Issued on: 04/03/2026 - 06:17Modified: 05/03/2026 - 10:53

An Iranian warship was sunk by a US submarine on Wednesday amid intensified bombardment by Israel. The US targeted Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as Iran’s military infrastructure. Follow our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.

This liveblog is no longer being updated.

Qatar says evacuating residents near US embassy

Qatar has begun evacuating residents of its capital living near the US embassy, the interior ministry said Thursday, after Iranian strikes hit the Gulf country.

"The relevant authorities are evacuating residents living in the vicinity of the US Embassy as a temporary precautionary measure," the ministry posted on X.

Explosions heard in Jerusalem after Iran missile alert

Explosions were heard in Jerusalem on Thursday after warnings of incoming Iranian missile fire, AFP journalists said, with Israel's emergency services reporting no casualties.

Israel's military has issued three separate alerts warning of Iranian missile launches in under two hours. There were no reports of significant impact, and residents have been cleared to leave their shelters.

US launches first charter flight from Middle East amid escalating conflict

The United States on Wednesday operated its first charter flight from the war-hit Middle East, the State Department said, after an estimated 17,500 Americans had already left the region on their own.

The department provided no further details about the flight, citing operational concerns, but said “additional flights will be surged across the region,” urging Americans in Israel, the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to register online.

Officials noted that more than 17,500 US citizens have returned since the conflict began, including 8,500 on Tuesday, with nearly 6,500 receiving State Department assistance and most departing on commercial flights.

Iran fires missiles at Israel as Middle East strikes enter sixth day

Iran launched missiles at Israel early Thursday as aerial attacks in the Middle East entered their sixth day, following the sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine and Tehran’s threats against military and economic infrastructure across the region.

Israel announced the incoming attack shortly after its military said it had begun new strikes in Lebanon targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Tanker damaged by explosion off Kuwait coast

A tanker at anchor off Kuwait reported seeing a large explosion on its port side and was taking on water, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

The master observed a small craft leaving the area following the explosion, which occurred 30 nautical miles (56 km) southeast of Kuwait’s Mubarak Al Kabeer port in the Gulf, UKMTO said.

“There is oil in the water coming from a cargo tank which could have some environmental impact. The vessel has taken on water, there are no fires reported and the crew are safe,” it said in an advisory note.

Canada PM Carney says can't rule out military participation in Iran

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday that he could not rule out his country’s military participation in the escalating war in the Middle East.

“One can never categorically rule out participation,” he said alongside local counterpart Anthony Albanese in Canberra.

“We will stand by our allies,” added Carney, who had previously said the US‑Israeli strikes on Iran were “inconsistent with international law.”

Israel says working to intercept Iran missiles

Israel’s military said air defences were responding to missiles launched from Iran on Thursday, the first such report in more than seven hours, triggering alerts in several areas including Tel Aviv.

The military said in a statement it had “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat.”

Air strike hits Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut

An air strike hit the Hezbollah stronghold of south Beirut early on Thursday, AFPTV images showed, shortly after Israel issued a warning ahead of the attack.

Israel’s military had earlier told residents to leave a Beirut suburb, warning it was about to strike targets it said were linked to Hezbollah.

Iran conflict sparks gas shortages in Moldova’s Transdniestria

The conflict in Iran has triggered new shortages of gas supplies to Moldova’s separatist Transdniestria region, the region’s authorities said on Wednesday, threatening a repeat of a crisis that cut heat and power to homes and industry a year ago.

Pro‑Moscow Transdniestria had long been supplied with Russian gas, virtually without payment, through a pipeline that crosses Ukraine. But authorities in Kyiv last year stopped gas transit as the war with Russia dragged on, leaving the region’s 350,000 residents and much of its industry with limited power and heat for over a month.

Saudi Arabia says it has intercepted three cruise missiles

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it had intercepted three cruise missiles, as the US‑Israel‑Iran war continued.

"Three cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed outside the city of Al‑Kharj," the Saudi defence ministry posted on X.

Netanyahu's office says Israel, US have made 'historic gains' in war

Israel and the United States have made "historic gains" in the war against Iran, which began when the allies launched strikes on the Islamic Republic, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Thursday.

"Israel and the United States have together made historic gains to protect our citizens and the civilised world," a spokesperson for Netanyahu, Shosh Bedrosian, said in a video message.

She also claimed the attack was necessary as Iran was rebuilding its atomic bomb programme in "new underground bunkers" and because there were indications of Iranian plans "to attack Israel and American forces in the Middle East."

Israel orders evacuation north of Litani amid escalating conflict

Israel warned residents to immediately leave a swathe of southern Lebanon on Wednesday, ordering them to move north of the Litani River on the third day of full‑blown hostilities with the Iran‑backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Senate Republicans block war powers resolution to halt Trump’s Iran campaign

Senate Republicans voted down an effort on Wednesday to halt President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, demonstrating early support for a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East with no clear US exit strategy.

The legislation, known as a war powers resolution, failed on a 47–53 vote tally. It gave lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. The vote forced them to take a stand on a war shaping the fate of US service members, countless other lives and the future of the region.

Iran denies reports of Kurdish militant incursion from Iraq

Iran’s Tasnim news agency said on Thursday that its reporters in three border provinces had denied reports of armed Kurdish militants crossing into Iran from Iraq, rejecting claims circulating in regional media about cross‑border attacks or movements by Kurdish armed groups.

Iraqi forces seize mobile rocket launcher in Basra

Iraqi security forces seized a mobile rocket launch platform carrying two missiles ready to be fired at a neighbouring country in the Zubair district, south of Basra, security sources said on Thursday.

The operation was carried out on the basis of precise intelligence provided by the Iraqi National Security Service, the sources said.

Iran says it would target Israeli nuclear site if regime change sought

Iran will target the Israeli nuclear site at Dimona if Israel and the US seek regime change in the Islamic Republic, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday, citing an Iranian military official.

Three killed in two Israeli strikes near Beirut

Three people were killed in two Israeli strikes on vehicles near Beirut, Lebanon’s health ministry said late on Wednesday, after a third day of Israeli bombardment in response to renewed Hezbollah attacks.

“Two Israeli air strikes on the airport highway killed three people and wounded six,” the ministry said. Israel’s military said it had targeted two people in the Beirut area, without immediately offering further details.

Iran's wartime succession: What direction after Khamenei?

What does succession look like in Iran? The wait continues after last Saturday’s assassination of the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader of nearly 41 years.

Watch the full debate on FRANCE 24 by clicking on the player below.

Israel army says struck Hezbollah targets south of Litani river

The Israeli military said it struck several Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including rocket and missile launch sites south of the Litani River.

"Among the targets struck were numerous Hezbollah rocket and missile launch sites south of the Litani River ... including a drone production facility," the military said.

Yesterday's key developments:

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)

Keywords for this article

The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore.