Live updates: Iran’s intelligence minister killed by Israel; U.S. unleashes bunker busters
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Esmail Khatib was killed in a strike in Tehran, a day after Israel killed top national security official Ali Larijani and former Basij militia chief Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani.
What we know
- TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL KILLED: Iran has confirmed Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib was killed by Israel last night, a day after top national security official Ali Larijani and former Basij militia chief Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani were killed.
- DIGNIFIED TRANSFER: President Donald Trump is set to pay his respects this afternoon as the remains of six service members killed in a crash of a refueling aircraft are returned to the U.S.
- U.S. UNLEASHES BUNKER BUSTERS: U.S. forces “successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites” along the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM said.
- EMBASSY SECURITY REVIEW: The State Department ordered U.S. embassies and consular posts worldwide to “immediately” undertake a security review, citing “the ongoing and developing situation in the Middle East and the potential for spill-over effects,” according to a cable seen by NBC News.
- HEART OF BEIRUT HIT: Israeli airstrikes killed at least 10 people in the heart of Beirut, the Lebanese Health Ministry said, as Israel intensified its offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
- DEATH TOLL: More than 2,000 people have been killed across the Middle East. In Iran, Israeli and American strikes have killed more than 1,200 people, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. At least 850 people have been killed in Lebanon, and 13 have died in Israel. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed, and two more died of noncombat causes.
- INSIGHTS AND ANALYSIS: Get exclusive analysis and insight into the Middle East conflict by becoming an NBC News subscriber.
Benjamin Netanyahu tried to dispel viral rumors of his death. Some social media users aren’t convinced.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become the subject of a widely debunked but ongoing claim that he is dead, a particularly high-profile example of the clouded and exceedingly fraught information environment created by the mix of AI and social media.
Social media users began to speculate about the Israeli leader’s well-being after footage of a recent televised address began circulating online last week, in which Netanyahu gave an update on the war in Iran.
Some viewers suggested the video was AI-generated, noting that at one point, Netanyahu’s hand appears to have six fingers, a common artifact of generative artificial intelligence output. Screen grabs of his hand became widespread on platforms like X.
Fact-checking website PolitiFact rated the six-finger claims false, writing that “a trick of light likely made part of his palm appear to be an extra finger.”
But unsubstantiated rumors of Netanyahu’s death continued to spread, with TikTokers and meme accounts analyzing subsequent posts from his account.
Netanyahu, 76, has made few pre-announced public appearances since the war broke out, with Iran having vowed to target him personally in retaliation for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian missile hits gas facility in Qatar, Qatari ministry of defense says
An Iranian missile hit the Ras Laffan gas facility in Qatar, the Qatari ministry of defense announced in a post on X.
"The Qatari Ministry of Defense announces that the State of Qatar was subjected today, Wednesday, to an attack involving (5) ballistic missiles launched from the Islamic Republic of Iran," the post said. "Our Armed Forces, 'by the grace of God,' successfully intercepted (4) of the ballistic missiles, while one missile fell in Ras Laffan Industrial City, causing a fire. Civil Defense teams are currently responding and working to contain the fire."
Republican leaders reject demands for public hearings on Trump’s war with Iran
As the Iran war stretches into its third week, Democrats say they’re done with all of the classified briefings from top administration officials.
They now want public hearings into whether President Donald Trump plans to put U.S. boots on the ground in Iran, secure nuclear material there and how he plans to end the deadly conflict in the Middle East.
Few Republicans agree that such hearings are needed. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., went even further, suggesting that public hearings would compromise the operation in Iran.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who has led unsuccessful efforts to pass war powers resolutions to rein in Trump’s military operations, said that Trump “hasn’t given a rationale that’s convincing for this. ... We have now said we’re tired of the classified briefings. We’re tired of hiding this from the public.”
“When you keep something in secret, there’s a reason you keep it in secret because you don’t believe it will stand analysis in the light of day,” he said.
Trump to attend dignified transfer for 6 service members killed last week
Trump is set to attend a dignified transfer this afternoon at Dover Air Force Base for the six service members killed in last week's KC-135 crash, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told NBC News.
The six Air Force airmen who were supporting Operation Epic Fury were, according to the Defense Department:
"Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Ala.; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Wash.; and Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Ky., were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. and Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Ind.; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio."
"The six Airmen died on March 12, 2026, in the crash of a KC-135 in western Iraq," the department said.
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrive at Dover Air Force Base today. Alex Wong / Getty Images
Vance says Trump isn’t interested in getting U.S. into ‘long-term quagmires’ with Iran
Vice President JD Vance said at an event in Michigan today that Trump is “not interested in getting us, you know, in the kind of long-term quagmires that we’ve seen in years past” in the war with Iran.
In remarks at an engineering facility in Auburn Hills, Vance called the rise in gas prices a “temporary blip” and said they will “come back down to reality” after the administration “takes care of business” in the Middle East.
But Vance acknowledged the problem that rising prices are posing for Americans. “We’re working on a number of things, in fact, a couple of things that I think will be announced in just the next 24 to 48 hours,” he said.
Asked about counterterrorism chief Joe Kent’s resignation from the administration over his belief that Iran did not present an imminent threat to the U.S., Vance said, “Whatever your view is, when the president of the United States makes a decision, it’s your job to help make that decision as effective and successful as possible.”
“It’s fine to disagree,” he continued. “But once the president makes a decision, it’s up to everybody who serves in his administration to make it as successful as possible. That’s how I do my job, and I think that’s how everybody in the administration should do their job, too.”
Iran women's soccer player denies government pressure on families
A player on the Iranian women's soccer team denied that she returned to Iran after being granted asylum in Australia over retaliation fears for her family.
Six players and a support staff member from a squad list of 26 players accepted humanitarian visas to stay in Australia in recent weeks. But five have since rescinded the asylum offers and returned to Iran.
In a statement to Iranian semiofficial news agency Tasnim via Telegram, one of the players, Mohaddeseh Zolfi, said she "strongly" denies media reports about the players returning due to fears for their families' safety.
Mohaddeseh Zolfi of Iran during a match against the Philippines on March 8 in Gold Coast, Australia. Albert Perez / Getty Images
"I missed my family and my homeland, and nowhere becomes a person’s homeland," she said. "There was absolutely no threat or pressure on our families, and this matter is completely incorrect."
"We thank the football federation in Tabriz and Tehran for supporting our players," she added. "Our girls are not traitors; they are assets of this country."
Iran warns civilians near oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar
Iranian state media warned civilians living around oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, saying that it will target the sites in the coming hours.
In a post on Telegram, Iranian semiofficial news agency Tasnim said people should stay away from a number of oil refineries: the Samref refinery and the Jubail petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia; Mesaieed petrochemical complex, Mesaieed Holding Company and Ras Laffan refinery in Qatar; and the Al Hosn gas field in the UAE.
"These centres have become direct and legitimate targets and will be targeted in the coming hours," Tasnim said in the post. "Therefore, all citizens, residents, and workers are requested to immediately leave these areas and move to a safe distance without any delay."
"Previously, clear and repeated warnings had been given to your rulers about entering this dangerous path and gambling with the fate of their nations," the news outlet added.
Iran holds funeral procession for top commanders killed in Israeli airstrikes
The funeral procession in Tehran today. Majid Saeedi / Getty Images
Mourners waved Iranian flags and gathered around trucks carrying coffins draped with portraits of late security chief Ali Larijani, Basij commander Gholam Reza Soleimani and sailors killed when a U.S. torpedo struck an Iranian navy vessel off Sri Lanka, as Tehran held a funeral procession this afternoon.
Crowds filled Enghelab Square in the Iranian capital, with mourners holding pictures of Larijani, who was killed in an Israeli strike.
Banners and flags lined the route as the truck carrying the coffins drove slowly through the mourners.
Larijani was the most senior figure targeted since the U.S.-Israeli war’s first day.
Members of the crowd react today in Tehran. Majid Saeedi / Getty Images
Gabbard dodges question on whether Russia is assisting Iran with intel
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sidestepped questions during the public portion of the Senate worldwide threats hearing about reports that Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran.
“If there is that sharing going on, that would be an answer that would be appropriate for a closed session,” Gabbard said.
“Is it occurring?” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, pressed, pointing to media reports.
“If it is occurring would be an answer appropriate for closed session. What I can tell you is that according to the Department of War any support Iran may be receiving is not inhibiting their operational effects,” Gabbard said.
“That’s sort of the first cousin of a yes, I guess,” King responded.
U.N. details surge in Israeli settlements driving mass displacement in the West Bank
A report by the U.N. high commissioner for human rights says Israel’s actions in the occupied West Bank amount to “an institutionalized regime of systematic discrimination, oppression and violence by Israel against Palestinians.”
It says these actions violated an international convention “which prohibits racial segregation and apartheid.”
The report, submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council, says Israel’s “accelerated unlawful settlement expansion and annexation” along with military operations in the northern West Bank camps displaced Palestinians “on a scale previously unseen,” with more than 36,000 Palestinians forcibly displaced.
The report says the displacement “appears to indicate a concerted Israeli policy of mass forcible transfer throughout the occupied territory, aimed at permanent displacement, raising concerns of ethnic cleansing.”
Mourners carry the bodies of four members of the Odeh family, who were killed in their car by Israeli security forces, in Tammun in the West Bank on Sunday. Majdi Mohammed / AP
Israel has previously rejected findings from the human rights body, and its U.N. mission this week again accused the office of being “the epicenter of vile anti-Israel activism” and part of a “U.N. anti-Israel narrative machine.”
According to the report, “pervasive impunity” has facilitated and driven violence against and harassment of Palestinians. It recorded 1,732 incidents of settler violence causing casualties or property damage across the reporting period, from Nov. 1, 2024, through Oct. 31, 2025, up from 1,400 in the prior reporting period. The report notes that an additional 1,452 incidents were recorded involving harassment, intimidation, trespassing or property takeover that did not result in casualties or damage.
The report cites the Higher Planning Council of the Israeli Civil Administration’s plans to build 3,401 housing units in the E1 settlement block east of Jerusalem, an area widely seen as strategically important because of its effect on territorial continuity in the West Bank.
In the announcement of the approval of E1, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a post in the Defense Ministry, said that the plan was “a significant step that practically erases the two-state delusion and consolidates the Jewish people’s hold on the heart of the Land of Israel” and “finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state.”
According to the report, the plan could displace thousands of Palestinians from 18 Bedouin communities in the area. The report says such displacement of protected persons would amount to forcible transfer, which it says could constitute a war crime and, under some circumstances, a crime against humanity.
High commissioner Volker Türk recommended that Israel evacuate all settlers; end forced evictions, demolitions, and land reallocation to settlements; respect Palestinian self-determination; and provide reparations for wrongful acts. The findings are not binding.
Gabbard says Iran ‘appears to be intact, but largely degraded’
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, a long-standing critic of "regime change" wars, has told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the “regime in Iran appears to be intact, but largely degraded due to attacks on its leadership and military capabilities.”
“Its conventional military power projection capabilities have largely been destroyed, leaving limited options. Iran’s strategic position has been significantly degraded,” she said.
Gabbard said the U.S.-led pressure campaign and “snap-back of European sanctions added additional pressure to an already bleak Iranian economy, resulting in mass protests earlier this year that Tehran suppressed by killing thousands of protesters.”
Tulsi Gabbard testifies on Capitol Hill today. Oliver Contreras / AFP - Getty Images
She added, “Even if the regime remains intact, the IC assesses that internal tensions are likely to increase as Iran’s economy worsens.”
Gabbard also warned that the intelligence community assesses that if a “hostile” regime survives in Iran, “it will likely seek to begin a yearslong effort to rebuild its military missiles and UAV forces.”
Gabbard said before the current war began, “Iran was trying to recover from the severe damage to its nuclear infrastructure sustained during the 12-day war, and continued to refuse to comply with its nuclear obligations, with the IAEA refusing them access to key facilities,” she said.
Iran’s president confirms assassination of intelligence minister
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has confirmed the killing of the country’s intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, calling his death and those of several other top leaders in recent days “cowardly assassinations” in a post on X.
Israel said earlier today that Khatib, who it said was responsible for the regime’s internal repression and assassination apparatus, was “eliminated” last night.
It came after Iranian authorities yesterday confirmed that top national security official Ali Larijani and former Basij militia chief Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani had been killed, after Israel announced their deaths.
Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in 2024. Vahid Salemi / AP file
Iran’s army chief threatens revenge for top officials' deaths
Iran’s army chief has threatened to avenge the deaths of top Iranian officials killed by Israel, state media reported.
“Revenge for the pure blood of this honored martyr and other valued martyrs will be taken,” Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami was quoted as saying by semiofficial Tasnim news agency, speaking of top national security official Ali Larijani and former Basij militia chief Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani. Yesterday, after Israel announced Larijani's and Soleimani's deaths, Iranian authorities confirmed they had been killed.
Iran targeted Tel Aviv with missiles carrying cluster warheads early this morning in retaliation.
Ukraine facing missile shortage due to Iran war, Zelenskyy warns
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Ukraine will face a deficit of missiles due to the war in the Middle East.
There would “definitely” be a deficit of Patriot missiles, which would be “a challenge,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with the BBC, referring to the critical air-defense missile Ukraine uses to protect its skies against Russian strikes, saying the question now was “when will all the stockpiles in the Middle East be exhausted.”
“America produces 60-65 missiles per month. Imagine, 65 missiles per month is is about 700-800 missiles per year, produced each year,” he said. “And on the first day in the Middle East war, 803 missiles were used.”
Zelenskyy said he had a “very bad feeling” about the impact of the conflict on the war in Ukraine, saying negotiations toward peace are being “constantly postponed. There is one reason — war in Iran.”
Trilateral peace talks were underway for months before the U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran, but have yet to resume.
The war with Iran dragging on is benefiting Russian President Vladimir Putin because it has increased energy prices, which is a problem for Ukraine, he said. Energy markets have been jolted by the crisis after the effective blockade by Iran of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical pathway for the world’s oil, in retaliation for attacks by the U.S. and Israel.
Trump to attend ceremony for 6 service members who died in aircraft crash
President Donald Trump will today attend the dignified transfer of six U.S. service members who died aboard a refueling aircraft that crashed in Iraq.
The ceremony will take place at 1:25 p.m. ET today in Dover, Delaware. Dignified transfers, or the solemn return of fallen service members to U.S. soil, usually take place at Dover Air Force Base, the military’s primary mortuary facility.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said previously that the circumstances of the crash were under investigation, but that “the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
France says it’s unreasonable to expect Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah amid bombing
It is unreasonable to expect the Lebanese government to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah while the country is being bombed by Israel, France’s special envoy for Lebanon said on Wednesday.
Jean-Yves Le Drian said only negotiations would resolve the crisis, in which Lebanese authorities say over 900 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Hezbollah entered the regional war in support of Tehran.
“Israel occupied Lebanon for a very long time and failed to eradicate Hezbollah’s military capacity. Therefore, they cannot now ask the Lebanese government to do that job in three days under bombardment,” he told France Info radio.
Israel has rebuffed an offer of direct talks from Beirut as too little, too late by a government that shares its goal of wanting Hezbollah disarmed but fears that acting against it could risk civil war, sources familiar with the situation said.
President Joseph Aoun has expressed a willingness to begin direct negotiations with Israel, which has carried out airstrikes in Lebanon since Hezbollah fired on Israel on March 2. Hezbollah has rejected the move and fought on.
France has historical ties with Lebanon and, with the United States, has sought to mediate in the conflict.
“There is a process of negotiation and discussion that is possible, but all the parties must want it,” Le Drian said.
Iranian women’s soccer team returns home, state media says
Iran’s national women’s soccer team has arrived home, state media reported, amid fears over their fate after the squad did not sing the national anthem ahead of a game at a tournament in Australia, two days after the United States and Israel began their war with Iran.
After the Iranian state television labeled the players “traitors,” they sang the anthem in their two subsequent Women’s Asian Cup matches. They have not publicly commented on the war or their actions.
Seven team members sought asylum in Australia, but five have since changed their minds and decided to return home.
The semi-official news agency Fars shared a video earlier today of the players and members of the coaching staff entering the country through the Bazargan border crossing with Turkey, “welcomed by officials and the public.”
“The female footballers of the national team and the coaching staff are the dear children of this land, and the people of Iran embrace them,” Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in a post on X earlier today.
“Our daughters, despite all the malice of the enemies of this country, have not been discouraged and have not surrendered to the temptations and intimidation of those hostile to Iran, and they will proudly return to their permanent home, Iran,” Qalibaf added.
Two team members who stayed in Australia joined a training session with an Australian professional club yesterday.
The saga drew widespread attention, including a public intervention from Trump, who urged Australia to offer the players asylum.
IDF warns of strikes on southern Lebanon
Lebanese citizens should not move south towards the Litani River, the Israeli military said today, adding that it was planning to operate crossings and conduct strikes against the Hezbollah militant group.
The measure was aimed at preventing the “transfer of reinforcements and weapons” by Hezbollah, Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman said in a post on X. Any movement south “could endanger your lives,” he added.
The United Nations said earlier today that the humanitarian situation in Lebanon is worsening, with hundreds reported killed and more than one million people displaced amid continued airstrikes and extensive displacement orders.
A man walks near a burning vehicle that was targeted by Israeli bombardment in Lebanon's southern coastal city of Sidon today. Mahmoud Zayyat / AFP - Getty Images
Trump dismisses Iranian retaliation against Israel in call with NBC News
In a brief phone call with NBC News, President Donald Trump dismissed the Iranian retaliation on Israel overnight after two of Iran's top officials were killed.
"The attack was nothing compared to what happened to them," Trump said. "They’re going down. They’re losing big."
Israel announced yesterday that top national security official Ali Larijani and former Basij militia chief Gen. Gholam Reza Soleiman were killed. This morning, Israel announced that Iran's intelligence minister Esmail Khatib was "eliminated."
In response, Iran fired cluster bombs over Tel Aviv, killing two people.
Video shows the moment a building is leveled after Israeli strike in Beirut
Video shows the moment a building in central Beirut was leveled after an Israeli strike.
Trump criticizes allies again on Strait of Hormuz
Trump again criticized allies for their reluctance to get involved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route off the coast of Iran that the Islamic Republic has vowed to keep closed.
"I wonder what would happen if we 'finished off' what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called 'Straight?'" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, misspelling "strait." "That would get some of our non-responsive 'Allies' in gear, and fast!!!"
Trump previously said that countries responded positively to him wanting allies to help reopen the strait but yesterday he said that most NATO allies told the U.S. they did not want to get involved in the war. Trump then said that the U.S. no longer needs their help, writing in a Truth Social post, "WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!"
Larijani killing will not affect structure of Iran's leadership, foreign minister says
The killing of the powerful secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, does not affect the structure of the country's leadership, the country’s foreign minister said today.
Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that the U.S. and Israel had yet to realize that Iran’s government does not rely on a single individual.
“I do not know why the Americans and the Israelis still have not understood this point: The Islamic Republic of Iran has a strong political structure with established political, economic and social institutions,” Araghchi said.
“The presence or absence of a single individual does not affect this structure,” he added.
Death toll in Beirut rises to 10
The number of people killed in the Israeli strikes on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, has risen to 10, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Another 27 people were wounded, it added.
The Israel Defense Forces said earlier this morning it completed "an overnight wave of strikes" on infrastructure belonging to Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah in the city and the southern Lebanese city of Tyre.
First aid responders tend to an injured person at the site where an apartment was targeted by an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut today. Fadel Itani / AFP - Getty Images
Israel says it 'eliminated' Iran’s intelligence minister, defense minister says
Iran’s intelligence minister Esmail Khatib was “eliminated” last night, Israel’s defense minister said today.
Khatib was “responsible for the regime’s internal repression and assassination apparatus, as well as for advancing external threats,” Israel Katz said during a situation assessment, a video of which was sent to NBC News by his office.
Esmail Khatib in Tehran in November. Iranian Presidency via Reuters
There was no immediate response from Iran, whose top national security official, Ali Larijani, and former Basij militia chief Gen. Gholam Reza Soleiman, were confirmed killed by Iranian authorities yesterday after Israel announced their deaths.
“Israel’s policy is clear and unequivocal: no one in Iran has immunity — everyone is a target,” Katz added.
In a separate post, the Israeli military said that Khatib was killed in a targeted strike in Tehran.
Russia condemns killings of senior Iranian officials, Kremlin says
Moscow is against the killing of Iran’s leadership figures, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today.
“We certainly condemn actions aimed at causing harm to the health, or even more so, the murder and liquidation of representatives of the leadership of sovereign Iran, sovereign and independent Iran, as well as other countries. We condemn such actions,” Peskov told reporters in a briefing earlier today.
It comes after Iran’s top national security official, Ali Larijani, and former Basij militia chief Gen. Gholam Reza Soleiman were confirmed killed by Iranian authorities after Israel announced their deaths yesterday.
Asked about a Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the matter that Russia has been expanding its intelligence sharing and military cooperation with Iran, providing satellite imagery and improved drone technology to aid Tehran’s targeting of U.S. forces in the region, Peskov told reporters: “There are currently lots of different reports circulating about this war. The vast majority are nothing more than fake news.”
NBC News also reported earlier this month that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on the location of U.S. forces in the Middle East, citing four sources with knowledge of the matter.
Funeral to be held for top Iranian officials killed in strikes
Iran will host a funeral today for two of its top officials, the country's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported today.
A procession for Ali Larijani, the country’s top national security official, and former Basij militia chief Gen. Gholam Reza Soleiman, will take place at 1:30 p.m. local time (6 a.m. ET).
Iran war is not delaying weapon shipments to Taiwan, Trump administration official says
The shipment of weapons to Taiwan has not been delayed by the war with Iran, a Trump administration official told a congressional hearing yesterday.
“Have we delayed moving things to Taiwan? We haven’t,” said Stanley Brown, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs. “We will provide Taiwan with what they need for their own self-defense,” he added.
Lawmakers in Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy that China claims as its territory, authorized the government last week to sign U.S. agreements for four arms sales packages worth about $9 billion.
Though the U.S. has no formal relations with Taiwan, it is the island’s most important international backer and is legally bound to provide it with defensive weapons.
Israeli airstrike flattens building in Beirut
A striking sequence of images captured an Israeli missile hitting a building in Beirut’s Bashoura neighbourhood early this morning.
A large ball of flames erupted behind parked vehicles before the entire structure appeared to completely collapse.
Fadel Itani / AFP - Getty Images
Fadel Itani / AFP via Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces said it was targeting the financial arm of the Hezbollah militant group.
Fadel Itani / AFP - Getty Images
Fadel Itani / AFP - Getty Images
Six people killed by Israeli strikes in Beirut, Lebanese Health Ministry says
Six people were killed following two Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Another 24 people were injured.
About 90 ships cross the Strait of Hormuz as Iran exports millions of barrels of oil despite the war
About 90 ships including oil tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the outset of the war with Iran and it is still exporting millions of barrels of oil at a time when the waterway has been effectively closed, according to maritime and trade data platforms.
Many of the vessels that passed through the strait were so-called “dark” transits evading Western government sanctions and oversight that likely have ties to Iran, maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence said. More recently, vessels with ties to India and Pakistan have also successfully crossed the strait as governments stepped up negotiations.
As crude prices spiked above $100 a barrel, President Donald Trump pressured allies and trade partners to send warships and reopen the strait, hoping to bring oil prices lower.
Most shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway for global oil and gas transport that supplies roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil, has been halted since early March, after the war started. About 20 vessels have been attacked in the area.
How does Israel’s ‘Arrow’ missile system work?
Israel’s Arrow missile defense systems have intercepted Iranian high-altitude projectiles as questions rise over whether Israel can withstand repeated Iranian strikes.
U.S. embassies ordered to 'immediately' review security as attacks spread
The State Department is ordering all U.S. embassies and consular posts worldwide to “immediately” undertake a security review, citing “the ongoing and developing situation in the Middle East and the potential for spill-over effects,” according to a cable seen by NBC News.
The order, which came from Undersecretary of State for Management Jason Evans and was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was first reported by The Washington Post.
The internal memo reiterates the need for continued vigilance and instructs “ALL posts worldwide to immediately convene” emergency action committees (EACs) to review their security posture and report their findings back to Washington.
The directive also requires confirmation that an EAC has taken place and that U.S. citizens, both officials and nonofficials, “have been notified where appropriate.”
A spokesperson said the State Department does not comment on internal communications. The spokesperson said all embassies in the region regularly conducted “emergency action committees” before the U.S. offensive against Iran began.
U.S. says it bombed Iran missile sites threatening Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. military today bombed “hardened Iranian missile sites” along the coast of the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, U.S. Central Command said.
“Hours ago, U.S. forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz,” Central Command said on X.
“The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the strait,” it said.
Iran has attacked ships in the waterway, through which 20% of the world’s crude oil supply typically travels.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has vowed that the strait would remain closed in retaliation for attacks the U.S. and Israel launched against Iran on Feb. 28. Gas prices in the U.S. and elsewhere have spiked because of disruption in oil markets since the war began.
