Key points from Pentagon briefing
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that a US submarine sunk an Iranian warship in the Indian ocean as he declared that the Iranian navy “rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf” and that it was “ineffective, decimated, destroyed”.
He declared that “America is winning” and suggested that in under a week the US and Israel “will have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace”.
The leader of the Iranian covert unit that planned to assassinate Trump in 2024 had been killed in the strikes, Hegseth said.
Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, who also spoke at the briefing, said more than 20 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed, and that the US has “effectively neutralised Iran’s major naval presence”.
Hegseth said the US is able to continue the military action against Iran “for as long as we need to”, saying Iran “can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did”.
The Pentagon continued to deny responsibility for a strike on a girls’ school in Iran on Saturday that killed a reported 168 people. “All I can say is that we’re investigating, and that we, of course, never target civilian targets,” Hegseth said.
Key events
28m ago
Israeli air force says it has dropped 5,000 bombs on Iran in current military campaign
40m ago
At least 80 people killed after US submarine torpedoes Iran warship, officials say
1h ago
Key points from Pentagon briefing
1h ago
China and Russia are ‘non-factors’ in Iran war, says Hegseth
2h ago
Hegseth: Iran cannot outlast us
2h ago
Hegseth says Iran can no longer shoot volume of missiles as before
2h ago
US is investigating deadly strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh school girls school in southern Iran, Hegseth says
2h ago
US has ‘effectively neutralised’ Iran’s naval presence, Caine says
2h ago
Hegseth: We have only just begun to fight
2h ago
Person charged with attempted assassination of Trump killed, Hegseth said
2h ago
Hegseth confirms sinking of Iranian warship
2h ago
Rules of engagement designed to “unleash American power”, Hegseth says.
2h ago
Hegseth: US and Israel will have ‘complete’ control of Iranian skies in ‘under a week’
2h ago
Summary of developments so far
3h ago
‘America is winning’ in Iran conflict, Hegseth says
3h ago
IDF launch fresh attacks in southern Lebanon as people urged to flee north
3h ago
Nato condemns Iran’s targeting of Turkey
3h ago
Iran death toll reaches 1,045, officials say
4h ago
Nearly 150 missing after Iranian warship sinks near Sri Lanka – report
4h ago
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei? The son of late supreme leader Khamenei seen as potential successor
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Iran state funeral for Khamenei postponed – report
4h ago
UN ‘deeply disturbed’ by reports of Iran school strike that killed 160 children
5h ago
Donald Trump ‘really does not care’ if Iran play at World Cup 2026
5h ago
Tell us: how have you been affected by the latest events in the Middle East?
5h ago
EU sees no immediate effect of Iran conflict on gas supply security – report
6h ago
Hezbollah says it targeted Israel’s major aerospace and aviation company
6h ago
Iran close to choosing new supreme leader – report
6h ago
Senior Khamenei aide says Iran won’t negotiate with US
7h ago
Trump ‘betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him’, says Iran foreign minister
7h ago
IDF says Israeli F-35 fighter jet shot down manned Iranian warplane in Tehran
7h ago
Spain’s position is ‘no to war’, says Sanchez
7h ago
Israel-US strikes on Iran appear ‘inconsistent with international law’, says Canadian PM
7h ago
Summary of developments so far
8h ago
Loud explosion in Tehran – report
8h ago
Dozens rescued from sinking Iranian warship near Sri Lanka
8h ago
Israel threatens to assassinate Ali Khamenei’s replacement
9h ago
Iran Guards say launched more than 40 missiles at US, Israeli targets
9h ago
Iranians to bid farewell to late Supreme Leader Khamenei in Tehran
10h ago
UK government charter flight for British nationals in Oman
10h ago
Conflicting claims over the strait of Hormuz
11h ago
Global markets roiled by conflict
13h ago
Six killed in Israeli strikes south of Beirut
13h ago
Opening summary
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Israeli air force says it has dropped 5,000 bombs on Iran in current military campaign
The Israeli air force claimed to have dropped 5,000 bombs on Iran in its current military operation, which began on Saturday.
In a statement posted on X, it said: “Israeli air force fighter jets continue to deepen their air superiority throughout Iran, with an emphasis on the Tehran area.”
Accompanying the message was a video, which the Israeli military said was footage of a missile strike on an Iranian air defence system in Tehran.
ShareAt least 80 people killed after US submarine torpedoes Iran warship, officials say
The Sri Lankan deputy foreign minister, Arun Hemachandra, said at least 80 people were killed after a US submarine attacked an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka.
Foreign minister Vijitha Herath said 180 people were on board the Iris Dena, one of Iran’s newest warships, when it issued a distress call at dawn about 25 miles south of the southern port of Galle. Sri Lankan authorities have launched a search and rescue mission to find other survivors.
The Iranian ship had taken part in a naval exercise held in the Bay of Bengal from 18 February to 25 February and was heading back to Iran from an east Indian port when it came under attack, the AP news agency reported. The ‘Milan’ naval exercise hosted by India listed an Iranian ship named ‘Irins Dena’ has having taken part in the drill, according to its website.
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Sally Weale
We have heard from Eva Kipnis, a UK professor of marketing who is stranded in Dubai by ongoing military action.
Kipnis flew out to the University of Bradford’s Dubai hub last Wednesday to teach professionals from across the region who are studying for an executive MBA.
Within 48 hours of her arrival, she found herself stranded in a high‑rise hotel, living through missile alerts, cancelled flights, and long nights sheltering in the hotel’s underground car park.
“It’s not the most impacted part of the city,” said Kipnis, who is director of the university’s doctoral college. “But when they issue a Dubai‑wide alert, you move. You listen.”
Eva Kipnis, a UK professor of marketing, is stranded in Dubai. Photograph: Eva Kipnis
When the first alarms went off, her phone lit up with a government warning and she made the now‑familiar descent 20 floors down concrete stairwells to the underground car park.
“I’ve got a little ‘go‑bag’ now,” she said. “A mat for the stairs, some nuts and chocolate, water. You just prepare.”
She was meant to fly home on Monday but her flight was cancelled. “Of course there is anxiety,” she said. “I worry about my family. My parents, my husband, my children. And know they’re incredibly worried about me.”
Her family has experience of being in a war zone. “My brother and his family were in Kyiv when Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” she explained. “I helped bring them to the UK on the Ukraine family visa. It feels like we’ve swapped places.”
In Dubai, while some hotel guests chose to sunbathe by the pool, Kipnis has continued teaching, moving her lectures online. “I’m amazed by the resilience of our students,” she said.
“Those who could join came online and stayed all day. It felt surreal to talk about brands and marketing… but at the same time it was topical. We spoke about the British brand of keep calm and carry on. It helped create a sense of normality.”
A spokesperson from the Bradford university said it was extending support to all affected students, including doctoral research students.
Updated at 09.54 EST
Key points from Pentagon briefing
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that a US submarine sunk an Iranian warship in the Indian ocean as he declared that the Iranian navy “rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf” and that it was “ineffective, decimated, destroyed”.
He declared that “America is winning” and suggested that in under a week the US and Israel “will have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace”.
The leader of the Iranian covert unit that planned to assassinate Trump in 2024 had been killed in the strikes, Hegseth said.
Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, who also spoke at the briefing, said more than 20 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed, and that the US has “effectively neutralised Iran’s major naval presence”.
Hegseth said the US is able to continue the military action against Iran “for as long as we need to”, saying Iran “can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did”.
The Pentagon continued to deny responsibility for a strike on a girls’ school in Iran on Saturday that killed a reported 168 people. “All I can say is that we’re investigating, and that we, of course, never target civilian targets,” Hegseth said.
Two Israeli soldiers were injured when they came under anti-tank fire in southern Lebanon, the IDF said.
They are believed to be the first Israeli personnel to be injured since fighting escalated between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah militants on Monday.
“Earlier today, two IDF soldiers were moderately injured as a result of an anti-tank fire toward IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
ShareChina and Russia are ‘non-factors’ in Iran war, says Hegseth
“I don’t have a message for them, and they’re not really a factor here, and our issue is not with them,” Hegseth said of Russia and China, both of whom have longstanding diplomatic and trade ties with Iran, while Moscow has military links to Tehran.
The US defence secretary said the US focus on ending what he called “the nuclear ambitions of Iran”.
Both Russia and China have criticised the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, with Moscow saying it had seen no evidence that Tehran was developing nuclear weapons while Beijing called for an immediate halt to the attacks.
ShareHegseth: Iran cannot outlast us
Hegseth finished the briefing by declaring that “we set the tone and the tempo of this fight” but would not say how much longer the conflict would continue.
“The only limits we have on this is President Trump’s desire to achieve specific effects on behalf of the American people,” he said. “We could say four weeks, but it could be six, it could be eight, it could be three. Ultimately, we set the pace and the tempo.”
He added: “When we say the throttle is going up, the throttle is going up and it’s going to stay on high.”
ShareHegseth says Iran can no longer shoot volume of missiles as before
Shrai Popat
Hegseth noted that the US is able to continue the military action against Iran for as long as it needs.
“The enemy can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did – not even close,” he said. “We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to.”
ShareUS is investigating deadly strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh school girls school in southern Iran, Hegseth says
When asked, defence secretary Pete Hegseth said that the US was investigating the deadly strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls school in Minab, but provided no further details.
“All I can say is we’re investigating that,” Hegseth said. “We, of course, never target civilian targets, but we’re taking a look and investigating that.”
According to Iranian state media, up to 168 people were killed by the strike and 95 injured – figures that the Guardian has not been able to verify.
Read more about the strike here:
ShareUS has ‘effectively neutralised’ Iran’s naval presence, Caine says
Dan Caine, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, has taken to the podium to provide more details about the conflict with Iran.
He supported the statements made earlier by defence secretary Pete Hegseth about the Iranian navy. “To date, we’ve hit over 2,000 targets. We destroyed more than 20 Iranian naval vessels in addition to the frigate outside of the area,” Caine said adding that the US has “effectively neutralised Iran’s major naval presence and theatre out there”.
“For the first time since 1945, a United States Navy fast-attack submarine has sunk an enemy combatant ship…This is an incredible demonstration of America’s global reach. To hunt, find and kill an out of area deployer is something only the United States can use with this kind of skill,” Caine said.
Read more about the Iranian warship:
Updated at 09.23 EST
Hegseth: We have only just begun to fight
Hegseth finished his remarks by praising Israel as a “steadfast partner” and “capable ally”.
“To our steadfast partner, Israel: your mission is being executed with unmatched skill and iron determination. Fighting shoulder to shoulder with such a capable ally is a true force multiplier and a breath of fresh air. We salute your courage and your contribution,” Hegseth said.
“We have only just begun to fight. America fights to win and in Operation Epic Fury, we are.”
SharePerson charged with attempted assassination of Trump killed, Hegseth said
Joseph Gedeon
Killed in the strikes on Iran is the person who led a plot to assassinate Donald Trump, Pentagon secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed on Wednesday morning.
“The leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed,” Hegseth said at a Pentagon briefing.
The plot dates back to 2024, when federal prosecutors under the Biden administration charged 51-year-old Iranian national Farhad Shakeri and two New York men with running a murder-for-hire operation on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. The aim, the department of justice said at the time, was revenge for Trump’s killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in 2020.
Shakeri had been personally directed by an IRGC official to assassinate Trump during the presidential campaign, prosecutors said.
ShareHegseth confirms sinking of Iranian warship
Hegseth confirmed that a US submarine sunk an Iranian warship in the Indian ocean as he declared that the Iranian navy “rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf” and that it was “ineffective, decimated, destroyed…pick your adjective, it is no more.”
He said that on Tuesday, an American submarine in the Indian ocean “sunk an Iranian war ship that thought it was safe in international waters.”
“Instead it was sunk by a torpedo, a quiet death – the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. Like in that war, back when we were still the war department, we are fighting to win.”
ShareRules of engagement designed to “unleash American power”, Hegseth says.
“We’re playing for keeps,” Hegseth said. “Our war fighters have maximum authorities granted personally by the president and yours truly. Our rules of engagement are bold, precise and designed to unleash American power, not shackle it.
He continued: “This was never meant to be a fair fight and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be.”
ShareHegseth: US and Israel will have ‘complete’ control of Iranian skies in ‘under a week’
Hegseth continued his remarks by saying that in under a week, the “two most powerful air forces in the world” – the US and Israel – “will have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested air space.”
“We will fly all day, all night, day and night, finding, fixing and finishing the missiles and defence industrial base of the Iranian military,” Hegseth said.
“Finding and fixing their leaders and their military leaders. Flying over Tehran, flying over Iran, flying over their capital, flying over the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), Iranian leaders looking up and seeing only US and Israeli air power. Every minute of every day until we decide it’s over. And Iran will be able to do nothing about it.”
Updated at 09.24 EST
Summary of developments so far
The US and Israel’s strikes against Iran continue, with the Israeli military announcing a “broad wave of strikes” against Tehran’s security forces.
A new in the fighting has opened in Lebanon, where the Israeli military says it is targeting Hezbollah strongholds south of the country. It issued an “urgent warning” to residents of a large swathe of southern Lebanon urging them to evacuate to the north of the Litani River.
Iran has upped its retaliatory strikes against Israel and US targets across the region. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait all announced Iranian attacks today.
Nearly 150 people could be missing after an Iranian warship sank off the coast of Sri Lanka. Authorities said 32 people were rescued while they search for other survivors. It was not immediately clear what happened or how many people were on board the 180-crew frigate Iris Dena.
Clerics in Iran say they are close to choosing a successor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to state media. It is widely suggested that his second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, could replace him.
The funeral ceremony for Khamenei that was supposed to take place tonight in Tehran has been postponed. State media, citing officials, reported that the funeral was delayed to allow time for expanded infrastructure due to “overwhelming demand”. No timeframe was given of when the funeral will take place.
The death toll in Iran has reached 1,045 people, according to Iranian officials. Iran’s foundation of martyrs and veteran affairs said the death toll represented the number of bodies that have been identified and prepared for burial, state media reported.
Turkish authorities said a missile launched from Iran and headed towards Turkey’s air space was shot down by Nato air defence systems. The Turkish defence ministry said there were no casualties or injuries in the incident.
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has hit back at Donald Trump after he made scathing comments over Spain’s position that joint military bases could not be used for attacks on Iran.“The position of the government of Spain can be summed up in four words: no to war [no a la guerra],” Sanchez said in a televised address.
Share‘America is winning’ in Iran conflict, Hegseth says
Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, has taken to the podium at the Pentagon to provide an update on the conflict.
“I stand before you today with one unmistakable message about Operation Epic Fury,” Hegseth said. “America is winning. Decisively, devastatingly and without mercy.”
Updated at 09.24 EST
IDF launch fresh attacks in southern Lebanon as people urged to flee north
The IDF just announced that it has begun “a wave of attacks in southern Lebanon”.
In an earlier statement, the IDF said it targeted underground weapons depots and headquarters in Beirut belonging to Hezbollah.
“The IDF attacked in Beirut over the past 24 hours, completing another wave of attacks against infrastructure of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah,” it said in a post on social media.
It comes as the Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned people in southern Lebanon to move north.
In a message posted on social media, he said:
double quotation markFor your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately. Anyone who is near Hezbollah operatives, facilities, or weapons is putting their life at risk.
Any house used by Hezbollah for military purposes may be targeted. To the residents of southern Lebanon, you must head immediately north of the Litani river. For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move north beyond the Litani river.