US-Israel-Iran War Live Updates: Trump says ‘someone from within’ Iranian regime might be best choice to lead after US-Israel campaign is over
Kartavya Desk Staff
US-Israel-Iran War Live News Updates: The Middle East conflict has entered a volatile fourth day of large-scale combat operations. Following the confirmed death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Israeli and US forces have intensified “Operation Epic Fury”, striking over 1,250 targets across Iran, including ballistic missile hubs and naval assets. As Tehran vows “scorched earth” retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz, the global economy is reeling with gold prices surging past $5,200 and critical energy corridors under threat. ## Core developments: What you need to know now Front line: Heavy explosions reported in Tehran’s government districts; Israeli strikes in Minab have resulted in a reported 165 casualties, according to Iranian state media. Power vacuum: President Masoud Pezeshkian has activated Article 111 of the Constitution, forming a three-member provisional Leadership Council to govern post-Khamenei. US involvement: President Donald Trump has defended the offensive as a “last chance” for regional stability, while CENTCOM confirms American casualties during ongoing ground and air operations. Global fallout: France has mobilised Rafale jets to secure regional bases; Qatar has halted LNG production, and Oman’s Duqm port has reported drone strikes on fuel infrastructure. Economic alert: Oil transit via the Strait of Hormuz is at “extreme risk” as Iran threatens to target any vessel crossing the strategic waterway. In a rapidly evolving kinetic environment, we prioritise official military briefings and satellite intelligence. All casualty figures are attributed to specific reporting agencies.While we strive for 100% accuracy, the situation on the ground in Tehran and the Gulf is extremely fluid. Iraqi authorities downed a drone on Tuesday which had attempted to target the U.S consultate in Erbil, two security sources told Reuters. According to AP, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that 'someone from within' Iranian regime might be best choice to take power once US-Israel campaign is finished. According to CNN, the US military has hit an additional roughly 700 targets in Iran since Sunday and has introduced new bombers and fighter aircraft to the operation, a fact sheet released on Tuesday said. "US Central Command said Tuesday that more than 1,700 targets have been struck throughout the operation dubbed Operation Epic Fury. As of Sunday, more than 1,000 targets had been struck. A listing of US assets involved also added B-1 Bombers, long-range B-52 bombers, and F-15 fighter jets," the report said. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States would cut off all trade with Spain after the European country refused to let the U.S. military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran. "Spain has been terrible," Trump told reporters during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, adding that he had told Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to "cut off all dealings" with Spain. "We're going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don't want anything to do with Spain," he added. (Reuters) Embassy of India in Iran tweets, "Due to the heightened risk perception in Tehran city, the Embassy of India has relocated most Indian students who were in Tehran to safer locations outside Tehran. The Embassy has made arrangements for their transportation, food, and accommodation. Only a small number of students who declined the Embassy's offer remain in Tehran. For other Indian students and Indian nationals who still remain in Iran, the advisory issued earlier remains unchanged: Stay where you are, remain indoors as far as possible, and stay away from windows. Exercise due caution at all times..." pic.twitter.com/4Tlu6E9fN7 — India in Iran (@India_in_Iran) March 3, 2026 US President Donald Trump will review a set of policy options on Tuesday aimed at controlling energy prices amid the escalating Middle East conflict, including a proposal for the government to help oil tankers in the region obtain insurance, two sources said. Global crude oil prices have spiked since Israeli and U.S. forces began striking Iran over the weekend, leading to fighting that has interrupted Middle East oil tanker shipments. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright are expected to meet with Trump on Tuesday afternoon to present a list of proposals to address the issue and finalize a response, the sources said on condition of anonymity. (Reuters) US President Donald Trump, while meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday, said that America is going to end all trade with Spain and that he isn't happy with Keir Starmer led UK government as well. Trump said, "We are going to end all trade with Spain, not happy with UK either." US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that the joint military strikes with Israel against Iran has an objective to first "finish off the military." "First we have to finish off the military, will then see what happens in Iran," Trump said on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump, while meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, called out Iran for attacking countries in the Gulf which had nothing to with the ongoing situation. Trump said, "Iran attacking countries that had nothing to do with what’s going on." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday Britain was sending helicopters with counter-drone capabilities to Cyprus, and was deploying the air defence destroyer naval vessel HMS Dragon to the region. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel will “continue to strike Iran with force,” adding that Israeli pilots were “over the skies of Iran and Tehran, and also over the skies of Lebanon.” (Iran International) Israel’s military said its air force has struck industrial sites “throughout Iran” that are used to produce weapons, including ballistic missiles. “During strikes conducted throughout Iran, the IDF (military) targeted industrial sites used by the Iranian regime to produce weapons, particularly ballistic missiles,” the military said in a statement. (Al Jazeera) A worldwide sell-off for stocks is slamming onto Wall Street Tuesday, and oil prices are leaping even higher as worries rise that the war with Iran is widening and may do more sustained damage to the global economy than feared. The S&P 500 dropped 1.8% in early trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 907 points, or 1.9%, as of 9:35 am Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 2.1% lower. It was just a day ago that US stocks opened with sharp losses, only to recover all of them and end the day with slight gains. But that was with the caveat that oil prices did not jump too high, like to more than $100 per barrel. On Tuesday, oil prices got closer to that mark and raised more alarms. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, leaped another 8.2% to $84.14. It was sitting near $70 less than a week ago. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude, meanwhile, rose 8% to $76.92.Oil prices made the leap as Iran struck the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia, part of a widening of targets that also includes areas critical to the world’s oil and natural gas production. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Tuesday ruled out for now any negotiations with the United States, three days after the US and Israel launched joint strikes on his country. Explosions rocked Tehran again Tuesday, and financial markets around the world tumbled amid fears of a prolonged disruption to global energy supplies. US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have given open-ended answers when asked how long the war might last. Ali Bahreini, ambassador of the Iranian mission to the UN in Geneva, told reporters that Iran had not contacted the US either directly or indirectly about holding talks to de-escalate the conflict or about resuming negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme. US and Israeli forces struck the office of Iran’s Assembly of Experts in the city of Qom on Tuesday, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported, in the latest attack on senior state institutions. Tasnim, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also confirmed that the Assembly’s compound in Tehran – located at the former parliament building – had also been struck overnight. Separately, a Telegram channel known as Zed TV reported that an airstrike had targeted a formal session of the Assembly of Experts convened to select the Islamic Republic’s next supreme leader. The channel claimed that many members of the body had been killed or wounded. The Assembly of Experts is the clerical body responsible under Iran’s constitution for appointing and overseeing the supreme leader. (Iran International) > BREAKING:Israel has struck the HQ of the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for picking Khamenei’s successor. Iran's Supreme Leader is chosen by an 88-member body of senior Shiite clerics. The process is outlined in the Constitution and has only occurred once before.… pic.twitter.com/G2YUn7TVMd— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 3, 2026 BREAKING:Israel has struck the HQ of the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for picking Khamenei’s successor. Iran's Supreme Leader is chosen by an 88-member body of senior Shiite clerics. The process is outlined in the Constitution and has only occurred once before.… pic.twitter.com/G2YUn7TVMd The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the country with an iron fist for 36 years, involved painstaking intelligence gathering by Israeli secret services, with crucial technological resources and manpower provided over the last six months by the CIA and other US intelligence services. Read the full story here The Muslim World League on Tuesday strongly condemned what it described as “treacherous Iranian aggression” targeting the United States Embassy in Riyadh. In a statement, the MWL said, “The Muslim World League (MWL) has strongly condemned the treacherous Iranian aggression targeting the Embassy of the United States in the city of Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of its continued criminal attacks against countries in the region.” > The Muslim World League releases a statement from its X handle. It reads: "The Muslim World League (MWL) has strongly condemned the treacherous Iranian aggression targeting the Embassy of the United States in the city of Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of its… pic.twitter.com/neRFifQspv— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 3, 2026 The Muslim World League releases a statement from its X handle. It reads: "The Muslim World League (MWL) has strongly condemned the treacherous Iranian aggression targeting the Embassy of the United States in the city of Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of its… pic.twitter.com/neRFifQspv Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he has offered to help the United Arab Emirates protect itself against Iranian aerial attacks. Ukraine has built significant expertise in countering Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia has launched almost daily at Ukrainian targets since Moscow’s invasion more than four years ago. Zelenskyy said on X that he spoke by phone with the United Arab Emirates president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and “discussed how we can help” protect lives in the UAE. On Sunday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Ukrainian and British experts will work together to help Middle East countries shoot down Iranian drones. The UK government plans to offer a chartered flight for British citizens out of Oman “in the coming days,” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said. Cooper said “vulnerable nationals” will get priority for evacuation. She didn’t elaborate on what that means or when flights would depart. The government has said there are 200,000 British nationals in the Middle East and 130,000 have registered with the Foreign Office to get travel updates. Nearly 1,900 out of more than 5,450 flights scheduled to the Middle East were cancelled Tuesday, aviation analytics company Cirium said. The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia has warned of an “imminent” missile and drone attack on the oil-rich eastern Saudi city of Dhahran. “Do not come to the US Consulate” in Dhahrab, the embassy advised. “Take cover immediately in your residence on the lowest available floor and away from windows.” It did not provide further details. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Tehran wanted to talk but it was too late, as the United States continued its military operation against Iran. "Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone. They want to talk. I said “Too Late!" Trump said in a Truth Social post commenting on an opinion piece. Israel has carried out airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs which Israeli Army Radio said targeted Hezbollah leaders meeting in the area. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the raids, carried out without prior warning, had caused “extensive damage to buildings”, while AFP news agency footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the area. (Al Jazeera) Israeli air defences have intercepted four Iranian ballistic missiles over Jordan and areas near Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera reported, citing Israeli media reports. The reports indicate that the missiles were shot down before reaching their intended targets. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. (Al Jazeera) The UNESCO has voiced concerns about the Golestan Palace, a world heritage site in the Iranian capital, which was reportedly damaged due to an airstrike in its vicinity. Monday’s strike hit Tehran’s Arag Square in the buffer zone of the palace, the UN agency reported. The palace was damaged by debris and shock waves from the strike, it said. Saudi Arabia said early Tuesday that the US Embassy in Riyadh came under attack from two drones, which caused a “limited fire” and minor damage. Debris at the historical monument Golestan Palace after it was damaged in an Israeli and US strike, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, on March 3, 2026. (Reuters photo) Entrances to Iran's underground and previously bombed uranium-enrichment plant at Natanz have been struck as part of the US-Israeli military attacks on the country, the UN nuclear watchdog confirmed Tuesday. The underground Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) is one of Iran's three uranium-enrichment plants that are known to have been operating when Israel and the United States carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last June. "Based on the latest available satellite imagery, IAEA can now confirm some recent damage to entrance buildings of Iran's underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant," the International Atomic Energy Agency said on X. "No radiological consequence expected and no additional impact detected at FEP itself, which was severely damaged in the June conflict," it added. A satellite image shows a closer view of the Natanz Nuclear Facility, near Natanz, Iran, on March 1, 2026. (Reuters) The IAEA's findings fit with those of the US think-tank the Institute for Science and International Security, published Monday after Iran said Natanz was hit on Sunday and the IAEA responded that any military strikes were not major. US stock index futures fell Tuesday as investors assessed the fallout of US and Israeli strikes on Iran and the repercussions it could have on inflation and global trade. Tehran vowed to close the Strait of Hormuz and said it would fire on any ship trying to pass, pushing up global crude prices and shipping rates. The strait handles about a fifth of the world's total oil consumption. Industries exposed to crude prices, such as airlines and travel, were knocked back for a second day. Delta and Royal Caribbean fell about 3% each. Investors worried that higher oil prices could stoke inflation across the broader economy and further complicate policy decisions for central bank officials already contending with price increases driven by tariffs. An Iranian flag is placed among the ruins of a police station struck Monday during the US Israeli military campaign in Tehran. (AP photo) Emergency personnel work at the site of an Israeli strike on Beiruts southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, (REUTERS photo) Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, early Tuesday. (AP Photo) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Tuesday that the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran could prompt not only Iran but also its Arab neighbours to seek to acquire nuclear weapons. The widening war in the Middle East increased the risk that nuclear proliferation issues could spin out of control, Lavrov said. The Israeli government Tuesday said its soldiers are "operating in southern Lebanon" as it continues strikes against Hezbollah. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military is authorised to advance and take control of additional positions in Lebanon on Tuesday. He said the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) 's move to advance in southern Lebanon is intended to prevent "direct fire" on Israeli communities. "To prevent the possibility of direct fire at Israeli communities, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have authorised the IDF to advance and hold additional dominant terrain in Lebanon and defend the border communities from there," Katz said in a statement. Earlier, as the conflict escalated in West Asia, Israel conducted strikes in both Tehran and Beirut. The Israeli Defence Forces said in a post on X that it is currently conducting simultaneous targeted strikes against military targets in Tehran and Beirut. According to Al Jazeera, the IDF strikes took place in Beirut's Haret Hreik area. Etihad Airways has urged people not to travel to the airport unless they have been contacted directly and provided with confirmed ticket details. Access may be restricted for those without verified travel documentation. Passengers are advised to check their flight status at etihad.com and await further communication from the airline. The airline emphasised that safety remains the highest priority and thanked travellers for their cooperation. Etihad extends flight suspension Etihad Airways has extended the suspension of all scheduled commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi until 2:00 pm UAE time Wednesday, March 4, citing ongoing regional airspace disruptions. (Al Jazeera) Pakistan defence minister said Khawaja Asif called Zionism a driving force behind instability in the Muslim world and a “threat to humanity”, warning that the war on Iran threatens Pakistan’s security. “From the establishment of Israel on the land of Palestine until today, every catastrophe that has befallen the Islamic world, every war imposed upon it, will show the direct or indirect hand of Zionist ideology and the state,” the defence minister said as he hailed Pakistan’s nuclear capability as a shield against external threats. Asif argued that the current conflict had been “imposed upon” Iran despite its readiness to reach an agreement in negotiations with the US. US Democratic senator Mark Warner said there was no “imminent threat” from Iran to the US, after receiving a briefing on the attacks on Iran. He called for President Donald Trump to explain the goal of the US’s military action, reported Al Jazeera. About 400,000 metric tons of Indian basmati rice are backed up at ports and in transit, and export deals have dried up as freight rates have more than doubled since the US and Israel attacked Iran at the weekend, trade officials said. India is the world's largest exporter of aromatic, premium basmati rice, with buyers in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, accounting for more than half of its shipments. "Around 200,000 tons of basmati rice are stuck in transit, and an equal amount is stranded at Indian ports as the war has disrupted shipping routes across the Middle East," said Satish Goel, president of the All India Rice Exporters' Association (AIREA). Asian shares mostly declined, and oil prices surged higher Tuesday as investors eyed risks to the region’s energy supply because of the Iran war. Shares in South Korea sank 7.2% as markets reopened after a holiday on Monday, to 5,791.91.Benchmark US crude rose $2.03 to $73.26 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, added $2.58 to $80.30 a barrel. They jumped Monday, and then fell back, although still at higher levels than before, because of worries that the war could clog the global flow of crude. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 sank 3.1% to finish at 56,279.05. Like other resource-poor countries in the region, Japan could be especially hit by the lack of access to the Strait of Hormuz, since much of its oil and natural gas is shipped through there. Analysts say Japan has a sizable stockpile lasting more than 200 days, and so the threat isn't immediate. Japanese energy stocks plunged, with Eneos Corp. down 3.4% and Idemitsu Kosan down 3.1%. Defence-related issues, which have risen recently on expectations of more military spending by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, sank back as traders sold to lock in gains from the day before. Mitsubishi Heavy plunged 5.3%, and IHI lost 4.9%. In the rest of the region, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 1.3% to 9,077.30, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 1.2% to 25,737.86 and the Shanghai Composite index lost 1.4% to 4,122.68. Stocks of airlines, including American Airlines, United and Delta, were some of Monday’s biggest losers on Wall Street. A fuel tank at Oman's Duqm commercial port was hit Tuesday when the facility came under attack from several unmanned aircraft, the state news agency said, citing a security source, on the fourth day of US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which has responded by targeting neighbouring countries. The attack comes a day after Qatar halted its production of liquefied natural gas - about a fifth of global supply - while Saudi Arabia suspended production at its largest domestic refinery. Major Israeli gas fields, including Leviathan, were offline, and most output in the Iraqi Kurdish region had been shut down as Iran continued to target infrastructure, including energy facilities, ports and airports, over recent days. France is ready to defend its partners if they request help after Iranian retaliatory strikes and reserves its right to intervene, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tuesday. "This war... is dragging a number of countries in the region into the conflict with which we have relations, defence agreements, and interests, including military bases," Barrot told French broadcaster BFM TV. He added that French Rafale fighter jets carried out air operations to secure the skies above France's bases in the region. Around 400,000 French nationals are currently in the countries affected by the crisis in the Middle East and the French government is ready to fly back those most at risk using both commercial and military flights, Barrot said. Airstrikes targeting an air base in southeastern Iran killed at least 13 Iranian troops there, local media reported. The semiofficial Tasnim news agency and the Hammihan daily newspaper reported the strike in Kerman, 800 kilometres (500 miles) southeast of Iran's capital, Tehran. The Kerman Air Base is known to house military helicopters. A magnitude 4.3 earthquake hit Gerāsh in Iran Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey said. Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah claimed that it has attacked three Israeli military sites "in response to the criminal Israeli aggression that targeted dozens of Lebanese cities and towns", reported the BBC. In three separate posts on Telegram, Hezbollah said it hit the Nafah base in the Golan Heights with a "large missile salvo", as well as the Meron and Ramat David air bases, in northern Israel, with drones. The Israeli military has not commented on the apparent attacks. Explosions were heard in the Iranian cities of Isfahan and Shiraz, reported Iran’s Mehr news agency. China has strongly condemned the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling it a "grave violation of Iran's sovereignty and security" and a breach of UN Charter principles. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that China "firmly opposes and strongly condemns" the attack, urging an immediate halt to military operations and a joint effort to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East. > The attack and killing of Iran’s supreme leader is a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security. It tramples on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and basic norms in international relations. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it. We urge for an… pic.twitter.com/zKYJxslH3S— CHINA MFA Spokesperson 中国外交部发言人 (@MFA_China) March 1, 2026 The attack and killing of Iran’s supreme leader is a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security. It tramples on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and basic norms in international relations. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it. We urge for an… pic.twitter.com/zKYJxslH3S The mission said it is closing today “due to the current security situation” and said that all in-person appointments are cancelled through Friday, March 6. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has postponed Class X and XII board exams in the Middle East regions, including Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, due to the current security situation. Exams scheduled for March 2, 2026, are postponed, and new dates will be announced later. The Board will review the situation on March 5 to decide on exams from March 7 onwards. > Important Update on Class X/XII Exams – Middle East RegionsCBSE has issued Circular-2 today regarding the Class X & XII Board Exams in the Middle East regions.Details are in attached Circular pic.twitter.com/JAHPj3SBjW— CBSE HQ (@cbseindia29) March 3, 2026 Important Update on Class X/XII Exams – Middle East RegionsCBSE has issued Circular-2 today regarding the Class X & XII Board Exams in the Middle East regions.Details are in attached Circular pic.twitter.com/JAHPj3SBjW The diplomatic mission has updated its travel advisory in Iraq, ordering non-emergency US government employees to leave the country “due to security reasons”. It also said US government personnel in Baghdad were prohibited from using the city’s international airport over security risks. As we’ve reported State Department official Mora Namdar said on X earlier that US citizens should “DEPART NOW” from more than a dozen countries using available commercial transportation “due to serious safety risks”. These are Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is conducting targeted strikes against military targets in Tehran and Beirut, following Hezbollah's rocket attacks on Israel. The strikes are part of Operation Roaring Lion, aiming to dismantle Iranian and Hezbollah infrastructure. Casualties include senior Hezbollah and Iranian officials, with reports of over 30 Iranian officials killed. > ⭕️ The IDF is currently conducting simultaneous targeted strikes against military targets in Tehran and Beirut.— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 3, 2026 ⭕️ The IDF is currently conducting simultaneous targeted strikes against military targets in Tehran and Beirut. US Special Envoy Steven Witkoff revealed that Iran insisted on its "inalienable right" to enrich nuclear fuel during recent talks, prompting the US to respond that President Trump believes they have the right to stop them. The discussions, which included a proposal for 10 years of no uranium enrichment in exchange for fuel payments, were flatly rejected by Iran. (Aljazeera) Iran’s Shargh newspaper is reporting that an area near Iran’s old parliament building has been hit by air strikes. The report said that attack took place near the intersection of Valiasr and Jami Streets in downtown Tehran, where several cultural sites and museums are located. However, there were no immediate reports on casualties from the strike. President Donald Trump asserts that the US has a "virtually unlimited" supply of medium and upper-medium grade weapons, claiming they can sustain wars for an extended period. He criticized former President Joe Biden for allegedly depleting high-end reserves by sending aid to Ukraine without replenishing stocks. Trump stated that he rebuilt the US military during his first term and maintains that the country is "stocked, and ready to WIN, BIG". The Israeli military said it has successfully intercepted two drones launched from Lebanon. Saudi Arabia has intercepted and destroyed at least eight drones heading towards Riyadh and the nearby city of Al-Kharj, according to the country’s Defence Ministry. There were no additional details. Early on Tuesday, the ministry confirmed that the US Embassy in Riyadh was subjected to at least two drone attacks, resulting in “a limited fire and minor material damage” to a building inside the embassy complex. > | المتحدث الرسمي لوزارة الدفاع اللواء الركن تركي المالكي: اعتراض وتدمير 8 مسيَّرات بالقرب من مدينتَي الرياض والخرج. pic.twitter.com/deZwg9DK7r— وزارة الدفاع (@modgovksa) March 3, 2026 | المتحدث الرسمي لوزارة الدفاع اللواء الركن تركي المالكي: اعتراض وتدمير 8 مسيَّرات بالقرب من مدينتَي الرياض والخرج. pic.twitter.com/deZwg9DK7r The US Embassy in Islamabad has cancelled all visa appointments until March 6 due to security concerns, following violent protests in Pakistan over the reported killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The cancellation affects the embassy in Islamabad and consulates in Lahore and Karachi. At least 10 people were killed in Karachi when security personnel fired on demonstrators storming the consulate. Oil prices rose for a third day on Tuesday as the widening US-Israeli conflict with Iran and threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz heightened fears of supply disruptions from the key Middle East producing region. Brent crude futures were at $78.83 a barrel, up $1.10, or 1.4%, by 0107 GMT. On Monday, the contract surged to as high as $82.37, its highest since January 2025, though it pared those gains to settle 6.7% higher. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude jumped 74 cents, or 1%, to $71.97 a barrel. In the previous session, the contract initially climbed to its highest since June 2025 before sliding back to still settle up 6.3%. (Reuters) Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has weighed in on his American counterpart’s justification for attacking Tehran. “Mr. Rubio admitted what we all knew: US has entered a war of choice on behalf of Israel. There was never any so-called Iranian ‘threat’,” Araghchi said in a post on X. “Shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters. American people deserve better and should take back their country,” he added. Rubio told reporters that the US was aware Israel was going to attack Iran and joined in because Washington felt that Tehran would retaliate against American assets in the region. > Mr. Rubio admitted what we all knew: U.S. has entered a war of choice on behalf of Israel. There was never any so-called Iranian "threat". Shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters.American people deserve better and should take back their country.— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 3, 2026 Mr. Rubio admitted what we all knew: U.S. has entered a war of choice on behalf of Israel. There was never any so-called Iranian "threat". Shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters.American people deserve better and should take back their country. Taiwan supports the international community's efforts to help Iran's people pursue freedom and democracy and hopes that they can enjoy these things soon, the island's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, offering its backing to the US and Israel. Taiwanese leaders, including President Lai Ching-te, have drawn parallels between Israel's security situation and Taiwan's own, given the stepped-up military pressure that the Chinese-claimed island has faced from Beijing in recent years. Taiwan views Israel as an important democratic partner and offered strong support to the country after the October 2023 Hamas attack in southern Israel and subsequent war in Gaza. Since then, there has been an increased level of engagement. Smoke rises and explosions are heard in Beirut's southern suburbs as Israel attacks Hezbollah targets, following Hezbollah's drone strike into Israel in retaliation for Israeli bombings in Lebanon. The Israeli Air Force intercepted two drones from Lebanon, amid escalating tensions between the two sides. CNN Hezbollah launched an attack on Israel's Ramat David Air Base, targeting radar sites and control rooms with a swarm of drones at dawn, in retaliation for Israel's strikes on Lebanon. The IRGC says it has carried out a “massive drone and missile attack” on a US air base in the Sheikh Isa area of Bahrain this morning. It said it deployed 20 drones and three missiles, “destroying the main command and headquarters building of the US air base and setting its fuel tanks on fire”. Read all the latest developments here.