others.

The Guard has launched missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf Arab countries since the United States and Israel began bombing Iran on Feb. 28. Earlier this month, Iranian drone strikes caused damage to three Amazon Web Services facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. (AP)

Netanyahu says Israel has scored major achievements in weakening the Iranian regime and its military capabilities. He said Israeli forces are systematically crushing the Iranian regime even if it still has weapons launch capabilities. The Israeli prime minister adds that Israel hopes to soon be able to speak about new alliances in the region.(AP)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday his country had the "necessary will" to end the ongoing war with Israel and the United States, but was seeking guarantees that the conflict would not be repeated.

"We possess the necessary will to end this conflict, provided that essential conditions are met -- especially the guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression," Pezeshkian said in a phone conversation with the president of the European Council, according to a statement from his office, reiterating a key demand of Tehran's. "The solution to normalising the situation is the cessation of their (US-Israel) aggressive attacks," Pezeshkian said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel would press ahead with its military campaign against Tehran, declaring that it would continue to "crush Iran's terror regime", reports AFP.

"The campaign is not over," he said in a televised statement. "We will continue to crush the terror regime." Netanyahu's comments came shortly after Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had the "necessary will" to end the war with Israel and the United States, but was seeking guarantees that the conflict would not be repeated.

Mohammadi’s legal team, accompanied by one family member, visited her in Zanjan Prison on March 29, according to a statement from the Free Narges Coalition campaign, according to AP.

“Her general health was extremely poor, and she appeared pale and weak with significant weight loss,” it said in a statement, then cited her fellow inmates as saying she was found unconscious in her bed with her eyes rolled back on March 24.

“Despite this medical emergency and evident indications of a heart attack, authorities refused to transfer Mohammadi to a hospital or allow her to visit a specialist,” the statement said. Mohammadi has a heart condition and suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned before undergoing emergency surgery in 2022, her supporters say.

In an update on Tuesday evening, the Israeli military said soldiers from the Nahal reconnaissance unit engaged in close combat after militants opened fire on them overnight in southern Lebanon. With support from aircraft and tanks, the militants were killed, according to the statement.

The IDF first announced the four soldiers’ deaths at around 6:22 am local time. Additionally, one soldier was severely wounded and another moderately injured. (AP)

Two Iraqi security officials said the kidnapped journalist was a woman with US citizenship and that two cars were involved in the kidnapping, one of which crashed and was apprehended, while the car carrying the journalist fled the scene. (AP)

France’s UN Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont told an emergency Security Council meeting that members must take action and not merely settle for condemning Israel’s “grave” threats and attacks on peacekeepers, including French forces.

“It must act so that these kinds of acts do not happen again,” he said, calling on Israel to provide immediate guarantees that deconfliction procedures exist and will be respected.

Bonnafont, who requested the meeting after three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed, also urged Israel and Hezbollah to respect the safety of U.N. forces, warning that those who do not “should be accountable before this council and the entire international community.”

He added that “Hezbollah must stop taking the Lebanese people hostage” in a war he said is driven by Iran, and said France is working toward a diplomatic solution. (AP)

Iran’s missiles continue to penetrate Israeli airspace and kill civilians. Its cheap drones slip through its neighbours’ air defences, shattering Gulf Arab nations’ carefully curated images of invincibility and wounding U.S. troops. Its threats to attack oil and gas tankers strangle the Strait of Hormuz, sending energy prices soaring.

To maintain its leverage, Iran just needs to withstand the conflict long enough to pressure Washington to seek an off-ramp, experts say.

“Their strategy is to try to cause sustained pain and to drive up the costs of the war for the U.S.,” said Kelly Grieco, an expert in U.S. military strategy and operations who is a senior fellow at the Washington-based Stimson Centre think tank. Iran is launching fewer missiles than at the start of the war, but is deploying more low-flying drones that are harder to intercept. (AP)

The ministry did not identify the journalist or give further details on their nationality. In a statement on Tuesday, it said that security forces had launched an operation to track down the kidnappers, “acting on precise intelligence and through intensive field operations” after intercepting a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers that overturned as they tried to flee.

One suspect was arrested, and one of the vehicles used in the kidnapping was seized, but others remain on the loose, the statement said. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad declined to comment. It was not immediately clear if the kidnapping was related to the Iran war.

Iran-backed militias in Iraq have launched regular attacks on U.S. facilities in the country since the beginning of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.(AP)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday spoke with his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel as the two leaders exchanged views on the West Asia conflict, besides discussing ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation.

Jaishankar shared the update in a post on X.

"A good conversation this evening with Portuguese Foreign Minister @PauloRangel_pt. Exchanged views on the West Asia conflict. Also spoke about further strengthening bilateral cooperation, (SIC)" he said.

British Defence Secretary John Healey said Tuesday that the U.S. remains a key ally despite criticism from his American counterpart, Pete Hegseth, that the U.K. had not deployed its navy to the Middle East.

“The U.S. is a uniquely close ally to the U.K.,” Healey said in Qatar. “We do things as two nations that no other militaries or intelligence services do. And my job as defence secretary is to make sure that we can, in this Middle Eastern conflict, defend Britain and British people, and we are; and British bases, and we are; and British allies and partners, and we are.”

Hegseth sniped at the U.K. for not sending warships to the region, saying at a Washington news conference that “last time I checked there was supposed to be a big, bad Royal Navy that could be prepared to do things like that as well.”

Healey announced that the U.K. is sending more missiles and air defence systems to Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and extending the use of its Typhoon fighter jets in Qatar.

In a social media post, WHO’s director general said the windows in its offices in Iran’s capital were shattered after strikes in the last two days, but that no one was injured.

“Strikes impacting the operations and damaging the premises of WHO and other @UN agencies, the locations of which have been clearly identified, cannot be tolerated and must be avoided at all costs,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. (AP)

OSINT platforms shared visuals of the USA launching MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) towards Iran, from Kuwait.

The Israeli Ministry of Defence has suspended all defence procurement from France and terminated existing contracts. This decision follows Paris's refusal to allow U.S. aircraft carrying military supplies for Israel to transit French airspace, reported Israeli media.

IRGC spokesperson said to the US-Israeli coalition that as they targeted Iranian leaders' residences and families, IRGC will also target the private residences of leaders in the region.

Iran's state broadcaster IRIB reports that a recent CENTCOM-released image, supposedly showing US military activity, was geolocated to the eastern part of Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve. This comes after Saudi Arabia publicly announced it would not allow the US to use its airspace for strikes against Iran, raising questions about the accuracy of Riyadh's statement. The post highlights the apparent discrepancy based on the photo's location.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office has expressed surprise at US President Donald Trump’s criticism of France, stressing the country’s position on US military overflights had not changed.

“France has not changed its position since day one,” the presidency said, according to Al Jazeera.

“We are surprised by this tweet,” it said, referring to Trump’s social media post in which he accused France of being “very unhelpful” in the US-Israeli war on Iran and not allowing planes carrying military supplies to “fly over French territory”.

Shipping traffic data showed that there's an increase in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by OSINT platforms on X. Iran has begun selectively allowing ships from countries with which it has agreements to pass through its territory.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Iran was attacked twice during negotiations, arguing this shows the United States does not believe in diplomacy, as reported by Al Jazeera Arabic.

In remarks made by the Iranian presidency, Pezeshkian also said tensions in the Strait of Hormuz were the result of what he described as American-Zionist hostile actions against Iran.

He also criticised what he called biased European positions towards Iran during a call with the president of the European Council.

"We targeted the communications and industrial centers of Siemens, Telecom, and AT&T, which are affiliated with the Zionist entity's army, in Haifa," said the Iranian military, as reported by Tasnim News Agency. It also shared visuals of drones being launched.

"Moscow is ready to facilitate a political settlement to the ongoing conflict while taking into account Iran's legitimate interests," stated the Russian Ambassador to Tehran, as reported by Iran's Tasnim News Agency.

Hezbollah says its fighters have carried out a series of attacks targeting Israeli forces and positions along the border today.

In a series of statements, the group said it targeted Israeli soldiers and vehicles near the town of Ainata with artillery shells about 11 am (08:00 GMT), followed by a rocket barrage at the same location in the afternoon.

It also reported launching rocket attacks at Israeli troops in Avivim in northern Israel, according to Al Jazeera.

Ten European countries, including France and the United Kingdom, urged all sides on Tuesday to ensure the safety of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon after three peacekeepers were killed in recent days.

"We urge all parties, under all circumstances, to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises, in accordance with international law," the foreign ministers of Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom, as well as the European Union's top diplomat, said in a joint statement. (AFP)

According to an X post by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), it attacked Tehran's air defence infrastructure, and completed more than 230 strikes in the past 24 hours. IDF shared visuals of a precision strike on an X post.

An Israeli strike hit an apartment in Christian-majority Mansourieh, north of Beirut, on Tuesday, state media reported, in the first attack on the area since the outbreak of the Israel-Hezbollah war.

"An enemy air raid targeted a ground-floor apartment in a building in Mansourieh," Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said. The strike came without warning.

Residents of the area heard an explosion and saw black smoke rise from the area, which contains many factories and furnished rental apartments. (AFP)

The Health Ministry in Beirut said Tuesday that 21 people were killed and 70 were wounded over the past 24 hours.

The ministry says 1,268 have been killed and 3,750 wounded since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2.

The dead include 125 children and 88 women, the ministry says.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday that they would target leading US technology firms like Apple, Google and Meta if more Iranian leaders were killed in "targeted assassinations".

"These companies, starting from 8:00 pm (1630 GMT) Tehran time on Wednesday, April 1, should expect the destruction of their relevant units in exchange for every assassination in Iran," the Guards said in a statement listing the names of 18 companies it alleged were complicit in the "targeted assassination" of officials.

"We advise the employees of these institutions to immediately leave their workplaces to preserve their lives," it added. (AFP)

China and Pakistan jointly released an initiative which proposes the immediate cessation of hostilities, the start of peace talks as soon as possible, the security of non-military targets, the security of shipping lanes, and the primacy of the United Nations Charter. The statement was jointly issued by the Chinese and Pakistani foreign ministers in Beijing.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday issued a warning against Israel “unashamedly” bombing pharmaceutical companies as part of the Iranian infrastructure the U.S. and Israel have been targeting since the war began.

“Their intentions are clear. What they’ve gotten wrong is that they’re not dealing with defenceless Palestinian civilians. Our Powerful Armed Forces will severely punish aggressors,” he wrote on X.

“At some point, I will, not quite yet, but countries have to come in and take care of it,” he told CBS News in a telephone interview Tuesday. “Iran has been decimated, but they’re going to have to come in and do their own work.”

The conversation followed Trump’s social media post in which he lashed out at allies over their unwillingness to help the U.S. reopen the critical passageway. He said Iran has been “decimated” and no longer poses a “real threat.”

“Let them come up and take it. They didn’t want to give a hand to anybody. NATO is terrible, and they’re all terrible,” Trump said. “So if they want oil, come up and grab it.” (AP)

“There are countries around the world who ought be prepared to step up on this critical waterway as well,” Hegseth said Tuesday, speaking at a news conference from the Pentagon. “It’s not just the United States Navy. Last time I checked, there was supposed to be a big, bad Royal Navy that could be prepared to do things like that as well.”

In a social media post Tuesday, President Trump said nations upset by high fuel prices should “go get your own oil” as as average U.S. gas prices shot past $4 a gallon. (AP)

The agency says the tally follows renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in the war and covers the period from March 2 to March 27.

The vast majority – nearly 180,000 – were Syrians returning to their war-battered country, in addition to more than 28,000 Lebanese.

“Most are people fleeing the intense Israeli bombardments. They arrive exhausted, traumatized and with very, very few belongings,” UNHCR’s representative in Syria, Aseer Al-Madaien, told a U.N. briefing in Geneva by video from Damascus.

The agency has already helped more than 3 million people displaced both within Syria and abroad who’ve returned home following the fall of President Bashar Assad in December 2024.

Unlike the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war, when Lebanese could flee across the border without visas, the current Syrian government has restricted the entry of Lebanese unless they have residency in Syria, a Syrian spouse or parent, or other exceptional circumstances. (AP)

The Italian government says its relationship with the U.S. is “solid and based on full and loyal cooperation,” following reports it denied the use of a Sicilian base to U.S. aircraft headed to the Middle East.

The government of Premier Giorgia Meloni said in a statement that Italy is acting “in full compliance with existing international agreements and the government’s guidelines expressed in parliament.”

It said each request for military use of Italian bases is examined on a case-by-case basis, its longstanding procedure.

“No critical issues or frictions with international partners have been registered,” it added. (AP)

Iran’s FM Araghchi has rejected as “completely baseless” reports that Tehran had fired missiles at Turkiye and offered to jointly investigate the issue.

In a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, Araghchi warned against “false-flag operations by enemies” and said Iran was “ready for joint technical cooperation to examine any possible claim”, according to a statement by the Iranian foreign ministry, reported Al Jazeera.

The United Arab Emirates set sharply high gasoline and diesel fuel prices on Tuesday for the coming month, with gasoline going up by over 30% and diesel jumping up more than 70%.

The UAE government sets the price monthly in line with international pricing, which has spiked over the Iran war and Tehran maintaining its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz.

In the UAE, diesel fuel will jump to 4.69 dirhams ($1.28) a litre, up from 2.72 dirhams (74 cents). The new price is $4.38 a gallon for diesel, lower than the average gallon of diesel in the U.S., which sits at $5.45 a gallon.

Premium gasoline in the UAE will be 3.39 dirhams (92 cents) a litre. That’s $3.49 a gallon, where the premium on average in the U.S. is $4.90 a gallon.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi briefed Russian leader Vladimir Putin about Egypt’s efforts to de-escalate in the region during a phone call on Tuesday, according to el-Sissi’s office.

He said Russia is able to help put an end to the war, a statement from the office said.

American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Caine, stated that the joint forces of the USA and Israel are "systematically destroying Iran's ability to project power and threaten stability," adding that the USA has struck more than 11000 targets in Iran, including destroying Iran's ballistic missile capabilities and intercepting supply chains, and striking manufacturing sites and uranium territories.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says he visited American troops in the Middle East on Saturday to observe military operations linked to the war with Iran; however, he refused to disclose the location of the visit, citing concerns it could become a target for Iranian attacks. He also said that the upcoming days will be decisive in the war with Iran. He also stated that Trump is willing to make a deal, and the USA will continue the war with more intensity if Iran does not make a deal.

Iran’s IRGC has confirmed the killing of Jamshid Eshaghi, a major general in Iran’s Armed Forces and adviser to the General Staff chief.

In a statement circulated by Iranian media, the IRGC said an attack killed Eshaghi alongside several members of his family, but did not provide further details.

German leader of the opposition, Tino Chrupalla, stated that they (Germany) will not free the Strait of Hormuz with the navy. "We must not serve our soldiers as targets. Spanish ships are allowed through — because Spain closed its bases for the Iran war. Spain is not interfering in this war. And that is right. We must begin implementing what is written in our basic program — the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Germany."

King Charles III will visit the United States in late April, Buckingham Palace said Tuesday, despite some calls for the trip to be cancelled or delayed amid the Iran war.

The visit would "celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States", the statement said.

Washington's envoy to Britain warned last week it would be a "big mistake" for the visit to be cancelled amid the Middle East war and US President Donald Trump's harsh criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. (AFP)

EU Council President Antonio Costa had a phone call with Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, and urged the Iranian President for 'de-escalation and restraint'. "I urged for de-escalation and restraint, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the need for all parties to fully respect international law. The loss of innocent lives, including in the Minab school, is deeply regrettable. To de-escalate the situation, I urged Iran to stop the unacceptable attacks on countries in the region and to engage positively on the diplomatic track, notably with the UN, to ensure the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," Costa stated on X.

"The Country of France wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory. France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the “Butcher of Iran,” who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!! President DJT", posted Trump on Truth Social.

Taking to Truth Social, US President stated that the countries that did not get involved with the USA in the war, can buy fuel from the USA or 'build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT (sic)'. "You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil! President DJT," he stated.

IDF released satellite visuals of military production facilities that it targeted in Tehran Monday night. On an X post, IDF stated that it attacked "a factory used to cast and fill warheads for ballistic missiles with explosives, intended for firing at Israel; a research and development complex for advanced weapons components and a site for manufacturing ballistic missile components; a site for manufacturing, research and development for components for anti-tank missiles, small surface-to-air missiles and other weapons."

Turkey has denounced attacks targeting personnel with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon as a serious violation of international law.

The statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued Tuesday added that those responsible for attacking UNIFIL peacekeepers must face justice.

The statement criticized Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, saying it was deepening regional instability, and issued a call to the international community to end “Israel’s expansionism, aggression, and occupation.”

A strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Tuesday, AFPTV's live broadcast showed, after the Israeli military renewed its warning for residents to leave as it attacks the area.

The strike came shortly after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military would occupy a swathe of southern Lebanon even after the end of the war against the armed group. (AFP)

Iranian forces have arrested 54 people, accusing them of passing information to Israel or planning attacks against Iran, the country’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency reports.

Forty-one people arrested in Tehran were accused of taking pictures of targets attacked by the US and Israel and sending them to “the media headquarters of the Zionist regime”, the Ministry of Intelligence said, or similar offences such as sharing “sensitive positions”.

The Gulf states are unified in calling for a de-escalation of the Middle East war, Qatar said Tuesday as Tehran launched new strikes against its neighbours.

"Our understanding is that there is a very unified position in the Gulf on calling for the de-escalation and an end to the war," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a regular news briefing. (AFP)

Tehran Times reported that the Iranian forces shot down an American Lucas drone in Qeshm. It also shared visuals of the drone.

Iran's Tasnim News Agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying that "The United States and Israel are preventing the normalization of relations between Iran and its neighbours in the Persian Gulf."

The Gulf states are unified in calling for a de-escalation of the Middle East war, Qatar said Tuesday as Tehran launched new strikes against its neighbours.

"Our understanding is that there is a very unified position in the Gulf on calling for the de-escalation and an end to the war," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a regular news briefing.

The European Commission on Tuesday urged EU member states to make "timely and coordinated preparations" to secure oil supplies in the face of surging energy prices caused by the Middle East war.

"We need to act already now, and we need to act together," EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen said in a statement, ahead of video talks with ministers from the 27-nation bloc.

Iranian Tasnim Media quoted the IRGC Navy stating that it attacked and destroyed "four gathering points of commanders and facilities of the American and Zionist enemies", near the Al Minhad air base in the UAE. According to Tasnim, More than 200 American commanders and mid-ranking officers were present at this cover centre, the statement said.

In another attack, the location of the commanders of the US Fifth Fleet, "located outside their main barracks in Bahrain, was also precisely targeted by drones during a commanders’ meeting," the IRGC added, noting that the presence and traffic of ambulances indicated the outcome of the operation.

According to Israeli media, Defence Minister Katz stated that Israel wants to have a buffer zone inside Southern Lebanon, to maintain control of the area up to the Litani River, adding that the 600,000 displaced from Southern Lebanon would not be able to return until the safety of northern Israel is guaranteed. All homes near the border would be destroyed, he said.

Egypt Foreign Minister Badr Abdelattay briefed foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan about the latest round of mediation efforts.

Abdelattay and Pakistani and Turkish counterparts met over the weekend in Islamabad for talks aimed at bringing Iran and the United States back to the negotiating table, according to Egypt’s Foreign Ministry.

Abdelattay discussed the meeting’s outcome and ongoing efforts to stop the war with his counterparts, Egypt’s ministry said without elaborating. (AP)

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show damage after an Iranian attack targeting Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base.

The March 15 photo from Planet Labs PBC shows damage to one of the massive air base’s buildings.

Qatar and the U.S. have not acknowledged the damage.

Al Udeid serves as the forward headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command, which is prosecuting the war.

Information has so far been scarce about the damage being done across the Middle East, particularly inside closed military facilities, since the war started Feb. 28.

The images come from Planet Labs PBC, a San Francisco-based firm used by media outlets, including the AP.

Planet Labs has put a two-week delay on its imagery becoming public, citing concerns its imagery could be used by “adversarial actors.”

Italy refused US authorisation to use the Sigonella air base, Italian news agency ANSA reported on Tuesday, citing local media and informed sources.

The refusal came after a US flight plan showed a stopover at Sigonella en route to the Middle East. This comes a day after Spain refused to allow US planes involved in the conflict to land in the country.

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto denied permission, ANSA said, noting that no formal authorisation had been requested and the Italian military command had not been consulted.

US-Israeli strikes hit on Tuesday one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Iran, which produces anaesthetics and cancer drugs, the Iranian government said.

"During the US and Zionist regime attacks on civilian centres, on the morning of Tuesday, one of the largest companies producing anti-cancer, anaesthetic and specialised medicines was damaged, and the drug production line was damaged," the government said in a post on X.

The pharmaceutical company is owned by the Social Security Investment Company, a state-run holding firm managing pension funds. (AFP)

According to Marine Traffic data, two ships were struck in the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours. A container ship sailing under the Liberian flag reported two projectiles splashing near it in the water while off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

Another ship, a Kuwaiti-flagged tanker, Al Salmi, was struck 31 nautical miles northwest of Dubai, causing a fire on board. It was on its way to China with 2 million barrels of crude oil.

According to internet monitoring platform Net Blocks, the internet blackout has entered day 32, with most users cut off from the outside world for over 744 hours since the conflict started.

Dubai Media Office reported that 'a successful interception that fell on residential houses in southern Dubai,' and resulted 'in property damage and minor injuries to four Asian nationals.'

It also stated that authorities were responding to it.

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Japan on Tuesday for a visit that initially aimed to strengthen partnerships in nuclear energy and space innovation but will now be dominated by the Middle East war.

Macron will hold talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday, and "the crisis in the Middle East will be at the heart of discussions", the Elysee said ahead of his Asia trip, which will also include a visit to South Korea.

Lebanon informed the United Nations that it has criminalised Hezbollah's military wing, Al Hadath reported, citing a diplomatic official. According to the report, Beirut's UN letter also mentioned a March 2 government decision to ban all military activity by the group.

US gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 as fuel prices continue to soar worldwide amid the Iran war. According to the motor club AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now $4.02, over a dollar more than before the war began.

The last time U.S. drivers were collectively paying this much at the pump was nearly four years ago, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The price is a national average, meaning drivers in some states have been paying well over $4 a gallon for a while now.

A drone interception left two people injured in a Saudi region southeast of the capital Riyadh, the country's civil defence said Tuesday.

"Falling debris from the interception of a drone in Al-Kharj province caused two minor injuries and limited material damage to three homes and several vehicles," said a statement carried by Saudi Arabia's official SPA news agency. Al-Kharj province is home to Prince Sultan Air Base.

China and Pakistan will "strengthen" their cooperation on Iran, Beijing's foreign ministry said Tuesday, as top Islamabad officials visited the Chinese capital.

"The two foreign ministers will strengthen strategic communication and coordination on the Iran situation and... make new efforts toward advocating for peace," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a press conference, calling China and Pakistan "all-weather" strategic partners. (AFP).

Some of Myanmar’s most visible fuel constraints have appeared in big cities with long lines at gas stations becoming a daily sight, according to a report in the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper on Tuesday.

Authorities have gradually rolled out measures and controls including an odd-even vehicle numbering system limits which cars can be on the roads each day, a QR code system and daily fuel purchase limits. The measures have slowed fuel distribution and added to congestion as vehicles often wait for hours or even overnight under rationing rules.

The report says authorities have taken action against 17 gas stations and warned 24 others for violations such as selling without scanning codes, failing to open or overcharging. (AP).

Oil steadied and Asian stocks were mostly lower Tuesday as signs of a de-escalation of the Iran war remained mixed. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was down 1.6% to 51,063.72. South Korea’s Kospi lost 4.3% to 5,052.46.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 0.3% to 24,678.17, while the Shanghai Composite index fell 0.8% to 3,891.86. Brent crude futures were less than 0.1% lower at $107.37 a barrel on Tuesday, while benchmark U.S. crude edged up 0.1% to $102.93 per barrel. (AP).

The defense ministers of Italy and France expressed “deep and profound concern” Tuesday over the deteriorating security in Lebanon. The joint statement by Guido Crosetto and Catherine Vautrin made particular reference to recent attacks targeting personnel from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

In a phone conversation Monday they stressed the “unacceptability of such incidents and the increasing risks faced by the personnel deployed in the mission,” the statement said. The ministers agreed on the strategic importance of UNIFIL, saying Lebanon’s stability constitutes “an indispensable pillar for the balance of the entire Mediterranean basin.”

They confirmed Italy and France will continue operating in close coordination to ensure the safety of international personnel, the protection of peace and support for Lebanese authorities. (AP).

Eleven people were lightly wounded in several locations in central Israel after Iran fired ballistic missiles, Haaretz reported, quoting the Magen David Adom emergency medical service.

Several impact sites were reported in Tel Aviv and the cities of Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva in central Israel following the missile barrage. The Israeli military said that soldiers from its search and rescue unit are "on their way" to reported impact sites, urging the public to "avoid gathering in these areas." (AP).

Explosions were heard in Dubai on Tuesday, AFP journalists reported, as UAE authorities warned of missile and drone attacks, one month into the Middle East war that has seen Iran launch daily attacks on Gulf countries.

"UAE air defences system is actively engaging with missiles and UAV threats," the defence ministry said in a statement on X.

Beijing expressed "gratitude" on Tuesday as it said three Chinese ships had transited the crucial Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has all but closed during the war in the Middle East.

"Following coordination with relevant parties, three Chinese vessels recently transited the Strait of Hormuz; we express our gratitude to the relevant parties for the assistance provided," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference. (AFP).

Israel has opened a new front in its campaign by targeting roads in Lebanon’s west Bekaa Valley, an area along the Syrian border where Hezbollah has a strong presence, according to Al Jazeera. The strikes hit routes connecting towns like Yohmor, Suhmor, and Loubaya, and a key road linking west Bekaa to southern Lebanon.

Iran held a funeral Tuesday for Rear. Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, the head of Revolutionary Guard’s navy. An Israeli airstrike killed Tangsiri last week, with Tehran only acknowledging his death Monday.

It showed his casket on a flat bed truck driving through the streets of Bandar Abbas, a crucial port city on the Strait of Hormuz that has seen repeated U.S. airstrikes during the war. (AP).

Iranian media reported Tuesday that initial investigations indicated strikes in central Iran had hit some "military sites", without specifying the locations.

"Initial investigations indicate that some military locations in Isfahan were targeted," the Fars news agency quoted Akbar Salehi, a security official at the governor's office in Isfahan province, as saying. The official also said the extent of the damage and any casualties were not immediately clear. (AFP).

Two container vessels belonging to the Chinese shipping giant Cosco have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz as they have exited the Gulf, ship tracking data showed Tuesday.

The CSCL Indian Ocean crossed the strait at around 0914 GMT on Monday, followed by CSCL Arctic Ocean 27 minutes later, according to data from Marine Traffic. (AFP).

Authorities in Dubai said Tuesday morning they “contained” a Kuwaiti oil tanker after it came under attack from Iran. Officials said there was “no oil leakage and no injuries reported.”

Former R&AW Chief Vikram Sood said that India and Israel are allies, but the attack on Iran and the killing of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei were unfortunate.

"Israel is our friend. We have close ties; we are dependent on them for a lot of things which relate to our security... But this attack on Iran and the assassination or murder of the prior leader tantamounts to murder and a state taking the law into its own hands," he said in an interview with ANI.

Sood added that if India runs out of oil, it will cause inflation. "The challenge will be there in 2 to 3 months when we run out of oil and fertilisers. Most of our LNG comes from Qatar, and most of our oil comes from the Arab, the Middle East. If that doesn't flow, and if it flows at a higher rate, there will be inflation. We will have to handle that. It is unfortunate for the government. They will have a tough time dealing with this," he said. He said that India and Iran did not bring this situation upon themselves. But one must remember that India is dependent on Iran for the Strait of Hormuz.

The power supply was cut off in parts of Tehran after shrapnel damage to the electrical infrastructure was restored, IRIB reported.

"With the efforts of Iranian engineers, the electricity was restored. People in Iran know that after the US failing to achieve its military objectives, Trump intends to destroy urban infrastructure, and they have prepared themselves for that," IRIB said in a post on X.

The operator of a Thai cargo ship struck by a projectile near the Strait of Hormuz said a search team was able to board the vessel but did not locate its missing three crew members. The Mayuree Naree was disabled after being hit just north of Oman earlier this month.

Precious Shipping Co., Ltd said in a statement to the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Monday that all accessible areas on the Mayuree Naree ship were searched “under challenging conditions, including the presence of fire damage, residual smoke, and flooding in the engine room.” It said the families of the three crew members were notified accordingly. (AP).

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi accused some European countries of remaining silent about "brutal attacks against the Iranian people" while focusing only on the conflict's economic impact. Araghchi spoke by phone with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to discuss the fallout from recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran and rising regional tensions, according to a statement from Iran's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

Araghchi said Iran would continue what he described as “defensive operations” against the US and Israel, including targeting their military bases and facilities in the region. He argued that Iranian retaliatory attacks are a “response” to the US use of regional territories and bases to wage an “illegal war” against Iran. The Iranian minister criticised some European countries, saying they have limited their response to expressing concern over the economic consequences of the war while remaining silent about “brutal attacks” against the Iranian people.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that there is “no set timetable” for ending the ongoing war against Iran. He told Newsmax that while the military campaign has already achieved more than half of Israel’s objectives, he remains committed to an open-ended strategy of military and strategic pressure, predicting the Islamic Republic will eventually “collapse internally.” His remarks contrast with President Donald Trump and senior U.S. officials, who have repeatedly said the war will end within “a few weeks, not months.”

A satellite image taken just before the 12-day war in June between Iran and Israel suggests Tehran transferred a truckload of highly enriched uranium to its nuclear facility at Isfahan.

The image from an Airbus Defense and Space Pléiades Neo satellite shows a truck loaded with 18 blue containers going into a tunnel at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center on June 9, 2025. The war began June 13, The United States bombed the Isfahan facility along with two other nuclear sites on June 22.

François Diaz-Maurin, an analyst with the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, wrote that the truck likely carried 18 secured containers of as much as 534 kilograms (1,177 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity. That’s a short, technical step to weapons-grade levels of 90%.

“This calculation suggests that Iran could have transferred all of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to Isfahan via the truck seen in the satellite image,” Diaz-Maurin wrote in his analysis.

The Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security also suggested the vehicle was transferring the highly enriched uranium. The French newspaper Le Monde first reported on the images. (AP).

Indonesia urged warring parties in the Middle East "to respect international humanitarian law" after three of its peacekeepers were killed in Lebanon.

"The safety of peacekeeping troops must be the top priority. All parties to the conflict are urged to respect international humanitarian law and ensure the security of peacekeeping personnel," Defence Ministry spokesman Rico Ricardo Sirait said in a statement. (AFP).

Most American Jews oppose the United States' war against Iran, according to a poll published by J Street on Monday. The poll, which surveyed 800 registered American-Jewish voters, found that 60 per cent oppose the military action and 58 per cent believe that it weakens the United States.

"This data is a wake-up call for anyone claiming to speak for the American Jewish community while beating the drums of war," said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami in a statement. "Most American Jews see this war for what it is: A reckless, unforced error by a President who has no clear, achievable goals or an exit strategy. This poll proves that the 'pro-Israel' position is the pro-peace position – and that means stopping this war before more lives are lost."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran views Saudi Arabia as a “brotherly nation” and “respects the Kingdom,” while urging that “it is high time to eject U.S. forces” from the region. He said Iran’s operations are directed at an “aggressive enemy” that “has no respect for Arabs or Iranians,” and shared an image of a downed aircraft bearing U.S. Air Force markings, writing: “Just look at what we did to their air command.” U.S. Central Command has not responded to the claim.

The IDF says that four soldiers from the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion were killed on Monday in operational activity in southern Lebanon, Haaretz reported. Three of the fatalities have been named: Captain Noam Madmoni, aged 22, from Sderot; Staff Sergeant Ben Cohen, aged 21, from Lehavim; and Staff Sergeant Maxsim Entis, aged 21, from Bat Yam.

A fourth soldier, whose name has not yet been released for publication, was killed in the same incident, the Israeli military said. Additionally, another soldier was severely injured, and a reservist was moderately injured in the incident.

The Pentagon is set to hold a press briefing about the war in Iran on Tuesday morning – its first such briefing in nearly two weeks, CNN reported. Defence secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine are scheduled to speak. According to CNN, only six Pentagon briefings have been held since strikes in Iran started on 28 February, compared with more frequent updates in past conflicts. The report added that the Trump administration has reduced the number of briefings and included overtly partisan media figures in the briefing room.

Power outages in parts of Tehran were caused by shrapnel damage to electrical infrastructure, Iran’s Fars news agency reported. It said “shrapnel striking the inlet facilities of an electrical substation located in East Tehran” led to the disruption.

“Electrical operational teams are currently on-site and are working to restore the power flow in the shortest time possible,” the report added. The extent of the damage and the number of areas affected were not immediately clear.

Explosions were heard in Tehran, and power cuts hit some parts of the capital, Iranian media reported on Tuesday. "Power outages in parts of Tehran after multiple explosions heard," Fars news agency reported.

Tasnim news agency also reported that some residents in eastern Tehran were without electricity and that authorities were working to restore power.

The United States expects to complete its military objectives against Iran “in weeks, not months,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, as he outlined Washington’s conditions for ending the conflict and warned Tehran against attempting to control key global waterways.

Speaking in an interview to Al Jazeera on Monday (local time), Rubio said there had been “messages and some direct talks going on between some inside of Iran and the United States, primarily through intermediaries,” even as military operations continued.

He stressed that Washington’s core demands remained unchanged: “Iran can never -- the Iranian regime can never have nuclear weapons, and they need to stop sponsoring terrorism, and they need to stop building weapons that can threaten their neighbours.” Read more...

Israel's military said its air defences were responding to Iranian missiles on Tuesday as sirens rang out in Jerusalem. "A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel," the Israeli military posted on Telegram. Sirens sounded and several blasts were heard over Jerusalem, an AFP witness said.

The Israeli army said early Tuesday it is aware of reports regarding two instances in which United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon peacekeepers were killed. The army said and is reviewing them to determine whether the deaths resulted from Hezbollah activity or Israeli fire, noting that “these incidents occurred in an active combat area.”

The statement comes after UNIFIL said three peacekeepers have been killed in southern Lebanon within 24 hours in two separate instances. An explosion of “unknown origin” on Monday destroyed a vehicle near the village of Bani Hayyan, killing two peacekeepers and wounding two others, including one with severe injuries. Earlier, an Indonesian peacekeeper was killed after a base was hit by a projectile. (AP).

Gulf allies of the United States, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are urging President Donald Trump to continue prosecuting the war against Iran, arguing that Tehran hasn't been weakened enough by the monthlong U.S.-led bombing campaign, according to U.S., Gulf and Israeli officials.

After private grumbling at the start of the war that they were not given adequate advance notice of the U.S.-Israeli attack and complaining the U.S. had ignored their warnings that the war would have devastating consequences for the entire region, some of the regional allies are making the case to the White House that the moment offers a historic opportunity to cripple Tehran’s clerical rule once and for all. Read more...

A member of Iran’s National Security Commission said lawmakers have approved a formal plan to codify Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz, according to Fars news agency. The proposal includes new “financial arrangements” and Riyal-based tolls on transit, alongside expanded security and naval control measures. The plan also calls for banning U.S. and Israeli vessels from passage, restricting countries that impose unilateral sanctions on Iran, and formalising Iran’s sovereign enforcement role through its armed forces.

Oman, notably, is referenced as a potential partner in shaping the legal framework. While the committee has approved the plan, it still requires a vote by the full parliament (Majlis) and final ratification by the Supreme National Security Council to become law.

US President Trump has, according to the Wall Street Journal, informed aides that he is willing to end the war on Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed. The plan now is to “pressure Tehran diplomatically to restore the free flow of trade.”

If that fails, “Washington would press allies in Europe and the Gulf to take the lead on reopening the strait,” the officials said, according to the report. US officials determined that a direct mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would risk prolonging the war beyond President Trump’s stated four- to six-week timeline. Instead, the strategy has shifted toward degrading Iran’s military capabilities while winding down active operations.

The US hit a large ammunition depot in the Iranian city of Isfahan with 2,000-pound bunker buster bombs, a US official said. A high volume of bunker busters, or penetrator munitions, was used for the strike, WSJ reported, quoting officials. President Trump posted an uncaptioned video on Truth Social that showed a chain of explosions lighting up the night sky. The video captured the strike, the official said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday cautioned against drawing Gulf monarchies into "someone else's war" and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in West Asia.

Speaking in a video conference with his counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Lavrov expressed Russia's "unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of friendly Arabian monarchies".

He "emphasised the inadmissibility of drawing these countries into someone else's war, as well as the unacceptability of attacks on their civilian infrastructure, including energy and other vital facilities," the Russian foreign office said in a statement.

The United Nations’ most powerful body will convene an emergency session on Tuesday after officials announced that three peacekeepers in southern Lebanon had been killed in the last 24 hours. The meeting was scheduled after a request from France.

It was unclear who was behind the projectile and explosion that killed the three peacekeepers, as the U.N. says the incidents remain under investigation.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, under-secretary-general for peace operations, said Monday that all three peacekeepers who were killed were from the Indonesian army. That makes 97 fatalities of UNIFIL peacekeepers due to malicious acts since the mission began in March 1978 and a total of more than 330 fatalities -- the most of any U.N. peacekeeping operation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced confidence Monday that Iran's Islamic Republic would eventually fall, though he again said that was not the objective of the US-Israeli war on the country.

"I think this regime will collapse internally. But at the moment, right now, what we're doing is just degrading their military capacity, degrading their missile capacity, degrading their nuclear capacity and also weakening them from the inside," Netanyahu told conservative US broadcaster Newsmax. (AFP).

A US airstrike at Iran's Mashhad airport on Monday damaged a Mahan Air aircraft, potentially disrupting a mission to India to collect humanitarian aid, Iranian officials claimed. The plane was reportedly scheduled to fly to New Delhi this week to pick up essential medical supplies and aid for the Iranian people, they said.

US officials have not yet corroborated the claim. The Iranian officials said the aircraft was damaged following the US attack on Mashhad airport. According to reports, the plane was expected to arrive in New Delhi on April 1. India sent the first consignment of medical supplies to Iran through the Iranian Red Crescent Society on March 18.

The Iranian embassy in New Delhi thanked the people of India for the aid. Mahan Air is a privately-owned Iranian airline that operates flights in several countries in West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia.

Authorities are working to control the fire, the Dubai Media Office said. All 24 crew members are safe, and no injuries have been reported, the office said. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, run by the British military, reported the strike, saying the vessel was 31 nautical miles (57 kilometres) northwest of Dubai.

It said an unknown projectile struck their tanker on the starboard side, causing a fire on the vessel. No environmental impact has been reported, the centre said.