Iran–Israel war LIVE: Israel pounds Hezbollah positions, US embassy in Saudi Arabia hit in dual drone attack

The Middle East has plunged into a new era of volatility as Israel and the United States continued intense strikes on Iran on Monday, 2 March 2026, in what U.S. President Donald Trump described as a campaign likely to stretch over several weeks.

Tehran and its allies retaliated across the region, targeting Israel and Gulf states, including energy facilities in Qatar and the American embassy in Saudi Arabia. The escalation has already claimed the life of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, raising fears of a prolonged conflict with unpredictable consequences.

The violence has triggered widespread disruption: safe havens such as Dubai have come under fire, hundreds of thousands of travelers are stranded, and energy markets have reacted sharply. European natural gas prices surged after Qatar halted production at its North Field, the world’s largest LNG reservoir, following attacks on its facilities. Meanwhile, Iran has officially blocked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global oil and gas exports.

The Israeli military has issued repeated evacuation warnings for Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut, and missile and drone strikes have targeted urban areas from Tel Aviv to Dubai. The UAE Ministry of Defence reported intercepting a “third wave” of Iranian missiles, while debris caused minor injuries in Dubai. In Saudi Arabia, two drones struck the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, adding to earlier attacks in Kuwait. Diplomatic tensions have intensified, with the UAE closing its embassy in Tehran.

Air travel remains severely disrupted, with Dubai International and Dubai World Central airports suspended, and airlines scrambling to evacuate stranded passengers. As missiles, drones, and strikes continue to sweep the region, the unfolding crisis has no clear exit in sight.

Iranian state media report that Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, the wife of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died from injuries sustained during the US–Israeli strikes, succumbing to her wounds after being in a coma since the attacks that killed Khamenei. AP reported that her passing marks another significant and personal toll in the escalating regional war.

A limited number of evacuation flights have begun departing the United Arab Emirates, even as most commercial air traffic across West Asia remains suspended amid the widening conflict. The U.S. has urged its citizens in multiple regional countries to leave immediately, but sweeping airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, Israel and parts of the Gulf have left few options. Aviation data firm Cirium estimates that around 13,000 of 32,000 scheduled flights in the region since Saturday have been cancelled, stranding thousands of travellers.

The Israeli military says its air force “struck and dismantled” the headquarters of Iran’s state radio and television broadcaster (IRIB) in Tehran as part of its ongoing campaign against the Islamic Republic. The military described the facility as a key communications centre linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, underscoring the widening scope of the conflict.

President Donald Trump warned Monday that the US-led campaign against Iran could last longer than a month, as Israel bombarded Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and Tehran struck Gulf oil facilities. Explosions shook Tehran early Tuesday as fighter jets flew overhead, while the US urged citizens to leave all of West Asia immediately. Trump outlined key objectives: neutralizing Iran’s missiles, navy, and nuclear program, and curbing support for regional armed groups, without seeking to topple the Islamic republic.

The US Department of State has called on Americans to immediately depart 16 countries in West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, and Israel, citing serious safety risks following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The advisory urges citizens to use available commercial transport and comes after recent travel warnings were updated across the region.