NATO defences destroy missile fired from Iran over Mediterranean: Turkiye

US president claims ‘they want to talk. I said: Too Late!’, while Rubio threatens the ‘hardest hits are yet to come’ US-Israel war on Iran – live updates Israel and the US intensified their attacks on Iran on Tuesday, launching waves of strikes targeting command and control facilities, strategic state offices and missile launch sites, as Donald Trump said he had rejected what he claimed was an attempt by Tehran to restart negotiations. Iran retaliated with hundreds of missile and drone attacks against Israel and across the Gulf region, targeting US military bases, embassies and civilian infrastructure. Continue reading...

Israeli PM adds that it will not be an ‘endless war’; Israeli military lists dozens of locations in Lebanon that could be targeted – follow the latest news US strikes on Iran triggered by Israel’s plan to launch attack, Rubio says Anger with Hezbollah boils as war returns to weary Beirut US secretary of state Marco Rubio has claimed the US attacked Iran after learning that Israel was going to strike, which would have meant retaliation against US forces. “We knew that if we didn’t pre-emptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,” he told reporters The Air Force is now attacking Tehran and Beirut simultaneously The Air Force has now begun a wave of extensive strikes against the Iranian terror regime and the Hezbollah terror organization. Continue reading...

How the US-Israeli war against Iran exploded into a regional conflict, as Tehran retaliated with strikes across the Middle East US-Israel war on Iran – live updates A US-Israeli war against Iran that began on Saturday with bombing and missile attacks that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei , has exploded into a regional conflict, with Tehran retaliating by launching strikes across the Middle East. By Monday, a major new front had opened with Israel bombing Lebanon after Iran’s ally, Hezbollah, launched strikes. And Cyprus said a drone attack had targeted a British base on the Mediterranean island nation. Continue reading...

All six crew members ejected safely in apparent ‘friendly fire’ as Kuwait launches investigation into incident US-Israel war on Iran – live updates Three US fighter jets were mistakenly shot down over Kuwait early Monday in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, military officials said. All six crew members ejected safely. According to a statement from US Central Command (Centcom), Kuwait’s air defences fired on the F-15 war planes during a combat mission on the third day of conflict following Saturday’s launch of US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Continue reading...

US president signals willingness to engage with Tehran’s surviving leadership as strikes and retaliatory attacks intensify across region US-Israel war on Iran – latest updates Donald Trump said on Sunday he was prepared to talk to what was left of the Iranian leadership in the wake of the killing of the country’s supreme leader by US-Israeli air strikes aimed at overthrowing the regime. Trump was speaking as a second day of intense bombing of Iranian cities and Tehran’s missile counter-attacks sent tremors across the region and through the global economy. Continue reading...

Authorities seek to reassure visitors after tourists at five-star resorts had to shelter in underground car parks US-Israel war on Iran – latest updates The weekend began as it often does in Dubai. By late morning on Saturday, the beach clubs on Palm Jumeirah were already at capacity. Along the waterfront promenade, running clubs gathered beneath the towers, filming their warmups before setting off in neat formation. On Instagram, the city appeared untouched: blue skies, a flat sea and the steady churn of shoppers inside the Dubai Mall. Across the Gulf, however, the largest regional war since the 2003 invasion of Iraq was intensifying. Continue reading...

Donald Trump threatens to unleash ‘force that has never been seen before’ in response to retaliation from Tehran US-Israel war on Iran – latest updates Israel and the US have launched fresh waves of intensive attacks across Iran on the second day of their military campaign to overthrow the country’s government, which has plunged the Middle East into a new regional conflict with no certain timeline or outcome. The renewed violence on Sunday comes amid heated rhetoric from Washington and Tehran that suggests further escalation in the coming hours and days. Continue reading...

Regime could try to retain control of streets as US and Israel have expressed no intention of mounting ground invasion Venezula’s Nicholás Maduro was captured. But Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have chosen a different strategy for Iran: to target and aim to kill the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and as many other senior regime figures as possible. Though Iranian military sites and its air defence systems were also targeted by coordinated US and Israeli bombing, beginning in the morning, the most significant attack was on Khamenei’s compound in Tehran. Continue reading...

Missiles and bombs landed across Iran, hitting political and security targets in Tehran, including supreme leader’s residence US-Israeli attack on Iran – live updates US and Israel strikes on Iran – what we know so far The US and Israel have announced the beginning of an unprecedented joint operation against Iran, beginning with a wide-ranging bombing campaign aimed at regime change. Israeli jets and US missiles struck hundreds of targets across Iran, sending residents fleeing in panic from major urban centres. Among the targets were Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameini, and Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, as well as weapons facilities across the country. Continue reading...

Department of foreign affairs alerts travellers to ‘extremely volatile’ situation Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Australia’s department of foreign affairs has warned of the risk of “reprisal attacks and further escalation” across the Middle East after Israel and the US launched an attack on Iran on Saturday. Shortly after the attacks began, Dfat updated its “Smartraveller” website’s entry on Iran, confirming that “there have been air strikes on Iran, including in Tehran and other locations”. Continue reading...

Defence Ministry says missile destroyed as it approached Turkish airspace after crossing Iraq and Syria.

Eyewitness video shows a suspected Iranian drone attack on a military base in Bahrain.

An Iranian missile has hit a military base housing US troops in Qatar. No casualties have been reported so far.

Videos by an eyewitness captured thick black smoke rising in western Tehran as air strikes by the US and Israel continue

IRGC says the attacks are among its 'first powerful steps' as it continues strikes on US assets in Gulf countries.

This satellite image provided by Vantor shows the Islamic Revolutionary Court after airstrikes, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Satellite image ©2026 Vantor via AP) 2026-03-04T04:59:36Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Explosions sounded in Iran’s capital city Wednesday as its war with the U.S. and Israel entered a fifth day following earlier strikes on an Iranian nuclear site and retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Republic across the Gulf region . The explosions around Tehran came as dawn broke, according to Iran state television, while Israel’s military said its air defenses had been activated to intercept Iranian missiles and explosions were heard around Jerusalem. Air sirens sounded in the morning across the island kingdom of Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, and Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said Iran launched two ballistic missiles against it and one hit Al-Udeid Qatari Base, but didn’t cause casualties. Five days into a war that U.S. President Donald Trump suggested could last a month or longer, nearly 800 people have been killed in Iran, including some Trump said he had considered as possible future leaders of the country. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Explosions also hit Lebanon, where Israel said it is retaliating against Hezbollah militants . Lebanon’s state-run media reported that at least four people were killed in an Israeli strike that hit a residential complex in the city of Baalbeck. More than 50 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than 300 wounded, according to the Health Ministry. A day earlier, Israel launched airstrikes against Iranian missile launchers and a nuclear research site, and Iran struck back against Israel and others, targeting U.S. embassies and disrupting energy supplies and travel . The American embassy in Saudi Arabia and the U.S. consulate in the United Arab Emirates came under drone attacks , and the U.S. State Department said Wednesday that it had authorized non-emergency government personnel to evacuate Saudi Arabia. The UAE said it had been attacked by more than 1,000 Iranian missiles and drones since the conflict began but had intercepted most of them. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Iran has fired regular salvoes of missiles and drones missiles at Israel, though most of the incoming fire has been intercepted. Eleven people in Israel have been killed since the conflict began. The spiraling nature of the war raised questions about when and how it would end. Trump’s administration has offered various objectives, including destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, wiping out its navy, preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensuring it cannot continue to support allied armed groups . While the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Trump urged Iranians to overthrow their government, senior administration officials have since said regime change was not the goal . Trump on Tuesday seemed to downplay the chances of the war ending Iran’s theocratic rule, saying that “someone from within” the Iranian regime might be the best choice to take power once the U.S.-Israel campaign is finished. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Trump says people the US had in mind to lead Iran are dead Speaking Tuesday from the Oval Office, Trump said Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s toppled shah, is not someone that his administration has considered in depth to take over. As far as possible leaders inside Iran, “the people we had in mind are dead,” Trump said. “I guess the worst case would be do this, and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person, right? That could happen,” Trump said. “We don’t want that to happen.” Iran’s leaders are scrambling to replace Khamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years. It’s only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that a new supreme leader is being chosen. Potential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Israel and US strike nuclear facilities and other targets Adm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, said American forces have struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran since the war began. In a video posted Tuesday on X, Cooper said the U.S. has “severely degraded Iran’s air defenses” and taken out hundreds of ballistic missiles, launchers and drones. “We’ve just begun,” Cooper said. Satellite images published Tuesday by Colorado-based company Vantor showed the domed roof of Iran’s presidential complex in Tehran had been destroyed, supporting Israel’s claim of an overnight strike. Iran did not acknowledge the damage or report any casualties. Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the Israeli military struck a building in the Iranian city of Qom where clerics were expected to meet to discuss selecting a new supreme leader. He said the army was still assessing whether anyone was hit. The Israeli military said it also conducted airstrikes on Iranian sites that produce and store ballistic missiles, and that it destroyed what it called Iran’s secret, underground nuclear headquarters. Without providing evidence, it said the site was used for research “to develop a key component for nuclear weapons.” freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); There was no immediate public comment from the U.S. or Iran about the site Israel named. Iran has said it has not enriched uranium since June , though it has maintained its right to do so and says its nuclear program is peaceful. Hundreds have died, including children The U.S.-Israeli strikes have killed at least 787 people in Iran, according to the Red Crescent Society. Kuwait, which had previously reported a single death, said Wednesday that an 11-year-old girl was killed by falling shrapnel as Kuwaiti forces were intercepting “hostile aerial targets.” In addition, three people were killed in the United Arab Emirates and one in Bahrain. Six U.S. Army Reserve soldiers were killed by a drone strike Sunday on a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. ___ Rising reported from Bangkok, and Magdy from Cairo. Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami contributed to this report. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto DAVID RISING Rising covers regional Asia-Pacific stories for The Associated Press. He has worked around the world, including covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and was based for nearly 20 years in Berlin before moving to Bangkok. twitter mailto SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto

This is a breaking news story.

As US-Israeli attacks continue, watchdog says 'no radiological consequence expected'.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed al-Ansari says it prevented Iranian missiles from attacking its airport.

US and Israeli strikes destroyed a diplomatic police centre and a state-owned cultural institute in Tehran.

Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says there is currently no communication between Doha and Tehran.

Attack in southern Iran that hit civilians was the deadliest of the US-Israeli war against Tehran so far.

Saudi Defence Ministry says fire broke out at the embassy, but the compound sustained only 'minor' damage.

A witness says the US and Israel bombed civilians in Tehran, as they rushed to help survivors from another bombing.

A new wave of heavy Israeli air strikes have hit multiple parts of Tehran.

The damage from US-Israeli strikes on Tehran is growing, with hits on housing, hospitals, police stations, and more.

Qatari Defence Ministry also says seven ballistic missiles and five drones fired by Iran were intercepted.

CCTV footage shows the moment an Iranian missile struck a neighbourhood in Beersheba, Israel.

The attack marks the first strike on a British military base in Cyprus since 1986, escalating regional tensions.

Iran's retaliatory attacks on US assets in the region continue for a third day as fears of a prolonged conflict rise.

Israelis filmed the moment an Iranian missile broke through Israel’s air defence systems to strike a target.

Several people have been injured after an Iranian ballistic missile struck a road in West Jerusalem.

Iranian missiles were seen over Tel Aviv and the occupied West Bank, reportedly breaking through Israeli defences.

Footage captured the moment an Iranian drone struck the US military’s Camp Buehring in northwestern Kuwait.

Preliminary figures are 201 dead and 747 injured in Iran and at least nine killed and 121 injured in Israel.

An Iranian missile attack on the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh has killed at least nine people and wounded dozens more.

Loud explosions have been heard in Doha, the capital of Qatar, as defence systems shot down incoming Iranian missiles.

The Israeli Air Force has launched a new wave of attacks on Tehran.

Iran's retaliatory attacks on US assets in the region continue for a second day as fears of a wider conflict rise.

Interior Ministry official says 66 missiles were fired at Qatar, and there were 114 reports of falling shrapnel.

Video shows debris from an intercepted Iranian missile that landed in Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli air defence systems intercepted Iranian missiles over Haifa, as they retaliated for US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Missiles fired by the US and Israel have struck multiple targets in the Iranian capital Tehran.

Boys stand on a launcher of an Iranian domestically-built missile during an annual rally marking 1979 Islamic Revolution at the Azadi (Freedom) sq. in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) 2026-02-26T08:00:23Z JERUSALEM (AP) — As U.S. forces mass in the Middle East, Iran faces the threat of major strikes by the world’s most powerful military, potentially targeting its leaders, military, nuclear sites and critical infrastructure. Iran has nowhere near the same capabilities, and is even more vulnerable after last year’s war launched by Israel and recent anti-government protests. But it could still inflict pain on American forces and allies, and may feel it has to if the Islamic Republic’s survival is at stake. While Iran suffered major losses last June, it still has hundreds of missiles capable of hitting Israel. While Iran suffered major losses last June, it still has hundreds of missiles capable of hitting Israel, according to Israel’s estimates. Iran boasts a much larger arsenal of shorter-range missiles capable of hitting U.S. bases in Gulf countries and offshore American forces, soon to be joined by a second aircraft carrier . freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Iran has previously threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the global oil trade , and claimed to have done so partially during military drills last week. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Iran could sink American warships, and top officials have said a U.S. attack would spark regional war. Iran’s U.N. ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said “all bases, facilities and assets of the hostile force in the region” would be legitimate targets. Lingering capabilities Israel carried out heavy strikes on Iran’s longer range missile arsenals — as well as its military leadership and nuclear program — during the 12-day war in June. The U.S. struck Iran’s main nuclear sites, and President Donald Trump said at the time that they had been “obliterated.” But the extent of the damage — and how much has been rebuilt — is still unknown. Iran continued to strike Israel with missiles and drones until the fighting stopped, increasingly eluding its vaunted air defenses . Iran’s shorter-range missile arsenal was largely untouched, said Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies. That could make Iran more inclined to retaliate against tens of thousands of U.S. forces based in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere. “Iran may be weak. But it still has ways to inflict real pain on the United States — and much more incentive to try than it did before,” Nate Swanson, head of the Atlantic Council’s Iran Strategy Project, wrote in Foreign Affairs. “Iranian officials feel they need to give Trump a bloody nose or they will perpetually be at risk.” freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Iran launched missiles at a U.S. base in Iraq after the killing of its top general in 2020 and targeted a U.S. base in Qatar near the end of last year’s war . Those strikes, which appeared to have been telegraphed in advance, caused damage but no fatalities, as early warning systems and missile defenses swung into action. Iran could also carry out attacks farther afield. The country has been accused of using criminal gangs and armed groups to plan or carry out attacks around the world, including on dissidents , Israelis and Jewish targets. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Learning curve Last year’s Israeli strikes killed several top generals and nuclear scientists, revealing major vulnerabilities. At one point, Trump said the U.S. knew where Khamenei was hiding, calling him an " easy target .” Fresh off the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro , Trump may consider decapitation strikes aimed at bringing down Iran’s decades-old Shiite theocracy, which he recently said “would be the best thing that could happen.” The Iranians have had eight months to learn from their mistakes and firm up internal security. Citrinowicz said there are likely contingency plans if Khamenei were to be killed. Rather than naming a single successor, power would probably shift to a small committee until hostilities subsided. Experts say the death of the 86-year-old Khamenei, who has ruled Iran for over three decades, would not in itself spell the end of the Islamic Republic. Power might eventually pass to a member of his inner circle, as it did in Venezuela , or to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); US allies could be targets American allies are clearly concerned about a regional war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of a heavy response to any Iranian attack on Israel. Arab Gulf states have long viewed Iran with concern and leaned on the U.S. for defense, but do not want to be drawn into war. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which host thousands of American troops, have said they would not allow their airspace to be used . An Arab Gulf diplomat said regional leaders were talking to Iran and the United States to avert war, warning that it could have severe consequences, including a spike in oil prices. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive, closed-door talks. Iran has its own allies, including Houthi rebels in Yemen, armed groups in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territories. But its self-described Axis of Resistance suffered major losses in the fighting that rippled across the region after Hamas’ October 2023 attack from Gaza. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); A global pressure point Another close-in target could allow Iran to inflict wider pain. Around one-fifth of all traded oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, just off Iran’s shore. The U.S. Navy is committed to keeping it open, but Iranian attacks could disrupt trade, as the far-weaker Houthis managed to do in the Red Sea for much of the past two years. Iranian officials have not explicitly threatened to target the strait in the current standoff, but Iranian forces partially closed it last week during military drills, signaling it could be vulnerable if war breaks out. Other critical oil assets would also be within range. In 2019, strikes on oil infrastructure temporarily halved Saudi Arabia’s production. Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility, but U.S. officials later blamed Iran . The nuclear question After initially threatening military action over Iran’s killing of protesters, Trump shifted attention to its nuclear program, warning that “bad things” would happen if Iran doesn’t agree to a deal. The two sides are set to hold another round of indirect talks in Geneva on Thursday. Iran has always said its nuclear program is peaceful, while the U.S. and others have long suspected that Tehran intends to eventually develop weapons. After Trump scrapped a 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran ramped up its enrichment of uranium, building up a stockpile of near-weapons grade material. Iran’s biggest sites were hit by U.S. and Israeli strikes, causing significant damage above ground. But it’s unclear whether enriched uranium was spirited away before they were hit or buried underground. Iran says it has been unable to enrich since then, but it has also barred inspections. Iran is still believed to be a long ways from developing a usable nuclear weapon, but radioactive material could pose a risk in the event of widespread strikes. ___ Associated Press writer Samy Magdy contributed reporting from Cairo. SAM METZ Metz covers Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and points beyond for The Associated Press. mailto

Since Iran came under US and Israeli attack on Saturday, its retaliatory missile and drone barrages have struck Saudi oil refineries, the world’s largest LNG plant in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates’ trade and transit infrastructure. Now the Gulf is signalling it has had enough of just absorbing the hits. None of the six Arab monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council wanted this war, analysts say. They had spent months trying to mediate a way out of the confrontation, warning of precisely...

Commercial satellite imagery has captured what appears to be the first known strikes on an Iranian nuclear site since the start of the US-Israeli air operation, an independent policy institute said on Monday. The Institute for Science and International Security said imagery produced by Colorado-based Vantor showed two strikes on access points to the underground uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, which was hit by the US last June. David Albright, a former UN ‌nuclear inspector and founder of the...

The situation in Iran continues to worsen, with countries throughout the region getting hit by missiles and drones. Eyewitness footage from across the Middle East shows the scene on the ground.

The US and Israel’s air strikes against Iran, accompanied by electronic and cyber capabilities, were a “wake-up call” for China’s intelligence strategy and how its military will use advanced technologies in modern warfare, analysts say. During the weekend air strikes against Iran – dubbed Operation Epic Fury – that killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the US unleashed an array of weaponry against more than 1,000 Iranian targets, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, stealth fighters...

Thunderous blasts ⁠and towering fireballs from Iranian missiles streaking across Gulf states vindicated their ⁠leaders’ long-held fears that Tehran can bring war to their doorstep, likely to harden Arab rulers’ support for US-Israeli strikes. Even in The Palm, Dubai’s swankiest resort, explosions rattled buildings and hit a luxury hotel, sending panicked residents running for cover as missiles and interceptors tore across the sky. Dubai’s landmark ⁠Burj Al Arab hotel and the airport, which...

Iran responded to Saturday’s attacks by the United States and Israel as it had been threatening to do for months - by first launching a wave of missiles and drones targeting Israel. It followed with strikes targeting US military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Shrapnel from an Iranian missile attack on the capital of the United Arab Emirates killed one person, state media said. The UAE and Iraq shut down their airspace. Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a defiant statement, saying that...

Iran’s state-run Press TV ‌said on Thursday that “one ‍of the country’s most advanced long-range ballistic missile Khorramshahr 4” ⁠has been deployed at one of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace underground missile cities. The Khorramshahr 4 has a ‍range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles) and is ‌capable of carrying a 1,500kg (3,3300lbs) warhead, it added. State media said: “The operational deployment of ‌the Khorramshahr-4 ⁠in missile cities on Wednesday coincides with the announced shift in the armed...

Iran's military fired ballistic and cruise missiles at simulated targets near the Persian Gulf on Friday as part of an exercise aimed at deterring foreign threats, a report said. The drills carried out by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy began Thursday in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, according to Reuters. The news agency cited Iranian state media as saying that a massive launch Friday of Qadr 110, Qadr 380 and Qadr 360 cruise missiles, as well as ballistic missiles, were directed toward targets in the Gulf of Oman. TV footage showed the missiles' launch and hitting their targets. IRAN CLAIMS MISSILE POWER NOW ‘FAR SURPASSES’ PRE-WAR LEVELS AFTER ISRAELI BOMBARDMENT State media said the drills demonstrated the "unwavering spirit and resistance" of Iran's sailors in confronting threats, Reuters also reported. The drill is the second one after the Israel-Iran war in June that killed nearly 1,100 people in Iran, including military commanders and nuclear scientists. Missile attacks by Iran killed 28 in Israel. IRAN SMUGGLED $1 BILLION TO HEZBOLLAH THIS YEAR DESPITE US SANCTIONS, TREASURY OFFICIAL SAYS Since the end of the war, Iran has increasingly insisted it is ready to counter any future Israeli attack. Iran launched its first naval drill in the area in August. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is mainly in charge of operations in the Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth, the Strait of Hormuz. The national navy is in charge of Sea of Oman and beyond. Iran has long threatened to close off the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all global oil traded passes, according to The Associated Press. The U.S. Navy has long patrolled the Mideast through its Bahrain-based 5th Fleet to keep the waterways open. The Associated Press contributed to this report.