US-Israel-Iran War Highlights: Two explosive drones target US Embassy in Baghdad

The US administration launched airstrikes on Iran despite knowing that its action could lead to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. A Wall Street Journal report said that Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Donald Trump that Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz if it were attacked. However, Trump took the risk and attacked Iran on February 28.

 A fire broke out in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in the United Arab Emirates following a drone attack, the emirate's media office said on Tuesday citing authorities, adding that no injuries had been reported.

Civil defence crews were working to bring the fire under control, the media office said in a statement.

(Inputs from Reuters)

The Israeli troops had a face-off with Hezbollah terrorists in the southern part of Lebanon, as per a report by Al-Jazeera. 

The face-off came as part of a ground operation launched by the Israeli troops in Lebanon. The IDF forces at present are trying to take control of the town of Khiam. As a result, both entities have fired shots at each other. 

The United Arab Emirates closed its airspace as the conflict escalates in the Middle East. 

The move came amid missile and drone threats from Iran. 

(Inputs from Associated Press)

US envoy Steve Witkoff is planning to brief a small bipartisan group of senators on the war on Iran in a classified setting Tuesday afternoon, Axios reported on Monday, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The briefing was organised by Republican Senator Joni Ernst, chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, Axios reported.

(Reuters)

A fire broke out in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in the United Arab Emirates following a drone attack, the emirate's media office said on Tuesday citing authorities, adding that no injuries had been reported.

Civil defence crews were working to bring the fire under control, the media office said in a statement.

(Reuters)

Explosive drone lands near the US Embassy in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, smoke seen rising, say security sources cited by Reuters.

(With Reuters inputs)

Massive explosions were heard in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Monday (local time) as Israel launched new attacks on the city, saying it was striking infrastructure related to the Iran-backed Hezbollah political-militant group.

(With AP inputs)

Two explosive drones target the US Embassy in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, security sources tell news agency Reuters.

(With Reuters inputs)

The United Arab ​Emirates' General Civil Aviation Authority announced the temporary and full closure of the country's airspace, as "an exceptional precautionary measure", amid rapidly evolving regional security developments, the state news agency reported on Tuesday. 

Iran launched a new salvo of missiles toward Israel early Tuesday, triggering air raid sirens in parts of northern Israel, including areas just south of the Sea of Galilee, the Israeli military said. According to the Israeli military, the missiles were detected heading toward Israeli territory in what appeared to be the first launch from Iran since the start of the day.
 

The United States has designated 61-year-old Iranian-American Kamran Hekmati as “wrongfully detained” in Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has decided, his family said on Monday.

Hekmati’s cousin, Shohreh Nowfar, said the designation recognizes that he is being held on false charges and treated as a political hostage. “This designation is an official recognition by the U.S. government that Kamran is being held on false charges in an effort by the Iranians to leverage the U.S. government,” Nowfar said in a statement.  The development comes as the US-Israeli war with Iran enters its third week, further complicating already strained relations between Washington and Tehran.

Operations at the United Arab Emirates’ Shah gas field have been suspended following a drone attack, with authorities assessing the extent of damage, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office. Authorities said the fire triggered by the attack was contained and brought under control, adding that no injuries were reported. The Shah gas field, located about 180 km southwest of Abu Dhabi, is among the world’s largest facilities of its kind.

The disruption comes as the UAE’s oil output has fallen by more than half amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, two sources told Reuters. The production cuts forced state oil giant ADNOC to implement widespread shutdowns across its operations, the sources said. Meanwhile, oil loading operations at the UAE’s Fujairah port — a key export terminal — were suspended twice in recent days following separate drone attacks.

A drop in oil prices helped lift US stocks on Monday, sending the market to its best day since the war in Iran began, according to a report by the Associated Press. The S&P 500 rose 1% for its biggest gain in five weeks. Despite sharp swings in recent weeks, sometimes within hours, the benchmark index remains only about 4% below its all-time high.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 387 points, or 0.8%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 1.2%. Oil prices were once again the key driver for markets. Benchmark US crude fell 5.3% to settle at $93.50 a barrel, easing pressure on the economy after briefly topping $102 earlier in the day. Brent crude, the international benchmark, dropped 2.8% to $100.21 per barrel after earlier rising as high as $106.50.
 

US Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that he trusts President Donald Trump when it comes to his handling of the war on Iran. "We have a smart president, whereas in the past we have had dumb presidents, and I trust President Trump to get the job done," Vance told reporters at the White House. Vance stressed that Trump has said for more than a decade that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and “I agree with him.”

“I think all of us, whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, should pray for success and pray for the safety of our troops,” Vance continued. “That’s the approach I’ve taken and make it as successful as possible.” Trump also added: “JD’s been great.”

Iran’s state media said Tehran would target oil and gas facilities in any country from which US attacks on its energy infrastructure originate.The warning comes amid escalating tensions after US strikes on Iran’s strategic Kharg Island oil hub.

A prominent hotel in central Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone was struck by a drone on Monday, causing damage but no casualties, according to a report by Associated Press. Two Iraqi security officials told the news agency that the drone hit the top floor of the Rasheed Hotel, which hosts diplomatic delegations and international organizations. Security forces quickly cordoned off the area following the strike. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The incident came hours after the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah announced that Abu Ali Al-Askari, a prominent security official in the group, had been killed, though it did not provide details about the circumstances.

In recent days, several airstrikes have targeted facilities linked to Iraqi militias. Also on Monday, six fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces were killed in a strike on a checkpoint in Iraq’s western Anbar province. Two others were killed in a separate strike on the headquarters of a PMF brigade in the same area, the officials said.

Qatar has distanced itself from the US-Israel war with Iran, saying the country has not taken part in any attacks against Tehran, according to the Associated Press. At a news conference in Doha, Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said Qatar has distanced itself from the US-Israeli war with Iran.

“The matter is very simple,” he said, “what is required is to stop the attacks on countries that have not targeted Iran.” Qatar hosts Al Udeid Air Base, a sprawling desert facility that serves as a major regional military hub for American forces. He said Iranian strikes have targeted civilian residential areas and key facilities like Hamad International Airport. He said the Gulf region speaks “one voice” that rejects “Iranian aggression” and calls for de-escalation. 

Of those 200, more than 180 service members have returned to duty, Capt. Tim Hawkins, the spokesman for US Central Command, told The Associated Press, and 10 service members are considered seriously wounded. 

The previous update released last week by the Pentagon put the number of wounded personnel at around 140 and eight as "severely injured." CENTCOM has not said when or where those troops were wounded, or given details on the type of injuries. Since the war in Iran began, 13 US service members have been killed.

(Associated Press)