Iran TV: 'We hit the aircraft carrier Lincoln with drones'. Trump: must be involved in choosing Khamenei's successor

The Israeli bombing that killed the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, was 'in accordance with international law'. This was stated this evening by the Israeli army.

The US and the Jewish state launched a vast air offensive against Iran on 28 February, beheading the political-military leadership of the Islamic Republic in the first hours, killing, among others, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an attack.

"I want to make a premise: we are bearers of peace, we have never stopped the path of dialogue, but we had always said that Iran could not have its atomic bomb...". This was said by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, a guest on 'Dritto e Rovescio' on Rete Quattro, commenting on the new conflict that has broken out in the Middle East with the attacks by the United States and Israel on the Islamic republic.

"Having said that," the Deputy Prime Minister added, "we have had requests from the Gulf countries to help them defend their airspace and protect their fellow citizens. But in the Gulf countries there are tens of thousands of Italians who live there and at this moment also thousands of tourists who are stranded because, as you know, the flights that leave from the Gulf countries are transit flights: you come from the Far East, you come from all over the world... Then in Dubai alone there are 20,000 Italian residents, so let's say that about 100,000 Italians are involved in this affair'.

"We had the request and today we were in Parliament, Minister (of Defence Guido) Crosetto and I: we announced - that will be our choice - to respond positively: to send the defence weapons that the Gulf countries asked us for, which need to be protected," Minister Tajani added.

"In addition," he concluded, "it is very likely that a ship will be sent, together with the other Europeans, off the coast of Cyprus to ensure the security of Cyprus, a European country that was attacked and it is not clear for what reason...".

Il ministro degli Affari Esteri Antonio Tajani alla Camera dei Deputati durante le comunicazioni del Governo sulla crisi in Iran, Roma, 5 Marzo 2026. ANSA/GIUSEPPE LAMI

The death toll in Lebanon since the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah has risen to 123. This was stated by the Ministry of Health in Beirut, adding that there are 683 wounded. It is not clear how many of the victims were civilians.

The Israeli army carried out an attack tonight in the southern suburbs of Beirut, considered a Hezbollah stronghold, after issuing an evacuation order. The explosion was heard in the capital and surrounding areas. This was written by the Lebanese daily L'Orient Le Jour.

Incoming missile alerts from Iran went off again this evening in Tel Aviv and central Israel.

Israeli forces engaged in Lebanon have been ordered to advance deeper to extend their zone of control along the border with Israel. This was stated this evening by the chief of staff of the Israeli army.

"We are striking hard, on the front line and deeper into Lebanon. I ordered the [Israeli] forces to advance and extend the zone of control along the border, while establishing positions at key points in southern Lebanon," said Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir during a televised address.

"Israel has succeeded in suppressing the Iranian ballistic missile system. Now we move on to the next phase of the campaign." Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said this in a statement. "Now we will increase the blow struck at the foundations of the regime. We have more surprising moves. We will hunt down our enemies, all of them," he added. "Within 24 hours, the pilots paved the way for Tehran. We destroyed about 80 per cent of the air defence systems, achieved almost total air superiority in the Iranian skies. Neutralised over 60 per cent of the ballistic missile launchers'.

Il Primo Ministro israeliano Benjamin Netanyahu durante una valutazione di sicurezza di emergenza con il Ministro della Difesa Israel Katz, il Capo di Stato Maggiore dell'IDF Eyal Zamir e il Direttore del Mossad David Barnea presso il quartier generale militare di Kirya a Tel Aviv, Israele, 1 marzo 2026. EPA/AVI OHAYON/GPO HANDOUT

"For security reasons we have decided to temporarily close our embassy in Tehran, the staff is moving to Baku". So said Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, announcing that the mission that allowed 50 Italian diplomats and a group of fellow citizens who wanted to leave Iran to cross the Azerbaijani border had just ended. Tajani recalled that other countries had also closed their embassies, that the Italian presence had been reduced for some time and that "we have not broken diplomatic relations, the embassy in Tehran is moving to the embassy in Baku".

US President Donald Trump has welcomed his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky's offer of help to US forces to counter Iranian drones. "I accept any kind of assistance from any country," the tycoon said in an interview with Reuters, posted on his website. "We have received a request from the US for specific support in protecting against (Iranian-designed) 'shahed'" in the Middle East, Zelensky wrote on X. "I have given instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists capable of providing the required security," he added.

US President Donald Trump has said he supports the Kurdish offensive against Iran. In a telephone interview with Reuters, available on his website, the tycoon said he thought 'it's wonderful that they want to do that, I would be completely in favour'. Asked whether the US would provide or had provided air cover for a possible Kurdish offensive, Trump replied: 'I can't tell you.

The Kuwaiti army stated that its air defence forces are facing a new Iranian attack. Missiles have been fired towards the country, activating air defence systems. This was stated by the army chief of staff in a statement. The oil-rich country, home to the US air base Ali al-Salem, has been among the hardest hit by the Iranian attacks, in which six US soldiers and two civilians have died.

The Chief of Staff of the IDF, Eyal Zamir, issued a statement saying that Israel had succeeded in "suppressing" Iran's ballistic missile system, stating that it was now entering the next phase of the campaign.

"We are now moving on to the next phase of the campaign, in which we will increase our attacks on the foundations of the regime and its military capabilities. We have more surprising moves, which I will not reveal. We will pursue all our enemies and catch up with them," said the IDF chief.

A flight to repatriate people to France who were in the United Arab Emirates was 'forced to turn back because of missile fire'. This was announced by the French Minister of Transport, Philippe Tabarot, who said that 'an Air France flight chartered by the government to bring back to France our compatriots who were in the United Arab Emirates was forced to turn back tonight due to the launch of missiles in the area'.

The Senate chamber approved the centre-right resolution on Iran with 94 votes in favour, 39 against and 8 abstentions. It is the same document approved in the House that includes commitments on the defence of European countries, military bases granted to the US and support for Gulf countries. The text proposed by the PD, M5s and Avs was precluded, while that of Iv was considered absorbed. Even in Montecitorio, the Chamber had rejected the 'broad field' resolution and given the green light to individual points of the documents presented by Azione, Iv and Più Europa.

The choice of who will be the new Supreme Leader 'is a matter exclusively for the Iranian people and no one can interfere'. This was stated to Nbc by Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, after Donald Trump claimed he should be personally involved in choosing Ali Khamenei's successor. "There are many rumours, but no one in the end knows exactly who might be elected" by the Assembly of Experts, Araghchi added, commenting on rumours about the nomination of Khamenei's son Mojtaba.

Alarms have been set off in northern Israel for missile launches from Iran and simultaneously from Hezbollah. Sirens sound in the Upper Galilee, the Carmel region, the valleys, the central Galilee and the Golan.

Iranian Navy drones struck the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in Gulf waters. This was reported by Tehran state TV.

'We have no intention of closing the Strait' of Hormuz 'for the time being'. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told US broadcaster Nbc News. "We have not closed it. Rather, it is the ships and oil tankers that are not trying to cross it, because they are afraid of being hit by either side,' he continued. On the conflict, Araghchi said Iran is not seeking a ceasefire at the moment: 'We are not calling for a ceasefire. We see no reason to negotiate with the US,' he said, pointing out that 'we have already negotiated with them on two occasions and each time they attacked us in the middle of negotiations', referring to the previous 12-day war in June 2025.

The escalation of violence in the Middle East "risks dragging humanity into a war of planetary proportions, a new pointless massacre with incalculable consequences". This is the affirmation of the Italian Bishops' Conference which, joining its voice to that of Pope Leo who has asked to "stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable chasm", is promoting a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Friday 13 March. The invitation is addressed to all ecclesial communities "to ask the King of Peace to save humanity from the horrors and tears of all the ongoing conflicts". The bishops reiterate that 'war is not and can never be the answer'.

On one of the 7 flights arriving in Italia today from the United Arab Emirates, singer 'Big Mama', born Marianna Mammone, also landed in Bergamo. The artist, we learn from informed sources, is one of 1,770 Italians who travelled today from the Gulf, many of them assisted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which continues to work with the airlines of Dubai and Abu Dhabi to enable other flights to take off.

Further reading

Chaos in the skies, flight from the Gulf through Oman and Arabia

05 March 2026

"We have received a request from the US for specific support in protection against 'shahid' (Iranian drones, ed.) in the Middle East region. I have ordered to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists, who can provide the necessary security'. This was stated by Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky on telegram. "Ukraine helps partners who contribute to our security and the protection of the lives of our citizens. Glory to Ukraine!" he adds.

The explanations of vote in the Senate on the resolutions presented by the majority, Pd-M5s-Avs and Iv on the communications of Ministers Tajani and Crosetto on the international crisis are underway. The government, as in the Chamber, gave an opinion in favour of the majority resolution, against the second and in favour of part of the commitments, some with reformulations, of that of Iv. "Europe is unable to stop this war. It can, by coordinating, manage the consequences of this war'. Thus Defence Minister Guido Crosetto in his reply to the Senate after his communications on the crisis in Iran. "There is not a single European country, no one in the world, or even all European countries united, that can convince Israel or the United States tomorrow to stop this war," Crosetto added.

The Israeli civil administration cancelled Friday prayers at the Al Aqsa compound in Jerusalem, citing security fears over the ongoing war with Iran, while Muslims are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan.

"The State of Israel is committed to freedom of worship and religion, but the Iranian-led Axis of Death is endangering everyone's lives by continuing to launch missiles against Israel and the entire region," announced the head of the Civil Administration general Hisham Ibrahim, quoted by Haaretz - all the holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Western Wall, the Temple Mount and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, will be closed tomorrow and worshippers and visitors of all religions will not be allowed to enter'.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting the air force base in the south of the country today, said: 'We continue to strike at the targets of the terror regime in Iran and also at terrorist elements in Lebanon. The cooperation between the US military and the IDF is historic." "The results are significant, but there is still much work to be done. I want to thank once again my friend, President Donald Trump, for the cooperation between us and between Israel and the United States. Together we will continue and together we will achieve our goals, with God's help," Netanyahu said, as reported in a note from his office.

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, told the NBC that Iran is prepared for a possible US ground invasion. Araghchi also rejected any negotiations with the US and stated that Iran has not called for a ceasefire. Araghchi spoke to Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas from Tehran. Asked if he feared a possible US ground war, the minister took a defiant tone: 'No, we are waiting for them. Because we are confident that we can face them, and it would be a great disaster for them'.

After the US and Israeli attacks - as was largely predictable - Iran expanded the theatre of conflict to the Middle East. The only way to try to survive. Its ballistic missiles and long-range drones hit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman. Arab countries that had so far tried to remain neutral.

In these countries, the Iranian bombs have shifted the common feeling from criticism or indifference towards Israel's actions to condemnation of Tehran. The Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League and even Egypt have expressed strong condemnation of the attacks on the Persian Gulf states.

The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, has asked his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron 'to intervene to prevent the southern suburbs' of Beirut 'from being hit after threats from the Israeli army' ordered residents to leave the area. This was stated in a post on the Lebanese presidency's X account. Aoun also called on Macron to 'work for a ceasefire as soon as possible'.

US President Donald Trump has asked Israeli President Isaac Herzog to 'grant a pardon today' to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,who is on trial for 'alleged crimes of fraud, bribery and abuse of trust', as reported by The Times of Israel.

In a telephone interview with Israeli broadcaster Channel 12, Trump said he did not want to see Netanyahu "distracted by anything but the war with Iran". The US president attacked the Israeli head of state, calling him "a disgrace" and claiming that he had raised the issue several times in the past year. According to Trump, Herzog had promised on five occasions to pardon the premier.The tycoon has been publicly calling for a pardon for Netanyahu since June 2025.

US President Donald Trump "was clear in his conversation, he told us that the Kurds have to choose sides in this battle:either with America and Israel or with Iran". This is what a senior official of the Iraqi Kurdish party Puk (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan), whose leader, Bafel Talabani, had a telephone conversation with Trump on Sunday, told the Washington Post.

According to the newspaper's reconstruction, the US president offered 'extensive American air cover' and other support to trigger an internal uprising in Iran that would lead to the fall of the regime. 'The American request to the Iraqi Kurds is to pave the way and not hinder' Iranian Kurdish groups mobilising in Iraq, 'while providing logistical support', the Puk official said.

US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Axios that he "must be involved" in choosing Ali Khamenei's successor in Iran.

Approximately 1,000 ships, half of them carrying oil and gas worth more than $25 billion, are stranded in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz due to military escalation in the Middle East conflict. This was stated by Sheila Cameron, managing director of the Lloyd's Market Association, the body representing insurers within the Lloyd's market in London.

Experts call it the 'fog of war'. It is that haze that enveloped the battlefield and made it difficult for generals to understand what was happening: at least before the age of drones and artificial intelligence. Warring governments continue to take advantage of this fog of truth to spread their propaganda: non-existent victories, enemies becoming friends or vice versa, denouncing the brutalities of the adversary to hide their own.

Since this war began, however, it is difficult to catalogue the lies, often rectified with other lies, of Donald Trump and his administration. America intervened because Iran was going to attack Israel and within a couple of weeks Tehran was also going to launch the atomic bomb: no proof of either claim. On the dawn of the seventh day of the war, the American intervention continues to have no plausible justification.

New Israeli operations in Tehran. The Israeli Forces (IDF) announced via X that they had begun striking regime targets for the second time since this morning.

The international shipping industry has officially designated the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf as 'war zones'. The decision, taken after a meeting between trade unions and companies worldwide, reflects the military escalation in the Middle East and the increased risks to commercial shipping in the face of 'hundreds' of stranded ships in the region.

Donald Trump has offered 'extensive air cover' and other aid to the anti-regime Iranian Kurds to conquer parts of western Iran. Informed sources tell the Washington Post. "The American request to the Iraqi Kurds is to pave the way and not to hinder" Iranian Kurdish groups mobilising in Iraq, "while providing logistical support," said a senior official of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of the two main political parties governing the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the dispatch of four more Typhoon military jets to Qatar in the face of the widening conflict in the Middle East. The fighter jets will join an existing Raf squadron in the Gulf state, a key ally of London, 'to strengthen our defensive operations in Qatar and across the region,' the prime minister told a press conference.

Since the beginning of the war against Iran, the Israeli Armed Forces claimed to have destroyed 300 Iranian ballistic missile launchers.

"The Air Force completed this morning the 113th wave of attacks against Iranian terrorist regime infrastructure in western and central Iran," the IDF stated. "In this wave of attacks, Air Force planes dropped a large amount of munitions on dozens of sites from which, in recent days, launches were made towards Israeli territory," the Israeli Air Force's X profile read.

Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Maria Tripodi participated, by proxy of Minister Antonio Tajani, in the extraordinary EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The meeting provided an opportunity to take stock with partners in the area targeted by Iranian retaliatory actions following the escalation triggered by the US and Israeli attacks. In her speech, the undersecretary expressed Italia's full solidarity with the countries affected by the conflict and thanked the local authorities for their assistance in the operations to repatriate their compatriots. In the course of their work, the ministers discussed the serious damage caused by the recent Iranian attacks against the GCC states, which affected civilian infrastructure - including oil facilities, essential services and residential areas - and put the safety of civilians at risk. They agreed to intensify joint diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.

Italia negotiated and supported the adoption of a joint EU-GCC declaration, aimed at reaffirming Europe's full solidarity with its Gulf partners and affirming the urgency of a rapid de-escalation of tensions in the entire region, including the situation in Lebanon, reaffirming its commitment to regional stability, the protection of civilians and full respect for international law, humanitarian law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. Particular attention was paid to the risks associated with a possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic junction through which more than 20 million barrels of oil a day transit, around one fifth of the world's consumption and 25% of the crude oil transported by sea. It was also highlighted how the global energy system is now better prepared than in previous crises, thanks to high stock levels and greater production resilience. For Italia, characterised by a strong diversification of oil imports and a prevalent share of gas supplied by pipeline, the main risk concerns the impact on prices rather than the physical availability of supplies.

"The current war is not our war", only those who started the war in the Middle East can stop it, Russian President's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today in an interview with the Vesti news agency, specifying that Russia "is not able" to stop this war. "The current war is not our war. And from the very beginning we have stated that any war can lead to the destabilisation of the region. And that is exactly what we are witnessing. We are seeing more and more countries involved in this war.... Are we able to stop this war? No, we are not. It can be stopped by whoever started it. And that is what they should do,' the Kremlin spokesman said.

China will send its special representative for the Middle East, Zhai Jun, to the region in the coming days to contribute to diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions after the military escalation following the attacks on Iran. This was announced today by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning during a daily press conference in Beijing.

According to Mao Ning, Beijing has initiated intensive diplomatic activity in recent days to foster a de-escalation of the crisis. Foreign Minister Wang Yi held telephone talks with his counterparts from Russia, Iran, Oman, France, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to exchange views on the situation in the region in depth.

The Israeli army has ordered hundreds of thousands of residents of Beirut's southern suburb, known as Dahiyeh, to leave their homes immediately. "Urgent message to the residents of Beirut's Dahiyeh neighbourhood: save your lives and leave your residences immediately," the Arabic-language military spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said on X

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's harsh reaction to the 'terrorist act' carried out by Iran, which launched two drones - but Tehran denied it, attributing responsibility to Israel - against the exclave of Nakhchivan, injuring four people. "These dishonourable people, those who committed this act of terror against us, will regret it. They should not test our strength,' Aliyev threatened during a meeting of the Azerbaijani National Security Council. 'Those who once tried to test our strength were crushed by the iron fist; today's incident will have the same result'. And again, quoted by the Azertac news agency: 'We defend and have defended our territorial integrity, just as we put an end to the occupation of Armenia, we are ready to demonstrate our strength against any evil force, and Iran should not forget this'. The Azerbaijani president went on to denounce that "the targets of the attack were civilian facilities", Iran "provide an explanation" to Baku for "this horrific terror attack" and "apologise"

Lufthansa has extended the suspension of flights to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi until Tuesday and to and from Tel Aviv until 22 March inclusive, while those to and from Tehran will not operate until 1 May due to the situation in the Middle East. "The Lufthansa Group constantly monitors and assesses the security situation in the Middle East and is in close contact with the authorities," a note read.

"Whoever is appointed, be it Mojtaba or Hassan, will lack legitimacy and will be complicit in the bloody past of this regime and its criminal leaders, Khomeini and Khamenei". Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran, writes this in X. "The collapsing Islamic Republic regime has no legitimacy. The only legitimate alternative to this regime is the Transition System, the framework of which has been communicated to you through the Emergency Phase Manual of the Iran Prosperity Project, the components of which will be phased in."

iran warned that "if Europe remains silent" in the face of the "aggression against international law" represented by the US and Israeli attack, "all countries will pay the price". "Those who remain silent will be complicit in this injustice. If Europe remains silent in the face of this attack on international law, all countries will sooner or later pay the price. No UN country can remain indifferent'. This was stated by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqae in an interview with Spanish broadcaster Tve.

It is not the French military bases in the Middle East that have been granted for use by American aircraft, but only the base at Istres, on national territory. The clarification is from the French General Staff. It is not fighter planes but support planes that, according to BFM TV, are accepted at Istres as part of "a routine Nato procedure". The general staff specifies that 'in view of the context, France has demanded that the aircraft concerned do not participate in any way in US-led operations in Iran, but be used strictly for the defence support of our partners in the region'.

It is still too early to predict how the military campaign against Iran will evolve, but Tehran should no longer be a threat to Israel, the Middle East and Europe. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said this in an interview broadcast by SkyTg24. "We are still in the early stages of this campaign, we are in the fourth or fifth day since Saturday and it would be difficult to estimate now how it will end up in the coming weeks," Rutte said.(

"There must be room for diplomacy to get out of the cycle of escalation, wars end with diplomacy: our common vision is that we want stability in the region, that the conflict does not continue and that there is respect for international law". This was said by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas before the videconference with the Gulf partners, during which possible EU support for the area will be discussed. The parties are also negotiating a joint communiqué. "Iran is exporting war, it is trying to extend it to as many countries as possible to sow chaos," she added

The Iranian military denies launching a drone attack on Azerbaijan

Since the closure of Hormuz, Italia "has no gas supply problems until March". So says Snam CEO Agostino Scornajenchi, responding to analysts' questions. "Let's see what will happen in April," he adds, "but we have stocks at 45%, 10% above the EU average, and we are not in a hurry. In his view, 'there may be problems with prices but not with supplies'. (

Russia has not received any request for military assistance from Iran to deal with US and Israeli attacks. This was said by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by the Tass news agency.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to 'coordinate the deployment of military resources in Cyprus'. "In a spirit of European solidarity," Emmanuel Macron took the initiative this morning to call Meloni and Mitsotakis. This was reported by broadcaster Bfmtv, citing sources close to the French president. The three leaders 'agreed to coordinate the deployment of military resources in Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean and to work together to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea'.

At the moment there are no conditions for activating Article 5 of the NATO treaty after yesterday's incident involving Turkey in the Iranian conflict. This was stated by Alliance Secretary General Mark Rutte in an interview with SkyTg24.

"It has not been triggered at the moment," Rutte said. The secretary-general emphasised that Nato nevertheless remains on high alert after the escalation in the Middle East. "The important thing is that, as we saw yesterday, Nato is strong, it is vigilant, it is much more vigilant now since Saturday, given the situation in the Middle East." "At the moment there is no such need," he added, referring to the activation of the Alliance's collective defence mechanism.

A second Iranian warship is located just outside Sri Lankan territorial waters. This was announced by Sri Lankan Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. Official sources reported that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met with senior officials to decide on a response to the Iranian request for access to the island's waters. The ship carries more than 100 crew members and there is a possibility that it could be hit, just like the frigate that was sunk by a US submarine off the southern coast of Sri Lanka yesterday, killing 80 sailors

At NATO - reportedly - the Atlantic Council is meeting today, which will report on the Alliance's missile defence capabilities after yesterday's incident in Turkey. The focus will be on how NATO can deal with the threat posed by Iran and its intermediaries, for example in Lebanon.

Cyprus has issued a security threat alert near the Raf air base in Akrotiri. This was reported by Sky News Uk, adding that, shortly afterwards, Cyprus stated that the security incident at the military airbase had ended. The British Defence Secretary, John Healey, is in Cyprus after a drone attack on a British base on Monday.

Iran accused Israel and the US of 'deliberately' targeting civilian areas. "Our people are being brutally slaughtered as the aggressors deliberately target civilian areas and any place they believe will inflict maximum suffering and loss of life," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a post on X

Azerbaijan threatened to retaliate after two Iranian drones struck its territory of Nakhchivan, accusing Tehran of increasing regional tensions. "These acts of aggression will not go unanswered," Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defence said in a note on Thursday. Response measures are being prepared "to protect national sovereignty and the safety of civilians," it said. The Foreign Ministry in Baku summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest after a drone struck the airport terminal in Nakhchivan, an enclave on the border between Turkey, Iran and Armenia, injuring two people and damaging infrastructure. A second drone crashed near a school in the village of Shakarabad, according to the ministry. "We strongly condemn these drone attacks," the ministry said in a separate note. Tehran must take "urgent measures to ensure that such attacks are not repeated in the future," it added. So far, the Iranian authorities have not responded to the criticism. The Nakhchivan airport is located about 10 kilometres from the Iranian border.

Six people were injured when falling drone debris intercepted by air defence systems over Abu Dhabi, the UAE press office reported on X, adding that those affected are citizens of Pakistan and Nepal, who sustained minor to moderate injuries.

France has authorised the presence of US aircraft at a number of bases in the Middle East while the US-Israeli attack on Iran is underway. A spokeswoman for the Paris General Staff told Afp: 'As part of our relations with the United States, the presence of their planes has been temporarily authorised at our bases' in the region, 'these planes contribute to the protection of our partners in the Gulf'.

The US and Israel intend to drag Arab countries into a regional conflict by exploiting the Iranian reaction to their attacks, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement. "They have deliberately provoked Iran to conduct retaliatory attacks against some Arab countries, attacks that have caused human and material losses that the Russian side deeply regrets. In doing so, they are trying to drag the Arabs into a war for someone else's interests," the note concludes.

Russia appeals for the creation of a "united front to end the war" in the Persian Gulf and warns that it will do "everything possible" in the Security Council and the UN General Assembly to "create an atmosphere that will make the operation launched against Iran completely impossible". This was said by Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov quoted by the Ria Novosti news agency.

"There are 100,000 Italians involved directly or indirectly in the areas" of the crisis. This was said by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in his remarks on Iran in the House chamber. "The security of compatriots is the top priority. The Gulf Task Force handled 14 thousand calls and several thousand emails. The number of Italians helped to leave areas at risk has reached 10,000," he added.

Two people were injured, according to the Baku Foreign Ministry, quoted by the Russian news agency Tass, following an attack by at least one drone from Iran on Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave.

"We have received signals from our partners in the Middle East of attacks by Iranian 'shahed' against civilians in those countries. We are open, if their representatives want we will provide our expertise'. This was stated on X by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, explaining that the request in this regard also came from "Europeans and the United States".

New alarm sirens in Tel Aviv, with citizens urged to take shelter in shelters. The IDF reported that missiles were fired from Iran

Six members of two families were killed in attacks by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on southern Lebanon. This was reported by the Lebanese national news agency NNA. Earlier, the Israeli army had called for a large part of southern Lebanon to be evacuated. Nna explained that the mayor of a village in the Nabatiyeh region was killed together with his wife in an air attack. In a neighbouring village, another Israeli attack killed a couple and their two children.

New explosions were heard in the skies over Doha and Manama, the capitals of Qatar and Bahrain. This was reported by Al Jazeera.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guardians, the Pasdaran, claimed to have hit an American oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf. This was reported by the Iranian news agency Fars, stating that the tanker was on fire. 'Our naval forces hit an American oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf and it is currently on fire,' the Pasdaran claimed. No further details are given, but earlier the British agency Ukmto had reported a ''large explosion'' on an oil tanker docked off Kuwait with crude oil leaking into the sea. According to Iranian state broadcaster Press TV, the Pasdaran said they had launched a combined missile and drone operation against US and Israeli positions in the region.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, assured him of Washington's firm support for their joint military campaign against Iran and urged him to continue the operation 'until the end'. "The Defence Secretary said, 'Continue to the end, we are with you,'" Katz reported, referring to a telephone conversation with Hegseth late last night, according to a statement released by his office today.

The Strait of Hormuz is under the control of Iran's Revolutionary Guardians (Pasdaran) and US, Israeli and European ships will not be allowed to transit it, the Pasdaran themselves announced in a statement.

The note also states that Iranian forces hit a US tanker in the northern waters of the Persian Gulf, and that the ship was reportedly on fire.

The US has not shared with Britain precise operational details or the timing of the start of the attack against Iran, writes the Guardian citing sources. London's exclusion was associated with PM Keir Starmer's decision not to initially grant the US permission to use British bases for the operation. Starmer then decided to grant permission for defensive raids against Iran, against its missile capabilities, after the start of Iranian raids against Gulf countries. London was aware of the preparations for an imminent military operation from "usual intelligence channels" and had therefore arranged for the evacuation of personnel from the embassy in Tehran on Friday, but had received no information on the exact timing of the start and operational details.

Last night, 192 Italian citizens returned to Ciampino airport on board two flights from the Emirates, one from Abu Dhabi and one from Dubai. This was reported by Farnesina sources, explaining that 96 Italian nationals were travelling on board a flight that departed from Abu Dhabi and the same number from Dubai.

The Democrat-backed resolution to stop the US military campaign against Iran was rejected by the US Senate. According to US media reports, the initiative was rejected with 53 votes against and 43 in favour. John Fetterman, Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania, voted against, as widely anticipated. (

Qatar has announced its intention to evacuate residents living near Washington's embassy in Doha, following the retaliatory Iranian attacks against the Gulf country. "The relevant authorities are evacuating residents living in the vicinity of the US embassy as a temporary precautionary measure," the Qatari interior ministry wrote on X. "They have been provided with adequate accommodation as part of the necessary preventive measures," it added. Earlier, the ministry had urged citizens to "remain inside their homes and buildings" and to "avoid going outside unless necessary". On Tuesday, an Iranian ballistic missile hit a US military base in Al-Udeid, 40 kilometres southwest of Doha, the Qatari defence ministry said. Earlier, Qatar said it had foiled attacks on Hamad International Airport.

The US attacked the Iranian frigate Dena, a guest of the Indian Navy with about 130 sailors on board, without warning in international waters, the Iranian foreign minister said today. "The US will bitterly regret the precedent it set," said Abbas Aragchi.

"The Israeli army has just launched a wave of large-scale attacks against the Iranian terrorist regime's infrastructure in Tehran," the IDF announced in a note.

An oil tanker anchored in Kuwait suffered a 'major explosion' and is leaking fuel after one of its tanks was damaged, the UK maritime safety agency UKTMO reported today.

"The captain of an anchored tanker reported seeing and hearing a loud explosion on the port side, then seeing a small boat move away from the area" off the coast of Mubarak al Kabeer, said the agency, which is part of the Royal Navy. There was an oil leak from the ship, but the crew is safe and there was no fire, the agency added, advising ships in the Gulf region to be careful.

The Iranian Army General Staff denied that 'a missile was fired towards Turkish territory', adding 'we respect the sovereignty of neighbouring Turkey'. Furthermore, the deputy commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters stated that 'we are ready to continue the war and we do not care how long it lasts, as long as we do not achieve our goals'. The general went on to contradict the Iranian Revolutionary Guardians by stating: 'We have not closed the Strait of Hormuz, we are handling ships within it according to international protocols and we are dealing with military ships posing as commercial ships'.