07\/03\/2026 – 02:59 <\/p>\n
This liveblog Is no longer being updated.<\/p>\n
07\/03\/2026 – 02:43White House urges federal agencies to tackle soaring energy prices<\/p>\n
The White House is asking federal agencies to step up efforts to address soaring energy prices from the Iran conflict, signalling concern that steps taken so far may not be enough, according to two people familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n
Senior officials have asked the departments of Energy, Transportation and Treasury, and the Environmental Protection Agency to provide more policy options, with an emphasis on measures that President Donald Trump could implement without congressional approval, one of the sources told Reuters.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously the White House is coordinating with the interagency on this important issue, if we were not, it would be a problem. President Trump and his entire energy team have had a strong game plan to keep oil prices stable well before Operation Epic Fury began, and they will continue to review all credible options and execute on them when appropriate,\u201d White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement.<\/p>\n
07\/03\/2026 – 02:42Israel says Iran has used cluster bombs multiple times<\/p>\n
Israel said on Friday that Iran had launched cluster bombs \u201cmultiple times\u201d since the start of the war, which began with a US-Israeli attack on the Islamic republic over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Cluster munitions explode in mid-air and scatter bomblets. Some of them do not detonate on impact and can cause casualties over time, particularly among children.<\/p>\n
Iran and Israel are not among more than a hundred countries that are party to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, transfer, production and storage of cluster bombs.<\/p>\n
07\/03\/2026 – 02:15Saudi Arabia intercepts drone attack on oil field<\/p>\n
The official Saudi Press Agency quoted a defence ministry spokesperson saying a drone attack targeting a major oil field near the Emirati border had been thwarted.<\/p>\n
“Attempted attack on the Shaybah field; six drones intercepted and destroyed,” the agency reported.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia, the world\u2019s top oil exporter, reported at least two drone attacks earlier this week that targeted the Ras Tanura refinery in the east.<\/p>\n
07\/03\/2026 – 02:01US gasoline and diesel prices surge amid US-Israel-Iran tensions<\/p>\n
Fuel prices in the US jumped more than 10% this week as oil rose above $90 a barrel, its highest in years, adding pain at the pump for consumers already strained by inflation.<\/p>\n
As of Friday, the national average price for regular gasoline stood at $3.32 a gallon, up 11% from a week ago and the highest since September 2024, according to data from the motorists\u2019 association AAA. Diesel was at $4.33, up 15% from a week ago, surging to the highest since November 2023.<\/p>\n
07\/03\/2026 – 01:43US ‘not concerned’ over reports of Russian intelligence shared with Iran, says Hegseth<\/p>\n
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday that the United States is \u201cnot concerned\u201d about reports that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on US troop positions and movements.<\/p>\n
While declining to confirm the reports, Hegseth, in an interview with CBS\u2019s\u00a060 Minutes, said: \u201cWe\u2019re tracking everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur commanders are aware of everything,\u201d he added. \u201cWe have the best intelligence in the world. We\u2019re aware of who\u2019s talking to who.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not concerned about that,\u201d the defence secretary said. \u201cWe mitigate it as we need to.\u201d<\/p>\n
07\/03\/2026 – 01:29Online prediction market faces $54m lawsuit over Khamenei payout<\/p>\n
The fast-growing online prediction industry is under scrutiny over its response to the Middle East war, with one leading platform facing litigation on a disputed payout connected to Iran’s late leader.<\/p>\n
At issue in the lawsuit is a refusal by online prediction market Kalshi to grant winnings to customers after the US-Israeli siege killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n
The company has said its policy is to not list markets directly tied to death.<\/p>\n
Plaintiffs are demanding $54 million in damages, arguing that their bet that Khamenei was \u201cout as Supreme Leader\u201d by March 1 came to pass, according to a class-action lawsuit filed in US district court in California.<\/p>\n
07\/03\/2026 – 01:21Saudi Arabia says intercepted ballistic missile fired at air base<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia said Saturday it had intercepted a ballistic missile fired at an air base southeast of the capital Riyadh, as Iran pressed attacks across the Gulf.<\/p>\n
“A ballistic missile launched towards Prince Sultan Air Base was intercepted and destroyed,” the Saudi defence ministry posted on X.<\/p>\n
07\/03\/2026 – 00:45Pakistan raises diesel and petrol prices by around 20% amid Iran conflict<\/p>\n
Pakistan on Friday raised consumer prices for diesel and petrol by about 20%, citing higher oil prices driven by the conflict in Iran.<\/p>\n
In a televised video message, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced a historically large 55-rupee ($0.20 a litre) increase, bringing diesel to 321.17 rupees and petrol to 335.86 rupees per litre.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have taken this decision under compulsion because of a sharp surge in petroleum prices globally,\u201d the minister said.<\/p>\n
07\/03\/2026 – 00:44Russia reportedly shares intelligence with Iran on US targets<\/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 US intelligence on the matter.<\/p>\n
The officials, who were not authorised to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, cautioned that US intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on how to use the information as the US and Israel continue their bombardment and Iran fires retaliatory salvos at American assets and allies in the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n
07\/03\/2026 – 00:30Pakistani business owner convicted over plot to kill US politician<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
As the Iran conflict unfolded in the Middle East, Asif Merchant acknowledged in a US court that he sought to put an assassination in motion during the 2024 presidential campaign \u2013 a plot quickly disrupted by American investigators before it could proceed.<\/p>\n
A jury in Brooklyn convicted Merchant on terrorism and murder-for-hire charges.<\/p>\n
07\/03\/2026 – 00:16Iran condemns Trump over alleged interference in leadership succession<\/p>\n
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations on Friday condemned US interference after President Donald Trump reportedly insisted that he should be involved in selecting the successor of slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n
Amir Saeid Iravani said that Trump\u2019s comments \u201cconstitute a clear violation of the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of states and enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIran is a sovereign and independent state. It does not accept and will never allow any foreign power to interfere in its internal affairs,\u201d Iravani told reporters in New York.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe selection of Iran’s leadership will take place strictly in accordance with our constitutional procedures and solely by the will of the Iranian people, without any foreign interference,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
07\/03\/2026 – 00:07Iran challenges Trump on Strait of Hormuz tanker escorts<\/p>\n
Spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Alimohammad Naini ,said: \u201cIran strongly welcomes the escort of oil tankers and that US forces will be there for the crossing of the Strait of Hormuz. And we are, by the way, awaiting their presence,\u201d according to state media.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recommend that, before making any decision, the Americans remember the fire on the American supertanker Bridgeton in 1987 and the oil tankers that were recently targeted,\u201d Naini added.<\/p>\n
06\/03\/2026 – 23:41Lebanon arrests journalist working for Hezbollah-affiliated TV channel<\/p>\n
Lebanese authorities on Friday arrested Aly Berro, a journalist working for Al-Manar TV, which is affiliated with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, state media reported.<\/p>\n
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said authorities arrested \u201cAl-Manar TV correspondent Aly Berro this evening, based on a warrant issued against him by the Attorney General Judge Jamal Hajjar\u201d.<\/p>\n
The NNA added that Hajjar instructed the security forces\u2019 information branch \u201cto begin questioning Berro in the presence of his lawyer, and a decision regarding his case will be made based on the interrogation\u201d.<\/p>\n
06\/03\/2026 – 23:39Israel army says launching ‘broad-scale’ strikes on Tehran<\/p>\n
Israel said on Friday it had launched \u201cbroad-scale\u201d strikes on targets in Tehran, as the Iranian state broadcaster reported an explosion in the western part of the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe IDF has begun a broad-scale wave of strikes\u201d on government targets in the Iranian capital, an Israeli military statement said.<\/p>\n
The announcement of the new offensive came just after the army said it had detected another round of Iranian missile fire headed towards Israel.<\/p>\n
06\/03\/2026 – 23:15Drone hits foreign energy firm facility in southern Iraq<\/p>\n
A drone struck an oil facility housing foreign energy companies in southern Iraq for the second time on Friday, two security sources told AFP.<\/p>\n
A security official in Basra province said that \u201ctwo drones were shot down over the Burjesia oil complex, but a third got through\u201d and hit the site.<\/p>\n
Another security source confirmed the drone strike.<\/p>\n
06\/03\/2026 – 23:09US anti-drone system tested in Ukraine will head to Mideast to boost US defenses against Iran drones<\/p>\n
An American anti-drone system proven to work against Russian drones in Ukraine will soon be sent to the Middle East to bolster US defences against Iranian drones, two US officials told The Associated Press on Friday.<\/p>\n
While the US has used Patriot and THAAD missile systems to take down Iranian missiles successfully, there are limited effective anti-drone defences now in the Middle East, according to a US defence official, one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.<\/p>\n
The system that is being sent, known as Merops, flies drones against drones. It is small enough to fit in the back of a mid-size pickup truck, can identify drones and close in on them, using artificial intelligence to navigate when satellite and electronic communications are jammed.<\/p>\n
06\/03\/2026 – 23:09New drone attack on Baghdad airport<\/p>\n
A drone attack just after midnight on Friday targeted the Baghdad airport complex, which houses a military base and a US diplomatic facility, security sources said.<\/p>\n
A security official told AFP that \u201cthe airport came under a series of attacks\u201d with drones and missiles, adding that ambulances were dispatched to the scene.<\/p>\n
Another security source confirmed there was a drone attack followed by a fire at the airport.<\/p>\n
\n 06\/03\/2026 – 22:28US says it struck more than 3,000 targets in first week of Iran war<\/p>\n
06\/03\/2026 – 22:27Revolutionary Guard challenges Trump to have US vessels escort tankers in Hormuz Strait, Iran state media says<\/p>\n
\u2060A \u2060spokesman \u200bfor \u200bIran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards challenged US President \u200bDonald \u200cTrump \u2060to \u200cdeploy US naval vessels to \u2060escort oil tankers through \u200bthe \u200cStrait of Hormuz, Iranian state \u200cmedia reported.<\/p>\n
The US Navy could \u200bbegin escorting \u200boil \u200btankers through the Strait \u200bof Hormuz if necessary, Trump said \u2060on Tuesday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"07\/03\/2026 – 02:59 This liveblog Is no longer being updated. 07\/03\/2026 – 02:43White House urges federal agencies to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":326583,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[85,87,145699,46,88,47,2899,43,161468,2586],"class_list":{"0":"post-326582","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-israel","8":"tag-il","9":"tag-iran","10":"tag-iran-conflict","11":"tag-israel","12":"tag-lebanon","13":"tag-middle-east","14":"tag-military","15":"tag-news","16":"tag-nuclear-iran","17":"tag-usa"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=326582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/326583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=326582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=326582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=326582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}