Trump to deliver update on Iran this evening

Donald Trump says he will provide an update on Iran in a news conference later tonight.

The US president is due to speak at 9:30pm UK time. Earlier, he said he was "not happy" with Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Khamenei was named Iran's new leader over the weekend, taking the place of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28.

Families of Brit embassy staff withdrawn from Dubai

The UK has "temporarily" sent home the families of its embassy staff in Dubai as a safety precaution amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

In an update to its travel advice, the Foreign Office said: "Due to the ongoing security situation, as a precautionary measure we have decided to temporarily withdraw the dependents of British Embassy staff from the United Arab Emirates. Our embassies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai continue to operate as normal."

RAF fighter jets shoot down drones heading towards Jordan and Bahrain

RAF Typhoon fighter jets have shot down drones heading towards Jordan and Bahrain, the Ministry of Defence has said.

British aircraft intercepted a UAV "in defence of Jordan" and destroyed another drone bound for Bahrain. The UK is also carrying out defensive air sorties in support of the UAE, the ministry revealed on X.

An update on UK operations in the Middle East, 09 March 2026. pic.twitter.com/dXbvxEn1iT

"Overnight, RAF Typhoon jets successfully took out an uncrewed aerial system in defence of Jordan and successfully intercepted a drone that was heading in the direction of Bahrain," it said. The update adds: "The UK has begun conducting defensive air sorties in support of the United Arab Emirates.

"To support defensive operations, the UK has deployed additional air operations experts to the Gulf - ensuring an accurate air picture across the region and assisting partners with airspace management".

'Operation Epic Mistake': Iran's foreign minister mocks US

Iran's foreign minister has mocked the US for causing oil prices to skyrocket after striking the country. Seyed Abbas Araghchi said: "9 days into Operation Epic Mistake, oil prices have doubled while all commodities are skyrocketing.

"We know the U.S. is plotting against our oil and nuclear sites in hopes of containing huge inflationary shock. Iran is fully prepared. And we, too, have many surprises in store".

Situation in Middle East will likely put 'upward pressure on inflation,' Reeves says

Rachel Reeves has indicated inflation could rise due to the conflict in Iran, as she said the British economy was strong enough to withstand shocks.

She warned the fighting is "likely to put upward pressure on inflation", and told the Commons she stands ready "to support a co-ordinated release" of international oil reserves to ease the economic shock of the crisis.

The Chancellor told MPs: "I am clear eyed about my response to the current situation. My economic approach will both be responsive to a changing world and responsible in the national interest. The economic impact of the situation in the Middle East will depend, of course, on its severity and its duration. The movements that we have already seen are likely to put upward pressure on inflation in the coming months."

Reeves added that she "stands ready" to support a coordinated release of oil reserves held by the International Energy Agency. She had spoken with finance ministers from the G7 earlier on Monday.

She said: "I want to ensure the country that the fundamentals of Britain's economy are strong. Every step that I have taken since the election has built our national resilience. Stability in the public finances, investment in infrastructure in both defence and energy security, and reform to our economy."

More than 37,000 Brits have returned from Middle East

More than 37,000 British nationals in the Middle East have now returned to the UK, the Foreign Office said in an update. It added that over 40 government chartered flights are set to depart from the region today, including from Dubai and Oman.

Update on UK consular assistance to British nationals in the Middle East – 9 March 2026 pic.twitter.com/qwgeHp8j8o

New leader in Iran suggests 'no change in direction'

Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment as Iran's ruler "suggests no change in direction from Iran", a Foreign Office minister has warned.

Asked to respond to Ali Khamenei's son's appointment, Baroness Chapman of Darlington told the Lords: "Keeping people safe and defending national security is the Government's first duty and we continually assess potential threats to the United Kingdom.

"We continue to have discussions at every level with the US and with others. American planes operating out of British bases and British jets shooting down drones and missiles to protect American lives is the 'special relationship' in action.

"The appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader suggests no change in direction from Iran."

US is 'well on our way' to stopping Iran missile threat, Rubio says

Marco Rubio has claimed the US is on its way to destroying Iran's missile threat.

Speaking at a ceremony at the US Department of State, he said the US' key aims are to eliminate Iran's ballistic missile stockpile, as well as the country's ability to produce them.

"We are well on our way to achieving that objective," he said. Rubio claimed this was being done "with overwhelming force" and "overwhelming precision".

More than 10 children killed in Israeli strikes every day in Lebanon

UN children's agency UNICEF has said the number of children being killed daily in Lebanon is "staggering".

At least 83 children have been killed and 254 wounded since March 2, UNICEF's Middle East director Edouard Beigbeder said. Israel claims it is targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah militia after the group launched missiles at Israel in what it said was retaliation for the joint US-Israeli war on Iran.

"As military strikes continue across the country, children are being killed and injured at a horrifying rate, families are fleeing their homes in fear, and thousands of children are now sleeping in cold and overcrowded shelters," Beigbeder said.

Trump tells Australia to grant Iranian footballers asylum

Donald Trump has told Australia to grant Iranian footballers asylum as "they will most likley be killed" if forced back to Iran. He added that the US would take the players if Australia does not.

It comes as five players from the women's national football team reportedly fled the training camp to seek refuge in the country.

Posting to social media, Trump said: "Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman's Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed.

"Don't do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The U.S. will take them if you won't."

Seventh US soldier killed in Iran war named

The seventh US military member killed in the Iran war has been named after his death in Saudi Arabia.

Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, has been named after he died of his wounds on March 8 from injuries sustained during an attack on March 1, at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.

The US military announced its seventh combat death since the war began today, after Sgt. Pennington succumbed to injuries he sustained during Iran's initial wave of retaliatory strikes.

US heavy bombers land at RAF Fairford

Three B-52 bombers have been seen landing at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire today.

The news comes amid increased US activity at the base, with several long-range bombers arriving and the first sighting of B-52s since the start of the conflict with Iran.

Four B-1 bombers have also landed at the base since Friday. RAF Fairford has a 10,000ft (3,000m) runway meaning they can accommodate the US Air Force heavy bombers.

NATO confirms it intercepted missile 'heading to Turkey'

NATO has confirmed that it shot down the missile which was intercepted as it was "heading to Turkey" earlier today.

Nato Spokesperson Allison Hart said the missile had been destroyed by NATO defences, echoing an earlier statement by the Turkish defence ministry.

She did not confirm if the missile was shot down in Turkish airspace.

NATO has again intercepted a missile heading to Türkiye. NATO stands firm in its readiness to defend all Allies against any threat

France will send two warships to Red Sea, Macron says

France ⁠will send two frigates as part of ⁠the European Union’s naval ⁠mission Aspides in the Red Sea, French President Emmanuel Macron ‌says.

“We are in the process of setting up a purely defensive, purely escort ⁠mission, which must ⁠be prepared together with both European and non-European ⁠states,” Macron said ⁠after meeting with ⁠Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos ‌Mitsotakis in Cyprus.

Second Iranian missile shot down in Turkish airspace

The Turkish defence ministry has said all necessary steps will be taken 'resolutely and without hesitation' against any threat following a missile attack.

NATO defences based in Turkey destroyed the missile, it said, with fragments landing in empty fields in Gaziantep, in southeast Turkey.

"We once again emphasise that all necessary steps will be taken resolutely and without hesitation against any threat directed at our country's territory and airspace," the defence ministry said.

Read the full story here

Israeli Air Force launches new wave of strikes

The Israeli military forces have “just begun a wide-scale wave of strikes against infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran, Isfahan, and southern Iran”, the IDF has said.

Isfahan is a city in central Iran known for its beautiful architecture. The Israeli Air Force made the announcement in a tweet today, saying: "In Tehran, Isfahan, and southern Iran: The Air Force has launched a wave of strikes in three areas simultaneously."

בטהרן, איספהאן ודרום איראן: חיל-האוויר החל בגל תקיפות בשלושה מרחבים במקביל.

US tells non-essential staff to leave Turkey consulate

The US has advised non-essential staff to leave its consulate near the southern Turkish city of Adana. Meanwhile Washington has ordered US citizens to leave “southeast Turkey,” the US embassy in Ankara has said.

“On March 9, 2026, the Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees and US government employee family members to leave Consulate General Adana due to the safety risks,” it said on X, referencing a travel advisory saying: “Americans in southeast Turkey are strongly encouraged to depart now”.

The city of Adana is near to a key NATO base, Incirlik Air Base, a strategic NATO location that's had an American air force presence for decades. Incirlik Air Base is believed to be the target of an Iranian ballistic missile launched on March 4, which was intercepted by a NATO missile defense system with debris falling on nearby Dörtyol.

G7 group to call emergency meeting over oil prices

The G7 group of nations has announced it will call an emergency meeting, with the European Union's oil and gas supply coordination groups making a similar announcement.

The groups will meet to monitor the state of EU oil supplies and the energy impact of the war in Iran.

European countries are nervous as the continent had previously shifted away from Russia and toward Gulf region imports, making the EU especially vulnerable to the impact of the current crisis there.

The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for 20% of global oil and natural gas shipments, has seen Middle Eastern oil producers cut supply, as prices start to soar.

Iranian Health Minister says at least 1,255 people killed

The Iranian Deputy Health Minister has said at least 1,255 people have been killed in Iran, including 200 children and 11 healthcare workers in US-Israeli attacks.

Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian said the strikes have so far killed and wounded mostly civilians, adding that the targeting of oil facilities has caused toxic smoke to spread across the capital, Tehran.

Jafarian said most of the victims of the strikes were “living in their homes or [were] at their workplace,” claiming that than 12,000 people have also been wounded, mostly from burns and crush injuries.

Mojtaba Khamenei was 'the eyes and ears of his father'

An associate professor at the University of Tehran said Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has a "sophisticated understanding" of Iranian politics and worked with many groups as his late-father’s “eyes and ears”.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Zohreh Kharazmi said: “Many believe that [he] has a sophisticated understanding of the systematic complexities; he has worked with the IRGC, with the intelligence community, with the government and ministers.”

“Everybody knows that he was playing a wider role as the ears and eyes of his father; he was just going through the people, sitting with the regional allies, having a sense of the livelihood challenges that the people have, and also he worked with the different political factions when his father was alive,” she added.

“He’s coming from the experience of administrating things and having a sort of strategic thought.”

Starmer hits back at Trump comments on iran

The Prime Minister defended his response to the crisis after repeated criticism from US President Donald Trump.

Sir Keir Starmer said: “It’s really important to emphasise that the US and the UK are working together every single day, as they always have.

“And obviously, in relation to Iran, the US are now using UK air bases under the agreement that we’ve reached. But more generally than that, intelligence is being shared every day in the region. We have our military personnel and US military personnel co-located in the same places, in the same bases, and both the US and the UK are working together and protecting those bases.

“So in terms of the relationship, the work that we necessarily have to do together is going on as you would expect. I had a telephone call with President Trump yesterday talking about the conflict in Iran and the region and what we were doing together, and that was important in terms of the ongoing discussion.

“But the discussion with our US counterpart is happening at all levels, all of the time, every single day. That’s the nature of the relationship.”

UNICEF says at least 83 children killed in Lebanon in past 7 days

UNICEF, The UN agency for children, says at least 83 children have been killed and 254 injured in Lebanon since March 2 as the war between Israel and Hezbollah spirals.

“On average, more than 10 children have been killed every day across Lebanon over the past week, with approximately 36 children injured each day,” the statement published on the UNICEF website said on Monday. “In the last 28 months, 329 children have reportedly been killed in Lebanon and 1,632 were injured,” it added.

“These figures are staggering. They are a stark testament to the toll that conflict is taking on children,” the agency said. “Mass displacement across Lebanon has forced nearly 700,000 people – including around 200,000 children – from their homes, adding to the tens of thousands already uprooted from previous escalations.”

The agency called on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools and shelters, and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.

“UNICEF urges immediate efforts to de-escalate the situation and prevent further harm to children,” the statement concluded.

Oil prices skyrocket as Iran launches new strikes

Oil prices skyrocketed on Monday, leading to more worries that higher energy costs will fuel inflation and lead to less spending. Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged as much as 7% in early Monday trading, while other Asian markets also tumbled.

Saudi Arabia sharpened its warnings to Iran, telling Tehran it would be the "biggest loser" if it continues to attack Arab states. The Saudi statement came after a new drone attack apparently targeted its massive Shaybah oil field.

IDF troops begin 'targeted' raid on southern Lebanon

Israeli forces have begun a "targeted and limited" ground assault in southern Lebanon, the IDF has said.

Forces are attempting to "eliminate" Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure sites, a statement said.

The IDF stated: "Overnight (Monday), IDF troops began a targeted and limited raid in an area in southern Lebanon to locate and eliminate terrorists and dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure."

"As part of the targeted raid, the troops are operating to locate and strike terror infrastructure sites and eliminate terrorists in southern Lebanon. Prior to the entry of ground forces, firepower was employed, and numerous terrorist targets were struck from both the air and the ground.

"This activity is part of the effort to further strengthen forward defensive positions in order to provide an additional layer of protection for residents of northern Israel.

"The IDF will continue to act decisively against the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which chose to join the war and operate on behalf of the Iranian regime. The State of Israel will not tolerate any harm to the Israeli residents."

The southern suburbs of Beirut have been hit by airstrikes today as Israel continues to strike targets in the city, with plumes of smoke seen drifting over the skyline.

Mojtaba was 'treated for impotency'

Iran's new Supreme Leader was treated for "impotency" in private UK hospitals, according to US intelligence.

A classified briefing sent by the US State Department to the US Embassy in London in 2008, and later released by WikiLeaks, said Mojtaba faced immense pressure to produce heirs after struggling to conceive a child with his wife. He underwent treatment four times at London's Wellington and Cromwell Hospitals for "impotency", according to the document.

Mojtaba married relatively late in life, in 2004, "reportedly due to an impotency problem treated and eventually resolved during three extended visits to the UK", the document states.

Iran's new Supreme Leader 'wounded', says state TV

Iran's new Supreme Leader is reported to have been injured.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, the second son of the late Ayatollah, was announced as his father's successor on Sunday after being appointed by the regime's 88-person assembly.

In a report on his appointment as Supreme Leader on Iranian state TV, the broadcast referred to him as being wounded in the war. The news bulletin described Mojtaba as “janbaz”, or wounded by the enemy, during the “Ramadan war,” as the current conflict is known in Iran.

No detail has been given on how he was injured although his wife and father were killed in Israeli strikes on Tehran on the first day of the conflict.

Putin orders Iran nuclear plant evacuation over 'catastrophe' fears

Vladimir Putin has ordered an evacuation of a nuclear power plant over fears of a "catastrophe", reports say.

Putin ordered the evacuation of Russians from the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran. Hundreds of Russian construction staff are building two new reactors at the power plant - but work has been halted because of the current war with “explosions” audible from the facility.

Rosatom is poised to attempt a second removal of its citizens “soon”, evacuating “family members and some staff”, said Alexei Likhachev, head of Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation.

Starmer to 'protect Brits from economic impact of Iran war'

Sir Keir Starmer will promise to protect Britons from the economic impact of the Middle East conflict as oil prices soared.

The Prime Minister will acknowledge people’s concerns about the threat of rising bills in the wake of the US-Israeli assault on Iran and Tehran’s reprisals against countries across the region.

Ahead of a visit to a community centre in London on Monday, Sir Keir said “supporting working people and their families with the cost of living is always top of my mind”.

Oil prices have soared above 100 dollars a barrel for the first time since 2022 in response to the crisis.

London’s FTSE 100 Index fell nearly 2% soon after opening as the Middle East conflict caused an acute supply crunch.

Israel and white phosphorus: What you need to know

What is white phosphorus? White phosphorus is a chemical substance dispersed in artillery shells, bombs, and rockets that ignites when exposed to oxygen. It can set homes, agricultural areas, and other civilian objects on fire. Under international humanitarian law, the use of airburst white phosphorus is unlawfully indiscriminate in populated areas and does not meet the legal requirement to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm.

White phosphorus can be used for multiple purposes, including to obscure, mark, signal, or directly attack military personnel and materiel. Concerns over its use in populated areas are amplified by the technique shown in videos of air-bursting white phosphorus projectiles, which spread 116 burning felt wedges impregnated with the substance over an area between 125 and 250 meters in diameter, depending on the altitude and angle of the burst, indiscriminately exposing more civilians and civilian structures to potential harm than a localized ground burst.

Israel's past use of phosphorus: Human Rights Watch has previously documented the Israeli military’s widespread use of white phosphorus between October 2023 and May 2024 across border villages in southern Lebanon, which put civilians at grave risk and contributed to civilian displacement.

Accusations against Israel today: Human Rights Watch verified and geolocated an image posted on social media the morning of March 3, showing at least two artillery-delivered white phosphorus munitions being airburst over a residential neighborhood in the town of Yohmor in southern Lebanon. Human Rights Watch identified the shape of the smoke cloud caused by the airbursts in the picture as entirely consistent with the “knuckle” made by the expelling and bursting charges of the M825-series 155mm artillery projectile that contains white phosphorous.

Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of white phosphorus attacks over Lebanon