The Latest: Iranian-backed militias join fight as war on Iran widens

The Latest: Iranian-backed militias join fight as war on Iran widens

Iran fired missiles at Israel and Arab states Monday and the war expanded to include militias Tehran backs in the Middle East with an attack by Hezbollah on Israel, which struck back against the group in Lebanon and with the United States pounded targets in Iran.

Associated Press A black plume of smoke rises from a warehouse at the industrial area of Sharjah City in the United Arab Emirates following reports of Iranian strikes in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) People watch from a rooftop as a plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) This image provided by U.S. Central Command shows a F/A-18E Super Hornet makes an arrested landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) after a mission in support of Operation Epic Fury, on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (U.S. Navy via AP) Smoke rises up after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this satellite image provided by Vantor, damaged buildings are seen in the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's official residence in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Satellite image ©2026 Vantor via AP)

APTOPIX Emirates Iran US Israel

As the American and Israeli airstrikes kept hitting the country, top Iranian security official Ali Larijani said on X: "We will not negotiate with the United States."

Trump, who a day earlier had encouraged Iranians to "take over" their government, signaled Sunday that he was open to dialogue with Iran's new leadership.

Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister suggested earlier that military units were acting independently from any central government control after being pressed about attacks on Gulf Arab nations that have served as intermediaries for Tehran in the past.

More than 200 people have been killed since the start of the strikes thatkilledIran's Supreme LeaderAyatollah Ali Khameneiand other senior leaders, Iranian leaders have said.

Here is the latest:

Lebanese government holds emergency meeting

Lebanon's government is holding an emergency meeting after Hezbollah's attack on Israel triggered Israeli airstrikes in different parts of the country.

The meeting started Monday morning and is being attended by the army chief, Gen. Rudolph Haikal.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the Cabinet will discuss the volatile situation and the measures it plans to take.

Smoke seen over Kuwaiti neighborhood home to the US Embassy

A witness said he saw smoke over a Kuwait neighborhood home to the U.S. Embassy as Americans had been urged to stay away.

Ayman Moawad, an Egyptian worker living near the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, told The Associated Press that he saw smoke over the area.

However, he didn't know if it was specifically the embassy hit in an ongoing Iranian attack targeting the small Mideast nation.

The U.S. earlier issued an urgent warning to Americans there to take cover and remain indoors.

It said: "Do not come to the Embassy," without elaborating.

Strike hits Iranian state TV, witnesses say

Strikes across Iran continued into Monday, with one apparently taking Iranian state television off air.

Witnesses said an attack in northern Tehran's Niavaran neighborhood struck one of the transmitters used for Iranian state TV.

Since then, its satellite signals have dropped.

State media had said hospitals and residential areas had been hit in strikes by the Americans and Israelis.

Iran has not offered any details on its materiel losses.

UAE closes stock exchanges

The United Arab Emirates is shutting the country's main stock exchanges for the start of the trading week as the regional war intensifies.

The country's Capital Market Authority said the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Dubai Financial Market would be closed Monday and Tuesday.

It says it will closely monitor the regional situation and take any further steps as necessary.

Another market, the Nasdaq Dubai, also said it was halting trading both days.

Dubai is the Gulf's main business hub, though the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi is also an important regional financial center and home to some of the world's biggest sovereign wealth funds.

The benchmark index for the Saudi Exchange, the region's largest stock market, fell 2.2 percent on Sunday.

US issues urgent warning to Americans in Kuwait

As Kuwait faced an ongoing attack, the U.S. issued an urgent warning to Americans there to take cover and remain indoors.

It said: "Do not come to the Embassy," without elaborating.

Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon kill at least 31 people

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon after Hezbollah attacked it have killed at least 31 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said Monday.

The Hezbollah attack and the Israeli retaliatory strikes expand the ongoing war gripping the Mideast after the U.S. and Israel launched an airstrike campaign targeting Iran.

Advertisement

The Health Ministry said that the strikes also wounded 149 people.

It said about two thirds of the dead were in southern Lebanon.

Cyprus president says drone caused 'minor material damage'

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said a Shaheed-type drone caused "minor material damage" to military installations inside the U.K.'s RAF Akrotiri air base on the island's southern coast.

Christodoulides said in a brief national address that the drone struck just past midnight Monday.

He said all relevant authorities have been put on alert and that he has called a meeting of the country's national security council to take stock of the situation.

He added that he's in contact with other European leaders.

"I want to be clear: our homeland is not participating in any way, nor is its intention to take part in any military operation," Christodoulides said in his address.

He said Cyprus remains focused on the humanitarian role that it plays in the region and that it seeks to be "part of the solution and not the problem," adding that his primary concern remains the safety and security of the country and its people.

Airstrikes reported in Iran

Overnight, airstrikes were reported across Iran.

Elsewhere, explosions were heard in Dubai on Monday.

In Bahrain, the Interior Ministry said sirens sounded across the country as it urged residents to "head to the nearest safe place."

And in Kuwait, authorities said debris fell on its Ahmadi oil refinery, slightly injuring two workers there.

The state-run KUNA news agency said earlier that Kuwait's forces had thwarted a drone attack early Monday.

Top Iranian security official says Iran 'will not negotiate' with US

A top Iranian security official on Monday said: "We will not negotiate with the United States."

Ali Larijani made the statement on X, responding to a report from Qatar's Al Jazeera news network.

The comment comes as an American and Israeli airstrike campaign continues to target Iran.

Iran and its militia allies have expanded their attacks over the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Pentagon to brief media on Iran strikes

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are planning to hold a press conference Monday morning about the military operation against Iran.

The Pentagon announced the 8 a.m. EST media briefing on social media Sunday night.

On Tuesday, Hegseth and Caine will join U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe in briefing the full membership of Congress on the strikes, the White House said.

Rubio also was slated to brief Hill leadership Monday.

Hezbollah attacks on Israel 'expose our country to risks,' Lebanon's president says

In a statement Monday, President Joseph Aoun said Hezbollah's rocket launches from Lebanon "target all the efforts and endeavors exerted by the Lebanese state to keep Lebanon away from the dangerous military confrontations taking place in the region."

He added that while Israeli strikes on Lebanon are condemned, "persisting in using Lebanon once again as a platform for proxy wars in which we have no involvement will expose our country to risks once more."

Cyprus says drone that hit British military base caused 'limited damage'

Cyprus' government spokesperson said an "incident" that happened at a British air base on the island nation's southern coastline involved an "unmanned drone which caused limited damage."

Spokesperson Constantinos Letymbiotis said the incident at RAF Akrotiri occurred shortly after midnight Monday.

He said "information received through various channels" indicated a drone strike.

He didn't specify what kind of drone, where it was launched from or the extent of damage.

Letymbiotis said Cypriot authorities have enacted security protocols and are monitoring the situation in coordination with the U.K. and its two military bases in Cyprus.

The suspected drone strike occurred after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. would help the U.S. in the war against Iran.

 

GINGER MAG © 2015 | Distributed By My Blogger Themes | Designed By Templateism.com