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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Some of Iran's most highly enriched uranium, close to weapons grade, was stored in an underground area of its nuclear site in Isfahan, the UN nuclear watchdog said in a confidential report sent to member states on Friday (27 February).
Israeli strikes killed five people in Gaza on Thursday (26 February), according to health officials in the territory. The Israeli military said separately that it had killed a militant who posed an imminent threat to its forces in southern Gaza.
The United States is expected to deploy six additional aerial refuelling aircraft to Israel as Washington continues to strengthen its military presence in the Middle East while nuclear negotiations with Iran remain under way.
Ankara has rejected media reports claiming it plans to deploy military forces into Iranian territory in the event of a U.S. attack on the Islamic republic.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's compound on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has moved into a pivotal constitutional role following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, becoming the clerical member of Iran’s temporary leadership council under Article 111 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The UK said it's allowing the U.S. to use its bases for defensive strikes against Iran amid escalating missile attacks, after a suspected drone strike hit a British airbase in southern Cyprus, causing limited damage.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
European Union stands with its member states in the face of any threat, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in response to the drone strike that hit Britain's Royal Air Force base of Akrotiri in southern Cyprus overnight.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 27th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Protests broke out in Pakistan and Iraq on Sunday after Iranian state media confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in joint U.S.–Israeli strikes. At least nine people were reported dead in clashes near the U.S. consulate in Karachi.
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