{"id":7326,"date":"2026-03-06T22:01:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T22:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/7326\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T22:01:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T22:01:08","slug":"russia-provided-iran-with-information-to-help-tehran-strike-us-military-ap-sources-say-national-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/7326\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia provided Iran with information to help Tehran strike US military, AP sources say | National News"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. Russia has provided Iran with information<\/a> that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter. It\u2019s the first indication that Moscow has sought to get involved in the war.<\/p>\n

2. U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to rule out negotiations with Iran<\/a> in a social media post calling for its \u201cunconditional surrender.\u201d White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later added that \u201cunconditional surrender\u201d could come even if Iran isn\u2019t in a position to say so for itself. Trump told media outlets on Thursday that he wants to be involved<\/a> in picking Iran\u2019s next leader.<\/p>\n

3. The death toll continues to rise. At least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 200 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel have been killed, according to officials in those countries. Six U.S. troops<\/a> have been killed.<\/p>\n

4. The U.S. military said early Friday that it struck an Iranian drone carrier<\/a>, setting it ablaze. Its Central Command released black-and-white footage of the burning carrier. The Iranian military did not immediately acknowledge the attack.<\/p>\n

Evidence suggests a US airstrike likely caused the deadly Iranian girls school blast<\/p>\n

Satellite images, expert analysis and information released by the U.S. and Israeli militaries suggest that the Feb 28 explosion that killed scores of Iranian students at a school was likely caused by U.S. airstrikes:<\/p>\n

5. The launching of an assessment of the incident by the U.S. military. According to the Pentagon\u2019s instructions on processes for mitigating civilian harm, an assessment is launched after a group of investigators make an initial determination that the U.S. military may bear culpability.<\/p>\n

6. The school\u2019s location next to a base of the Revolutionary Guard in Hormozgan Province and close to a barracks for its naval brigade. The U.S. military has focused on naval targets and acknowledged strikes in the province, including one in the vicinity of the school. The U.S. is operating warships in the Arabian Sea, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, within range of the school.<\/p>\n

7. Israel has focused on areas of Iran closer to Israel and hasn\u2019t reported conducting any strikes south of Isfahan, 800 kilometers (500 miles) away.<\/p>\n

8. Experts say the tight pattern of the damage visible on the satellite photos is consistent with a targeted airstrike.<\/p>\n

Iran has blamed Israel and the United States for the blast. Neither country has accepted responsibility.<\/p>\n

How the Iran war is affecting countries across the Middle East<\/p>\n

The broadening Iran war<\/a> has ricocheted across the region and beyond, with nearly every country in the Middle East sustaining damage from missile hits, drone strikes or shrapnel. Many are reporting casualties, and key embassies<\/a>, economic engines and passageways<\/a> have closed down.<\/p>\n

On Friday<\/a>, the seventh day of war, Israeli warplanes struck Beirut and Tehran<\/a> as Iran launched another wave of retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries. There was no sign of the war letting up, as Trump appeared to rule out negotiations and called for Iran\u2019s \u201cunconditional surrender.\u201d<\/p>\n

What to know about the late Iranian leader’s son and possible successor his father<\/p>\n

Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has growing support among the clerics tasked to select Iran\u2019s next supreme leader.<\/p>\n

A secretive figure within the Islamic Republic, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen publicly since Saturday, when the U.S.\u2013Israel war with Iran began and an airstrike killed his 86-year-old father. He is widely believed to be alive and possibly in hiding, though state media haven\u2019t disclosed any information about his whereabouts.<\/p>\n

Trump, however, insists on being involved in selecting Iran\u2019s next supreme leader, and said \u201cKhamenei\u2019s son is unacceptable to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s next supreme leader would control the country\u2019s military and a stockpile of highly enriched uranium that could be weaponized, should the leadership decide to decree it.<\/p>\n

Russia has provided Iran with information that can help Tehran strike US military, AP sources say<\/p>\n

Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter.<\/p>\n

The people, who were not authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that the U.S. intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information.<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019s the first indication that Moscow has sought to get involved in the war that the U.S. and Israel launched on Iran a week ago. Russia has tightened its relationship with Iran as it looked for badly needed missiles and drones to utilize in its four-year war Ukraine. Tehran, meanwhile, has been isolated for years over its nuclear program and its support of proxy groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, that have wreaked havoc in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

White House press secretary offers a definition of \u2018unconditional surrender\u2019<\/p>\n

Asked what Trump meant by accepting only \u201cunconditional surrender,\u201d Karoline Leavitt said Friday that will be achieved when the president \u201cdetermines that Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States of America\u201d and the mission\u2019s goals have \u201cbeen fully realized.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen Iran will essentially be in a place of unconditional surrender,\u201d she told reporters outside the White House \u201cwhether they say it themselves or not. Frankly they don\u2019t have a lot of people to say that for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

UN chief warns situation `could spiral beyond anyone\u2019s control\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThe stakes could not be higher\u201d stressed Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres. \u201cAll the unlawful attacks in the Middle East and beyond are causing tremendous suffering and harm to civilians throughout the region \u2013 and pose a grave a risk to the global economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a statement Friday, Guterres called for an end to the war that now affects more than a dozen countries, and for serious diplomatic negotiations.<\/p>\n

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the unity of some countries could be threatened, civilian suffering can escalate, and the situation around the Strait of Hormuz can worsen. Shipping in the vital waterway on Iran\u2019s southern coast is at a halt, affecting oil tankers and vessels carrying other critical items. The resulting spike in oil prices can impact the price of food, transport and fertilizers, he said.<\/p>\n

Hegseth\u2019s criticism points to reluctance to show human costs of war<\/p>\n

Similar comments from the Trump administration raised questions about how the war is communicated to the public, particularly as the conflict intensifies and leads to more casualties and instability.<\/p>\n

Coverage of the Vietnam War shocked many Americans in the 1960s and left a legacy: \u201cFor many presidents, the lesson seemed to be: Don\u2019t allow the realities of war into people\u2019s living rooms if you can help it,\u201d said Timothy Naftali, senior research scholar at Columbia University\u2019s School of International and Public Affairs.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of minority Shiites in Pakistan protest Khamenei\u2019s killing<\/p>\n

The U.S. Embassy In Islamabad issued a security alert warning Americans of possible violence as the protesters took to the streets.<\/p>\n

Amid heavy police presence, about 300 protesters staged a sit-in, holding posters of Khamenei<\/a> and chanting \u201cDeath to America\u201d and \u201cDeath to Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Khamenei, who ruled Iran since 1989, has long been a central religious and political figure for Shiites worldwide, including in Pakistan. His death in a joint U.S.-Israeli operation at the start of this war sparked outrage among many Shiites.<\/p>\n

Sri Lanka takes custody of Iranian ship, transfers 204 sailors<\/p>\n

The vessel sought assistance as tensions mounted in the Indian Ocean following the sinking<\/a> of an Iranian warship by a U.S. submarine.<\/p>\n

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said they decided to take control of the IRIS Bushehr after discussions with Iranian officials and the ship\u2019s captain, after one of its engines failed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo civilian should die in wars. Our approach is that every single life is as precious as our own.\u201d Dissanayake posted on X on Friday.<\/p>\n

Sri Lankan navy spokesperson Cmdr. Buddhika Sampath said 204 sailors were brought to its Welisara Naval Base, while about 15 others remain on board with Sri Lankan naval personnel.<\/p>\n

The broadening Middle East conflict is putting strategically located Sri Lanka in a delicate position as it tries to balance humanitarian obligations, international maritime law and its longstanding policy of non-alignment.<\/p>\n

Hard-line Israeli minister\u2019s son wounded fighting Hezbollah<\/p>\n

The son of Israel\u2019s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was lightly wounded near Israel\u2019s border with Lebanon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank God, his condition is mild and he is OK,\u201d said the minister\u2019s spokesperson, Efraim David.<\/p>\n

Bezalel Smotrich had warned that Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs would soon look like Gaza, as Israel responded to Hezbollah rocket fire.<\/p>\n

The Israeli strikes have been the heaviest since a 2024 ceasefire with the Iran-backed militant group.<\/p>\n

Canada trying \u2018all options\u2019 to help its citizens leave<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s foreign minister, Anita Anand, says they include a chartered flight and blocks of seats on Air Arabia and Emirates flights from Dubai, flights from Beirut to Istanbul and hundreds of other seats arranged by diplomatic staff. \u201cI want to reiterate that any ground transportation carries risk,\u201d Anand said.<\/p>\n

Anand also said that United States and Israel do not have a \u201cblank check\u201d in their bombing campaign in Iran, and remain bound by international law. Prime Minister Mark Carney initially expressed support for Washington\u2019s decision to launch the war, but later said the airstrikes likely violate international law and said his support comes with \u201cregret.\u201d<\/p>\n

Exclusive: US-Israel struck Iran more often than in any other recent bombing campaign, monitor reports<\/p>\n

U.S and Israel jointly claimed to have hit around 4,000 targets in the first four days in Iran, according to UK-based Airwars.<\/p>\n

That is more targets than in the first six months of the U. S-led coalition\u2019s bombing campaign against the Islamic State group, and nearly double the average number of targets per day claimed by Israel in the first four days of its Gaza war, considered one of the most intense bombing campaigns in the 21st century.<\/p>\n

Only the opening salvo of Israel\u2019s war against Lebanon in 2024 may compare. Israel claimed it hit 1,600 targets in the first 24 hours, but the daily rate subsequently dropped, said Airwars, which with a sister organization monitors civilian casualties and the use of munitions.<\/p>\n

The increase in targets hit per day has been facilitated by the extensive use of artificial intelligence in targeting by Israel\u2019s military. AI is likely feeding the U.S. target banks as well, Airwars said.<\/p>\n

UK says Iran\u2019s military command is intact but weakened<\/p>\n

Britain says Iran\u2019s military command and control remains intact, though weakened, after almost a week of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.<\/p>\n

The Foreign Office says Iran\u2019s governing system likely is resilient enough to continue operating in at least the short term.<\/p>\n

In an assessment on Friday, the Foreign Office said Iranian missile and drone attacks are coming at a lower tempo than in the first days of the war, largely due to U.S.-Israeli success at taking out Iran\u2019s missile launchers and air defenses. But Iran\u2019s range of targets is diversifying, with an increasing focus on economic and energy-industry targets.<\/p>\n

Oil field in Iraq halts production after attack<\/p>\n

The Ministry of Natural Resources in northern Iraq\u2019s semiautonomous Kurdish region announced on Friday that production at an oil field in Dohuk province has stopped following a \u201cterrorist\u201d attack from inside Iraq.<\/p>\n

The ministry said in a statement that the HKN oil field in the Sarsang area of Dohuk province was targeted the night before, causing material damage to the field and forcing a halt to production.<\/p>\n

Iran and allied groups in Iraq have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks on the Kurdish region, which hosts U.S. bases as well as bases of Kurdish Iranian dissident groups that have threatened to launch attacks in Iran.<\/p>\n

Along the Turkish border, some Iranians flee while others return<\/p>\n

Merve Pourkaz, 32, a hairdresser from Iran\u2019s Golestan province, crossed into Turkey Friday to wait out the war. She left after airstrikes hit her area and planned to stay in a hotel in the Turkish border city of Van as long as she could.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they let me, I will stay in Van until the war ends,\u201d she said. \u201cIf the war doesn\u2019t end, maybe I\u2019ll go back and die.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Leila Rabetnezhadfard, 45, was returning to Iran to be with her family. She had been in Istanbul with her fiance, a German university professor, when the war broke out. She postponed their marriage to return.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can I feel safe in Istanbul when my family is living in Iran during the war?\u201d she said. And bringing them to Istanbul was not an option \u2014 her brother needs medical care that would be too expensive in Turkey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not leave Iran until the war ends,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Oil prices surge as war spreads<\/p>\n

The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose above $90 for the first time in more than two years Friday as the war in Iran spreads.<\/p>\n

Pain at the pump has followed closely behind, rising 34 cents in just one week to a national average of $3.32 per gallon, according to motor club AAA.<\/p>\n

Energy prices took off almost immediately after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Trump on Friday appeared to rule out negotiations to bring the war to a close, calling for \u201cunconditional surrender\u201d by Iran.<\/p>\n

A barrel of crude in the U.S. last crossed the $90 mark in October 2023.<\/p>\n

Israel says it attacked clandestine Hamas fundraising office in Lebanon<\/p>\n

The Israeli military says that in coordination with the Israel Security Agency, Shin Bet, it struck a fundraising office used by the Palestinian group Hamas in south Lebanon.<\/p>\n

The army said Hamas\u2019 fundraising officer, Issam Hashan, and others operated through the clandestine office to collect hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide for the Palestinian group.<\/p>\n

Earlier Friday, an Israeli drone strike hit an office inside a building in the southern Lebanese port city of Sidon, killing five people and wounding seven.<\/p>\n

Flights to carry stranded travelers out of Israel starting Sunday<\/p>\n

El Al, Israel\u2019s flag carrier, said it expects to start flying stranded travelers out of Israel at 8 a.m. local time on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Under the government-backed plan, the recovery flights will initially carry no more than 70 passengers each. The airline said it is contacting passengers who are not residents of Israel to return them home at no additional cost, and that flights will depart to 22 destinations.<\/p>\n

Passengers are being assigned seats based on their original flight dates, though the airline said it is also reviewing \u201cexceptional medical humanitarian cases,\u201d including those needing urgent medical treatment or surgery, as well as pregnant travelers.<\/p>\n

UN says tanker on its way to collect fuel for Gaza damaged in direct hit<\/p>\n

The tanker was empty and in Gazan waters when it came under fire from the sea on Thursday, U.N. Undersecretary-General Jorge Moreira da Silva said.<\/p>\n

No one was injured, he said, but gave no further details as he called for a full investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cFuel must be allowed into Gaza consistently, its delivery facilitated safely and without interruption,\u201d said da Silva. He leads the U.N. agency known as UNOPS, which helps the U.N, governments and others with projects, procurement and deliveries.<\/p>\n

His statement Friday said fuel is critical to the operations of humanitarian and essential services including hospitals, water and sewage systems, and bakeries.<\/p>\n

US says almost 24,000 Americans have now returned home<\/p>\n

The State Department said Friday that nearly 24,000 Americans have returned to the United States from the Middle East since the start of U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran that have sparked fierce Iranian retaliation in the region.<\/p>\n

The vast majority of the 24,000 were able to make their way home on their own through commercial means, although the department has arranged and is continuing to organize charter flights for Americans who have sought assistance in leaving.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeveral flights have safely returned hundreds of Americans to the United States with additional flights scheduled to take place over the coming days, as security conditions allow,\u201d the department said in a statement. It reiterated a request for U.S. citizens in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to fill out a Crisis Intake Form<\/a> to receive information about options.<\/p>\n

More powerful explosions in Tehran<\/p>\n

There have been several very large explosions in Tehran Friday afternoon, with columns of smoke rising, multiple eyewitnesses tell The Associated Press.<\/p>\n

Numerous explosions also were heard in northern Iran, around the city of Rasht in Gilan province.<\/p>\n

It remains unclear what the strikes\u2019 targets were.<\/p>\n

Trump to meet with defense contractors as White House says US has \u2018more than enough\u2019 supply<\/p>\n

The president is hosting defense industry executives Friday to push them to expedite supplies of more American-made weapons. Invited companies include Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX Corporation, Boeing, Honeywell and L3Harris Technologies.<\/p>\n

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday that the U.S. military has \u201cmore than enough munitions, ammo, and weapons stockpiles\u201d to continue its operations in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

\u201cNevertheless, President Trump has always been intensely focused on strengthening our military, which is why this meeting with defense contractors was scheduled weeks ago,\u201d Leavitt continued.<\/p>\n

Israeli strike hits near Iranian embassy in Beirut<\/p>\n

Lebanon\u2019s state-run National News Agency reported the air strike. It was not immediately clear how close it was to the Iranian compound.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s military spokesperson earlier this week threatened that if Israel targets Iran\u2019s embassy in Lebanon, Iran will consider all of Israel\u2019s embassies in neighboring countries to be legitimate targets.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s military did not immediately respond to questions about the strike.<\/p>\n

Death toll in Lebanon crosses 200<\/p>\n

The number of people killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since Monday has risen to 217, with another 798 wounded, Lebanon\u2019s health ministry said.<\/p>\n

It was not clear how many were civilians. Tens of thousands more have been displaced.<\/p>\n

After the attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran triggered a new war in the Middle East, Hezbollah launched missiles and drones into Israel Monday for the first time in over a year. Israel has retaliated by bombarding southern Lebanon and Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs.<\/p>\n

Israel hits Iranian leaders\u2019 bunker<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s military said Friday that it had deployed more than 50 fighter jets while pummelling an underground bunker Iranian leaders had planned to use in emergencies with more than 100 munitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a large-scale underground bunker located under several residential neighborhoods in Tehran, dozens of meters deep. The secret bunker from which Khamenei was supposed to conduct the fighting against Israel. He was eliminated before he could use it,\u201d Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said on Friday.<\/p>\n

He said Iran\u2019s elected officials continued to use the bunker because they thought it was impenetrable. \u201cThey were wrong,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said the Israeli military is assessing the results of the attack, which witnesses in Iran said happened around 5:40 a.m. Iran has spent decades constructing underground bunkers for a range of purposes and contingencies, many of which have been targeted this week.<\/p>\n

Argentine tourists are \u2018desperate to leave\u2019 Israel, ambassador says<\/p>\n

Rabbi Axel Wahnish told Radio Rivadavia in Buenos Aires on Friday that 260 Argentine tourists are stranded, and their relatives and contacts are begging for help leaving Israel.<\/p>\n

He noted that both official instructions and unofficial recommendations say \u201cthe safest thing\u201d to do is to wait and stay close to a shelter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe skies are completely closed for departure,\u201d Wahnish said. \u201cThe only way out is via Egypt in the south, at the Taba crossing, but you have a four-hour land trip, which is risky.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said many Argentines are trying to flee to Egypt despite the danger, and the embassy is helping them \u201cto evacuate via that route.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tehran resident tells of living through airstrikes<\/p>\n

\u201cThe psychological pressure is real. The sound of explosions and the uncertainty about what might happen next make it hard to sleep,\u201d the 29-year-old told The Associated Press. He declined to be identified due to safety concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the same time, people are trying to keep hope alive and believe that this difficult time will eventually pass,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He and his family are among many residents choosing to remain in the city, although others had left for safer locations, he said in text messages.<\/p>\n

A lack of reliable information and air raid warnings are adding to people\u2019s anxiety. \u201cDuring the Iran\u2013Iraq war, people say there were sirens to warn civilians but today there is no such system,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

While there were no shortages, many businesses are closed and prices are rising daily.<\/p>\n

Displaced Beirut residents sleep on streets as Israeli strikes southern suburbs<\/p>\n

Beirut\u2019s roads were choked with traffic and its squares and parks dotted with tents as residents fled Israeli strikes Friday.<\/p>\n

As smoke from airstrikes rose over the city\u2019s southern districts, Israel\u2019s warnings to leave the area caused gridlock downtown. More than 95,000 people have been displaced.<\/p>\n

Those unable to find shelter in schools put up tents or slept in cars. Others laid blankets on pavement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can we do? We prayed here under the tree. During the night we slept in the car because there is no place to stay,\u201d said Jihan Shehadeh, who like many others is fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey threatened the southern suburbs, so we gathered our things, left and moved out of the whole area. Now we\u2019re living a tragic life here, displaced,\u201d added Jamal Saif Al-Din.<\/p>\n

Portugal says it has evacuated 186 people from the Mideast<\/p>\n

Portugal said Friday that two repatriation flights from the Mideast had reached its territory. A TAP charter plane arriving Friday morning from Oman carried 147 passengers, 139 of them Portuguese. The rest were foreign nationals, Portuguese Prime Minister Lu\u00eds Montenegro said at a summit.<\/p>\n

A separate military flight reached Portugal on Friday carrying 24 Portuguese nationals and 15 foreigners, the government said.<\/p>\n

Portugal has allowed the U.S. to use the Lajes air base on the Azores Islands for its air campaign against Iran. This contrasts starkly with that of neighboring Spain, which disallowed Washington to use bases within its territory, sparking a diplomatic tussle with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

Montenegro defended Portugal\u2019s stance on Friday, citing its long-standing relationship with the U.S. and Iran\u2019s violations of international law.<\/p>\n

Trump calls for Iran\u2019s \u2018unconditional surrender\u2019<\/p>\n

U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to rule out negotiations with Iran to end the conflict in the Middle East, saying in a social media post Friday that there will be no deal absent \u201cunconditional surrender\u201d from Tehran.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

He has said multiple times that whomever takes over leadership of Iran must be to the U.S.\u2019s liking.<\/p>\n

Trump signed off the social media post with \u201cMAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!),\u201d a riff on his longtime campaign slogan, \u201cMake America Great Again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iranian athlete can\u2019t safely travel to Italy<\/p>\n

The International Paralympic Committee says Iranian athlete Aboulfazl Khatibi won\u2019t compete at the Milan Cortina Paralympic Games<\/a> because he can\u2019t safely travel to Italy during the intensifying Middle East conflict.<\/p>\n

Khatibi is a cross-country skier and was the only athlete from Iran set to participate in the Games that are beginning less than a week since the United States and Israel launched a military attack against Iran.<\/p>\n

\u2018Kill them wherever you find them,\u2019 Hezbollah command tells fighters<\/p>\n

Hezbollah\u2019s military command is calling on the group\u2019s gunmen to fight to the death, saying that the war they are fighting is similar to that fought by one of Shiite Islam\u2019s most important religious figures 13 centuries ago.<\/p>\n

The group\u2019s command also said in a statement directed to fighters that they should \u201cdefend the nation\u201d to keep Hezbollah\u2019s yellow banner flying.<\/p>\n

\u201cKill them wherever you find them,\u201d the command said, describing the ongoing war as a religious battle similar to the one fought by Imam Hussein in Karbala.<\/p>\n

Imam Hussein was killed in a climactic battle in Karbala, which is now part of Iraq, in A.D. 680. \u201cKarbala is happening again,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

German leader wants a functioning Iranian state after the war<\/p>\n

Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he doesn\u2019t want to see a \u201cSyrian scenario\u201d in Iran, referring to Syria\u2019s long civil war.<\/p>\n

Merz says that \u201cwe want this state to be capable of functioning by itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

He says his appeal in his discussions with the U.S. and Israel is \u201cto create as quickly as possible the preconditions for this country to be stabilized, for it to get a democratically legitimized government and for it to continue to exist as a state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thousands march and hold prayers in Tehran<\/p>\n

Thousands of men and women gathered in Tehran\u2019s streets Friday in a show of defiance and to hold prayers in the open.<\/p>\n

Waving clenched fists and Iranian flags as they filed past a poster of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the marchers chanted \u201cWe\u2019ll fight, we\u2019ll die, we won\u2019t accept humiliation\u201d and \u201cNo compromise, no surrender, destruction of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hassan Fathollahi, 54, said he had brought his children to \u201cmake our enemies understand that we and our children will sacrifice our lives for the (Islamic) revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will not give up the blood of our leader. Every single son of Iran is ready to fight America and Israel until victory, God willing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

UAE says 3 drones hit its territory<\/p>\n

Three aerial drones hit the United Arab Emirates on Friday, the country\u2019s Defense Ministry said on X. It did not elaborate on where they fell or any damage caused.<\/p>\n

The UAE\u2019s air defenses destroyed nine ballistic missiles and intercepted a further 109 drones on Friday, the ministry added. Since the start of the war, 205 ballistic missiles and 1,184 drones have been detected in UAE territory, with most destroyed, officials said.<\/p>\n

IEA chief warns of likely bidding war for gas<\/p>\n

The International Energy Agency director says the conflict in Iran has halted exports of Iranian gas to largely Asian markets, a stoppage that if drawn out will likely lead to a bidding war between Europe and Asia and energy prices will soar.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the crisis continues this way, the Asian buyers and the European buyers will need to compete for the LNG which will get scarcer and scarcer,\u201d IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said Friday after meeting with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo this will be the challenge for European countries if the crisis continues in the next days or weeks to come,\u201d Birol added.<\/p>\n

Iran says \u2018mediation efforts\u2019 ongoing<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s president says that there are \u201cmediation efforts\u201d ongoing about the war in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Masoud Pezeshkian says \u201csome countries\u201d had started mediating, without naming them.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation\u2019s dignity & sovereignty,\u201d the president wrote on X. \u201cMediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iran and Israel trade waves of missile fire<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s military says it has begun new airstrikes targeting Iran\u2019s capital, Tehran. Israel\u2019s military also warned that Iranians should flee an industrial area of Qom, the Shiite seminary city south of Tehran.<\/p>\n

Iranian state television also announced a new missile attack, including the Islamic Republic firing off its larger Khorramshahr-4 missiles.<\/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

Red Cross says \u2018hundreds of thousands\u2019 displaced in Lebanon<\/p>\n

Hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon have been displaced so far in the dayslong conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, the International Committee of the Red Cross says.<\/p>\n

\u201cAcross Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of people have had to flee their homes,\u201d said Hachem Osseiran, ICRC spokesperson for the Middle East.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe intensification of hostilities, coupled with evacuation orders covering entire districts in Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, has sown panic and confusion. Many people have fled, some on foot, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and no clear sense of where to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

An Israeli strike in the southern coastal city of Sidon in Lebanon killed five people and wounded seven others, Lebanon\u2019s health ministry says.<\/p>\n

UK to aid in \u2018defending\u2019 Bahrain<\/p>\n

The British ambassador to Bahrain says the U.K. would be part of \u201cdefending\u201d Bahrain by having Royal Air Force fighter jets flying over the island kingdom as it faces attacks from Iran.<\/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

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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Greens say Australians on the US submarine have made their country part of \u2018illegal war\u2019<\/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 Green Party’s 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

Neil James, executive director of the Australian Defense Association policy think tank, said an Australian would not have fired the torpedo that sank the Iranian ship.<\/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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"1. Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7327,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[328,197,34,3991,196,463,69,782,200,771,1102,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-7326","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tehran","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-general-news","10":"tag-iran","11":"tag-iran-israel-us-latest-march-06-2026","12":"tag-iran-war","13":"tag-religion","14":"tag-tehran","15":"tag-u-s-news","16":"tag-war-and-unrest","17":"tag-washington-news","18":"tag-wire","19":"tag-world-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116184487221201592","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7326"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7326\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}