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![\"Angelique](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Angelique_Chrisafis.png\")
Angelique Chrisafis<\/p>\n
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, will visit Cyprus on Monday to meet the president Nikos Christodoulides. France sent defence systems and a frigate to the Mediterranean island last week after it was hit by a drone strike on the British RAF base Akrotiri.<\/p>\n
Macron will also meet the Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the trip.<\/p>\n
The Elysee said the visit was aimed at showing France\u2019s \u201csolidarity\u201d with Cyprus, an EU member, in order to \u201creinforce security around Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean\u201d with our European partners, and to contribute to \u201cde-escalation in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n
Macron said last week that France\u2019s presence in the area would be \u201cstrictly defensive\u201d in support of its regional allies.<\/p>\n
A car drives out of the entrance of RAF Akrotiri, the British base in Cyprus that was hit by a drone last Sunday night. Photograph: Yiannis Kourtoglou\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Two other civilians, from Nepal and Bangladesh, have been killed by missile debris in Dubai since the US and Israel<\/a> launched a war against Iran on 28 February, triggering Iran to respond with missile and drone attacks on its Gulf neighbours.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Pakistan\u2019s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has said he is \u201cdeeply saddened by the tragic death of two Pakistani nationals in Dubai caused by missile debris\u201d. In a statement on X<\/a>, he added:<\/p>\n double quotation markOur diplomatic missions in the UAE are in close contact with the Dubai authorities to provide all necessary assistance and to facilitate the repatriation process. Our hearts go out to the bereaved family in this hour of grief.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The US embassy in Oslo was hit by a loud explosion early on Sunday morning, causing minor damage but no injuries, according to Norwegian police. The blast at the embassy compound in western Oslo reportedly occurred at about 1am local time (0000 GMT).<\/p>\n Police are searching for one or more potential perpetrators, with Norway\u2019s justice minister, Astri Aas-Hansen, saying they had deployed \u201cconsiderable resources\u201d to the investigation. \u201cThis is an unacceptable incident that we are taking very seriously,\u201d she told Norwegian press agency NTB.<\/p>\n Norwegian police and technicians stand outside the US embassy in Oslo. Police said the blast occurred at the entry to the consular section. Photograph: Hans O Torgersen\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.18 EDT<\/p>\n Yvette Cooper sidestepped a question about UK-US relations being in trouble by saying there is still close cooperation on a range of issues, although divergence can happen as she said it is not in the British interest to \u201cunquestioningly agree\u201d with every strand of American policy.<\/p>\n She made the point of saying it was \u201cimportant to learn the lessons\u201d from the devastating US-led invasion of Iraq, when it comes to Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.19 EDT<\/p>\n UK government’s job is not to be ‘outsourcing our foreign policy’, foreign secretary says<\/p>\n The UK\u2019s foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, has told the BBC that the government\u2019s job is not to be \u201coutsourcing our foreign policy\u201d.<\/p>\n Speaking on Laura Kuenssberg\u2019s Sunday politics programme, Cooper said:<\/p>\n double quotation markIt\u2019s for the US president to decide what he thinks is in the US national interest, and that\u2019s for him to do.<\/p>\n But it is our job as the UK government to decide what\u2019s in the UK national interest, and that doesn\u2019t mean simply agreeing with other countries or outsourcing our foreign policy to other countries.<\/p>\n Yvette Cooper says she strongly supports the decisions Keir Starmer has taken in relation to Iran. Photograph: Jeff Overs\/BBC\/PA<\/p>\n Asked if the UK was at war, Cooper responded: \u201cWe are providing defensive support in a conflict, and that is, I think, the way to describe it.\u201d<\/p>\n Her comments followed renewed criticism from the US president, Donald Trump, who has apparently told the UK he does not need its aircraft carriers and accused the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, of seeking to \u201cjoin wars after we\u2019ve already won\u201d, in reference to reports that the UK was preparing an aircraft carrier in response to the escalating conflict.<\/p>\n Relations between Washington and London have sunk to a low point, with Trump strongly criticising Starmer for the lack of immediate UK support for the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.08 EDT<\/p>\n Here are some of the latest pictures being sent to us from Tehran after overnight Israeli and US airstrikes reportedly struck oil sites around the Iranian capital:<\/p>\n Smoke rises after a reported strike on fuel tanks at an oil refinery in Tehran, Iran. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour\/ReutersA resident stands on the roof of his house covered with soot after an overnight strike on the Tehran oil refinery. Photograph: Atta Kenare\/AFP\/Getty ImagesSmoke rises following an explosion in Tehran on 8 March 2026. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n As the war in the Middle East, started by Israel<\/a> and the US, continues to escalate, we would like to hear how people living, working or travelling in the region have been affected.<\/p>\n Whether you are in the region or impacted in other ways, please get in touch here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Please note that while we\u2019d like to hear from you, your security is most important. We recognise it may not always be safe or appropriate to record or share your experiences, so please think about this when considering whether to get in touch with the Guardian.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Guardian\u2019s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour<\/a>, has written an interesting analysis piece<\/a> looking at the backlash to the Iranian president\u2019s comments, which took many observers by surprise. Here is an extract:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe surprise offer by the president of Iran<\/a>, Masoud Pezeshkian, not to attack countries in the neighbourhood so long as their airspace and US bases within their territories are not used to attack Iran has provoked a storm inside the country as the military appeared to contradict him, if not outright overrule him.<\/p>\n There were also calls for a new supreme leader to be installed as quickly as possible, as a means of marginalising the president. Attacks on facilities in Bahrain and elsewhere have continued, and there were unconfirmed reports that Bahrain had become the first Gulf country to fire back at Iran \u2026<\/p>\n The backlash over Pezeshkian\u2019s offer was made worse by him including an apology to the region on behalf of himself and the nation in his pre-recorded address on state TV.<\/p>\n He also implied that after the US attack on its top command, rudderless armed forces may have been forced to make targeting decisions on their own.<\/p>\n In a television address, Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to countries in the region that had been attacked, provoking a backlash from hardliners. Photograph: XShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.23 EDT<\/p>\n Iran’s president says his country will ‘not bow easily to bullying’<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has said his country will \u201cnot bow easily\u201d to \u201cbullying\u201d and vowed to continue to respond against attacks.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we are attacked, we have no choice but to respond. The more pressure they impose on us, the stronger our response will naturally be,\u201d Pezeshkian said in video comments this morning.<\/p>\n \u201cOur Iran, our country, will not bow easily in the face of bullying, oppression or aggression \u2013 and it never has.\u201d<\/p>\n As we reported in an earlier post<\/a>, the Iranian president on Saturday apologised to neighbouring Gulf countries hosting US military bases for attacks on their territory.<\/p>\n However, after the statement provoked a backlash inside the country and the military appeared to contradict him, Pezeshkian said his remarks were \u201cmisinterpreted by the enemy that seeks to sow division with neighbours\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.21 EDT<\/p>\n Huge fire engulfs tower in Kuwait after drone strikes<\/p>\n There is footage of a huge fire engulfing a tower in Kuwait city following drone strikes in the early hours of Sunday morning.<\/p>\n It is reported to have broken out at a government site operated by the Public Institution for Social Security in Kuwait. In a social media post, the department said:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe main building of the organization was targeted, resulting in material damage to the building.<\/p>\n The fire appears to be under control now.<\/p>\n Smoke rises in the aftermath of a reported drone attack in Kuwait City. Photograph: Social Media\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Oman Air has cancelled<\/a> flights to and from Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad and Khasab \u201cdue to ongoing regional airspace closures\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Cyprus\u2019 foreign minister Constantinos Kombos has told the Guardian that explosive-packed drones directed at British military bases on the island were launched from Lebanon<\/a>, 150 miles to the Mediterranean island\u2019s east.<\/p>\n A European armada and air defense assets have rushed to the EU member state as part of an unprecedented security cordon thrown around it.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now it\u2019s a fact that we have to be looking towards the Lebanese front,\u201d said the minister, confirming the drones\u2019 provenance for the first time. \u201cWe cannot exclude anything from the broader direction of the north-east. We have to be very careful \u2026 we have to make sure that the systems in place are covering all possibilities of threat.\u201d<\/p>\n Cypriot officials, who take pride in the neutrality and humanitarian role of an island nation that is also the EU\u2019s closest state to the Middle East, are adamant it is the British bases, not the republic, that have been singled out for attack since the onset of the US-led offensive against Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Summary<\/p>\n As we hand over the blog to our colleagues in London, here\u2019s a quick summary of today\u2019s events as the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate and the strikes show no sign of relenting.<\/p>\n Here is what you need to know so far.<\/p>\n A fresh wave of Iranian strikes hit the Gulf on Sunday, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait all reporting new attacks. Saudi Arabia\u2019s defence ministry reported intercepting 15 drones. In Bahrain, the strikes did \u201cmaterial damage\u201d to a crucial desalination plant .<\/p>\n Kuwait\u2019s national oil company announced a \u201cprecautionary\u201d cut to its crude oil production after the strikes. The military said fuel tanks at Kuwait\u2019s international airport were targeted in a drone attack and two firefighters were killed.<\/p>\n Overnight strikes by the US and Israel hit five oil sites around Tehran, according to an Iran official. The official said that the five facilities \u201cwere damaged\u201d but the \u201cfire was brought under control\u201d.<\/p>\n Donald Trump had said he is not interested in negotiating with Iran, raising the possibility that the Iran war would only end once Tehran no longer has a functioning military and its leadership is completely wiped out. But while Trump claimed the US and Israel had \u201cdecimated\u201d the Iranian regime, he offered only a vague description<\/a> of what he meant by Iran\u2019s unconditional surrender.<\/p>\n Trump left open the possibility of deploying American troops on the ground. The US president addressed reporters hours after travelling to Dover air force base in Delaware to attend the transfer of the bodies of six US service members killed in the opening days of his war against Iran.<\/p>\n A majority consensus has almost been reached by the clerical body that will appoint the successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and become Iran\u2019s next supreme leader, according to reports. Israel\u2019s military said it would continue to pursue any successor to Khamenei.<\/p>\n Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said his country \u201cwill be forced to respond\u201d to any attack or invasion attempt from a neighbouring country. His comments came after a backlash by hardliners and within Iranian military ranks after the president appeared to apologise to neighbouring Gulf countries attacked by Iran as they targeted US military bases. Pezeshkian said his comments had been \u201cmisinterpreted by the enemy\u201d.<\/p>\n At least 16 were killed in Lebanon after Israeli renewed its assault on Beirut and southern Lebanon. Four were killed in a blast on a hotel in Beirut and 12 were killed in strikes on southern Lebanon as Israel said it was targeting \u201ckey commanders\u201d in the IGRC\u2019s Quds Force foreign operations arm.<\/p>\n In a post on social media, Trump renewed his criticism of the UK\u2019s lack of immediate support for US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and claimed Downing Street was now \u201cgiving serious thought\u201d to sending two aircraft carriers to the region. \u201cThat\u2019s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don\u2019t need them any longer \u2013 But we will remember,\u201d the US president wrote.<\/p>\n Trump has warned in a Truth Social post that more Iranian officials will be targeted, saying: \u201cToday Iran will be hit very hard!\u201d.<\/p>\n China\u2019s foreign minister says Iran war \u2018should never have happened\u2019. Wang warned that the US-Israel push for regime change in Iran would \u201cfind no popular support\u201d and said \u201cthe world cannot return to the law of the jungle\u201d.<\/p>\n![\"Helena](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772966831_890_helena.jpg\")
Helena Smith<\/p>\n