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Issued on: 07/03/2026 – 03:04Modified: 07/03/2026 – 04:06
Plumes of smoke rise as strikes hit the city during the U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Friday night, March 6, 2026. © Vahid Salemi, AP
Israel carried out a wave of “broad-scale” strikes on targets in Tehran on Saturday, following Iranian missile launches towards Israel. Explosions were reported in Tel Aviv, but emergency services said there were no casualties, and residents were allowed to leave shelters. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
07/03/2026 – 03:59US considers lifting sanctions on Russian oil amid Middle East crisis
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday that his government was considering lifting sanctions on more Russian oil, a day after it temporarily authorised India to buy from Moscow as global oil prices surged.
The US-Israel war on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks across the Gulf region have disrupted the world’s energy and transport sectors, virtually halting activity in the Strait of Hormuz.
Crude soared 8.5 per cent on Friday and was up nearly 30 per cent for the week after President Donald Trump said only the “unconditional surrender” of Iran would end the Middle East war.
“We may unsanction other Russian oil,” Bessent told Fox Business on Friday.
07/03/2026 – 03:58Israeli military says responding to Iran missile attack
The Israeli military said that air defences were responding to an Iranian missile attack on Saturday.
Forces had “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the military said in a statement.
Air raid alerts across the country’s north were lifted several minutes later.
07/03/2026 – 03:08US approves $151.8m emergency munitions sale to Israel
The US State Department said on Friday it has made a determination approving a possible foreign military sale to Israel of munitions and munitions support worth $151.8 million, without congressional review.
Israel has requested to buy 12,000 BLU-110A/B general-purpose, 1,000-pound bomb bodies, the State Department said in a statement.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that an emergency existed requiring the immediate sale to Israel. The announcement comes amid the ongoing US and Israel war against Iran.
07/03/2026 – 03:07Trump calls Iran ‘easy’ compared to paying college athletes
US President Donald Trump convened a roundtable of experts on Friday that included former Alabama football coach Nick Saban, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua.
At the end of the event, a reporter started to ask about Iran and the president interrupted: “That’s an easy problem compared to what we’re doing here.”
“I saw what was happening with college sports. And it doesn’t sound very important compared to what’s happening in Iran and other places,” he said. “But it is very important to me. And if I can get it done, I’ll get it done.”
07/03/2026 – 03:03Israel reports no casualties after renewed Tehran strikes
Israel’s emergency services, the Magen David Adom, said it received no reports of casualties after the barrage of strikes.
The military issued a statement saying people were free to leave their shelters “in all areas of the country.”
07/03/2026 – 03:03IDF launches fresh strikes on Iranian capital
“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has begun a broad-scale wave of strikes” on government targets in the Iranian capital, an Israeli military statement said.
The IDF said earlier it had detected another round of Iranian missile fire headed towards Israel.
A series of explosions were heard in the Israeli commercial hub of Tel Aviv following the Iranian launches.
Yesterday’s key developments:
US President Donald Trump demanded “unconditional surrender” as requirement for deal with Iran.
Israel launched air strikes on Tehran, as well as on several towns in southern Lebanon.
A Pakistani business owner who attempted to hire hitmen to kill a US politician was convicted on Friday in a trial highlighting alleged Iran-backed plotting on American soil.
A spokesman for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards challenged Trump to deploy US naval vessels to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)