Iran says ready for long war as Trump warns major strikes yet to come

US President Donald Trump has said the retaliation will be in response to an attack on the US embassy in Riyadh and over the deaths of US military personnel during the Iran conflict, a reporter at the media outlet posted on X, citing an interview with him.

"He also told me he doesn’t think boots on the ground will be necessary," the reporter, Kellie Meyer, said in her post. [Reuters]

The US embassy in Riyadh has issued a security alert recommending American citizens in Saudi Arabia to shelter in place immediately.

The envoy is also limiting non-essential travel to any military installations in the region, it said in a statement posted on social media site X. [Reuters]

The Saudi Defence Ministry said two drones hit the US embassy in Riyadh.

In a statement shared on X, the Ministry said that the drone strike resulted in a 'limited' fire and minor material damage. [Reuters]

The United Arab Emirates says it’s working to intercept a major missile attack launched by Iran.

“Emirati air defences are currently dealing with a barrage of ballistic missiles coming from Iran,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry “affirms its full readiness to deal with all threats to ensure the protection of the country’s territory and the safety of citizens and residents”, it added. [Al Jazeera]

In letters to the UN Secretary General and the president of the UN Security Council, Qatar has condemned Iran’s attacks on its territory and against other Gulf nations, calling them “an unacceptable escalation that threatens the security and stability of the region”.

The letters, by Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, Qatar’s permanent representative to the UN, also said that the country reserved the right to respond to the attacks.

They detailed how on Saturday, after US and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran fired 83 missiles and 12 drones at Qatar.

Qatar was able to intercept 81 of those missiles and 11 of the drones, but two missiles slipped through and hit Al Udeid base, where US forces are stationed. One drone managed to strike an early warning system. However, there were no casualties from these events.

“A number of missiles were intercepted over multiple civilian areas, including commercial and residential zones such as the West Bay residential area and the Barwa residential city,” the letters say.

By the morning of Sunday, March 1, “92 ballistic missiles and 17 drones were detected,” the letters added.

“The State of Qatar renewed its call for an immediate halt to any escalatory actions, a return to the table of dialogue, prioritization of the language of reason and wisdom, and efforts to contain the crisis in a manner that preserves the security of the region, safeguards the interests of its peoples, and prevents slippage toward broader confrontations,” they said.

The US president claimed — without any evidence to back his assertion — that had he not scrapped the Iran nuclear deal signed by his predecessor Barack Obama, Tehran would have had a nuclear bomb by now.

“If I didn’t terminate Obama’s horrendous Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA), Iran would have had a Nuclear Weapon three years ago. That was the most dangerous transaction we have ever entered into, and had it been allowed to stand, the World would be an entirely different place right now. You can blame Barack Hussein Obama, and Sleepy Joe Biden,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Most independent analysts and inspectors had concluded, at the time, that Iran had complied with the JCPOA and kept its uranium enrichment under limit — far from levels needed to build nuclear weapons.

A commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says the Strait of Hormuz is now closed and warned any vessel attempting to pass through will be attacked, according to Iranian state media.

“The strait is closed. If anyone tries to pass the heroes of the Revolutionary Guard and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze,” said Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the paramilitary force’s commander-in-chief.

The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, with roughly a 20 percent of global oil supplies passing through it.

Any disruptions there will likely send crude prices sharply higher and raise fears of a regional escalation.

Source: Al Jazeera

Israel’s ambassador to the UN says his country and the US will not stop their operations against Iran until their objectives are met and will do everything necessary to ensure Tehran does not have nuclear capabilities.

Speaking to reporters in New York, Danny Danon accused Iran of “lashing out in desperation” militarily in response to what he called “decisive and surgical” US and Israeli strikes.

The attack on Iran will last “as long as it takes”, he added.

Danon also said he believed freedom for the Iranian people “will come sooner than later”.

“We hope there will be new Iranian leadership,” he said.

Source: Al Jazeera

The Turkish president has promised to help reach a ceasefire between the United States and Israel and Iran.

“We are on the side of peace. We want an end to the bloodbath, for the tears to stop flowing, and that our region finally reach the lasting peace it has cried out for for years,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told members of his party in Ankara.

Erdogan, who maintains good relations with President Donald Trump despite frequently criticising American ally Israel, insisted the US-Israeli strikes on Saturday, which sparked the war and triggered retaliation from Tehran, were “illegal”.

“We will intensify our contacts at all levels until a ceasefire is concluded and tranquility is restored to our region,” he said, adding he’s “grieving at the sight of the suffering of the civilians and innocent children” in Iran hit by the conflict.

Muslim-majority Turkiye, which is a member of NATO, shares a 500km (315-mile) border with Iran.

Source: Al Jazeera

Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed at least 52 people and wounded 154 others, the Lebanese government said in an updated toll.

An earlier casualty toll shared by the Health Ministry said 31 people were killed and 149 wounded.

The bombings of southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs have also displaced more than 28,500 people, according to the government’s disaster and management unit.

Source: Al Jazeera

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it attacked an alleged US-linked oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz as part of a wave of strikes retaliating against the US-Israel assault.

“The ATHE NOVA tanker, one of the American allies in the Strait of Hormuz, is still on fire after being hit by two drones,” the IRGC said in a statement.

On Saturday, the elite paramilitary force said it closed the waterway, which is vital for global oil-and-gas shipments, after the start of US and Israeli attacks.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas exports from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. About 20 percent of global daily oil consumption — roughly 20 million barrels — passes through the narrow corridor.

Source: Al Jazeera

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has praised US and Israeli military action against Iran but has ruled out the alliance joining the Middle East conflict.

Speaking to Germany’s ARD television in Brussels, Rutte said it’s “really important” what the United States is doing “together with Israel” to degrade Iran’s capacity to develop nuclear and ballistic missile capability.

NATO as an alliance won’t be involved, however. “There are absolutely no plans whatsoever for NATO to get dragged into this or to be part of it,” he said, adding individual allies may support US efforts.

Source: Al Jazeera

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in a phone call that diplomacy must be given an opportunity to achieve lasting and sustainable peace in the Middle East, according to the Turkish presidency.

The presidency said that issues on NATO’s agenda, as well as regional and global developments, were discussed during the call.

The office added that Erdogan told Rutte that Ankara was closely following the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.

Separately, Erdogan held talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the conflict.

According to his office, Erdogan told Merz that the conflicts in the region adversely affect regional and global security, reiterating his call for the parties to resume negotiations.

The unfolding war in the Middle East is endangering civilians as attacks intensify, says Mirjana Spoljaric, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

“Widening hostilities across the Middle East are putting civilian lives in grave danger,” Spoljaric said in a statement.

“The scale of major military operations flaring across the Middle East risks embroiling the region – and beyond – into another large-scale armed conflict that will overwhelm any humanitarian response.”

Source: Al Jazeera

US President Donald Trump has honoured the troops killed in Iranian attacks in the Middle East.

“Today we grieve for the four heroic service members killed in action and send our love and support to their families,” said Trump.

“In their memory we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve to crush the threat this terrorist regime poses to the American people.”

Source: Al Jazeera

Fatemeh Mohammad Beigi, a member of parliament’s health commission, says five of the attacked hospitals are in Tehran, while four are in other cities, according to state media.

She added that Gandhi Hospital in Iran’s capital has been completely evacuated, with patients moved to other institutions.

Source: Al Jazeera

President Donald Trump left open the possibility of sending American troops on the ground in Iran “if they were necessary.”

“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” Trump told the New York Post on Monday. “I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ [or] ‘if they were necessary.’”

Source: New York Post

While a Reuters/Ipsos poll over the weekend showed that 43% of Americans disapprove of strikes on Iran, Trump suggested he wasn’t concerned, stating that he has “to do the right thing.”

“I don’t think the polling is low,” Trump said. “Look, whether polling is low or not, I think the polling is probably fine. But it’s not a question of polling. You cannot let Iran, who’s a nation that has been run by crazy people, have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump said he believes “people are very impressed” with the US military actions in Iran, adding, “I think it’s a silent — if you did a real poll, the silent poll — and it’s like a silent majority.”

Source: CNN

Qatar Defence Ministry says its air force “successfully shot down” two fighter aircraft incoming from Iran.

Naval and air defence systems also took down seven ballistic missiles and intercepted five Iranian drones, the ministry added in a statement.

Source: Al Jazeera

Oil and natural gas prices surged on Monday as Israeli and US strikes on Iran and retaliation by Tehran forced shutdowns of oil and gas facilities across the Middle East and disrupted shipping in the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

A sustained rise in oil prices would threaten a global economic recovery, reignite inflation and could push up US retail gasoline prices, a risky outcome for President Donald Trump and his Republican Party ahead of midterm elections this November.

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A commercial vessel has been struck by two projectiles while docked at the Port of Bahrain, forcing the crew to evacuate, according to UK maritime authorities (UKMTO).

The blaze caused by the strike has since been extinguished, and all crew members are safe. The vessel remains in port as authorities investigate.

UKMTO did not name the ship, but Kpler, a global ship-tracking data and maritime analytics company, said Monday that the US-flagged MR tanker Stena Imperative had been hit.

The vessel is part of the US Navy’s Tanker Security Program, which involves a fleet of commercially operated US-flagged tankers helping supply fuel to the military during conflicts, Kpler said. If confirmed, it would mark the first known direct Iranian strike on a TSP vessel.

Source: CNN

The "big wave" is yet to come in the war with Iran, US President Donald Trump told CNN on Monday, adding that Washington did not know who the country's new leader would be following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"We haven't even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn't even happened. The big one is coming soon," Trump said, telling CNN it was unclear who was now leading the country.

"We don't know who the leadership is. We don't know who they'll pick," he said.

Reuters reported on Sunday that many senior US officials remain skeptical the military operation against the Islamic Republic will lead to a regime change in the near term. [Reuters]

The Trump administration has “failed to provide any justification” for its strikes on Iran, US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has told CNN’s Kate Bolduan.

There was still no tangible information hinting that Iran was prepared to strike the United States, he added.

He said this information is owed to the American people, who want the government “to focus on making their lives better, affordable.”

“This administration somehow found the resources, has found billions of dollars for bombs, but can’t find any money to actually bring down the high cost of living here in the United States of America,” Jeffries added.

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Fifteen US aircraft have left the Rota and Moron military bases in southern Spain since the US and Israel launched weekend attacks on Iran, maps by flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed on Monday.

Spain's stance and the emphatic condemnation of the US-Israeli actions in Iran by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez once again make it an outlier in the region, potentially straining its relationship with Washington further.

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Eighteen service members have been seriously wounded during the US military’s operation against Iran, according to US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins.

Earlier, CENTCOM announced that four US service members had been killed in action.

Sources confirmed to CNN all four died from the same attack in Kuwait.

Source: CNN

Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani warned the country has “prepared itself for a long war” on Monday, after US and Israeli bombing over the weekend sparked a wave of regional violence.

“Iran, unlike the United States, has prepared itself for a long war,” Larijani said in a post on X. “As in the past 300 years, Iran did not start this war and our brave Armed Forces have not engaged in any attacks except in defense.”

“We will fiercely defend ourselves and our 6,000-years old civilization regardless of the costs and will make the enemies sorry for their miscalculation,” the security head added.

US military chief Dan Caine on Monday said additional US forces are continuing to flow into the Middle East to counter Iran.

“This deployment included thousands of service members from all branches, hundreds of advanced fourth and fifth generation fighters, dozens of refueling tankers, the Lincoln and Ford carrier strike group and their embarked air wings, sustained flow of munitions, fuel, supplies, all supported with command and control intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance network,” Caine said.

“And the flow of forces continues today,” he said.

Dan Caine, the chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff General, said the US war against Iran would not consist of a “single, overnight operation” and added that more US casualties should be expected.

“The military objectives that CENTCOM and the Joint Force have been tasked with will take some time to achieve, and in some cases, will be difficult and gritty work.”

“We expect to take additional losses, and as always, we will work to minimize US losses,” the general added while addressing a presser.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today that the US strikes on Iran is not meant to be “regime change.”

“This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it,” Hegseth said.

President Donald Trump has, however, pushed for regime change.

The defence secretary also argued that the US didn’t start the war, claiming Iran has carried out attacks for decades in a “one-sided war against America.”

Source: CNN

Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company’s cloud computing division, said it faced disruptions on Monday after unidentified objects struck a data center in Dubai.

AWS said full recovery was “still expected to be many hours away” and advised customers to ingest their data into an alternate region in the meantime.

The company said in a separate post it was facing connectivity issues at a data center in Bahrain.

Source: CNN

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office dismisses as “fake news” an Iranian claim that the premier’s fate is unclear after a missile attack targeting Jerusalem.

Earlier, in a video statement carried by Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, a military spokesman claims that the country’s Khaibar missiles successfully struck Netanyahu’s office and the home of Air Force chief Tomer Bar in a surprise attack.

There were no reports of any missile impacts in Jerusalem after air raid sirens sounded in the capital about two hours ago. 

Source: Tasnim, Times of Israel

After Iranian drones hit two of its facilities, Qatar’s state-owned petroleum company, QatarEnergy, says it will suspend production of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

QatarEnergy is among the world’s three largest LNG exporters, often competing with US rivals for the top spot.

Nineteen were wounded by an Iranian missile in southern Israel's Beersheba city, medics said.

The strike created a large crater in the city center, damaging many buildings, the Southern District commander said.

Source: Times of Israel, Haaretz

Hundreds of people were seen fleeing southern Lebanon on Monday morning after a night of attacks across the region drew Iran-backed Hezbollah further into the conflict.

Men, women and children are seen getting into cars, which caused traffic jams in Sidon as residents try to escape the escalating violence.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday accused the United States and Israel of trying to bring about regime change in Iran and of seeking to sabotage what it called the process of normalising relations between Tehran and its Arab neighbours.

"It has become clear that, in addition to regime change in Iran using the most unscrupulous means, such as the assassination of the leadership of a sovereign state, Washington and Tel Aviv are trying to provoke a breakdown in the process of normalising relations between Iran and its Arab neighbours," the ministry said in a statement. [Reuters]

The Israeli military said on Monday that it had carried out a strike in Beirut killing Hussein Makled, who served as the head of Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters. [Reuters]

Fifteen US aircraft have left the Rota and Moron military bases in southern Spain since the US and Israel launched weekend attacks on Iran, maps by flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed on Monday.

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain would not allow its military bases, which are jointly operated by the US and Spain but under Spanish sovereignty, to be used for attacks on Iran, which Spain has condemned.

At least seven of the aircraft were shown on FlightRadar24as having landed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. [Reuters]

A fourth US service member has died of injuries sustained in the US operation in Iran, Central Command said on Monday.

The service member had been seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks and eventually succumbed to their injuries, it said in a statement. [Reuters]