an Instagram post<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cToday, I\u2019m delighted to tell to people that the U.K. will be flying RAF jets above Bahrain as a contribution to the defense of Bahrain, one of our closest allies in the whole world,\u201d Long said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis matters hugely to the U.K. that we are part of defending Bahrain and making sure it prevails in this terrible attack against it by Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n
UN health agency\u2019s Dubai hub beginning to resume operations<\/p>\n
The World Health Organization said earlier this week that operations were on hold because of insecurity, airspace closures and restrictions of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
But WHO\u2019s eastern Mediterranean chief, Dr. Hanan Balkhy, said Friday that after the \u201ctemporary pause,\u201d they are resuming as airspace reopens.<\/p>\n
Balkhy said that more than 50 emergency supply requests regarding 25 countries and meant to benefit more than 1.5 million people had been hit by the enforced pause. Those included shipments destined for Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen and Somalia.<\/p>\n
She said that \u201cwhat we\u2019ll be doing over the next few days is to identify now the urgent shipments that need to go out quicker than others.\u201d<\/p>\n
UK antisemitism group thanks London police<\/p>\n
The Campaign Against Antisemitism says it\u2019s grateful to police \u201cfor foiling this alleged plot,\u201d after four men were arrested in and around London on suspicion of aiding Iran by spying on the Jewish community.<\/p>\n
But the group accused the U.K. government of not taking the threat from Iran seriously enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe U.K. may not be acting against Iran but Iran is acting against us,\u201d it said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government\u2019s failure to keep its promise to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps \u2014 the main instrument that the Islamic Republic uses to foment antisemitic violence worldwide \u2014 has sent the message that support for the brutal Iranian regime and its Jew-hating and West-hating ideology is perfectly acceptable in Britain,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
Qatar condemns Iranian attack on Bahrain<\/p>\n
Qatar has denounced an Iranian attack on Bahrain that targeted buildings housing elements of its forces there.<\/p>\n
Doha says the attack targeted the unified military command of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a six-nation bloc in the region.<\/p>\n
It says none of the Qatari sailors were hurt and called the assault \u201ca direct threat to its security and stability and the security of the region.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lebanon\u2019s prime minister calls for international help<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is calling on the international community to help Lebanon amid the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah war.<\/p>\n
\u201cA humanitarian disaster is looming\u201d because of huge displacements of people, Salam said.<\/p>\n
Salam criticized both Israel and Hezbollah over the current crisis saying that the Lebanese state and people \u201cdid not choose this war.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking to heads of diplomatic missions in Beirut, Salam appealed to the friends of Lebanon to support \u201cus in this endeavor\u201d and called on the international community to help stop Israel\u2019s attacks and spare the country\u2019s infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Iran launches a new missile attack<\/p>\n
Iranian state television announced a new missile attack, including the Islamic Republic firing off its larger Khorramshahr-4 missiles.<\/p>\n
Some Chinese airlines resume flights to Mideast<\/p>\n
Air China, China Southern and a few other Chinese carriers are resuming direct flights to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n
Air China resumed a flight from Beijing to Riyadh Thursday, state media reported.<\/p>\n
China is also helping citizens evacuate from the region, saying it received a plane carrying 300 passengers from Dubai on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe once again remind that the situation in the Middle East remains complex and severe, with considerable uncertainty,\u201d Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said about the evacuations and flights.<\/p>\n
UN rights chief pleads for peace<\/p>\n
Volker T\u00fcrk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, says that \u201cthe world urgently needs to see steps to contain and extinguish this blaze.\u201d<\/p>\n
He lamented that \u201cinstead we are only seeing more inflammatory, bellicose rhetoric, more bombings, more destruction, killings and escalation, that fuels it further.\u201d<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk is urging the countries involved in the war \u201cto take immediate steps to de-escalate, to give peace a chance.\u201d And he says that other countries should \u201ccall clearly on those involved to pull back.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s also \u201cextremely concerned\u201d about the situation in Lebanon following Hezbollah\u2019s strikes on Israel and Israel\u2019s counterstrikes.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk said he\u2019s particularly worried about what he described as \u201cblanket, massive displacement orders\u201d by Israel to civilians in Lebanon.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, this raises serious concern under international humanitarian law and in particular when it comes to issues around forced transfer,” he said.<\/p>\n
Israel targeting Lebanon\u2019s capital again<\/p>\n
The Israeli military says it\u2019s conducting new strikes on Beirut.<\/p>\n
Australian Greens say country part of \u2018illegal war\u2019<\/p>\n
The Australian Greens party says Australian sailors\u2019 presence aboard the U.S. submarine that torpedoed an Iranian warship made Australia \u201cpart of an illegal war.\u201d<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s government confirmed that three Australians were aboard a submarine that sank the Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka this week, killing at least 87 people.<\/p>\n
Sen. David Shoebridge, the influential party\u2019s defense spokesperson, told reporters on Friday: \u201cThis makes Australia obviously, clearly, unambiguously, part of an illegal war.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Australians were aboard the boat as part of the trilateral U.S., Australian and British partnership known as AUKUS that will deliver Australia a fleet of submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology.<\/p>\n
Blasts heard in Tel Aviv<\/p>\n
The sound of explosions could be heard in Tel Aviv, Israel, after the warning about incoming missile fire from Iran, as air defense systems worked to intercept the barrage.<\/p>\n
UK police say 4 arrested for aiding Iran<\/p>\n
London police say four men have been arrested on suspicion of aiding Iran by spying on the Jewish community.<\/p>\n
The suspects, one Iranian and three dual British-Iranian nationals, have been taken into custody on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, the Metropolitan Police said.<\/p>\n
The force said the men, ages 22, 40, 52 and 55, were arrested at addresses in and around north London shortly after 1 a.m.<\/p>\n
The men are suspected on spying on locations and individuals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe understand the public may be concerned, in particular the Jewish community, and as always, I would ask them to remain vigilant and if they see or hear anything that concerns them, then to contact us,\u201d said Metropolitan Police Commander Helen Flanagan, who is in charge of counterterrorism policing in London.<\/p>\n
Israeli military warns of missile fire coming from Iran<\/p>\n
The Israeli military is warning its public about incoming missile fire from Iran.<\/p>\n
Phone alerts go off in Dubai<\/p>\n
Mobile phone alerts sounded just before noon in Dubai, warning of a possible missile attack.<\/p>\n
Indonesia holds off on Board of Peace discussions<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government is currently holding off on all discussions related to Trump\u2019s Board of Peace as the country focuses on the safety of Indonesian nationals in the Middle East, officials said Friday.<\/p>\n
Yvonne Mewengkang, spokesperson for Indonesia\u2019s Foreign Affairs, said \u201cany decision regarding Indonesia\u2019s participation in any international mechanism will be based on the principle of Indonesia\u2019s foreign policy and the most important thing, our national interests.\u201d<\/p>\n
More than 519,000 Indonesian nationals live across the Middle East, including 329 in Iran, mostly students.<\/p>\n
Indonesia plans to begin evacuating its citizens from Iran on Friday.<\/p>\n
3 Australian personnel were on U.S. sub that fired torpedo<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s government revealed on Friday that three Australian personnel were aboard a U.S. submarine that sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean this week, killing at least 87 people.<\/p>\n
The Australians were part of the trilateral US, Australian and British AUKUS training program.<\/p>\n
Neil James, executive director of the Australian Defense Association policy think tank, says it is \u201creasonably rare\u201d for Australians embedded with another nation\u2019s military to go to war against a country such as Iran that Australia wasn\u2019t at war with.<\/p>\n
James said an Australian would not have fired the torpedo that sank the Iranian ship.<\/p>\n
South Korea says it will receive 6 million barrels of oil from UAE<\/p>\n
South Korea says it reached an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to receive 6 million barrels of crude oil, aiming to stabilize energy prices spiked by the escalating war in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff for South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, said in a briefing Friday that the emergency supplies are intended to curb fuel costs which surged this week.<\/p>\n
Iranian semioff<\/p>\n
icial news agency says wave of missiles, drones fired at Israel<\/p>\n
Iran launched a new wave of missiles and drones targeting Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday morning, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.<\/p>\n
South Korea\u2019s foreign minister declines to comment on possible shift of US assets<\/p>\n
South Korea\u2019s foreign minister told a legislative hearing that the United States has not requested military or non-military assistance from Seoul over the war in the Middle East, but declined to comment on reports that Washington could relocate some of its assets in South Korea to support the fighting.<\/p>\n
When asked by a lawmaker about a media report that U.S. forces were moving some of its Patriot anti-missile defense systems to a major air base near Seoul, Cho Hyun said he couldn\u2019t confirm details related to U.S. military operations.<\/p>\n
Cho said Seoul and Washington were maintaining close communication and that the allies\u2019 combined defense posture would not be affected by developments in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement it does not \u201ccomment on the movement, relocation, or potential repositioning of specific military capabilities or assets\u201d for operational security reasons.<\/p>\n
The USFK statement came in response to questions from The Associated Press about a Yonhap News report, citing anonymous sources, that said U.S. forces moved multiple Patriot systems from other bases in South Korea to Osan Air Base, where transport aircraft were also spotted.<\/p>\n
Yonhap said it wasn\u2019t immediately clear whether the movements were linked to the war or joint U.S.-South Korea military drills beginning Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnited States Forces Korea remains focused on maintaining a strong, ready, and combat-credible force posture on the Korean Peninsula,\u201d the USFK said.<\/p>\n
Etihad Airways to restart \u2018limited flight schedule\u2019 from Abu Dhabi<\/p>\n
Etihad Airways said it is restarting a \u201climited flight schedule\u201d from its hub in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi starting Friday.<\/p>\n
The government-backed carrier has operated some flights in recent days, but its latest announcement suggests it is moving toward more regular operations.<\/p>\n
Etihad said that previously booked passengers as well as new customers will be able to travel on the flights, assuming \u201call safety criteria are met.\u201d<\/p>\n
It listed more than 70 destinations it planned to fly to between Friday and March 19.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia says it destroyed another drone near Riyadh<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia\u2019s Defense Ministry reported the destruction of another drone near Riyadh, this one to its northeast.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted drones east of Riyadh<\/p>\n
The Saudi Defense Ministry said it destroyed three drones in the eastern areas of Riyadh.<\/p>\n
The ministry said earlier Friday that it intercepted a cruise missile over the city of Kharj.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n
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