NATO says alliance ready to defend members after Iranian strikes NATO said it is well-positioned to defend its members against potential attacks by Iran. At a meeting of the alliance’s 32 member states in Brussels, Secretary General Mark Rutte praised the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and allied personnel for their coordination, which led to an Iranian ballistic missile being identified, tracked and intercepted, according to a statement. NATO also “strongly condemned” Iranian strikes on member state Turkey on Wednesday and expressed full solidarity with Ankara.
Explosions heard in Tel Aviv as Iranian strikes hit central Israel Several buildings were damaged across central Israel during a new wave of Iranian strikes, according to emergency services cited by Haaretz. AFP journalists reported hearing two rounds of explosions in Tel Aviv shortly after 21:00 GMT. Sirens continued to sound across Tel Aviv, central Israel and the occupied West Bank, Haaretz reported.
Does Mark Carney know where he stands on the US-Israeli war on Iran? Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 18:41 Canada's messaging has been almost as muddled as that of the US, even though it's not a participant Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at a defence, science and technology showcase with the Royal Australian Air Force in Canberra, Australia, on 5 March 2026 (Hilary Wardhaugh/AFP) Off Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has spent almost as much time abroad as he has at home since his election last year, reaffirming and rebuilding his country's international relationships as the US becomes less of a reliable partner. On 28 February, while on a high-stakes visit to India as the US and Israel launched their war on Iran , Carney released a statement that made his position unabashedly clear.
Lebanon’s death toll rises to 123 Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 123 people have been killed and 683 wounded in Israeli strikes since Monday. The death toll rose from earlier figures released shortly before 16:00 GMT, when the ministry said more than 100 people had been killed. Among the victims were a five-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy, who were killed along with two others in an Israeli raid on a house in the town of Mashghara, the ministry said.
Hezbollah fires missiles at Israeli base near Lake Tiberias Hezbollah said it launched a barrage of missiles at the Naftali base west of Lake Tiberias in northern Israel. In a statement, the group said the attack took place at about 18:45 GMT (20:45 local time) as a response to Israeli strikes on Lebanese cities and towns. Hezbollah also said it targeted a group of Israeli army vehicles at a site near the town of Markaba in southern Lebanon around 15:00 GMT (17:00 local time).
Will the Iran war trigger a Saudi Arabia-Pakistan mutual defence pact? Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 17:56 The agreement between the two seems deliberately ambiguous, but could become definitive if Saudi Arabia is thrust into a prolonged crisis A handout picture shows Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcoming Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ahead of their meeting in Riyadh, on 17 September 2025 (Saudi Press Agency/AFP) Off The recent turmoil in the Middle East has placed Pakistan in an unusually delicate strategic position. Following the coordinated strikes by the US and Israel against Iran and the killing of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tehran has retaliated by targeting several Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia .
Judge blocks Florida governor from labelling Cair a terrorist organisation Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 17:32 Such a move infringes on a US-based group's ability to exercise its rights, the judge said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, left, and US President Donald Trump speak to reporters outside the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on 1 July 2025 (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP) Off A federal judge has decided that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cannot unilaterally designate the largest Muslim-American civil rights organisation as a "terrorist" group because it infringes on First Amendment rights. The temporary injunction on Wednesday blocks DeSantis's executive order signed in December , designating the Council on American Islamic Relations (Cair) as a terrorist organisation, and opening up a potential pathway for state prosecutions of anyone believed to be supporting them. “The question before this Court is whether the Governor can, in a non-emergency situation, unilaterally designate one of the largest Muslim civil rights groups in America as a ‘terrorist organization’ and withhold government benefits from anyone providing material support or resources to the group,” judge Mark Walker wrote in his order.
'Funding peace or war? ': UAE billionaire slams Trump for dragging Gulf into Iran war Submitted by Sean Mathews on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 17:26 Dubai-based billionaire Khalaf al-Habtoor, who embraced the Abraham Accords and sealed deals with Israeli companies, lashes out at Trump A picture taken on 13 September 2017 shows Khalaf al-Habtoor, chairman of Al Habtoor Group, attending the world premiere of La Perle in Dubai, UAE (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP) Off UAE billionaire Khalaf al-Habtoor accused US President Donald Trump of dragging the US’s energy-rich Gulf partners into “danger” by unleashing a war on Iran that they did not want and betraying the American people by putting war at the “top of your priorities”. The letter on X marks the highest-profile public censure of Trump from the Arabian Gulf since the war on Iran started on Saturday.
Trump says he would support Kurdish offensive against Iran US President Donald Trump said he would back Kurdish forces launching an offensive against Iran, in comments made during an interview with Reuters. “I think it’s wonderful that they want to do that. I’d be all for it,” Trump said.
Bahrain arrests several people over posts and protests after Khamenei assassination Bahraini authorities say they have made several arrests since the war began, including four men accused of filming attacks and pro-Iran demonstrations in the country. The interior ministry said the men posted videos online that misled the public, spread fear and undermined security and public order. “This constitutes treason and a clear violation of the nation’s values and principles,” the ministry said in a statement.
Trump says he would support Kurdish offensive against Iran US President Donald Trump said he would back Kurdish forces launching an offensive against Iran, in comments made during an interview with Reuters. “I think it’s wonderful that they want to do that. I’d be all for it,” Trump said.
Hezbollah says it attacked Israeli troops in northern Israel Hezbollah said it targeted a group of Israeli soldiers in the town of Kfar Yuval in northern Israel. In a statement, the group said its fighters fired a rocket-propelled grenade at Israeli forces at around 18:05 GMT. Hezbollah said the attack was carried out in response to Israel’s continued strikes on Lebanon.
A Kurdish uprising in Iran is an uphill battle rife with strategic obstacles Submitted by Ilya Roubanis on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 16:24 While there is an opportunity for Kurdish groups to make gains while Iran is under attack, there are greater risks of history repeating itself Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq, on 12 February 2026 (Thaier al-Sudani/Reuters) Off There is now a growing consensus that the US - Israeli coalition is supporting a Kurdish uprising in Iran . On 2 and 3 March, the Israeli army was targeting Iranian military positions in Iranian Kurdistan. In response, the Iranian-backed militia, Kataib Hezbollah, targeted transport and logistics infrastructure in Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) territory, Kurdish and Iranian sources on the ground have said.
US closes embassy in Kuwait after Iranian strikes The US State Department announced the closure of its embassy in Kuwait following retaliatory Iranian missile and drone attacks on the Gulf country. Iran has launched waves of strikes against Kuwait since the war began. Six US soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone attack in Kuwait on Sunday.
Iran sees no reason to negotiate with US, FM says In an interview with NBC, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is “not asking for a ceasefire” and sees no reason to negotiate with the United States. “When we negotiated with them twice, every time they attacked us in the middle of negotiations,” he said. Araghchi also said Iran has not closed the Strait of Hormuz, adding that ships and tankers have chosen not to pass through the waterway.
Kuwait’s army says facing new missile attacks Kuwait’s army said its air defences are responding to missile and drone attacks in the country’s airspace. “The armed forces note that the sounds heard in scattered areas of the country are the result of the air defenses intercepting the missile attacks and drones,” its general staff said in a statement on X.
France to provide armoured vehicles, operational support to Lebanese army French President Emmanuel Macron said France will support the Lebanese army and called on Israel “not to expand the war to Lebanon”. Macron announced on X that France would provide armored transport vehicles along with operational and logistical support to the Lebanese army, and pledged his “full support” to the Lebanese government. He also said France would send several tonnes of medicines and aid for tens of thousands of civilians displaced from southern Lebanon, though details of the assistance were not specified.
Iran grants interim leadership council expanded powers after Khamenei killing Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council has approved transferring key leadership powers to the country’s interim three-member leadership council, including authority over senior military and security appointments and decisions on war or peace, spokesperson Mohsen Dehnavi said on X. The temporary leadership council was formed after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed on 28 February. It currently includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and a cleric representing the Guardian Council, until a permanent leader is chosen by the Assembly of Experts.
Diplomats tell Lebanon ban on Hezbollah worthless unless army steps in Submitted by Adam Chamseddine on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 17:30 Sources suggest Israeli plan to advance 15km into Lebanon and even bisect the south Civil defence forces attempt to extinguish a blaze that erupted after Israeli bombardment on a solar farm and electricity generation facility in Lebanon's southern coastal city of Tyre on 4 March 2026 (Kawnat Haju/AFP) Off As Israel pounds Lebanon and orders hundreds of thousands to flee, a second battle is unfolding behind closed doors: one of warnings, ultimatums and increasingly stark diplomatic messages delivered to senior Lebanese officials. According to diplomatic sources, Israel and western interlocutors have in recent days conveyed a blunt message to Lebanese officials: Israel no longer sees symbolic state measures against Hezbollah as meaningful unless they are followed by action on the ground. One diplomatic source told Middle East Eye an Israeli official informed a foreign diplomat in Israel that the Lebanese government’s decision to ban Hezbollah military activities was “not worth the ink it was written with”.
Israel is gripped by messianic fervour for a biblical war Submitted by Lubna Masarwa on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 17:03 It claims the fanatics are Hamas and Iran - but increasingly, Israel itself is embarking on a religious crusade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly invoked the biblical story of Amalek to justify regional violence (Jim Watson/AFP) Off I woke up at 2am, confused about whether the noises I was hearing were air-raid sirens or crowds in nearby synagogues, singing and dancing into the late hours in celebration of the Purim holiday. Thousands of Israeli Jews came out into the streets of Jerusalem on Wednesday in defiance of instructions from the police and Home Front Command. On the other side of the city, Al-Aqsa Mosque was closed for the fifth day in the middle of Ramadan, under the pretext that there is a war on and it’s too dangerous to allow prayer in public.
