Iran launched another blistering attack against Israel and American allies in the Gulf on Tuesday after dismissing Donald Trump’s claims that Washington and Tehran were holding “productive” talks to end the war as “fakenews”.
The Israeli military reported a fresh wave of missile attacks, triggering air raid sirens across the country, including Tel Aviv, where blasts from interceptions were heard. Homes in the north were damaged by falling debris. No deaths were reported.
Kuwait also responded to drone and missile attacks overnight, while Saudi Arabia intercepted a wave of more than 20 drones and Bahrain activated alert sirens. Explosions continued to rock Iran through the night, heard in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan and Karaj.
There was no sign of de-escalation after Iran rubbished Donald Trump’s claims that talks towards a ceasefire were ongoing with an unnamed “top person” in Iran.
Administration officials told Politico yesterday that the White House was eyeing Iranian parliament speaker Ghalibaf as a potential US-backed leader, and an Israeli official told Axios that US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were negotiating with him instead of the new supreme leader.
Reassurances were further muddled as a social media account in Ghalibaf’s name said no negotiations have so far taken place, and Iran’s foreign ministry said the regime had not responded to American requests to talk.
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Key Points
- Israel vows to control all bridges into southern Lebanon and keep up 'full force' against Hezbollah
- Oil prices plummet after Trump overtures to diplomacy
- Iran and Pakistan discuss war amid speculation around possible peace talks
- Major airlines cancel more flights as Middle East conflict escalates
- Are Washington and Tehran in talks to end the war?
In pictures: A missile lands in Nablus, near the West Bank
11:28 , James Reynolds
Oil markets oscillating with Trump-Iran back and forth
11:00 , James ReynoldsEmma Wall, chief investment strategist at Hargreaves Lansdown, says oil markets followed Donald Trump’s reassurances for diplomacy yesterday - but have since been weakened by Iran’s denial.
“According to President Donald Trump, preliminary truce talks have begun with Iran. According to Iran, he’s living in la-la-land and the talks never happened. But the markets love hope, and the prospect of a ceasefire was enough to push Brent crude oil down below $100 a barrel for the first time in weeks,” she explains.
“But the Iran denial, and a report that the UAE and Saudi Arabia are considering entering the war, has sent oil back up.”
She adds: “In other positive news, a few tankers are trickling through the Hormuz Strait, Japan and India have confirmed safe passage of oil and liquified gas shipments. A few ships posts more hope, but is out by some magnitude to the 100 tankers that usually pass through the 21-mile-wide waterway on a daily basis.”
US and Israel appear to differ on objectives, says academic
10:30 , James ReynoldsDespite Donald Trump’s pledge to stop strikes on energy infrastructure for five days, diplomacy may be complicated by the US and Israel appearing to have different objectives for the war, according to an academic.
Professor Maziyar Ghiabi, Director of the Centre for Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Exeter, said: “While the US president announced diplomatic communication with his Iranian counterpart, the Israeli air force carried out extensive bombing of Iranian infrastructure.
“The objectives of the United States and Israel appear to differ, with Tel Aviv preparing for a prolonged conflict that, so far, has had only limited material impact compared to that experienced by GCC countries and U.S. bases.
“The key question is whether the US administration will be able to disentangle itself from Israeli strategy, or whether it will be drawn into a prolonged war with global repercussions—as well as domestic unpopularity—due to Israel's military offensive.”
Israel vows to control all bridges into southern Lebanon and keep up 'full force' against Hezbollah
10:10 , James ReynoldsThe Israeli military will control the remaining bridges over Lebanon's Litani River and the area south of the river, Israel's defence minister said on Tuesday.
“The IDF will continue to operate in Lebanon with full force against Hezbollah,” Israel Katz said during a briefing this morning.
“Hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon who evacuated northward will not return south of the Litani River until security for the residents of the north is ensured.”
He said that all bridges across the Litani River ostensibly used to move Hezbollah operatives and weapons into southern Lebanon have now been “blown up”, and that Israel will control the rest.
“The principle is clear: Where there is terror and missiles, there will be no homes and no residents, and the IDF will be inside,” he said.
Oil prices plummet after Trump overtures to diplomacy
10:00 , Karl MatchettThe price of Brent crude oil plummeted in the aftermath of Trump's "productive" conversation rhetoric yesterday, but all is far from settled and it has edged higher again this morning, briefly touching $100 once more.
As of a little after 8am GMT we're at $97.80, so about 9.8% below the price pre-presidential comments.
Guessing what's next is a fool's game - many financial markets are rising or falling by crazy amounts each day at the moment and for the everyday public, the hope will simply be that the situation can find a resolution soon - remember it's not the oil price peak which will impact on inflation and energy bills, so much as the prolonged nature of it being higher.
The FTSE 100 rose yesterday along with most other stock market indices, but first thing this morning is much more a reflection of it being a 'who knows' moment: London's market is flat, Europe is very slightly down, though Asia overnight managed gains in most markets.
Iran and Pakistan discuss war amid speculation around possible peace talks
09:46 , James ReynoldsAmid speculation around possible future talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad, Iran’s foreign ministry says it has held a call with its counterpart in Pakistan.
Ministers emphasised the importance of safeguarding stability and lasting security in the region, a statement said.
Iran’s president also spoke with the prime minister of Pakistan, exchanging views on regional developments and the consequences of the war, Iranian media reports.
White House says diplomacy 'fluid' - but won't yet commit to talks timeframe
09:38 , James ReynoldsThe White House on Monday was cautious to handle rumours of a forthcoming meeting between US and Iranian officials in Pakistan.
Responding to reports that US vice president JD Vance could lead a US delegation in talks in Islamabad, press secretary Karoline Leavitt would not rule out the possibility - but told reporters to await a formal announcement.
“These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the US will not negotiate through the press,” she told the BBC.
“This is a fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House.”
Iran has just 1,000 missiles left, estimates Israeli thinktank
09:32 , James ReynoldsAn Israeli think tank estimates that Iran could have as few as 1,000 missiles left in its stockpile, having already spent more than half.
The Alma Research Centre estimates that Iran likely had around 1,500 missiles by the end of the 12-day war last summer.
In the eight months that followed, it likely would have been able to build a further 1,000.
After three weeks of war, it estimates Iran’s arsenal could have fallen back down to 1,000 - even if it can quickly replenish stocks.
Iran arrests almost 500 accused of 'stirring public opinion' amid war
09:24 , James ReynoldsIran's police says it arrested 466 individuals accused of 'stirring public opinion' and 'online propaganda in favour of the enemy', according to the IRNA news agency.
Sirens sounding across Israel as Hezbollah claims rocket attack
09:10 , James ReynoldsSirens were sounding across Israel’s Acre and the Krayot suburbs of Haifa on Tuesday morning after Hezbollah claimed a rocket attack from Lebanon.
Israel’s army says it intercepted most of the rockets.
Trump determined to reach deal with Iran, Israeli officials believe
09:04 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump appears to be determined to reach a deal with Iran aimed at ending hostilities in the Middle East, three senior Israeli officials said on Tuesday.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that they viewed it as unlikely that Iran would agree to US demands in any new round of negotiations, which broke down with the start of the war at the end of February.
Those demands were likely to include curbs on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, the sources said.
Major airlines cancel more flights as Middle East conflict escalates
09:00 , James ReynoldsGlobal air travel remains severely disrupted, with many people still unable to fly as planned to destinations after the Iran war forced the closure of major Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. Among the airlines cancelling flights:
IAG-owned British Airways has extended cancellations of flights to Amman, Bahrain, Dubai and Tel Aviv until May 31 and to Doha until April 30, while adding flights to Bangkok and Singapore. Flights to Abu Dhabi remain suspended until later this year.
Wizz Air has suspended flights to Israel until March 29, and to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman and Jeddah from mainland European destinations until mid-September.
Qatar Airways said it would operate a revised limited number of flights until March 28.
Etihad Airways said it was operating a limited commercial flight schedule between Abu Dhabi and select destinations.
Emirates said it was operating a reduced flight schedule following a partial reopening of regional airspace.
Germany’s Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways, has suspended flights to Tel Aviv through April 9, and to Beirut, Dubai, Amman, Erbil and Abu Dhabi until March 28. Flights to Tehran are suspended through April 30 and to Riyadh until April 5.
Air France has cancelled Tel Aviv and Beirut flights until March 28 and Dubai and Riyadh flights until March 24, as well as a March 25 departure from Dubai.
Iran threatens to strike Israeli troops in Gaza
08:47 , James ReynoldsIran’s Revolutionary Guards warn that they will target Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip “without any limit” if Israel targets civilians in Palestinian territories and Lebanon, per IRNA news agency.
Watch: Aftermath of Iranian missile barrages in central Israel
08:30 , James ReynoldsAre Washington and Tehran in talks to end the war?
08:10 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump’s claims that the US and Iran were already in talks to end the war were pounced upon by the regime in Tehran, which said the US president was only trying to soothe damaged markets and denied any such conversations had taken place.
Trump said yesterday that negotiators spoke on Sunday and could speak again on Monday, sparking a flurry of market activity and hopes of de-escalation just hours from Trump’s deadline to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face ‘obliteration’.
Iranian officials cited in local media soon said there were no such discussions, before a spokesperson for the foreign ministry put out a statement claiming that while the US had tried to get in touch, Iran had not responded.
Trump did say in his comments to reporters that he was speaking to a “top person” in Iran and did not acknowledge new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei as leader, indicating the US might not be going through the official channels.
An Israeli official told Axios that Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was negotiating with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, before Trump administration officials told Politico that Ghalibaf was being eyed for a future leadership role, supported by the US.
A social media account in Ghalibaf’s name on Monday afternoon said that no negotiations have been held with the US, claiming “fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets”.
Watch: Netanyahu says Trump believes military 'achievements' against Iran can be used to end war
07:51 , James ReynoldsPhilippines considers grounding long-haul flights
07:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPhilippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr has told Bloomberg News that grounding planes due to a shortage of jet fuel was a “distinct possibility".
“Several countries have already told our airlines they cannot fuel their aircraft, so they have to carry fuel there and back,” Mr Marcos Jr said. “Long haul is going to be a much more serious problem.”
Philippine energy secretary Sharon Garin told reporters today that the country will try to boost the output of its coal-fired power plants to keep electricity costs down.
Ms Garin said the country would “temporarily” be forced to lean even more heavily on coal due to the ongoing LPG crisis fueled by the war in the Middle East.
“We talked to the generation companies, the coal-powered plants, to check how much they can increase their generation,” Ms Garin said, adding that the “temporary measure” that could start as early as next month.
South Korea asks citizens to take shorter showers to save energy
07:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSouth Korean president Lee Jae Myung today called for a nationwide energy-saving campaign over risks to oil and gas supplies from the Iran war, saying public institutions would cut back on their use of passenger cars.
Energy minister Kim Sung-hwan told a cabinet meeting private-sector vehicle curbs were voluntary for now, but could be reviewed if the energy alert level increased.
The government is calling on people to adopt 12 energy-saving practices like shorter showers, charging phones and electric vehicles during the day and using washing machines and vacuums over the weekend.
The government will ask the top 50 oil-consuming businesses to cut use, and encourage staggered commuting hours and other conservation steps, he said.
Mr Kim also said Seoul would restart five nuclear reactors by May, ease restrictions on coal plants and expand renewable energy to reduce longer-term dependence on LNG, and could extend the lives of three coal power plants scheduled to close this year.
The energy mix adjustment is expected to save up to 14,000 tons, or up to 20 per cent of South Korea's average daily LNG consumption of 69,000 tons for power, Mr Kim said.
Trump appears to blame his defence secretary for Iran war
07:13 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUS president Donald Trump has claimed that his defence secretary Pete Hegseth was the one to push the US towards launching a war on Iran.
Mr Trump last night said Mr Hegseth was the first person on his team to suggest launching military operations against Tehran.
"I called Pete, I called General [Dan] Caine. I called a lot of our great people... And I said, 'Let's talk. We got a problem in the Middle East. We have a country, known as Iran, that for 47 years has been just a purveyor of terror, and they're very close to having a nuclear weapon," Mr Trump said at a Memphis Safe Task Force roundtable in Tennessee.
"We can keep going and get that 50,000 up to 55 and 60, there's no end," he said, referring to the Dow Jones stock market index, "or we can take a stop and make a little journey into the Middle East and eliminate a big problem".
"And Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up, and you said, 'Let's do it, because you can't let them have a nuclear weapon," he added.
Mr Hegseth was sitting next to the president at the roundtable.
Amazon AWS Bahrain region 'disrupted' following drone activity
07:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAmazon said its Amazon Web Services region in Bahrain has been "disrupted" amid the current conflict in the Middle East.
The disruption is due to drone activity in the area, an Amazon spokesperson said.
Amazon said it is helping to migrate customers to alternate AWS regions while it recovers, though it did not provide additional details such as the extent of the damage or how long it anticipates the disruption to last.
"... As we have advised before, we request those with workloads in the affected regions continue to migrate to other locations," Amazon said in a statement last night.
AWS is Amazon's cloud computing unit and critical for the operation of many well-known websites and government operations. It is also the company's main driver of profits.
Watch live: Aftermath of missile strike in Tel Aviv
06:53 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarQatar parks 20 long-haul jets in Spain
06:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarQatar Airways has moved 20 of its long-haul aircraft to a storage facility in Spain due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, which has forced the closure of airspace over the subcontinent.
Over the past week, the airline ferried several aircraft to Spain’s Teruel Airport, a hangar built for deep maintenance and long-haul storage.
“Because of this turmoil, we’ve become a haven for aircraft from the Middle East,” Teruel airport’s director Alejandro Ibrahim told Spanish radio station COPE.
“The figure is already around 20 and a few more are expected,” he added.
“Due to the current exceptional circumstances in the region and the resulting disruption to flight operations beyond our control, Qatar Airways has positioned some of its aircraft at selected airports outside Qatar,” Qatar Airways said in a statement to AFP.
“This is a temporary measure, and the aircraft will be progressively returned to service as flight operations are restored to normal levels,” it added.
Mapped: What countries Iranian missiles could hit after warning they pose ‘global threat’
06:39 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran has developed long-range missiles capable of reaching major European cities, Israel has warned, after the targeting of the UK-US base on Diego Garcia.
Iran took aim at the military base on the Chagos Islands before the UK government gave the US permission to strike missile sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, but it is not clear exactly when the two intermediate-range ballistic missiles were fired.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said it was the first time Tehran had launched a long-range missile since the start of the war, and showed it is now capable of reaching cities such as London, Paris or Berlin.
More here.
Pakistan positioning itself as chief mediator between US and Iran
06:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPakistan is reportedly positioning itself as the lead mediator to broker an end to the US and Israel’s war against Iran.
Pakistan has pitched Islamabad as a possible venue for the talks as early as this week, the Financial Times reported, citing senior members of the US and Iranian administrations.
According to the report, Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir spoke with US president Donald Trump on Sunday, while Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif held talks with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian yesterday.
The call between the Pakistani and Iranian leaders came as Mr Trump said he was delaying his threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants, citing “very good and productive” conversations aimed at ending the war.
Iran refuted that there had been any high-level communications with the White House and dismissed Mr Trump's rhetoric as a thinly veiled attempt to manipulate jittery global markets.
"No negotiations have been held with the US," Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament, posted on X. "And fake news is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped."
Starmer told ‘we are at war’ as MPs accuse him of ‘complacency’
06:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSir Keir Starmer has been accused of “complacency” by senior MPs as he faced a grilling over the UK’s lack of preparedness for the war in the Middle East.
The prime minister clashed with both Labour and Tory MPs as he appeared before the Commons liaison committee – made up of the chairs of parliamentary select committees – where he was challenged with claims that the UK “is at war”.
The appearance came ahead of the prime minister’s chairing of an emergency Cobra meeting on Monday afternoon to prepare for the war’s impact on the cost of living, and he admitted to MPs he was unable to give a timetable for the end of the conflict despite Donald Trump’s declaration of a ceasefire.
More here.
Starmer told ‘we are at war’ as MPs accuse him of ‘complacency’ on defence
Iran launches missiles at Israel
06:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iran launches new wave of attacks on Israel and Arab states
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIranian missiles and drones targeted Israel and Arab states this morning, even as US president Donald Trump claimed that the US was in talks with the Islamic Republic to end the war.
Mr Trump also delayed a deadline for Iran to open the strategic Strait of Hormuz for shipping or see its power stations targeted by airstrikes, briefly driving down oil prices and boosting stocks. But any information on the talks described by Mr Trump remains in dispute with Iran, which denied any talks had been held.
Iran fired three waves of missiles at Israel early this morning, with reports of an impact in the country's north, the Israeli Home Front Command said.
In Kuwait, power lines were hit by air defence shrapnel, causing partial electricity outages. Missile alert sirens sounded in Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia's defence ministry said it had destroyed 19 Iranian drones targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province.
Israel pounded Beirut's southern suburbs, saying that it was targeting infrastructure used by the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said Israel will continue to strike Iran and Lebanon even as the US considers a ceasefire. "There's more to come," he said.
Lufthansa suspends several Middle East flights until October - report
05:52 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDeutsche Lufthansa is extending its suspension of flights to Iran and parts of the Middle East for several more months as regional tensions rise, Bloomberg News reported.
Lufthansa flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv will remain on hold until 31 May, while services to other cities, including Abu Dhabi, Beirut and Tehran, are suspended until 24 October, the report said, citing the company.
Pentagon weighs sending in 3,000 troops to help Iran war
05:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe Pentagon is weighing sending in about 3,000 troops to support the Iran war effort, which may include seizing Kharg Island, the Middle Eastern country’s main oil export hub, according to a new report.
Senior Pentagon officials may deploy the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division’s “Immediate Response Force,” a combat brigade of about 3,000 soldiers that can deploy paratroopers and equipment anywhere in the world within 18 hours, The New York Times reported Monday, citing defense officials.
The combat brigade and some elements of the 82nd Airborne’s headquarters staff may reportedly be deployed to help in the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which is now in its fourth week.
More here.
Pentagon weighs sending in 3,000 troops to help Iran war: report
Iraq's Shia PMF says 10 killed in 'US strikes'
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAirstrikes targeting a site belonging to Iraq's Shia Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the western province of Anbar killed at least 10 fighters, including the group's Anbar operations commander.
The PMF confirmed to Reuters in a statement the death of its Anbar commander, Saad al-Baiji, and several of his companions. It accused the US of carrying out the attack, saying a US airstrike targeted a command headquarters while personnel were on duty.
The strikes targeted the PMF headquarters during a security meeting attended by senior commanders, the group claimed.
The PMF, known in Arabic as Hashd al-Shaabi, is a loose coalition of mostly Shia paramilitary groups that has been formally incorporated into Iraq’s state security apparatus, with several factions maintaining close ties to Iran.
Israel continues bombardment of Beirut
05:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe Israeli military said it has carried out overnight strikes on multiple neighbourhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The military claimed it captured two members of Hezbollah in the Iran-backed group's stronghold in southern Lebanon.
Clouds of smoke were seen over the capital’s southern suburbs, and Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported a series of strikes on the area, with low Israeli warplanes heard across Beirut and its surroundings.
Iran strikes central and north Israel
04:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSirens were sounded in central Israel after the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it detected Iranian ballistic missiles targeting Tel Aviv, Rishon Lezion and Netanya.
Israel's parliament said it had to stop a late night session due to incoming missiles from Iran.
The session was suspended following an alert from the Home Front Command, and resumed about 15 minutes later, a spokesperson for the Knesset said.
