Nato has condemned Iran after shooting down an Iranian ballistic missile hurtling towards Turkey, amid fears the conflict could expand further West.
The military alliance hit out at Iran’s “indiscriminate attacks across the region” following what was its first direct involvement in the widening conflict in the Middle East.
The missile was shot down over the eastern Mediterranean sea, and no casualties or injuries were reported in the incident.
Israel, the US and Iran launched fresh waves of airstrikes on Wednesday. The death toll in Iran has now surpassed 1,000, according to rights groups and Iranian authorities.
But US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned that attacks on Iran will continue for as long as necessary as the military punches Iran while it is down.
“This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it’s not a fair fight. We are punching them while they’re down, and that’s exactly how it should be,” Hegseth said.
The US is investigating an attack on a girls’ school in southern Iran which killed at least 165 people, but it has not accepted responsibility.
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Trump-Iran latest: Key Points
- We're just getting started, says US defence secretary Hegseth
- US investigating strike on girls' school that killed 165 - Hegseth
- Nato shoots down Iranian ballistic missile heading towards Turkish airspace
- Four US service members killed in Iran conflict identified
- In pictures: Iranians covered in blood and dust run from destructive Israeli strikes
- More than 1,000 people killed in Iran - state media and rights groups
Iran targeting vessels and ships carrying cargo for Israel
17:45 , Bryony GoochIran is targeting US and UK vessels and ships, regardless of their flag, if they’re carrying cargo for Israel in the Gulf, an unnamed revolutionary guards naval commander has told Iranian state media.
Iran effectively closed the route this week after US missiles sank several Iranian ships. By Sunday, maritime traffic had dropped 80 per cent according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
“Currently, the Strait of Hormuz is under the complete control of the Islamic Republic’s Navy,” IRGC Navy official Mohammad Akbarzadeh said on Wednesday in a statement.
How Kurdish forces could be dragged into the growing US-Iran war by the CIA
17:30 , Bryony Gooch How Kurdish forces could be dragged into the growing US-Iran war by the CIA
Iranian government making case for demise with indiscriminate attacks, EU's Kallas says
17:15 , Bryony GoochIran's government is making a strong case for its demise by indiscriminately attacking its neighbours, EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas told reporters on Wednesday. "Iran's strategy is to sow chaos and set the region on fire," Kallas said.
Turkey said earlier on Wednesday that NATO air defences destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile headed into Turkish airspace. Asked about the incident, Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said: "Iran is broadening the war to countries that did not attack it ... there is a well known saying it's worse than a crime, it's a mistake."
Iran mourns students and staff killed in school strike as thousands attend funerals
17:00 , Bryony Gooch Iran mourns students and staff killed in school strike as thousands attend funerals
Watch: House Speaker Johnson says the US 'is not at war' with Iran
16:42 , Bryony GoochHMS Dragon not expected to set sail for Cyprus until next week
16:36 , Alex CroftOur political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
HMS Dragon - which is undergoing maintenance before being loaded with ammunition in Portsmouth - will not set sail for Cyprus until next week, Western officials confirmed.
The UK is preparing to send the warship to protect a British base in Cyprus which was struck by a drone earlier this week.
They would not specify where the drone which struck RAF Akrotiri had come from, but said assessments showed it was a Shahed type and had not been launched from Iran.
Meanwhile, Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet drone-busting missiles are being deployed within days, before the warship, to bolster defence in the region, they said.
The destroyer’s voyage from Portsmouth to Cyprus is expected to take several days.
Iris Dena: What to know about Iran’s ‘prize ship’ sunk by US torpedo
16:21 , Alex CroftThe Iranian vessel that the U.S. sunk in the Indian Ocean was the Islamic Republic’s “prize ship,” according to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Here is all you need to know about it:
What to know about the Iris Dena, Iran’s ‘prize ship’ sunk by the US
Hegseth dodges question on bombing of girls' school in Iran
16:05 , Alex CroftDisplaced children sleeping in cars in Lebanon, Red Cross says
15:45 , Alex CroftA spokesperson for the Red Cross has told The Independent about the dire situation for civilians in Lebanon and Iran, where Israel and the US have launched renewed attacks which they say will not let up in the coming weeks.
In Lebanon, children as young as two are sleeping in their cars after being displaced by Israeli attacks and evacuation orders, Gabriel Karlsson, the Middle East country cluster manager with the British Red Cross, said.
“Hundreds of thousands of people across the region, are displaced, or cannot secure the next meal. Children and the elderly are suffering,” Mr Karlsson added.
He said that while “many are injured” much of the long-term impact will be the “emotional injuries from the psychological warfare”.
Mr Karlsson added: “I have seen with my own eyes here in Beirut people are sleeping in their cars. I have seen children the age of my daughter, she's two and a half, sleeping in in the trunk.
“People put blankets on the glass around the car, and then they're sleeping in their cars because they don't know where, which shelters they go to. They don't know they will be allowed to go back to their villages and the services we have provided to them through the Lebanese Red Cross.”
Macron backs Spain in row with Trump
15:30 , Alex CroftEmmanuel Macron spoke to Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez to reiterate European solidarity in response to economic threats that target Spain, Macron's office said on Wednesday.
Donald Trump has floated cutting trade with Madrid over its refusal to allow US aircraft to use jointly operated naval and air bases in southern Spain for the offensive against Tehran.
Spain has denounced the US and Israeli bombings of Iran as reckless and illegal.
US bombers expected to arrive at British bases within days
15:14 , Alex CroftOur political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
US bombers are expected to arrive at British bases - including Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford - within days.
The two airbases were initially denied to the US for their strikes against the Iranian regime, sparking the ire of Donald Trump who said he was “not happy with the UK” over the extent of its support.
It came as Western officials confirmed that Cobra meetings are being held on a daily basis to respond to the crisis and warned that the Armed Forces are facing a “difficult tactical and operational problem” following Iran’s “reckless, haphazard and hugely escalatory” response.
Watch: Moment US submarine sinks Iranian ship off coast of Sri Lanka
15:03 , Alex CroftNato condemns Iran's targeting of Turkey
14:51 , Alex CroftNato has condemned Iran's targeting of Turkey, spokesperson Allison Hart said on Wednesday.
"We condemn Iran's targeting of Turkiye. Nato stands firmly with all Allies, including Turkiye, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region,” Ms Hart told reporters.
“Our deterrence and defence posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defence," Hart said.
British troops on high alert and ready for deployment in Cyprus, Western officials say
14:49 , Alex CroftOur political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
British troops are being held at very high readiness in the UK to respond to the escalating conflict in the Middle East if needed, Western officials have said, as they warned that the war “could go on for some time”.
In a briefing, officials also refused to rule out participating in future strikes against Iranian ballistic missile launch sites.
“I wouldn’t rule anything out at all because we just don’t know what will happen day to day, week to week as this progresses,” one official said.
While it is understood there are no immediate plans to increase the footprints in Cyprus with British ground troops, they are always held on high alert in the UK in order to respond to a crisis.
US submarine sinks Iranian warship off Sri Lanka killing at least 80 and leaving dozens more injured
14:11 , Alex CroftA US military submarine has carried out a strike on an Iranian warship, killing at least 80 people and leaving dozens more injured off Sri Lanka’s coast.
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that American had torpedoed the vessel in international waters during a press conference on the war with Iran on Wednesday.
“The Iranian navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf,” he said as he showed footage of the attack in the Indian Ocean.
Tara Cobham reports:
US submarine sinks Iranian warship off Sri Lanka killing at least 80
Watch: Hegseth shares details about US attack on Iranian warship
14:04 , Alex CroftMore than 1,000 people killed in Iran, state media says
13:58 , Alex CroftAt least 1,045 people have been killed in Iran, officials have said according to Iranian state media.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) puts the toll at 1,097, including 181 children under the age of 10.
On Tuesday, the Iranian Red Crescent reported that at least 787 had been killed. The US and Israel have since carried out further airstrikes on Iranian territory.
Dozens of people have been killed in other states in the region including Lebanon, Israel, and Kuwait.
Pictured: US defense department map shows timeline of attacks on Iran
13:45 , Alex CroftUS investigating strike on girls' school that killed 165 - Hegseth
13:35 , Alex CroftHegseth is asked by the BBC about the attack on a girls’ primary school in southern Iran which killed more than 160 people, including scores of pupils.
“All I know is we’re investigating that,” Hegseth said.
“We of course never target civilian targets, but we’re taking a look and investigating that.”
Asked on if there is any clarity on whose munition was used in the strike, Hegseth repeated: “We’re investigating it.”
US has established air superiority in parts of southern Iran
13:23 , Alex CroftGeneral Dan Caine, the US’s top general, is up now.
He says US Central Command has established air superiority across the southern areas of Iran’s coast.
US forces will now begin to expand this progress inland.
More waves of attacks to come, we are just getting started - Hegseth
13:14 , Alex CroftHegseth has more updates on US military action in Iran.
More waves of attacks are coming he says, adding that it is just getting started.
"Our air defenses and that of our allies have plenty of runway. We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to," Hegseth said.
He says the US will use an unlimited stockpile of precision gravity bombs in Iran.
He also covers the Iranian warship sunk in the India Ocean near Sri Lanka, with one dead, dozens injured, and more than 100 missing.
Speaking of the six members of the US military who have been killed in the conflict, he says he will “avenge them”.
US and Israel will have total control over Iranian skies within a week - Hegseth
13:10 , Alex CroftHegseth now says that the US and Israel will have total control over Iran’ skies in under a week.
The US and Israeli air forces will have “complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace”, he said.
Hegseth says this means US planes will fly “all day, all night, finding, fixing and finishing” Iran’s military infrastructure and attacking its leaders.
“Iranian leaders looking up and seeing only US and Israeli airpower, every minute of every day until we decide its over. And Iran will be able to do nothing about it.”
Iran is 'toast' and they know it, says Hegseth
13:07 , Alex CroftPete Hegseth has begun speaking to reporters.
He says he has “one unmistakeable message about Operation Epic Fury” which is that the US is “winning, decisively devastatingly and without mercy”
Hegseth adds that the US will take “all the time we need t make sure that we succeed”.
The results, he says, have been “incredible” and “historic”, describing the combination of the US and Israeli militaries as “sheer devastation.
“They are toast and they know it. Or at least soon enough, they will know it,” he said.
In pictures: Smoke rises in the Fujairah oil industry zone following a fire caused by debris after interception of a drone by air defences
13:05 , Bryony Gooch Hegseth to give update on Iran conflict
13:00 , Alex CroftUS secretary of defense Pete Hegseth and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine are set to give a joint press conference in the Pentagon imminently.
Stay with us for all the key lines.
Watch: US soldier who died in Iran war remembered in family tributes
13:00 , Bryony GoochBritish Airways to operate two more flights from Muscat to London
12:52 , Bryony GoochSimon Calder, The Independent’s travel correspondent, reports:
As the number of commercial flights from the Gulf to the UK increases, British Airways insists it is “unable to operate flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv”.
Rival Virgin Atlantic has already flown in and out of Dubai today (Wednesday 4 March). But BA has added two more rescue missions.
A spokesperson for British Airways said: “We have scheduled further flights from Oman (Muscat) to London Heathrow departing on 6 and 7 March. Flights are for BA customers with an existing booking who are in Oman or the UAE.
“If you wish to travel on one of these flights, please contact us via our dedicated phone line on +44 203 467 3854. Our teams will also be getting in touch with BA customers directly via email.
“We are constantly reviewing the situation and will continue to do everything we can to support our customers and colleagues in the region and remain in regular contact with them.”
Nato condemns Iranian ballistic missile in statement of support for allies
12:46 , Bryony GoochNato has affirmed it stands with all allies after it intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile which entered Turkish airspace.
Nato’s spokesperson Allison Hart said on Wednesday: "We condemn Iran's targeting of Turkiye.
“Nato stands firmly with all Allies, including Turkiye, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region. Our deterrence and defence posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defence.”
Starmer calls for 'a cool head' in approaching Middle East conflict
12:42 , Bryony GoochPrime minister Sir Keir Starmer said “the whole country is worried about the potential for escalation” in the Middle East and “we need to act, therefore, with clarity, with purpose and with a cool head”.
He added that the situation in the Middle East was “serious and volatile” and the Government was focused on “protecting British lives” and “bringing our people home”.
It comes as the UK prime minister appears to have come to disagreement with US president Donald Trump over his operation with Israel to escalate tensions with Iran.
Sir Keir on Monday said his government “does not believe in regime change from the skies”, in an apparent criticism of the US president’s bombing campaign, after earlier refusing to allow the US to launch strikes from UK bases.
Watch: Workers remove debris from a Tehran police facility, struck days earlier during US-Israeli attack
12:36 , Bryony Gooch Death toll in Iran surpasses 1,000, according to Iranian government agency and HRANA
12:33 , Bryony GoochThe death toll in Iran from the ongoing war with the United States and Israel has reached at least 1,045 people, an Iranian government agency said on Wednesday as the conflict marks its fifth day.
Iran's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs offered the toll, saying it represented the number of bodies so far identified and prepared for burial.
US-based human rights group HRANA has separately reported that the total number of reported civilian deaths has reached 1,097, including 181 children under the age of ten.
An additional 880 reported deaths are currently under review for verification and classification by the group.
Watch: Starmer confirms more than 1,000 UK nationals returned on commercial flights amid Gulf flight chaos
12:24 , Bryony GoochTurkish Defence Ministry calls for de-escalation after Nato shoot down ballistic missle
12:21 , Bryony GoochTurkey’s Defence Ministry has called for de-escalation after a ballistic missile fired from Iran heading into its airspace was destroyed by Nato.
“We warn all parties to refrain from actions that would further escalate conflict”, the ministry warned.
Turkey is in touch with Nato and other allies after the missile entered its airspace.
Iran footballer fights back tears as she speaks out on war with US at Women’s Asian Cup
12:13 , Alex CroftSara Didar, a striker for the Iranian women’s football team, fought back tears as she shared her teammates' profound concerns for their families and loved ones back home.
Competing in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup, the squad grapples with escalating conflict in Iran, casting a long shadow over their sporting ambitions.
"Obviously we’re all concerned and we’re sad at what has happened to Iran and our families in Iran," Didar said, her comments translated into English, during a press conference on Wednesday, ahead of their Group A clash against Australia.
Read the full report here:
Iran footballer fights back tears as she speaks out on war with US at Asian Cup
In pictures: People stand next to an Iranian missile in Syria
12:04 , Alex Croft How will a spike in the price of oil feed through to air fares?
11:55 , Alex CroftThe Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder says a sharply increased price of oil is unlikely to have an immediate impact in the cost of air travel – but there could be serious long-term implications.
Here’s what he said:
“Airlines do all they can to avoid volatility in the key costs they face. Making money as an airline is tricky enough without the fuel bill varying from one day to the next.
“To ensure a constant level of costs with none of the sharp movements that we are seeing in the price of oil, airlines use a mechanism called ‘hedging’: committing to pay a specific price per ton of aviation fuel for some or all of its expected fuel needs for six months to a year ahead.
“The airline can retain financial control without the risk that world events will suddenly increase their fuel bill.
“But once the current set of hedges unwind, airlines will need to negotiate new future contracts – and these will inevitably be at a higher price.
“When an airline’s costs rise, it will put up air fares if the public will bear it. Another option is to cut back routes that are marginally profitable with fuel at a reasonably low price, but which quickly turn lossmaking when the price of oil surges. So, for the traveller there could be less choice and higher fares.
“Having said all of that: if airlines decide to go all out to fill their seats in the aftermath of the conflict, then weak demand could mean air fares go lower even when costs are rising.”
BREAKING: Nato shoots down Iranian ballistic missile heading towards Turkish airspace
11:49 , Alex CroftNato air defences have shot down a ballistic missile fired from Iran heading into Turkish airspace, the Turkey’s defence ministry has said.
The missile was shot down over the eastern Mediterranean sea.
No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident, which has seen the conflict spread into Nato territory for the first time.
We’ll bring you more as it comes in.
Senator ‘more fearful than ever’ of US troop deployment after classified Iran briefing
11:44 , Alex CroftMoscow warns that Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant under threat of attack
11:31 , Alex CroftMoscow has warned that Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant is under threat from US-Israeli air strikes, as it claimed that explosions could be heard just kilometres away from its perimeter.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the ministry, told a news briefing in Moscow that the bombing campaign was causing serious obstacles to the UN nuclear watchdog's effort to monitor the situation.
Moscow hoped that the watchdog - the International Atomic Energy Agency - would provide an objective assessment of the nuclear risks posed by the US-Israeli strikes, she said.
11:25 , Alex CroftSyria closes border crossing with Lebanon after warning of Israeli strike
11:11 , Alex CroftThe Syrian land and sea ports authority has closed its border crossing with Lebanon for departures after receiving it received a warning from Israel that Israeli forces may target the crossing.
Israel has continued its attacks on Lebanon, which began on Monday and have killed dozens of people.
Arrivals remain open as long as Syrians are fleeing from Lebanon, according to the media official at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing.
In pictures: Iranians wounded after Israeli attacks flatten entire blocks
10:56 , Alex Croft UN 'deeply disturbed' by child deaths after 160 Iranians killed in school bombing
10:40 , Alex CroftA committee of UN experts has said it is "deeply disturbed" by the deaths of children amid escalating violence across the Middle East, particularly the bombing of a girls school in Iran.
The Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab in southern Iran was hit on Saturday, the first day of US and Israeli attacks against the country.
It killed 160 children, UN experts stated.
Spain shares 'surprise' with Germany after Merz appears to side with Trump in dispute
10:28 , Alex CroftSpain has shared its “surprise” at Germany after chancellor Friedrich Merz appeared to support Donald Trump’s threats to cut trade with Spain, foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares said.
"I cannot imagine Chancellors (Angela) Merkel or (Olaf) Scholz making such remarks," Albares said in a TV interview with state broadcaster TVE.
Merz had said on Tuesday that Spain needed "convincing" to agree to Nato’s higher defence spending target of 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product after Trump floated imposing a trade embargo on Spain over its position in the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Who is Iran’s new supreme leader? Son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expected to take over father’s role
10:18 , Alex CroftMojtaba Khamenei is the leading candidate to replace his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader, according to reports.
Ayatollah Khamenei, 86, was killed in a US-Israeli strike on his personal compound on Saturday, setting off a wave of chaos in the Gulf. His clerical leadership of the Islamic Republic had lasted over 37 years.
His wife Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh and Mojtaba Khamenei’s wife Zahra Adel were also killed in the attacks, according to Iran.
The younger Khamenei, 56, is reported to have been selected as the primary candidate for supreme leader after two meetings of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, Iranian officials told the New York Times.
Our foreign news journalist Maira Butt brings the report:
Son of Ayatollah expected to take over father’s role as Iran’s supreme leader
Iran close to choosing new supreme leader, says official
10:13 , Alex CroftIran is close to choosing a new supreme leader to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a member of Iran's Assembly of Experts, the group tasked with choosing the new leader, told state TV on Wednesday.
"The Supreme Leader will be identified in the closest opportunity, we are close to a conclusion, however the situation in the country is a war situation," Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami told state TV.
Mojtaba Khamanei, the son of Iran's late Supreme Leader, is viewed as the most likely candidate.
Two Iranian sources told Reuters on Wednesday that Khamanei has survived the assault on the country by US and Israeli air strikes so far.
Adidas store bombed in the Middle East, CEO says
10:06 , Alex CroftAn Adidas store in the Middle East has been bombed, the CEO of the German sportswear company said on Wednesday at a press conference.
"We have people currently sitting in shelters," chief executive Bjorn Gulden said.
It is unclear where the attack was and which country was likely to have fired the projectile.
In pictures: Demolition after Israeli strikes on Beirut's Haret Hreik neighbourhood
09:52 , Alex Croft At least 101 missing after submarine attack on Iranian ship near Sri Lanka
09:45 , Alex CroftAt least 101 people are missing after a submarine attack on an Iranian ship off Sri Lanka's coast, sources in the Sri Lankan navy and defence ministry have told Reuters news agency.
Another 78 people have been rescued but are injured, the sources said.
As we earlier reported, the Sri Lankan navy had dispatched a rescue mission after a distress call from an Iranian ship.
We’ll bring you more as we get it.
Israel and Iran launch fresh waves of strikes in fifth day of conflict
09:41 , Alex CroftIsrael and Iran have launched fresh strikes on Wednesday, as a deadly and widening conflict in the Middle East enters its fifth day.
The Israeli military announced it had carried out a “broad wave” of strikes on Iran on Wednesday morning, which it said targeted launch sites and other infrastructure.
Tehran announced that its Revolutionary Guards had carried out attacks on several targets in Israel in a fresh missile and drone attack.
We don’t have any word yet on updated death tolls, but are working to confirm that information.
US-Israeli backed ground operation in Iran to start in days - report
09:23 , Alex CroftA US-Israeli backed ground operation in Iran, carried out by Iranian-Kurdish forces, is expected to begin in the coming days, a senior Iranian-Kurdish official has told CNN.
The source said the opposition forces believe they “have a big chance now”, adding that the militias expect US and Israeli support.
The CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces in the country with the aim of instigating a popular uprising in Iran, people familiar with the plan told the US broadcaster.
Iranian Kurdish forces have thousands of troops along the border with Iraq, largely in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Some of the groups issued statements urging Iranian military forces to defect earlier in the year.
In pictures: Damage in Tehran amid ongoing US-Israeli attacks
09:17 , Alex Croft Israeli F-35 downs Iranian fighter jet, IDF claims
08:59 , Alex CroftAn Israeli F-35 fighter jet downed an Iranian fighter jet over Tehran, the Israeli military has claimed.
We’ll bring you more as we get it.
Iran suffers 4.3-magnitude earthquake
08:56 , Alex CroftIran suffered a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck the Gerash region in Iran on Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey.
The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), USGS said.
As yet, there have not been any reports of casualties or damage from the tremor, news agency ANI reported.
Spanish PM condemns 'disaster' in the Middle East
08:46 , Alex CroftSpain’s prime minister has condemned the “disaster” in the Middle East, in a growing spat with US president Donald Trump, who has threatened to cut trade with Madrid over its position on the conflict.
"This is how humanity's great disasters start ... You cannot play Russian roulette with destiny of millions," Mr Sanchez said in a televised address.
Tensions between the two Nato allies increased after Mr Sanchez denounced the US and Israeli bombings of Iran as reckless and illegal, before banning US aircraft from using naval and air bases in southern Spain for the offensive against Tehran.
‘The pace of flying is picking up from the Gulf, but it is still nowhere near fast enough’ – Simon Calder
08:29 , Alex CroftThe Independent’s Travel Correspondent Simon Calder is covering the flight crisis from Australia – where many thousands of British travellers are stranded after the closure of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha airports.
Emirates is stepping up its operations to the UK. For the first time since Saturday, both Gatwick and Birmingham airports will receive an Airbus A380 today. Two more of these ‘SuperJumbo’ Aircraft are flying from Dubai to Heathrow.
The good news for Scotland is that a direct flight from Dubai to Edinburgh is scheduled to go out at about 12 noon UK time. On top of that Virgin Atlantic succeeded in operating its first flight from Heathrow to Dubai since Saturday. The inbound Airbus A350 touched down shortly after 6.30am GMT.
Etihad is also operating more flights today from its base down the road at Abu Dhabi than it has over the last few days. So the pace of flying is picking up from the Gulf, but it is still nowhere near fast enough to satisfy the tens of thousands of British people in the region and keen to leave, as well as travellers stranded on the wrong side of the air space closure – in Asia, Australasia and Africa.
Four A380s are parked at Sydney airport, when they should be shuttling thousands of passengers per day to and from the Gulf hubs.
Having said that, the government charter flight from Muscat that is expected to depart tonight carrying what the Foreign Office calls ‘the most vulnerable people’ looks slightly surplus to requirements. If the trend for more flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi airport continues, within a few days much of the Gulf backlog will be eased. Then the priority must be to allow longhaul connecting passengers to get home.
Mapped: Which countries have been targeted in Middle East as Iran retaliates to US-Israeli strikes
08:18 , Alex CroftIran has continued attacks on neighbouring countries in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
Khamenei’s death came after the US and Israel initiated a wide-scale military attack on Iran aimed at bringing down its nuclear programme and removing the country’s leadership.
Retaliatory strikes have seen several nations, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, hit following the attacks, as Iran has threatened its “most intense offensive operation” against US bases.
Mapped: Where strikes and explosions have been heard in Middle East
Fire caused by drone strike on US embassy in Dubai ‘contained’, media office says
04:20 , Maroosha MuzaffarA drone strike sparked a small fire near the US consulate in Dubai, but authorities say it has been fully extinguished with no injuries reported.
Officials confirmed the drone hit a parking area, and emergency teams quickly contained the blaze.“Dubai authorities have confirmed that a fire resulting from a drone-related incident near the US Consulate has been successfully contained,” Dubai’s media office posted online.
Photos: The fire near the US Consulate in Dubai has been fully extinguished, with no injuries reported. Dubai authorities reaffirm their commitment to ensuring everyone's safety and security. pic.twitter.com/OPAOQRHEIG
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 3, 2026
It added that “emergency teams responded immediately”, and in a post about 45 minutes later, the media office said the fire had been “fully extinguished” with “no injuries reported”.
The incident comes amid escalating regional tensions, with recent drone strikes also reported at the US embassy in Saudi Arabia and heightened security measures across the Gulf.
