War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has welcomed what he says are signals by US President Donald Trump that combat action in Iran could come to an end, which could allow Europe to contribute to securing peace in the Middle East, Reuters reports.

“I am expressly grateful that the US president sent a signal in this regard last night that he is prepared to bring the fighting to an end,” he told reporters ahead of an EU summit in Brussels.

Merz reiterated that Europe is ready to help stabilise the Middle East once combat action has stopped.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency reports a US-Israeli drone strike near the north-western Iranian city of Malekan has killed two people and injured three others, according to Al Jazeera.

One of those killed was a civilian while the other was a security personnel, said Tasnim.

Oman has denounced recent attacks on energy sites across the Gulf, including in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Al Jazeera reports citing a post by the Oman News Agency on X.

“Oman affirms the imperative of upholding international laws and norms, refraining from striking civilian facilities and global energy supplies, and expresses its solidarity with these nations in the legitimate measures they undertake to preserve their security and stability,” a government statement read.

Israel’s military says it has detected yet another wave of incoming Iranian missiles, according to Al Jazeera.

It says Israeli defence systems are working to shoot down the munitions and that people in affected areas will receive mobile alerts.

Iran is considering a proposal to levy transit fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a lawmaker says according to AFP, a potential bid to monetise Tehran’s newfound grip over the critical waterway through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied gas passes.

According to the Iranian Students’ News Agency, the lawmaker said parliament was considering a bill under which countries using the strait for shipping, energy transit and food supplies would be required to pay tolls and taxes to Iran.

A hospital in southern Lebanon has condemned an Israeli air strike it says caused damage to several of its wards and resulted in patients and staff suffering from smoke inhalation, the National News Agency is reporting according to Al Jazeera.

Sheikh Ragheb Harb University Hospital in Toul on the outskirts of Nabatieh issued a statement saying an Israeli attack on an adjacent building had caused significant damage to a number of its facilities, including the intensive care unit.

The hospital’s management said the attack was a flagrant violation of international law and posed a direct threat to the safety of patients and staff, the agency reported.

The Israeli army claims its forces have destroyed an MI-17 helicopter in a strike at the Sanandaj airport in Iran’s Hamadan province, reports Al Jazeera.

Kuwait’s Fire Force has said in a post on X that six firefighting teams are battling two simultaneous fires at the Mina Al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries, Al Jazeera reports.

Authorities confirmed the blazes followed targeted attacks on the facilities, as emergency crews work to contain the damage at two of the country’s key energy sites.

Reuters reports that Gulf states have requested an urgent debate at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva over Iran’s strikes on civilians and energy infrastructure across the Middle East, documents show.

A diplomatic note sent by Gulf states, seen by Reuters, describes the ballistic missile and drone strikes on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as a “situation of serious concern for international peace and security,” with severe human rights implications.

The draft resolution proposed by the Gulf states strongly condemns and calls for Iran to immediately stop strikes on civilian infrastructure and commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, and also seeks reparations for civilian, infrastructure and environmental damage.

The Council has received the request and is considering a date to hold the debate, stated a letter from its president, Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro.

Iraqi Kurdistan-focused Gulf Keystone Petroleum has suspended its 2026 financial forecasts as the oil and gas producer weighs the impact of the ongoing Iran war, according to Reuters.

Keystone said in a statement it will put its average production guidance of 37,000 to 41,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) under review until the Shaikan operations resumed. It said its average production had risen to almost 44,000 bpd towards the end of February, up from 41,560 bpd in 2025.

An AFP journalist has heard three blasts over the Tel Aviv area, after the Israeli military announced it had detected missiles fired from Iran.

“A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the military said according to AFP.

Israeli air raids have hit several towns in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera reports citing the National News Agency.

Israeli warplanes have struck in towns including Mayfadoun, Khiam, Bint Jbeil, Qantara, Jebchit, Haboush, al-Sharqiyah, and Touline, the agency reported.

Meanwhile, Israeli artillery shelling was being reported on Maroun al-Ras, Khiam, Wadi Salouqi, Baraachit and Chaqra, the agency said.

Iran will “boycott the United States” but “not the World Cup”, Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj says according to AFP.

Iran is currently scheduled to play its group matches in the US in this year’s tournament.

“We will be preparing for the World Cup. We will boycott the United States but not the the World Cup,” Taj said yesterday in a video published by the Iranian press agency Fars.

Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry says a drone has crashed at Saudi Aramco’s Samref refinery in port of Yanbu.

“Damages are being assessed,” according to the ministry.

The FBI has opened an investigation into a senior US counterterrorism official who quit in protest of the Iran war for allegedly leaking classified information, US media reported, according to AFP.

Joseph Kent served as director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) until his resignation on Tuesday, writing to President Donald Trump that he could not “in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.” “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” said Kent, a 45-year-old former special forces member.

The FBI investigation into Kent predated his departure, according to reports by outlets including the New York Times and CBS, both citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the situation.

Iran’s internet blackout has entered its 20th day, with international connectivity unavailable to the general public for over 456 hours, according to NetBlocks.

China has condemned the killing of Iranian national security chief Ali Larijani by an Israeli air strike, calling it “unacceptable,” AFP reports.

“We have always opposed the use of force in international relations. The acts of killing Iranian state leaders and attacking civilian targets are even more unacceptable,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference when asked about Larijani’s death.

“China urges the parties concerned to immediately cease military operations and prevent the regional situation from spiralling out of control”, Lin said.

The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation says a “limited fire” has broken out after a drone hit an operational unit at the Mina al-Ahmadi refinery, reports Al-Jazeera.

According to the Kuwait News Agency, the company said that the incident did not result in any injuries, and the fire was dealt with “according to the highest safety standards”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has responded to a post on X by Emmanuel Macron, in which the French president called for a moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure.

“Macron has not uttered one word of condemnation of the Israel-US war on Iran. He did not condemn Israel when it blew up fuel storage in Tehran, exposing millions to toxins,” Araghchi wrote.

Oil giant Saudi Aramco’s SAMREF refinery in the Red Sea port of Yanbu was targeted in an aerial attack, an industry source said, adding there was minimal impact, reports Reuters.