US-Israel-Iran War: Strikes continue in Tehran, Beirut; White House confident of weapons stockpile

Saudi Arabia has intensified direct diplomatic engagement with Iran in an effort to help contain the escalating conflict in the Middle East, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing several European officials.

According to Reuters, Saudi officials have recently used their diplomatic backchannel with Tehran more urgently, aiming to ease tensions and prevent the war from spreading further across the region.

The United States will provide reinsurance covering maritime losses in the Gulf region up to about $20 billion, aiming to restore confidence among oil and gas shippers during the ongoing conflict with Iran, the US International Development Finance Corporation said on Friday.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday directed the DFC to offer political risk insurance and financial guarantees for maritime trade in the Gulf after the movement of oil and liquefied natural gas tankers effectively came to a halt in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman. The waterway normally carries about 20% of global oil shipments each day.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday that the United States has sufficient weapons stockpiles to support its ongoing military operations against Iran. She added that Washington expects the campaign to achieve its objectives within about 4 to 6 weeks.

Amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, Israel has been carrying out strikes in parts of western Iran to support Iranian Kurdish militias that are hoping to use the US and Israeli offensive against Tehran to capture towns near the border, according to a Reuters report citing sources.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Friday they had targeted a US air base in the UAE, alleging it was used to launch a strike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran.

Authorities said the attack on Saturday hit a school in Minab county, killing more than 150 people, including students. The AFP news agency reported the claim but said it could not independently verify the incident.

According to Israeli media reports, the son of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was seriously injured during fighting with Hezbollah near the Lebanon–Israel border.

Officials with one of the armed Kurdish Iranian dissident groups based in northern Iraq told The Associated Press that they are not planning an imminent cross-border attack on Iran but would join a ground invasion if the US were to launch one.

Days before the United States torpedoed and sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, Iran had requested India to allow another vessel, IRIS Lavan, to dock at Kochi in Kerala, according to official sources. The request was accepted by the Indian government, and the Iranian ship remains stationed at Kochi.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ordered strict action against any disruption by hoarders in the petroleum products in the country as officials scrambled to offset any impact of the ongoing Iran conflict on the energy supplies. He presided over a high-level meeting on petroleum products, which was attended by ministers and representatives of the all four provinces.

A warning has been issued from official X handle of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei days after his killing in strikes by the US and Iran. The message warned Israel against the “mistake” it made, warning the Zionist regime to bear consequences.

Amid concerns over fuel supply following escalating tensions in West Asia, Indian Oil Corporation Limited on Friday said reports circulating on social media about a shortage of petrol and diesel in India are baseless and urged citizens not to panic or crowd fuel stations.

Indian refiners have begun snapping up millions of barrels of Russian oil floating in Asian waters after the US granted a waiver allowing purchase of cargoes stranded at sea, but are seeking legal opinion on whether the exemption also permits buying from sanctioned entities. The US has issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea in an effort to keep global supplies flowing and temper further price increases.

The government on Friday said it has strengthened monitoring and preparedness measures in view of the evolving maritime situation in the West Asia region, with a focus on safeguarding Indian seafarers and vessels and maintaining continuity of maritime trade. Earlier, a high-level inter-ministerial review meeting was held under the chairmanship of Secretary in the Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Waterways (MoPS&W) to assess the evolving situation, an official statement said.

US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran amid massive ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The US President categorically said that there will be “no deal” with Tehran and that only surrender was an option left before them.  

On March 6, UAE air defenses successfully intercepted 9 ballistic missiles and 109 drones, though 3 drones landed in UAE territory. Since the start of Iranian attacks, a total of 205 ballistic missiles (190 destroyed) and 1,184 drones (1,110 intercepted) have been detected. Eight cruise missiles were also destroyed. The assaults have resulted in 3 deaths and 112 minor injuries among multiple nationalities. The UAE Ministry of Defense remains on high alert.

A drone targeted Basra International Airport in Iraq on Friday, an Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera.

The General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 78 missiles and 143 drones aimed at the country. The military described the strikes as “treacherous” attacks by Iran targeting Bahraini territory. 

A delegation from the Congress party on Friday visited the Iran Culture House in New Delhi and met the representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India. During the meeting, the delegation expressed deep sorrow over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

More than 140 international flights were cancelled at Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata airports on Friday as the Middle East crisis continued to impact flight operations. Airlines have partially started operations, and some of them are operating limited services to and from some destinations in the Middle East.

The Embassy of India in Doha provided information regarding visa, transit and travel outside Saudi Arabia for the Indian diaspora in Qatar amid escalating tensions in West Asia.

Washington Post reports that Russia is giving Iran intelligence on the locations of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East, helping Tehran target US forces. China doesn’t appear to be providing similar assistance. 

The IDF on Friday said 50 jets dropped around 100 bombs to destroy Khamenei's bunker. The military said it was being used by several senior Iranian officials after Khamenei's killing.  

“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 & sovereignty. Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict,” Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X.

A delegation from the Congress party on Friday visited the Iran Culture House in New Delhi and met the representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India. During the meeting, the delegation expressed deep sorrow over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

Panic buying was reported at several petrol pumps in parts of Uttar Pradesh after rumours of a possible fuel shortage began circulating among residents. Long queues of people were seen at fuel stations in areas such as Nighasan, Pallia and Bhira of Kheri district, where many rushed to purchase petrol and diesel amid fears that supplies might run out due to the ongoing West Asia conflict. The situation led to temporary congestion at several outlets as motorists attempted to stock up on fuel.

The General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 78 missiles and 143 drones aimed at the country. The military described the strikes as “treacherous” attacks by Iran targeting Bahraini territory. 

Azerbaijan has announced that it will pull its diplomatic staff out of Iran due to safety concerns, according to Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. The decision follows an incident reported by Baku a day earlier, in which four Iranian drones allegedly entered Azerbaijani airspace and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave.

Rumours about a shortage of petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) due to the ongoing West Asia conflict triggered panic among locals in several areas here, leading to long queues at many petrol pumps on Friday, officials said. Queues of people seeking to purchase petrol and diesel were witnessed across several fuel stations in the Nighasan, Pallia and Bhira areas amid fears of a possible shortage.

 A military academy was among several locations struck in coordinated attacks by US and Israeli forces as tensions continue to escalate across the Middle East. The strikes reportedly targeted strategic military sites linked to armed groups amid growing regional instability. 

Police in London on Friday stated that they have arrested four men – one Iranian and three British-Iranian dual nationals – following a probe into their suspected surveillance of individuals and sites linked to the city’s Jewish community.

Seven international flights from Kolkata to Gulf countries were cancelled on Friday due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, officials said. Seven flights operating to and from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport to Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi were cancelled due to the present situation in West Asia, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) statement said. The cancelled services include flights operated by Air Arabia, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Emirates, all of which connect Kolkata with the three major transit hubs in the Gulf region.

Residents in Dubai received an emergency alert from the UAE Interior Ministry on their mobile phones on Friday, warning them of possible missile threats as Iran continued its retaliation campaign across the Gulf region. According to reports, the message urged people to immediately move to the nearest secure building and stay away from windows, doors and open spaces until further notice.

Iran's IRGC said its aerospace forces launched the 21st wave of Operation True Promise utilizing swarms of suicide drones and the advanced Khayber missiles with cluster warheads to saturate and bypass the Zionist regime's multi-layered air defences. The IRGC said the coordinated assault was codenamed "Ya Mu'izz al-Mu'minin." Iran further said that its retaliatory campaign will intensify in the coming days, with military officials vowing expanded strikes while air defences continue to intercept Israeli and US aircraft and drones across the country.

Qatar Airways announced that its scheduled flight operations remain temporarily suspended following the closure of Qatari airspace. The airline said services will resume only after the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority confirms that the airspace has been safely reopened. Qatar Airways added that the next official update on the situation will be issued on March 7 at 09:00 Doha time (06:00 UTC). 

Iran's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said that Iran has not closed the Strait of Hormuz, dismissing speculation about a blockade amid rising tensions in the Middle East. "We have not yet closed the Strait of Hormuz. If we are going to close it, we are going to announce it...It has not been closed by us. We have no intention to do it until further notice," he added. 

IndiGo announced an extension of its free cancellation waiver until March 31 for flights operating to and from the Middle East and Turkey's Istanbul. The airline said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation in the region and will continue to share real-time travel updates through its website and social media platforms to keep passengers informed.

SpiceJet will operate 14 special flights from the United Arab Emirates today to help stranded Indian nationals return home. Of these, 13 flights will depart from Fujairah and one from Dubai. The airline will run nine flights from Fujairah to Mumbai, four to Delhi, and one from Dubai to Pune. Over the past three days, SpiceJet has already operated 25 special flights from the UAE, connecting stranded travellers to Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday highlighted the rapidly changing global security scenario, saying the world's oceans are no longer just channels for commerce but are increasingly emerging as key centres of strategic power. Addressing the Maritime Conclave "Sagar Sankalp", Singh said the global order is undergoing a major shift where long-held assumptions and geopolitical structures are being challenged. "Earlier, the seas were considered only a medium of trade, but today we can see them becoming a centre of strategic dominance," Singh said during his address.

Read the full story here. 

According to UNICEF, nearly 200 children have been killed across the Middle East since the recent escalation involving the United States and Israel against Iran. The UN agency reported that at least 181 children died in Iran, seven in Lebanon, three in Israel and one in Kuwait. "Children do not start wars, but they pay an unacceptably high price. The military escalation across the Middle East has already had a devastating impact on children," UNICEF said.

Sri Lankan President Anura Disanayake has stated that Sri Lanka will remain non-aligned during the current West Asia conflict calling for all parties to demonstrate a commitment to peace. In a post on X, Disanayake said, "No civilian should die in wars. Our approach is that every life is as precious as our own. We jealously guard our non-aligned policy while ensuring that humanitarian values and the saving of lives remain our top priority. What the world urgently needs today is peace. There is a real risk of a severe global economic crisis, and entire societies are facing serious and complex challenges. We call upon all parties to demonstrate a firm commitment to peace. As a state, Sri Lanka stands ready to support every step toward ending hostilities. All our actions are aimed at saving lives and ensuring that humanity prevails."

The Kurdistan Regional Government has denied reports suggesting that it was going to become a part of the campaign against Iran. "Reports that speak about a role of the Kurdistan Region and the allegations claiming that we are part of a plan to arm and send Kurdish opposition parties into Iranian territory are completely unfounded. We categorically deny them and affirm that they are being published deliberately and maliciously. At the same time, the Kurdistan Regional Government and the political parties within it are not part of any campaign to expand the war and tensions in the region. On the contrary, we call for peace and stability in the region. We strongly condemn the cowardly attacks targeting the Kurdistan Region, and we call on the federal government and the international community to intervene to stop these assaults and protect our land, our people, and our region," Peshawa Hawramani, Spokesperson of the Kurdistan Region Government, said in a post on X.

Intense attacks were reported across Tehran today after Israel declared that the conflict with Iran, being fought alongside the United States, had entered a "new phase." Israeli military chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir said more operations were planned, stating, "We have additional surprises ahead which I do not intend to disclose." Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that "firepower over Iran and over Tehran is about to surge dramatically". 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian chaired the fourth meeting of the country's interim leadership council, which was tasked with running the nation after the US allegedly assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. According to an Iranian media report, the council discussed forming the Assembly of Experts, which will be responsible for selecting the next supreme leader. During the meeting, Pezeshkian and other council members, including Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and Guardian Council member Alireza Arafi, also reviewed Iran's response to the ongoing US and Israeli military campaign against the country.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already set the objective of assassinating Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei in November last year. Katz said the timeline for the operation was later accelerated amid widespread anti-regime protests in Iran, which he claimed created favourable conditions for a coordinated US-Israel military action inside the country.

Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency on Friday reported that overnight attacks on Bahrain’s capital, Manama, targeted the city’s Financial Harbour Towers commercial complex. The news agency said the complex was attacked as it was the location of the Israeli embassy in the city.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has announced a fresh wave of missile strikes targeting Israel's commercial hub, Tel Aviv. According to Iran's state news agency IRNA, the attack involved a coordinated barrage of missiles and drones aimed at key locations in the heart of the city.

Bahrain said Iranian strikes hit one hotel and two residential buildings in the capital Manama, revising an earlier statement that reported damage to two hotels and one residential building. The attack came a day after an Iranian missile triggered a fire at Bahrain's main state-owned oil refinery as Tehran continued its strikes across the Gulf region. "Iranian aggression targeted a hotel & 2 residential buildings in Manama.  No loss of life were recorded.  Civil defence extinguished a fire in a flat in 1 of the 2  buildings," Bahrain's Interior Ministry wrote on X. 

Etihad Airways announced that it will resume limited commercial flights between March 6 and March 19 from Abu Dhabi to several global destinations, including Delhi, London and New York, after disruptions caused by the ongoing regional conflict in the Middle East. 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has verified that three Royal Australian Navy members were stationed on a United States submarine that destroyed an Iranian naval vessel earlier this week, ABC News reported. The Prime Minister maintained that the Australian personnel did not take part in the mission to destroy the IRIS Dena, asserting that the nation's military staff did not "participate in any offensive action" against Tehran.

Hezbollah has issued an evacuation warning to Israelis residing within 5 kilometres of the Lebanon border. The group said Israeli strikes on Lebanese infrastructure, the displacement of civilians and repeated violations of Lebanon's sovereignty "will not go unanswered."

The ongoing war between the United States and Iran has intensified sharply, with the US military claiming that it has struck an Iranian drone carrier at sea. According to American officials, the vessel caught fire after the attack and is currently in flames. The US military also released visuals of the Iranian drone carrier following the strike. The "unclassified" video shows the vessel engulfed in flames after the attack. Officials described the ship as being comparable in size to a World War II-era aircraft carrier.

India's aviation sector reels from the fallout of an intensifying Middle East crisis, with 281 flights cancelled by domestic carriers on March 5 (Thursday), as the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) maintains vigilant oversight of the volatile situation. The cancellations stemmed directly from airspace closures across multiple West Asian countries, triggered by the conflict entering its seventh day today.

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The House narrowly rejected a war powers resolution to halt President Donald Trump's attacks on Iran, an early sign of unease in Congress over the rapidly widening conflict that is reordering US priorities at home and abroad. It's the second vote in as many days, after the Senate defeated a similar measure, as per The Associated Press (AP). Lawmakers are confronting the sudden reality of representing wary Americans in wartime, and all that entails - with lives lost, dollars spent and alliances tested by a president's unilateral decision to go to war with Iran. While the tally in the House, 212-219, was expected to be tight, the outcome provided a clarifying snapshot of political support for, and opposition to, the US-Israel military operation and Trump's rationale for bypassing Congress, which alone has the power to declare war. 

US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper said Iranian attacks have declined significantly over the past 24 hours. According to him, ballistic missile launches from Iran have dropped by 90 per cent and drone strikes by 83 per cent. At the same time, US forces claimed to have intensified operations against the Iranian Navy, sinking 30 ships and hitting a drone vessel that is currently on fire.

Fresh satellite imagery analysed by CNN indicates that radar systems linked to US-supplied missile defence networks in the Middle East may have been targeted during the early phase of the ongoing conflict involving Iran. The analysis points to visible damage at several military facilities across the Arabian Peninsula, including sites in Jordan and the UAE that are known to host radar units used for missile detection and tracking.

Reacting to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Washington remains firmly committed to its mission as military operations intensify. He stated that America's growing strategic advantage and strong weapons stockpiles will allow it to sustain the campaign for as long as required. "Our stockpiles of defensive and offensive weapons allow us to sustain this campaign as long as we need to... We have only just begun to fight and fight decisively," he added.

President Donald Trump said that Iran has reached out to the United States asking "how to make a deal" amid the ongoing war, but said the request had come "a little bit late" as America now wants to "fight more than they do". Speaking at an event with the Inter Miami soccer team, Trump said, "They (Iran) are calling... they are saying, 'How do we make a deal?' I said, 'You are being a little bit late.' Now we want to fight more than they do." The US President said that the American military, working closely with "wonderful" Israeli forces, is destroying Iran's missiles and drone capability "every single hour." 

The conflict has also disrupted global shipping routes. Ships have reportedly come under attack in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman -- a critical route that handles nearly one-fifth of the world's oil shipments. The instability has pushed oil prices higher and triggered volatility in global stock markets.

As hostilities intensified, Israel warned residents in Beirut's southern suburbs to evacuate immediately ahead of fresh strikes on Hezbollah positions. Hospitals in the area have evacuated patients and staff. The Lebanese health ministry said the renewed clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have pushed the death toll in Lebanon to more than 120. 

In a big relief for India, United States Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent today announced that the Treasury Department issued a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil. The move from the US comes as President Trump seeks to stabilise global energy markets amid rising tensions in the Middle East.  “To enable oil to keep flowing into the global market, the Treasury Department is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil… India is an essential partner of the United States," United States Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a post on X.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed reports suggesting Tehran was seeking a ceasefire with Washington. Speaking to NBC News, he said, "We don't see any reason why we should negotiate with the US." He also accused the US of repeatedly attacking Iran during previous negotiation efforts.

US President Donald Trump has described Mojtaba Khamenei as "a lightweight" and said Washington wants a leadership change in Tehran that could bring stability to the country. "We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Trump said, adding that he believes the US should be involved in shaping the country's political future.

Israel has reportedly carried out at least two new air raids targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut as tensions continue to rise in Lebanon. Israeli broadcaster N12 News also reported another strike by the Israeli military elsewhere in the country, though the exact location has not yet been confirmed. The attacks come amid intensified fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

US President Donald Trump said he believes the United States should have a role in deciding Iran's next Supreme Leader as the war between the US-Israel alliance and Tehran continues to rage. Speaking to Axios, Trump ruled out Mojtaba Khamenei as a possible successor to his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the initial strikes of the conflict.