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Israel launches ‘large-scale strikes’ on Tehran
The Israeli military said it was carrying out “large-scale strikes” on Tehran on Monday, two days since the start of a US-Israeli campaign against Iran.
“The Israeli Air Force … has begun an additional wave of strikes against the Iranian terror regime at the heart of Tehran,” the military said in a statement, quoted by Agence France-Presse.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah has just claimed responsibility for the projectiles launched from Lebanon to Israel.
The militant group said it launched missiles and drones towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader.
Israel’s military just said it had begun striking Hezbollah across Lebanon.
More now on the Israeli military saying projectiles fired from Lebanon had triggered air raid sirens in northern Israel – it also said it had had intercepted one of them.
“Following the sirens that sounded in several areas in northern Israel, a projectile that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force, and several projectiles fell in open areas,” the Israeli military posted on Telegram on Monday, cited by the AFP news agency.
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said on Sunday it had a “duty” to support backer Iran after Israeli and US strikes.
But the group has not confirmed action since the US and Israel began attacks on Saturday, killing Iran’s supreme leader and sparking a wave of retaliatory drone and missile strikes.
Hezbollah has been weakened from conflict with Israel, which it entered to support Hamas after the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and the subsequent war in the Gaza strip.
Israel and Hezbollah signed a ceasefire agreement in November 2024, although Israel has continued to strike targets it says are linked to the Lebanese group.
Hezbollah did not intervene during a 12-day war between Israel and Iran last June.
Defence and intelligence experts are describing the strike on a UK airbase in Cyprus as a “possible Iranian one-way drone attack against RAF Akrotiri”.
The base is located over 600 miles (965km) from Iran.
Alerts, thought to have been put out by the UK’s Ministry of Defence, were sent to military personnel and their families by email and text message.
Cyprus authorities confirm drone strike on UK base
Helena Smith
Authorities in Cyprus have confirmed the drone strike. The sovereign base areas and surrounding areas will remain in a state of high alert amid fears of possible further strikes.
All roads to the military facilities have been cordoned off, the Guardian has learned.
SMS messaging sent to base personnel included this:
We are aware of an ongoing security threat. At this time please remain indoors and allow the emergency services access to react to the incident.
The Main entry point at RAF Akrotiri remains closed at this point …
A small Drone has impacted the airfield at RAF Akrotiri and all agencies are responding. There are no casualties but there is minor damage. However the incident is ongoing.
Further to the report that the UK’s Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus has been hit by a drone, we’ve have word that this SMS message was sent to base personnel before the strike:
There is an ongoing security threat. Please return to your homes and stay inside until further official notice. Move away from windows and take cover behind or beneath substantial, solid furniture. Please await further instruction.
Shares of Australia’s flagship carrier Qantas Airways slumped more than 10% to their lowest level in 10 months on Monday after the US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The airline’s shares fell as much as 10.4% to A$8.92 each when the Australian market opened on Monday, the lowest level since 2 May 2025, Reuters is reporting.
Drone hits British airbase in Cyprus – report
The UK’s Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus has been struck by a drone, according to a report in the Cyprus Mail.
Personnel on the bases were informed that a “small drone” had impacted the airfield and that the bases’ authorities were responding, the report on Monday said.
There were no casualties as a result, but “minor damage” was caused.
The bases’ authorities instructed personnel to remain in place and await further instruction, warning there may be additional impact, the report said.
The explosion and siren sounds were heard in nearby Limassol.
The British bases had earlier declared a “security threat” shortly before midnight
The report could not be independently verified.
The Israeli military is saying projectiles have been launched from Lebanon, and sirens are sounding in several areas in northern Israel as a result.
We’ll have more on this soon as it comes to hand.
Oil prices soar amid war on Iran
Oil prices have jumped in Asian trade on the back of the turmoil in the Middle East.
In early trade in Asia on Monday, Brent Crude was trading at $80.20 per barrel, up 13% from the closing price of $72.87 on Friday, Bloomberg News reported.
This is Adam Fulton picking up our live reporting – stay with us for the latest
Summary of the day so far
Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed on Saturday after the US and Israel launched a war on the country to trigger regime change. The US president had earlier announced the death of the ayatollah, who ruled Iran since 1989, in a post on Truth Social. Iran’s former president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was also killed in strikes.
Donald Trump warned on Sunday that combat operations in Iran were continuing and would carry on “until all of our objectives are achieved.” He continued to justify the operation, saying “an Iranian regime armed with long range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American… I once again urge the Revolutionary Guard, the Iranian military police, to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death.”
Trump told Fox News that 48 leaders have been killed in US and Israeli strikes on Iran. “It’s moving along. It’s moving along rapidly. This has been this way for 47 years,” he said. “Nobody can believe the success we’re having; 48 leaders are gone in one shot.”
Three US service members have been killed in action as part of US military operations against Iran, the US Central Command said in a statement on Sunday. These are the first confirmed deaths since the US began launching strikes against Iran on Saturday. Trump warned in his Truth Social video that there would likely be more casualties.
The death toll from a missile strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran has risen to almost 150, according to Iranian state media. Mizan news agency, the official news outlet of Iran’s judiciary, reported that the number killed in Saturday’s strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab in southern Iran had risen to 148 killed, with 95 others wounded. The school, which was struck on Saturday morning, appears to be the worst mass casualty event of the US-Israeli-led bombing campaign on Iran so far.
Trump said earlier that Iran’s new leadership wants to talk to him and that he has agreed, according to an interview with The Atlantic. “They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner,” he said.
Just 27% of Americans approve of the US strikes that killed Iran’s leader on Saturday, while about half — including one in four Republicans — believe Trump is too willing to use military force, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded on Sunday.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer agreed to allow the US to use UK military bases to launch attacks that degrade Iran’s missiles. In a recorded statement, the prime minister said the “only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles”.
The Philippine Embassy in Israel confirmed the death of a Filipino national in a missile attack in Tel Aviv, according to the Associated Press.
The victim, Mary Ann V. de Vera, 32, a caregiver from Basista, Pangasinan, had been working in Israel since 2019. Her identity was confirmed through biometric records at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, where her husband also positively identified her remains.
Ambassador Aileen Mendiola conveyed condolences to the family and assured them of the Philippine government’s full assistance, the embassy said in a statement.
Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote Sunday on social media that his administration extended “heartfelt condolences” to Iran’s people and its government for what he called the assassination of Khamenei.
“The execrable act constitutes a scrupleless violation of all the norms of International Law and human dignity,” he wrote. “In Cuba, he will be remembered as a distinguished statesman and leader of his people, who contributed to the development of friendly relations between Cuba and Iran.”
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also issued a message of condolence over the death of Iran’s supreme leader.
In a post on X, Erdogan wrote: “I extend my condolences to the esteemed Khamenei, praying that the Almighty Allah grants him mercy, and offer my sympathies to the brotherly people of Iran; I convey my condolences on behalf of my country and my nation.”
He added: “Together with the people of Iran, we in Turkey will steadfastly continue our efforts to ensure that all our friends and brothers in the region regain the peace and stability they deserve, that the conflict raging in our region comes to an end, and that we return to diplomacy.”
Trump says attack ‘will continue until all of our objectives are achieved.’
Donald Trump warned on Sunday that combat operations in Iran were continuing and would carry on until all of Washington’s objectives are achieved.
“Combat operations continue at this time in full force, and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved. We have very strong objectives,” Trump said in a recorded video statement posted first on Truth Social. He confirmed that three US service members had been killed and said there would likely be more casualties, vowing to avenge the deaths of Americans.
“As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives,” he said. “And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends.”
He continued to justify the operation, saying “an Iranian regime armed with long range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American… I once again urge the Revolutionary Guard, the Iranian military police, to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death.”
This is the second video statement he has posted exclusively on Truth Social, his social media platform, which recently declared a big loss. The platform is part of Trump Media and Technology Group, a company whose share price has reached near all-time lows this month.
France and Lebanon are postponing a March 5 conference on the Lebanese army to April, the Elysee palace said in a statement on Sunday, following the launch of US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
France, Lebanon’s former colonial power, plans to mobilize international backing for the Lebanese armed forces and internal security forces at the conference.
The statement stressed that the gravity of the regional situation underscored the need to safeguard Lebanon’s stability, support its legitimate institutions, and ensure the full restoration of its sovereignty.
UK agrees to US request to use British military bases for strikes
Rowena Mason
Keir Starmer has agreed to allow the US to use UK military bases to
launch attacks that degrade Iran’s missiles.In a recorded statement, the prime minister said the “only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles”.
“The US has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,” he said.
“We have taken the decision to accept this request – to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region … killing innocent civilians … putting British lives at risk … and hitting countries that have not been involved.”
In addition, British jets are in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations, which he said had “already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes”.
He said it remains the case that the UK was not involved in the strikes on Iran. “Our decision that the UK would not be involved with the strikes on Iran was deliberate,” the prime minister said. “Not least because we believe that the best way forward for the region and the world is a negotiated settlement.”
But he said Iran’s approach was becoming more reckless and dangerous to civilians, leading to the decision to allow the US to use UK military bases. He also revealed that there are at least 200,000 British citizens in the region – and urged them to register their presence and follow Foreign Office travel advice.
The leaders of Britain, France, and Germany have said they are ready to take steps to defend their interests in the region after the “indiscriminate and disproportionate” missile attacks by Iran.
In a joint statement on Iran, the E3 leaders said:
“E3 leaders are appalled by the indiscriminate and disproportionate missile attacks launched by Iran against countries in the region, including those who were not involved in initial US and Israeli military operations. Iran’s reckless attacks have targeted our close allies and are threatening our service personnel and our civilians across the region.
“We call on Iran to stop these reckless attacks immediately. We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source.
They continued: “We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this matter. We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source. We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this matter.”
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A smoke plume rises following a missile strike on a building in Tehran amid ongoing strikes by the US and Israel on Iran. Follow live for latest updates. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
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