Drones Intercepted in Cyprus & US Fighter Downed in Kuwait – News

Crossfire between Iran and Israel, with the entire region in flames: numerous explosions were heard this morning in Jerusalem, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. One dead in Bahrain due to Iranian attacks. During the night, the Israeli air force struck targets in southern Lebanon, in response to the launch of rockets and drones towards northern Israel. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, there were 31 dead and 149 injured. Hezbollah: ‘Retaliation for the innocent blood of Ali Khamenei‘. At least ten dead in raids on Beirut during the night. Trump claims ’48 Iranian leaders’ were killed ‘in one fell swoop’, but announces talks with ‘new leadership’ at their request. Negotiation denied, however, by Iranian security chief Larijani: Iran ‘will not negotiate’ with the United States. The conflict ‘could last four weeks’, the tycoon continues. Mystery on the death of former president Ahmadinejad, announced and then retracted. The IDF says it has dropped 1,200 bombs on Iranian targets and has called up 100,000 reservists. Yesterday at least eight people were killed when an Iranian missile hit a building in central Israel. Three US victims so far in the operation. On the streets of Tehran, people dream of the end of the regime, but Iran announces the appointment of the new Supreme Leader of the theocracy ‘in 1-2 days’.

For further information ANSA Agency The diary of the day – 1/03/2026 In Iran there is yellow on Ahmadinejad, Trump: ‘The conflict could last 4 weeks’

Pete Hegseth appeared to contradict Donald Trump during a Pentagon press conference on Iran. “This is not a war for regime change, but the regime has in fact changed,” he said. According to analysts, the Secretary of Defense may have committed a gaffe compared to the American president’s line or the war objectives may have changed in recent days.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, announced that Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US Central Command, will receive additional forces today. “The flow of forces continues,” the general said.

The general staff of the French armed forces today denied the deployment of the French naval air group – with the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier – towards the Mediterranean. The hypothesis was circulated yesterday, relaunched by the French media. “There are no changes,” a defense source specified. However, the armed forces are evaluating a strengthening of French bases in the conflict region, both in Jordan and in the Arab Emirates. The Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, after a stopover in Sweden, is now in the North Atlantic.

Mansoureh Khojasteh, wife of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in attacks by the United States and Israel on Saturday, has died after hours in a coma. According to Iran International, 78-year-old Khojasteh was injured in the attacks where Khamenei died instantly.

After speaking with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Vladimir Putin today had a telephone conversation regarding Iran with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The two sides “expressed the hope of a rapid de-escalation of the conflict and a return to political and diplomatic methods to resolve differences, based on the principles of mutual respect and equality”, the Kremlin press service said, quoted by the Tass agency.

“Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a shield to blackmail its nuclear program.” Pete Hegseth said this in a press conference. Trump drew the line “after 47 years of Iranian belligerence.” The US defense secretary also warned that “those who kill or threaten Americans “will be hunted down without apology and without hesitation.”

Hussein Makled, the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters, was killed by an Israeli attack this night in Beirut, in the Dahieh neighborhood, the organization’s stronghold in the south of the city. The IDF spokesperson announced this in a note.

Greece will send two frigates and two F-16 fighters to Cyprus, as security concerns grow on the Mediterranean island: Defense Minister Nikos Dendias declared it, as reported by the Greek media. “Following the unprovoked attacks on the territory of Cyprus, Greece will contribute in every possible way to the defense of the Republic of Cyprus, in order to address the threats and illegal actions occurring on its territory,” Dendias said.

Two drones aimed at the British RAF base in Cyprus have been intercepted. Sky News reports it. Previously, military aircraft had taken off from the base when the air alert was raised. According to the Cypriot government, a second attack has been launched against the British military base.

This morning “three US F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury crashed in Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident.” This was reported by the US Centcom, underlining in a note that “during active combat, which included attacks by Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones, the US Air Force fighters were shot down by mistake by Kuwaiti air defenses. All six crew members ejected safely, were recovered safely and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged the incident and thanks the Kuwaiti defense forces for their efforts and support in this ongoing operation. The cause of the accident is under investigation.”

“We are ready for any scenario, and everything depends on developments on the ground, but in the short to medium range there is no intention to launch a land operation in Lebanon.” IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani said this while answering a question during a briefing with journalists.

An Israeli security source previously told the Saudi news channel Al-Hadath, relaunched by the Times of Israel, that the new IDF offensive against Hezbollah “will be large and comprehensive and may include a (land) invasion.”

The head of the atomic energy agency Rafael Grossi has raised the alarm about a “possible radiological leak with serious consequences” following the US-Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. “So far – he added – no increase in radiation levels above normal background levels has been detected in countries bordering Iran.” Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that the US and Israeli strikes targeted nuclear facilities.

‘Shortly ago, the IDF precisely struck an important Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut.” This was announced by the Israeli military spokesperson without providing further information. But according to rumors which cannot be confirmed at the moment, it could be the Hezbollah leader, Naim Qassem.

The informal meeting of EU affairs ministers (GAC) scheduled for today and tomorrow in Cyprus has been postponed after a drone hit the British base in Akrotiri. This was communicated by the Cypriot presidency of the EU Council. “In the early hours of the morning – explains a spokesperson – a single accident occurred with a drone which targeted the Akrotiri base causing limited damage. It was confirmed that the Republic was not the subject of an attack. In light of this unexpected development, which unfortunately had repercussions on today’s flights to Cyprus, the Presidency of Cyprus has decided to postpone the Gac”, he adds.

France is “ready to participate” in the defense of the Gulf countries, as announced this morning at a press conference in Paris by Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. The minister announced Paris’ “entire support and full solidarity” with “friendly countries that have been the deliberate target of the Revolutionary Guards’ missiles and drones and have been involved in a war they did not choose.” It cited the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Jordan.

The Red Crescent announces that 555 people have died in Iran since the start of the Israeli-American attacks last Saturday.

European stock markets open in the red with the crisis in the Middle East following the joint attack by the USA and Israel on Iran. Fears are increasing on the markets over the effects of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Negative start for Frankfurt (-2.33%) and London (-0.91%). Little change in Paris (-0.04%).

Iranian forces shot down a US F-15 fighter that crashed in Kuwait. This was written by the semi-official Iranian agency Tasnim relaunched by Bloomberg. According to Tasnim, which cites some videos, the two fighter pilots managed to eject before the crash and are now in the custody of Kuwaiti forces.

Pentagon officials admitted during a closed-door briefing to the US Congress on Sunday that there was no intelligence to suggest that Iran intended to attack US forces first. Reuters online wrote this, citing two sources familiar with the matter. The statements appear to undermine one of the key pro-war arguments made by senior US administration officials, who say that President Donald Trump decided to launch the strikes in part because of signs that the Iranians might strike US forces in the Middle East “pre-emptively”.

An image of the escape to Lebanon

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Beirut and southern Lebanon to flee Israeli attacks on the capital launched during the night. After an Israeli military spokesperson issued evacuation orders for 55 different villages and towns across Lebanon, asking people to move at least one kilometer away because they were in close proximity to “Hezbollah facilities,” streams of people began fleeing the Beirut suburb of Dahieh by car and on foot, and lines of cars began forming outside gas stations in the southern city of Tyre, as residents began to head north. According to the Guardian, the highways from Dahieh to the capital were clogged with scooters and cars passing over rubble and debris from previous attacks. In the south, people headed north on both sides of the highway to escape traffic, as videos showed the roofs of buildings in Dahieh engulfed in flames and the burnt remains of cars at the foot of collapsed buildings. As they rushed to flee, witnesses reported seeing volleys of rockets flying from southern Lebanon towards Israel.

British forces said they responded to a suspected drone attack on their military base in Cyprus, the Ministry of Defense said, without reporting casualties. The attack hit the RAF base in Akrotiri at midnight, the ministry said, adding that its forces were managing an “active situation”. “Our protection in the region is at the highest level and the base took action to defend our people,” a Defense Ministry spokesperson said in a statement. The incident came as Britain agreed on Sunday to allow the United States to use British military bases to launch “defensive” strikes aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and their launchers

A top Israeli general said the army will step up its attacks on Lebanon, after launching raids in response to rocket attacks claimed by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. “Hezbollah chose the Iranian regime over the state of Lebanon and initiated an attack against our civilians… they will pay a heavy price,” said Rafi Milo, head of the Israeli army’s Northern Command. “The attacks continue, their intensity will increase,” he said in a military statement.

A column of smoke was observed rising from the US embassy in Kuwait City. This was stated by an AFP correspondent, while according to the BBC, firefighters and ambulances were spotted in the area. The smoke was spotted after loud explosions and air raid sirens were heard in Kuwait for the third consecutive day as Iran’s retaliation continues.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 31 people were killed and 149 injured in the Israeli attacks last night. Haaretz reports it.

Iranian security chief Larijani says Iran ‘will not negotiate’ with US. In a post on American President Donald Trump has “plunged the region into chaos with his ‘false hopes’ and is now worried about further losses of American troops”, added Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council in his post.

Israeli army issues mass evacuation order ahead of attacks in Lebanon. The IDF spokesperson, Haaretz reports in the online edition, issued an “urgent” evacuation notice addressed to residents of dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, warning them that they must “immediately evacuate their homes and move away from the villages at least 1,000 meters to open areas”. “Anyone who finds themselves close to Hezbollah elements, structures and combat assets puts their lives in danger,” the spokesperson added.

Explosions were felt in the last few minutes in Jerusalem, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. This was reported by local media and journalists on site from the French agency AFP. Bahrain announces one death in Iranian attacks. The Israeli army, according to Al Jazeera, says that Iran has launched more missiles at Israel and that air defenses are working to intercept the missiles. The IDF has called on residents who receive the alerts to take refuge and remain in protected spaces until further notice.

US President Donald Trump has claimed he has “three excellent choices” of candidates to lead Iran. In a brief interview with the New York Times, the tycoon, when asked who he would like to see at the helm of the country, replied: “I have three excellent choices.” However, he added, “I won’t reveal them yet. Let’s finish the job first,” the newspaper reported.

In a brief telephone interview with the New York Times, Trump offered several seemingly contradictory visions of how power might be transferred to a new government, including the overthrow of the current one by the Iranian people and power being handed over to the establishment still in power after the targeted killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Among the suggested options is one similar to the one followed on Venezuela, in which only the leader Nicolas Maduro was arrested and removed with the American military attack, while much of the rest of the government is in place ready for pragmatic collaboration with Washington. On Sunday morning, Iran’s top national security official, Ali Larijani, said an interim committee would guide the country as it chooses a successor to the Supreme Leader. Larijani oversaw the abruptly halted negotiations for a nuclear deal with the United States and was hit with sanctions by the Trump administration in January for his role in cracking down on anti-government protesters. The tycoon did not respond to a question about whether he believed Larijani could lead the government, but said he hoped Iran’s elite military forces – including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – would simply hand over their weapons to the Iranian population. Trump also said he did not believe it was necessary for the Arab states of the Persian Gulf to join the United States in attacking Iran, despite Tehran targeting many of them with retaliatory missile and drone strikes.

“The Israeli Air Force, following intelligence indications, has initiated a further wave of large-scale attacks against the Iranian regime in the heart of Tehran.” The IDF spokesperson announced this in a note.