Iran struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia's capital with a drone early Tuesday,as it continued to target areas around the region.
APTOPIX Lebanon Israel Iran
Across Iran's capital, Tehran, explosions rang out overnight as the U.S. and Israel pounded Iran with airstrikes sincekilling its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneion Saturday. Iran and its allies have hit back against Israel, neighboring Gulf states and targets critical to the world's oil and natural gas production.
Airstrikes by the United States and Israel have killed at least 787 people in Iran since the start of the war, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said Tuesday.
The conflict has also spread to Lebanon, where the Iranian-supported militant group Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel on Monday, prompting Israel to retaliate. On Tuesday, the Israeli military hit Beirut with more airstrikes and said it had moved additional troops into southern Lebanon and taken new positions on several strategic points close to the border.
Here is the latest:
Iranian drone damaged part of the US Embassy's roof in Saudi Arabia
According to an internal State Department memo, the strike on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh caused part of its roof to collapse, although there were no reported deaths or injuries to staff.
In Kuwait City, there were also no deaths or injuries after the vicinity of the embassy was hit by two drone strikes that caused no damage to the facility, it said.
US senators are grilling a top defense official over Iran war plans
Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, said it's "very disturbing" that Trump took the U.S. to war because Israel wanted to bomb Iran.
Netanyahu has been "egging for an invasion of Iran for 20 years," the senator said, and past U.S. presidents "have consistently said no."
Senators grilled Defense official Elbridge Colby during an Armed Services committee hearing on the administration's shifting rationale for the attack and warned against sending U.S. boots on the ground.
Colby told senators the president has directed the military campaign to destroy the missile threat from Iran and deny the country a nuclear weapon.
"The president made the decision," Colby said.
Satellite images show damage to Iran's Natanz nuclear facility
The satellite images taken on Monday show several damaged buildings at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, compared with imagery from the previous day, along with additional damage across the complex.
Vantor, an imaging company based in Colorado formerly known as Maxar Technologies, released the images showing the damage that it said affected buildings that house the personnel and vehicle entrances to the underground fuel enrichment complex.
Earlier Tuesday, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said that Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site sustained "some recent damage" amid a U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign.
It said "no radiological consequence expected," from it.
The nuclear facility at Natanz is located nearly 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, and is Iran's main enrichment site. It had been targeted by airstrikes in the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.
Netanyahu threatens further strikes against Iran and Hezbollah
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military plans to respond with even more force against projectiles from Iran and Lebanon on Tuesday during a visit to an Israeli air force base.
"Our pilots are over the skies of Iran and Tehran, and over the skies of Lebanon. Hezbollah made a very big mistake when it attacked us," he said.
He added that the Lebanese government and Lebanese people should understand that Iran-backed Hezbollah is "dragging them into a war that is not theirs, just because of the death of that mass murderer that they have nothing to do with."
A senior Hezbollah official has said that after more than a year of abiding by a ceasefire while Israel launched near-daily strikes in Lebanon, the group's patience has ended.
US Embassy in Israel tells Americans they must find their own way home
If you're an American in Israel looking for a way to leave the country, get a bus to Egypt or if you must, to Jordan. But don't expect the U.S. Embassy to help.
That's according to Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel. In a lengthy post on X Tuesday, Huckabee said the U.S. embassy is directing all U.S. government employees and their family members in Israel to shelter in place "until further notice" as Iran fires missiles into the country.
"The U.S. Embassy is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel," he wrote, adding information about bus service as a courtesy "as you make your own security plans."
The Israeli Ministry of Tourism, he said, began running shuttles to the Taba Border Crossing with Egypt and requires prospective passengers to register via the ministry's evacuation form.
Passengers who wish to cross to Jordan, he said, shuttle to Eilat in southern Israel and continue by taxi to the Yitzhak Rabin Border Crossing. Flights out of Jordan are harder to get than those out of Cairo, Huckabee wrote.
Bulgaria is evacuating people from the UAE and Oman
Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky said that the first evacuation flights for Bulgarians from airports in the Middle East will take place early Wednesday.
"We have already organized the evacuation of some 300 people on the first flight from Oman," she said adding that the repatriation of Bulgarians from Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is also forthcoming.
Bulgaria's government said that up to eight aircraft of varying capacity were on standby to carry out evacuation flights for its citizens from the Middle East at short notice.
There are currently more than 10,000 Bulgarians in the region.
The Tourism Ministry said that around 1,400 organized tourists with tour operator programs are currently in countries in the Middle East. The largest number of them are in Dubai, followed by Jordan.
"Ensuring the safety of Bulgarian citizens and creating conditions for their timely return at the first safe opportunity remains the leading priority," the ministry said.
Tehran resident describes growing fears as the capital comes under heavy bombardment
Communications into Iran remain unstable, with the internet largely blocked. The resident of north Tehran messaged The Associated Press before dawn on Tuesday and spoke on the condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
He said a major blast rattled his building on Monday. "I was by the window and felt the shockwave. Pretty scary, then saw the smoke," he said.
Most stores in the normally bustling area of Tajrish were closed, he added. Iran has declared an official mourning period following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the first wave of joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.
By Amir-Hussein Radjy
Thailand will evacuate 300 nationals from Iran, including diplomats, overland via Turkey
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Tuesday that the evacuees were expected to be transported to a border city in Turkey as soon as possible before flying in back to Thailand.
Thai officials say there are about 100,000 Thai nationals living and working in the Middle East, including 60,000 Thai citizens in Israel.
The prime minister said about 1,000 Thai citizens in United Arab Emirate had registered to be repatriated and they could fly back on normal commercial flights. However, the government would also prepare to transport its citizens to other countries if the airspace is closed.
China's foreign minister warns of 'great repercussions' of attack on Iran in phone call with Israel's top diplomat
Beijing condemns the military strikes on Iran and calls for an immediate cessation of military operations to prevent the conflict from spiraling out of control.
That's the message from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, according to a readout of their call Tuesday published by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
The call was at Sa'ar's request, Xinhua said.
Wang said China had always advocated for a political settlement of the Iran nuclear issue and that recent talks between Iran and the U.S. had been making clear progress before being disrupted by the military strikes.
Wang asked Sa'ar to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in Israel.
Oil-rich Iraq to cut production after Strait of Hormuz closure
Iraq's Ministry of Oil says it will stop its production in a key oil field as the ongoing war in Iran disrupted a key waterway into the oil-rich Persian Gulf.
The widening war between Iran with the United States and Israel has ground tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a halt, causing crude oil prices to surge worldwide. About a fifth of the world's oil passes through the strait, carrying oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran.
The ministry cited a shortage of tankers entering the gulf, forcing them to "stop production and pumping" from the southern Rumaila fields near the city of Basra. That tanker shortage caused "storage levels at our oil warehouses rising to critical levels."
The strait is about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point. It connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. From there, ships can then travel to the rest of the world.
Iran-backed Iraqi militants make a veiled threat to several Arab states
An Iranian-backed militant group in Iraq has issued a veiled threat against Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates amid the widening war in the Middle East.
Kataib Hezbollah, one of the most powerful militant groups in Iraq, claimed that American aircraft that hit their camps earlier this week took off from an airbase in Jordan which houses U.S. forces.
The group also lashed out at Saudi Arabia and the UAE apparently for their criticism of Iranian missile and drone attacks in their territories.
It warned the two Gulf countries to "adjust their statements according to their true size … since their territories and capabilities are harnessed to serve the Zionist-American project."
Ukraine offers to swap drone interceptors for missiles
Ukraine is ready to give its domestically produced interceptor drones to Middle East countries in return for American-made air defense missiles it desperately needs, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday.
Ukraine needs U.S. PAC-3 missiles to counter cruise and ballistic missile attacks by Russia's invading forces in their more than four-year war. Kyiv has also developed cheap and efficient interceptors to combat Russia's Iranian-designed Shahed drones.
Countries in the Middle East are using the same surface-to-air U.S. missiles to defend against Iranian attacks.
"If they give them (air defense missiles) to us, we will give them our interceptor. This is an equivalent exchange," Zelenskyy said at a briefing.
No coordination between Iran and Hezbollah over group's new strikes against Israel, Iran's ambassador says
Ali Bahreini, Iran's top envoy to U.N. institutions in Geneva, said the Islamic Republic doesn't need help from outside Iran and "we are capable of defending our country."
He told reporters on Tuesday that "there hasn't been any coordination between Iran and Hezbollah" and said of the Lebanese group: "They decide independently and act independently."
In a statement posted Monday on X, the Israeli military said: "Hezbollah is operating on behalf of the Iranian regime, opening fire against the Israeli civilians, and bringing ruin to Lebanon."
The Iranian-backed militant group fired missiles at Israel on Monday, prompting Israel to retaliate. Israel's military said its soldiers were operating in southern Lebanon on Tuesday as it continues strikes against Hezbollah.
South Korea evacuates 62 people from Israel
South Korean officials say they evacuated 62 nationals from Israel to Egypt by bus, following the earlier evacuation of 23 Koreans from Iran.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it also evacuated four Americans of Korean descent from Israel.
Dow drops 1.8% as stocks sell off around the world and oil prices leap even higher on war worries
A sell-off for stocks is slamming Wall Street after careening from Europe and Asia, and oil prices are leaping even higher as rise that the war with Iran is widening and may do more sustained damage to the economy than feared.
The S&P 500 dropped 1.6% in early trading on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 880 points, or 1.8%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 1.8%.
Crude oil prices jumped more than 8% as Iran struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia, part of a widening of targets that's also including areas critical to the world's oil and natural gas production. Treasury yields rose.
Merz position on Iran conflict is in the spotlight at White House meeting
Merz has expressed understanding for the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran but has not explicitly supported it.
Speaking on Sunday in reaction to the widening conflict, Merz said that Germany "shares the relief of many Iranians that this mullah regime is now coming to an end."
The chancellor added "together with the United States and Israel, we share the interest in ending this regime's terror and stopping its dangerous nuclear and ballistic armament." At the same time he warned that the military action "is not without risk."
Merz also pointed out that it was not clear what kind of escalation the attacks and counter-attacks could lead to in the region and whether military strikes from outside Iran could bring about political change from within. The chancellor referred to the U.S. interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, which did not lead to the desired outcome.
Trump to meet with Germany's Merz
The U.S. president is hosting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House later Tuesday.
The topics of discussion is sure to include Iran, although Merz's visit was confirmed by the German government before Trump made the decision to strike.
The two leaders will meet in the Oval Office in front of a pool of journalists, and then have lunch. It's Merz's third trip to Washington since he took office 10 months ago.
Average price for a gallon of gas rises 11 cents overnight to about $3.11 in US
The average price for a gallon of gasoline jumped 11 cents overnight to about $3.11 in the U.S., according to motor club AAA.
Gas prices were already rising before the U.S. launchedstrikes on Iranas refiners switch over to summer blends of fuel, but crude futures have risen sharply this week because of the war.
On Tuesday, oil futures soared to levels not seen in more than a year as Iran launched a series of retaliatory attacks, including adrone strikeon the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia.
Benchmark U.S. crude jumped 8.6% to $77.36 a barrel.
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South Koreans evacuated from Iran to Turkmenistan
South Korean officials say they evacuated 23 South Korean nationals from Iran to Turkmenistan by bus.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that they were being transported to the capital, Ashgabat, and were expected to fly back to South Korea or to third countries on Wednesday.
Russia's nuclear corporation chief says Iran's nuclear power plant faces threats
The head of Russia's state nuclear corporation has said that the Russian-built nuclear power plant in Iran faces growing threats amid the war.
Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev said the plant in Iran's southern port of Bushehr hasn't come under attack yet, but explosions have taken place just a few kilometers (miles) away from the site as nearby military facilities were targeted by strikes.
Likhachev warned that a hit on the plant's reactor or reservoirs holding spent fuel could release dangerous radioactivity and contaminate wide areas, causing a "catastrophe on a regional scale."
Likhachev said that 639 Russian nuclear workers are now in Iran. Some of them, who are now in Tehran, are leaving the country, and some of the personnel in Bushehr will be evacuated later.
More European countries to start evacuating citizens
Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger announced that a repatriation flight carrying Austrians would depart on Wednesday from the Omani capital Muscat. The minister said a first evacuation flight carrying "particularly vulnerable individuals" already took off Sunday.
Nearly 18,000 Austrian citizens are registered in the region, authorities said.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene also said her country will commence the evacuation of "the most vulnerable groups of Lithuanian citizens" from the United Arab Emirates and other surrounding states.
US embassy warns of imminent attack in Saudi city
The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia has warned of an "imminent" missile and drone attack on the oil-rich eastern Saudi city of Dhahran.
"Do not come to the U.S. Consulate" in Dhahrab, the embassy advised. "Take cover immediately in your residence on the lowest available floor and away from windows." It did not provide further details.
More than one-third of flights to the Middle East canceled Tuesday
Nearly 1,900 out of more than 5,450 flights scheduled to the Middle East were canceled on Tuesday, aviation analytics company Cirium said.
UAE says it has repelled hundreds of missiles and drones
The United Arab Emirates said that it possesses all defense capabilities and ammunition stockpiles to protect itself "regardless of the time frame and the length of the escalation period in the region".
The country's defense ministry said in a briefing Tuesday that it has so far repelled hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones fired into the country.
It said a total of 186 missiles and 812 drones were fired toward the country since the weekend.
Ministry spokesperson Abdel Nassir al-Hameedi said injuries that resulted from the Iranian attacks and what he called "minor damages" were the result of shrapnel from interception efforts, not a result of successful attacks against the country.
UN peacekeepers say Israeli forces made forays across border into Lebanon
The U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, says its peacekeepers saw Israeli forces crossing into Lebanon in several areas Tuesday morning "before returning south of the Blue Line," referring to the border between the two countries.
It said Israeli forces were seen crossing in areas near the villages of Markaba, Odaisseh, Kfar Kila and Ramia.
"Over the past two days, as well as dozens of rockets and missiles fired into Israel claimed by Hizbullah, UNIFIL has recorded several airstrikes and hundreds of incidents of firing across the Blue Line and 84 air violations," the statement said.
The Israeli military said earlier that its troops were positioned at several points near the border as it continues strikes against Hezbollah.
Drone hits Oman's largest port; no casualties
A drone struck Oman's largest port of Salalah on Tuesday, authorities said.
The government media office also said two drones were shot down in the southwestern province of Dhofar.
The attacks left no casualties or damage in both Salalah and Dhofar, it said.
Thousands of Syrians leave Lebanon to flee Israeli strikes
Thousands of Syrians have crossed from Lebanon into Syria to flee Israeli strikes over the past two days as Israel and the Iran-allied Lebanese militant group Hezbollah escalated their attacks against each other.
The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said in a statement that around 3,900 to 4,400 people would typically cross from Lebanon into Syria during Ramadan. On Monday, after Hezbollah launched missiles toward Israel and Israel retaliated with bombarding Lebanon, a total of 10,629 people crossed, the vast majority of them Syrian.
Azzam Sweiri, a Syrian farm worker who had been working in southern Lebanon, crossed back into Syria Tuesday.
"The streets were packed with cars and people" as he fled, he said. "It took us 10 or 12 hours just to make it 30 or 40 kilometers."
Zelenskyy offers to help UAE protect itself against Iranian drones
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he has offered to help the United Arab Emirates protect itself against Iranian aerial attacks.
Ukraine has built significant expertise in countering Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia has launched almost daily at Ukrainian targets since Moscow's invasion more than four years ago.
Zelenskyy said on X that he spoke by phone with the United Arab Emirates president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and "discussed how we can help" protect lives in the UAE.
On Sunday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Ukrainian and British experts will work together to help Middle East countries shoot down Iranian drones.
UN human rights chief calls for investigation into reported strike on school
The U.N. human rights chief is calling for a "prompt, impartial and thorough investigation" into what Iran says was an airstrike that hit a girls' school in the southern city of Minab.
Volker Türk said he is "deeply shocked" by the fallout of the hostilities on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the conflict.
Alluding to the reported strike on the girls school, rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said "the onus is on the forces that carried out the attack to investigate it."
She called for those forces to make the findings public and ensure accountability and redress for victims. The rights office said it was making no assessment who might be responsible.
An Israeli military spokesperson said Sunday he is not aware of any Israeli or American strikes in the area.
Qatari official says Iranian attacks 'will not go unanswered'
A Qatari official says Iranian attacks in the gas-rich country "will not go unanswered" as the Iran war expands in the Middle East.
Majed Al Ansari, a spokesman of the Qatari foreign ministry, said the Iranian attacks not only targeted military facilities but struck across all of Qatar's territory.
"Such attacks will not go unanswered," he said in a briefing.
He said there were attempted attacks on the Hamad International airport, adding that more than 8,000 people have been stranded as the country's airspace remains closed.
Turkey urges halt to attacks and calls for diplomacy
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan renewed his call for an end to escalating violence and a return to diplomacy.
"Our fundamental request and demand is clear: the mutual attacks must stop immediately and diplomacy must resume," Fidan said, according to a transcript of his remarks to journalists late Monday.
The minister said Turkey consistently emphasizes this message during talks with other leaders.
Commenting on Iran's attacks on Gulf states' facilities, Fidan said Iran hopes these countries will pressure the United States to stop the war, while adding he believes that outcome "is not likely."
Italy arranges flights to bring home stranded citizens
The Italian government says it is working "non-stop" to assist Italian citizens stranded in the Middle East.
Italy scheduled two flights including one from Muscat, Oman, to Rome's Fiumicino airport Tuesday to carry around 300 people and another from Abu Dhabi to Milan to carry about 200 people, mostly young students.
Another two flights are set to depart from Abu Dhabi to Milan and Rome Tuesday. An additional flight from Muscat has been scheduled for Wednesday.
Romanian pilgrims return to Bucharest from Israel
Romanian tourists arrived in Bucharest early Tuesday after traveling from Israel to Cairo to escape the conflict.
Hundreds of Romanian Orthodox Church pilgrims were stranded in Israel while visiting Bethlehem on a trip led by Romanian priests when the war broke out. The group was forced to cut their trip short to return to Romania.
Romanian pilgrim Mariana Muicaru said she was terrified as rockets flew across the sky in Israel.
"We called our children at 3 a.m. to ask forgiveness because we might die and to tell them we love them and to let them know that it's over for us," she told The Associated Press.
Kremlin says Putin will convey Gulf leaders' concern to Tehran
The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will convey the Gulf leaders' concern over the Iranian strikes on their territory to Iran.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin will "make every effort to facilitate at least minor easing of tension."
He noted that after Monday's calls with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Putin will convey their "deep concern about the strikes on their infrastructure" to Tehran.
Hezbollah official says group will fight 'open war' with Israel
A senior Hezbollah official says that after more than a year of abiding by the ceasefire as Israel's strikes continued on Lebanon, the group's patience has ended, leaving it with no option "but to return to resistance" and fight an open war with Israel.
Mohamoud Komati said Tuesday that Hezbollah exercised patience since a ceasefire ended the Israel-Hezbollah war in November 2024, hoping the government's diplomatic efforts would yield positive results in ending Israeli strikes.
Komati blasted the Lebanese government for calling Hezbollah's actions illegal and demanded it hand over its weapons, saying it did not act to stop Israel's airstrikes that continued on almost daily basis for nearly 15 months.
"The Zionist enemy wanted an open war, which it has not stopped since the ceasefire agreement," Komati said. "So let it be an open war."
Saudi Arabia condemns Iran drone strike against US embassy
Saudi Arabia has condemned in the strongest terms Iran's drone strike that hit the U.S. embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
"The brutal Iranian behavior … will push the region into further escalation," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement, which reiterated the nation's right to protect Saudi territories and interests, including "the option of responding to the aggression."
The Saudi Defense Ministry said the U.S. embassy came under attack from two drones early Tuesday.
Footage aired by the Saudi-owned satellite news channel Al Arabiya showed fire damage on one part of the roof of U.S. Embassy in Riyadh after the drone attack.
Sirens sound in Bahrain
Sirens sounded in Bahrain on Tuesday afternoon as a new Iranian attack was expected.
China calls for safe passage in Strait of Hormuz
China, a major importer of oil and natural gas from the Mideast, has called on all sides to stop the fighting and ensure ships can pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has attacked several ships in the narrow strait through whicha fifth of all oil traded passes, sending oil and gas prices soaring.
"China urges all parties to immediately cease military operations, avoid escalating tensions, safeguard the safety of shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and prevent greater impacts on the global economy," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing.
Israel military says airstrikes hit Iran's presidential office
The Israeli military said Tuesday it has struck Iran's presidential office and the building of the country's Supreme National Security Council.
It said the airstrikes happened overnight.
"In addition, the gathering site of the regime's most senior forum responsible for security decision-making was targeted, as well as the institution for training Iranian military officers and additional key regime infrastructure," it added.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge the strikes.
UN nuclear watchdog says Iran nuclear enrichment site sustained damage
The United Nations' nuclear watchdog said Tuesday that Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site sustained "some recent damage" during a U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign, though it said there was "no radiological consequence expected" from it.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said the damage was focused on "entrance buildings" to the underground portion of the atomic site.
Natanz earlier came under attack by the U.S. in the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June.
The IAEA said it saw "no additional impact" detected at Natanz's fuel enrichment plant, which is buried underground.
Nuclear material is still believed to be buried at the plant alongside damaged and destroyed centrifuges. However, the IAEA has not been allowed to visit any of the attacked sites by Iran since that war.
Red Crescent Society says at least 787 people in Iran killed in airstrikes
Airstrikes by the United States and Israel have killed at least 787 people in Iran since the start of the war, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said Tuesday.
The organization offered the toll in a message on X.
Iran struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia's capital with a drone early Tuesday,as it continued to target areas aro...
