BBC visits aftermath of Israeli strike on Lebanon that killed familypublished at 05:09 GMT
Image caption,
The yellow flag of the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah was hanging on top of a pile of rubble
As Israel continues to attack targets connected to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the BBC visited the remains of a home where eight members of a family, including three children, were killed in a strike.
The strike hit a home and shop on Wednesday evening as an extended family, including three children – aged five, nine and 14 – were gathering to break the Ramadan fast, locals said.
It is one of hundreds of strikes the Israeli military has carried out in Lebanon since the war with Hezbollah resumed almost two weeks ago.
The Israeli military told the BBC it had targeted “Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure while Hezbollah operatives were present”.
Neighbours and relatives at the scene said they had no knowledge of this.
Read more from BBC reporter Alice Cuddy in Younine, Lebanon here.
How countries have responded to Trump’s call to secure Strait of Hormuzpublished at 04:33 GMT
In a post on his platform Truth Social on Saturday, Trump wrote that he hoped five countries – China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK – would send warships to the Strait of Hormuz so it can “no longer be a threat” by Iran.
Here’s how some of the countries have responded so far:
UK: “As we’ve said previously, we are currently discussing with our allies and partners a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region,” a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson says.
China: A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told CNN that China calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The spokesperson did not say whether Beijing would accept Trump’s request, but said all parties have a responsibility to ensure a stable and unimpeded energy supply, adding that China would continue to strengthen communication with relevant parties.
Japan: Tokyo, which sees the US as its closest ally, has not officially responded to Trump’s call yet. But officials told Japanese outlet NHK Sunday that this issue could be on the agenda of PM Sanae Takaichi’s upcoming trip to the US, which starts Wednesday.
A foreign ministry official told the outlet that Japan will not immediately dispatch naval vessels just because Trump asked. “Japan decides its own response, and independent judgment is fundamental,” the official said.
France: The French government has not issued an immediate response either.
But on Saturday, hours after Trump’s post, the foreign ministry’s official response account on X denied reports that the country was sending its warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
“No, [the French] aircraft carrier and its group [are] staying the eastern Mediterranean. Posture has not changed: defensive it is,” the post reads.
South Korea: There has been no immediate response from Seoul.
F1 cancels two upcoming races in Middle Eastpublished at 03:53 GMT
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
The Bahrain Grand Prix in 2025
The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix events have officially been cancelled, Formula One has announced.
They were initially scheduled for 12 April and 19 April respectively.
In a statement, Formula One says the cancellation is due to the “ongoing situation in the Middle East” and while alternatives were considered, no substitutions will be made for the races.
The cancellations mean there will be a five-week gap between the Japanese Grand Prix on 27-29 March and Miami on 1-3 May.
“The FIA will always place the safety and wellbeing of our community and colleagues first. After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind,” said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar report interceptionspublished at 03:26 GMT
The Saudi Arabian defence ministry says on its official X account that it has recently intercepted and destroyed seven drones in Riyadh and the Eastern Region.
Earlier this morning, authorities in Dubai and Qatar also reported air defence interceptions.
Dubai’s media office posted on X, saying the sounds heard in the Marina and Al Sufouh areas were the result of successful interceptions.
Kuwait has also reported several drone interceptions.
Meanwhile, the Qatari defence ministry said it had intercepted four ballistic missiles and a number of drones launched by Iran on Saturday.
Americans urged to leave countries across Middle Eastpublished at 02:54 GMT
As we reported earlier, the US embassy in Baghdad has issued a fresh warning for its citizens to leave Iraq after a missile hit the embassy building earlier on Saturday.
In its warning, the US embassy said citizens should “leave Iraq now”.
“US citizens choosing to remain in Iraq are strongly encouraged to reconsider in light of the significant threat posed by Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups,” the embassy wrote.
As Iran has launched strikes at US targets across the Middle East, the US has urged its citizens to leave more than a dozen countries.
Separately, the US said on Saturday it had ordered non-emergency government employees and the relatives of government employees to leave Oman, according to Reuters.
Israel intercepts Iranian missilespublished at 02:23 GMT
The Israeli military says it has been intercepting missiles launched from Iran in the early hours of the morning.
The missile barrage was targeted at central Israel, emergency services say.
No injuries have been reported so far by Israeli authorities.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Reuters
Image source, AFP
Tokyo cautious over Trump’s Strait of Hormuz call, reports saypublished at 01:54 GMT
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is visiting the US soon for talks with Trump
But the Japanese government believes the issue could be on the agenda during Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s upcoming trip to the US, which starts on Wednesday, according to local media.
A defence ministry official told Japanese outlet NHK on Sunday morning that Japan could be “forced to make difficult decisions” if it dispatches its Self-Defence Forces.
The official added that the government needs to “carefully assess” whether there will be special requests regarding this during the Japan-US summit.
Meanwhile, a foreign ministry official told the outlet that Tokyo will not immediately dispatch naval vessels just because Trump asked.
“Japan decides its own response, and independent judgment is fundamental,” the official said.
US identifies six soldiers killed in refuelling aircraft crashpublished at 01:26 GMT
The US Department of Defense has identified the six soldiers who died in a military refuelling aircraft crash in Iraq on 12 March.
A statement released on Saturday named them as John A. Klinner, Ariana G. Savino, Ashley B. Pruitt, Seth R. Koval, Curtis J. Angst and Tyler H. Simmons.
They were crew members of a KC-135 aircraft, a tanker that was involved in ongoing US operations against Iran.
The Pentagon has said the incident is under investigation. The US previously said neither hostile nor friendly fire was involved in the loss of the aircraft.
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Captain Ariana G. Savino was one of the US personnel killed in the crash
Iraq to fly private plane to World Cup play-off in Mexicopublished at 01:08 GMT
Image source, Reuters
Iraq’s football team plans to travel to Mexico by private plane for their World Cup play-off, though coach Graham Arnold has asked to postpone the match because of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Iraq’s team is due to play either Bolivia or Suriname in Monterrey on 31 March, with the winner of the inter-continental play-off booking their place at the 2026 World Cup.
Airspace across much of the Middle East has been closed since 28 February.
In a video statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency, Iraq Football Association chief Adnan Dirjal said he had written to Fifa to explain the “difficulty of the journey” because of the war.
“The national team will depart at the end of the week to Mexico via a private plane,” he said.
“My message to everyone: only 17 days remain, and we must focus and prepare for the match. We have one goal, which is qualifying for the World Cup,” Dirjal added.
Trump questions whether Iran’s new supreme leader alivepublished at 00:36 GMT
In that interview with NBC on Saturday, Trump also raised questions about the fate of Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s slain former leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him,” Trump said, because Khamenei issued his first statement via writing rather than speaking on camera on Thursday.
“I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender,” Trump added, before describing the news of his death as a “rumour”.
Trump says he’s not ready to make a dealpublished at 23:57 GMT 14 March
In a telephone interview with US outlet NBC News on Saturday, US President Donald Trump said Iran wanted to make a deal, but he was unwilling to do so now “because the terms are not good enough yet”.
Though he refused to say what those terms would be, Trump said that an Iranian commitment to abandon any nuclear ambitions would be part of a potential deal.
In the same interview, Trump also said that several countries have committed to helping secure the Strait of Hormuz, though he refused to name them.
Trump also said that the US had “totally demolished” Kharg Island – a critical hub for Iranian oil exports – but added that “we may hit it a few more times just for fun”.
He also shrugged off fears about rising oil prices. “There’s so much oil, gas – there’s so much out there, but you know, it’s being clogged up a little bit. It’ll be unclogged very soon,” he said.
Footballers withdraw Australia asylum applications, Iran sayspublished at 23:30 GMT 14 March
Ghoncheh Habibiazad Senior reporter, BBC Persian
As we learned a little earlier, Iran’s Ministry of Sports has officially confirmed that three more members of Iranian women’s national football team withdrew their asylum applications to Australia.
According to the statement published by the website of reformist daily Shargh, Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Sarbali, and Zahra Meshkeh Kar – two players and one member of the coaching staff – are returning to Iran.
The statement says that another player, Mohaddeseh Zolfi, had previously announced her decision to return to Iran.
“The national spirit and patriotism of the Iranian women’s national football team defeated the enemy’s plans against this team”, the statement says, also accusing Australia’s government of “playing in Trump’s field”.
US President Donald Trump had said that on Truth Social platform that Australia should “give asylum” to the women or “the US will take them if you won’t.”
Swiss government denies request from US military to fly over its territorypublished at 22:20 GMT 14 March
Switzerland has denied two requests from the US to fly over its territory as part of the military action in the Middle East.
It cited its law of neutrality, which “prohibits overflights by parties to the conflict that serve a military purpose related to the conflict”, the government’s statement says.
However, the Swiss government says it did allow three other flights, one for maintenance and two for transport aircraft.
‘We will end up with a ruined Iran’: Three Iranians share views on US striking key oil islandpublished at 21:54 GMT 14 March
Ghoncheh Habibiazad Senior reporter, BBC Persian
It’s still very difficult to contact those inside Iran amid the internet outage imposed by the government at the start of the war, but some residents have been finding ways – such as using Starlink devices and sharing their connection with others – to get in touch with the outside world.
“I strongly disagree and I’m worried. I think at this pace we will end up with a ruined Iran,” a man in his 20s, from Tehran, tells me.
“I just hope energy facilities are not attacked. It’s unclear how many years it would take to rebuild them, but I really don’t care about military sites,” says another man in his 20s, from Karaj.
“I went there once, years ago. It’s a very small island with kind people, but even then the situation wasn’t very good,” a man in his 30s from the capital tells me. “I felt the island hadn’t progressed much, and I think it’s the Islamic Republic fault that they were neglected.”
Media caption,
Watch: Why Kharg Island is a lifeline for Iran
BBC Persian is the Persian language service of BBC News, used by 24 million people around the world – the majority in Iran – despite being blocked and routinely jammed by Iranian authorities.
Lebanon says Israeli strike on health centre killed 12 medical workerspublished at 21:41 GMT 14 March
An Israeli strike on a health centre in southern Lebanon on Friday killed 12 medical workers, including doctors and nurses, Lebanon’s ministry of public health says.
The strike has been condemned by the chief of the World Health Organization. “These incidents highlight the ongoing assault on Lebanon’s healthcare system, which is crucial for the populations it serves,” Tedros Ghebreyesus says.
“WHO condemns this tragic loss of life and emphasises that health workers must always be protected.”
The Israeli military says it’s aware of reports of a strike in the Borj Qalaouiye area in southern Lebanon, and the incident is under review.
You are attacking the peacemakers, UAE tells Iranpublished at 20:59 GMT 14 March
Image source, Reuters
A little earlier, UAE Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh told NBC News her country had responded well to a “really disgusting, illegal onslaught” from Iran, which has included strikes “shockingly aimed at civilian infrastructure”.
The UAE did not want this war but will “fully and assertively” defend itself, she added, accusing Iran of “attacking the peacemakers in the region”.
Commenting on Iran’s ballistic missile programme, she said the past 14 days have shown there is no world in which countries can safely coexist with Iran while it has those capabilities.
Despite this, Nusseibeh described life in the UAE as “pretty normal” given the circumstances, albeit “tense”.
Six arrested in Bahrain for sharing videos of Iran attackspublished at 20:47 GMT 14 March
Six people have been arrested in Bahrain for posting videos of the aftermath of Iranian strikes, the country’s interior ministry says.
In a statement, it says the detainees were glorifying Iran’s actions and “spreading false information”.
“The Interior Ministry stated that the videos were circulated through their social media accounts, which could mislead public opinion, spread fear among citizens and residents, and undermine security and public order,” it adds.
Earlier we shared that at least 45 people have been arrested the United Arab Emirates, for sharing images on social media related to Iranian attacks on that country.
Fire continues to burn at key oil port in UAE, government sayspublished at 20:39 GMT 14 March
The Fujairah Government media office says they are still trying to put out a fire caused by debris that fell on the port after a targeted strike.
In a statement, it adds that a Jordanian citizen sustained minor injuries in the incident.
The UAE port Fujairah was targeted by a strike earlier on Saturday. It’s a key location for the refuelling of ships and one of the largest oil storage facilities in the region.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Smoke rises from a major energy installation in Fujairah
Strikes heard across Tehran, sources tell the BBCpublished at 20:14 GMT 14 March
Ghoncheh Habibiazad Senior reporter, BBC Persian
Strikes have been heard in Tehran’s centre and west, as air defence sounds are heard in the east, three sources in the Iranian capital city tell me.
More than 40 people arrested over filming, sharing photos of Iran attacks in UAEpublished at 20:08 GMT 14 March
Nick Beake Europe Correspondent reporting from Dubai
Police in Abu Dhabi, the federal capital of the United Arab Emirates, say they have arrested 45 people for filming and sharing images on social media related to Iranian attacks on the country.
Officers said those who’d been detained were of various nationalities.
The UAE authorities have warned they will crack down on activity that “provokes public opinion and spread rumours.”
Yesterday, the British Embassy in the UAE shared a message on its social media about the risk of prosecution for people taking photos or videos where there had been Iranian attacks or of recording at military or sensitive locations.
Here in Dubai, a 60 year-old British man was charged under cyber-crime laws in Dubai after allegedly filming Iranian missiles over the city.
Few details about the case have emerged.
It’s a reminder that while the UAE may market itself as a global hub and beacon of business, there are often greater restrictions on what you can say and post in Gulf states than in most of the western countries many expats have left for Dubai.
Trump ‘surprised’ US allies in the Gulf have been targeted
Donald Trump has said he is “surprised” that US allies in the Gulf have been targeted by Iran, in an interview with NBC News.
The president called these countries “terrific”, adding that “they got shot at unnecessarily.” When talking about Iran’s decision to target them, Trump said it was “the biggest surprise I had of this whole thing.”
A damaged building in the aftermath of a drone strike in the Seef district of Manama, Bahrain on 10 March. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
For decades, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Oman have allowed US military bases, infrastructure or access on their soil, and have been among the largest buyers of American weapons and technology. In return, the US has stood as the Gulf’s closest and most significant military partner and protector.
Now many of these countries have growing concerns over the relationship, analysts say, as they are pulled deeper into a war that they did not start and had diplomatically tried to prevent.
While the Gulf expected to be caught in the backlash, the scale of Iran’s campaign of revenge has left many shocked. Gulf states had assured Tehran that none of their bases would be used for attacks but that has not stopped Iran launching thousands of drones and missiles targeting airports, military bases, oil refineries, ports, hotels and office buildings.
Smoke rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Russia is supplying Iran with Shahed drones to use against the US and Israel, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CNN in an interview excerpt aired on Saturday.
Iran pioneered the Shahed drone, a much cheaper alternative to expensive missiles. They first saw mass use in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where thousands of them have been launched by Russian forces since fall 2022, according to the Ukrainians.
Although Iran initially provided the drones, Russia now manufactures its own Shaheds. The armed forces of other countries have since adopted Shahed-type drones, including the US military, which has said they are part of the current campaign against Iran.
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resident touches a Russian-Iranian Shahed-136 (Geran-2) kamikaze drone installed in front of Saint Michael’s Cathedral in Kyiv.”,”caption”:”A resident touches a Russian-Iranian Shahed-136 (Geran-2) kamikaze drone installed in front of Saint Michael’s Cathedral in Kyiv.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1773541151000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”22.19 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1773544958000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”23.22 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1773544354000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”23.12 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”23.12″,”title”:”Zelenskyy claims Russia is supplying Iran with drones”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 15 Mar 2026 01.00 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sat 14 Mar 2026 21.57 EDT”},{“id”:”69b602f48f086d5b46c02f89″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Donald Trump has said he is “surprised” that US allies in the Gulf have been targeted by Iran, in an interview with NBC News.
The president called these countries “terrific”, adding that “they got shot at unnecessarily.” When talking about Iran’s decision to target them, Trump said it was “the biggest surprise I had of this whole thing.”
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For decades, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Oman have allowed US military bases, infrastructure or access on their soil, and have been among the largest buyers of American weapons and technology. In return, the US has stood as the Gulf’s closest and most significant military partner and protector.
Now many of these countries have growing concerns over the relationship, analysts say, as they are pulled deeper into a war that they did not start and had diplomatically tried to prevent.
While the Gulf expected to be caught in the backlash, the scale of Iran’s campaign of revenge has left many shocked. Gulf states had assured Tehran that none of their bases would be used for attacks but that has not stopped Iran launching thousands of drones and missiles targeting airports, military bases, oil refineries, ports, hotels and office buildings.
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rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City.”,”caption”:”Smoke rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City.”,”credit”:”Photograph: AFP/Getty Images”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:true,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1773539873000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”21.57 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1773545384000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”23.29 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1773540289000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”22.04 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”22.04″,”title”:”Trump ‘surprised’ US allies in the Gulf have been targeted”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 15 Mar 2026 01.00 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sat 14 Mar 2026 21.57 EDT”},{“id”:”69b5fed28f08300dbfa3f243″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Hello and welcome to our continuing coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and the widening crisis in the Middle East that it’s causing.
Donald Trump has said that the US may carry out more strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub, saying that while Tehran appears ready to make a deal to end the conflict, “the terms aren’t good enough yet”.
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes have killed 826 people, including 65 women and 106 children, since the start of the war. In a statement today, the ministry said 31 paramedics were among those killed. Local health authorities reported this morning that an Israeli strike killed 12 medical staff at a clinic in the southern town of Burj Qalaouiya.
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At least 15 people were killed when a strike by Israel and the US hit a factory in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, the semi-official Fars news agency said. There were workers inside the factory, which produces heaters and refrigerators, when the strike hit, Fars reported.
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Iran issued an evacuation warning for three major ports in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, including the busiest in the Middle East, the Associated Press reported. Iran claims the US had used “ports, docks and hideouts” in the UAE to launch strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island. It urged people to evacuate areas where it said US forces were sheltering.
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Trump renewed his call for other nations to help secure the strait of Hormuz and said the US will coordinate with them amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. “The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help – A LOT,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
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The Trump administration rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war that started two weeks ago with a massive US-Israeli air assault, according to reporting from Reuters.
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The Israeli military says it killed two senior officials in Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Emergency Command in an airstrike on Tehran. In a post on X, army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Abdullah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat, described as senior figures in the command’s intelligence branch, were killed in the attack.
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Israel informed the US this week that it is running critically low on ballistic missile interceptors as the conflict with Iran continues, Semafor reported on Saturday, citing US officials familiar with the matter.
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr accused news broadcasters of “running hoaxes and news distortions” amid the war in Iran in a post on X. “Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions – also known as the fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up,” Carr wrote.
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Formula One has cancelled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia grands prix because of the war, underlining the disruption across the Middle East. The races were due to take place on 12 April in Bahrain and 19 April in Saudi Arabia but the sport was approaching the point at which a decision on cancellation needed to be made to prevent more freight being sent to Bahrain.
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Key events
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The United Arab Emirates is responding to Iranian missiles and drones, authorities said on Sunday morning, attributing “sounds heard” to interceptions.
“UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran,” the country’s defence ministry said in a statement.
On Saturday Iran issued an evacuation warning for three major ports in the UAE, claiming that the US had used “ports, docks and hideouts” in the UAE to launch strikes on Kharg Island, the vital Iranian oil export hub.
Iranian attacks on Gulf countries are “almost unhinged” the UAE’s minister for international cooperation Reem Al Hashimy told Australia’s ABC News earlier.
Iraq’s football team will travel to Mexico for a 2026 World Cup playoff match despite calls for it to be postponed due to the Middle East war, the country’s football association has announced.
“The national team will depart at the end of the week to Mexico via a private plane,” said Iraq football association president Adnan Dirjal in a statement, adding they had contacted Fifa to help facilitate the trip during the conflict in the region that has hampered flights.
“We succeeded in communicating with some of the clubs of our professional players to facilitate their joining the national team.”
The match date has been set for March 31 in the Mexican city of Monterrey.
Meanwhile the war, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on 28 February, has thrown into doubt Iran’s participation in the global spectacle.
Donald Trump warned on Thursday that the Iranian team’s “life and safety” would be at risk in the US, despite Fifa chief Gianni Infantino saying they would be welcome at the tournament.
The conflict had also cast doubt on the participation of Iraq, which neighbours Iran, due to travel disruption concerns, with its manager calling for Fifa to postpone the country’s playoff match.
Iraq’s head coach, Australian Graham Arnold, said many of the team’s players and technical staff were stranded in the Middle East due to the ongoing conflict.
Explosions rang out over Bahrain’s capital of Manama early on Sunday, the AFP news agency has reported.
Bahrain says it had intercepted 125 missiles and 203 drones since the start of Iran’s attacks, which have killed two people in the kingdom and 24 others in neighbouring Gulf nations.
Israel says it has identified missiles that were launched from Iran a short while ago, towards its territory.
In a post online, the military said defence systems are “operating to intercept the threat”, while warning citizens to enter protective spaces.
צה”ל זיהה כי לפני זמן קצר שוגרו טילים מאיראן לעבר שטח מדינת ישראל.
מערכות ההגנה פועלות ליירט את האיום. בדקות האחרונות פיקוד העורף הפיץ הנחייה מקדימה ישירות לטלפונים הניידים באזורים הרלוונטיים.
הציבור מתבקש לגלות אחריות ולפעול על פי ההנחיות – הן מצילות חיים.
The Trump administration’s communications licensing tsar fired a warning shot over the US broadcasting industry Saturday, threatening to cancel the spectrum permits of broadcasters pushing what he termed “hoaxes and news distortions”.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr posted on social media that broadcasters running “fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.”
Carr’s warning comes amid sustained complaints from Trump and members of the administration over its treatment by what it derisively terms “the mainstream media” and what it considers unflattering or unpatriotic coverage of the conflict in Iran.
In his post, Carr copied a Truth Social post by Trump complaining about “misleading” coverage on Iran.
Zelenskyy claims Russia is supplying Iran with drones
Russia is supplying Iran with Shahed drones to use against the US and Israel, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CNN in an interview excerpt aired on Saturday.
Zelenskyy told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that it is “100% facts” that Iran has used Russian-made Shaheds to attack US bases.
Shahed drones have been linked to other attacks on countries in the region, although their manufacturers are not always clear.
Iran pioneered the Shahed drone, a much cheaper alternative to expensive missiles. They first saw mass use in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where thousands of them have been launched by Russian forces since fall 2022, according to the Ukrainians.
Although Iran initially provided the drones, Russia now manufactures its own Shaheds. The armed forces of other countries have since adopted Shahed-type drones, including the US military, which has said they are part of the current campaign against Iran.
A resident touches a Russian-Iranian Shahed-136 (Geran-2) kamikaze drone installed in front of Saint Michael’s Cathedral in Kyiv. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
Britain is reportedly considering sending minehunting drones to unblock Iran’s stranglehold over the strait of Hormuz, as Donald Trump called for allied warships to protect tankers in the region.
The UK Ministry of Defence said “a range of options” were being considered to secure shipping through the strait, where some 20% of the world’s oil ordinarily passes through each day.”
The Sunday Times, which first reported the proposals, said the minehunting drones could be deployed from the Royal Navy’s Mine and Threat Exploitation Group, which is currently in the Middle East.
But the newspaper said it is not known how many drones are in service and which could be deployed.
The Sunday Telegraph meanwhile reported that interceptor drones, made in the UK for Ukraine to use against Russia, could also be used against Iran’s aerial Shahed drones.
Iran’s attacks on Gulf countries are “almost unhinged” the UAE’s minister for international cooperation Reem Al Hashimy has told Australia’s ABC news.
Iran has fired over 1,800 missiles and drones at the Emirates, more than any other country targeted by Tehran in the conflict, upending its aura of tranquillity despite its air defence intercepting a vast majority of the projectiles.
Al Hashimy called it “unprecedented”.
We’ve borne the brunt of most of the missiles and drone attacks, and it’s really quite surprising for us that Iran has taken such an irrational path to fight the Gulf states and act in this quite unlawful, quite unacceptable manner.”
Smoke rises from the direction of a major UAE energy installation on Saturday. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
A steeplejack assesses the damage after a building was in Dubai’s Creek Harbour. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
A view of the damaged part of one of the buildings of Dubai International Financial Centre on Friday. Photograph: EPA/STRINGER
The US State Department has ordered “non-emergency US government employees” and the family members of US government employees to leave Oman, citing “safety risks” in the country.
It did so on Friday, according to a update published by the US Embassy in Oman.
Trump ‘surprised’ US allies in the Gulf have been targeted
Donald Trump has said he is “surprised” that US allies in the Gulf have been targeted by Iran, in an interview with NBC News.
The president called these countries “terrific”, adding that “they got shot at unnecessarily.” When talking about Iran’s decision to target them, Trump said it was “the biggest surprise I had of this whole thing.”
A damaged building in the aftermath of a drone strike in the Seef district of Manama, Bahrain on 10 March. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
For decades, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Oman have allowed US military bases, infrastructure or access on their soil, and have been among the largest buyers of American weapons and technology. In return, the US has stood as the Gulf’s closest and most significant military partner and protector.
Now many of these countries have growing concerns over the relationship, analysts say, as they are pulled deeper into a war that they did not start and had diplomatically tried to prevent.
While the Gulf expected to be caught in the backlash, the scale of Iran’s campaign of revenge has left many shocked. Gulf states had assured Tehran that none of their bases would be used for attacks but that has not stopped Iran launching thousands of drones and missiles targeting airports, military bases, oil refineries, ports, hotels and office buildings.
Smoke rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Welcome summary
Hello and welcome to our continuing coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and the widening crisis in the Middle East that it’s causing.
Donald Trump has said that the US may carry out more strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub, saying that while Tehran appears ready to make a deal to end the conflict, “the terms aren’t good enough yet”.
He said the US strikes had “totally demolished” most of Kharg Island, telling NBC News that “we may hit it a few more times just for fun”.
The comments marked an escalation in rhetoric from the president, who had previously said the US targeted only military sites on Kharg.
Here’s what else has been happening.
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes have killed 826 people, including 65 women and 106 children, since the start of the war. In a statement today, the ministry said 31 paramedics were among those killed. Local health authorities reported this morning that an Israeli strike killed 12 medical staff at a clinic in the southern town of Burj Qalaouiya.
At least 15 people were killed when a strike by Israel and the US hit a factory in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, the semi-official Fars news agency said. There were workers inside the factory, which produces heaters and refrigerators, when the strike hit, Fars reported.
Iran issued an evacuation warning for three major ports in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, including the busiest in the Middle East, the Associated Press reported. Iran claims the US had used “ports, docks and hideouts” in the UAE to launch strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island. It urged people to evacuate areas where it said US forces were sheltering.
Trump renewed his call for other nations to help secure the strait of Hormuz and said the US will coordinate with them amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. “The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help – A LOT,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
The Trump administration rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war that started two weeks ago with a massive US-Israeli air assault, according to reporting from Reuters.
The Israeli military says it killed two senior officials in Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Emergency Command in an airstrike on Tehran. In a post on X, army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Abdullah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat, described as senior figures in the command’s intelligence branch, were killed in the attack.
Israel informed the US this week that it is running critically low on ballistic missile interceptors as the conflict with Iran continues, Semafor reported on Saturday, citing US officials familiar with the matter.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr accused news broadcasters of “running hoaxes and news distortions” amid the war in Iran in a post on X. “Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions – also known as the fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up,” Carr wrote.
Formula One has cancelled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia grands prix because of the war, underlining the disruption across the Middle East. The races were due to take place on 12 April in Bahrain and 19 April in Saudi Arabia but the sport was approaching the point at which a decision on cancellation needed to be made to prevent more freight being sent to Bahrain.
“Hi, it’s me, Donald Trump,” he said, addressing the audience as the family remained frozen behind him. “You might remember me from such campaign promises as ‘lower gas prices’ and ‘no more wars.’ Psych! We love to make promises, because a promise is just a lie that hasn’t happened yet. But now it has, and gas costs like a million, billion dollars a gallon.”
Referencing the music of Harry Styles, the evening’s “SNL” host, Johnson’s Trump added, “The stock market is going in one direction: Down.” He also explained gas prices are “very high because of war with Iran, which is where they make gas. I wish someone had told me that.”
The cold open also referenced Chalamet’s controversial recent remarks that “no one cares about” ballet or opera anymore. The “Marty Supreme” actor made the comments during a discussion about keeping movie theaters alive.
“We will win this war because Iran is old and nobody likes them,” Johnson’s Trump said. “Iran is like ballet and opera, and we’re Timmy Chalamet.”
Colin Jost’s Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also appeared in the opening sketch, entering the scene by stepping out of a car while cans of beer spilled out.
“If you’re wondering why I was in the back seat of this random family’s car, I’ll tell you the same thing I say when people ask about our plans for Iran: I don’t know,” he said.
Jost as Hegseth went on to complain that the media was “using what I do and say to make me look like a fool.”
Styles hosted the March 14 episode of “SNL,” on which he also served as musical guest. The Grammy-winning singer had not performed double duty on “SNL” since 2019.
The United States’ war with Iran has been a focus in each of the past three cold opens on “SNL.” The show’s Feb. 28 episode aired the same day the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran, leading Johnson’s Trump to announce that the strikes were intended to “cause immeasurable fear, rage and chaos in the ‘SNL’ writer’s room.” The sketch implied “SNL” intended to begin that week’s episode by tackling the State of the Union instead.
Last week, Jost as Hegseth also declared in an opening sketch that “we’re treating Iran like the breathalyzer in my car and blowing it the hell up.”
Who’s hosting ‘SNL’ next?
“SNL” will return with new episodes on April 4 with host Jack Black and musical guest Jack White.
