Third day of war in Iran, where apart from some celebrations for the death of Ayatollah Khamenei there are no signs of an uprising against the regime , which for the moment remains in power despite appeals to the Iranian people by Trump and Netanyahu.
And the conflict is dramatically widening. Israel has responded to Hezbollah raids, killing at least 31 people and wounding 149 in attacks on the southern outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon. The Sassari Brigade is completing its deployment to its southern base to assume command of the Italian contingent and the Western sector of UNIFIL, the multinational UN force deployed on the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel as part of Operation Leonte. General Andrea Fraticelli leads 2,800 peacekeepers, including 1,000 Italians and over 500 Sassari soldiers. The IDF has not ruled out a ground invasion against Hezbollah, although "it is not imminent." Meanwhile, the Lebanese government has made a historic decision, banning all Hezbollah military activity for the first time .
Explosions were heard overnight in Jerusalem (where there were reportedly some casualties), Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha . Bahrain announced one death in Iranian attacks, US fighter jets were hit in Kuwait, and an Iranian drone also struck a British base in Cyprus.
Meanwhile, Iranian security chief Larijani said that Iran "will not negotiate" with the United States.
Trump wants to sustain the attack on Iran "for four or five weeks if necessary," he said in an interview with the New York Times. "It won't be difficult. We have enormous quantities of munitions. You know, we have munitions stockpiled all over the world, in different countries."
Meanwhile, oil prices are soaring , aided by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz : Brent crude jumped 13% following the weekend's heavy US and Israeli attacks on Iran, settling at $82.20 a barrel, down from $72.87 on Friday. Gold, a traditional safe haven in times of crisis, and silver are also rising.
Fear is growing for the thousands of Italians and hundreds of Sardinians stranded, especially in Dubai, due to one of the largest air traffic disruptions in modern history, with approximately 5,000 flights canceled.
Cinque cagliaritani bloccati a Dubai: «Da due giorni in hotel»
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LIVE UPDATES:
9:30 PM – Iran: "Hormuz is closed, we will attack anyone trying to cross."
The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the Strait of Hormuz is closed and that Iran will target any vessel attempting to pass through it. Reuters reported this on its website.
9:15 PM – US hits more than 1,250 targets in first 48 hours of war with Iran
The United States struck more than 1,250 targets in the first 48 hours of the war with Iran, according to U.S. Central Command. The targets hit include command and control centers, ballistic missile sites, Iranian naval ships and submarines, and anti-ship missile sites.
8:45 PM – White House: "49 Iranian leaders killed"
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that “49 of the Iranian regime’s top officials” have so far been killed during Operation Epic Fury.
8:30 PM – Pasdaran: "An oil tanker was hit in Hormuz."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it attacked an oil tanker, described as having US connections, in the Strait of Hormuz. "The Athe Nova tanker is on fire after being hit by two drones," the IRGC said.
8:00 PM – Italy raises alert level: 28,000 sensitive targets
Over 28,000 sensitive targets are under surveillance in Italy. Immediately strengthened surveillance measures have been ordered for many of them, particularly those linked to countries involved in the conflict. This is according to the findings of the National Committee for Public Order and Security, which includes the heads of the police and intelligence forces, chaired by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi at the Ministry of the Interior.
7:45 PM – Iran: "The US and Israel attacked a nuclear site."
The United States and Israel "targeted the Natanz nuclear site on Sunday afternoon," the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, denounced in a letter cited by the IRNA news agency.
7:20 PM – Meloni: "Iran must stop its unjustified attacks on Gulf countries."
"The government is currently committed to providing assistance to the thousands of Italians who are stranded, particularly in the Gulf countries." Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke to Tg5, discussing the tensions following the US and Israeli attack on Iran and Tehran's response with drone strikes, which also reached Cyprus. "We are in contact with those countries, we are in contact with our European partners," she added. "The goal is obviously to prevent the crisis from spreading, but I think nothing can get better if Iran doesn't stop its attacks on the Gulf countries, and they are totally unjustified."
6:50 PM Jordan announces partial closure of its airspace
Jordan's Civil Aviation Commission has announced the partial and temporary closure of Jordanian airspace to all incoming, outgoing, and transit flights, citing ongoing regional developments and a comprehensive risk assessment. Jordan News Agency (Petra) reports this. The measure will be implemented daily from 6:00 PM to 9:00 AM the following day, starting this evening and until further notice.
6:10 PM – Dubai Airports resume flights
5:50 PM – Trump: "Nuclear power was a colossal threat."
"The full-scale US operation to eliminate the threat posed by Tehran continues," Donald Trump said, speaking at the White House. "Iran's nuclear program," the US president added, "was a colossal threat to America." "Iran's leadership was annihilated in an hour," Trump continued, explaining that the operation against Tehran is expected to last four or five weeks, but we can go further."
5:30 PM – Starmer: “We don't believe in regime change.”
imposed by heaven"
"We don't believe in regime change imposed from above." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this during the House of Commons debate on the US-Israeli conflict against Iran. It's a strong statement from the Labour prime minister, placing him at odds with US President Donald Trump's stance.
5:00 PM – Iran, explosions near Isfahan nuclear power plant. Loud explosions were heard in the area near a nuclear plant and an air base in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, Iranian media reported, as reported on Reuters' website.
4:45 PM – Trump: "I'm not ruling out sending ground troops."
Donald Trump has said he would not rule out sending American troops to Iran “if necessary,” adding that Operation Epic Fury is “way ahead of schedule.”
4:30 PM – Trump: "We're massacring them, a big wave is coming soon."
The U.S. military is "burning Iran to the ground," but the "big wave" has yet to arrive, US President Donald Trump said in an interview with CNN. "We're tearing them apart," Trump added, "and I think it's going very well. We have the best military in the world, and we're using it." "We haven't even started hitting them hard yet. The big wave hasn't hit them yet. The big wave will come soon," the president announced.
4:00 PM – The US tells its citizens: "Leave Lebanon."
The U.S. Embassy in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, urged its citizens not to travel to the country. In a social media post, it also urged those already in the country to "leave Lebanon immediately, while commercial flights are still available," as "the security situation in Lebanon is volatile and unpredictable."
3:10 PM – Tajani and Crosetto, hearing before the Chamber of Deputies and Senate Committees
2:50 PM – Khamenei's wife dies
Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, wife of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was killed after falling into a coma following the Israeli-American airstrikes. Iranian media reported that she had been in a coma since the airstrikes began on Saturday.
2:15 PM – Hegseth: "Trump will end a war he didn't start."
"We didn't start this war, but with President Trump, we're ending it." Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said this at a press conference, speaking about the military operation in Iran. For "47 long years," the Iranian regime has "waged a savage and unilateral war against America," prompting the United States to act almost half a century later, he said.
2:00 PM – 3,800 bombs dropped on Iran in 48 hours
A senior Israeli defense source said that the amount of munitions dropped by Israel and the United States in the last 48 hours is greater than that dropped during the entire operation last June. According to the source, who spoke to Ynet, Israel dropped more than 2,300 munitions in two days. The United States dropped 1,500.
1:40 PM – Qatar halts LNG production
QatarEnergy said it has halted production of liquefied natural gas and related products following military attacks on its operating facilities in Ras Laffan, home to the world's largest plant, and Mesaieed. Bloomberg reported this, citing a company statement. Qatar's Ministry of Defense said one of the drones targeted a QatarEnergy facility in Ras Laffan. The company did not specify how long the suspension will last.
1:30 PM – Hezbollah intelligence chief killed
Hussein Makled, the head of Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters, was killed in an Israeli strike last night in Beirut's Dahieh neighborhood, a stronghold of the organization in the south of the city. The IDF spokesperson announced the news in a statement.
1.25pm – Greece sends ships and fighter jets to Cyprus
"Greece will send two frigates and two F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus, amid growing security concerns on the Mediterranean island," Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said, as reported by Greek media. "Following the unprovoked attacks on Cypriot territory, Greece will contribute in every way possible to the defense of the Republic of Cyprus, in order to address the threats and illegal actions occurring on its territory," Dendias stated.
1:15 PM – IDF: "Hezbollah and Iranian commanders targeted in Beirut"
The IDF spokesman reported that the Navy, in addition to the Air Force, also participated in the strikes against Lebanon overnight. The spokesman specified that the targets of the raids included "dozens of Hezbollah headquarters, Iranian regime personnel, and commanders in Beirut."
1.05pm – Non-military personnel evacuated from UK base in Cyprus
The area surrounding the British military base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, has been partially evacuated following a second attack, which intercepted two drones. UK media reported that non-military personnel have left the base.
12:50 PM – Are the US and Israel violating international law? The EU Commission is not responding.
At today's press briefing, the European Commission declined to answer the question of whether President Ursula von der Leyen and the Commission as a whole believe the US and Israeli military attacks on Iran violate the principles and rules of international law. The spokesperson instead limited herself to saying that the weekend statements "were clear" and that "we always favor diplomacy" as a method of resolving disputes, but "it must not be forgotten that we are dealing with a repressive regime." Neither von der Leyen, European Council President Costa, nor EU Foreign Minister Kallas contested the legality of the Israeli-American military action.
12:30 PM – Lebanese government bans all military activity by Hezbollah
The Lebanese government has decided, for the first time in the country's history, to ban all military activity by Hezbollah, the armed anti-Israel party founded in 1982. This was announced in a statement issued at the end of a meeting of the Council of Ministers, which was also attended by the commander of the Lebanese army.
12:15 PM – Three US fighter jets crash in Kuwait: "Friendly fire"
This morning, "three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury crashed in Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident." This was reported by U.S. CENTCOM, which noted in a statement that "during active combat, which included strikes by Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones, the U.S. Air Force fighters were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses. All six crew members ejected safely, were safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait acknowledged the incident and thanks the Kuwaiti Defense Forces for their efforts and support in this ongoing operation. The cause of the crash is under investigation."
11.50am – Sirens sound at the UK base in Cyprus.
Air raid sirens have been sounding at the British RAF base in Cyprus for the past half hour, according to Cypriot state television, which was picked up by UK media. The warning comes hours after the base was struck by an Iranian drone.
11:50 a.m. – Salvini: "No Italian soldiers in Iran, just like in Ukraine."
"Italy is not at war with anyone. It has always stated that it will not send troops to Ukraine, rightly so, and I imagine it will not send troops to Iran either. It's one thing to support the alliance of free and Western countries, but it's another thing to send soldiers to a war zone, which is not on the agenda." This was stated by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport during a technical inspection of the renovation and redevelopment project of the Aler buildings in the San Siro area of Milan, regarding France and Great Britain's intention to establish a defensive force in the Middle East.
11:40 a.m. – Larijani reiterates: "We will not negotiate with the U.S."
"We will not negotiate with the United States." This was written in X by the head of Iran's Supreme Security Council, Ali Larijani. "Trump's illusions," he added, "have dragged the entire region into a pointless war, and now he is worried about further American casualties. It is truly very sad that he is sacrificing American money and blood to further Netanyahu's illegitimate expansionist ambitions." According to Larijani, Trump "has betrayed 'America first' in favor of 'Israel first.'"
11:25 a.m. – Pasdaran: "Netanyahu's office hit."
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Kheibar missiles struck Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, shortly after launches from Iran were detected. Iran International reports.
11:10 a.m. – Gulf Arab states: "Iran attacks intolerable, ready to respond."
Gulf Arab states allied with the United States say they are united in considering military responses to Iran in the name of the right to self-defense following Iranian attacks on their respective territories. This was reported by the pan-Arab television network Al Jazeera, which cited statements by, among others, a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson, who said the ongoing Iranian attacks "cannot be left without retaliation." In a joint statement, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States affirmed "the right to self-defense" against these attacks to "defend our citizens."
10:55 a.m. - IDF: "A ground operation in Lebanon is not imminent."
"We are prepared for any scenario, and everything depends on developments on the ground, but in the short to medium term, there are no plans to launch a ground operation in Lebanon," IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani said in response to a question during a briefing with reporters.
10:50 a.m. – IDF: "Airspace will be gradually reopened starting this evening."
The IDF's internal command front says air traffic will resume in Israel this evening in a "controlled, monitored, and coordinated" manner and based on an assessment of the situation. Israeli airspace was closed Saturday morning with the start of the attacks on Iran.
10:35 a.m. – Grossi (IAEA): "Possible radioactive emissions from strikes on Iranian sites."
The head of the United Nations Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, has warned of a "possible radiological release with serious consequences" following the US-Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. "So far," he added, "no increase in radiation levels above normal background levels has been detected in countries neighboring Iran." Iran's ambassador to the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that the US and Israeli attacks targeted nuclear facilities.
10:35 a.m. – IDF strikes key Hezbollah leader, possibly Qassem
"The IDF recently struck a key Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut," an Israeli military spokesman said, without providing further details. However, unconfirmed reports suggest it could be Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem.
10:20 AM – New Israeli air raids on Beirut suburbs
New Israeli air raids are underway in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, according to Lebanese media.
10:00 AM – France ready to participate in the defense of the Gulf countries
France is "ready to participate" in the defense of the Gulf countries, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced this morning at a press conference in Paris. The minister expressed Paris's "full support and solidarity" with "friendly countries that were deliberately targeted by the Revolutionary Guards' missiles and drones and were drawn into a war they did not choose." He cited the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Jordan.
9:30 a.m. – 555 deaths in Iran
The Red Crescent announced that 555 people have died in Iran since the beginning of the Israeli-American attacks last Saturday.
9:20 a.m. – Tajani: "We are monitoring the conditions of all Italians in the Middle East."
"I am in constant contact with Italian diplomatic missions in the Middle East, monitoring the conditions of all Italians, both civilians and military personnel, in the area." This was stated on X by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who also announced that today there will be "a meeting with ambassadors and consuls to evaluate and decide on initiatives to protect our fellow citizens. I will also convene the foreign trade task force to inform our businesses about initiatives and the possible economic consequences of the war."
9:15 AM – Dubai, people take refuge in bunkers
"We are very worried about our children: last night they told us they had to take them down to the bunkers in the hotel garage because explosions could be heard. We understand the situation, but we are very worried since we still haven't been told how these very young children will be able to return home." This is what the parents of a Turin student stranded in Dubai said. The young man is one of two hundred children stranded in Dubai after the attacks, in the city for an extracurricular activity organized by WSC Italia - World Student Connection Global Leaders, as part of the UN Assembly simulation project.
9:00 AM – France “ready to participate” in the defense of the Gulf countries
France is "ready to participate" in the defense of the Gulf countries, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced this morning at a press conference in Paris. The minister expressed Paris's "full support and solidarity" with "friendly countries that were deliberately targeted by the Revolutionary Guards' missiles and drones and were drawn into a war they did not choose." He cited the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Jordan.
8:50 a.m. – Iranian media reports: "U.S. F-15 fighter jet shot down in Kuwait."
Iranian forces have shot down a U.S. F-15 fighter that crashed in Kuwait, according to the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim, reported by Bloomberg. According to Tasnim, citing video footage, the fighter's two pilots managed to eject before the crash and are now in the custody of Kuwaiti forces.
8:30 AM – Israel Does Not Rule Out Ground Invasion of Lebanon
The IDF's new offensive against Hezbollah "will be broad and comprehensive and could include a ground invasion," an Israeli security source told the Saudi-run Al-Hadath news channel, as reported by the Times of Israel. The source stated that there will be "no immunity for any Hezbollah politician or military figure, nor for its supporters." Israel launched dozens of strikes in Lebanon this morning, after Hezbollah fired rockets and drones at Israel overnight.
8:20 a.m. – Trump: "All Iranian leadership candidates killed."
US President Donald Trump told ABC News that the attack on Iran was “so effective that it has knocked out most of the candidates” to lead Iran.
8:00 AM – Pentagon: "There's no sign Iran is attacking the U.S."
Pentagon officials admitted during a closed-door briefing to the US Congress on Sunday that there was no intelligence suggesting Iran intended to attack US forces first, Reuters reported online, citing two sources familiar with the matter. The statements appear to undermine a key pro-war argument advanced by senior US administration officials, who argued that President Donald Trump decided to launch the strikes in part because of signs that the Iranians might strike US forces in the Middle East "preemptively."
7:40 a.m. – "The fighting against Hezbollah could last for many days."
Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said that the fighting against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which began this morning, could last "many" days. "We have launched an offensive campaign against Hezbollah," Zamir said in a video shared by the army hours after rocket fire claimed by Hezbollah prompted a wave of Israeli attacks in Lebanon. "We must be prepared for several days of fighting, many."
7.30am – Attack on the British base in Cyprus
British forces said they responded to a suspected drone attack on their military base in Cyprus, the Ministry of Defense said, without reporting any casualties. The attack hit the RAF base in Akrotiri at midnight, the ministry said, adding that its forces were managing an "active situation." "Our protection in the region is at the highest level, and the base intervened to defend our people," a Ministry of Defense spokesperson said in a statement. The incident came as Britain agreed on Sunday to allow the United States to use British military bases to launch "defensive" strikes aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and their launchers.
7:20 a.m. – IDF: "We will intensify attacks on Lebanon."
A senior Israeli general said the army will intensify its attacks on Lebanon, after launching strikes in response to rocket fire claimed by the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. "Hezbollah chose the Iranian regime over the state of Lebanon and launched an attack against our civilians... they will pay a heavy price," said Rafi Milo, head of the Israeli army's Northern Command. "The attacks continue, and their intensity will increase," he said in a military statement.
7:15 a.m. – US Embassy in Kuwait hit
A plume of smoke was observed rising from the US Embassy in Kuwait City, according to an AFP correspondent, while the BBC reported that firefighters and ambulances were spotted in the area. The smoke was spotted after loud explosions and air raid sirens were heard in Kuwait for the third consecutive day as Iran's retaliation continues.
7:00 AM – Lebanon: 31 dead and 149 wounded in Israeli raids
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 31 people were killed and 149 injured in last night's Israeli attacks. Haaretz reports.
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