March 6: White House says US needs 4-6 weeks to meet war objectives; Iran’s navy ‘combat ineffective’

Putin voices support for ceasefire in call with Iran’s Pezeshkian — Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced support for an “immediate” ceasefire in Iran during a phone call with Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday, the Kremlin says.

“Russia’s principled position on the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities was reaffirmed,” the Kremlin says, adding that Putin called for a “return to the path of political and diplomatic resolution.”

Qatar targeted by 10 Iranian drones

Iran targeted Qatar with 10 drones on Friday, Doha’s defence ministry says in a statement as the Islamic Republic pressed its air campaign against Gulf states.

“Qatar was subjected to waves of attacks from the Islamic Republic of Iran involving 10 drones, starting from dawn on Friday,” it says, adding that the military “successfully intercepted nine drones, while one drone struck an uninhabited area, without causing any casualties.”

Macron condemns ‘unacceptable attack’ on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon; Aoun blames Israel

French President Emmanuel Macron condemns an “unacceptable attack” on UN peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon, after speaking with his Lebanese and Syrian counterparts.

“France is working with its partners to prevent the conflict from spreading further in the region,” Macron says on X, highlighting the “key stabilising role” played by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and Lebanon, as for every country in the region, must be respected,” he says.

Two UN peacekeepers from Ghana were critically wounded in the missile attack on their position in the town of Qawzah, according to Lebanese state media and the Ghanaian military.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of targeting them, as the war unleashed by US-Israeli strikes on Iran last Saturday engulfed Lebanon.

Macron says France would remain “engaged” in UNIFIL, which includes around 700 French troops.

UNIFIL has acted as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon for decades and was assisting the Lebanese army while it was dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure near the Israeli border after the last war opposing the Iran-backed group and Israel in 2024.

The peacekeeping mission plans to withdraw all troops from Lebanon by mid-2027.

US says it struck more than 3,000 targets in first week of Iran war

The United States struck more than 3,000 targets during the first week of the Iran war, the US military says.

Targets include command-and-control centers, air defense systems, missile sites, and Iranian navy ships and submarines, US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, says in a fact sheet.

Iran’s UN envoy claims 1,332 Iranian civilians killed in war

Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani says at least 1,332 Iranian civilians have lost their lives so far in the conflict with Israel and the United States, and thousands more have been injured.

Those numbers have not been verified and don’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.

He makes his comments while speaking to reporters at the United Nations in New York.

UNIFIL says three of its observer force members in Lebanon were injured in strike on its base

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says three of its observer force members were injured during a strike at a base in southwestern Lebanon.

The most severely injured soldier has been transferred to hospital in Beirut for treatment while two others are being treated at an internal medical facility, UNIFIL says.

A fire on the base sparked by the strike has been extinguished.

“UNIFIL will investigate the circumstances of this terrible event. It is unacceptable that peacekeepers performing Security Council-mandated tasks are targeted,” it adds, without assigning blame for the strike.

Netanyahu spoke to UAE president following outbreak of Iran war — report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a rare phone call this week with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

The call comes against the backdrop of the war in Iran, which has seen Tehran retaliate against Israel, the UAE and other countries in the region.

White House posts montage of movie clips and real strikes on Iran

The White House’s social media blurs the lines of reality, posting montages that wove snippets of Hollywood blockbusters and video games into real footage of military strikes on Iran.

A 42-second video posted on X with the caption “Justice the American way” opens with a scene from “Iron Man” and the line “Wake up, Daddy’s home” — perhaps a reference to an expression used by NATO chief Mark Rutte, who once referred to US President Donald Trump as “daddy.”

What follows, in rapid fire, are clips from male actors cast as heroes, including Tom Cruise in “Top Gun: Maverick,” Mel Gibson in “Braveheart,” Russell Crowe in “Gladiator,” Bryan Cranston in “Breaking Bad,” and Keanu Reeves in “John Wick.”

Hollywood’s heroics are interspersed with footage released by the US military showing real strikes on various targets.

OPERATION EPIC FURY

• Destroy Iran’s missile arsenal.
• Destroy their navy.
• Ensure they NEVER get a nuclear weapon.

Locked in. pic.twitter.com/ika3MMJmZT

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 6, 2026

Actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller on Friday called on the White House to remove a clip in the video from “Tropic Thunder,” a satirical 2008 film about war movies that he directed and co-wrote.

“We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie,” Stiller wrote on X.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth also appears briefly, in a clip taken from a real briefing, where he says “F-A” before a clip from a “Transformers” movie says “time to find out,” using a CGI autobot.

The reference here is to a crude expression very popular in the Trump administration, used to describe its uncompromising attitude towards any adversary: “F-A-F-O” or “Fuck around and find out.”

JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY. ???????????? pic.twitter.com/0502N6a3rL

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 6, 2026

In a second post, the White House interspersed real war footage with a scene from the video game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” in which the player’s character is heard repeatedly saying “Ah shit, here we go again,” before footage of strikes on Iranian targets.

Iranian deputy minister: EU countries joining US, Israel attacks would become ‘legitimate target’

European Union member states that join the US and Israel attacks on Iran would become “legitimate targets” for Iran, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi says in an interview with TV station France 24.

“Any country that joins in the aggression against Iran, joins America and Israel in the aggression against Iran, definitely, they will be also legitimate targets for Iran retaliation,” Takht-Ravanchi says.

While some EU countries such as France, Greece and Italy have sent warships towards the Middle East and most EU top officials have condemned Iranian strikes in the region, they have mostly called for an end to the conflict and called for a diplomatic solution.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday Berlin was working with partners to find an approach to end the fighting with Iran, while saying his country shared the aims of the United States and Israel.

Trump: US defense firms to ‘quadruple’ advanced weapons production

US President Donald Trump says he had concluded a good meeting with the country’s largest defense manufacturers, who he said he had agreed to boost production of some precision-guided weapons.

Trump makes his comments in a social media post.

pic.twitter.com/D3G3fcHnuu

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 6, 2026

Home Front Command issues shorter alerts for Iranian missiles this evening

The Home Front Command gave much shorter early warnings for Iran’s ballistic missile attacks tonight than it had previously.

A review of the Home Front Command’s alerts shows that at 7:16 p.m. an early warning was issued for central Israel, and a siren sounded just three minutes later at 7:19 p.m.

At 8:40 p.m., another early warning was issued, with sirens sounding within a minute, at 20:41 p.m. And at 9:54 p.m., an early warning was issued, before sirens sounded at 9:56 p.m., just two minutes later.

Earlier in the day, at 10:10 a.m., six minutes were given between the early warning and the siren, and an attack last night saw a seven-minute heads-up.

Missile attacks on previous days also saw roughly four and eight minutes between the early warning and the siren.

Home Front Command officials say they aim to provide an early warning “several minutes” before sirens sound for attacks from Iran, but stress that it is not always possible due to a variety of factors surrounding the detection of the missiles.

Pressed on wife liking posts celebrating Oct. 7, Mamdani defends her as a private citizen

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is asked during a press conference about a report revealing that his wife had liked social media posts celebrating Hamas’s October 7 attack hours after it unfolded.

“My wife is the love of my life, and she’s also a private person who has held no formal position on my campaign or in my City Hall,” Mamdani tells reporters.

Israeli strikes on east Lebanon kill at least nine — Lebanese ministry

Israeli strikes on eastern Lebanon killed at least nine people on Friday, Lebanon’s health ministry says, on the fifth day of fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

In a statement, the ministry says “Israeli enemy air strikes on Nabi Sheet” in the eastern Baalbek district killed at least nine people and wounded 17 in a preliminary toll, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.

“Rescue and debris removal operations are ongoing” to search for missing people, the ministry adds.

IRGC claims it targeted US base in UAE over school strike

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims it targeted a US base in the UAE that they alleged had been used as a launchpad for a strike on a school.

According to Iranian authorities, a strike had hit a girls’ elementary school on Saturday in Minab county in the south of the country, killing more than 150 people, including students.

AFP has neither been able to access the site in order to verify the incident nor obtain independent confirmation of a toll.

“Al-Dhafra air base, belonging to American terrorists in the region, was targeted using drones and precision missiles,” the IRGC says in a statement broadcast on state TV.

US files complaints for $15.3 million in proceeds allegedly linked to Iranian oil network

The United States has filed two civil forfeiture complaints for more than $15.3 million used to allegedly fund an illicit Iranian oil distribution network, the Justice Department says in a statement.

The complaints by the Justice Department allege that the funds were being used by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani to “operate multiple distribution companies” engaged in selling and shipping Iranian oil and other commodities in violation of US sanctions.

Hossein Shamkhani is the son of Ali Shamkhani, it said, a top adviser to the former Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Both Ali Shamkhani and Ali Khamenei were killed in the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran last week.

Ghana peacekeeping battalion HQ hit by missile attacks in Lebanon

The headquarters of Ghana’s United Nations peacekeeping battalion in Lebanon was hit by missile attacks on Friday, leaving two soldiers critically injured, Ghana’s armed forces says in a statement.

Lebanon was pulled into the war in the Middle East on Monday, when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel that ignited a new Israeli offensive against the terror group.

Ghanaian soldiers are deployed as part of the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon.

The statement from Ghana’s armed forces does not say who fired the missiles, but it says Ghana’s foreign ministry has protested the incident at UN headquarters in New York.

In addition to the two critically injured soldiers, the statement says that another soldier “has been traumatised” while the officers’ mess facility was hit and burned down.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly intensified direct line to Iran to defuse war

Saudi Arabia has intensified direct engagement with Iran to help contain a war in the Middle East, Bloomberg News reports, citing several European officials.

Saudi officials in recent days have used their diplomatic backchannel to Iran with increased urgency to ease tensions and keep the conflict from worsening, the report says.

IDF says unintentionally struck UN agency truck in Gaza

The IDF says a “firing component” launched by its navy unintentionally struck a fuel truck belonging to a United Nations agency in Gaza the previous day, an incident that prompted the agency to publicly call for a full investigation.

The United Nations Office for Project Services, which oversees fuel distribution in Gaza, said that the empty fuel truck was struck on Thursday around 5 a.m. from the direction of the sea, causing damage to the vehicle. There were no injuries.

“Our teams are taking extraordinary risks every day to keep humanitarian operations and life-sustaining services running,” UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva said in a statement, calling for an investigation into the incident.

“They should not have to do that under fire,” he said.

In response to Reuters questions, the Israeli military says that the incident occurred during defensive naval activity and that a firing component deviated from its intended trajectory.

The fuel truck sustained “minor damage,” the military claims in a statement. The military does not say what type of munitions had been fired or what had been the navy’s intended target.

“The incident was reviewed, and lessons were learned accordingly,” it says, without providing further details.

The fuel truck had been on its way to the Kerem Shalom crossing when it was struck, and the truck’s movements had been coordinated with Israeli authorities in advance, UNOPS said.

Drone targets hotel in Iraq’s Erbil, Iraqi security sources say

A drone targeted Erbil Arjaan by Rotana hotel in Iraq’s Kurdistan region on Friday, Iraqi security sources say.

The US embassy in Baghdad has said earlier on Friday that Iran-aligned militia groups may seek to target hotels frequented by foreigners in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, according to a post on X.

No reports of injuries following night’s 3rd Iran missile attack — medics

There are no reports of injuries following the latest Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel, medics say.

The missile was intercepted by air defense systems, according to preliminary military assessments, and there are no reports of direct impacts.

Sirens had sounded in central Israel and some parts of the West Bank amid the attack, the fifth since this morning and the third this evening.

The IDF Home Front Command says civilians in areas where sirens sounded can now leave bomb shelters, but should still remain close to them.

Just 37 of 11,776 Israeli public shelters are located in Arab towns — coexistence group

A Bedouin shines his flashlight into the makeshift shelter he shares with some 100 in his community to protect them from incoming Iranian fire, a drainage culvert near Arad, southern Israel, June 17, 2025. (Maya Alleruzzo/AP)

Just 37 of the 11,776 public bomb shelters in all of Israel are located in Arab towns, according to figures from the Abraham Initiatives coexistence group.

Mixed Jewish-Arab towns such as Lod are not included in the 37.

The 37 shelters in Arab towns include eight that have been deemed unfit for public use.

In the Jewish town of Ofakim, there are roughly 150 public shelters, compared to the nearby Arab town of Rahat, which has eight. Ofakim’s population is roughly 35,000, compared to Rahat’s, which is estimated at over 75,000.

Sirens triggered in central Israel, parts of West Bank amid evening’s third launch of missiles from Iran

The IDF says it had detected another launch of ballistic missiles from Iran, for the third time this evening.

Sirens are now sounding in central Israel and parts of the West Bank.

Israir says it repatriated 310 Israeli customers stranded in Dubai since Iran war outbreak

Israeli carrier Israir says it repatriated 310 Israeli customers who were stranded in Dubai since the country’s airspace was closed following the US-Israel offensive on Iran.

In an operation that “took much effort,” the local carrier says it succeeded in operating two special flights that took off from Sharjah International Airport, located about 50 minutes from Dubai, and landed at the Aqaba airport in Jordan.

Upon landing at the airport in Aqaba, Israir organized passengers with food and drink, as well as transportation to the land border crossing in Jordan, including all necessary visa requirements.

After crossing the border on the Israeli side, shuttle buses provided by the Israel Airports Authority and the Transportation Ministry transported the passengers to several central points throughout the country.

US embassy offering bus service for citizens to Israel’s border with Egypt

The US Embassy in Israel announces that it is offering bus services for American citizens from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to the Taba Border Crossing with Egypt.

The US has been intensifying its efforts to assist Americans looking to evacuate the Middle East after abruptly urging them to do so on Monday.

U.S. Embassy Jerusalem has started offering bus service to Taba for U.S. citizens in need of assistance departing Israel. If interested in assisted departure via bus on Saturday, March 7 or Sunday, March 8, 2026, please fill out this online form https://t.co/jxW3kfj10j. Once we… pic.twitter.com/izDTBIf0te

— U.S. Embassy Jerusalem – Palestinian Audiences (@USEmbassyJLMPal) March 6, 2026

Hezbollah saw new war with Israel as inevitable and rearmed for months, sources say

A flag of Hezbollah flutters at the site of destroyed buildings following airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs of Ghobeiry neighborhood, on March 5, 2026. (AFP)

Lebanese terror group Hezbollah spent months restocking its arsenal of rockets and drones, using support from Iran and its own weapons factories to prepare for a new war with Israel, six sources familiar with the group’s preparations say.

Down but not out after its devastating 2024 conflict with Israel, Hezbollah had concluded that another round of fighting was inevitable – and that this time, it could face an existential threat, according to the sources.

Reuters interviews three Lebanese sources briefed on Hezbollah’s activities, two foreign officials in Lebanon and an Israeli military official, who all speak on condition of anonymity.

The details of Hezbollah’s recent efforts to rearm have not been previously reported.

The head of Hezbollah’s media office, Youssef al-Zein, tells Reuters that Hezbollah would not comment on its military operations, though he said the group had decided to “fight to the last breath.”

Founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at Israel on Monday to avenge the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, pulling Lebanon into the war raging across the Middle East.

Although the decision caught some of its own officials off guard, Hezbollah had been readying its military stockpiles and its command-and-control structure for an eventual rematch with Israel, the six sources said.

To do so, it had drawn on a monthly budget of $50 million, most of it from Iran and earmarked for fighters’ salaries, according to one of the Lebanese sources, who has been briefed on the group’s finances and military activities. One of the foreign officials confirmed the $50 million budget.

It is not immediately clear how long the group had been relying on that monthly budget and how it compared to its previous financial resources.

The group has said funds from Iran helped finance rents for people displaced by the 2024 war. Around 60,000 Lebanese, most of them from the Shi’ite Muslim community from which Hezbollah draws its popular support, remained displaced over the last year, with their homes still in ruins.

Hezbollah had also worked to replenish its drone and rocket stashes through local manufacturing, the first Lebanese source, the foreign officials and the Israeli military official say. The Israeli military official says Hezbollah had used Iranian funding both to smuggle arms and make its own weapons, but adds that its manufacturing capability had been diminished.

The second foreign official says the group had stationed new rockets and Iranian-made logistical materials in southern Lebanon before the latest war began.

Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani tells Reuters that Hezbollah “had a lot of arms left” and was also seeking to rearm. “They were trying to smuggle, and we were preventing that.”

White House: US has sufficient weapons stockpiles, as Trump to meet defense contractors

The United States has sufficient weapons stockpiles to meet operational needs related to the conflict in Iran, says White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, as President Donald Trump prepares to meet with major defense contractors on Friday alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

US warns Iran-linked fighters may target hotels in Iraqi Kurdistan

The United States warns that Iranian-backed fighters may target hotels in Iraqi Kurdistan frequented by foreigners as Washington again urged Americans to leave.

“US citizens are strongly encouraged to depart as soon as they are safely able to do so, and reconsider lodging options if choosing not to depart,” the US embassy in Baghdad says in a security notice.

Azerbaijan says it foiled several Iranian ‘terrorist’ plots

Azerbaijan says it has prevented a series of Iranian “terrorist” attacks on its territory, a day after Baku accused Iran of firing drones at an airport and school in an Azerbaijani border region.

Azerbaijan’s state security service says it had “prevented terrorist acts and intelligence operations in Azerbaijan organized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),” adding that seven Azerbaijani nationals were arrested.

No reports of injuries following night’s second Iran missile attack on Israel — medics

There are no reports of injuries following the latest Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel, medics say.

The missile was intercepted by air defense systems, according to preliminary military assessments, and there are no reports of direct impacts.

Sirens had sounded in central Israel and some parts of the south and West Bank amid the attack, the fourth since this morning.

The IDF Home Front Command says civilians in areas where sirens sounded can now leave bomb shelters, but should still remain close to them.

IDF detects another Iran missile launch heading toward central Israel, triggering sirens

The IDF says it had detected a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran, after a lull of around an hour.

Sirens are now sounding across central Israel.

White House: Trump defines ‘unconditional surrender’ as Iran no longer posing threat to US

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tells Fox News that what US President Donald Trump meant when he earlier today demanded Iran’s unconditional surrender, “is when he — as commander-in-chief of the US military and the leader of the free world — determines that Iran can no longer pose a threat to the United States.”

.@PressSec: "What President Trump means when he says 'unconditional surrender' is when he, as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Military and the leader of the free world — determines that Iran can no longer pose a threat to the United States." https://t.co/hRAfQyo6Ts pic.twitter.com/j41VhO4PQD

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 6, 2026

White House: We’ll need 4 to 6 weeks to meet war objectives; Iran’s navy ‘combat ineffective’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the US expects it to take four to six weeks to achieve its objectives in Operation Epic Fury against Iran.

The White House has said its objectives are destroying Iran’s missile program, destroying Iran’s navy, making sure Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon and ceasing Tehran’s support for armed proxies in the region.

Leavitt tells reporters outside the White House that the US has already sunk more than 30 Iranian navy vessels and that the Iranian navy has now been deemed “combat ineffective.”

“Just six days in, the retaliatory ballistic missile strikes from Iran are now down 90 percent,” she says.

“We’ve seen Hezbollah and the Houthis hardly putting up a fight over the course of the last six days.”

“As for the future of Iran… it’s in the best interest of the United States of America for Iran to no longer be led by a radical terrorist regime,” she continues.

“President Trump… wants to take an interest in pursuing who the next leader of the Iranian country is going to be, and… is discussing it,” Leavitt adds.

IDF chief says Israel to ‘seize every opportunity to strike Hezbollah’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir speaks with mayors at the Northern Command HQ in Safed, March 6, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says Israel will “seize every opportunity to strike Hezbollah” and will “not give up on disarming” the terror group.

“We are crushing the Iranian terror regime and will seize every opportunity to deepen our achievements. Hezbollah chose to join the campaign alongside Iran and is paying the price. We will seize every opportunity to strike Hezbollah, deepen the achievement and remove the threat. We will not give up on disarming Hezbollah,” Zamir says to mayors and leaders of local councils on the northern border.

“This is a great opportunity. Significant work is being done here, and we are preparing for a prolonged campaign. We will do everything to seize the opportunity and bring about a change in the security situation,” he tells the local officials.

Drone attack targets military base at Baghdad airport — Iraqi security sources

A drone attack targeted on Friday evening a military base at Baghdad airport that hosts a US diplomatic facility, Iraqi security sources tell AFP.

An Iraqi security official says that “four drones targeted” the military base, while another official reported that at least two of the drones crashed inside it.

Several drone attacks have been intercepted near Baghdad airport since the start of the war in the Middle East.

PA may soon pay only 40% of public salaries amid Israeli fund withholding — official

The Palestinian Authority may soon be forced to cut the salaries of public employees amid a spiraling financial crisis, primarily caused by Israel withholding tax revenues, which make up the majority of its budget, a PA official tells The Times of Israel.

Israel hasn’t made a monthly transfer of tax revenues, as required by the Oslo Accords, since May of last year.

The PA says the total amount of funds that Israel owes Ramallah is above $4 billion.

For much of the past year, the PA has only been paying 60% of the salaries of public employees.

The PA official says that Ramallah may soon have to drop that figure to 40% due to a lack of funds

IDF says it struck IRGC HQ in Beirut

During a wave of airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs this afternoon, the IDF says it struck a headquarters of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as several Hezbollah sites.

According to the IDF, the headquarters served the IRGC air force.

In addition, the military says it struck three Hezbollah headquarters — of the terror group’s naval force, executive council and financial division.

The IDF says the headquarters were used by Hezbollah to advance attacks on Israel.

יותר מ-500 מטרות הותקפו בלבנון מתחילת מבצע ״שאגת הארי״

הותקפה מפקדה של משמרות המהפכה ששימשה את ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בלבנון

צה"ל תקף מוקדם יותר היום והשלים גל תקיפות נוסף ברובע הדאחייה שבביירות לעבר מספר מפקדות טרור.

בין המפקדות שהותקפו:
– מפקדה בשימוש חיל האוויר של משמרות… pic.twitter.com/8fSfIq2Nah

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 6, 2026

Abbas blasts Iranian attacks on Arab countries during call with Saudi crown prince

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held a relatively rare phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with the pair discussing the ongoing Iran war, according to a PA readout.

Abbas reiterated Ramallah’s condemnation of the recent Iranian attacks on neighboring Arab countries while also calling out Israel’s strikes in Lebanon, the readout says.

Abbas also thanked bin Salman for Riyadh’s support for the Palestinian people.

Lebanese media airs footage of IDF strike destroying multi-story building in south Beirut

Footage published by Lebanese media shows an Israeli airstrike destroying a multi-story building in Beirut’s southern suburbs this evening.

بالفيديو – غارات عدة استهدفت مجمعا سكنيا في الضاحية الجنوبية pic.twitter.com/3WqItTRxcs

— Al Jadeed News (@ALJADEEDNEWS) March 6, 2026

According to the IDF, since Hezbollah attacked Israel on Monday, the military has struck over 500 targets in Lebanon, including 170 rocket launchers.

Today, over 100 targets were struck, including over a dozen in Beirut’s south, a Hezbollah stronghold, according to the military.

IDF: Air Force has dropped over 6,500 bombs in Iran; strikes to increase on regime sites, missile factories

The Israeli Air Force has dropped over 6,500 bombs during strikes in Iran since the start of the war, according to the military.

In all, IAF fighter jets have carried out 2,500 sorties and 150 separate waves of strikes, the IDF says.

The military says it is now increasing strikes targeting Iranian regime sites in Tehran, as well as against Iran’s weapon production facilities across the country — including those used to manufacture missiles and launchers — as it moves into a new phase of the war.

Military officials say that the IDF has plans to operate in Iran in the coming weeks, and even beyond that if necessary.

No reports of injuries following latest Iranian missile attack — medics

There are no reports of injuries following the latest Iranian ballistic missile attack on central Israel, medics say.

The missile was intercepted by air defense systems, according to preliminary military assessments, and there are no reports of direct impacts.

Sirens had sounded in Tel Aviv and the surrounding area in central Israel amid the attack, the third since this morning.

The IDF Home Front Command says civilians in areas where sirens sounded can now leave bomb shelters, but should still remain close to them.

Only nine commercial ships detected crossing the Hormuz Strait since Monday

Only nine oil tankers, cargo and container ships, some of which at times concealed their position, have been recorded crossing the Strait of Hormuz since Monday, according to data by MarineTraffic analysed by AFP.

After three ships were attacked on Sunday, at least three tankers and a vessel carrying gas have crossed this chokepoint.

Nearly 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and about 20 percent of LNG transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

Shell shock: Jerusalem authorities say they save tortoise wounded by Iran missile shockwaves

Jerusalem District bomb disposal experts called to neutralize munitions and shrapnel in the Mateh Yehuda region near Jerusalem find a tortoise with a bleeding shell, likely sustained, by blast shockwaves.

They placed him in a box with water and greenery to eat and transferred him to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, police say.

There, the tortoise has been checked by a vet who decides that release back into the wild is the best cure.

Italy sending navy vessel on mission to help protect Cyprus

An Italian navy vessel is preparing to sail to Cyprus, a navy spokesperson says, as part of a joint European mission to protect the island after it came under Iranian fire this week.

The Federico Martinengo frigate will be deployed in the Cyprus area as part of a coordinated mission also involving France, Spain and the Netherlands.

A British Royal Air Force base in Cyprus was targeted on Monday by an Iranian-made drone following the U.S. ​and ⁠Israeli attack against Tehran.

The Italian navy says around 160 crew members will be on board the vessel, which is expected to depart from Italy by Saturday.

Iran fired attack drones at Bahrain residential neighborhood, says US

Iranian forces fired seven attack drones at civilian, residential neighborhoods in Bahrain on Thursday night, US Central Command commander Brad Cooper says in a statement.

Statement from Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander: pic.twitter.com/4UzS3SyFrh

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 6, 2026

IDF detects Iran missile launch toward central Israel after 6-hour lull

After a lull of nearly six hours, the IDF says it had detected a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Sirens are expected to sound in central Israel in the coming minutes.

US Army said to cancel exercise for elite paratrooper unit, fueling speculation of Mideast combat deployment

The US Army in recent days canceled a major training exercise for an elite paratrooper unit, The Washington Post reports, speculating that those same troops could instead be dispatched to the Mideast for combat operations as the war with Iran intensifies.

The exercise was supposed to be held by the North Carolina-based 82nd Airborne Division, which includes a brigade combat team of about 4,000 to 5,000 capable of deploying within 18 hours, The Post says.

Mamdani’s wife liked posts celebrating Oct. 7

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani waves next to his wife, Rama Duwaji, during his public inauguration ceremony at City Hall in New York on January 1, 2026. (Angela Weiss/AFP)

The wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Rama Duwaji, liked social media posts celebrating the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, Jewish Insider reports.

Duwaji liked a post on Instagram that showed photos of Palestinians breaching Israel’s borders and said the invasion was “breaking the walls of apartheid.”

Another post she liked showed Palestinians sitting on a captured IDF vehicle alongside the caption, “Resisting apartheid since 1948.”

Those posts were shared on the day of the Hamas attack.

Duwaji also liked two posts supporting protests against Israel the day after the attack.

There is no immediate comment from Duwaji or Mamdani. The two became a couple in 2021 and married last year.

Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that the wife of US Rep. Dan Goldman, who is Jewish, liked social media posts immediately after Oct. 7 that criticized Jews who supported the Palestinians, suggested people supporting the Palestinians be sent to Gaza, and called Black Lives Matter a “terrorist organization” because one of its chapters celebrated the Hamas onslaught.

New York City councilmember Inna Vernikov, a Jewish Republican, criticizes The New York Times report, saying, “Will the ‘paper of record’ ask [Mamdani] a single question on this? THEY WON’T.”

Animal rights groups call on European Commission to suspend export of live animals to Mideast during Iran war

A broad coalition of international animal rights groups has rallied to support a call on the European Commission, initiated by Israel Against Live Shipments, to suspend the exports of live animals to the Middle East for the duration of the ongoing war against Iran.

Israel Against Live Shipments releases a letter signed by 25 organizations, including itself, to the EC’s Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Oliver Varhelyi.

The letter points to Iranian attacks on Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia, all destinations for EU calves and lambs that are fattened on arrival for later slaughter.

It refers to the last round of fighting between Iran and Israel in June 2025, during which Iranian missiles struck close to ships at the port in Haifa, northern Israel, during the unloading of animals from the European Union, “forcing workers to seek shelter and leaving animals stranded mid-operation.”

“Transporting animals into an active or potentially expanding conflict zone presents an unacceptable and unnecessary risk for animals and humans,” the letter adds.

Citing an EC council regulation specifying that no animal should be transported in a way likely to cause injury or undue suffering, the letter notes that Israel has certified a slaughterhouse in Portugal where the animals could be slaughtered and their meat brought into Israel.

IDF says it hit 400 targets in western Iran today; estimates 100-200 ballistic missile launchers remain

The Israeli Air Force says it struck over 400 Iranian military targets in western Iran today, as it launches a new wave of strikes in the area.

Among the targets hit today in western Iran were ballistic missile launchers and warehouses containing drones, according to the military.

The IDF estimates that Iran still has 100-200 remaining ballistic missile launchers, after it reported destroying over 300 of them so far in the current war. The military says it is continuing to “hunt down” the launchers to “reduce as much as possible the scope of fire towards Israel.”

Additionally, the IDF says it carried out an airstrike against a mobile air defense system while Iranian soldiers were working to move it from Shahrud — east of Tehran — to another location in Iran.

חיל האוויר תוקף ברגעים אלו במערב איראן: הותקפו יותר מ-400 תשתיות של משטר הטרור האיראני

הותקפה מערכת הגנה שהייתה בדרכה לעמדת שיגור

חיל האוויר ממשיך לתקוף במערב איראן. לאורך היום, הוטלו חימושים רבים לעבר יותר מ-400 מטרות של משטר הטרור האיראני במספר מרחבים במערב איראן.

בין… pic.twitter.com/qlRN4jpTB6

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 6, 2026

Trump says Cuba’s government will ‘fall pretty soon’

US President Donald Trump says that “Cuba is gonna fall pretty soon” in a renewed threat to the communist-ruled island already facing a US energy blockade.

“They want to make a deal so badly,” Trump tells CNN in an interview a day after suggesting that he would turn to an unspecified project for Cuba after the war against Iran.

“We’ve got plenty of time, but Cuba’s ready — after 50 years,” Trump says, explaining that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be his point man on Cuba.

Both Trump and Rubio — the son of Cuban immigrants — have made no secret of their desire to bring about regime change in Havana.

Washington has imposed an energy blockade on the Caribbean nation that has seen its fuel stocks plunge, following the US capture of president Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela — a key oil supplier to Cuba.

No oil has been imported to Cuba since January 9, forcing airlines to curtail flights to the island and deepening a long-running economic crisis.

Havana accuses Trump of seeking to strangle Cuba’s economy.

The island, under a US trade embargo since 1962, has for years been mired in a severe economic crisis marked by extended power cuts and shortages of fuel, medicine and food.

Iraq, Kurds say country not a launchpad against neighbors

The Iraqi government and the autonomous Kurdistan region say that Iraq must not be a launchpad for attacks against neighboring countries, following reports that militants might attempt to cross into Iran.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Kurdistan’s regional president Nechirvan Barzani agreed in a phone call “that Iraqi territory must not be used as a launching point for attacks against neighboring countries,” the premier’s media office says.

Tehran threatened earlier today to target “all the facilities” of Iraq’s autonomous region if exiled Kurdish Iranian militants were allowed to enter Iran.

Saudi defense ministry says Riyadh intercepted ‘cruise missile’

Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry says Riyadh intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near the central Al-Kharj area.

“A cruise missile was intercepted and destroyed east of Al-Kharj governorate,” the ministry says in a post on X.

Rubio said to tell Arab ministers Iran war will last several more weeks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Arab foreign ministers in a series of phone calls yesterday that the war with Iran is expected to last several more weeks, Axios reports, citing unnamed sources with direct knowledge of the conversations.

Rubio told the Arab ministers that the US is focused on targeting Iran’s missile launchers, stockpiles and manufacturing sites, Axios says.

The secretary tried to explain that the goal of the war is not regime change, even though he acknowledged that the US wants different people running Iran.

Rubio said there is currently no dialogue with the current regime, as such contact at this stage would undermine military objectives, Axios adds.

Germany pulls further troops out of Middle East

Germany has pulled additional Bundeswehr troops out of the Middle East, a military spokesman tells Reuters, the seventh day of a US–Israeli war on Iran that has convulsed the region.

Soldiers deployed with the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon are being withdrawn due to the security situation, the spokesperson says, after the Bundeswehr already sharply reduced its presence in Erbil in northern Iraq.

The RND newspaper network, which first reported the news, said that German troops stationed in Bahrain had already returned home, and preparations for withdrawals from Kuwait were underway. The spokesperson declined to comment on this.

The RND report also said that soldiers and staff from the German embassy in Baghdad were being relocated to Jordan. The foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters on the move.

Roughly 500 German soldiers are deployed across the region, mainly in Iraq and Jordan. Officials have recently moved personnel out of camps and reduced some contingents amid heightened security risks.

Fresh sirens warning of suspected drone infiltration from Lebanon sound in northern Israel

Fresh sirens warning of a suspected drone infiltration from Lebanon sound in northern Israel.

The alerts are activated in numerous towns in the Western Galilee and Galilee Panhandle.

Nearly 24,000 Americans have safely returned from Mideast since start of Iran war — US official

Nearly 24,000 American citizens have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East since the start of the Iran war on February 28, US Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson says in a statement.

These figures do not include the many Americans who have safely relocated to other countries or those who have departed the Middle East, but are still in transit back to the US.

The US has chartered several flights to help return American citizens.

One of the planes belonged to the New England Patriots football team, which is owned by US President Donald Trump’s ally, Robert Kraft.

Johnson says, “American citizens in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel in need of travel assistance should complete the Crisis Intake Form. By completing this form, American citizens in those countries will directly receive information about upcoming charter aviation and ground transportation options.”

???? Americans boarding one of the many State Department charter flights leaving the Middle East to the U.S.

This plane landed safely this morning in Washington. pic.twitter.com/2vYUK0Rmwg

— Dylan Johnson (@ASDylanJohnson) March 6, 2026

Israel strikes Lebanon’s ancient city of Tyre — state media

Israel struck Lebanon’s ancient city of Tyre on Friday, killing at least one person, in an area adjacent to a UNESCO World Heritage site, according to state media and AFP.

An AFP photographer at the scene witnesses rescue workers recovering at least one body and collecting what appeared to be scattered human remains on the ground, near the city’s ancient hippodrome.

The strike comes on the fifth day of fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

“Enemy warplanes carried out a strike on the ruins district of Tyre city,” near the Bass Palestinian refugee camp, the National News Agency says.

Bass is one of a dozen Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

Lebanon says 217 killed, 798 wounded in Israeli strikes since Monday

At least 217 people have been killed and 798 wounded in Lebanon since the start of a new war between Israel and Hezbollah on Monday, Lebanon’s health ministry announces.

The previous toll from the ministry, published Thursday evening, was 123 dead and 683 wounded.

Israeli air strikes hit south and east Lebanon as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday.

Iran TV reports fire sparked on ship struck by drone in Strait of Hormuz

Iranian state television reports a fresh drone strike on a ship in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a fire, on the seventh day of the war with the US and Israel.

The television channel did not specify the type of vessel or its provenance. Earlier, an Iran military spokesman says a US oil tanker was “on fire” after having been targeted by Iranian forces.

US official: Lincoln carrier not hit by Iran drones, despite Tehran claim

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier was not struck by drones, a US defense official says, after Iranian state TV reported a strike on the massive warship.

“The reports are not true,” the defense official says.

Iran state TV had said the previous day that drones fired by the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the Islamic Republic’s military, had struck the aircraft carrier.

State television did not provide any details on the claim. The Guards had previously alleged to have hit the Lincoln, but the Pentagon said at the time that the “missiles launched didn’t even come close.”

The United States has two aircraft carriers in the Middle East taking part in the massive air campaign against Iran that Washington launched with Israeli forces on February 28.

US must probe Iran school strike ‘very quickly,’ UN says

The United Nations rights chief calls for answers after a deadly strike on an Iranian elementary school, as media investigations conclude the United States was most likely responsible.

On the first day of the war last Saturday, a strike hit an elementary school in the southern Iranian town of Minab and killed at least 150 people, say Iranian officials.

UN rights chief Volker Turk condemns “this absolutely tragic incident,” and says he hopes investigations will be “prompt, and that they will be done in full transparency.”

“We also expect accountability to be served, because obviously mistakes were clearly made,” he tells reporters in Geneva.

Neither Israel nor the United States has claimed responsibility for the attack, which was close to sites controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The US Department of Defense has said it is investigating the incident.

US loses 92,000 jobs in February, in surprise decline

The US economy unexpectedly lost jobs in February in a sharp reversal from the prior month, while unemployment edged up, government data showed Friday, in a shift that could fuel further labor market worries.

The world’s biggest economy shed 92,000 jobs last month, down from job growth of 126,000 in January, says the Labor Department.

The jobless rate, meanwhile, crept up to 4.4 percent from 4.3 percent.

The overall plunge in employment was driven by a drop in health care due to strike activity, the Labor Department says.

“Employment in information and federal government continued to trend down,” the report adds.

Economists had widely expected a sharp slowdown in job growth, although not an outright decline.

The figures are likely to add to concerns about the critical employment market, the strength of which had previously helped to prop up consumers and household spending.

February’s figures could also bolster the case for the Federal Reserve to resume lowering interest rates to shore up the economy.

German chancellor warns against Iran state collapse, uncontrolled migration

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says the Middle East war must not lead to the collapse of the Iranian state, warning of the impact this would have on migration to Europe.

“An endless war is not in our interest. The same applies to a collapse of Iranian statehood or proxy conflicts fought on Iranian soil,” he says in a statement.

“Such scenarios could have far-reaching consequences for Europe, including for security, energy supply and migration.”

He adds that “we share the goals of the United States and Israel regarding the Iranian nuclear and missile programme, Tehran’s threats against Israel, its support for terrorism and proxies.

“The Iranian people have the right to freely decide their own destiny.”

But Merz says a total collapse of the Iranian state would spread chaos, a point he also stressed, while speaking at a trade fair in Munich.

“We do not want to see a Syrian scenario here… We want this state to be able to function on its own,” he adds of Iran.

“And that is why I am appealing both in Washington and in all talks with the Israeli government to create the conditions for this country to be stabilised as quickly as possible.”

“We naturally have a strong interest in this ourselves in order to avoid new waves of refugees from the region.”

Drones hit oil fields, airport in Iraq’s Basra — security official

Four drones struck Basra airport and two oil facilities in southern Iraq, an Iraqi security official tells AFP.

“One drone crashed into the cargo terminal at Basra airport,” the official says, adding that two others hit a US company in the Burjesia oil complex, and a fourth struck the Rumaila oil field, where energy major BP operates.

Strikes hit Iranian Kurdish militants in Iraq, attack ongoing — exiled group

Fresh strikes have hit Iranian Kurdish opposition group targets in northern Iraq, says an official from the exiled Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan.

“Our bases are under attack from the Iranian enemy,” the PDKI official tells AFP.

“After an attack this morning, our sites were targeted again 20 minutes ago with six drones,” he says, adding that the “attack continues.”

50,000 Syrians returned from Lebanon in last week — UN

Around 50,000 Syrians living in Lebanon have fled back over the border into Syria in the past week, the United Nations’ migration agency says.

The war in the Middle East spread to Lebanon when Hezbollah launched a rocket attack at Israel early Monday, to “avenge” the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in the US-Israeli attack on Tehran.

That prompted a swift retaliation from Israel, which has continued to bomb Lebanon since. It has also ordered the evacuation of hundreds of square kilometres (miles) of southern Lebanon and sent ground forces across the border.

“Large-scale cross-border movements” have been taking place in recent days, says Mathieu Luciano, the Lebanon mission chief for the International Organization for Migration.

“Nearly 50,000 Syrians have crossed from Lebanon into Syria over the past week, not including those who may have crossed yesterday following the evacuation orders,” he adds in a statement.

IOM spokesman Mohammedali Abunajela says the escalating violence in the Middle East is raising serious concerns about further civilian suffering and displacement in a region “already facing immense challenges.”

“Alarming signs of population movement are already emerging, particularly in Lebanon and across the border into Syria,” he tells journalists in Geneva.

Ayaki Ito, emergencies chief and cross-regional refugee coordinator for the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR), says the conflict in Lebanon had “pushed many Syrian refugees residing in Lebanon to go back to Syria.”

“Some of them had already planned to return even before the conflict — but others, they are fleeing to go back home,” he tells journalists in Geneva.

The UNHCR official says more than 3,000 Lebanese have crossed over into Syria to flee the conflict.

Air Force pilots wish Israelis a ‘safe and quiet Shabbat’ from over Iran

The Israeli Air Force publishes cockpit footage of IAF fighter jets it says were flying over Iran.

“We, Israeli Air Force pilots and navigators, are currently flying in formation over the skies of Tehran, en route to strike historic targets,” a pilot is heard saying in a recording.

“We continue to fight, as required around the clock, and feel your support all the time. We wish you, Israeli citizens, a safe and quiet Shabbat,” the pilot adds.

Israeli Air Force fighter jets fly over Iran, in footage published by the military on March 6, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Russian fertilizer makers can’t offset potential Iran-related supply crunch, sources say

Fertilizer producers in Russia, the world’s largest exporter, will not be able to make up for a potential global shortfall linked to the US-Iran conflict as their ability to boost supply is constrained, industry sources tell Reuters.

The war has shut down fertilizer plants in the Middle East and severely disrupted shipping routes via the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for about a third of global trade in fertilizers.

Russia accounts for about one-fifth of global fertilizer trade, but limited capacity, domestic export caps and recent Ukrainian attacks on major plants all constrain its ability to ramp up output, the sources say.

New export-oriented plants are not expected to come on stream before 2027, according to one source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“Higher prices look great on paper, but Russian producers are boxed in by domestic supply obligations, especially ahead of the planting season,” says another industry source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

“And any windfall profits are likely to draw government attention as it looks for ways to boost budget revenues.”

A third source, also speaking on condition of anonymity, says companies are currently focused on meeting domestic demand.

“It may be possible to cover, over a short horizon, the demand left unmet without the Middle East, but in the long term, it is too large a volume to replace,” the source adds.

US military looking at plan to get ships through Strait of Hormuz, White House says

The US military is putting together a plan to get ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett tells CNBC and Bloomberg Television, but declines to give any details on timing.

US investigation points to likely American responsibility for mass-casualty strike on Iran school — report

In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency, mourners attend the funeral of children killed in a reported strike on a primary school in Irans Hormozgan province, in Minab on March 3, 2026. (Amirhossein Khorgooei/ISNA/AFP)

US military investigators believe it is likely that US forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed scores of children on Saturday, but have not yet reached a final conclusion or completed their investigation, two US officials tell Reuters.

Reuters is unable to determine more details about the investigation, including what evidence contributed to the tentative assessment, what type of munition was used, who was responsible, or why the US might have struck the school.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday acknowledged the US military was investigating the incident.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters, do not rule out the possibility that new evidence could emerge that absolves the US of responsibility and points to another responsible party in the incident.

Reuters cannot determine how much longer the investigation will last or what evidence US investigators are seeking before the assessment can be completed.

The girls’ school in Minab, in southern Iran, was hit on Saturday during the first day of US and Israeli attacks on the country. Iran’s ambassador to the US in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, said the strike killed 150 students. Reuters cannot independently confirm the death toll.

According to archived copies of the school’s official website, the school is adjacent to a compound operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military force that reports to Iran’s supreme leader.

The Pentagon referred questions from Reuters to the US military’s Central Command, whose spokesperson, Captain Timothy Hawkins, says: “It would be inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation.”

Kuwait reportedly begins cutting production at some oil fields

Kuwait has begun cutting production at some oil fields after running out of room to store its bottled-up crude, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing people familiar with the matter.

The country, which is a founding member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is discussing limiting its production and refining capacity further, to just what it needs to cover domestic consumption, the WSJ reports.

Iranian athletes unable to secure safe passage to Milan Paralympics amid war

Iran will not compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announces.

“We were informed by the National Paralympic Committee (of) Iran that safe passage to Milano Cortina 2026 was not possible, and, as a result, they would not be able to come to the Games,” Andrew Parsons, IPC President, says in a statement.

Tug reportedly hit by unknown projectiles in Strait of Hormuz

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says it had received a report of an incident 6 nautical miles north of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz.

A third-party source reported a tug being hit by unknown projectiles in the strait, UKMTO says.

Crude and gas tankers with cargoes sailing from Iranian ports despite war, sources say

At least five tankers laden with crude oil have left Iranian ports since US-led airstrikes on Iran began on February 28, with liquefied petroleum gas supplies also moving on Friday, according to ship trackers and traders.

The Gulf region’s key Strait of Hormuz chokepoint has been largely closed to international shipping since the conflict broke out, with at least nine vessels damaged due to the conflict. Supplies from Iran are moving, albeit at a slower pace.

At least five crude tankers loaded and left from Iran’s major Kharg Island oil terminal between February 28 and March 2, according to analysis from US advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, which monitors Iran-related tanker traffic through ship and satellite tracking.

Other data was in line with these numbers. At least four tankers carrying crude oil have sailed from Iran since February 28, according to separate analysis from TankerTrackers.com, a maritime intelligence company that specializes in tracking the so-called shadow fleet.

Two liquefied petroleum gas tankers, both under US sanctions, Fortune Gas and the Danuta, sailed out of Iran earlier today after loading cargoes, according to trade sources and analysis from maritime platforms Lloyd’s List Intelligence and MarineTraffic.

Iranian dry bulk vessels were attempting to carry their cargoes through the Gulf and on to export markets for the first time since the ‌US and Israel launched attacks on Iran last weekend, ship tracking data showed on Thursday.

Lufthansa adds more flights to Asia, Africa as Middle East war reshapes air travel

Lufthansa says that it is shifting capacity from 10 cancelled Middle Eastern destinations to routes such as Singapore and Bangkok as it contends with disruption from the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Airlines across Europe, including budget carrier Wizz, have been redirecting capacity after suspending services in the Middle East.

Lufthansa says the move also helps meet demand on long-haul routes that Middle Eastern carriers cannot currently serve.

Airline stocks have slumped this week as US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran — and retaliatory strikes by Iran across the Middle East — have disrupted long-haul flights and sent oil prices soaring.

“The war in the Middle East proves once again how exposed air traffic is and how vulnerable it remains,” Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr says in a statement. He adds that the outlook is uncertain, particularly for jet fuel costs.

The schedule changes come as the German group reported better-than-expected 2025 results, saying stricter financial management and fleet renewal had helped contain costs and lift profits. Its shares rose as much as 4% before reversing to trade down 1.2% at 12:46 GMT.

The company says demand on routes to and from Asia and Africa has risen strongly since the conflict began on Saturday, and it will stick with its focus on expanding long-haul services. Spohr says new flights to Asia would launch in days.

Lufthansa does not say how many services it has cancelled because of the conflict.

While carriers face costs for rescheduling and rerouting, the biggest impact for those outside the Middle East is expected from surging fuel prices. Brent crude futures have jumped more than 20% this week.

Spohr says Lufthansa was well hedged in the short term. The group hedges fuel up to 24 months ahead and was 85% hedged as of December 31, according to its annual report.

Medical stocks ‘critically low’ in Gaza, WHO says

The World Health Organization says that medical supplies in Gaza are running critically low, despite Israel’s reopening of a key crossing this week.

Supplies of some items, such as gauze and needles, have already run out, says WHO’s regional director Hanan Balkhy, citing information from the health ministry in Gaza, devastated by the two-year Israel-Hamas war.

“Stocks of essential medicines, trauma supplies and surgical consumables are critically low, and fuel shortages continue to limit hospital operations,” she says.

“The situation is difficult, and we will be running out of whatever is remaining.”

On Tuesday, the Israeli military agency that controls access to Gaza said it had reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing “for the gradual entry of humanitarian aid.” It had closed entry points earlier, citing missile threats from Iran amid an escalating air war after ​Israeli ⁠and US forces attacked Iran on Saturday.

The Rafah Crossing into Egypt, the main exit point for most people in Gaza, has remained shut and medical evacuations suspended, the WHO says.

Some 18,000 people, including injured children and people with chronic diseases, are awaiting evacuation, according to the UN agency.

Balkhy says that it was able to import some medical supplies and fuel on Tuesday and Wednesday, but that some trucks remain on standby in al-Arish, Egypt.

“We’re talking about … maximum 200 out of 600 daily trucks that need to go in are going in so that is really not enough to support the needs in Gaza,” she says.

She calls for more fuel to be allowed to enter to run hospitals.

Half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are still shut after the Israel-Hamas war ended in a shaky ceasefire last October, and the ones that are open are struggling to sustain critical services such as surgery, dialysis and intensive care, she says.

Netanyahu visits site of Iranian missile impact, indicates fight against Iran will intensify

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the site of an Iranian missile impact in Beersheba on March 6, 2026. (Avi Ohayon/GPO)

Visiting the site of an Iranian missile impact in Beersheba, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicates that Israel intends to intensify the fight against Iran and Hezbollah, its proxy in Lebanon.

“We are striking the enemy, its leadership, its oppressive regime and different targets, including in Lebanon. We have determination, initiative and ingenuity that the enemy will discover even more significantly,” Netanyahu says, according to a statement from his office

“We are on the way to completing all our missions,” he says, as the US-Israeli operation in Iran nears the one-week mark.

8 troops wounded in Hezbollah rocket attack on IDF position near Lebanon border; Smotrich’s son among them

Eight IDF soldiers were wounded, five of them seriously, in a Hezbollah rocket attack in northern Israel earlier today, the military says.

The rocket struck an army position near the Lebanon border.

The troops, who all served with the Givati Brigade, were taken to a hospital for treatment. Five are listed in serious condition, and three are lightly hurt, the army says.

Among those lightly injured by the rocket strike is the son of Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, the minister’s office said.

IDF says strike in south Lebanon targeted offices of a top Hamas fundraiser

An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon this morning targeted the offices of a top Hamas money man, the IDF and Shin Bet say.

The Shin Bet says that the head of Hamas’s “fundraising apparatus,” Essam Khashan, and other operatives operated out of the “clandestine office.”

No further details are given on where the strike was conducted.

The joint statement says that during the war, the Hamas fundraising apparatus “worked to raise hundreds of millions of dollars around the world for the Hamas terror organization.”

“These funds are used to finance terrorism, to build up weapons capabilities, and to pay salaries for terrorists in the organization’s military wing,” the IDF and Shin Bet add.

IDF says it targeted senior Iran commander said to be acting chief of staff of slain supreme leader’s office

A senior Iranian commander was targeted in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran a short while ago, the IDF announces.

Israeli security sources identify him as Asghar Hijazi, who is said to be the acting chief of staff of the supreme leader’s office, following the Saturday strike that killed Ali Khamenei and other Iranian leaders.

The IDF said it had targeted “a senior Iranian terror regime commander,” and that further details on the strike in Iran’s capital would be provided later.

The statement doesn’t specify that the commander was killed.

Trump: There will be no deal with Iran except ‘UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER’

US President Donald Trump sits between President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, right, and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, left, during a signing ceremony on his Board of Peace initiative at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

US President Donald Trump says, “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” in a Truth Social post shortly after Iran’s president claimed some countries were seeking to mediate an end to the war.

“After [Iran’s unconditional surrender], and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better and stronger than ever before,” Trump writes.

“IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE,” he adds.

The post appears to again undercut the Trump administration’s assertions that regime change is not one of the goals of the war.

Trump has been saying in interviews over the last 24 hours that he wants a role in the selection of the next leader of Iran.

Lebanese media footage shows fresh Israeli airstrikes in south Beirut

Footage published by Lebanese media shows fresh Israeli airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a known Hezbollah stronghold.

The IDF said earlier that it was carrying out a new wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in the area.

مشاهد من الغارة على الضاحية pic.twitter.com/ybdUUOBu6D

— Lebanon Debate (@lebanondebate) March 6, 2026

Sirens triggered in Jordan Valley settlements, Galilee and Golan Heights over suspected drone infiltrations

Sirens warning of a suspected drone infiltration sound in the northern Jordan Valley area of the West Bank.

The alerts are activated in a number of Israeli settlements in the area.

The IDF has reported shooting down over 100 drones launched from Iran since the start of the war nearly a week ago.

Separately, sirens warning of a suspected drone infiltration from Lebanon also sound in several communities in the Galilee and Golan Heights.

Shin Bet, Foreign Ministry boost security for Israeli missions, tourists abroad amid ‘concrete threats’ during Iran war

Undated photo from a security exercise conducted in Bulgaria, part of preparations for threats against Israeli missions abroad. (Shin Bet communications)

The Shin Bet and Foreign Ministry announce moves to reinforce Israel’s global security amid the ongoing US-Israeli operation against Iran.

“In light of concrete threats against Israeli targets and Israeli missions around the world, the Shin Bet, in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry, has recently increased the operational readiness of security teams through specialized activities carried out in close coordination with local security forces around Israeli targets abroad,” reads a joint statement.

The efforts “include enhancing rapid-response procedures, emergency evacuation capabilities, and cooperation with local security authorities at Israeli missions worldwide, with particular emphasis on the Middle East, Europe and Africa,” the statement continues.

Both “overt and covert security measures” were taken to strengthen security around Israeli diplomatic missions, diplomats, official delegations and aviation-related targets, as well as in areas where Israelis gather abroad, including waiting areas around travel flights, the statement adds.

Huckabee meets Herzog day after Trump blasted Israeli president for not pardoning PM

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee (left) and President Isaac Herzog meet to discuss the joint operation in Iran, on March 6, 2026. (Shalev Shalom/GPO)

A day after US President Donald Trump branded President Isaac Herzog “a disgrace” for not immediately pardoning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee meets with the Israeli president during which the envoy hails the Israeli president, according to a readout from the latter’s office.

The Israeli readout of the meeting says the pair discussed the “critical importance” of close US-Israel cooperation in the ongoing military operation against Iran.

The readout adds that Herzog arranged the meeting days ago, before Trump blasted him in an Axios interview.

“President Herzog has been one of the most important friends that I have had since I arrived here as ambassador, and his leadership in this role has been not just important to us as a US government, but on a personal level, he and his wife have become very, very close to my wife and myself,” Huckabee said during the meeting, according to an Israeli readout.

“For 47 years, the United States has been under the threat of this regime. They wish to destroy us, but they know they have to destroy Israel first…And I’m just grateful that Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu decided that enough is enough,” Huckabee added.

For his part, the Israeli readout quotes Herzog as having said, “I utterly believe that once you undermine this empire of evil emanating from Tehran, we will be able to offer avenues of peace, goodwill, and a prosperous future for the people of the Middle East.”

IDF: More than 70 Hezbollah operatives killed in Lebanon strikes since group joined attacks on Israel

IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says the military has killed more than 70 Hezbollah operatives in strikes in Lebanon since the terror group began attacking Israel earlier this week.

According to Lebanon’s health ministry, at least 123 people have been killed and 683 wounded in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon since Monday.

IDF: Israeli Air Force launched new wave of strikes in Tehran and Isfahan

The Israeli Air Force has launched a new wave of airstrikes against Iranian regime targets in Tehran and Isfahan, the IDF announces.

It marks the 15th wave of strikes in Iran’s capital since the start of the war, according to the military.

Further details are expected to be provided later.

Report: Russia has been giving Iran the locations of US military assets in the Middle East

Russia has been assisting Iran by providing information on the locations of US military assets in the Middle East, The Washington Post reports, citing US officials familiar with the details.

Since the US and Israel launched their opening attack on Iran on Saturday, Russia has given Iran the locations of several US military assets, the sources say, including warships and aircraft.

The report notes that the extent to which Russia is able to provide accurate information to Iran is unclear, although one of the sources says it appears to be “a pretty comprehensive effort” on Moscow’s part.

Russia and Iran have long enjoyed close ties, and in January 2025, the two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement to further improve cooperation, including military and defense partnerships.

Earlier this week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Russia was “not really a factor” in the fighting with Iran.

Iran president says some countries have ‘begun mediation efforts’ to end war

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, the head of the judiciary and Alireza Arafi, deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, attend the meeting of the interim leadership council of Iran in an unknown location, March 1, 2026. (Handout via IRIB/WANA)

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says that some countries have begun mediation efforts to end the war with the United States and Israel, but said any talks should address those who started the war.

“Some countries have begun mediation efforts. Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region, yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity and sovereignty,” says Pezeshkian in a post on X.

“Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict.”

No reports of injuries or impacts in latest Iranian missile attack on southern Israel

There are no reports of injuries following the latest Iranian ballistic missile attack on southern Israel, medics say.

According to military assessments, a small number of missiles were launched in the salvo. There are no reports of direct impacts.

Sirens had sounded in Beersheba and the surrounding area in southern Israel amid the attack, the second since this morning.

The IDF Home Front Command says civilians in areas where sirens sounded can now leave bomb shelters, but should still remain close to them.

Two flights per hour, 50 passengers apiece: Israel’s airspace to reopen gradually from Sunday

Israel is preparing to gradually reopen the country’s airspace for outbound flights starting Sunday at 8 a.m.

As part of the operational framework, a maximum of two narrow-body aircraft will be permitted to depart per hour, with no more than 50 passengers per flight.

For now, outbound flights will be operated by Israeli airlines El Al, Israir, Arkia and Air Haifa.

In addition, 15 percent of all outbound seats will be reserved for humanitarian, security, diplomatic, or tourist cases.

Israeli citizens wishing to depart on these flights must sign a form stating they will not return to the country for at least 30 days from the date of their flight.

In the coming days, Israel will seek to expand the scope of outbound flights and seats in accordance with security developments.

Lebanon says 5 killed in Sidon airstrike; no comment from IDF

Security officers check the damage at a building struck by an Israeli airstrike in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

At least five people have been killed and seven wounded in an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, Lebanon’s health ministry says.

According to Lebanese state media, Israel struck a building on a main thoroughfare in Sidon shortly before noon today, with no prior warning.

The IDF has not commented on the reports. The military has said it was targeting Hezbollah sites in the Iranian proxy group’s strongholds in Beirut and in Lebanon’s southern and eastern regions.

AFP contributed to this report.

IDF issues ‘urgent warning’ to Iranians in industrial zone south of Tehran ahead of strikes

The IDF issues an “urgent warning” to Iranians in an industrial zone in Qom, south of Tehran, ahead of planned airstrikes.

“Urgent warning to all individuals present in the Shahkuhiyeh industrial area. In the coming hours, the IDF will operate in the area, as it has in recent days across Iran, to strike military infrastructure of the Iranian regime,” says the IDF’s Persian-language spokesman, Lt. Col. (res.) Kamal Penhasi in a statement.

‼️ هشدار فوری به کلیه افراد مستقر در ناحیه صنعتی «شهکویه» در منطقه قم بر اساس ناحیه مشخص شده قرمز رنگ بر روی نقشه ضمیمه.

⭕️ ارتش اسرائیل همچنان که در روزهای اخیر در سراسر ایران برای حمله به زیرساخت های نظامی رژیم ایران اقدام کرده است، طی ساعاتی آینده در این ناحیه فعالیت خواهد… pic.twitter.com/JcKaO2M2gA

— ارتش دفاعی اسرائیل | IDF Farsi (@IDFFarsi) March 6, 2026

Katz: Israel will defeat Hezbollah ‘one way or another’

Defense Minister Israel Katz (center) meets with IDF generals at the militray's underground command center at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, March 6, 2026. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israel will defeat Hezbollah “one way or another,” as the IDF continues to strike the terror group and deploy troops deeper in southern Lebanon.

“No resident of the north should have to leave or move from their land and communities, and our mission is to ensure and guarantee their safety and security,” Katz says during an assessment with senior IDF officers, according to his office.

“The IDF has reinforced troops inside enemy territory and has now significantly expanded to additional positions it has taken,” he says.

“We will do this until Hezbollah is defeated, one way or another,” Katz adds.

Flydubai expected to resume flights to Tel Aviv early next week

Passengers for a flydubai flight heading to Ben Gurion Airport board their aircraft at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, October 18, 2024. (AP/Jon Gambrell)

Flydubai is expected to resume operations and operate flights to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport starting early next week to return passengers to Israel from the United Arab Emirates.

Upon pressure from Transportation Minister Miri Regev, flydubai will operate an air train to and from Ben Gurion Airport, according to the Transportation Ministry.

“This will be conducted in accordance with the recommendations of defense officials and in accordance with security developments,” the Transportation Ministry says.

The airline advises passengers currently in the UAE, including its customers, to follow official updates on the flydubai website and verify their exact flight times before arriving at the airport.

After the US-Israel offensive was launched Saturday morning, some flydubai flights had to be diverted to Saudi Arabia, as the country’s airspace was closed, leaving Israelis stranded abroad.

Sirens expected in southern Israel due to new Iranian missile launch

The IDF says it had detected a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Sirens are expected to sound in southern Israel in the coming minutes.

IDF estimates Iran now firing just 20 missiles a day at Israel, down from 90 last Saturday

Anti-missile batteries fire interception missiles toward incoming ballistic missiles launched from Iran, as seen over Tel Aviv, during the war with Iran and ongoing missile fire toward Israel, March 5, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The number of ballistic missiles launched from Iran at Israel has slowed to around 20 per day in recent days, according to military estimates.

On the first day of the war, Saturday, after Israel and the US launched strikes against Iran, some 90 ballistic missiles were fired toward Israel. The following day, Sunday, the number dropped to around 60.

On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, roughly 20 missiles were fired each day in multiple salvos, each consisting of a small number of projectiles.

Iran has launched dozens more ballistic missiles at other countries in the Middle East during the conflict. In total, Iranian media claims about 500 ballistic missiles have been fired.

The IDF reports that it has so far destroyed more than 300 Iranian ballistic missile launchers — about 60% of Iran’s total stockpile. CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper said yesterday that Iran’s ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90% since the first day of the war.

Israeli Air Force destroys Khamenei’s underground bunker in Tehran

The underground bunker of Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was destroyed by the Israeli Air Force this morning, the military says.

Some 50 IAF fighter jets dropped around 100 bombs on the site, which the IDF says was located under Iran’s “leadership complex” in Tehran, spreading across multiple streets and including “many entry points and rooms for gatherings of senior members of the Iranian terror regime.”

“The underground bunker was built beneath the compound and was a secure emergency asset for managing the war by the leader, who was eliminated before he managed to use it,” the military says.

The military says that after Khamenei was killed in a strike on Saturday, “the compound continued to be used by senior members of the Iranian regime.”

The Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 8200 and Unit 9900 — which are tasked with signals and visual intelligence, respectively — mapped out the site over a years-long effort, enabling today’s “precise” strike, according to the IDF.

The IDF has struck sites at Iran’s “leadership complex” in Tehran several times amid the conflict.

In the opening strike of the war, the IDF struck and killed Khamenei at his compound, which is part of the complex. Another strike on a nearby building killed eight top Iranian officials, according to the military. On Tuesday, the IDF said it hit several sites at the complex, including Iran’s presidential bureau and the headquarters of Iran’s Supreme National Security.

Israeli Air Force fighter jets strike the underground bunker of Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, in footage published by the military on March 6, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Qatar’s energy minister expects Gulf states will shut down oil exports within weeks if Iran conflict persists

Qatar expects all Gulf energy producers to shut down exports within weeks if the Iran conflict continues and drives oil to $150 a barrel, the country’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi tells the Financial Times in an interview published today.

Qatar halted its production of liquefied natural gas on Monday, as Iran continued to strike Gulf countries in retaliation for Israeli and US attacks.

The country’s LNG production is equivalent to about 20% of global supply and plays a major role in balancing both Asian and European markets’ demand for the fuel.

“Everybody who has not called for force majeure we expect will do so in the next few days if this continues. All exporters in the Gulf region will have to call force majeure,” Kaabi tells the FT.

Force majeure is unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract.

“If this war continues for a few weeks, GDP growth around the world will be impacted,” he said.

“Everybody’s energy price is going to go higher. There will be shortages of some products and there will be a chain reaction of factories that cannot supply,” Kaabi says.

Kaabi says even if the war ended immediately, it would take Qatar “weeks to months” to return to a normal cycle of deliveries.

Analysts and economists have highlighted the potential impact of the war on economies globally.

Kaabi forecasts that crude prices could hit $150 a barrel in two to three weeks if ships and tankers are unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most vital oil export ​route, connecting the biggest Gulf oil producers with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

Netanyahu’s office releases footage of Iran war meeting with top aides

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with senior ministers, advisers and security chiefs amid the war in Iran, on March 5, 2026. (Avi Ohayon/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office releases footage of his meeting on the Iran campaign last night with senior ministers, advisers and security chiefs.

Netanyahu was joined by Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and — in contrast to their absence from the war cabinet during the early stages of the 2023 war in Gaza — his far-right allies, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Shin Bet Chief David Zini, Acting National Security Adviser Gil Reich and Military Secretary Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman also participated.

Michael Eisenberg — Netanyahu’s representative to the joint Gaza ceasefire oversight headquarters in Kiryat Gat — was also at the meeting, a sign of a growing role for the Israeli-American businessman.

Suspected drone infiltration sets off sirens in Haifa, surrounding area

Sirens warning of a suspected drone infiltration from Lebanon sound in Haifa and the surrounding area.

Hezbollah has launched several drones at Israel in the past week.

IDF issues new evacuation warning for Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley

The IDF issues a new wide evacuation warning in Lebanon’s eastern Beqaa Valley ahead of airstrikes on Hezbollah sites.

“Urgent warning to the residents of the Beqaa area, specifically residents of the villages Nabi Chit, Khader, Sarain al-Fawqa and Sarain al-Tahta. Hezbollah’s activities in the area force the IDF to act against it with force to target its military infrastructure. The IDF does not intend to harm you,” says army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.

“To ensure your safety, we call on you to evacuate the area immediately and head north,” he says.

Adraee warns that “anyone who is near Hezbollah members, its facilities, or its [weapons] is putting their life and the lives of their family members at risk.”

“We will inform you when it is safe to return to your homes,” he adds.

#عاجل ‼️ انذار عاجل إلى سكان منطقة البقاع وتحديدًا سكان القرى النبي شيت، الخضر، سرعين الفوقا وسرعين التحتا

????إن أنشطة حزب الله في المنطقة تجبر جيش الدفاع على العمل ضده بقوة وذلك لاستهداف بنى تحتية عسكرية تابعة له. جيش الدفاع لا ينوي المساس بكم.

????لضمان سلامتكم ندعوكم الى إخلاء… pic.twitter.com/Bc3BQZCuJE

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) March 6, 2026

Senior official to ToI: Iran operation going ‘much better than expected’

The Israeli-US campaign against Iran is “proceeding much better than expected,” a senior Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

“Nobody could have expected such smooth execution,” says the official. “With such payloads being dropped, and such a complex level of coordination required — no one could have anticipated such success so soon.”

The official stresses that there is still much to be done, “but the achievements are epic.”

Baku withdrawing staff from embassy in Iran after drone attack on Azerbaijan

This image taken from a video shows damages at the Nakhchivan International Airport following what Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said was a drone attack carried out by Iran on its exclave of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo)

Azerbaijan is withdrawing its diplomats from Iran for their own safety, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov says, a day after Baku said four Iranian drones had crossed its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave.

He says Azerbaijan is evacuating employees from its embassy in Tehran and its consulate general in Tabriz.

Azerbaijan has warned it could retaliate against Tehran for the drones, two of which hit an airport and near a school.

Iran has not acknowledged targeting Azerbaijan, but its retaliatory attacks have spread erratically to include regional countries and beyond amid an intense joint US-Israeli air campaign that began over the weekend.

Lebanese reports: Israeli strike hits apartment in coastal city of Sidon

Lebanese media reports that an Israeli strike hit an apartment in the coastal city of Sidon.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the strike.

مشاهد للشقة المستهدفة في #صيدا بعد الغارة الإسرائيلية pic.twitter.com/Wtybaam3Ul

— هنا لبنان (@thisislebnews) March 6, 2026

El Al repatriation flight from LA lands in Tel Aviv after brief delay caused by Iranian missile fire

An El Al repatriation flight arriving from Los Angeles and preparing for landing at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was delayed due to the latest rocket and missile attack alert from Iran.

Following the Iranian ballistic missile attack on central Israel, fragments reportedly landed in some areas.

The El Al flight circled in the air for about half an hour as the runway was checked for fragments. After the runway was cleared, the aircraft bringing Israelis back home from Los Angeles touched down safely at Ben Gurion at around 11:00 am.

Mass evacuation orders for southern Lebanon, Beirut may violate international law — UN rights chief

Displaced people fleeing Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh sleep on the Beirut corniche, Lebanon, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Large-scale evacuation orders issued by the Israeli army for southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs raise serious concerns under international law, the UN human rights chief says.

“These blanket, massive displacement orders, we are talking here about hundreds and thousands of people,” says United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk.

“This raises serious concern under international humanitarian law, and in particular when it comes to issues around forced transfer,” he adds.

Israel has, in the past few days, issued calls for civilians across southern Lebanon to move north of the Litani River, and for the total evacuation of Beirut’s southern suburbs, a known Hezbollah stronghold.

Israeli Air Force conducting new wave of strikes against Hezbollah in Beirut, IDF says

The Israeli Air Force has begun a new wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut’s southern suburbs, the IDF announces.

It says further details will be provided later.

The strikes come after the IDF yesterday issued an evacuation warning for four major neighborhoods in the southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh.

Overnight, the IDF said it struck 10 buildings in the Dahiyeh neighborhood that were used by Hezbollah.

Iranian leadership council met to discuss selection of new supreme leader, state media reports

Iranian state television reports that a leadership council in the country met and discussed how to hold a meeting of the country’s Assembly of Experts, which will select the nation’s new supreme leader, after Israel and the US killed the former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, last Saturday.

The leadership council includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi and cleric Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi.

The statement provides no timeline on the selection of the supreme leader, nor information on whether the Assembly of Experts would meet in person or remotely for the vote.

Buildings associated with the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical panel, have been attacked during the Israeli-US airstrike campaign.

No reports of injuries in latest Iranian missile salvo on central Israel

There are no reports of injuries following the latest Iranian ballistic missile attack on central Israel, medics say.

According to military assessments, a small number of missiles were launched in the salvo. There are no reports of direct impacts in residential areas. Fragments reportedly landed in some areas.

Sirens had sounded in Tel Aviv and the surrounding area in central Israel amid the attack, the first in some 11 hours. Explosions were also heard, apparently as a result of interceptions or impacts in open areas.

The IDF Home Front Command says civilians in areas where sirens sounded can now leave bomb shelters, but should still remain close to them.

Four arrested in London on suspicion of spying on Jewish community for Iran

British police have arrested four men on suspicion of spying for Iran after an investigation into suspected surveillance of locations and individuals in London’s Jewish community.

Detectives say one of the men is Iranian, while three have dual British-Iranian nationality, and they have been taken into custody after the arrests were made in Barnet, north London, and Watford, a town north of London.

British lawmakers and domestic spy agencies have been warning for years of the threat to Britain from Iran.

Australia has also linked antisemitic attacks to Tehran.

London Metropolitan Police commander Helen Flanagan says the arrests are part of a long-running investigation.

The arrested men are aged between 22 years-old and 55 years-old and the police say they arrested six other men as part of the operation on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Predicting US shortfall, EU defense chief says Europe must step up production of air defense systems

The war in the Middle East has made it even more urgent for Europe to step up production of air defense and anti‑ballistic missiles, EU defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius says on Friday.

“With the Iranian crisis … it has become very clear that Europe must ramp up production of air‑defense and anti‑ballistic missiles,” he said during a joint news conference with Polish Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak‑Kamysz.

“The Americans will not be able to supply enough for Gulf countries, for their own forces, and for Ukraine,” he adds.

Sirens expected in central Israel after 11 hour lull as new Iranian missile launch detected

After a lull of 11 hours, the IDF says it had detected a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Sirens are expected to sound in central Israel in the coming minutes.

Health Ministry says 140 people taken to hospital due to Iran war in past 24 hours

The Health Ministry reports that in the past 24 hours, 140 injured people have been taken to hospitals as a result of the conflict with Iran.

Among those treated in hospitals, one is in serious condition, 19 are in moderate condition, and 114 are in good condition.

Four people have been treated for anxiety, and two have undergone or are undergoing medical evaluation.

A total of 1,619 people have been evacuated to hospitals since the fighting began on Saturday. Of that number, 87 are still currently hospitalized or in the ER, while the remainder have been treated and released.

Four of the people still currently hospitalized are in serious condition, although two of them were not directly wounded by missile strikes.

Thirty-one people are in moderate condition, 50 are in good condition, and two have undergone or are undergoing medical evaluation.

Israeli airstrikes reported in eastern Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley

Lebanese media reports Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon’s eastern Beqaa Valley.

Yesterday, the IDF issued evacuation warnings for several towns in the area, warning it would strike Hezbollah sites.

مراسل "ليبانون ديبايت": غارة إسرائيلية تستهدف بلدة دورس في البقاع pic.twitter.com/tMlDOTc1Gj

— Lebanon Debate (@lebanondebate) March 6, 2026

US Justice Department releases FBI interviews with woman who alleged Trump sexually assaulted her as a minor

The US Justice Department has published additional FBI documents describing interviews with a woman who said US President Donald Trump sexually assaulted her after she was introduced to him by Jeffrey Epstein as a minor.

The release of the documents comes after US media outlet NPR revealed that the Justice Department had failed to release a number of files pertaining to allegations against the president.

The documents had not been made public under previous congressionally-mandated file releases related to the late convicted sex offender because they were mistakenly marked “duplicative,” the Justice Department says.

Democrats are investigating the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files.

The documents released yesterday include descriptions of multiple 2019 interviews the FBI held with the woman, who alleged she was assaulted by both Epstein and Trump while she was between 13 and 15 years old.

In one interview, the woman said Epstein took her to “either New York or New Jersey” and introduced her to Trump. She told investigators that she bit Trump as he attempted to force her to perform oral sex on him.

The woman said she and people close to her received threatening calls over the years demanding she keep quiet, that she believed were related to Epstein.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to the Epstein allegations, and the Justice Department previously said some of the documents it has released “contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump.”

Democrats have accused the Trump administration of covering up details of the Epstein investigation that could negatively impact Trump.

On Wednesday, a House committee voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi to answer questions about the Justice Department’s handling of the documents.

US in talks with South Korea to shift some Patriot systems to the Middle East

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun says the US and South Korean militaries are discussing shifting some US Patriot missile defense systems based in South Korea to be deployed in the war against Iran.

Cho is responding to a question at a parliamentary hearing.

Reports have suggested that the US military could soon be forced to start conserving its air defenses amid the constant Iranian attacks on its assets in the Middle East.

Top US military officials have denied the reports, and at a briefing earlier this week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the stockpile of Patriot missiles remained “extremely strong.”

Watch: IDF strikes destroy 6 Iranian ballistic missile launchers primed for attack on Israel

The IDF releases footage showing strikes on six armed Iranian ballistic missile launchers that it says were primed for attacks on Israel.

The Israeli Air Force struck the launchers over the course of several hours, overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, minutes before the missiles were set to be fired at Israel, the military says.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said last night that 60 percent of Iran’s missile launchers had been destroyed so far in the ongoing campaign.

לפני השיגור לישראל: חיל האוויר השמיד שישה משגרי טילים בליסטיים איראנים

חיל האוויר, השמיד תוך מספר שעות בלילה של יום רביעי שישה משגרי טילים, דקות ספורות לפני ששוגרו לעבר שטח מדינת ישראל.

בנוסף, הושמדו שלוש מערכות הגנה איראניות מתקדמות.

המאמץ המשולב להעמקת הפגיעה ביכולות הירי… pic.twitter.com/1rrx9Lu69H

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 6, 2026

Over 500 targets struck in Lebanon since Hezbollah waded into Iran conflict, IDF says

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut's southern suburbs' al-Jamous neighborhood on March 6, 2026. (Dadel Itani/AFP)

Since Hezbollah joined the conflict on Monday, the IDF has struck over 500 targets in Lebanon, according to the military.

The targets have included top Hezbollah commanders, members of its elite Radwan Force, rocket launchers, command centers, weapon depots, as well as members of other terror groups and their infrastructure.

In southern Lebanon, the military says it estimates that some 420,000 Lebanese civilians have evacuated their homes after the IDF ordered everyone in the area to leave and head north of the Litani River.

Tens of thousands more have evacuated from Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, since the IDF also ordered an evacuation there yesterday afternoon.

IDF: Ten Hezbollah targets hit in Beirut overnight, including its executive council HQ

The IDF says it struck ten multi-story buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight that were used by Hezbollah.

Among the targets hit overnight was the headquarters of Hezbollah’s executive council and a warehouse used to store drones, the military says.

“The command centers were intended to be used by Hezbollah to advance and carry out numerous terror attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel,” the IDF says in a statement.

Ahead of the strikes, the IDF issued an evacuation warning for four major neighborhoods in the southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh.

עשרים ושישה גלי תקיפות בדאחייה מתחילת המערכה: חיל-האוויר תקף הלילה בביירות מפקדות ועשרה מבנים רבי קומות שבהם תשתיות צבאיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה

צה״ל השלים במהלך הלילה גל תקיפה רחב בביירות, נגד תשתיות טרור של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה.

במסגרת התקיפות הותקפה המפקדה של המועצה… pic.twitter.com/ixUojnQ3ds

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) March 6, 2026

UAE’s Etihad Airways resumes limited flight schedule, including to Tel Aviv

Illustrative: An Etihad Airways plane departs from Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, on April 7, 2025. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways says it will resume limited flight schedules to key global cities from its United Arab Emirates hub, even as the threat of missile fire from Iran continues.

It says it will resume the limited flight schedule to key global cities through March 19.

The flights will operate to and from Abu Dhabi and around 70 destinations, including Tel Aviv, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Delhi, New York, Toronto.

Tokyo says Japanese citizen being held in Iran, demands immediate release

Tokyo says that a second Japanese national is being held in Iran, and calls for their immediate release.

Japan had previously said that one Japanese citizen was arrested on January 20.

The identity of the second Japanese person held and the date and reason for their arrest is unclear.

A spokeswoman for the Japanese foreign ministry tells AFP — without naming either person — that embassy staff have been in contact with the two people and to “confirm their safety”.

“We can’t comment further details about these people, including one who was arrested by the Iranian authorities on January 20 in Tehran, from the viewpoint of privacy,” she says.

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Farda and the Committee to Protect Journalists, one of those arrested is the Tehran bureau chief of Japanese public broadcaster NHK, Shinnosuke Kawashima.

Kawashima was arrested on January 20 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and held at a detention facility in northern Tehran, the CPJ said on February 26, citing a source who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

The CPJ and Radio Free Europe both reported that Kawashima was transferred to the notorious Evin Prison on February 23.

Suspected drone infiltration alerts sound in Southern Golan Heights communities

Warning sirens are activated in several communities in the Southern Golan Heights due to a suspected drone infiltration.

Saudi Arabia says three drones intercepted east of Riyadh as Iran continues its attack

Saudi Arabia says it destroyed three drones east of Riyadh, as Iran presses on with attacks across the Gulf.

“Three drones were intercepted and destroyed east of the Riyadh region,” the Saudi defense ministry posts on X, quoting a spokesperson.

Suspected drone infiltration alerts sound in Western Galilee towns

Warnings sirens are activated in several Western Galilee communities due to a suspected drone infiltration from Lebanon.

Trump: Invasion would be a ‘waste,’ but ‘we want to go in and clean out’ leadership

US President Donald Trump tells NBC News that a ground invasion of Iran would be “a waste” but indicates the US will have a say over who leads the country next.

“It’s a waste of time,” he says of Iranian claims that it is planning for a US-Israeli invasion. “They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose.”

But he is also quoted telling the network that “we want to go in and clean out everything,” as the country chooses a new leader.

“We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period,” he’s quoted saying in a phone call.

“We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job,” he adds.

Trump does not name who he has in mind, according to the network, but says there are efforts to ensure they are not killed in the war.

“We are watching them, yeah,” he says.

Hezbollah taunts Israel with own evacuation order

The Hezbollah terror group has issued a warning in Hebrew ordering residents of Israeli towns near the Israeli border to evacuate, in what appears to be a sardonic rejoinder to Israel’s own warnings to Lebanese civilians ahead of airstrikes.

“Warning to residents of northern settlements, you are ordered to evacuate all settlements located within five kilometers of the border,” the terror group says in a statement, accompanied by a map showing the area where residents should head south from.

Hezbollah issues an evacuation warning to residents of the northern Israeli communities located within 5 km of the border line. pic.twitter.com/VmnowMAYEj

— Ali Hashem علي هاشم (@Alihashem) March 6, 2026

“Your military’s aggression against Lebanese sovereignty and safe citizens [sic], the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the expulsion campaign it is carrying out will not go unchallenged,” it adds.

The statement comes hours after Israel warned residents to leave Beirut’s southern suburbs for the first time, prompting an exodus from the area known as Dahiyeh, ahead of a series of bombings on the Hezbollah stronghold. Israel says its warnings are meant to protect civilians from harm.

#عاجل ‼️انذار عاجل لسكان الضاحية الجنوبية في بيروت – انقذوا حياتكم وقوموا باخلاء بيوتكم فورًا

????سكان أحياء برج البراجنة والحدث – يرجى التوجه شرقاً باتجاه جبل لبنان على محور بيروت-دمشق.

????سكان أحياء حارة حريك والشياح – يجب الانتقال شمالًا باتجاه طرابلس بمحور بيروت-طرابلس وشرقًا… https://t.co/dSmTNOXvVs pic.twitter.com/o5AkFScE5Y

— Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya | إيلا واوية (@CaptainElla1) March 5, 2026

Though warnings typically precede attacks, Hezbollah’s follows several days of rocket and drone fire on Israel, including a series of apparent overnight attacks on towns near the border.

Israel has said it is not evacuating northern towns and instead has launched a ground and air offensive aimed at pushing Hezbollah away from the border.

The terror group in subsequent statements claims several attacks on troops in Israel and inside Lebanon, including in response to the Dahiyeh campaign.

Iranian Guards claim to launch missiles at Tel Aviv, though IDF has issued no alerts

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps announces a wave of missile launches on the commercial hub of Tel Aviv, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.

“Missiles headed toward Tel Aviv,” IRNA says, reporting an IRGC statement on “a combined missile and drone attack… targeting locations in the heart of Tel Aviv.”

Despite the IRGC statement, there are no immediate warnings from the Israel Defense Forces of an incoming missile attack.

US probe said to indicate American forces likely launched strike that hit Iran girls school

US military investigators believe it is likely that US forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed scores of children on Saturday but have not yet reached a final conclusion or completed their investigation, two US officials told Reuters.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday acknowledged the US military was investigating the incident.

Qatar says it thwarted drone attack on US airbase

Qatar’s defense ministry says that a drone attack on Al Udeid airbase, the biggest US base in the Middle East, has been thwarted.

Iran has been launching drones and missiles toward US bases in the region after Israeli and US strikes on the Islamic Republic since Saturday killed its top leaders.

Dozens of IRGC officers said to flee Lebanon over fears they could be targeted

Flames and smoke rise from the site of Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Dozens of officers in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have fled Lebanon in the past two days over fears they could be targeted by Israel, according to Axios.

Citing senior Israeli defense officials and a third source with knowledge of the matter, the news site says most of the officers are from the Quds Force — the overseas branch of the IRGC — and serve as military advisers to Hezbollah, with significant sway over the Iran-backed Lebanese terror organization’s operations.

“We expect the IRGC exodus from Lebanon to continue over the next several days,” one of the Israeli defense officials is quoted as saying.

The report adds that a small group of Iranian officers are expected to remain in Lebanon to main the Quds Force’s presence and liaise with Hezbollah

IDF launches ‘broad wave’ of Tehran strikes on ‘Iranian terror regime infrastructure’

In an overnight statement, the military announces that it has launched a “broad wave” of strikes in Tehran on “infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime.”

Iranian state TV reports explosions in several parts of the city.

Rocket alerts repeatedly sound in northern towns

Several rocket alerts have sounded in northern towns in the last few minutes, indicating incessant cross-border fire overnight.

From 2:14 a.m. to 2:39 a.m. seven separate alarms sounded in towns near the Lebanon border, including Kiryat Shmona, Metulla and Misgav Am.

There are no immediate reports of impacts or injuries.

Meanwhile, the IDF appears to be pressing a wave of strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs, with several explosions heard over the last two hours.

The army earlier ordered an evacuation warning for the area, a stronghold of the Hezbollah terror group, and announced that it had begun a wave of strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure there.

Bahrain reports damage but no injuries after Iran targets hotel, residential buildings

Bahrain says that Iran has targeted a hotel and two residential buildings in the capital Manama.

The interior ministry posts on X that the “Iranian agression” resulted in “material damage but no loss of life.”

Suspected drone infiltration alert activated in Jordan Valley settlements

Suspected drone infiltration sirens blare in several settlements in the West Bank’s Jordan Valley.

Saudi Arabia says it downed 3 ballistic missiles launched at air base

Saudi Arabia says it has intercepted three ballistic missiles launched toward an air base, as Iran pressed attacks across the Gulf.

“Three ballistic missiles launched towards Prince Sultan Air Base were intercepted and destroyed,” the Saudi defense ministry posts on X.

NYT report suggests Iran girls school next to IRGC base was accidentally struck by US

An analysis by The New York Times indicates that a February 28 strike on an elementary school in southern Iran that reportedly killed 175 people occurred at the same time as a series of US attacks on an adjacent naval base belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The analysis suggests that the school in Minab was accidentally struck by the US as it targeted Iranian military assets nearby.

The US has said it is investigating the strike, while insisting that it doesn’t target civilians intentionally.

Iranian authorities have been the only ones to provide a death count from what would be the deadly strike of the US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic. Their figures have not been independently confirmed.

Hegseth: ‘No expansion’ of war objectives, Trump has ‘heck of a say in who runs Iran given the ongoing operation’

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States isn’t expanding its military objectives in Iran, after President Donald Trump told Reuters that the United States must be involved in choosing the next leader of Iran.

The Pentagon earlier this week said the military campaign, known as Operation Epic Fury, is focused on destroying Iran’s offensive missiles, missile production and Navy, while not allowing Tehran to have a nuclear weapon.

“There’s no expansion in our objectives. We know exactly what we’re trying to achieve,” Hegseth says.

He adds that Trump is “having a heck of a say in who runs Iran given the ongoing operation.”

Iranian ballistic missile attacks down 90% since start of war, says US CENTCOM chief

US Adm. Brad Cooper speaks during a briefing with reporters at CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa, Florida, March 5, 2026. (YouTube screenshot)

US Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads US ​forces in the Middle East as the head of Central Command, tells reporters that Iranian ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90 percent since the first day of the US-Israel war against Iran.

Drone attacks by Iran are down 83%, he adds.

“Having said this, we remain vigilant,” Cooper stresses.

He also says that US attacks on the Iranian navy have “intensified.” According to Cooper, US forces have to date sunk more than 30 of Iran’s ships, including “an Iranian drone carrier ship roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier.”

“And as we speak, it’s on fire,” Cooper says.

Additionally, Cooper says US President Donald Trump gave the military “gave us another task: to raze, or level, Iran’s ballistic missile industrial base. So we’re not just hitting what they have, we’re destroying their ability to rebuild.”

Cooper emphasizes that as the operation moves forward, the US will continue to “systemically dismantle Iran’s missile production capability for the future, and that’s absolutely in progress.”

“This is going to take some time, but our forces are well supplied… and we are absolutely ready to prosecute this mission decisively.”

He also says that “we are fighting to win. Through combined US and Israeli combat power, we’ll continue decimating Iran’s ability to project power outside its borders.”

In February, Cooper for the first time joined indirect US-Iran talks in Oman, appearing in his dress uniform as a reminder of the American buildup of military might in the region.

Hegseth says US has ‘only just begun to fight’ Iran: ‘Our munitions are full up, our will is ironclad’

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during the inaugural Americas Counter Cartel Conference at the US Southern Command headquarters in Doral, Florida, on March 5, 2026. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/AFP)

Speaking at US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, Pentagon chief Hegseth says the US is solely controlling the timeline of activities in Iran and will do so “as long as it takes to ensure the United States of America achieves” its objectives.

“We set the tempo,” he says. “We set the timeline led by the commander on the ground.”

Talking about US weapons stockpiles, Hegseth says “our munitions are full up and our will is ironclad.”

“We have only just begun to fight and fight decisively,” he tells reporters. “Iran is hoping that we cannot sustain this, which is a really bad miscalculation.”

On Wednesday, Hegseth said the war could go as long as eight weeks, the longest timeline given by the Trump administration thus far.

Trump says he wants to first finish the Iran war but then Cuba ‘a question of time’

US President Donald Trump says he wants to finish the war in Iran first, “but that will be just a question of time before you and a lot of unbelievable people are going to be going back to Cuba.”