Trump: 'Operations in Iran until all targets are met'. France-Gb-Germany: 'We will take measures to defend our interests'

Israel launched a barrage of attacks on the Lebanese capital Beirut after the Shia militant group Hezbollah fired missiles across the border. According to witnesses there were at least a dozen explosions in the southern suburbs of the city that are under Hezbollah control. This is the most massive Israeli attack against Lebanon since 2024 and follows the first aggression against Israel claimed by Hezbollah in more than a year. The Tel Aviv army claimed to have intercepted a rocket that had crossed the border and that several others fell in open areas. No injuries or damage were reported. Hezbollah said in a statement that the attacks were carried out in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and for "repeated Israeli aggression".

Gas prices in Europe could more than double if the Strait of Hormuz is closed for more than a month. The estimate is contained in a note by the US investment bank Goldman Sachs, according to which quotations in Europe and Asia have so far barely incorporated Iran-related risk premiums. About one fifth of the world's liquefied natural gas, mainly from Qatar, transits through the Strait of Hormuz. A one-month disruption could raise European and Asian spot prices by 130 per cent to USD 25 per million British thermal units.

Shares in Australia's national flag carrier Qantas opened down more than 10 per cent in Sydney, only to retreat partially during the session. Virgin Atlantic's stock also fell sharply after the conflict in the Middle East severely impacted the operations of flights passing through the region or using major Gulf airports as hubs.

Oil prices soared in the early stages on the Asian markets: Brent crude oil jumped 13% to $82.20 a barrel compared to $72.87 on Friday. Gold (+1.6%), a traditional safe haven asset in times of crisis, and silver (+2%) also rose.

Sirens have sounded in several locations in northern Israel warning of the risk of a bombing. According to the Israeli Armed Forces, rockets are coming from areas under the control of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Senegalese citizen who opened fire on patrons of a bar in Texas yesterday, killing two people and wounding 14, was wearing a sweatshirt with the words 'Property of Allah' and a shirt in the colours of the Iranian flag. The FBI is investigating the shooting as a possible terrorism case. The assailant, who was armed with a pistol and a rifle, was killed by the police.

London has agreed to allow the US to use British military bases to strike Iranian missile sites. This was announced by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stating that 'the UK will not join the offensive action in Iran'.

The Israeli emergency service reported that seven people were injured, one of them in serious condition, in a rocket attack by Iran in the Jerusalem area. Haaretz writes this. The Israeli police reported that fragments of the intercepted missiles fell in several locations in the Jerusalem area.

France, Britain and Germany express 'dismay at the indiscriminate and disproportionate missile attacks launched by Iran against certain countries in the region' and announce that they will 'take measures to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially allowing necessary and proportionate defensive actions to destroy Iran's ability to launch missiles and drones at source'. This was stated in a joint communiqué by the three governments, released in the evening by the Elysée Palace.

In the joint statement, France, Great Britain and Germany lament Iran's 'indiscriminate' and 'disproportionate' operations even against 'those countries not involved in the initial US and Israeli military operations. Iran's reckless attacks have targeted our close allies and threaten our military personnel and civilians throughout the region". Therefore, the three European countries "call" on Iran to "immediately end" the "reckless attacks" and announce measures to defend their own and their allies' interests. "We," the statement concludes, "have agreed to work together with the United States and allies in the region on this issue.

Further reading

European Union divided over Iran-US tensions. Kallas tough on Tehran regime

01 March 2026

Alarm sirens sounded in Jerusalem and various locations in central and northern Israel over a missile launch by Iran. According to initial information from the emergency rescue services reported by the Israeli media, missile fragments fell in various locations causing damage but no injuries. The IDF command said that civilians in the areas where the sirens were activated can now exit the air raid shelters, but must still remain close to them.

"Iran's attacks against several countries in the Middle East are unjustifiable. These events must not lead to further escalation that could threaten the region, Europe and beyond with unpredictable consequences." This was written on X by the European High Representative for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, after an emergency meeting of foreign ministers.

"We are taking all necessary measures to ensure the security of EU citizens in the region," he continued. "The EU expresses its solidarity with partners who have been attacked or affected. We will continue to contribute to all diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and find a lasting solution to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon."

President Trump's decision to launch military strikes against Iranian targets - an operation the administration has dubbed 'Operation Epic Fury' - has sparked a sharp division within Congress and the Democratic Party.

While most of the Democratic Congressmen denounced the action as unilateral and lacking congressional authorisation, calling it a possible violation of the Constitution and the limits of executive power, Senator John Fetterman's position stands out.

A police station in Rey, on the outskirts of Tehran, was hit by an Israeli-American raid. This was reported by several Iranian media, reporting the presence of people under the rubble. "After the enemy attack on the city of Rey, the police station and nearby residential buildings were hit," Tasnim and Mizan agencies and the daily Shargh write, adding that "several civilians were killed and others are still buried under the rubble," without giving an exact death toll at the moment.

The Israeli army claimed to have dealt a 'severe blow' to Iran's command and control centres after a new wave of attacks against military targets in the Islamic Republic. The Israel Defence Forces said in a note that it had "struck dozens of the regime's military command centres, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Irgc) headquarters, intelligence headquarters, Irgc air force command centres and internal security facilities". "The completed wave of attacks dealt a severe blow to the terrorist regime's command and control capabilities, eliminating personnel within its most important headquarters," the statement added.

The Financial Regulatory Authority of the United Arab Emirates (CMA) today announced the extraordinary closure of the Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock exchanges for Monday and Tuesday inclusive. In the Emirates, which has been hit by Iranian attacks since Saturday after the Israeli-US attack, this closure affects the Dubai Financial Market (Dfm) and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (Adx). "The Authority confirms that it will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation in the region and assess it on an ongoing basis, taking all necessary additional measures," the Cma statement read. "All interested parties are advised to follow the official channels of the UAE Financial Markets Authority, Adx and Dfm for further information," the Authority explains.

An Iranian drone headed for Qatar was shot down by a British fighter jet. This was announced by a spokesman for the British Ministry of Defence. "On 1 March 2026, a Royal Air Force Typhoon, operating from Qatar as part of the joint UK-Qatari Typhoon squadron, successfully eliminated an Iranian drone heading towards Qatari territory,'' the note read. "The Typhoon jet was conducting a defensive air patrol and used an air-to-air missile to shoot down the drone, ensuring the security of Qatari airspace and British interests in the region,'' it added. The ministry concluded by stating that "our Armed Forces play a vital role in protecting our people, our interests and our allies."

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's contacts with leaders in the Middle East region continued today, starting with the telephone conversations held with the King of Jordan and the Sultan of Oman, in addition to the numerous contacts held yesterday with the remaining authorities of the Gulf nations. This was announced in a note from Palazzo Chigi. President Meloni also held talks with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, in his capacity as rotating presidency of the European Union. The President of the Council then reported to the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, giving him a full update on developments in the situation and the contacts that had taken place. In parallel, constant coordination continues with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, regarding the situation of compatriots residing and in transit in the region, to whom we renew our call for the utmost prudence and to observe the indications coming from the Farnesina Crisis Unit.

"I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk nine Iranian military ships, some of them relatively large and important. We are trying to hit the others as well: soon they will also be floating on the seabed! In another attack, we largely destroyed their naval headquarters. Apart from that, their navy is doing very well!" US President Donald Trump wrote this on Truth.

The Israeli military announced that the assassination of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei marks the 'culmination of a sustained effort to eliminate the leadership of the Iranian terrorist axis'. Haaretz reports. The military recalls that prominent figures killed since the 7 October 2023 attack include former Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas chairman Yahya Sinwar, Houthi military commander Muhammad al-Ghamari, and senior Iranian military commanders.

Further reading

The Pope, 'no more weapons, in the Middle East irreparable chasm'

01 March 2026

Mahmouh Ahmadinejad's office denied Iranian media reports of the former president's death in the Israeli and US bombing raids on Tehran.

The news of the death was reported by the Iranian news agency Ilna, although Ahmadinejad's own family had previously denied it.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who played a mediating role in last weeks' talks between the US and Iran, called for a ceasefire during talks with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, as Iran continued its retaliatory attacks in response to the US-Israeli raids. Al-Busaidi 'reiterated the Sultanate of Oman's constant call for a ceasefire and a return to dialogue (...) so as to meet the legitimate claims of all parties,' his ministry indicated in an account of the meeting with Araghchi. On Sunday in Oman, the only Gulf state spared during the first day of Iran's military response to Israeli and US attacks, a drone raid left one person injured in a port, while an oil tanker was targeted off its coast. During his talks with Busaidi, the Iranian foreign minister stated that Tehran "calls for peace" and expressed "the openness of the Iranian side to any serious effort that can help end the escalation".

The effect of the attack on Iran on the price of oil may be less of an impact on Americans' pockets than analysts think. This was stated by Donald Trump in an interview with The Atlantic, underlining that there could be a sharp increase 'if things go wrong. We'll see what happens. They've been killing for 47 years and now the tables have turned,' he added referring to the blow inflicted on the regime.

First the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, then the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and now the Iranian Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the space of a year and a half, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has lost many of his key foreign allies and the Kremlin, mired in the war in Ukraine, is struggling to react.

Putin has so far sent a letter of condolence to President Masoud Pezeshkian, describing Khamenei as 'an outstanding statesman who made an immense personal contribution to the development of friendly relations between Russia and Iran'. While denouncing a 'cynical violation' of 'morality and international law', Putin and the Russian authorities have not officially announced any concrete aid to Tehran in the face of the continuing US and Israeli air strikes. Moreover, yesterday, according to Moscow, it was the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi who called his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, at the start of the attacks.

There is uncertainty about the fate of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahamdinejad, who was left for dead in yesterday's first Israeli attack in Iran. The news was initially given by the semi-official Ilna news agency, which quoted 'informed sources', and relayed by the Iranian, Israeli and international media. Subsequently, however, writes the Guardian, the same Ilna changed the news with a subsequent one entitled "Is Mahmoud Ahamdinejad a martyr?", thus casting doubt on the previous one and citing an anonymous source who denied the former president's death "without providing further information". According to Ilna's first information, the former president was killed in attacks on his home in the Narmak district of Tehran.

Iranian media report that more than 40 members of the country's security forces were killed in an attack on the headquarters of a border regiment in the western city of Mehran near Iraq. According to the Mehr news agency, the attack, accompanied by shelling, killed 43 security personnel, most of them border guards, and parts of nearby buildings were also severely damaged.

It is shaping up to be a highly tense Monday for global markets, following the joint Israeli and US attack on Iran and Tehran's subsequent retaliation. According to several traders, fears of prolonged instability in the Middle East could weigh on stock markets. At the same time, fears of supply disruptions related to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transport hub, will support the oil rally.

This, despite the fact that Opec+ agreed on Sunday to increase production by 206,000 barrels per day from April, a modest increase representing less than 0.2 per cent of global demand. When trading resumes tomorrow, US crude oil, Ig brokers, could jump 9% above $73 a barrel (from around $67 at Friday's close), which is the highest level since June 2025, at the time of Washington's first attacks on Theran's nuclear sites. Barclays' estimates see crude oil even spiking to between $80 and $100 a barrel in the event of significant disruptions, while for Royal Bank of Canada, 'Gulf leaders indicated that an oil price above $100 represented a clear and imminent danger'.

Four US B-2 bombers flew all night from the US to Iran to hit Iranian ballistic missile launchers located in caves underground. Axios reports. The B2 bombers dropped dozens of bombs, over two thousand tonnes, on underground ballistic missile storage sites in Iran.

Israeli attacks on Tehran will intensify in the coming days. This was stated in a video message by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the second day of the Israeli-US offensive launched against the Islamic Republic of Iran. "Our forces are currently striking the heart of Tehran with increasing intensity, which will increase further in the coming days," the premier said. Netanyahu added that he had "given instructions for the continuation of the campaign" military in which Israel is mobilising "all the power of its army, as never before, in order to secure its existence and its future".

"I am not worried about anything. Prices will be managed, as always'. This was stated by US President Donald Trump, when asked by Fox News about the consequences for the cost of oil and the effects of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after the operation against the Iranian regime. In the joint US-Israeli operation against Iran, 48 leaders were 'killed in one fell swoop', the US president said, adding that only the US knows how many targets are still missing.

The aircraft carrier Lincoln "was not hit. The missiles fired did not even touch it. It continues to operate in support of the campaign to defend Americans'. This was stated by the US Central Command in response to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps claiming that it attacked the US aircraft carrier Uss Abraham Lincoln in the Gulf.

Three Americans were killed and five wounded in Operation Epic Fury. This was announced by the Us Central Command. Donald Trump had warned of the possibility of American casualties.

Donald Trump does not have a realistic plan for Iran's future: he has not learnt the lessons of the passing wars and regime changes in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is stated in a Financial Times editorial by Gideon Rachman, in which he explains how the conflicts of 2001 and 2003 seem 'meticulously planned' with respect to the operation against Tehran. The high number of American casualties in the wars in Afghanistan and Iran convinced Trump that it would be madness to deploy soldiers on the ground in Iran. This, however, has driven him to an 'unprecedented process: regime change only air power', the editorial reads. The hope is that decapitating the Iranian leadership will lead to an 'organic and spontaneous transition to a new political system, without the need for American intervention. But there is little reason to believe this will happen'.

The world's leading ship owner, the Swiss-Italian Msc, has ordered all its ships in the Gulf to 'take cover' and has suspended all cargo transport to the Middle East.

"As a precaution, Msc has instructed all ships currently operating in the Gulf region, as well as those en route to that area, to proceed to safe haven areas until further notice," the company wrote in a statement. "Msc has suspended all cargo bookings destined for the Middle East region until further notice."

Two ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz off the United Arab Emirates and Oman in the Gulf. This was announced by the maritime safety authority Ukmto, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. A first vessel off the coast of Oman was hit 'by an unknown projectile above the waterline', according to the British agency. In a separate incident, another vessel was hit by an unknown projectile, Ukmto reported, while the maritime security company Vanguard Tech said it was 'approximately 17 nautical miles northwest of Mina Saqr in the United Arab Emirates'.

The hostile event that affected the Al Salem base in Kuwait, where a contingent of about 300 Italian military personnel operates, did not cause any consequences to personnel, but only limited damage to some logistical and operational infrastructures of the base. A more complete assessment, however, is still in progress. I am maintaining constant and direct contact with all the commanders of the missions and operations in the area; in particular, with the commander of the Unifil mission and the commander of the Sector West of the same mission in Lebanon, with the commander of the contingent stationed in Erbil in Iraq, the commander of the Air Task Force in Kuwait and the commanders of the naval units engaged in the Atalanta and Aspides operations". Thus the Chief of Defence Staff, General Luciano Portolano. "The commander of the Air Task Force in Kuwait, Colonel Marco Mangini, confirmed to me the immediate activation of the planned security procedures. As mentioned, there was damage to some surface infrastructure inside the base, the extent of which is still being assessed. All Italia personnel were promptly transferred to the protection bunkers and, at present, are unharmed and safe," added Portolano.

Colonel Mangini expressed words of gratitude and a sense of institutional responsibility: 'The personnel are serene and are reacting with the utmost professionalism, as I also had the opportunity to reiterate to Defence Minister Guido Crosetto in a previous telephone call in which he personally wished to assure us of the condition of the personnel. This represents a concrete sign of support for all the military personnel engaged in the theatre of operations'. The situation continues to be monitored with the utmost attention by the Inter-Forces Top Operational Command and the competent bodies, in close coordination with the allied authorities present in the area. "The safety of military personnel remains a top priority. We will continue to take all necessary measures to protect our military personnel, who work with professionalism and dedication in the service of the nation," concluded Portolano.

The death toll from the direct impact of an Iranian ballistic missile in Beit Shemesh in central Israel has risen to nine. The carrier hit a residential area destroying homes, a public shelter and a synagogue. Beit Shemesh Mayor Shmuel Greenberg told the media that 20 residents have not yet been contacted, but may be elsewhere. Rescuers are searching under the rubble for other people.

The removal of Iran's supreme leader complicates the summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. With the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the capture of Nicolas Maduro, Trump has in fact removed two leaders who had close relations with Beijing, raising questions about who the US president might target next. "Expectations need to be tempered on what Trump can achieve in China if he goes," George Chen of The Asia Group told Bloomberg news agency, pointing out how instability in Iran could strengthen relations between China and Russia given Xi's need to secure oil supplies.

Danish logistics giant Maersk has announced its decision to suspend passage through the Strait of Hormuz for security reasons, given the worsening security situation in the Middle East. "We are suspending the passage of all ships through the Strait of Hormuz until further notice. As a result, all services connecting ports in the Persian Gulf may be subject to delays, route changes or schedule adjustments," the group said in a statement.

The US is not considering releasing oil from its strategic reserve, signalling that Washington believes any price increase after the attack on Iran will be limited. The Financial Times writes that. "There have been absolutely no discussions about the strategic oil reserve," an Energy Department official told the newspaper, responding to a question about measures the Trump administration would put in place to prevent a spike in crude prices that could hurt the economy and drive up consumer prices. Oil prices are expected to rise when markets reopen in New York as traders react to fears that the war could disrupt oil supplies in the Middle East. Brent, the international benchmark, closed Friday at $72.87 a barrel. The US strategic reserve contains about 415 million barrels of oil, some of which could be put on the market to calm prices, as happened in 2022 when Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent prices soaring.

Thousands of flights grounded after airspace closures across much of the Middle East. The succession of attacks in Iran and the Gulf have forced many airlines to interrupt connections to the Arabian Peninsula. Easa, the European Aviation Safety Agency, issued an information bulletin on the conflict zones recommending that carriers "do not operate in the affected airspace at all flight levels and altitudes" until at least 2 March. The alert already went out yesterday and even today Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines have interrupted connections and urged passengers to reschedule flights.

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also reportedly killed along with his bodyguards during yesterday's first Israeli attack in Iran. This was reported by Israeli media citing media in Iran and the region.

The death toll of a building collapse in central Israel, caused by a 'direct hit' from an Iranian missile, has risen to eight. The rescue services indicated this.

"In the area of Bet Shemesh, rescuers and medical workers found eight people dead," Magen David Adom, the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross, announced in a statement, pointing out that it had evacuated 28 wounded, two of whom were in serious condition.

One person was killed and 32 injured in the attacks carried out by Iran in Kuwait as part of its response to the US and Israeli raids. This was reported by the health ministry of the Gulf emirate.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry allowed journalists to reach the two buildings destroyed last night by an Iranian ballistic missile that reached the centre of Tel Aviv, killing one person. According to ANSA's findings at the scene, the two residential buildings hit by the explosions were inhabited exclusively by civilians, women, the elderly and children. The woman who was killed was a Filipina caregiver looking after an elderly woman. All the buildings around were damaged by the shock wave and the explosion left a huge crater on the ground. While ANSA was on the scene, sirens sounded three times. And it was necessary to take shelter in the shelter used last night by residents of the affected buildings. The blood of the injured was still at the scene, as well as along the street, which was covered in glass and debris.

The Pentagon used Anthropic's Claude model for the attack on Iran, launched shortly after Pentagon chief Pete Heghseth had imposed a ban on the use of the start-up's artificial intelligence tools. The Wall Street Journal reports this, citing sources, according to which Anthropic was used for intelligence assessments, target identification, and to simulate battle scenarios.

'At least 150 oil tankers, including ships carrying crude oil and liquefied natural gas, have dropped anchor in the open waters of the Gulf beyond the Strait of Hormuz'. Al Jazeera reports this, citing Reuters estimates and the latest shipping data compiled on the Marine Traffic platform. "Dozens more ships were stationary on the other side of the strait. These movements occurred after the US and Israeli attacks on Iran," Al Jazeera writes. "Oil tankers were clustered in open waters off the coasts of major Gulf oil and LNG producers, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia and Qatar."

The IDF announced that it had dropped over 1,200 bombs on Iranian targets since the beginning of the war.

"In relation to statements and reports in the media regarding the firing of missiles in the direction of Cyprus, it is clarified that this is not the case and that there is no indication that a threat to the country has occurred." A Cyprus government spokesman writes this on X. "The relevant authorities are closely and constantly monitoring the situation," he adds.

"It is unacceptable for the US and Israel to launch attacks against Iran during the Iran-US negotiations". This was stated by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Xinhua reports. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said it is also unacceptable to openly kill the leader of a sovereign state and encourage a change of government, adding that such actions violate international law and basic international relations.

"I follow with deep concern what is happening in the Middle East and in Iran in these dramatic hours, stability and peace are not built with reciprocal threats nor with weapons that sow destruction, pain and death, but only with a reasonable, responsible and authentic dialogue. Before the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I address a heartfelt appeal to the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable chasm". Thus Pope Leoen to Aneglus. "May diplomacy regain its role and the good of peoples be promoted," he added

"The death of Ali Khamenei is a decisive moment in the history of Iran. What will happen thereafter is uncertain. But now a path is opening towards a different Iran, an Iran that its people could shape with greater freedom'. This is what EU High Representative Kaja Kallas writes on X. "I am in contact with partners, including those in the region who bear the brunt of Iran's military actions, to identify concrete measures for de-escalation," Kallas explains.

A meeting is currently underway at the Farnesina by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani with ambassadors in Iran and the region to assess the progress of military operations by Israel and the United States. The minister,' reads a note, 'has created a 'Gulf Task Force' that will strengthen the work of the Crisis Unit and support the efforts of embassies and consulates in the region to cope with the thousands of requests for assistance from the thousands of citizens stranded in the Gulf countries. The Italia government,' the note continues, 'has welcomed the cooperation that the Gulf governments and their airlines are offering to stranded citizens, first and foremost by offering assistance with hotel accommodation. The embassy in the Emirates and the embassy in Qatar have managed to have all the waiting passengers moved from the airports to hotels. There are currently no plans to reopen the airports.

"We are opening the way to the heart of Iran. We have attacked the defence systems, expanded air superiority. In the initial attack, 40 key Iranian commanders were eliminated within a minute," said IDF spokesman Effi Defrin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a message of condolence to his Iranian counterpart Massud Pezeshkian over the killing of Guide Ali Khamenei, describing him as 'an eminent statesman, who made an enormous personal contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Iranian relations, bringing them to the level of a global strategic partnership'. This was reported by the Ria Novosti news agency. Putin condemned what he called the 'assassination' of Guide Ali Khamenei, 'committed in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law'.

In yesterday's Iranian attacks, two Tehran missiles were allegedly fired in the direction of Cyprus. This was revealed by British Defence Secretary John Healey speaking to Sky News. 'We are pretty sure they were not aimed at our bases,' Healey explained, stressing, however, that 'this shows how indiscriminate' the Iranian retaliation is. British troops are stationed on the island of Cyprus. Cyprus also holds the rotating presidency of the European semester.

''We act to eliminate concrete and existential threats against the State of Israel. We act to create the operational conditions for the fall of the regime''. This was said by IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin at a press conference, responding to the question of whether Israel has the fall of the Iranian regime as one of the objectives of the operation.

The head of the Red Crescent in Tehran province, Shahin Fathi, said that the US and Israel have so far conducted 60 attacks against the capital Tehran in the last 24 hours, during which at least 57 people have been killed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a Farsi-language video on X in which he addresses the citizens of Iran: 'In the coming days we will strike thousands of targets of the terror regime. We will create the conditions for the courageous citizens of Iran to break free from the shackles of tyranny: citizens of Iran, do not miss this once-in-a-generation opportunity, you must take to the streets in your millions to accomplish the task, to overthrow the terror regime that has made your lives unbearable. The help you have been waiting for has arrived,' he said.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that the killing of the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, amounted to 'a declaration of war on all Muslims', adding that 'avenging his death "is a right and also a legitimate duty". "The assassination of the highest political authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran and an important leader of world Shiism ... is perceived as an open declaration of war against Muslims, and against Shiites, worldwide," he told state TV. Iran 'considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and creators of this historical crime'.

The CIA identified the precise location of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, shortly before the US and Israel launched the coordinated attack against Iran, providing what officials describe as 'high-fidelity' intelligence information that enabled the operation. The New York Times reports this, citing officials familiar with the matter. The breakthrough - writes the Nyt - came when the CIA learned that Khamenei would attend a morning meeting of senior Iranian officials at a command complex in central Tehran.

Iran's police intelligence chief, Gholamreza Rezaian, was killed during the US and Israeli attacks against the Islamic Republic, Iranian media reported today. "General Gholamreza Rezaian, head of national police intelligence, was killed following yesterday's enemy attacks," the Fars news agency reported, along with other media.

Israeli media report that Tehran's state television was attacked.

The US embassy in Oman is asking US personnel and citizens in the country to take cover citing unspecified 'activities' outside the capital Mascate as Iran conducts a second day of retaliatory strikes in the Gulf. "Due to ongoing activities outside Mascate, the US Embassy in Oman has ordered staff to shelter in place (i.e., take cover). We recommend that all Americans in Oman do the same until further notice," the embassy said in a post on X cited by Times of Israel.

The new wave of missile launches from Iran on Israel continued in the last few minutes, with residents being asked to remain in shelters until further notice. During the wave of warnings this morning, a 60-year-old woman was pronounced dead of respiratory failure while running to a shelter. This was announced by the Ichilov hospital. The Home Front Command also reported that a victim of the direct impact of a missile last night at a building in central Tel Aviv was a foreign worker.

The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and two senior officials will lead the transition in Iran after the death of the Supreme Guide, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This was confirmed by the head of the Supreme Security Council, Ali Larijani, after reports on state TV, which named the two officials as the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and another official of the country's judicial council.

Ali Larijani, credited by the media as the likely candidate to succeed the late Ali Khamenei in the role of Supreme Guide, told state television that a temporary governing council will be formed to guide the country during the transition period.. "The process of forming the council will begin today, in accordance with Article 111 of the Constitution, which deals with the death or dismissal of the leader. The council will be composed of the president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Ejei, and one of the Islamic jurists who are members of the Council of Guardians, who will be appointed by the Council of Opportunity, until the presentation of the new leader' by the Assembly of Experts.

A few minutes ago, the US and Israel launched a new series of attacks against the Iranian capital Tehran. Loud and numerous explosions can be heard in the city and a thick blanket of smoke can be seen in the sky.

"The end of the Ayatollahs must mark the end of the era of dictators in Iran. After 47 years, it must be time for freedom. For all those who have been murdered, executed and made to disappear; for all those children forced to grow up in fear of the regime's chains; for all those mothers forced to scour bloody basements, full of innocent bodies, in search of their loved ones; for the generations of Iranians who have had to flee their homes and live in exile'. This was written on X by the President of the Eurochamber, Roberta Metsola.

"For every political prisoner tortured, executed or unjustly imprisoned; for every woman, life, freedom; for Jina Mahsa Amini. For every voice silenced forever; for every child summarily hanged from a crane in a public square; for every innocent European held hostage in horrific conditions by Irgc terrorists," Metsola continues. "For all the victims of the terror proxies that the regime has trained, financed, supplied and supported while killing thousands of people in the Middle East and around the world over the past two generations; for all those for whom the struggle for freedom is not political or a cause celebre, but existential; for all those who want the Iranian people to live in the light rather than remain shrouded in darkness: now, Iran is free," Metsola adds.

Iran "has just declared that they will strike very hard today, harder than" they have done before. "They better not, however, because if they did we would hit them with unprecedented force!" This is US President Donald Trump's warning, given on his social Truth and addressed to Tehran, after the Pasdaran heralded extremely harsh attacks in response to yesterday's US and Israeli attacks that led to the killing of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iran has launched attacks against 27 US military bases in the region, the headquarters of the Israel Defence Forces and a defence complex in Tel Aviv. This was stated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as reported by the Russian news agency Tass. The Pasdaran "will not allow the sirens to fall silent" on Israeli territory and US bases and will launch "an even stronger attack against enemy facilities and targets".

"The death of leader Ali Khemenei during the US and Israeli attacks was a bitter episode. They burnt and stabbed the hearts of Iranians, but this will not go unanswered, and their own hearts will be stabbed. It was a wrong path on the part of the US and Israel and they will never achieve their goals,' Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, told state television this morning, adding: 'Today we are fully prepared and the Iranian armed forces will act with more strength than before.

"Those (Israeli) groups and elements who want the division of Iran (through protests) must know that we will not ignore their actions and that the armed forces are in control of the situation and our response will be tough, as before," Larijani added, speaking on Iranian state TV.

In the centre of Tel Aviv there were direct impacts of Iranian missiles that hit the roof of a residential building. Cars are burning in the street and there are reportedly several injured, according to initial reports from rescue workers. Columns of smoke are rising from the fires. This was ascertained by ANSA on the spot.

Air raid sirens are sounding in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other central locations in Israel for the possible launching of missiles from Iran. Israeli media report this. Sirens "sounded in several regions of the country after missiles launched from Iran towards Israel were identified," the army said, assuring that "the air force intervenes to intercept and strike the threats, when necessary, in order to eliminate them."

Ebrahim Taheri, prosecutor of Minab, told the Iranian Mizan news agency that the death toll of yesterday's US-Israeli attack on a girls' school in Minab county, southern Iran, had risen to 148 dead and 95 wounded.

The official Iranian news agency Irna confirmed the deaths of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Abdul Rahim Mousavi, and Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, who were killed in yesterday's Israeli and American attacks on Tehran. Iran has also already confirmed the deaths of Ali Khamenei's security advisor, Ali Shamkhani, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Pasdaran, Mohammad Pakpour.