![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GIGOFZ4NXYMRZNISMZ5ADUE44Y.jpg\")
A plume of smoke rises following a US-Israeli military strike in Tehran, Iran. Photograph: Vahid Salemi\/AP <\/p>\nKey pointsMissiles launched from Iran early Wednesday triggered air raid sirens across large parts of Israel, with the military saying it was \u201coperating to intercept the threat\u201dHundreds of stranded Irish citizens are expected to board a flight from UAE to Dublin tonightIran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday they control the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for oil and gasIranians are \u200cto bid farewell to late \u200bsupreme leader Ayatollah Ali \u200bKhamenei in a \u2060ceremony on Wednesday \u200cat \u200c10\u200bpm (6.30pm Irish time)Key reads<\/p>\n
Katie Mellett – 7 minutes ago<\/p>\n
Israel-US strikes on Iran appear \u2018inconsistent with international law\u2019, says Canadian prime ministerA plume of smoke rises following a US-Israeli military strike in Tehran, Iran. Photograph: Vahid Salemi\/AP <\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s prime minister Mark Carney said the US-Israeli strikes on Iran \u201cwould appear, prima facie it appears that these actions are inconsistent with international law\u201d. <\/p>\n
Initially, he supported the strikes on Saturday, which he now says he did so \u201cwith regret\u201d. <\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters in Sydney, where he is on an official visit, he said: \u201cWe were not informed in advance, we were not asked to participate.\u201d <\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cWe support efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Canada is taking the world as it is, not passively waiting for a world we wish to be. We do, however, take this position with regret because the current conflict is another example of the failure of the international order.\u201d<\/p>\n
Katie Mellett – 12 minutes ago<\/p>\n
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\u2019s son is frontrunner to replace his father<\/p>\n
The New York Times reports that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\u2019s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has emerged as the frontrunner to replace his father as Iran\u2019s supreme leader, citing Iranian officials. <\/p>\n
Katie Mellett – 20 minutes ago<\/p>\n
Israel launches \u201cbroad wave of strikes\u201d against government targets in Tehran<\/p>\n
Israel said it had launched a \u201cbroad wave of strikes\u201d against government targets in Tehran, including the presidential office. <\/p>\n
Reuters reports the Israeli military claim to have downed an Iranian fighter jet over Tehran.<\/p>\n
A loud blast was reported in the north-east of Tehran this morning, as explosions rocked Iranian cities for a fourth night. <\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s bombardment of Lebanon continues, with strikes reported in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, seen as a support base for the militant group Hezbollah. <\/p>\n
Iran continues to launch retaliatory strikes, with Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) saying it fired about 40 missiles at US and Israeli targets. – The Guardian<\/p>\n
Katie Mellett – 23 minutes ago<\/p>\n
Several repatriation flights planned for French nationals today<\/p>\n
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said several repatriation flights \u200bfor French nationals in the Middle East were planned for Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne will depart from the United \u200bArab Emirates, another from Egypt to repatriate vulnerable \u2060ones from Israel,” Barrot told France 2 TV.<\/p>\n
Barrot \u200cdeclined \u200cto \u200bsay how many people would be on the flights. Around \u2060400,000 French \u200bnationals are in the \u200bregion. <\/p>\n
Barrot also confirmed that French Rafale \u200cfighter jets had taken out \u200bIranian drones targeting the UAE as \u2060part of Iran\u2019s \u2060strikes on \u200bGulf countries following U.S and Israeli attacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have already responded to the request from our partners, particularly the United Arab Emirates, with military capabilities that we were able to \u200cprovide them. All \u2060of this with a simple objective that is strictly defensive: to enable \u200cour partners to defend themselves against this aggression \u200bthat they did not provoke,” he \u200bsaid. – Reuters<\/p>\n
Katie Mellett – 27 minutes ago<\/p>\n
Ten flights departing UAE for UK and one repatriation flight organised by UK government<\/p>\n
Emirates is operating seven flights from Dubai to the UK while Etihad has two Abu Dhabi departures.<\/p>\n
Virgin Atlantic will operate a flight from Dubai to London Heathrow.<\/p>\n
British Airways has not restarted its usual flying programme from the region, but will run an evacuation flight to Heathrow from Oman capital Muscat, which it does not usually serve.<\/p>\n
The UK Government has said it will charter a repatriation flight from Muscat \u201cin the coming days\u201d, but it has been reported there will be no major evacuation of the 130,000 British nationals who have registered their presence in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
That means most stranded people are reliant on getting a seat on a commercial flight.<\/p>\n
Experts believe it could take weeks to clear the backlog of passengers. – Press Association<\/p>\n
Katie Mellett – 32 minutes ago<\/p>\n
At least 30 people rescued from sinking Iranian ship by Sri Lankan military<\/p>\n
The Sri Lankan military rescued at least 30 people on board a sinking Iranian ship near Sri Lankan waters, according to officials. <\/p>\n
The Sri Lankan navy dispatched a rescue mission after a distress call came from the Iranian ship, a defence ministry spokesperson said. <\/p>\n
Sri Lankan foreign minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the injured sailors from the 180-crew vessel were taken to a hospital in the south of the country. <\/p>\n
He did not give further details, including what caused the ship to sink, but said Sri Lanka would take appropriate action.<\/p>\n
According to local reports, the ship was the Iris Dena, a frigate in the Iranian navy. It had reportedly sent out a distress call off the coast of Galle in the southern part of the country. – The Guardian<\/p>\n
Katie Mellett – 38 minutes ago<\/p>\n
Israel threatens to assassinate any Iranian leader picked to succeed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei<\/p>\n
\u05db\u05dc \u05de\u05e0\u05d4\u05d9\u05d2 \u05e9\u05d9\u05de\u05d5\u05e0\u05d4 \u05e2”\u05d9 \u05de\u05e9\u05d8\u05e8 \u05d4\u05d8\u05e8\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d4\u05d0\u05d9\u05e8\u05d0\u05e0\u05d9 \u05db\u05d3\u05d9 \u05dc\u05d4\u05de\u05e9\u05d9\u05da \u05d5\u05dc\u05d4\u05d5\u05d1\u05d9\u05dc \u05d0\u05ea \u05d4\u05ea\u05d5\u05db\u05e0\u05d9\u05ea \u05dc\u05d4\u05e9\u05de\u05d3\u05ea \u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc, \u05dc\u05d0\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05e2\u05dc \u05d0\u05e8\u05d4”\u05d1 \u05d5\u05d4\u05e2\u05d5\u05dc\u05dd \u05d4\u05d7\u05d5\u05e4\u05e9\u05d9 \u05d5\u05de\u05d3\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d0\u05d6\u05d5\u05e8, \u05d5\u05dc\u05d3\u05db\u05d0 \u05d0\u05ea \u05d4\u05e2\u05dd \u05d4\u05d0\u05d9\u05e8\u05e0\u05d9 – \u05d9\u05d4\u05d9\u05d4 \u05d9\u05e2\u05d3 \u05d7\u05d3 \u05de\u05e9\u05de\u05e2\u05d9 \u05dc\u05d7\u05d9\u05e1\u05d5\u05dc.<\/p>\n
\u05dc\u05d0 \u05d7\u05e9\u05d5\u05d1 \u05de\u05d4 \u05e9\u05de\u05d5 \u05d5\u05d4\u05de\u05e7\u05d5\u05dd \u05d1\u05d5 \u05d9\u05e1\u05ea\u05ea\u05e8.<\/p>\n
\u05e8\u05d4”\u05de \u05d5\u05d0\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d4\u05e0\u05d7\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d0\u05ea \u05e6\u05d4”\u05dc \u05dc\u05d4\u05d9\u05e2\u05e8\u05da \u05d5\u05dc\u05e4\u05e2\u05d5\u05dc \u05d1\u05db\u05dc \u05d4\u05d0\u05de\u05e6\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05de\u05d9\u05de\u05d5\u05e9 \u05d4\u05de\u05e9\u05d9\u05de\u05d4 \u05db\u05d7\u05dc\u05e7\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc \u05db\u201d\u05e5 Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) March 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Israel\u2019s defence minister Israel Katz threatened on X on Wednesday to assassinate any Iranian leader picked to succeed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran. <\/p>\n Any leader selected by the Iranian terror regime to continue leading the plan for Israel\u2019s destruction, threatening the United States, the free world and countries in the region, and suppressing the Iranian people, will be a certain target for assassination, no matter his name or where he hides, his post said.<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 41 minutes ago<\/p>\n Loud blast heard in Tehran<\/p>\n The Guardian reports a loud blast was heard in eastern Tehran. <\/p>\n Following this, the Israeli Military said it has begun a wave of broad scale strikes in Tehran. – Reuters. <\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n Talks on Trump\u2019s Board of Peace put on hold, says Indonesia\u2019s foreign minister<\/p>\n Indonesia\u2019s foreign minister said talks on president Donald Trump\u2019s Board of Peace initiative have been put on hold as diplomatic attention shifts to the escalating Middle East conflict involving Iran, Israel and the US.<\/p>\n Discussions are paused given that \u201call attention has shifted to the situation in Iran,\u201d foreign minister Sugiono told reporters Tuesday night.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are still consulting with our partners and also co-ordinating with colleagues in the Gulf, since they have also been targeted in attacks.\u201d – Bloomberg<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n More than 470 Chinese citizens evacuated More \u200cthan 470 \u200bChinese citizens have been \u200bevacuated \u2060since the \u200cconflict \u200cin \u200bIran \u2060broke out, \u200bMao \u200bNing, \u200ca Chinese \u200bforeign ministry \u2060spokesperson, \u2060told reporters \u200bon Wednesday.<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n US Senate to vote on Trump\u2019s decision to war against Iran<\/p>\n The US Senate is headed towards a vote on Wednesday on president Donald Trump\u2019s decision to embark on a war against Iran.<\/p>\n The legislation, known as a war powers resolution, gives lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. <\/p>\n The Senate resolution and a similar Bill being voted on in the House later this week face unlikely paths through the Republican-controlled US Congress and would almost certainly be vetoed by Trump even if they were to pass. – Guardian<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n Hundreds of stranded Irish citizens to board flight from UAE to Dublin tonight<\/p>\n Positive development. Emirates have decided to run a flight from Dubai to Dublin later later today. We are in close touch with the airline. They will be in direct contact with passengers \u2014 Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) March 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Hundreds of Irish citizens who have been stranded in the Gulf states since the US and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday are expected to be on board an Emirates flight from the United Arab Emirates to Dublin tonight, reports Political Correspondent Harry McGee.<\/p>\n The airline announced on Wednesday morning it will schedule a flight to Dublin from Dubai. <\/p>\n Welcoming the development, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said in a post on X. \u201cPositive development. Emirates have decided to run a flight from Dubai to Dublin later today. We are in close touch with the airline. They will be in direct contact with passengers whose flights were cancelled.\u201d <\/p>\n The planes have capacity of more than 250 passengers.<\/p>\n It the is the first commercial flight to fly to Ireland from the Gulf states since last Friday. <\/p>\n Separately, the Government is in the process of arranging a chartered flight from the region to help evacuate some of the estimated 2,000 Irish citizens.<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n Iranian missiles launched under operation Honest Promise 4<\/p>\n Missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday triggered air raid sirens across large parts of Israel, with the military saying it was \u201coperating to intercept the threat\u201d. <\/p>\n The order to seek shelter covered Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other areas across the country. It was lifted after several minutes, with no immediate reports of any direct impact.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s emergency medical service Magen David Adom said it received no reports of casualties.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday they had launched about 40 missiles at US and Israeli targets on the fifth day of war in the Middle East.<\/p>\n \u201cSeveral hours ago, the 17th wave of operation Honest Promise 4 was conducted with the launch of 40 missiles by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps\u2019 aerospace forces, towards American and Zionist targets,\u201d a statement read on state TV said, without giving further details. – Guardian<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n Control of the vital shipping route, the strait of Hormuz <\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday they control the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for oil and gas, and any vessels seeking to pass through the waterway risk damage from missiles or stray drones, Agence France-Presse reports. <\/p>\n \u201cCurrently, the Strait of Hormuz is under the complete control of the Islamic Republic\u2019s Navy,\u201d said guards navy official Mohammad Akbarzadeh in a statement issued on Fars news agency. <\/p>\n However, admiral Brad Cooper of US central command contradicted Iran\u2019s claim, saying just hours earlier that the US was sinking \u201call of the Iranian navy\u201d and had already destroyed 17 Iranian ships.<\/p>\n \u201cFor decades the Iranian regime has harassed international shipping. Today there is not a single Iranian ship under way in the Arabian gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n The US navy could begin escorting oil tankers through the strait of Hormuz if necessary, president Donald Trump said on Tuesday, in one of the administration\u2019s most aggressive steps yet to attempt to contain soaring energy prices sparked by the war. <\/p>\n In his briefing, Cooper also said that the number of strikes carried out on Saturday in the first 24 hours of its war on Iran was nearly double that of the \u201cshock-and-awe\u201d strikes on Iraq in 2003, and that nearly 2,000 targets had been hit so far in Iran. <\/p>\n Pakistan has asked \u200cSaudi Arabia to route \u200boil supplies through the Red Sea \u200bport of \u2060Yanbu after the closure \u200cof \u200cthe \u200bStrait of Hormuz \u2060disrupted \u200bshipping, the petroleum \u200bministry said \u200cin a press \u200brelease on \u2060Wednesday.<\/p>\n Riyadh \u2060has assured \u200bIslamabad it would support energy supplies and secure deliveries \u200cvia the \u2060alternative route, the ministry said. – Guardian<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n Farewell ceremony for late \u200bSupreme Leader Ayatollah Ali \u200bKhamenei Iranians \u200cwill bid farewell to late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali \u200cKhamenei at a ceremony in Tehran late on Wednesday, \u200ba senior Iranian official told state media.<\/p>\n Hojjatoleslam Mahmoudi, head of Iran\u2019s Islamic Propagation Council, said the farewell \u200bceremony would continue for three days and the funeral \u2060procession will be announced later.<\/p>\n The official \u200csaid \u200cthe \u200bpublic will be able to pay their respects to the \u2060body of \u200bthe late leader at Tehran\u2019s Imam Khomeini Prayer \u200cHall starting at 10pm (6.30pm Irish time).<\/p>\n \u201cThe Mosalla (prayer hall) will be receiving \u2060visitors and the dear \u2060people \u200bcan attend and take part in the farewell ceremony and mark a strong presence once again,\u201d he said in comments carried by Iranian media. – Reuters<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n India\u2019s concern over growing conflict<\/p>\n India said it is concerned about the widening conflict in the Middle East and the impact on its citizens in the region, but avoided mentioning the death of Iran\u2019s leader or condemning the US-Israeli joint attack despite criticism from opposition figures.<\/p>\n In a statement on Tuesday, India\u2019s foreign ministry said the conflict could impact the Indian economy given that its trade and energy supplies traverse the region. India has some 10 million citizens who live and work in the Gulf region, the ministry of external affairs said. <\/p>\n \u201cTheir safety and wellbeing is of utmost priority,\u201d the ministry said, adding that Indian consulates and embassies are in touch with affected nationals.<\/p>\n The statement stopped short of condemning the US and Israeli strikes on Iran that kicked off the conflict over the weekend and led to the death of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top leaders. – Bloomberg<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n Repatriation flight chartered for UK Nationals from Oman<\/p>\n The UK government has chartered a repatriation flight from Oman on Wednesday for UK nationals seeking to escape the Middle East amid the conflict in the region.<\/p>\n The foreign office said the flight will depart the country\u2019s capital, Muscat, at 7pm and is available for British nationals, their partners and children under 18 with a valid travel document.<\/p>\n According to the foreign office, priority for the evacuation flight will be given to the most vulnerable and they will contact British nationals in Oman. Anyone who registered their presence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and are now in Oman is asked to register for a place on a flight.<\/p>\n The department asked people not to travel to Muscat International Airport in Oman unless they are contacted by officials, while dependants who are not British nationals will require a valid visa or permission to enter or remain granted for more than three months.<\/p>\n Some 130,000 Britons have registered their presence in the Middle East, as the foreign office said it was working with airlines on more routes. – Press Association<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n War enters its fifth day Explosions sounded in Iran\u2019s capital city on Wednesday as its war with the US and Israel entered a fifth day.<\/p>\n The latest attacks followed earlier strikes on an Iranian nuclear site and retaliatory strikes by the Islamic republic across the Gulf region.<\/p>\n Iranian state television reported explosions around Tehran as dawn broke while Israel said its air defences were activated due to incoming missile fire from Iran.<\/p>\n The Israeli military said on Wednesday it conducted a series of strikes across Iran\u2019s capital targeting its security forces.<\/p>\n The Israeli military said it hit buildings associated with Iran\u2019s internal security command, which also has suppressed demonstrations in the past.<\/p>\n Overnight, Israeli strikes on towns near Beirut have killed at least six people, Lebanon\u2019s health ministry said early on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Israel struck the towns of Aramoun and Saadiyat just south of Beirut\u2019s international airport, killing six and wounding eight others.<\/p>\n US-Israeli strikes have killed at least 787 people in Iran, according to the Red Crescent Society.<\/p>\n In Lebanon, where Israel launched retaliatory strikes on the Iranian-supported militant group Hizbullah, 50 people were killed before the latest strikes, including seven children, the country\u2019s health ministry said.<\/p>\n Lebanon\u2019s state-run media reported that at least five people were killed in an Israeli strike that hit a residential complex in the city of Baalbeck.<\/p>\n Kuwait, which had previously reported a single death, said on Wednesday that an 11-year-old girl was killed by falling shrapnel as Kuwaiti forces were intercepting \u201chostile aerial targets\u201d. <\/p>\n In addition, three people were killed in the United Arab Emirates and one in Bahrain. – Associated Press<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n Miriam Lord: Taoiseach\u2019s Operation Septic Turkey prompts epic levels of fury on Opposition benches<\/p>\n \u201cDespite coming under heavy Opposition pressure to condemn Donald Trump for riding roughshod over international law when he ordered missile strikes on Iran, the Taoiseach managed to stay on the right side of saying everything apart from openly denouncing the difficult man he is due to visit in the White House in a couple of weeks\u2019 time.<\/p>\n \u201cMiche\u00e1l did this by repeating the phrases \u201crules-based international order\u201d and \u201cmultilateral rules-based order\u201d as many times as possible while criticising some of his critics for their reticence when it came to deploring the actions of other countries guilty of similar breaches and, in some cases, far worse transgressions.\u201d<\/p>\n Read Miriam Lord\u2019s full column here. <\/a><\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n Iran sends drones and missiles across the Gulf as up to 2,000 Irish seek route home<\/p>\n Iran broadened the scope of its drone and missile strikes on US allies across the Gulf on Tuesday, as US president Donald Trump and leading White House officials continued to offer contradictory accounts about the rationale for getting involved in a volatile conflict that has killed an estimated 800 people, Keith Duggan reports.<\/a><\/p>\n Between 1,500 and 2,000 Irish people stranded in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar due to related flight cancellations have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs as they seek a route home.<\/p>\n Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee on Tuesday night said the Government was working to finalise a first charter flight that would depart from Oman in the coming days if the security situation permits.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/72QITQ7HVPFHZ4H6W6XENXPF7Q.jpg\")
A plume of smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut’s Haret Hreik neighborhood on March 4th, 2026. Photograph: IBRAHIM AMRO\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n
whose flights were cancelled.<\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/PVWBCC2OPVOMWNQCAI4J57WGNI.jpg\")
People at a rally to mourn the killing of Iran\u2019s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, March 1st, 2026. Photograph: Arash Khamooshi\/the New York Times<\/p>\n![\"Hotel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/UJLZPZKYUA2D3CLOPG4WZQ5IUE.jpg\")
Hotel guests carry their belongings, as they leave a damaged hotel that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Hazmieh east of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday March 4th, 2026 Photograph: Hussein Malla\/AP <\/p>\n![\"Plumes](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ZXFJNC2IKC3BKPUQSPJO6W5EWU.jpg\")
Plumes of smoke rise over the skyline in Tehran, Iran. Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n