Death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon rises to 687 Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed at least 687 people since 2 March, Lebanon's information minister said on Thursday, as Israel threatened to expand its operations as it fights Hezbollah in the country. In a statement following a cabinet meeting, Paul Marcos said that "the number of killed reached 687, including 98 children and 52 women".
Israeli settlers in West Bank use cover of Iran war to attack and murder Palestinians Submitted by Katherine Hearst on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 09:34 At least six Palestinians have been killed in the past week alone, as activists report unprecedented violence Mousa and Omar Hamayel, both 39, at the site where Thaer Hamayel was killed during an attack by Israeli settlers near Ramallah, in March 2026 (Reuters/Ammar Awad) Off Early on Sunday morning, residents of Abu Falah, a small town near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, spotted a group of around 100 Israeli settlers gathered on a hill near their homes. The masked men then descended on the town, with the intention of razing Palestinian homes and evicting their residents. The residents are used to continuous harassment by settlers from outposts dotting the surrounding hills, but say they have never experienced this scale of violence before.
UN Security Council condemns Iran attacks on Gulf without mentioning US and Israel Submitted by Rayhan Uddin on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 10:29 Iran says resolution is 'blatant misuse' of Security Council, as Russian draft calling for all sides to de-escalate is rejected Mike Waltz, US Ambassador to the UN and president of the Security Council for the month of March, at UN headquarters in New York City on 11 March 2026 (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images via AFP) Off The UN Security Council has voted to call for an end to Iranian attacks on the Gulf, in a resolution that did not mention US or Israeli attacks on Iran , prompting strong criticism from Tehran’s ambassador. The resolution was tabled by Iran's Gulf neighbour Bahrain and sponsored by 135 countries.
In photos: Aftermath of Israeli attacks on Lebanon Mourners attend the funeral of four family members killed overnight by Israeli air strikes that targeted the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre on 12 March, 2026. (AFP) A man stands on the rubble of a destroyed building as firefighters work at the site of overnight Israeli strikes in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beirut’s southern suburbs on 12 March, 2026. (AFP) Firefighters work at the site of overnight Israeli airstrikes in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beirut’s southern suburbs on 12 March, 2026.
Iran 'not in danger of collapse', say US intelligence sources Submitted by Peter McNamara on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 10:18 After nearly two weeks of constant bombardment and the assassination of its Supreme Leader, Iran's administration remains intact A portrait of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son and new Supreme Leader Mojtaba at the funerals of IRGC commanders, March 2026 (Atta Kenare/AFP) Off US intelligence reports suggest that Iran 's leadership retains control of the country, several sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters. After two weeks of joint US- Israeli strikes on the country, including one that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, one source told the news agency that there is "consistent analysis that the regime is not in danger " of collapse and "retains control of the Iranian public". Following a “multitude” of intelligence reports that have reached this conclusion, the most recent coming in the last few days, President Donald Trump’s decision to end the bombardment, which he told CBS on Monday will end “soon, very soon”, could signal a costly failure for the administration.
Thailand seeks apology from Iran after vessel hit in Strait of Hormuz Thailand's foreign ministry has demanded an apology from Iran over damage caused to a Thai vessel that was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, which led to a fire and forced the crew to abandon ship. The ministry said it was seeking clarity from Iran's ambassador on Thursday on the facts surrounding the incident. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency that the ship was "fired upon by Iranian fighters".
Russia calls on Israel and US to end the Iran war Russia on Thursday called on Israel and the United States to end their attacks on Iran and come to the negotiating table. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the humanitarian situation in the region was extremely difficult and the escalation of the conflict was cause for deep concern.
Israel army says Hezbollah fired 200 rockets Wednesday night The Israeli military said on Thursday that Hezbollah had fired around 200 rockets at Israel the night before, in what it described as the Lebanese armed group's "biggest barrage" since the war began. "Last night, Hezbollah timed a simultaneous attack with Iran, firing rockets and drones at towns and communities across Israel. The numbers (are) about approximately 200 rockets, approximately 20 UAVs (drones) and combine those with ballistic missiles that were being fired from Iran in the same time," military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told journalists in a briefing.
Up to 3. 2 million people displaced inside Iran by war, UN says The UN refugee agency said on Thursday that up to 3. 2 million people have been displaced inside Iran since the war began on 28 February.
Russia's Rosatom says it will stay in Iran despite war Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom will stay in Iran despite the conflict in the Middle East and is committed to its agreement to build two more units at the Bushehr nuclear plant, its head Alexei Likhachev said on Thursday. Rosatom, which built the first 1‑gigawatt unit of Iran’s sole nuclear power plant at Bushehr, evacuated some of its staff and suspended construction work on the new units after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on 28 February. Around 450 Rosatom employees remain at the site, Likhachev said, after 150 returned to Russia via Armenia this week.
Iraqi prime minister condemns attacks on Popular Mobilisation Forces Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has today condemned attacks on the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a government umbrella organisation that oversees various paramilitary groups, including those close to Iran. The PMF has fired at US bases in Iraq during the Iran war and come under attack, with one fighter killed in the most recent attack in Kirkuk in northern Iraq. Sudani is keen to maintain balanced ties between Tehran and Washington.
Israel to expand operations in Lebanon after Hezbollah barrage, defence minister says The Israeli military has been instructed to expand its operations in Lebanon, defence minister Israel Katz said on Thursday, after Hezbollah a heavy barrage of fired rockets at Israel overnight. Katz warned Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that if the Lebanese government could not prevent Hezbollah from attacking Israel, Israel "would do it ourselves", according to a statement released by his office.
Iran will 'abandon all restraint' if US, Israel attack Gulf islands Iran's powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on Thursday that Tehran will "abandon all restraint" if the United States and Israel attack any of its islands in the Gulf. "Any aggression against soil of Iranian islands will shatter all restraint. We will abandon all restraint and make the Persian Gulf run with the blood of invaders," said Ghalibaf in a post on X.
Strikes kill nine people near Iraq-Syria border, security officials say Air strikes killed at least nine Iran-backed fighters in Iraq on Thursday near the Iraqi-Syrian border, two senior security officials told AFP. Another 10 fighters were wounded in the strikes that targeted a base belonging to Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, the officials added on condition of anonymity, with one saying that the death toll could rise. "The base was destroyed, and the rescue teams who arrived at the site were also targeted," one of the officials said.
Fallen debris in Dubai after drone attack, Kuwait airport hit Dubai reported a drone attack and fallen debris in two locations on Thursday, while Kuwait's airport was damaged in yet another strike on the facility during Iran's Gulf campaign in the Middle East war. The Dubai government's media office reported "a minor incident caused by debris from a successful interception that fell onto the facade of a building on Sheikh Zayed Road". Earlier, the media office reported "a minor drone incident in the Al Bada'a area".
Indian crew member killed on oil tanker attacked near Iraq's Basra An Indian crew member on a US-owned crude oil tanker was killed in an attack near Basra on Wednesday, India’s embassy in Baghdad said. The embassy said in a post on X that the remaining 15 Indian crew members aboard the Safesea Vishnu, which sails under the Marshall Islands flag, have been evacuated to a safe location.
Several drones target Kuwait International Airport, report says Several drones targeted Kuwait International Airport, causing only material damage, the state news agency reported, citing the country's civil aviation officials.
Seven people injured in strike on Iran’s Arak, report says Seven people have been injured in an attack on six “production units” in an industrial town in Iran’s Arak province, according to Mehr news agency. Officials said two of them were in critical condition. Israeli strikes previously targeted a nuclear complex in the town.
Iran army says targeted Israel military bases, security service The Iranian army says it targeted Israeli military bases and the security service.
Several explosions heard in Dubai's downtown Explosions were heard in downtown Dubai, including a very loud blast, an AFP correspondent reported on Thursday, adding that they saw small plumes of smoke rise above a residential neighbourhood.
