US-Israel attack on Iran Highlights: Iran War Top Developments on March 5
- Senate Republicans stopped a measure that would have limited President Trump’s ability to continue the war without Congress approving it.
- Turkey said NATO air defenses shot down an Iranian ballistic missile headed toward its airspace.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a US submarine fired a torpedo and sank an Iranian warship. It was the first time an American submarine fired a torpedo at an enemy ship since World War II.
- An Iranian naval ship with 180 crew members sank in the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka. Authorities fear dozens may be dead.
- Hegseth and press secy Leavitt said US and Israeli forces will soon control Iranian airspace completely and that they would be able to deliver “death and destruction all day long.”
- As the fifth day of fighting ended, Israel launched another wave of attacks on Tehran. The conflict shows no sign of slowing.
- China said it will send a special envoy to help mediate the conflict. The UK, France and Greece are deploying military assets to protect their citizens.
- Financial markets calmed after days of turmoil. But US gasoline prices have jumped 20 cents compared to last week.
- Top Iranian officials are considering Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain leader, as successor. Israel warned that if he follows his father’s ideology, he will be “an unequivocal target for elimination.”
- The White House said 17,500 Americans have returned home since the war began. The press secretary said the State Department had given “many signs” before the strikes.
Here are the latest updates
US-Israel War on Iran LIVE: Canada ‘can never categorically rule out participation’
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada is not currently taking part in the US military action against Iran, but stopped short of completely ruling out future involvement if the conflict expands.
Speaking alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a joint press briefing in Canberra on Thursday, both leaders called for de-escalation across the Middle East while also stressing the need to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
When asked by a Canadian reporter whether Canada could join the conflict if it spreads further, Carney said the situation remains unpredictable.
“You’ve asked a fundamental hypothetical in a conflict that can spread very broadly,” he said. “Today’s events or recent events point to that, so one can never categorically rule out participation. We will stand by our allies.”
US-Israel War on Iran LIVE: Etihad Airways suspends flights until March 6
Etihad Airways confirmed that all scheduled commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 06:00 UAE time on Friday, March 6. A limited number of repositioning, cargo and repatriation flights are operating with official approvals. The airline said passengers should not head to the airport without a confirmed booking issued within the last 24 hours.
US-Israel War on Iran LIVE: Saudi Arabia intercepts incoming drones
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted three drones over its central Al-Kharj province.
The country’s Ministry of Defence confirmed the interceptions Thursday in a post on X. No further details were immediately provided about where the drones came from or whether there were any damages or injuries.
US-Israel War on Iran LIVE: Pentagon identifies final 2 US soldiers killed in Kuwait attack
The Pentagon has named the last two US soldiers killed in a drone attack in Kuwait during the war with Iran.
They are Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California, and Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa.
Both men were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Iowa.
In a statement, the Department of War said O’Brien “died on March 1, 2026, in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, during an unmanned aircraft system attack.” The statement added, “The incident is under investigation.”
In a separate statement, the department said Marzan “was at the scene of the incident on March 1, 2026, in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, and is believed to be the individual who perished at the scene.” It added that positive identification “will be completed by the medical examiner.”
The two were among six US service members killed in the Iranian drone strike during Operation Epic Fury.
The other four previously identified were Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa.
US-Israel War on Iran LIVE: US working on plan to secure Strait of Hormuz
The White House said the Pentagon and the US Energy Department are preparing plans to secure the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil tankers can move safely. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not share details about timing but confirmed that discussions are ongoing.
US-Israel War on Iran LIVE: Canada working to evacuate some of its citizens from the Middle East
Canada is moving to evacuate some of its citizens from the Middle East, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Wednesday.
Canadian nationals in Israel will be transported by bus to the Egyptian border. In Beirut, limited numbers of citizens are being placed on flights out.
Canada is also trying to arrange charter flights from the United Arab Emirates as airspace begins to reopen, Anand said during a press conference.
More than 100,000 Canadian citizens are registered in the Middle East, according to Anand. Of those, about 2,000 have requested help to leave.
US-Israel War on Iran LIVE: Qatar evacuating residents “in vicinity” of US Embassy
Authorities in Qatar are evacuating residents living “in the vicinity” of the US Embassy as a “temporary precautionary measure,” the country’s interior ministry said.
Officials did not explain what prompted the move, saying only that it was done to maintain public safety.
Those being evacuated will be provided with suitable accommodation, authorities added.
Israel says it has begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut.
The Israeli military did not give details about the targets. A loud explosion was heard in the Lebanese capital overnight, just moments before Israel confirmed the strikes.
Smoke was seen rising from Dahiyeh in Beirut’s southern suburbs following the airstrike.
The owner of a small hotel in Beirut that was hit in a separate strike told CNN’s Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Matthew Chance that she is angry at Hezbollah, blaming the group for pulling Lebanon into the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Oil leaking from tanker off Kuwait after nearby explosion
Oil is spilling into the water after an explosion was reported near a tanker anchored off the coast of Kuwait, according to a British marine monitoring agency.
The crew said they saw a large explosion on the vessel’s left-hand side. Shortly after, a small craft was seen leaving the area, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said Wednesday.
The tanker has taken on water, but all crew members are safe.
Authorities are investigating the incident. The oil leak could have environmental consequences.
Senate blocks effort to limit Trump’s war powers
In Washington, Republicans in the Senate rejected a resolution that would have required President Donald Trump to ask Congress for approval before taking more military action against Iran.
The vote was 47 to 53. Republican Sen. Rand Paul joined most Democrats in supporting the measure. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voted with Republicans to block it.
Even if it had passed, the measure would have faced long odds. It would have needed to survive more votes in both chambers of Congress and likely a presidential veto, which requires a two-thirds majority to override.
The House is expected to vote on a similar measure Thursday.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the US military will begin “striking progressively deeper” into Iran.
US-Israel War on Iran LIVE: White House lays out its goals
At a White House briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US has clear goals.
She said the US wants to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile program, “annihilate” its naval presence in the region, dismantle what she called terrorist proxy groups, and stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon. She added that regime change is not the main goal.
Leavitt said President Trump decided to strike Iran because of a “good feeling” that Tehran was planning to attack the United States.
She did not rule out that the US carried out a strike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran, but insisted the US military “does not target civilians.”
Leavitt also said the US has “more than enough” weapons for a long war, despite earlier comments from Trump suggesting supply concerns.
In one of the strongest statements of the day, she said the US would have “complete and total dominance” over Iranian airspace in the next few hours.
She also confirmed that Trump plans to attend the dignified transfer of American service members killed in Kuwait during Iran’s retaliation.
US-Israel War on Iran LIVE: US says it will strike “deeper” Into Iran
The United States says it is preparing to hit targets “progressively deeper” inside Iran, as the fighting between the two countries — and Israel — continues to grow.
The latest wave of attacks began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran. Since then, the violence has spread across several countries in the Middle East. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the early days of the conflict. Iran answered back by firing missiles and drones at Israel and by striking US allies in the region.
Cleanup crews were still working Wednesday outside damaged buildings in Tehran, days after strikes hit the city.
US updates message for Americans in Middle East - 'Committed to helping'
The US State Department has updated the message on the assistance call line for Americans stranded in the Middle East. It had said as recently as yesterday: “Please do not rely on the US government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time”.
“The US is committed to helping US citizens who want to leave the region to do so,” the message now says, asking Americans to stay on the line for assistance.
The Trump administration said on Tuesday that it was working on multiple evacuation options with charters, military aircraft, commercial options and land routes.
India rejects claims that US navy is using its ports amid Iran war
“Claims being made on OAN, a US-based channel, that Indian ports are being used by the US Navy are fake and false. We caution you against such baseless and fabricated comments,” the Indian foreign ministry said.
This came after Douglas McGregor --- a former adviser to the US Secretary of Defence --- claimed on the far-right One America News Network that American naval ships might be using Indian ports amid the conflict.
Around 17,500 Americans return home from Middle East amid war
"Since February 28, over 17,500 American citizens have returned to the United States from the Middle East — with over 8,500 American citizens returning to the US yesterday alone," said US State Department official Dylan Johnson.
Hezbollah says it’s fighting Israeli forces near Khiam in Lebanon
As per an update shared by Al Jazeera, Hezbollah has said that its fighters detonated an explosive device and clashed with Israeli troops near the southern Lebanese town of Khiam. The group said in a statement that it had led the attack around 6:30 pm local time after fighters saw an 'Israeli force' attempting to advance towards the area.
Hezbollah said the blast was followed by direct fighting and claimed casualties among Israeli troops --- with gun battles still underway.
The group said in a separate statement that it had also fired a rocket barrage towards Israeli forces gathered in the town of Kiryat Shmona, in northern Israel. The group said helicopters later intervened to evacuate wounded soldiers.
Iran threatens to target Israeli embassies worldwide if Lebanon mission attacked
Iranian armed forces have threatened to target Israeli missions worldwide if Israel attacks Tehran’s mission in Lebanon, a military spokesperson said. Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesperson of the Iranian armed forces, said live on television, “If Israel commits such a crime, it will force us to make all Israeli embassies around the world our legitimate target.
‘We will spare no effort to end this destructive war’, says Lebanese PM
Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam spoke briefly at a news conference and raised the issue of tens of thousands of civilians displaced after Israel began its ground invasion of southern Lebanon.
“I would like to promise...that we will spare no effort to bring an end to this destructive war, and to bring the displaced people to their homes, and to protect Lebanon and its people,” he said.
Germany says ‘military force alone’ won’t resolve conflicts
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius says that it is “illusory” to think that the conflict can be resolved “by military force and unilateral action alone”. “We must emphasise this repeatedly to our American and Israeli friends, and we will continue to do so,” Pistorius told the German parliament.
Lebanon requests US intervention to halt Israeli aggression
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has asked the US ambassador to the country to urge Washington to intervene to stop Israeli attacks. According to a statement from the presidency, he had received Ambassador Michel Issa at the Baabda Palace today and discussed the recent developments.
"He requested from him the intervention of the United States of America to stop the Israeli aggressions on Lebanon," read an excerpt from an X post from the Presidency (roughly translated from Arabic).
White House to host defence executives for talks to hasten weapons production
According to a CNN update, top executives from US defense contractors are set to visit the White House on Friday. A White House official told the publication they would discuss ramping up weapons production. This comes hours after President Donald Trump told Politico that defence manufacturers were now operating under emergency authorities to accelerate weapons production.
Trump has sought to project confidence in US military capacity, saying Tuesday there was a “virtually unlimited supply” of US munitions and that “wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies.”
Sirens heard at US embassy in Baghdad
According to an update share by Al Jazeera, sirens have been heard inside the US embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
Iranian-linked militant groups in Iraq have been launching attacks, with Saraya Awliya al-Dam claiming responsibility for a drone attack Wednesday on Jordan. The Shiite militia group one of several operating in Iraq, and claimed responsibility for attacks in the past days on American targets in Baghdad and the northern Iraqi city Irbil.
Iranian President shares message for Gulf nations amid strikes: 'Left no choice but to...'
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian took to Twitter with a message for the heads of "friendly and neighboring states" on Wednesday evening. He insisted that Iran had strived alongside these nations and "through diplomacy to avoid war" but was left no choice apart from "defending itself" following the US-Israel attacks.
"We respect your sovereignty, and we believe that the security and stability of the region must be achieved through the collective efforts of its states," he added.
Indian refiner MRPL suspends fuel exports: Report
Sources told Reuters that Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals has suspended fuel exports due to the Middle East conflict that has disrupted crude oil flows from the Gulf.
The company has declared force majeure on all upcoming gasoline export cargoes for March and April, two separate trade sources said.
MRPL had awarded two to three cargoes of gasoline via tenders for early March loading and is in discussions with buyers on settling those supplies, one of the traders told the publication.
MRPL has agreements with some traders to receive crude cargoes and it also sells them refined fuel, the trader added.
The state-run refiner, which runs a 300,000-barrel-per-day refinery in the southern state of Karnataka, exports about 40% of its refined fuel output.
Aluminium supply headaches intensify as Middle East stumbles
Aluminium Bahrain, which runs one of the world's biggest smelters, warned customers on Wednesday it had halted shipments due to the widening Middle East conflict, exacerbating supply concerns after a Qatari smelter shutdown a day earlier.
Aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange jumped as much as 5.1% to $3,418 a ton after the news, their strongest since April 2022, and analysts said prices could go still higher since about 8% of world supply is produced in the region.
Goldman Sachs said on Monday prices could hit $3,600 a ton if production in the region was lost for a month.
US sinks Iranian warship in Indian Ocean - Death toll rises to 87
A Sri Lanka navy official told AFP that the death toll from the sinking of an Iranian ship has risen to 87. Police and navy spokesmen also said that 61 sailors remain missing, while 32 have been rescued and are receiving treatment at a hospital in the city of Galle.
Search operations remain underway.
Turkey summons Iranian envoy to protest missile entering its airspace
A Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters that the country had summoned the Iranian ambassador to Ankara to its foreign ministry on Wednesday to convey its protest and concerns over a ballistic missile fired from Iran that was heading towards its airspace.
Ankara said that NATO air defences destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile headed into Turkish airspace on Wednesday, marking the first time the alliance member has been drawn into the Middle East conflict and raising the possibility of a major expansion involving its bloc allies.
Turkey --- Iran's neighbour that had sought to mediate US-Iran talks before the air war that began at the weekend --- warned "all parties to refrain from actions that would lead to further escalation," suggesting it was not poised to call upon the trans-Atlantic defence bloc for support.
Iran claims it targeted only US assets, Qatari PM rejects statement
The Prime Minister of Qatar has rejected Iranian claims that it targeted only US assets in the Gulf country and not civilian infrastructure.
According to a statement, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said during a phone call that “the facts on the ground clearly show that the attacks struck civilian and residential areas inside the State of Qatar, including the vicinity of Hamad International Airport, vital infrastructure, and industrial zones housing liquefied natural gas production facilities".
These acts “constitute a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and of the principles of international law,” it added.
Gulf Arab allies might join attacks on Iran: Hegseth
US War Secretary Pete Hegseth has suggested that Gulf countries might join its 'war' against Iran. He said they are “going on offense" without elaborating on how such an arrangement might look.
“What you’re seeing right now is a response in the region to the belligerence of Iran. On different levels, they’re reaching out to us...whether they’re going on offense, which they are, whether they’re giving us additional access, basing and overflight, we’re working very closely and collaborating with them," he said during a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday.
Fresh blasts heard over Jerusalem after missile alert
According to an AFP update, new explosions have been heard overhead in Jerusalem. This comes after the Israeli military warned of incoming Iranian missiles. The blasts came about two hours after a previous salvo of missiles was detected and sirens blared.