![\"Safesea](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773320169_79_\/7e1f5db4-55ad-47d6-8bca-89f76f141f80.gif\")
<\/p>\nEight Islamic and Arab countries on Thursday condemned Israel for keeping al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem closed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.<\/p>\n
Israel has shut all holy sites in east Jerusalem\u2019s Old City for security reasons after it began airstrikes against Iran. The closure coincides with Ramadan, when tens of thousands of Palestinian Muslims would normally pray every Friday at the mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.<\/p>\n
The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar said continuing to restrict access was \u201cillegal and unjustified\u201d and \u201cprovocative\u201d. They added it was \u201ca flagrant violation to international law \u2026 and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship\u201d.<\/p>\n
Police announced last Monday that all holy sites in the Old City, including the Western Wall, al-Aqsa mosque, Temple Mount complex and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, would remain closed \u201cto safeguard public safety and human life\u201d. Israel occupied east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it in a move that is not internationally recognised.<\/p>\n
First message by Iran\u2019s new supreme leader to be released<\/p>\n
The first message from Iran\u2019s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will be released shortly, Iranian state media reported on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Iranian reports suggested that Iran\u2019s leader would comment on the death of his father Ali Khamenei, the role and responsibilities of the people, the armed forces, executive bodies, and the role of Iran\u2019s resistance proxy groups, as well as its war with the US and Israel.<\/p>\n
The lack of any previous statement or appearance from Khamenei since he succeeded his father had fuelled speculation that he was injured or incapacitated during US-Israeli strikes. Unconfirmed reports have even claimed he was in a coma, or had lost a leg, after his father, mother, wife and son were killed by Israeli bombing on February 28, the first day of the war.<\/p>\n
Identity of Zefyros tanker hit by unknown projectile confirmed<\/p>\n
Details of the second ship hit by an Iranian attack in Iraqi waters have been confirmed by its managing company.<\/p>\n
The Zefyros tanker was hit by an unknown projectile during a ship-to-ship transfer with the oil tanker Safesea Vishnu at Iraq\u2019s Umm Qasar anchorage, the vessel\u2019s Greece-based manager Benetech Shipping SA said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
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The incident took place at 11.41pm local time on Wednesday, the company said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll 23 crew members are safe and accounted for. They have been evacuated and were brought to shore,\u201d Benetech Shipping said, adding that the vessel\u2019s condition was being assessed.<\/p>\n
Earlier an Indian sailor was reported to have died during the attack on the vessels.<\/p>\n
US soldiers\u2019 injuries in Kuwait strike more severe than first thought<\/p>\n
Dozens of US service members suffered serious injuries in Kuwait, including brain trauma, shrapnel wounds and burns, according to CBS news.<\/p>\n
Six troops were killed<\/a> in a drone strike in the country during the first week of the war against Iran. Injuries sustained by others in the same strike have been reported as more severe than first thought. At least one of the soldiers may need to have a limb amputated, sources told the outlet.<\/p>\n They described a chaotic scene after the strike on March 1 involving difficult conditions for rescuers.<\/p>\n More than 30 service members remained in hospitals as of Tuesday this week, including about 20 who arrived via military transport aircraft reserved for those with \u201curgent\u201d injuries.<\/p>\n US unable to provide naval escorts despite Trump promise<\/p>\n The US energy secretary has said that the country will not be able to provide naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n President Trump last week promised to assist vessels after Iran threatened any that tried to cross. He wrote on Truth Social: \u201cIf necessary, the United States navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n On Thursday Chris Wright told CNBC that the US was unable to do so now, but that it was \u201cquite likely\u201d it could by the end of the month.<\/p>\n Exhibitions group postpones Middle East events<\/p>\n Informa, the world\u2019s largest exhibitions group, has postponed events in the Middle East until the end of the year due to conflict in the region.<\/p>\n Stephen Carter, the chief executive, said only a nominal number of clients have withdrawn from events in the region due to the conflict. He added that this involved some rescheduling costs that the company would \u201chave to swallow\u201d.<\/p>\n The British group runs events in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. This year\u2019s Dubai International Boat Show is reported to have been rescheduled from April to November. Informa shares, down 11 per cent so far this year, slid 0.7 per cent to 774p.<\/p>\n IDF kills senior Iranian commander who worked with Hezbollah <\/p>\n The IDF announced on Thursday that a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operations commander working with Hezbollah in Beirut had been assassinated.<\/p>\n Abu Dharr Mohammadi was a \u201ccentral figure coordinating between Hezbollah and the Iranian terror regime\u201d, the military said, adding that he played a crucial part in rehabilitating the militant group\u2019s missile programme after Operation Northern Arrows, an airstrike campaign launched by Israel in September 2024 against Hezbollah.<\/p>\n The Israeli military said on Thursday that Hezbollah had fired about 200 rockets at Israel the night before in what it described as the Lebanese armed group\u2019s \u201cbiggest barrage\u201d since the war began.<\/p>\n The military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told journalists: \u201cLast night, Hezbollah timed a simultaneous attack with Iran, firing rockets and drones at towns and communities across Israel. The numbers [are] about approximately 200 rockets, approximately 20 UAVs [drones] and combine those with ballistic missiles that were being fired from Iran in the same time,\u201d <\/p>\n He added: \u201cWe had a good aerial defence and rapid response, resulting in minimal casualties, only two or three direct hits\u2026 and a few civilians that were lightly injured.\u201d<\/p>\n IDF apologises to Israelis for failing to warn of Iran-Hezbollah barrage<\/p>\n The Israeli military has apologised to the public for not alerting them sooner to Hezbollah\u2019s barrage overnight.<\/p>\n In the largest attack of the conflict so far, the militant group and Iran planned to launch about 600 rockets and 60 drones. Ultimately 200 rockets and 20 drones were launched, hitting some residential areas in Israel, causing damage and leaving two people with minor injuries, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said. Most of the projectiles were intercepted or fell in open areas.<\/p>\n The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it had carried out a \u201cjoint and integrated operation\u201d alongside Hezbollah, aimed at more than 50 targets including military bases in Haifa, Tel Aviv and Beersheba. It was the first time that Iran and Hezbollah had coordinated attacks since the conflict broke out almost two weeks ago.<\/p>\n The IDF said it made a mistake in not updating the public ahead of the attack on Wednesday evening. Officials admitted they should have been more transparent about assessments of the barrage, particularly when it was reported by international media.<\/p>\n Indian sailor killed after oil tanker hit by Iranian suicide boat<\/p>\n An Indian sailor was killed after an oil tanker was hit in the Gulf on Thursday by an Iranian suicide boat designed for kamikaze missions, according to reports.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the attack on the Safesea Vishnu tanker in Iraqi territorial waters.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s state news agency IRNA reported that the Marshall Islands-flagged ship was hit \u201cafter it failed to comply with warnings and requests from the Revolutionary Guard Navy\u201d. According to Iran, the ship is US-owned.<\/p>\n Another tanker was also attacked on Thursday, also in Iraqi waters.<\/p>\n Iranian nuclear site hit by strikes, Israeli military claims<\/p>\n The Israeli military said on Thursday that it had struck an Iranian site used for developing nuclear weapons capabilities.<\/p>\n \u201cAs part of the waves of strikes completed in recent days in Tehran, the air force struck, with precise guidance from military intelligence, another site in the Iranian nuclear programme, the \u2018Taleqan\u2019 site, which the regime used to advance critical capabilities in developing nuclear weapon,\u201d the Israel Defence Forces announced on X.<\/p>\n \u201cThe site was used in recent years to develop advanced explosives and conduct sensitive experiments as part of \u2018Project Amad\u2019, the secret programme to develop nuclear weapons in the 2000s,\u201d it added. It claimed that Iran had for a while abandoned the site but started using it again in late 2024.<\/p>\n US military publishes video showing strikes on Iranian aircraft Footage released by the US Central Command<\/p>\n The US military published footage showing airstrikes on Iranian aircraft early on Thursday.<\/p>\n The context of the strikes or when they happened was difficult to verify.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Iranian regime is losing air capability day by day. US forces aren\u2019t just defending against Iranian threats, we are methodically dismantling them\u201d the US Central Command said on X.<\/p>\n Video released by Central Command of strikes on stationary targets<\/p>\n Iranian nuclear facility before and after strikes Taleghan 2 facility, a nuclear weapons research facility within the Parchin military complex, on March 6, top, and on March 11 after airstrikes<\/p>\n GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n Iranian ambassador to UN rejects call to halt attacks on Gulf states<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s ambassador to the UN rejected the UN security council\u2019s call for Tehran to halt its attacks on Gulf states.<\/p>\n Amir Saeid Iravani said Resolution 2817 was \u201cdeeply regrettable\u201d and \u201ca serious setback\u201d for the council\u2019s credibility. \u201cToday\u2019s action represents a blatant misuse of the security council mandate in pursuit of the political agendas of certain members, the various states responsible for the brutal war of aggression against my country,\u201d Iravani said.<\/p>\n The council adopted the resolution yesterday with 13 votes in favour of condemning Iran\u2019s \u201cegregious attacks\u201d against its regional neighbours, and two abstentions by China and Russia. The resolution did not mention US or Israeli strikes on Iran.<\/p>\n The resolution \u201cdemands the immediate cessation of all attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan\u201d. It also \u201ccondemns any actions or threats by the Islamic Republic of Iran aimed at closing, obstructing, or otherwise interfering with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz\u201d.<\/p>\n Iran vows to \u2018abandon all restraint\u2019 if US attacks Gulf islands<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on Thursday that Tehran will \u201cabandon all restraint\u201d if the United States and Israel attack any of its islands in the Gulf.<\/p>\n \u201cAny aggression against soil of Iranian islands will shatter all restraint. We will abandon all restraint and make the Persian Gulf run with the blood of invaders,\u201d Ghalibaf said on X.<\/p>\n It was not immediately clear which islands he was referring to, but a recent Axios report cited US officials as saying that capturing Kharg<\/a>, a hub for processing Iranian oil, was being considered as the war in the Middle East spirals.<\/p>\n \u2018The longer this war continues, the deeper the damage to the global economy\u2019<\/p>\n Mohamed El-Erian speaking to Times Radio<\/p>\n The UK can expect lower growth, higher unemployment, and more serious economic damage as the conflict continues, a former deputy director at the International Monetary Fund has warned.<\/p>\n Mohamed El-Erian told Times Radio that \u201cthe longer this war continues, the deeper the damage to the global economy and the UK economy, and it is going to be harder to reverse quickly\u201d.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cOn current projections, the UK would lose about half a per cent of growth, which will take the growth rate below 1 per cent, which is near stall speed.\u201d<\/p>\n Lower oil demand expected due to record supply disruption<\/p>\n The global oil market is facing its largest supply disruption on record as the conflict in the Middle East halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the International Energy Agency said in its monthly report on Thursday.<\/p>\n The agency warned that Wednesday\u2019s release of a record 400 million barrels from emergency reserves was only a short-term measure, as the market outlook hinged on how quickly shipping through the strait could safely resume.<\/p>\n The conflict is weighing on demand. Flight cancellations across the region and supply disruptions are expected to reduce global oil consumption by about 1 million barrels a day in March and April, while demand growth for 2026 has been revised lower.<\/p>\n US spent more than $11.3bn in first week of war, reports says<\/p>\n The opening week of the war against Iran cost the United States more than $11.3 billion, lawmakers were told in a Pentagon briefing, according to a New York Times report which suggested that weapons and hardware were being used at an extremely high rate.<\/p>\n The report citing unnamed sources familiar with Tuesday\u2019s closed-door briefing, said members of Congress were told that the figure excludes many costs connected with the build-up to the strikes, suggesting the final tally for the first week could rise substantially.<\/p>\n Defence officials had told Congress that roughly $5.6 billion worth of munitions were expended in just the first two days of fighting, according to US media, far higher than earlier public estimates.<\/p>\n The Iran War Cost Tracker website, an unofficial analysis which estimates the cost of the conflict in real time, showed a figure of more than $17.5 billion on its counter by Thursday morning. However, it pointed out that the true cost of the war was likely to be higher, as the figures do not take into account long-term expenses such as veteran healthcare.<\/p>\n US-owned ship hit in Gulf, Iranian military says <\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Thursday that they had struck a Marshall Islands-flagged ship, which they claimed was US-owned, in the northern part of the Gulf.<\/p>\n On their website, known as Sepah News, the military force said the ship, named Safesea, was \u201cone of the assets of the US terrorist army\u201d and that it \u201cwas hit in the northern Gulf after ignoring and not complying with warnings and alerts\u201d.<\/p>\n War hits UK package holiday group<\/p>\n On the Beach\u2019s shares fell 10 per cent on Thursday after it suspended its profit forecast, saying the Iran war had resulted in a sharp slowdown in bookings to destinations such as Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Egypt.<\/p>\n The company said that although it had limited exposure to the Middle East, demand for holidays in surrounding destinations had dropped since the conflict began. Analysts at Peel Hunt said On the Beach\u2019s move was unsurprising and they expect the company to be \u201cback on track after the Iran disruption concludes\u201d.<\/p>\n Israel warns Lebanese residents of strike targeting \u2018Hezbollah infrastructure\u2019<\/p>\n The Israeli military has issued more displacement orders to Lebanese residents, this time for people living in the eastern village of Douris in the Bekaa Valley.<\/p>\n The Israeli military\u2019s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said Israel plans to carry out a strike in the town targeting what he claimed was \u201cmilitary infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah\u201d.<\/p>\n In a post on X, he urged residents to move at least 300 metres away from a building marked in red on a map. \u201cFor your safety, you must evacuate immediately,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Dubai reports \u2018minor drone incident\u2019<\/p>\n Dubai has reported a \u201cminor drone incident\u201d on Thursday after explosions were heard in the city\u2019s downtown.<\/p>\n \u201cDubai authorities are responding to a minor drone incident in the Al Bada\u2019a area. No injuries have been reported,\u201d the Dubai government\u2019s media office said on X.<\/p>\n Oil eases in volatile trading<\/p>\n The oil price has fallen back this morning after rising above $100 a barrel as Iran increased attacks on oil infrastructures and shipping in the Middle East.<\/p>\n Brent crude slid from $100.70 a barrel overnight to $96.51, up 5 per cent, as trading in Europe started. The price has been rising after the biggest release of oil reserves in 50 years by the International Energy Agency on Wednesday failed to calm fears about oil supplies.<\/p>\n Stock markets remain wary. The FTSE 100 opened down 0.5 per cent, as rising defence and mining shares were offset by a fall in property and financial stocks on fears that higher energy prices will stoke inflation. making an interest rate cut less likely and even opening the way for a possible rate increase. Stock markets in Germany and France were also lower after subdued trading in Asia.<\/p>\n Increased security at Oscars amid fears of Iranian drone strikes<\/p>\n The Oscars will have increased security amid the war in the Middle East and fears of an Iranian plan to attack California with drones.<\/p>\n During a press conference on Wednesday, the Oscars telecast\u2019s executive producers Katy Mullan and Raj Kapoor said they wanted everybody to feel safe at the ceremony.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the support of the FBI and the LAPD, and it\u2019s a close collaboration,\u201d Kapoor said. \u201cThis show has to run like clockwork [\u2026] We want everybody to feel safe and protected and welcome, so it\u2019s our job as a producing team to make sure that that translates.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, the Los Angeles County Sheriff\u2019s Department said: \u201cIn light of current global events, the department remains at an elevated level of readiness and is maintaining increased vigilance as we continue to protect our residents of Los Angeles county.<\/p>\n Iraq halts operations at all oil terminals after strike<\/p>\n Two fuel tankers attacked in Iraqi waters<\/p>\n An attack on Iraq\u2019s Basra port has forced authorities to halt operations at all the country\u2019s oil terminals.<\/p>\n The strike early on Thursday that killed at least one person, an Indian national, was aimed at a ship engaged in an oil transfer in the Basra port on the Persian Gulf, according to Farhan al-Fartousi, the director-general of the General Company for Ports of Iraq.<\/p>\n Fartousi said in a statement reported by the state-run Iraqi News Agency that it remained unclear whether the ship was targeted by a flying or seaborne drone or a missile.<\/p>\n Rescuers recovered one dead body and helped 38 others after the attack, while the \u201csearch continues for the missing\u201d. He said commercial ports in Iraq remained open but that oil terminals had been shut.<\/p>\n Iraq\u2019s oil ministry said on Thursday it had \u201cdeep concern\u201d about incidents involving oil tankers in the Gulf. \u201cThe safety of navigation in international maritime corridors and energy supply routes must remain free from regional conflicts,\u201d the ministry added.<\/p>\n Briton charged after filming missiles passing overhead in Dubai<\/p>\n A British man is among 21 people charged in the United Arab Emirates under cybercrime laws after the circulation of videos showing missile activity and explosions.<\/p>\n The 60-year-old Briton said he filmed the scene as missiles passed overhead and deleted the footage immediately when asked, insisting he meant no harm, according to the campaign group Detained in Dubai.<\/p>\n The 21 suspects charged together are alleged to have used an information network or information technology tool to broadcast, publish, republish or circulate false news, rumours or provocative propaganda that may incite public opinion or disturb public security.<\/p>\n Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, said: \u201cThe charges sound extremely vague but serious on paper. In reality, the alleged conduct could be something as simple as sharing or commenting on a video that is already circulating online.\u201d <\/p>\n Penalties in such cases can include up to two years in prison, fines of up to \u00a340,000, or both, and foreign nationals could also face deportation, the organisation added.<\/p>\n Seven people killed in Israeli strike on Beirut, Lebanon says<\/p>\n Lebanon said an Israeli strike on central Beirut\u2019s seafront killed at least seven people early on Thursday.<\/p>\n It marks another attack in the heart of the capital as Iran-backed Hezbollah, which announced a major new operation against Israel, launched more missiles at Israel.<\/p>\n The Israeli military said separately that it had carried out overnight strikes against Hezbollah on Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs.<\/p>\n Local media aired footage showing smoke rising along the seaside road area after the strike in central Beirut, which the state-run National News Agency said targeted a car. \u201cThe Israeli enemy strike on Ramlet al-Bayda in Beirut led to an initial toll of seven dead and 21 wounded,\u201d the health ministry said.<\/p>\n It was the third attack in the heart of the capital since the war began. Israel has also repeatedly hit the southern suburbs of Beirut where Israeli military said on Thursday it had hit ten Hezbollah targets.<\/p>\n The site of overnight Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut<\/p>\n GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n Lebanon\u2019s National News Agency reported on Thursday that Israeli strikes had also hit several towns in southern Lebanon, including Taybeh and al-Sultaniyya as well as Qana, near the city of Tyre. Iranian leaders depicted as bowling pins in video shared by White House<\/p>\n![\"Drone](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773320171_441_\/930eae9b-48f7-4216-9ff5-76b05efc9631.gif\")
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<\/p>\n![\"Taleghan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\/9b7b70c8-bc3a-4066-abe1-e99988b823c0.jpg\")
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According to the site, the United States was spending $1 billion per day on the war.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773320174_507_\/137c1092-a0ca-467b-90f2-8d18ba5bca2f.jpg\")
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Hezbollah said early on Thursday that it had fired missiles at an Israeli military intelligence base in the suburbs of Tel Aviv.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\/bc837ea4-271f-49de-8716-47449247cc02.jpg\")
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