Iran-Trump latest: Iranian drone strikes US navy base as president says Tehran attack could last weeks
Iran refuses to negotiate with the USIran’s security chief Ali Larijani, who also served as an adviser to the country’s former Supreme Leader, said in a post on X on Monday that Tehran would not negotiate with the United States.His comments came in response to reports that Iran was seeking to revive talks with Washington.Shweta Sharma2 March 2026 05:09Britain's RAF base in Cyprus to temporarily relocate non-essential staff-statementAuthorities at Britain’s RAF base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, have planned the temporary dispersal of non-essential personnel as a precautionary measure following an incident involving an unmanned drone overnight, the Sovereign Base Areas Administration said.Other British facilities on the island will continue to operate normally, it added.It comes after the British ministry of defence reported a suspected Iranian drone strike at a British military base in Cyprus.Shweta Sharma2 March 2026 05:06Two fighter jets struck by Israeli forces in western Iran right before takeoffTwo fighter jets struck by Israeli forces in western Iran right before takeoffShweta Sharma2 March 2026 04:48With Ayatollah Khamenei dead, what will it take for Iran’s regime to collapse?With Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dead, the Rubicon has been crossed. He was the ultimate constitutional and symbolic centre of gravity in the Islamic Republic. A battered, bruised Islamic Republic will struggle to retain coherence in the face of Khamenei’s death. Domestic legitimacy, already brittle after years of repression and economic decline, will come under further strain.What seems to be emerging, instead, is an expectation that sustained strikes and pressure will weaken the Islamic Republic’s key pillars, from military-security networks to senior clerical authority and the executive and judicial machinery, creating space for an alternative governing arrangement to consolidate from within Iran. That remains speculative, and it is a very large gamble.One fascinating report to have emerged overnight in The Atlantic alleges that “an Iranian network” is ready to act from within. Jaber Rajabi, an exile who spent the better part of two decades as a loyal servant of the Islamic Republic before turning on the regime, claimed that there are only “about 10 people who need to be eliminated” at the top of the regime for it to be toppled by infiltrators. Speaking a month ago, he said: “If someone from inside the system opens the window, it will open.”Read Dr Burcu Ozcelik’s opinion piece. Shweta Sharma2 March 2026 04:42US central command releases video of projectile hitting targetUS central command released a video that showed projectiles hitting an aircraft at unknown locations.“US forces are taking bold action to eliminate imminent threats posed by the Iranian regime. Strikes continue,” it said in a post.Shweta Sharma2 March 2026 04:40Lebenon prime minister condemns 'irresponsible' Hezbollah strikesLebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam described the firing of projectiles from southern Lebanon as irresponsible, calling it a suspicious act that jeopardised the country’s security.He said that the “strikes are a reckless and suspicious act that endangers Lebanon’s security” and provides Israel with pretexts to continue its attacks on it. Lebanon’s presidency said it had been told by the US ambassador that Israel would not escalate against Lebanon as long as there were no hostile acts from the Lebanese side.Shweta Sharma2 March 2026 04:30Cyprus says drone that hit British military base caused 'limited damage'Cyprus' government spokesperson said an "incident" that happened at a British air base on the island nation's southern coastline involved an "unmanned drone which caused limited damage."Spokesperson Constantinos Letymbiotis said the incident at RAF Akrotiri occurred shortly after midnight Monday.He said "information received through various channels" indicated a drone strike.He didn't specify what kind of drone, where it was launched from or the extent of damage.Letymbiotis said Cypriot authorities have enacted security protocols and are monitoring the situation in coordination with the UK and its two military bases in Cyprus.The suspected drone strike occurred after British prime minister Keir Starmer said the UK would help the US in the war against Iran.Shweta Sharma2 March 2026 04:20Evacuations in Lebanon as Israel launches strikesPictures show long traffic snarls in Beirut and Sion as people tried to leave after Israel issued an evacuation warning. It is currently 6am in Lebanon and people have begun leaving their homes.People leave in their cars after Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs (REUTERS)Cars sit in traffic as residents flee Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon (AP)A displaced family who fled their house from a village in south Lebanon, sit on a street in the southern port city of Sidon, early Monday (AP)Shweta Sharma2 March 2026 04:10Israel strikes Beirut's southern suburbs after Hezbollah attacksIsrael carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut early on Monday after the Iran-backed group launched missiles and drones towards Israel, saying it was avenging the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.More than a dozen explosions shook Beirut in what residents described as the most intense bombardment of the southern suburbs since the 2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah.People fled on foot and by car, clogging roads after the strikes began at around 2.400am (0040 GMT).The violence marked a further widening of the conflict that has spread across the Middle East since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday. Hezbollah, a Shi’ite Muslim group founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, is one of Tehran’s principal regional allies.The Israeli military said it had begun striking Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including senior members of the group in the Beirut area. Lebanese security sources said several areas in the southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, were hit.“Hezbollah opened a campaign against Israel overnight and is fully responsible for any escalation,” Israel’s Chief of the General Staff, Eyal Zamir, said in a statement.The Israeli military also issued evacuation warnings to residents of dozens of villages in southern and eastern Lebanon.Smoke rises after Israeli strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon (REUTERS)Israel said several projectiles fired from Lebanon landed in open areas and one was intercepted by the Israeli air force. “No injuries or damage were reported,” it said.Hezbollah said it had targeted an Israeli missile defence facility south of Haifa in revenge for “the pure blood” of Khamenei and in response to what it described as repeated Israeli attacks. It said it was the first such operation since the 2024 war.“The resistance leadership has always emphasised that the continuation of Israeli attacks and the assassination of our leaders, youth and people gives us the right to defend ourselves and respond at the appropriate time and place,” the group said in a statement.The Israeli military said it would act against Hezbollah’s “decision to join the campaign” and would not allow the group to pose a threat to Israel.Shweta Sharma2 March 2026 04:00Trump tells Iranians to 'take back your country'In his video message Sunday, Trump urged Iranian citizens to capitalize on the moment following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.“I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for to seize this moment to be brave, be bold, be heroic and take back to your country. America is with you,” the president said.Mike Bedigan2 March 2026 03:30
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