Today so far
Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, said his country was drawn into a war “it did not seek or choose”. In a speech during a meeting with Arab and foreign ambassadors, he warned that “a humanitarian disaster is looming”.
Donald Trump posted on social media that there would be no deal with Iran except “unconditional surrender”. The US president said following “unconditional surrender”, there would be “the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s)” – earlier, Trump had said he must “be involved in the appointment” of Iran’s next leader as he was in Venezuela, and dismissed the idea of the assassinated ayatollah’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeding his father as supreme leader as “unacceptable”.
US investigators believe it is likely that US forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed scores of children on Saturday but have not yet reached a final conclusion, according to a Reuters report citing two unnamed US officials.
Iranian forces fired seven attack drones at residential neighbourhoods in Bahrain overnight, said US Central Command (Centcom), which accused the Iranian government of attacking 12 different countries and “deliberately” targeting civilians.
The Israeli military announced a “new stage” in its campaign against Iran, with US and Israeli officials hinting at escalating strikes. The IDF said it has “additional surprising moves” as part of this new phase, without elaborating, while US defence secretary Pete Hegseth announced that strikes on Iran will “surge dramatically”.
The IDF claimed to have destroyed the underground bunker of the slain Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which it claims is still used by senior Iranian officials. The Israeli military said approximately 50 fighter jets dropped about 100 bombs at the site in Tehran, which it claimed spread across multiple streets and included “many entry points”. There was no immediate comment from Iran.
The UN said nearly 100,000 people have been displaced within Lebanon and tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in the country have fled back over the border. It follows a mass evacuation order by the IDF for people to flee a vast swathe of Beirut’s southern suburbs as it bombs what it says are Hezbollah targets in the area.
Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, raised concerns that the Israeli military causing the mass displacement of people in Lebanon may be violating international law, the AFP reports. “Lebanon is becoming a key flashpoint,” Turk said.
Officials in Azerbaijan said they are withdrawing diplomatic staff from Iran for their own safety. It comes a day after Azerbaijan said four Iranian drones had crossed its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave.
Four people in the UK have been arrested by counter terror police on suspicion of spying on the Jewish community for Iran, the Metropolitan police said. The men, one Iranian and three dual British-Iranian nationals, were arrested this morning shortly after 1am in Barnet and Watford.
Key events
11m ago
‘The stakes could not be higher’: UN chief urges end to ‘all unlawful attacks in Middle East’
24m ago
Today so far
55m ago
US Central Command: Iran targeted civilian neighbourhoods in Bahrain
2h ago
Iraqi prime minister discusses ‘unified positions’ with president of Kurdistan region
3h ago
UN: Forced displacement in Lebanon could be violating international law
3h ago
Trump: US is moving ‘thousands’ of people out of Middle East countries
3h ago
US investigators believe strike on Iranian girls’ school probably carried out by US forces
3h ago
Lebanon health officials say 217 killed in Israeli attacks
4h ago
US-Israeli strikes against Iran ‘extraordinary mistake’, says Spanish PM
4h ago
Explosions near Erbil airport in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq- report
4h ago
Britain’s deputy prime minister suggests that the UK could take part in strikes
4h ago
Iran’s president says ‘some countries’ have begun mediation efforts to end war
4h ago
Trump: No deal with Iran except ‘unconditional surrender’
5h ago
Video: IDF footage claims to show air strikes on Khamenei’s underground bunker
5h ago
Lebanon drawn into war ‘it did not seek or choose’, says PM
6h ago
Summary of developments so far
6h ago
Video: Pastors pray for Trump and US success in Iran war
7h ago
Mediation talks should be aimed at US and Israel, says Iranian president
7h ago
IDF claims 50 jets bombed Khamenei’s underground bunker ‘still being used by Iranian officials’
7h ago
‘Plenty of oil’ in markets despite Middle East turmoil, says IEA chief
7h ago
Israel official says bombing campaign in Iran going ‘much better than expected’ – report
8h ago
‘We were humiliated’: Israel’s attacks on Beirut cause mass displacement crisis
8h ago
Azerbaijan withdraws diplomats from Iran
8h ago
US probe of Iran school strike must ‘happen very quickly’, says UN rights chief
9h ago
Sri Lankan president calls for peace as Iranian sailors seek refuge on island
10h ago
Four people in UK arrested on suspicion of spying on Jewish community for Iran
10h ago
Majority of Spaniards against US-Israeli attacks on Iran – poll
11h ago
Israel announces new phase in Iran conflict as US warns strikes will ‘surge dramatically’
11h ago
Summary
12h ago
Sri Lanka takes control of an Iranian vessel off its coast after US sunk an Iranian warship
12h ago
Iranian leadership council meets ahead of selecting new supreme leader, state media says
12h ago
Israel carried out 26 airstrikes on Beirut, IDF says
13h ago
Philippines mulls shorter weeks, less air-con as fuel costs bite
13h ago
Two Japanaese nationals detained in Iran, Japan calls for release
14h ago
Evacuated British nationals return to UK, as crisis continues to disrupt flights
15h ago
Trump responds to Iranian claims that ground invasion would be ‘big disaster’
15h ago
Gulf states intercept missiles amid reports of regional discontent
16h ago
Explosions in Tehran, as Israel launches more strikes
16h ago
Hezbollah warns Israeli residents to evacuate near border
16h ago
Ukraine to help US and allies counter Iranian drones
17h ago
Opening summary
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‘The stakes could not be higher’: UN chief urges end to ‘all unlawful attacks in Middle East’
The UN secretary-general has called on nations to “stop the fighting and get to serious diplomatic negotiations”. “The stakes could not be higher,” António Guterres wrote in a post on X.
double quotation markAll the unlawful attacks in the Middle East and beyond are causing tremendous suffering and harm to civilians throughout the region – and pose a grave a risk to the global economy, particularly to the most vulnerable people.
The situation could spiral beyond anyone’s control.
It is time to stop the fighting and get to serious diplomatic negotiations.
The stakes could not be higher.
Updated at 13.13 EST
Today so far
Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, said his country was drawn into a war “it did not seek or choose”. In a speech during a meeting with Arab and foreign ambassadors, he warned that “a humanitarian disaster is looming”.
Donald Trump posted on social media that there would be no deal with Iran except “unconditional surrender”. The US president said following “unconditional surrender”, there would be “the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s)” – earlier, Trump had said he must “be involved in the appointment” of Iran’s next leader as he was in Venezuela, and dismissed the idea of the assassinated ayatollah’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeding his father as supreme leader as “unacceptable”.
US investigators believe it is likely that US forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed scores of children on Saturday but have not yet reached a final conclusion, according to a Reuters report citing two unnamed US officials.
Iranian forces fired seven attack drones at residential neighbourhoods in Bahrain overnight, said US Central Command (Centcom), which accused the Iranian government of attacking 12 different countries and “deliberately” targeting civilians.
The Israeli military announced a “new stage” in its campaign against Iran, with US and Israeli officials hinting at escalating strikes. The IDF said it has “additional surprising moves” as part of this new phase, without elaborating, while US defence secretary Pete Hegseth announced that strikes on Iran will “surge dramatically”.
The IDF claimed to have destroyed the underground bunker of the slain Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which it claims is still used by senior Iranian officials. The Israeli military said approximately 50 fighter jets dropped about 100 bombs at the site in Tehran, which it claimed spread across multiple streets and included “many entry points”. There was no immediate comment from Iran.
The UN said nearly 100,000 people have been displaced within Lebanon and tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in the country have fled back over the border. It follows a mass evacuation order by the IDF for people to flee a vast swathe of Beirut’s southern suburbs as it bombs what it says are Hezbollah targets in the area.
Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, raised concerns that the Israeli military causing the mass displacement of people in Lebanon may be violating international law, the AFP reports. “Lebanon is becoming a key flashpoint,” Turk said.
Officials in Azerbaijan said they are withdrawing diplomatic staff from Iran for their own safety. It comes a day after Azerbaijan said four Iranian drones had crossed its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave.
Four people in the UK have been arrested by counter terror police on suspicion of spying on the Jewish community for Iran, the Metropolitan police said. The men, one Iranian and three dual British-Iranian nationals, were arrested this morning shortly after 1am in Barnet and Watford.
ShareUS Central Command: Iran targeted civilian neighbourhoods in Bahrain
Iranian forces fired seven attack drones at residential neighbourhoods in Bahrain overnight, Brad Cooper, the head of the US Central Command (Centcom), said in a statement posted on X.
Iran “has attacked 12 different countries and continues to deliberately target civilians throughout the Middle East”, Cooper said.
“This is unacceptable and will not go unanswered.”
Air defences in Bahrain have destroyed 78 missiles and 143 drones since the start of the conflict, the Bahrain Defence Force said.
Here are some images coming in from the Middle East today:
Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, in Beirut, Lebanon on 06 March 2026. Photograph: Hussein Malla/APSmoke rises from a fire caused by an Israeli strike
on Beirut’s southern suburbs on 06 March 2026. Photograph: Khalil Ashawi/ReutersIsraeli tanks gather on the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon on 06 March 2026. Photograph: Atef Safadi/EPAA man hangs Israeli flags near a buildng that was damaged in a missile attack in Givatayim near Tel Aviv, Israel on 06 March 2026. Photograph: Nir Elias/ReutersSmoke rises after an airstrike in central Tehran, Iran on 06 March 2026 Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPAIranian women holds pictures of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the Friday prayer ceremony at Mosallah mosque in Tehran, Iran on 06 March 2026. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPAShare
Updated at 12.40 EST
Footage shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike in the south of Lebanon’s capital, a day after Israel issued a mass evacuation order for this part of the country.
The Israeli military carried out further strikes on Beirut’s southern Dahiyeh suburb, as well as towns in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese health ministry said 217 people had been killed in Israeli attacks since Monday.
Smoke engulfs buildings after Israeli forces strike Beirut suburbs – videoShareIraqi prime minister discusses ‘unified positions’ with president of Kurdistan region
Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, prime minister of Iraq, had a phone call today with Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdistan region in Iraq, the prime minister’s office said on social media.
On the call, al-Sudani and Barzani both “affirmed their rejection of attacks targeting a number of Iraqi cities, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and stressed that Iraqi territory must not be used as a launching point for attacks against neighbouring countries,” the prime minister’s office said.
“Both sides further emphasized the need to confront current challenges through unified positions and coordinated discourse among national forces, in order to preserve the country’s stability and sovereignty and reinforce national security.”
A US official with knowledge of the discussions between Washington and Kurdish officials told the Guardian earlier this week that the US was ready to provide air support if Kurdish fighters crossed the border from northern Iraq and entered the conflict with Iran.
On Thursday, Barzani appeared to allude to the current conflict unfolding in the Middle East in a statement posted on social media to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the 1991 Kurdish uprising.
“In this commemoration, we reiterate that the Kurdistan region, as always, must remain a key factor in peace and stability and must not become part of any conflict or military escalation that harms the lives and security of our fellow citizens,” Barzani said.
The Guardian’s Jason Burke has put together an explainer on who the Kurds are and why Trump wants them to join the conflict:
ShareUN: Forced displacement in Lebanon could be violating international law
The United Nations on Friday raised concerns over the Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon that have prompted mass evacuations and displaced nearly 100,000 people, the AFP reports.
“Lebanon is becoming a key flashpoint,” Volker Turk, the high commissioner for human rights for the United Nations, told reporters in Geneva.
“I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities.”
Turk said that he was particularly concerned about Israel’s “blanket, massive displacement orders” for Beirut’s southern suburbs, orders that are impacting “hundreds of thousands of people” and raising “serious concern under international humanitarian law and in particular when it comes to issues around forced transfer”.
The Lebanese health ministry said 217 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Monday.
ShareTrump: US is moving ‘thousands’ of people out of Middle East countries
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the US is moving thousands of people out of various countries throughout the Middle East amidst the conflict with Iran.
“It is being done quietly, but seamlessly,” the president wrote.
Trump finished the post by commending his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who he used to refer to as “Little Marco”.
“The State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, is doing a great job!” Trump said.
Earlier this week, Trump and Rubio appeared to be in misstep over messaging when Rubio said it had been Israel that spurred the Trump administration to take pre-emptive strikes while Trump claimed “if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand”. Rubio later backtracked his comments: “The bottom line is this. We, the president, determined we were not going to get hit first.”
ShareUS investigators believe strike on Iranian girls’ school probably carried out by US forces
Military investigators believe it is likely that US forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed scores of children on Saturday but have not yet reached a final conclusion, according to two US officials.
Reuters was unable to determine further details about the investigation, including what evidence contributed to the tentative assessment, what type of munition was used, who was responsible or why the US might have struck the school.
The Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, on Wednesday acknowledged the US military was investigating the incident.
Two US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters, did not rule out the possibility that new evidence could emerge that points to another responsible party.
Read the full report here:
ShareLebanon health officials say 217 killed in Israeli attacks
The Lebanese health ministry said 217 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Monday, according to Reuters news agency.
A further 798 people have been injured, the ministry said.
The Israeli military has carried out more strikes on Beirut’s southern Dahiyeh suburb, as well as towns in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese prime minister, Nawaf Salam, has warned that a “humanitarian disaster is looming”, as tens of thousands of people were forced from their homes by an Israeli military order and made to seek shelter in other parts of the capital.
The IDF said it attacked a senior commander of the Iranian regime in Tehran, without providing any more details. The statement does not specify whether the commander was killed.
But the Times of Israel, citing security sources, reported that the individual was identified as Asghar Hijazi, who is said to be the acting chief of staff of the supreme leader’s office.
Iran has not yet publicly commented on the report.
Updated at 09.48 EST
US-Israeli strikes against Iran ‘extraordinary mistake’, says Spanish PM
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez has again criticised the US-Israeli strikes against Iran, saying they were an “extraordinary mistake” and “not in accordance with international law”.
Sanchez said “loyal cooperation” should prevail over “confrontation” in relations with the US after tensions over Madrid’s opposition to Washington’s use of its bases against Iran.
“Between allied countries, it is good to help when the other is right, but also to tell them when they are wrong or make a mistake, as is the case here,” he said during a joint press conference this afternoon with Luís Montenegro, the Portuguese prime minister.
Trump lashed out at Spain on Tuesday, calling the country a “terrible” ally and threatening to sever all trade with Madrid.
The US president further criticised Spain yesterday in an interview with the New York Post, calling it “a loser”.
ShareExplosions near Erbil airport in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq- report
The AFP news agency has reported explosions near Erbil airport in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, which hosts US-led coalition troops.
Iraqi Kurdish authorities said earlier that oil production at a field operated by US firm HKN Energy had been halted after an attack, the agency reported.
Several Iran-backed armed factions have claimed attacks on the US base at Erbil airport in recent days, as the war draws in new armed actors and threatens wider chaos and violence.
Read Jason Burke’s report on how Iran-backed militias around the Middle East are intensifying attacks against Israel, the US and their allies:
ShareBritain’s deputy prime minister suggests that the UK could take part in strikes
Ben Quinn
Downing Street has denied there has been a U-turn on UK government policy on Iran after David Lammy, Britain’s deputy prime minister, suggested this morning that the UK could take part on strikes on Iranian targets.
Royal Air Force jets could legally strike Iranian missile sites being used to attack British interests in the Middle East, Lammy said in a BBC interview earlier today.
A spokesperson for the UK prime minister said he wasn’t going to “speculate on hypotheticals” but referred to legal advice published by the government and comments by the Britain’s defence secretary that the focus is on “defensive action”.
Asked if that advice meant the UK could strike targets in Iran that have the capability to strike British targets, he said: “We have consistently said that we’ll take the necessary steps to prevent future strikes … (that) as we’ve set out over the course of the week, is allowing the US to take out those missiles at source whilst we are defending the skies.
The spokesperson added: “We set out a clear course of action that we believe is the best response to the current situation, to eliminate the urgent threats and deliver on our foremost duty to protect British lives.”
A drone believed to have been launched by Iran or a proxy in the region this week hit a hangar at RAF Akrotiri, one of two British bases in Cyrpus which have existed as sovereign territory.
However, the UK government is understood to be adopting “a broad definition of British interests” which, if hit, could be the tripwire for the launching of strikes on Ira
The response from Downing Street to journalists came after Liberal Democrats have called for clarification on whether the British position had changed after Lammy’s comments.
Calum Miller, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesperson, said: “The deputy prime minister is sliding down the slippery slope to full conflict by backing direct UK strikes on military positions in Iran. We need an urgent clarification from number 10 on whether this is a change in Britain’s position on involvement in Trump’s illegal war.”
Updated at 09.19 EST
Iran’s president says ‘some countries’ have begun mediation efforts to end war
Patrick Wintour
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has said for the first time that some countries have begun mediation efforts to end the war with the US and Israel, without identifying those countries, adding that any talks should address those who started the war.
Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and Oman have all offered to mediate at some point since US and Israel launched joint strikes last Saturday. Two days ago, Iran’s foreign ministry said it was a time for defence of the country, not for diplomacy.
Pezeshkian said in a post on X: “Some countries have begun mediation efforts. Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity and sovereignty. Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict.”
Read the full report here: