Sixth day of war between the US, Israel, and Iran . Overnight, Tehran and the Jewish state exchanged missile fire, while unconfirmed news leaks that Iraqi Kurdish militias may launch a ground operation on Iranian soil (on behalf of the US?).
Fears of possible European involvement: yesterday, an Iranian missile headed for Cyprus diverted toward Turkey and was shot down by NATO defenses . French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu , calling on them to "stop the escalation." The controversy between the US and Spain is also gaining traction, after Prime Minister Sanchez denied the United States bases, sparking Washington's ire. As for Italy, Ministers Tajani and Crosetto held a hearing in Parliament "on the evolution of the international situation and on the Gulf countries' request for aid." Italy, Prime Minister Meloni explained, "intends to send air defense aid to the Gulf countries" and also to Cyprus, but "we are not at war and we do not want to be involved." And on the basics: "No request," but if it were to arrive, the Prime Minister explained, "it would be up to the Government to decide whether or not to grant more extensive use, but I think that in that case we should decide together with Parliament."
Live news for Thursday, March 5th
10:30 PM: New raid, IDF confirms
The Israeli military confirmed the evening raid on the southern outskirts of Beirut, saying it had begun "targeting Hezbollah infrastructure" in the suburb also known as Dahiyeh.
10:00 PM – New Israeli raid on Beirut
The Israeli army carried out an attack this evening in the southern suburbs of Beirut, considered a Hezbollah stronghold, after issuing an evacuation order. The explosion was heard in the capital and surrounding areas, according to the Lebanese newspaper L'Orient Le Jour.
9:00 PM – Iranian state TV reports: "The US aircraft carrier Lincoln was hit."
The announcement was made on Tehran state TV, but no confirmation has come from the United States.
8:30 PM – Tajani: "The embassy in Tehran has been temporarily closed, and we've been transferred to Baku."
"For security reasons, we have decided to temporarily close our embassy in Tehran; the staff is moving to Baku." This was announced by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, announcing that "the mission that allowed 50 Italians, including diplomats and a group of fellow citizens who wanted to leave Iran to cross the Azerbaijani border, has just concluded." Tajani recalled that other countries had also closed their embassies, that the Italian presence had already been reduced for some time, and that "we have not severed diplomatic relations; the embassy in Tehran is moving to the embassy in Baku."
8:10 PM – Trump: "We support the Kurdish offensive against Iran."
US President Donald Trump has said he supports the Kurdish offensive against Iran. In a telephone interview with Reuters, available on his website, the tycoon said he thought "it's wonderful that they want to do this, I would be completely in favor of it." When asked whether the United States would provide or had offered air cover for a possible Kurdish offensive, Trump replied: "I can't tell you."
8:00 PM - Trump fires Kristi Noem, Senator Mullin takes over Homeland Security
US President Donald Trump fired Kristi Noem via Truth. The tycoon announced in a post that "the distinguished United States Senator, originally from the great state of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026."
7:50 PM – Iran: Senate approves majority resolution
The Senate approved the center-right resolution on Iran with 94 votes in favor, 39 against, and 8 abstentions. This is the same document approved by the Chamber of Deputies, which includes commitments regarding the defense of European countries, military bases granted to the US, and support for the Gulf countries. The text proposed by the Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, and the Italian Socialist Party (AVS) was rejected, while the one proposed by the Italian Socialist Party (IV) was deemed absorbed. In Montecitorio, the Chamber also rejected the "broad field" resolution and approved individual points in the documents presented by Azione, Iv, and Più Europa.
7:25 PM – NATO: "Ready to defend allied countries from ballistic missiles."
"NATO is well-positioned to defend allied populations from ballistic threats": this is the title chosen by the Atlantic Alliance to summarize the outcome of today's meeting of the North Atlantic Council in ambassadorial format, convened in light of Iran's continued "indiscriminate" attacks in the Middle East and beyond. Chaired by Secretary General Mark Rutte, the meeting saw the Allies firmly condemn the bombing that struck Turkey yesterday, expressing their full solidarity with Ankara.
7:15 PM – Israel: "Terrorists plan to target citizens abroad, several attacks foiled."
In light of a concrete fear that terrorist elements are currently attempting to target Israelis abroad, Israel's National Security Council urges citizens abroad to continue to maintain a high level of vigilance and adhere to precautionary measures. The Council indicates that Iranian elements are attempting attacks in countries in the region and near Iran, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Jordan.
6:50 PM – Zelensky: "The US has asked us for support against drones in the Middle East."
"We have received a request from the United States for specific support in protecting against Iranian drones in the Middle East. I have ordered the provision of the necessary resources and the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can ensure the necessary security," Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky said on Telegram. "Ukraine helps partners who contribute to our security and the protection of our citizens' lives. Glory to Ukraine!" he added.
6:45 PM – Trump insists: "Khamenei's son is incompetent."
"The reason the father never considered his son for the succession is because he considered him incompetent," Donald Trump said in an interview with Politico regarding Khamenei's son. The American president then reiterated that the United States "will work with Iran to help them make the right choice."
6:30 PM – Iran: "We are ready for a ground war."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC that Iran is ready to face a possible US ground invasion. Araghchi also rejected any negotiations with the United States and stated that Iran has not called for a ceasefire. Araghchi spoke to Nightly News host Tom Llamas from Tehran. When asked if he feared a possible US ground war, the minister took a defiant tone: "No, we are waiting for them. Because we are confident we can confront them, and it would be a great disaster for them."
6:15 PM – Trump accuses his allies: "Spain is a loser, Starmer has disappointed me."
US President Donald Trump lashed out at his allies Spain and the United Kingdom. In a phone call with the New York Post, Trump called Spain a "loser" and said that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer should support the US campaign against Iran "no questions asked." "We have a lot of winners, but Spain is a loser, and the United Kingdom has been very disappointing," Trump said in a telephone interview with the Post. "Spain is very hostile to NATO. They don't pay their contributions, they're the only ones who voted against paying the 5%, and they're very hostile to everyone," he said, referring to the alliance's members' commitment to devote 5% of their GDP to defense.
5:50 PM – Trump: "Khamenei's son is unacceptable. I must be involved in choosing his successor."
"Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran," US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Axios, stressing the need for him to be "involved" in choosing Ali Khamenei's successor in Iran.
5:30 PM – Starmer: "To stop the escalation in the Middle East, we need negotiations."
"My firm belief is that de-escalation is necessary and that the key issues must be resolved through negotiations." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated this during a press conference on Downing Street. In response to journalists' questions, he did not venture to predict the duration of the conflict unleashed by the US and Israel against Iran. He then reiterated his decision not to participate in attacks against Tehran and to engage only in defensive actions in support of allied countries. His comments came after US President Donald Trump harshly criticized the Labour prime minister's stance.
5:25 PM - Lloyd's of London: "A thousand ships blocked in Hormuz, worth $25 billion."
Approximately 1,000 ships, half of which are carrying oil and gas worth more than $25 billion, are stranded in the Strait of Hormuz due to the escalation of the Middle East conflict, according to Sheila Cameron, chief executive of the Lloyd's Market Association, the body representing insurers within the Lloyd's of London market.
5:20 PM – EU sources: "The concern now is Iranian sleeper cells."
During the Home Affairs Council, the 27 ministers focused on the crisis in the Middle East and the potential repercussions for Europe, both in terms of migratory flows and security, particularly terrorist attacks. In this regard, the primary concern is the "Iranian sleeper cells" that could now be activated. The Commission therefore tabled its proposal—presented last week—for the fight against terrorism, instilling the necessary "sense of urgency" among the 27. This was also reflected in the implementation of the new electronic border control system.
4.50pm - Maritime sector designates Hormuz and the Gulf as a war zone
The international shipping industry has officially designated the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf as "areas of warfare." The decision, made after a meeting of global trade unions and shipping companies, reflects the military escalation in the Middle East and the increased risks to commercial shipping, given the "hundreds" of ships stranded in the region.
4pm - Starmer announces the dispatch of four more British fighter jets to Qatar
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the dispatch of four additional Typhoon military jets to Qatar in light of the widening conflict in the Middle East. The fighters will join an RAF squadron already deployed in the Gulf state, a key ally of London, "to strengthen our defensive operations in Qatar and across the region," the prime minister said at a press conference.
4:00 PM – Tajani and Crosetto report to the Senate
The session begins: live on Unione TV
3:55 PM – White House: "If necessary, Trump will escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz."
US President Donald Trump has said he will direct the US Navy to "escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz" if necessary, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X. Trump, she noted, "has already announced that the United States Development Finance Corporation will provide political risk insurance, at a very reasonable price, for oil tankers and cargo ships operating in and around the Gulf." "Rest assured: President Trump's entire energy team, from the White House to the National Energy Dominance Council to Secretaries Wright and Bessent, has this all planned and is doing so with great dedication," the spokeswoman wrote.
3:40 PM – US: "Our combat power continues to grow."
Iran's ability to impact U.S. forces and regional partners is "rapidly declining," while American combat power in the region continues to grow, according to X Centcom, the U.S. Central Command.
3:20 PM – Starmer: "The United Kingdom will not join the attacks."
"The British position has long been the best one for the world: to negotiate a deal with Iran while they abandon their nuclear ambitions. The UK will not join in the attacks on Iran; this is a decision that was taken in the national interest, and I reiterate that," said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a press briefing.
2:40 PM – Iran launches drones against US base in Iraq
The Iranian military claims it attacked a base housing U.S. troops in Erbil, northern Iraq, using ground attack drones, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The attack caused "significant damage," the agency reported.
2:10 PM – Beirut: "The Pasdaran operating in Lebanon will be arrested."
The Lebanese government has decided to ban any potential military activity by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and reimpose visa requirements for Iranians entering the country, a measure aimed at targeting the pro-Iranian group Hezbollah. The Cabinet decided that, if "members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are confirmed to be present in Lebanon," it would "prohibit all activity and arrest the members with a view to their extradition," announced Information Minister Paul Morcos.
2:10 PM - Meloni in Parliament on the 11th on the EU Council and Iran
"Meloni has informed me of her availability to come to Parliament on Wednesday, March 11, "bringing forward the communications on the European Council and expanding them to the crisis in the Middle East. I have informed the presidents of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate to verify whether the conditions are met." This was stated by Luca Ciriani, Minister for Parliamentary Relations, when asked by Transatlantico about the convening of the group leaders following the vote on the resolutions on Iran.
1:40 PM – Large fragments of intercepted missiles fall in the West Bank
Large fragments of Iranian missile interceptors fell in Huwara, south of Nablus in the West Bank, during the latest bombardment.
1:30 PM - Paris clarifies that US aircraft are in French bases but only on national territory.
It's not French military bases in the Middle East that have been granted for use by American aircraft, but the sole base at Istres, within France. The French General Staff clarified. According to what was confirmed to BFM TV, these are not combat aircraft, but support aircraft, which are being accepted at Istres as part of "a routine NATO procedure." The General Staff clarified that "taking into account the context, France has demanded that the aircraft concerned not participate in any way in US-led operations in Iran, but be used strictly to support the defense of our partners in the region."
1:20 PM – Tehran: "EU countries' silence over attacks? They'll pay a heavy price."
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei warned that European Union countries "will pay a heavy price, sooner or later" if they remain silent about US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Baghaei made these statements to Spanish television station TVE.
1:00 PM – Todde: "Reassurances on the repatriation of Sardinians stranded on ships in Dubai."
President Todde has been in constant contact with the Italian ambassadors in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates over the past few days to inquire about the conditions of their fellow Sardinian citizens. This morning, she also spoke to the authorities by telephone, receiving assurances about the restart. The Sardinia Region has reiterated its willingness to do everything possible to facilitate the safe return of its citizens.
1:00 PM – Iranian military denies drone strike on Azerbaijan
The Iranian military denies launching a drone attack on Azerbaijan.
12:50 PM – Huge explosions in Tel Aviv
Sirens were still going off in Tel Aviv as more missiles were approaching Tel Aviv and central Israel. ANSA confirmed the news on the scene. Shortly thereafter, very loud explosions were heard.
12:30 PM - Macron meets with Meloni and Mitsotakis, who are jointly planning to send military equipment to Cyprus.
In a spirit of European solidarity, the President of the Republic (Emmanuel Macron, ed.) took the initiative this morning to telephone the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis: sources at the Elysée reported, adding: "They agreed to coordinate the deployment of military assets to Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean and to work together to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Red Sea."
12:20 PM – Tehran: 12,000-seat Azadi Stadium hit
"The 12,000-seat stadium at the Azadi Sports Complex in Tehran has been targeted by the United States and the Israeli regime," the Tehran government announced on its English-language X account. According to IRNA, the structure was damaged and destroyed. The ground floor of the hall, the agency explains, also housed the administrative office of the Azadi Sports Complex.
12:10 PM – The North Atlantic Council meets today on the Iranian threat
According to reports, the North Atlantic Council is meeting today at NATO, which will report on the Alliance's missile defense capabilities following yesterday's incident in Turkey. The focus will be on how NATO can address the threat posed by Iran and its proxies, for example in Lebanon.
12:00 PM – Kremlin: No request for weapons from Tehran
Iran has not asked Russia for any assistance or weapons beyond the political support provided by Moscow, the Kremlin said, according to Interfax. "In this case, there have been no requests from Iran; our consistent position is well known to everyone, and there have been no changes," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
11:35 a.m. – Azerbaijan: Drone hits school
According to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, in addition to the drone that struck Nakhchivan Airport, located just a few kilometers from the Iranian border, another crashed near a school in the village of Shakarabad. The runway at Nakhchivan Airport was damaged as a result of the attacks, reports the Nakhchivan correspondent for the Azerbaijani news agency APA, when debris from a drone fell onto the runway, damaging the asphalt surface in several places. One of the drones hit the airport terminal, severely damaging the building, while several others crashed in various places.
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is an exclave of Azerbaijan bordering Iran, Turkey, and Armenia. Iran and Azerbaijan are neighbors, and their relations are complex for various reasons. One of the most critical issues for Tehran is cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel, at various levels, including energy, trade, and security.
11:06 AM – France approves use of its bases in the Middle East
American aircraft have been authorized to use French bases in the Middle East, the French General Staff announced.
10:50 a.m. – Moscow: "Iran has not requested military assistance."
Russia has not received any request for military assistance from Iran to counter the American and Israeli attacks, the spokesman for the
Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, quoted by the Tass agency.
10:25 a.m. – Moscow: "United front to end the war."
Russia has called for the creation of a "united front to end the war" in the Persian Gulf and warned that it will do "everything possible" within the Security Council and the UN General Assembly to "create an atmosphere that makes it completely impossible"
The operation launched against Iran. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this, quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.
10:10 – Israel: "300 missile launchers destroyed in Iran"
"The IDF destroyed approximately 300 missile launchers in Iran. Since the beginning of the operation, the Air Force has dropped 4,000 munitions across Iran, in over 1,600 strike missions," an Israeli military spokesman said.
9:45 AM – Iranian drones in Azerbaijan
Iran has launched drone strikes on Nakhchivan International Airport, in the Azerbaijani exclave of the same name. The Azerbaijani government news agency APA reported, adding that other drones fell "in other locations" across the country, without providing further details. Videos from the scene show extensive damage and plumes of black smoke.
9:20 a.m. – Explosions in Qatar and Bahrain
Explosions in the Qatari capital, Doha, and the Bahraini capital, Manama, AFP reports. The Gulf countries have been targeted by repeated waves of Iranian drone and missile strikes as part of Tehran's retaliation for the Israeli-US attacks.
9:00 AM – Iran: "A US oil tanker was hit in the Gulf."
Iran claims to have struck an American oil tanker in the Gulf, state television reported. The British maritime safety agency Ukmtona also reported a tanker hit by a "large explosion" off the coast of Kuwait and a crude oil spill at sea.
8:57 a.m. – Israeli attacks in Lebanon: six dead
Six members of two families have been killed in airstrikes in southern Lebanon, as the Israeli military renews orders to evacuate large areas of the country's south, state media reported.
8:30 a.m. – Meloni: "We're not at war, and we don't want to be one."
"Today we have no request for the bases, and I want to say that we are not at war and we don't want to go to war." Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said this on Radio RTL 102.5. "The conflict is worrying," she added, "especially with Iran's uncontrolled reaction. It is essentially bombing all neighboring countries, including those that had supported an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. It poses a risk of escalation that could have unpredictable consequences. And I am obviously concerned about the repercussions for Italy."
8:20 a.m. – Iran: "No missiles aimed at Turkey."
The Iranian Army General Staff denied that "a missile was fired toward Turkish territory," adding that "we respect the sovereignty of neighboring Turkey." Furthermore, according to Iranian media reports, Deputy Headquarters Commander Khatam al-Anbiya stated that "we are ready to continue the war and we don't care how long it lasts, as long as we achieve our objectives."
8.02 am – Around 200 Italians have returned to Italy from the Emirates
According to sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, two flights from the Emirates arrived at Ciampino Airport last night—one from Abu Dhabi, one from Dubai—carrying a total of 192 Italians returning from the area directly affected by the war.
7:57 a.m. – Iran: "The US will bitterly regret this."
The United States "will bitterly regret" the precedent it set by sinking an Iranian ship. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in X. "The United States committed an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles off the Iranian coast. The frigate Dena, a guest of the Indian Navy with nearly 130 sailors aboard, was struck in international waters without warning. Mark my words: the United States will bitterly regret the precedent it set."
7:10 a.m. – New Israeli raids on Tehran
The Israeli military announced it had launched new strikes on Tehran. In the hours preceding the attack, the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that several explosions had been heard in the capital and that defenses had been activated.
6:59 AM – US: Democratic resolution to stop war rejected
The Democratic-backed resolution to halt the U.S. military campaign against Iran has been defeated by the U.S. Senate. According to U.S. media reports, the initiative was defeated by a vote of 53 to 43.
(Unioneonline)