U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday would be the most intense day yet of U.S. strikes inside Iran. The Islamic Republic, its firepower diminished, vowed to fight on. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war’s aim is a popular overthrow of Iran’s government, and “we are breaking their bones.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said U.S. President Donald Trump “is not making anything up” as he offers varying justifications for launching the war.
The U.S. stock market and oil prices were holding relatively steady Tuesday after Trump's signals about how long the war could last caused wild swings in financial and fuel markets. The Pentagon, meanwhile, offered its first tally of American wounded, saying about 140 U.S. troops have been injured, eight severely.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dismissed any suggestion of seeking a ceasefire, while another top Iranian security official, Ali Larijani, warned Trump himself, writing on X that “Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats. Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.”
Here is the latest:
Saudi Arabia shoots down more drones
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said early Wednesday it destroyed five drones heading toward the kingdom’s vast Shaybah oil field in the Empty Quarter desert.
It added that it had intercepted and destroyed another two drones in the Eastern Province.
Israel warns of night's fourth missile salvo
Israel’s military identified another salvo of missiles from Iran early on Wednesday, bringing the overnight total to four. The first three did not result in casualties, according to Israeli emergency services.
Sirens sound in Tel Aviv as Israel warns of Iranian missiles
Israel’s military warned early Wednesday it had detected an Iranian missile launch targeting the country and sirens sounded in Tel Aviv.
It was the third such announcement of the night. Israel’s emergencies services said the first two did not result in casualties. What sounded like small impacts were heard near Tel Aviv.
Saudi Arabia shoots down more drones
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said early Wednesday it destroyed five drones heading toward the kingdom’s vast Shaybah oil field in the Empty Quarter desert.
It added that it had intercepted and destroyed another two drones in the Eastern Province.
Bahrain and UAE warn of incoming strikes
Sirens sounded in Bahrain early Wednesday, warning of an incoming Iranian attack. The previous day, an Iranian attack hit a residential building in the capital, Manama, killing a 29-year-old woman and wounding eight people.
Also early Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates said its air defenses were firing at incoming Iranian strikes. The UAE issued a similar warning just after midnight.
Photos of displaced civilians in Lebanon, where schools and stadiums turn into shelters during war
Families in southern Lebanon have fled Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah and taken shelter in Beirut stadiums and schools as the effects of the war are felt across the region.
▶ Click here for a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Russia seeks UN resolution urging all parties in Iran war to immediately halt military activities
The short draft resolution “condemns in the strongest terms all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and calls for their protection.”
It strongly encourages a quick return to negotiations and diplomacy but does not specifically name Iran, the United States or Israel.
The draft was put in a final form Tuesday evening. It could be put to a vote as early as Wednesday afternoon, following a vote on a resolution by Gulf nations demanding that Iran stop attacking its Arab neighbors.
The proposed Russian resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, recalls the U.N. Charter’s prohibition on the use of force against a country’s territorial integrity or political independence.
It underlines the importance of ensuring the security of all countries in the Middle East and beyond.
Saudi defenses intercept missiles, drones near key bases
The Ministry of Defense said early Wednesday that it intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, a major U.S.- and Saudi-operated facility in eastern Saudi Arabia.
The ministry also said it intercepted and destroyed two drones over Hafar al-Batin, a major eastern city.
Soldier killed in Israeli strike Tuesday in Bint Jbeil, Lebanese army says
Since the conflict resumed between Hezbollah and Israel after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel early last week, at least five Lebanese soldiers have been killed.
Red Cross member killed by Israeli strike on rescue team in Lebanon
The man succumbed to his wounds early Wednesday, two days after the strike on his team while they were rescuing people following an earlier attack, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.
It is the first time a Red Cross worker has been killed since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel erupted March 2.
The Health Ministry and the Lebanese Red Cross have condemned repeated strikes on medical and rescue teams. Another, separate strike Monday wounded one member of a team.
North Korea says it supports election of Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei
Pyongyang also criticized the United States and Israel for what it called “illegal” attacks on Iran and interference in its internal affairs.
In comments attributed to an unidentified Foreign Ministry spokesperson, North Korea said it respects Iranians’ right to choose their leader.
The spokesperson denounced the United States and Israel, saying their military actions against Iran and efforts to “interfere in its internal affairs and openly advocate the attempt to overthrow its social system deserve worldwide criticism.”
Separately, state media reported that leader Kim Jong Un supervised tests of nuclear-capable cruise missiles from a prized new warship for the second time in two weeks.
Some analysts say the display of naval power is meant to showcase Kim’s military capabilities after the killing of Iran’s previous supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the U.S. sinking of Iranian naval assets — signaling that, unlike Iran, his ships could carry nuclear warheads.
Israeli strikes kill 7 across southern Lebanon
An Israeli strike killed five people and wounded five others in the town of Qana in the Nabatieh district, the Health Ministry said early Wednesday.
Another strike in the Tyre district killed one and wounded eight, while a separate strike in the Bint Jbeil district killed one and injured two, the ministry added.
Drones target military bases at Baghdad International Airport
The attacks happened late Tuesday, two security officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.
Some drones fell near Iraqi security positions, while others landed near logistical support sites used by U.S.-led coalition forces, one official said. The military installations include Victoria Base, a U.S.-operated compound.
No injuries or damage were reported, and it was not immediately clear who carried out the attack. Pro-Iranian Iraqi militias, including Saraya Awliya al-Dam, have previously targeted the base.
The Iraqi Ministry of Defense condemned the repeated drone and rocket attacks, emphasizing that the air bases are sovereign Iraqi facilities hosting Iraqi Air Force squadrons and army personnel responsible for safeguarding the country’s security.
— Qassem Abdul-Zahra
More Israeli strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs
The Israeli military struck multiple areas early Wednesday after it said it was launching a series of strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure. No injuries were immediately reported.
Tens of thousands had already fled the area following Israel’s evacuation notice for all the southern suburbs.
US Central Command says it has ‘eliminated’ 16 minelayers
The minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz were among multiple Iranian vessels taken out by U.S. forces on Tuesday, according to U.S. Central Command.
The military published the figure and unclassified footage of some of the vessels after Trump warned Iran against laying mines in the critical waterway.
2 more members of the Iranian women’s soccer team have been granted asylum in Australia
They were granted asylum before their teammates departed the country, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.
The two were reunited with five players who were granted humanitarian visas a day earlier, Burke said. One was a player and the other a team staffer.
The rest of the team’s departure from Sydney late Tuesday happened amid outraged protests at the team’s hotel and at the airport. Iranian Australians sought to prevent the women from leaving the country, citing fears for their safety in Iran.
Strikes in Lebanon kill 4, including paramedic
Two Israeli airstrikes killed three people in the town of Hanaouayh, in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Tuesday. In a separate strike, a person was killed in Ouzai, a coastal area south of Beirut near the capital’s southern suburbs.
The ministry said the first strike wounded two people. When a paramedic arrived to treat them, a second one hit, killing the paramedic and the two wounded individuals.
In a statement, the ministry condemned what it called the repeated targeting of paramedics carrying out humanitarian work and called on the international community to intervene.
The paramedic worked for the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Authority, which also condemned the attack.
Meanwhile the Lebanese Red Cross condemned the wounding of two of its paramedics by Israeli strikes while responding to casualties in southern Lebanon on Monday.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry has said Israeli strikes since March 2 have killed 486 and wounded 1,313 after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, triggering the latest round of fighting.
Sen. Kevin Cramer on school strike in Iran: ‘Get to the bottom of it,’ but ‘You can’t undo it’
The North Dakota Republican told reporters that an investigation into whether the U.S. military struck a school in Iran needs to “get to the bottom of it,” and then “admit if you know whose fault it is.”
If it the U.S. was behind it, Cramer said, the military must “do everything you can to eliminate those mistakes going forward.”
“But you also can’t undo it.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham on school strike in Iran: ‘These things happen in war’
The South Carolina Republican told reporters that he does not support an independent investigation into whether the U.S. military struck a school in Iran.
“I’m not worried about that right now,” said Graham, a staunch supporter of the war. “I’m sorry anybody died. I’m not taking the Iranian bait and listening to them.”
Graham added that if the U.S. were responsible for the deadly strike, it would be “a mistake.”
“These things happen in war.”
G7 Leaders to hold talks on energy issues prompted by the war in the Middle East
Leaders of the Group of Seven most advanced economies will hold the meeting via videoconference Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said in a statement.
The talks will focus on “the economic consequences of the war in the Middle East, in particular the energy situation and measures to mitigate its impact,” it said.
France currently holds the rotating presidency of the G7.
Earlier Tuesday a meeting of G7 energy ministers discussed a potential use of strategic oil reserves to bring down prices.
Energy Department blames staffer for inaccurate social media post on oil tanker escort
A spokesperson said the video clip posted by Energy Secretary Chris Wright was deleted from his official X account after it was determined that it was incorrectly captioned by department staff. The post, which claimed that the U.S. Navy had helped an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, was quickly taken down.
Spokesperson Ben Dietderich said the secretary and other officials are “closely monitoring the situation” in the strait, a key access point for oil and natural gas shipments in the Middle East. The military is considering additional options to keep it open “including the potential for our Navy to escort tankers,” Dietderich said.
The prospect of military escorts could help reduce price pressures created by the war.
Trump says US targeted mine-laying vessels
Trump says the U.S. military “completely destroyed” 10 inactive Iranian mine-laying vessels after reports of Iranian action in the Strait of Hormuz.
And in his social media post he added that there would be “more to follow.” The announcement came soon after two other social media postings by the U.S. president in which he said he has no reports of Iran putting explosive mines in the strategic waterway, but also warned Tehran that if it did, he wants them immediately removed.
Iranian diplomat says the UN is ‘turning a blind eye’ to the impact of US-Israeli strikes
The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations once again criticized the U.N. and its most powerful body — the Security Council — for what he characterized as continued silence while the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran stretches into its 11th day.
“The Council is turning a blind eye to these grave violations, despite its primary responsibility under the U.N. Charter to maintain international peace and security,” Amir Saeid Iravani told reporters Tuesday.
“Today it is Iran,” he said, “tomorrow it could be any other sovereign state.”
US stocks slip as Wall Street waits for the next signal on how long war with Iran may last
The S&P 500 fell 0.2% Tuesday after giving up an early gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite was essentially flat.
Oil prices pulled back from where they were in the final moments of the U.S. stock market’s trading late Monday. That was after they plunged from nearly $120 per barrel toward $90 on hopes for a quick end to the war.
Stocks rose in Asia and Europe in their first chance to trade after that fall for oil prices.
Trump is worried about Iran putting mines in the Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. president said he has no reports of Iran putting explosive mines in the strategic waterway. But if Tehran did, “we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!” he posted on social media.
“If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before,” Trump wrote.
The concern is that mines could make it impossible for tankers to pass through the strait, which could cause oil and natural gas prices to rise. Trump has been sensitive to higher energy prices as a domestic political issue, as his economic argument to voters is based on keeping gasoline costs low.
A fifth of the world’s oil passes through the strait, which is only about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point.
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UN Security Council to vote on demanding Iran stop attacking its Arab neighbors
The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, condemns Iran’s attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. The measure calls for an immediate end to all strikes and threats against neighboring states, including through proxies.
A vote has been scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, three diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of an official announcement.
The draft, sponsored by Gulf Cooperation Council members, would be the first Security Council resolution considered since Israel and the United States launched airstrikes on Iran and Tehran responded with attacks against Israel and across the region.
— Edith M. Lederer
Trump administration offers $20 billion in reinsurance to get tankers moving
Military escorts could reopen the Strait of Hormuz for oil and natural gas shipments and reduce a global supply shortage created by the Iran war. And Trump has said the U.S. Navy would escort oil tankers through the strait if necessary. But those escorts haven’t happened yet, the White House said Tuesday.
For now, the Trump administration is providing ship reinsurance — $20 billion on a rolling basis, the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. said — so that shipping companies operating in the Gulf region can be insured against financial losses caused by unstable political conditions, government actions or violence.
There are currently about 400 oil and product tankers idle in the Gulf, and one oil tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz without incident on Monday, according to data from MarineTraffic, a project that tracks the movement of vessels around the globe using publicly available data.
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More explosions heard in Doha as Iran's neighbors intercept missiles
The Qatari Defense Ministry says it intercepted another missile attack from Iran. Earlier in the day, Qatar said it intercepted five Iranian ballistic missiles launched, with no casualties or damage reported.
The defense ministry of Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, said it has intercepted 105 ballistic missiles and 176 drones since the war began. One hit a residential building in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, killing a 29-year-old woman and wounding eight others, the Interior Ministry said.
Israel’s military said it launched new airstrikes targeting Iran’s capital, Tehran, where witnesses reported some of the heaviest bombing yet. Hegseth said Tuesday's U.S. bombardments would be the most intense so far in the war.
The United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said nine drones hit the country on Tuesday, while it intercepted eight missiles and 26 drones, and that the attacks have killed six people and injured 122 others.
A ship likely came under attack in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Abu Dhabi, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported. If confirmed, that would expand the radius of ongoing assaults against shipping by Iran.
Germany’s foreign minister says Iran is ‘not ready’ for an end the war
“If they were ready for a diplomatic solution, it is achievable,” Johann Wadephul said during a visit to Jerusalem. “But for now, this is what we hear from Tehran, they are not ready for a diplomatic solution. And as long as this is not the case, we still have to wait.”
Wadephul met with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar. It is the first visit by a European official to Israel since the beginning of the war with Iran.
White House avoids explaining why Trump erroneously claimed Iran has Tomahawks
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t answer why Trump falsely asserted on Monday that Iran has access to the U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile, the weapon likely used to strike a girls school in Iran, killing 165 people.
She responded in part that “the president has a right to share his opinions with the American public” while noting “he has said he’ll accept the conclusion of that investigation.”
Raytheon, the U.S. manufacturer of the Tomahawk, sells the weapon to some allies, but there is no evidence to suggest that Iran has gotten its hands on the cruise missile.
Israel says Iran is using cluster munitions. What to know about the weapons
Israel says Iran has been firing cluster munitions throughout this war, adding a complicated and deadly challenge to Israel’s already-stretched air defenses.
The warheads burst open at high altitudes, scattering dozens of smaller bomblets across a wide area. The smaller bombs, which at night can resemble orange fireballs, are difficult to intercept and have proved lethal.
Normally restrictive about releasing information on Iranian hits and damage, Israeli authorities in recent days have sought to educate the public about their dangers, which can persist as unexploded bombs on the ground even after civilians leave shelters. At least three people have been killed, including two at a construction site in central Israel on Tuesday.
Over 120 countries have signed an international convention banning the use of cluster munitions. Israel, the United States and Iran are among the nations that have not joined the treaty. Israel used the weapon when it fought the Iran-allied Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in 2006.
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About 140 US troops have been injured in Iran war, 8 severely, and 108 returned to duty, Pentagon says
The Pentagon says about 140 U.S. service members have been wounded in conflict with Iran.
“The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in an emailed statement. Eight are currently “severely injured,” Parnell added.
These numbers are the first insight into the broader toll of injuries sustained by U.S. troops after a barrage of retaliatory rocket and drone strikes from Iran that also killed seven soldiers in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Residents of Tehran report some of the war’s heaviest airstrikes
They say extensive strikes led to electricity cuts in many western neighborhoods. One resident who lives in the western part of the capital said his neighborhood was shaking for half an hour because of strikes around midnight.
Another resident said he didn’t think he would survive the night.
A 27-year-old mother of a toddler said she witnessed a residential building get hit. She and others reached by The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity to prevent reprisals.
Iranian media said civilians were the main casualties in the overnight strikes. AP could not independently confirm the claims.
On Tuesday, Tehran’s streets were less crowded and many private businesses closed their offices earlier, fearing more strikes.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday would be the most intense day yet of U.S. strikes inside Iran.
— Jon Gambrell
UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on Lebanon fighting
Humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher will brief the Security Council at an emergency meeting Wednesday morning, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
France called for the meeting with support from the council’s other European members: the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Latvia. Paris expressed deep concern about escalating violence in Lebanon, where Israel has resumed deadly airstrikes, and condemned Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel since March 1.
France’s Foreign Ministry urged Hezbollah “to end its operations and hand over its weapons” and on Israel “to refrain from any land-based or long-term interventions in Lebanon.”
Putin speaks with Iran’s president a day after a call with Trump
Russian President Vladimir Putin noted the need for a political settlement to the war during his phone call Tuesday with Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian.
Putin also reaffirmed his “principled position in favor of a quick de-escalation of the conflict,” the Kremlin said in a readout, adding that Pezeshkian thanked Putin for Russia’s support, including humanitarian assistance.
The two men last spoke by phone on Friday, and their second official call of the war comes a day after the Russian leader discussed the conflict with Trump.
Israeli fire kills 1 person in Gaza
Several people also were wounded when Israeli forces fired at a house in central Gaza’s Zawaida area on Tuesday, according to Al-Aqsa Hospital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
Gaza has seen near-daily Israeli strikes during the current war with Iran, killing at least 18 Palestinians, Gaza’s Health Ministry says. Nearly 650 people in Gaza have been killed since Israel and Hamas agreed to a fragile ceasefire deal in October, according to the ministry.
Gaza’s militants have so far stayed on the sidelines during the current U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Canadian police investigate gunfire at US consulate
Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said two individuals emerged from a white Honda CRV SUV at around 4:30 a.m. and fired multiple shots at the building before fleeing. Nobody was injured.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Chris Leather called it a national security incident and said the American and Israeli consulates as well as embassies in Ottawa will see more security.
Two Toronto-area synagogues were struck by gunfire last weekend. Toronto has a large Iranian community and there have been demonstrations outside the U.S. consulate both in support and in protest of the war.
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Ukraine is sending anti-drone military experts to the Middle East
Three fully equipped teams will arrive this week in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told journalists Tuesday.
Answering a follow-up question, Zelenskyy’s communications adviser said an expert team was also being sent to a U.S. base in Jordan. An official in the president’s office confirmed that these are military personnel.
Last week, he said the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East were seeking Ukraine’s expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones.
Russia has fired tens of thousands of Shaheds at Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago.
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