Today so far
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, marking the first US attack on Iranian forces outside of the Middle East. More than 80 people were killed.
In a press briefing at the Pentagon, Hegseth declared that “America is winning” and suggested that in under a week the US and Israel “will have complete control of Iranian skies”. 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”.
Hegseth also said that the leader of the Iranian covert unit that planned to assassinate Trump in 2024 had been killed in the strikes.
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 that the US is investigating the deadly strike on a girls’ school in Iran that killed a reported 168 people on Saturday, but provided no further detail. “All I can say is that we’re investigating, and that we, of course, never target civilian targets,” Hegseth said.
The US and Israel’s airstrikes against Iran continued, with the Israeli military announcing a “broad wave of strikes” against Tehran’s security forces. In turn, Iran upped its retaliatory strikes against Israel and US targets across the region, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait all announcing Iranian attacks today.
Lebanon’s health ministry said on Wednesday that Israeli strikes on two towns south of Beirut killed six people and wounded eight. Aramoun and Saadiyat are both towns outside Hezbollah’s traditional strongholds. Meanwhile, the Israeli military issued an “urgent warning” to residents of a large swathe of southern Lebanon urging them to evacuate to the north of the Litani River. At least 30,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon, according to the UN, after heavy Israeli airstrikes.
Clerics in Iran said they were close to choosing a successor to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to state media. It has been widely suggested that his second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, could replace him.
The funeral ceremony for Khamenei that was supposed to take place on Wednesday night in Tehran has been postponed. State media, citing officials, reported that the funeral was delayed to allow time for expanded infrastructure because of “overwhelming demand”. No timeframe was given as to when the funeral would take place.
The death toll in Iran has reached 1,045, according to Iranian officials. Iran’s foundation of martyrs and veteran affairs said the death toll represented the number of bodies that had been identified and prepared for burial, state media reported.
Key events
18m ago
‘We’re doing very well on the war front,’ Donald Trump says
47m ago
White House spokesperson refuses to rule out US boots on the ground but says ‘they’re not part of the plan’
1h ago
Spain ‘has agreed to cooperate’ with US after Trump ire, says White House
2h ago
White House pushes back against questions on US involvement in Iran school bombing
3h ago
Today so far
3h ago
Cost of living fears rise in UK as oil and gas prices spike with Iran conflict
3h ago
Was it legal for the US to sink an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean?
4h ago
From petrol to groceries: how Middle East crisis is driving up prices
4h ago
Iranian president tells neighbouring countries that Iran respects their sovereignty
6h ago
Israeli air force says it has dropped 5,000 bombs on Iran in current military campaign
6h ago
At least 80 people killed after US submarine torpedoes Iran warship, officials say
6h ago
Key points from Pentagon briefing
7h ago
China and Russia are ‘non-factors’ in Iran war, says Hegseth
7h ago
Hegseth: Iran cannot outlast us
7h ago
Hegseth says Iran can no longer shoot volume of missiles as before
7h ago
US is investigating deadly strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh school girls school in southern Iran, Hegseth says
7h ago
US has ‘effectively neutralised’ Iran’s naval presence, Caine says
7h ago
Hegseth: We have only just begun to fight
7h ago
Person charged with attempted assassination of Trump killed, Hegseth said
7h ago
Hegseth confirms sinking of Iranian warship
7h ago
Rules of engagement designed to “unleash American power”, Hegseth says.
7h ago
Hegseth: US and Israel will have ‘complete’ control of Iranian skies in ‘under a week’
7h ago
Summary of developments so far
8h ago
‘America is winning’ in Iran conflict, Hegseth says
8h ago
IDF launch fresh attacks in southern Lebanon as people urged to flee north
8h ago
Nato condemns Iran’s targeting of Turkey
8h ago
Iran death toll reaches 1,045, officials say
9h ago
Nearly 150 missing after Iranian warship sinks near Sri Lanka – report
9h ago
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei? The son of late supreme leader Khamenei seen as potential successor
9h ago
Iran state funeral for Khamenei postponed – report
10h ago
UN ‘deeply disturbed’ by reports of Iran school strike that killed 160 children
10h ago
Donald Trump ‘really does not care’ if Iran play at World Cup 2026
10h ago
Tell us: how have you been affected by the latest events in the Middle East?
10h ago
EU sees no immediate effect of Iran conflict on gas supply security – report
11h ago
Hezbollah says it targeted Israel’s major aerospace and aviation company
11h ago
Iran close to choosing new supreme leader – report
11h ago
Senior Khamenei aide says Iran won’t negotiate with US
12h ago
Trump ‘betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him’, says Iran foreign minister
12h ago
IDF says Israeli F-35 fighter jet shot down manned Iranian warplane in Tehran
12h ago
Spain’s position is ‘no to war’, says Sanchez
12h ago
Israel-US strikes on Iran appear ‘inconsistent with international law’, says Canadian PM
12h ago
Summary of developments so far
13h ago
Loud explosion in Tehran – report
13h ago
Dozens rescued from sinking Iranian warship near Sri Lanka
13h ago
Israel threatens to assassinate Ali Khamenei’s replacement
14h ago
Iran Guards say launched more than 40 missiles at US, Israeli targets
14h ago
Iranians to bid farewell to late Supreme Leader Khamenei in Tehran
15h ago
UK government charter flight for British nationals in Oman
16h ago
Conflicting claims over the strait of Hormuz
16h ago
Global markets roiled by conflict
18h ago
Six killed in Israeli strikes south of Beirut
18h ago
Opening summary
Show key events only
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The Dubai international airport announced that “most flights remain suspended” and advised people not to come to the airport unless their airline has confirmed their departure time.
“Guests without a confirmed flight may not be able to access the terminals” it said in a statement on social media. “Please contact your airline directly for the latest updates on your flight.”
Updated at 15.43 EST
‘We’re doing very well on the war front,’ Donald Trump says
Shrai Popat
As Donald Trump kicked things off for his roundtable event with tech companies today, he noted that those in the room “probably want to speak about war” rather than energy costs linked to the rapid build-out of datacenters across the country.
“We’re doing very well on the war front,” the president added. “If we didn’t do it first, they would have done it to Israel … If we didn’t hit within two weeks, they would have had a nuclear weapon.”
He added that the ongoing military action against Iran is depleting the regime’s leadership. “Everybody that seems to want to be a leader, they end up dead,” the president said.
Updated at 15.42 EST
The Israeli military has said that it has launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran.
The Associated Press is reporting that the Israeli military says the strikes on the Iranian capital are targeting “military infrastructure”.
Updated at 15.35 EST
White House spokesperson refuses to rule out US boots on the ground but says ‘they’re not part of the plan’Shrai Popat
During today’s White House press briefing, Karoline Leavitt did not rule out the possibility of US troops on the ground in Iran.
“They’re not part of the plan for this operation at this time,” Leavitt said. “But I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the president of the United States … and he wisely does not do the same for himself.”
She noted that “many leaders in the past” have taken options off the table “without having a full understanding of how things could develop”.
The question mark around American troops on the ground is in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s campaign, which focused on not embroiling the US in foreign conflicts.
Updated at 15.01 EST
More details have emerged about four of the American service members who were killed in an unmanned aircraft system attack in the Shuaiba port in Kuwait on Sunday, the first known US fatalities since the US and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran on Saturday.
The US Department of Defense identified the US soldiers on Tuesday evening as Capt Cody A Khork, 35; Sgt first class Nicole M Amor, 39; Sgt Declan J Coady, 20; and Sgt first class Noah L Tietjens, 42.
Read about the four US service members here:
Donald Trump and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, spoke on Wednesday about US military operations in its conflict with Iran, a source close to Macron told Reuters.
Macron also raised in the call the issue of Lebanon, which has been drawn into the spillover of the crisis, the French source said, according to Reuters.
Updated at 14.55 EST
Spain ‘has agreed to cooperate’ with US after Trump ire, says White House
During the White House press briefing on Wednesday, Karoline Leavitt said that Spain had agreed to cooperate with US operations in the Middle East.
“With respect to Spain, I think they heard the president’s message yesterday loud and clear,” the White House press secretary said. “And it’s my understanding over the past several hours, they’ve agreed to cooperate with the US military. And so I know that the US military is coordinating with their counterparts in Spain.”
But, shortly after, Spain’s foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said that the Spanish government’s position “on the war in the Middle East the bombings in Iran, and the use of our bases has not changed one iota”.
“She may be the White House press secretary, but I’m the foreign minister of Spain, and I’m telling her that our position hasn’t changed at all” he added.
A government spokesperson added: “It is not true. We categorically deny any change it. Spain’s position has not changed.”
Updated at 15.03 EST
Shrai Popat
A number of reporters at the White House press briefing today have asked the press secretary whether the administration should have done more, in advance of the weekend strikes, to evacuate more Americans in the Middle East.
The press secretary insisted that there were plans in place, and listed several travel advisories shared by state department in recent weeks. On Monday, Mora Namdar, the US assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, issued an advisory on Monday, urging Americans to “DEPART NOW” from more than a dozen countries, citing “serious safety risks”. However, major airlines have canceled flights to and from the region since Saturday, and several airports paused flights and scaled back operations, leaving thousands stranded.
“We gave notices to leave immediately the countries where these Americans were,” Leavitt said today, despite reports of Americans calling the state department hotline as recently as Tuesday evening and being told they couldn’t receive help to evacuate.
Leavitt said that 17,500 Americans have safely returned home from the Middle East, with more than 8,500 American citizens returning home on Tuesday. She also repeated that US citizens in the Middle East looking to return home should register with the state department to be provided with travel options.
Updated at 14.26 EST
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said that he spoke with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Wednesday, as well as the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, and prime minister, Nawaf Salam, to discuss the situation in Lebanon.
“I reaffirmed the need for Hezbollah to immediately cease its attacks against Israel and beyond,” Macron said in a statement on X. “This strategy of escalation constitutes a major error that endangers the entire region.”
“Similarly, I called on the Israeli Prime Minister to preserve Lebanon’s territorial integrity and to refrain from a ground offensive,” he added. “It is important for the parties to return to the ceasefire agreement.”
Updated at 14.10 EST
White House pushes back against questions on US involvement in Iran school bombingShrai Popat
Karoline Leavitt batted down a question from a reporter about the US involvement in a strike on an Iranian girls’ elementary school, which killed 175 people.
The press secretary did not accept US responsibility for the attack, and noted that the Pentagon is investigating the strike (as Pete Hegseth noted earlier).
“I would just tell you very strongly, the United States of America does not target civilians, unlike the rogue Iranian regime,” Leavitt said. “I would caution you from pointing the finger at the United States of America when it comes to targeting civilians, because that’s not something that these armed forces do.”
Updated at 14.01 EST
The Dubai media office has said that Dubai authorities “confirm that sounds heard in various areas across the emirate were the result of successful air defense interception operations, with no injuries reported”.
They added that “relevant teams continue to closely monitor developments and are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of everyone”.
Updated at 14.08 EST
At the press briefing on Wednesday, Karoline Leavitt said that Donald Trump plans to attend the ‘dignified transfer’ of the bodies of the six US service members who have been killed since the war with Iran began.
“We grieve for these American patriots and their families as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives. President Trump intends to attend the dignified transfer of these American heroes to stand in grief alongside their families,” she said. “I understand the Department of War is working on scheduling this transfer, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.”
Updated at 14.09 EST
Sri Lankan authorities have said that they recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 people after a US torpedo sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka.
The Associated Press reported that Sri Lankan navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath said that “we found people floating on the water” and that the 32 people rescued were admitted to a hospital.
Updated at 14.09 EST
Shrai Popat
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, is currently holding a press briefing for reporters, and in her opening remarks, she praised Donald Trump and touted the success of Operation Epic Fury.
“President Trump is holding these monsters accountable and permanently extinguishing their nuclear ambitions,” Leavitt told reporters at the White House. “Future generations of Americans will look to this moment as the moment where the specter of a nuclear armed Iran ended at the beginning of Operation Epic Fury launched last weekend.”
Leavitt also repeated comments by the defense secretary just hours ago that the US has significantly degraded the Iranian navy.
“So far, we have destroyed more than 20 Iranian ships, including their top submarine, last night using a torpedo,” she said. “It’s safe to say that thus far, operation, Epic Fury has been a resounding success.”
Updated at 13.32 EST
In a recent statement, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has said “we are well on our way to achieving the objectives of #EpicFury”.
“Destroy their missile launchers” he said. “Destroy their missile factories. Destroy their Navy. So they can never hide behind these things to develop a nuclear weapon.”
Updated at 13.23 EST
US Central Command has said that US forces have “struck or sunk to the bottom of the ocean” more than 20 Iranian ships.
“Last night, CENTCOM added a Soleimani-class warship to the list,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.
In another statement on Wednesday, US Central Command said that “US forces continue to aggressively hunt and destroy Iranian missile launchers with precision”.
Updated at 13.19 EST