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.

Amid surging oil prices and mounting unease across global markets, the United States has unveiled a strategy to steady energy flows and safeguard vital maritime corridors even as it intensifies military strikes aimed at crippling Iran’s missile arsenal and naval power.

Speaking at the US Capitol, secretary of state Marco Rubio acknowledged that markets were rattled by the escalating conflict but insisted Washington had anticipated the turbulence.

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Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reports that parts of the IRIB headquarters in Tehran were hit in early morning US–Israeli strikes. Despite the damage, broadcasting remains uninterrupted due to “precautions” taken by the state media organisation.

ISNA also said the Shahid Motahhari government complex near Vali Asr and Imam Khomeini streets was targeted, with multiple blasts heard across central, northern and western Tehran, Al Jazeera reported.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that carries roughly a fifth of global oil consumption.

Al Jazeera quoted Brigadier General Ebrahim Jabari as saying on state television that IRGC naval forces would target any vessels attempting to pass through the strait and also threaten regional oil pipelines, vowing to halt oil exports to pressure the United States and its allies.

The Israeli military has issued new evacuation orders covering around 50 locations in Lebanon, including warnings for residents in two southern Beirut neighbourhoods to move away from specific buildings ahead of imminent strikes. In a Telegram post, Arabic-language military spokesman Avichay Adraee urged civilians to “evacuate your homes immediately” for their safety, AFP reported.

SpiceJet said it will operate four special flights from Fujairah in the UAE to Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi over the next few days to bring back passengers stranded by widespread airspace closures. PTI said the airline added it is exploring additional flights, subject to demand and regulatory approvals.

Gold prices climbed for a fifth straight session on Tuesday as investors flocked to safe-haven assets amid the escalating US–Israel air campaign against Iran. Spot gold rose 1 per cent to $5,377.21 per ounce, after hitting its highest level in more than four weeks in the previous session, reflecting mounting fears of a prolonged regional conflict.

US President Donald Trump signalled imminent retaliation after two suspected Iranian drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh, causing a limited fire and minor damage. Speaking to NewsNation, Trump said Americans would “find out soon” how Washington would respond, but offered no further details.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the US–Israel campaign against Iran would not drag on indefinitely, describing it as a “gateway to peace.” Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said the war would involve quick and decisive action and expressed confidence that it could open a lasting path to peace in West Asia.

Multiple Emirates flights bound for Dubai from Chennai, Delhi and Bengaluru have diverted back to their origin airports in India amid ongoing airspace disruptions. Only EK501 from Mumbai has landed in Dubai so far, while EK525 from Hyderabad remains en route, reflecting the continuing uncertainty in regional aviation operations.

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said its silence on the targeted assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not neutral but an abdication, and raises serious doubts about the direction and credibility of India's foreign policy.

PTI reported that the former Congress president also demanded that when Parliament reconvenes for the second part of the Budget session, the government's "disturbing silence" over the breakdown of international order must be debated openly and without evasion.

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.