The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
A drone strike was launched in the early hours of Monday morning against the runway of a UK military base in Cyprus currently being used by the U.S. military. No casualties were reported. The extent of the damage remains unclear.
Tensions have also emerged between London and Washington. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump publicly criticised each other’s approach to the crisis over the weekend.
Mr Trump said he was “disappointed” that the UK had not joined the U.S.- and Israel-led strikes carried out on Saturday. Sir Keir said Britain would not support what he described as “regime change from the skies.”
The disagreement followed an unusual move by the UK government to publish a summary of its legal advice, which concluded that British participation in the attacks would be illegal under international law.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the escalation began, Mr Trump said U.S. forces had “knocked out” 10 ships and were conducting “large-scale combat operations” in Iran. He added that operations would continue with “full force” until what he described as threats from Iran were eliminated.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon that “the regime in Iran has changed” and that “the world is better off for it.”
Qatar said it had shot down two Iranian jets as Tehran continued retaliatory strikes across the region following the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian state media reported that Mr Khamenei’s wife of 62 years, Mansoureh Khojasteh, died on Monday from injuries sustained in Saturday’s strike.
Oil prices have climbed to six-year highs as the conflict has created a near-halt to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for global energy supplies.
Qatar reported attacks on its oil facilities, while Saudi Arabia’s largest oil site was hit by a drone strike. Israeli gas fields have gone offline, and Iraqi Kurdistan has shut down most of its output as a precaution.
The disruption to energy infrastructure has intensified concerns about the stability of global markets as the conflict shows no sign of easing.
AnewZ correspondent Touraj Shiralilou is reporting from Tehran:
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The commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Central Command has warned the U.S. against deploying forces to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, saying any such move would be met with force.
Talks between the U.S. and Iran remain in a delicate state after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected a 14-point proposal conveyed via Pakistan, while simultaneously suggesting that discussions with Tehran have been “positive.”
European allies are stepping up efforts to meet military commitments following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
A 77-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman were killed on Monday (4 May), after a man drove a car into a crowd on a pedestrianised street in the the eastern German city of Leipzig, authorities said.
Iran warned Armerican forces on Monday (4 May) not to enter the Strait of Hormuz, after the U.S. said it had launched a mission to try and reopen the sea passage. Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister said there was no military solution to the Middle East conflict.
Medics are working to evacuate two people with symptoms of the deadly respiratory illness, hantavirus, from a luxury cruise ship being held off West Africa, after three people died and several others fell ill, officials have said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to the Vatican and Italy this week for a series of meetings, according to Italian media reports, in a visit that comes amid strained relations between Washington and parts of Europe and heightened tensions involving Pope Leo XIV.
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Monday (4 May) that meteorological monitoring equipment at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in south-eastern Ukraine had been damaged by a drone.
A blast at a fireworks factory in China's Hunan province has killed 21 people and injured 61, prompting President Xi Jinping to call for a thorough investigation, state media reported on Tuesday.
The UK is moving to join a €90 billion European Union loan scheme for Ukraine, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying the benefits outweigh the costs, as he pushes for closer ties with Europe at a summit in Armenia this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a ceasefire with Russia until Wednesday (6 May), after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a pause in hostilities on 8-9 May to mark the 81st anniversary of Soviet Russia’s victory over Nazi German in World War II.
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