Middle East

CENTCOM Confirms Launch of Operation “Epic Fury” Against Iranian Targets

This is Beirut 28/02 20:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Bahrain Iran Kuwait UAE SaudiArabia Qatar Gulf RegionalWar

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it launched Operation “Epic Fury” on February 28 on orders from the President of the United States, striking key elements of Iran’s security apparatus. According to CENTCOM, U.S. and allied forces began attacks at 1:15 a.m. ET (06:15 GMT), targeting Revolutionary Guard command ...

New Strikes on Iraq Base Housing Pro-Iran Group: Sources

This is Beirut 28/02 18:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Hezbollah USA

New strikes hit an Iraqi military base housing the pro-Iran armed group Kataeb Hezbollah just hours after an earlier attack blamed on the US killed two fighters, several sources told AFP. "New stikes hit the Jurf al-Nasr base," said a source from the Hashed al-Shaabi, a former paramilitary group now integrated into the regular army. A Kataeb ...

Israel Engaged in 'Decisive, Unprecedented' Operation Against Iran: Army Chief

This is Beirut 28/02 18:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Iran Israel USA Trump RegionalWar

Israel's ongoing strikes on Iran are part of an "unprecedented" operation against the Islamic Republic, the country's military chief said on Saturday. "We are operating at a high level of operational readiness, both defensively and offensively. We now face a significant, decisive, and unprecedented operation to dismantle the capabilities of the ...

Israel Warns Hezbollah of “Severe Blow” as Group Condemns U.S.-Israeli Strikes on Iran

This is Beirut 28/02 17:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Israel has issued a direct warning to Hezbollah, threatening a “severe and impactful blow” if the Lebanese group joins the escalating confrontation following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, while Hezbollah issued a statement formally condemning the attacks and declared full solidarity with Tehran after maintaining silence since the ...

Loud Explosions Heard Across the Gulf

This is Beirut 28/02 17:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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AFP correspondents heard a loud explosion in Dubai on Saturday and one of them saw a plume of smoke rising from the city. The explosions came in the wake of wide-ranging Iranian attacks on the Gulf, in retaliation for US and Israel strikes on Iran. Residents and AFP correspondents in the Emirati, Qatari and Bahraini capitals heard more ...

Israelis Shelter Underground as Iran Fires Missiles

This is Beirut 28/02 17:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Iran United States

Across Israel, city streets stood deserted on Saturday as residents took cover in shelters, while the blasts from Iranian missiles being intercepted reverberated overhead. It was the second time in under a year that Israelis were undertaking this grim wartime routine, having first fled Iranian missiles during a 12-day war between the arch-foes ...

Top Turkey Diplomat Spoke to Iran FM Over 'Ways to End the Attacks': Ministry Source

This is Beirut 28/02 17:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Turkey Gulf Israel Saudi Arabia Tehran

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke by phone to his Iranian counterpart and several other regional diplomats Saturday about ways to "end the attacks" triggered by Israel-US strikes on Iran, a ministry source said. During his talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, "the latest developments in our region were ...

ExplainerInside the Historic 2026 U.S. Military Buildup Leading to the Iran Strikes

Jeremy Brecher 28/02 16:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Iran War

The U.S. and Israel have begun conducting joint strikes on Iran on February 28 following a historic U.S. military buildup in the Middle East. This is Beirut compiled a timeline of the 2026 buildup leading up to the attacks, revealing preparations for using large amounts of force against Iranian targets. The 2026 U.S. Military Buildup The U.S. ...

U.S. Embassy Urges Americans to Leave Lebanon Immediately as Security Situation Deteriorates

This is Beirut 28/02 16:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon USA Iran RegionalWar Escalation

The United States Embassy in Lebanon has issued an urgent advisory calling on U.S. citizens to depart the country immediately while commercial flights remain available, citing the “volatile and unpredictable security situation” in the region. In a statement posted on X, the U.S. Embassy said the Department of State “urges U.S. citizens to ...

Gulf Countries Respond to Regional Escalation

This is Beirut 28/02 15:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Gulf Bahrain Israel Kuwait Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates In an official statement, the UAE said, “The Iranian attack on our territory is a serious escalation and a cowardly act.” The UAE added that it reserves the right to respond to the missile attack in accordance with international law after Iranian ballistic missiles targeted U.S. military bases in the Gulf. The ...

Five Killed in South Syria by Depot Explosion, Not Iran Missile: State TV

This is Beirut 28/02 15:30 - Reading : less than a minute

Tehran USA

A detonation in an ammunition and missile depot in southern Syria's Sweida killed five people on Saturday, state media said, after initial reports blamed an Iranian missile. "The explosion that occurred today in the city of Sweida was caused by the detonation of an ammunition and missile depot belonging to the National Guard," a ...

France Seeks UN Security Council Meeting on Iran-U.S. Conflict

This is Beirut 28/02 14:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council after the US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran's retaliation, saying the escalation "must stop". "France is calling for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council," Macron wrote on X. "The ongoing ...