International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi stated: “There is no evidence that Iran has developed nuclear weapons.” He also reported: “Damage detected in two buildings at the Isfahan nuclear plant, no radiological risk; damage beyond the serious damage previously reported at the Natanz nuclear plant, and no further damage to nuclear facilities in Iran, including the Bushehr nuclear power plant, is currently known.” Grossi and the West fail to understand that Iran’s uranium enrichment to 60% was a response to sanctions, said Mikhail Ulyanov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to International Organizations in Vienna.
The UNHCR has announced the mobilization of staff in Iran, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Syria due to the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. The staff will provide assistance to refugees in these countries.
According to Kazem Jalali, Iranian ambassador to Russia: “The US and Israeli aggression against Iran has become more than just a temporary flare-up, but a serious threat to regional stability.”
According to CNN, Special Envoy Witkoff has not been in contact with the Iranian regime since the attacks began. Witkoff has also not contacted Iranian Foreign Minister Arakachi or Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, despite previous discussions between them on the nuclear issue.
Secretary of State Rubio: “We have reduced the number of our staff and diplomats in several Middle Eastern countries.”
American banks are on high alert for cyber attacks after a US intelligence assessment raised the alarm about Iranian attacks as the war escalates.
The CIA will supply weapons to Kurdish forces to launch military operations in western Iran. CNN reports, citing sources.
On the afternoon of March 4, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made several statements at a press conference. Regarding the attack on Iran: “They’re done, and they know it.” “In less than a week, the two most powerful air forces in the world will have complete control of Iranian skies.” “What we’re doing now is seven times more than what we did in the 12-day war against Iran. To our loyal partner, Israel, your mission is being executed with unparalleled skill and steely determination. Fighting shoulder to shoulder with such a capable ally is a true force multiplier and a breath of fresh air.” “The only limits we face are President Trump’s desire to achieve specific effects on behalf of the American people. You might say four weeks, but it could be six, eight, three. This was never supposed to be a fair fight, and it’s not. We’re hitting them while they’re on the ground.” “America is winning decisively, devastatingly, and mercilessly.”
Trump may impose an embargo on Spain. This follows the Spanish government’s statements regarding Trump’s threat to sever trade relations.
For the first time since the start of the war, Iran attacked the territory of a NATO member state. The Turkish Ministry of Defense reported that NATO forces intercepted a missile launched by Iran and headed toward Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean. Iran has stated that it was not intended for Turkey. In a conversation between Fidan and Araghchi, Fidan asked Araghchi to avoid actions that could extend the war to the entire region.
Egyptian government officials have advised the Gulf states not to escalate the war or join the coalition bombing Iran, as the situation would significantly worsen if they did.
Israel reportedly conducted a ground operation in Iran with the participation of the Mossad and special forces. According to Al Arabiya, the operation took place very quickly. No further details were provided. The Israeli side has not commented on the reports. Another evacuation flight was reported to have departed Abu Dhabi for Israel on the evening of the 3rd, carrying soldiers, defense industry personnel, and key officials.
IDF spokesperson Efi Deferin said, “The Chief of Staff is in constant contact with his counterparts in the region.” But he did not specify with whom or how often.
Israel’s National Center for Cybersecurity is raising the alarm over a wave of text messages circulating across the country over the past 24 hours, apparently official messages from the Israel Post. The messages claim a package is waiting at a sorting center and ask for details to be updated via a link. Israel has killed Rahman Makdam, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ special operations department, the man the attempted assassination of Trump, Israeli opposition leader Lapid responded to Macron: “If entering Lebanon is necessary to destroy Hezbollah, then entering is necessary.” The Israeli Defense Minister declared that any new Iranian leader would be an “unconditional target to be eliminated.” The IDF announced the first-ever downing of an Iranian Yak-130 by an Israeli F-35I. The plane was shot down over Tehran.
The Fars news agency claims that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has not chosen a successor and has left the matter to the Council of Experts. Iran has been without internet for 84 hours. Many videos and photos originating from Iran apparently date back to June. Others are posted using smuggled Starlinks.
Iran’s Council of Experts has reportedly chosen Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the next Supreme Leader under pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Iran International TV, an Iranian opposition-affiliated channel. However, Iran has said that the selection of the new Ayatollah will take place this week, with a shortlist of candidates currently available. “Khamenei’s assassination is an example of incitement to religious hatred,” Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali stated in an article for TASS. He also added: “Iran’s foreign policy will continue to be based on Khamenei’s legacy.”
Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for Iran’s parliamentary National Security Committee: “Our battle is against the Zionist enemy and America, but we will strike anyone who joins this battle.” The IRGC reported the downing of two Hermes drones and an MQ-9.
A senior Iranian official in an interview with the Tasnim news agency responded to yesterday’s statement by an Israel Defense Forces spokesman regarding a 24-hour ultimatum for the Iranian withdrawal from Lebanon. If Israel harms Iranian diplomats or Iranian diplomatic posts, Iran will retaliate with similar actions against Israeli diplomats in other countries.
Tehran will respond with strikes on “all economic centers” in the Middle East if Iran’s “main centers” are attacked. The Iranian Ministry of Defense believes the United States and Israel will be forced to end their military operations in the coming days.
Iranian authorities have postponed the farewell ceremony for the late Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to state television. The death toll in Iran following the US and Israeli attacks has risen to 1,045, authorities said.
Iraq’s crude oil production is “on the verge of collapse,” as major oil fields are closed due to a lack of transport vessels and storage capacity, according to the Financial Times. The US State Department has ordered the evacuation of personnel from the US Embassy in Baghdad and the US Consulate in Erbil. ITV: A Kurdish uprising in Iran could “begin within days.” Since last year, weapons have reportedly been smuggled to the Kurds, allowing them to arm thousands of fighters. The Kurds have asked Israel and the United States to provide air cover during the operation. CNN reports that the CIA is arming Kurdish groups and that the United States has negotiated possible military assistance with them.
Syria is sending thousands of troops to the Lebanese and Iraqi borders amid an escalating conflict with Israel.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement in response to media reports that the UAE reserves the right to self-defense against Iranian missile attacks. The statement said that no decision has yet been made on changing the UAE’s defense policy.
Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: “We Did Not Participate in Attacks on Iran” According to the Turks, “Israel is behind the bombing of gas facilities in Ras Tanura and Qatar.” Qatari authorities reported arresting two cells linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Authorities reported that 10 suspects were arrested following surveillance operations: seven of them are accused of carrying out espionage missions, and three of them were acting as saboteurs. The cells had the coordinates of important facilities, as well as communications equipment and technical devices.
The suspects admitted during interrogation that they worked for the IRGC.
Israel believes that Saudi Arabia is considering a symbolic attack on Iran in the near future in response to continued Iranian bombing.
And take a look at the military landscape unfolding in the Middle East and West Asia as of 5:00 PM on March 4. Yemen has stated that it “will not leave the Iranian people alone at this important moment.” “If any Arab country officially joins the war against Iran alongside the United States… Yemen will launch an attack against those countries.” Sources close to the Houthis. Military sources in Sana’a told the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar on March 4 that the Houthi leadership is closely monitoring regional developments and links the decision to directly engage in the conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel to the current course of events.
The IRGC claims to have struck a US destroyer in the Indian Ocean. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed that an airbase used by the Australian military was hit by a drone attack over the weekend. The minister confirmed that Australians stationed at Al Minad Air Base are “safe.”
At least 101 people are missing and 78 injured after a submarine attack on the Iranian frigate Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka. The US Navy was hit with a Mk. 48 torpedo. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister said at least 80 people died in the sinking of an Iranian frigate. The Pentagon released a video of the sinking of the Irna frigate.
After 72 hours of fighting, the Americans also used B-52H bombers to strike Iran, according to a CENTCOM update. Several US Air Force tankers were spotted taking off from Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. Senator Blumenthal says the United States may send ground troops to Iran if necessary.
CBS News reports that B-2 bombers are targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command and control centers, as well as Weapons depots and assembly facilities for Iran’s missile program. The U.S. Department of War’s Northern Command has ordered naval and Marine bases in San Diego County and elsewhere in the country to “remain on high alert due to possible attacks on American facilities and personnel.”
U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, and Cyprus have allowed the departure of non-essential U.S. government personnel and their families due to potential security threats. A U.S. submarine torpedoed the Iranian Navy’s main warship in the Persian Gulf, the Pentagon chief said. The Pentagon has announced that strikes will be carried out deep into Iranian territory.
The United States has urged its citizens to leave Cyprus immediately. Repatriation flights for Cypriot citizens and residents of Middle Eastern countries have already begun. A Greek Air Force F-16 fighter jet took off from Cyprus to neutralize an air threat detected from Lebanon. The government insists that Cypriot airspace remain open, despite some media reports of its closure. Fuel demand in Cyprus has increased by more than 30%, with motorists and families increasing their purchases due to fears of a regional conflict.
French President Emmanuel Macron, at the end of his address to the French nation: “I have ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, its aircraft, and escort teams to immediately redeploy to the Mediterranean.” The aircraft carrier left the Baltic Sea on March 3.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy reported attacking 10 ships in the Strait of Hormuz after ignoring an order to close the sea passage. On the morning of March 4, a container ship attempting to enter the Strait of Hormuz was attacked by an unknown object. IRGC Navy Deputy Commander Mohammad Akbarzadeh announced that Iran has imposed a ban on passage through the Strait of Hormuz. This includes oil tankers and commercial vessels, the Fars news agency reports.
Only two oil tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps closed it on February 28, CNN reports, citing data from the analytics platform S&P Global Commodities at Sea. “The war in Iran has virtually paralyzed maritime traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, only two tankers carrying oil and chemicals passed through the waterway,” the report reads.
On March 4, several explosions rocked Tehran, the Tasnim news agency reported. Iran, in turn, fired a new round of missiles at Israel, the INA news agency reported. The Iranian IRGC conducted the 17th phase of the operation against the United States and Israel, launching over 40 missiles at American and Israeli targets.
The previous night, intensive attacks were reported in Shiraz against a ballistic missile base and in Natanz. Iran claims to have shot down a American F-15 fighter jet; by the Islamic Republic’s air defense system. Two Israeli Hermes drones were shot down: on the outskirts of Khorramdabad and in Andishek. Interestingly, they were shot down before weapons were even used.
Iran claims it launched a missile attack on a US destroyer and set it on fire, a claim later confirmed by NASA heat map data tracking the fires. The US destroyer was very close to Indian waters, suggesting India is allowing its ports to be used for US strikes against Iran. An Iranian Shahid Soleimani-class corvette is on fire. Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport was attacked, destroying a passenger plane, eyewitnesses reported. Explosions were heard in the Iranian city of Isfahan. Explosions rocked the Iranian city of Qom, where the Council of Experts, which elects the country’s supreme leader, meets, the Iranian news agency reported. INA.
Late in the evening of March 3, explosions at Baghdad International Airport and three explosions rocked Erbil, northern Iraq, according to Shafaq News. A US MQ-9 drone crashed in Iraq’s Salah ad-Din province. A video shows a device landing on radar at Baghdad airport. The attack was carried out by Iraqi resistance groups or Iran. Iran struck eastern Kurdistan. Large-scale Israeli airstrikes were reported against Iranian military targets on the border with Iraq, aimed at securing the entry of Kurdish militias. On the morning of March 4, two drones attacked a US military base and a hotel in Erbil, Iraq. Iraqi airspace will be completely closed for at least another three days. Baghdad Flight Information Region Control Center.
The Syrian Arab Army Operations Command: “The army has strengthened its Its presence along the Syrian borders with Lebanon and Iraq. – This reinforcement is aimed at ensuring border protection and control amid the escalating regional conflict. The deployed units are part of the border troops and reconnaissance battalions to monitor border operations and combat smuggling.
Alarms sounded in the Jordanian capital and several other cities. RAF fighters shot down a drone in Jordan, Sky News reports, citing the British Ministry of Defense.
Israel’s ultimatum to Iranian representatives in Lebanon expires today. Israeli tanks are advancing towards Kfar Shuba, in southern Lebanon. Clashes with Hezbollah will begin soon. An IDF spokesperson issued an evacuation warning for residents of southern Lebanon. An Israeli aircraft struck a Hezbollah base in the Haret Horeik area, south of Beirut, the civil defense service reported. The Israeli military announced it had launched a series of attacks against Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut. The Israeli military reported that, during an air raid warning in central Lebanon, rockets from Lebanon posed a threat; they were intercepted.
Hezbollah targets the Zionist Merkava tank in the Tel al-Nahas area, on the outskirts of The city of Kafr Kila, in southern Lebanon. A statement from the Islamic Resistance, Hezbollah: “In response to the criminal Israeli aggression that has targeted dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, including the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted the Iron Dome radars at the Kiryat Eliyezar site (the main air defense base in the occupied city of Haifa) with a swarm of attack drones at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.” Israel did not comment on this.
Alarms sounded in Tel Aviv and Haifa throughout the day on March 4. At 9:00 AM Italian time on March 4, the IDF began its tenth wave of strikes on Tehran. An F-35I fighter shot down an Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran. If confirmed, this would be the first F-35 shootdown of a manned aircraft. The Israeli Army Chief of Staff stated that the operation in Lebanon will continue until Hezbollah is completely disarmed.
Lebanese Hezbollah announced a missile attack against the Israeli naval base in Haifa, Al Jazeera reported. The IDF announced the wounding of two of its officers, soldiers from the 401st Armored Brigade, after being targeted by Hezbollah two hours ago.
On the afternoon of March 4, Israeli intercepts reported a new Iranian attack.
Three Amazon cloud data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were damaged, resulting in service disruptions. A fire broke out at the US Consulate in Dubai following an Iranian drone strike. The United Arab Emirates: “We have not authorized the use of our territory for any attack against Iran.” On the afternoon of March 3, explosions in Abu Dhabi. The death toll from Iranian attacks on UAE territory has risen to 78, the Ministry of Defense reports. British maritime authorities have reported suspicious maritime activity 20 miles west of Dubai. The UAE Ministry of Interior has announced that anyone filming the explosions will be fined approximately $600.
Air defense is active in Bahrain. An Iranian Shahed-136 drone successfully struck a target at a US base in Bahrain, likely destroying a high-value asset, according to a local source. Sirens and explosions also rang out in Bahrain on March 4.
Explosions at US facilities in Kuwait on the afternoon of March 3, according to Tasnim News Agency. The IRGC attacked a contingent of US troops in Kuwait with drones, IRGC headquarters reported.
An Iranian device struck a CIA station in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi Ministry of Defense spokesperson said: “An attempted attack on the Ras Tanura oil refinery, presumably using a drone, caused no damage.” Saudi Arabia shot down nine drones that entered its airspace, according to the Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense. Saudi Arabia intercepted two cruise missiles over the city of Al-Kharj, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense reported.
In the late afternoon of March 3, a new series of explosions rocked the Qatari capital and its suburbs, RIA Novosti reports. Four or five explosions were heard in central Doha, in the satellite city of Lusail north of the capital, and in the southern suburb of Wakrah.
Qatar Energy, Qatar’s national oil company, declared force majeure and informed customers, according to Al Arabi TV. Plants were closed. Four major Qatari industrial companies announced the suspension of production following the attack on Qatar Energy, according to the Qatari news agency. Qatari government: We have declared a state of emergency and will halt gas production.
The US military in Qatar is using PAC-2 air defense missiles, produced as far back as 2000, after running out of PAC-3 missiles. This would confirm reports that US air defenses are running out of interceptors due to Iranian missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries.
A powerful explosion was recorded near a ship off the coast of Oman, the UKMTO reported. The Maltese-flagged container ship Seven Prestige was attacked by a missile in the upper Strait of Hormuz, near the Sultanate of Oman.
Graziella Giangiulio
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