Israel has struck southern Lebanon, Beirut and an oil storage facility in Tehran as the war in the Middle East…
Israel has struck southern Lebanon, Beirut and an oil storage facility in Tehran as the war in the Middle East keeps escalating, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised “many surprises” for the next phase of the conflict.
Iran also hit a desalination plant in Bahrain. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a U.S. airstrike damaged an Iranian desalination plant on Qeshm Island, warning that in doing so “the U.S. set this precedent, not Iran.” Such infrastructure is critical for drinking water supplies in the parched deserts of the Gulf.
An Israeli attack on an oil storage facility in Tehran sent up pillars of fire that could be seen in Associated Press video as a glow against the Saturday night sky. It appeared to be the first time a civil industrial facility has been targeted in the war.
The conflict has rattled global markets, disrupted air travel and left Iran’s leadership weakened by hundreds of Israeli and American airstrikes.
Here is the latest:
Switzerland’s government says attack on Iran constitutes a violation of international law
Swiss Defense Minister Martin Pfister, one of Switzerland’s federal council members, said the government believes the attack on Iran constitutes a violation of international law.
The U.S. and Israel — as well as Iran for its counter attacks — broke international law’s prohibition on the use of force, Pfister said in comments to SonntagsZeitung that were published Sunday. Switzerland is famously neutral.
Switzerland is governed by a seven-member federal council, who each hold portfolios as government ministers and take turns each year holding the top job of president. Pfister is part of the council and can speak on its behalf.
White House tries to soothe efforts about rising oil prices
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said there’s currently a “ fear premium in the marketplace” but sought to assure Americans that surging fuel prices are a short-term problem.
“We never know exactly the timeframe of this,” Wright said in an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union. “But in the worst case, this is a weeks, this is not a months thing.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a Sunday appearance on Fox News call the rising “a short-term disruption” that will benefit consumers in the long term.
“But ultimately taking out the rogue Iranian regime is going to be a good thing for the oil industry,” Leavitt added. “And those prices are going to come back down just like they have over the course of the past year, because of President Trump’s American energy dominance agenda.”
Iranian foreign minister says no plans to increase range of its ballistic missiles
Araghchi says Tehran has intentionally limited itself to a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) for its ballistic missiles “because we don’t want to be felt as a threat by anybody else in the world.”
Araghchi tells NBC’s “Meet the Press” says Iran hasn’t begun any plan to increase that range and that there’s no evidence or intelligence indicating that his country “is going to long-range missiles, let alone those missiles who can reach the United States soil.”
The current range puts all of the Mideast and some of Eastern Europe in range.
Sen. Warner condemns Trump’s ‘war of choice’
Sen. Mark Warner questioned what he says are the administration’s shifting justifications for the attacking Iran.
“We have had four different answers as to the reasons for the war,” the Virginia Democrat told “Fox New Sunday.”
The vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Warner added, “This is a war of choice … There was no imminent threat. There was not even an imminent threat to Israel.”
Warner questioned repeated Trump administration claims that the war would be brief and involve no U.S. ground forces. He asked what would happen mass protests took place in Iran, as Trump has called for, and the Revolutionary Guard slaughtered thousands of protestors.
“That would put an obligation on us that I don’t think Americans want,” he said.
He criticized Trump’s diplomatic approach, saying the president had ignored the warnings of both European and Arab allies to join with Israel and launch a unilateral war.
“We are always better with allies,” Warner said. “Unfortunately, this president has insulted virtually all of our allies.”
Zelenskyy says Ukrainian anti-drone experts will arrive ‘on site’ next week
Ukraine will send experts to advise the United States and other Middle Eastern countries on repelling Iranian drone attacks next week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv alongside Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian experts would be “on site” to assess the situation, but did not specify where they would be located or the exact date of their arrival.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would help Washington and other countries with all “necessary means — first and foremost expertise and the experience of our military in defending against Shahed drones, cruise missiles, and so on.”
The Ukrainian leader said that he wished for the move to be “an opportunity for both sides.”
“You know what capabilities we have, and we understand what capabilities the Gulf countries lack,” he said.
Israeli military says it has targeted several thousand sites in Iran
The Israeli military said on Sunday it had struck more than 3,400 targets in Iran and more then 600 in Lebanon since the Middle East war began last week.
Military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani added that Israel believes it has destroyed 60% of the missile launchers across Iran, which he said is causing a bottleneck of launches and dramatically reducing firepower.
Strikes also destroyed Iran’s two major missile production sites that created the missiles with range to reach Israel, he said.
US military accuses Tehran of endangering the lives of Iranians
U.S. Central Command says the Iranian government “blatantly disregards the safety of innocent people” in its own country.
Central Command says Iran is using areas with high civilian populations for military operations, including launches of drones and ballistic missiles.
“This dangerous decision risks the lives of all civilians in Iran since locations used for military purposes lose protected status and could become legitimate military targets under international law,” according to the statement.
Central Command says the U.S. military “takes every feasible precaution to minimize harm to civilians but cannot guarantee civilian safety in or near facilities used by the Iranian regime for military purposes.”
Iran attacks on Arab countries condemned as ‘grave threat to international peace and security’
Arab foreign ministers on Sunday have strongly condemned Iran attacks on its Arab neighbors as a “grave threat to international peace and security.”
In a final communique following their virtual meeting, the ministers expressed support to Gulf states along with Jordan and Iraq in the “measure they take to deter and respond to these aggressions.”
Iran has said it targets U.S. assets in Arab countries in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes which triggered the war on Feb. 28. However, Iranian attacks hit civilian facilities and disrupted life across the Gulf states.
The ministers called for Iran to immediately stop its attacks and cease “provocative acts or threats to neighboring countries.” They urged the U.N. Security Council to condemn Iran and force it to “immediately and unconditionally halt its attacks” on Arab countries.
The ministers also voiced support to Lebanese government in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah, and urged the international community to pressure Israel to immediately cease its attacks on Lebanon.
The communique didn’t mention U.S. and Israeli strikes, which triggered the war.
Iran’s ‘brave soldiers’ are ready if outside forces enter the country, foreign minister says
Araghchi says Iranian forces are ready if ground troops were to enter his country.
“For the time being, we are capable enough,” Araghchi told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He said Iran has “very brave soldiers who are waiting for any enemy” and would “destroy” those who come on to Iranian soil.
“We have a great civilization. We have defended our land for thousands of years and we continue to,” he said.
Iranian official challenges Trump over school explosion claim
Araghchi is taking issue with President Donald Trump’s comment accusing Iran of a school explosion on Feb. 28 that killed more than 165 people — most of them children — when evidence suggests it was likely a U.S. airstrike.
Iran’s foreign minister told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “’it is funny. It is our school, these are our students and our girls and they are attacked by an American fighter, a jet fighter and they have been killed. Why (is) Iran responsible?”
Asked for evidence that it was an American warplane, Araghchi said “if it was not U.S., then who was that? Maybe Israelis. But who else is attacking us?”
Satellite images, expert analysis, a U.S. official and public information released by the U.S. and Israeli militaries have suggested that the explosion was likely caused by U.S. airstrikes that also hit an adjacent compound associated with the government’s Revolutionary Guard.
Araghchi says ‘military cooperation between Iran and Russia is not something new’
U.S. intelligence officials believe Russia has provided Iran with information to target U.S. troops and assets in the Middle East.
Iran’s foreign minister isn’t going into detail about how Moscow may be helping Tehran, but says that “military cooperation between Iran and Russia is not something new.”
Araghchi told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “it’s been there and will continue in the future.”
Asked whether Russia was helping Iran locate American forces, he said he did not have “exact military information. As far as I know we have a very good partnership with Russia.”
In response to a question about Russia providing intelligence, he said “they are helping us in many different directions. I don’t have any detailed information.”
Iran foreign minister says his country is attacking American bases, not countries in the region
Araghchi says his country isn’t attacking other countries in the region, but rather American bases, installations and assets “which are unfortunately located in the soils of our neighbors.”
“We are retaliating,” Araghchi told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Asked about the apology Saturday by Iran’s president for attacks on “neighboring countries,” Araghchi says an apology “in our culture is a sign of dignity and strength.”
He says the apology from President Masoud Pezeshkian was for “the inconveniences they have faced because of this aggression by the United States and retaliation by us.”
Araghchi says it’s the president of the United States “who should apologize to the people of region and Iranian people for the killings and destruction.”
Iran foreign minister says his country is looking for a permanent end to the war, not a ceasefire
But before Tehran might even consider a ceasefire, Abbas Araghch said “they have to explain why they started this aggression.” Araghch did not specify about whom he was speaking.
Araghchi also told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “there should be a permanent end of the war and unless we get to that, I think we need to continue fighting for the sake of our people and our security.”
He says the war “was imposed on us” by the United States and Israel, and that “what we are doing is legal acts of self-defense and we have every right to do that.”
State Dept says more than 32,000 Americans have left the Mideast since start of Iran war; most on commercial flights
The State Department says more than 32,000 Americans have left the Middle East since the start of the Iran war last week.
Although most of them departed on commercial flights without government assistance, the department said Sunday that it had organized nearly two dozen charter flights that had carried several thousand U.S. citizens from the Mideast to destinations in Europe and the United States.
The department said in a statement that more than half of Americans who requested assistance in leaving have declined offers of seats on government-paid charter flights, some of whom have decided to remain in the Middle East and some who prefer to make their own travel plans.
It did not give a number of those who have turned down charter flights but said more than 19,000 Americans had sought information from the State Department about security or transportation options.
Israeli military says 2 soldiers have been killed in Lebanon, first military fatalities since Iran war began
The Israeli military announced that two soldiers were killed in fighting in southern Lebanon on Sunday.
They are the first military fatalities since the start of the war with Iran last week.
One of the soldiers was identified as 38-year-old Maher Khatar, from the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. The military has not published the name of the second soldier as his family is still being notified.
Israeli military says 2 soldiers have been killed in Lebanon, first military fatalities since Iran war began
Strikes on Iran oil facilities push the war into ‘dangerous phase,’ official says
An Iranian official deplored the U.S.-Israeli strikes on oil facilities in Iran, saying they pushed the war into a “dangerous phase.”
“These attacks on fuel storage facilities amount to nothing less than intentional chemical warfare against the Iranian citizens,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a social media post.
He said such attacks will have “devastating the environment, and endangering lives on a massive scale” because of hazardous materials and toxic substances they release into the air.
“The consequences of this environmental and humanitarian catastrophe will not be confined within Iran’s borders,” he said.
Lebanese foreign minister condemns drone attack on Cyprus
Lebanon’s top diplomat has condemned a drone attack apparently launched from Lebanese territory that hit a British airbase on the southern coast of Cyprus.
Youssef Rajji’s remarks Sunday come after his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos said an exploding drone that hit the British Royal Air Force’s Akrotiri on Monday originated from Lebanese territory, where the Hezbollah militant group is at war with Israel. Hezbollah’s arsenal notably includes exploding drones, similar to the ones used by Iran.
“I called on our Cypriot friends not to confuse the Lebanese state with those acting outside its authority and legal framework,” Rajji, a staunch opponent of Hezbollah said, referring to a Lebanese government decision that ordered security agencies to crack down on non-state groups carrying out attacks.
As Beirut scrambles to make amends, French President Emmanuel Macron will visit the European Union island nation Monday. The attack puts Lebanon in a predicament, as Macron is leading the only diplomatic endeavor to try to halt the conflict, which has killed almost 400 people in Lebanon and displaced hundreds of thousands.
3 injured in central Israel from Iranian missile strike
Israel’s rescue services said three Israelis were injured in a missile barrage from Iran on Sunday afternoon.
Rescue services said they responded to impact sites in central Israel and treated a 40-year-old man in serious condition, a 25-year-old man in moderate condition, and a 56-year-old man who was slightly injured.
The impact made a meters-deep hole in the ground and thrust a car over a small wall.
Egypt’s leader concerns about ‘grave repercussions’ of the war in Middle East
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt on Sunday expressed concerns about the war in the Middle East and its “grave repercussions, including rising energy prices and disruptions to supply chains and air and maritime traffic.”
He warned of the dangers of the conflict expansion which he said could plunge the entire region into chaos, the Egyptian president said.
He called for intensified international efforts to stop the war which was triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28.
El-Sissi’s comments came in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Israel says Iran has fired new missile barrage
The Israeli military says Iran has launched a new barrage of missiles toward Israel.
It says air defenses have been activated to intercept the incoming fire.
Palestinians in West Bank lack sirens and bomb shelters Israelis rely on to stay safe from missiles fired from Iran and Lebanon
But as missiles arc overhead, residents have remained unfazed, instead focused on the realities of Israel’s occupation, some of which are compounded during wartime.
In Ramallah’s few cafes open during the daylight hours of Ramadan, warnings ping from the one table where patrons prop their phones to catch rare pockets of Israeli cell service from nearby settlements. But before the distant boom of interceptions, nobody rushes for shelter, except on television, where Al Jazeera shows people in Israel roughly 10 miles away.
Palestinian families have gone outside at night to film missiles streaking through the sky and have reported falling debris but no injuries. Meanwhile, the more than 1,000 checkpoints and gates across the occupied West Bank have been mostly closed, drawing complaints, including from first responders who say the restrictions are slowing access to emergencies and settler
Firefighters control fires at Kuwait airport and government agency, hours after attacks
Firefighters have controlled fires at the Kuwait International Airport and a government agency in Kuwait City, hours after both facilities were hit in missile and drone attacks early Sunday.
The General Fire Force said in a statement that it managed to control fires at fuel tanks in the airport as well as the headquarters of the state-run Public Institution for Social Insurance.
Spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammed Badr said the fire damaged both the tanks and the insurance agency building. No causalities were reported, he said.
Lebanon says 83 children among almost 400 killed in a week of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel
Lebanon’s health minister said Sunday that 83 children are among the 394 killed so far in the conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group over the past week.
Israel’s renewed offensive began last week after Hezbollah launched rockets toward northern Israel during the opening days of the war.
Arab League chief calls out Iran’s ‘reckless’ attacks on its Arab neighbors
Arab League chief on Sunday lashed out at Iran for attacking Arab countries during its war against the U.S. and Israel.
Secretary-General Ahmed Abouel Gheit told a virtual meeting of Arab foreign ministers that Iran’s strikes against its Arab neighbors “can’t be justified,” and reflects a “reckless policy.”
He said Arab countries haven’t part of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, and declared that their territories wouldn’t be used as launching pads for U.S. attacks.
“This unjustified Iranian aggression reflects a confused understanding and further isolates Iran during this difficult and delicate period,” he said.
UK will not outsource foreign policy, foreign secretary says
Britain’s top diplomat said the U.K. government will not outsource its foreign policy following further criticism over the country’s position on the Iran war from President Donald Trump.
Yvette Cooper told BBC News that it was important to “learn the lessons” from the Iraq war in 2003 and its aftermath, when British forces fought alongside their U.S. counterparts.
She said “it is our job as the U.K. government to decide what’s in the U.K. national interest, and that doesn’t mean simply agreeing with other countries or outsourcing our foreign policy to other countries.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer opted against granting the U.S. military permission to use British bases for the first wave of military action, but then said the U.K. would engage in defensive operations after Iran attacked countries throughout the Middle East.
On hearing that the U.K. was reducing the time it would take one of its two aircraft carriers, the HMS Prince of Wales, to set sail for any deployment, Trump said “we don’t need them any longer.”
Iran soccer team exits Women’s Asian Cup and faces the prospect of a return home
Iran’s soccer team lost its last group match at the Women’s Asian Cup on Sunday and had to contemplate returning home to a country embroiled in war.
The Iranian women’s squad arrived in Australia for the continental championship last month, before the war that began with the U.S. and Israel Feb. 28 strikes on Iran. Teams ousted during the group stage usually depart within days.
Their silence during the anthem before an opening loss to South Korea last Monday was viewed by some as an act of resistance and others as a show of mourning. The team hasn’t clarified. But the players sang the anthem and saluted during the national anthem ahead of their 4-0 loss to Australia last Thursday and a 2-0 loss to Philippines on Sunday.
Amid concerns for player welfare following reported criticism in the Iranian media, the Australian Iranian Council wrote to Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke urging the government to protect the squad members while they’re in Australia.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard vows to step up missile and drone attacks
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Sunday vowed to step up attacks against Israel and the U.S. assets in the Middle East as Israel continue to bound Iran with devastating strikes, the Iranian state-run news agency reported.
The guard said “the scale and depth” of its missile and drone attacks will increase following what it called “the brutality” of U.S. and Israeli strikes, according to IRNA news agency.
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