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Iran and Iranian-backed militias fired missiles at Israel and Arab states, apparently hitting the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait, while Israel and the United States pounded targets in Iran as the war expanded Monday with statements of defiance and increasing casualties.
In the chaos, the U.S. military said that Kuwait “mistakenly shot down” three American F-15E Strike Eagles during a combat mission during the attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones.
At least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far by the U.S.-Israeli campaign, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said, and more than 130 cities across the country have come under attack. Eleven people have been killed in Israel and 31 in Lebanon, according to authorities there.
Here is the latest:
Global markets rattled
Military strikes on Iran rattled global markets on Monday with U.S. futures following markets in Europe and Asia lower. Energy prices rose sharply.
Futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average each sank about 1%.
Travel sectors, from airlines and cruise operators to global hotel chains, tumbled. Natural gas futures rose early 6% and futures for fuel used for transportation as well as industrial purposes, spiked more than 14%.
Germany’s DAX dropped 1.9% to 24,817.42, while in Paris the CAC 40 lost 1.7% to 8,435.80. Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 1% to 10,808.53.
Shares fell in most Asian markets but they rose in Shanghai, where higher oil prices lifted some oil company stocks such as CNOOC, China Petroleum & Chemical and PetroChina to the 10% limit. The Shanghai Composite index climbed 0.5% to 4,182.59, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 2.1% to 26,059.85. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index initially fell more than 2%.
Gold, a safe haven for investment in times of uncertainty, rose 3.1% to about $5,408.10 per ounce.
Cyprus says 2 drones targeting air base have been intercepted
Cyprus says two drones moving in the direction of a British air base on the island have been intercepted.
Cyprus government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis posted on X that the two drones were heading toward RAF Aktotiri Air Base.
Sirens sounded at around 1000 GMT at the key base, minutes before two Typhoon fighter jets and a pair of F-35s took off, ostensibly to intercept the drones. The sirens stopped an hour later with the aircraft landing shortly after.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said earlier that a Shaheed-type drone had cause minor damage when it struck inside the base just after midnight.
Fourth U.S. soldier dies: Central Command
A U.S. soldier has died during the war with Iran, the U.S. Central Command announced on Monday, bringing the official tota l to four.
The soldier was wounded during the initial stage of Operation Epic Fury and died on Monday, it said.
A total of four U.S. soldiers have been killed since Israel and the U.S. launched strikes against Iran on Saturday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social platform on Sunday that “sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”
Governments scramble to return stranded travellers
Countries across the world are scrambling to bring citizens home who are stranded in the Middle East.
Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways said flights remain suspended, with its next update planned for Tuesday morning, while Jordan announced a partial closure of its airspace.
About 30,000 German tourists are currently stranded on cruise ships, in hotels or at closed airports. Air France cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh, while carriers from Air India to KLM suspended flights and issued advisories.
The Czech Republic is sending two planes to Egypt and Jordan to bring home Czech nationals, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said. Four more planes are heading to Muscat and Salalah in Oman to fly home Czech tourists.
In Asia, thousands of travellers were stranded on Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali because international flights were cancelled. Bali’s international airport said at least 15 flights, including eight departures and seven arrivals, on routes to Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi were cancelled as of Monday afternoon.
Putin speaks to UAE president: Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Monday to the United Arab Emirates president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss “the unprecedented tragic events in the Middle East in the context of the American-Israeli aggression against Iran and Tehran’s harsh retaliatory actions,” the Kremlin said.
Putin noted that Russia had sought to help facilitate a settlement of the situation regarding the Iranian nuclear program, but those efforts were “thwarted by an unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign UN member state, in violation of the fundamental principles of international law.”
Al Nahyan described the Iranian strikes on the Emirates as completely unjustified, noting that the country’s territory wasn’t used for launching attacks on Iran. Putin expressed his readiness to convey these signals to Tehran and to provide all possible assistance to stabilize the overall situation in the region, the Kremlin said.
Greece sends naval vessels to Cyprus
Greece is sending two frigates and two fighter jets to Cyprus after attacks against a British base on the island.
Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said one of the frigates was equipped with an anti-drone system recently tested in a European Union-led deployment in the Red Sea to protect international shipping.
“(Greece) will contribute in every possible way to the defence of the Republic of Cyprus, in order to confront the threats and unlawful actions taking place on its territory,” Dendias said.
`There will have to be dialogue at some point’: IAEA chief
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi expressed hope that a diplomatic process will resume with regard to Iran’s nuclear program, highlighting the “indispensable role” that the UN nuclear watchdog could play in such a scenario.
“My hope…is that we will be back at the negotiating table sooner rather than later. It is obvious that after this military conflict ends — and we all hope that this will be very, very soon — we will still need to have a long, durable solution, which will provide a sense of predictability and a sense of certainty for Iran and neighbouring countries,” Grossi told reporters after the special session of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna.
The IAEA chief underlined that “there is a recognition” that “there will have to be a dialogue at some point.”
QatarEnergy to halt LNG production
QatarEnergy, one of world’s top natural gas producers, said it is halting production of liquified natural gas, taking one of the world’s top suppliers off the market.
“Due to military attacks on QatarEnergy’s operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City in the state of Qatar, QatarEnergy has ceased production of liquefied natural gas and associated products,” it said. “QatarEnergy values its relationships with all of its stakeholders and will continue to communicate the latest available information.”
It offered no timeline for restoring its production.
Lebanon says Hezbollah’s attack on Israel is an `illegal’ act
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun said Hezbollah’s rocket attack on Israel were “illegal” acts, adding that such activities give Israel a pretext to destroy the country.
The government held a five-hour Cabinet meeting to discuss the Hezbollah action that triggered massive Israeli retaliation and the displacement of tens of thousands of people.
Information Minister Paul Morcos cited Aoun as saying that what happened overnight “was not to defend Lebanon or protect the Lebanese people. What are witnessing is building collapsing on their residents as they sleep.”
Attack on Israel’s Beer Sheba
Israel’s rescue services said at least 15 people were injured by Iranian missiles in the southern city of Beer Sheba.
Searches are ongoing for additional victims. Several missile barrages targeted Israel from Iran on Monday.
Etihad extends suspension of flights
Long-haul carrier Etihad Airways said in an update that all flights to and from its base in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, will be now suspended until 2 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
Etihad, like fellow Gulf airlines Emirates and Qatar Airways, mainly serves long-haul travellers whose plans have been disrupted by the closure of regional airspace.
Oil prices surge
The price of oil jumped as tanker disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz raise fears about supply shortages from the Persian Gulf.
U.S. oil rose to about $71.97 a barrel on Monday and Brent climbed to about $78.46. Higher prices increase the risk of costlier gasoline and pricier goods.
The U.K. maritime centre also reported attacks on vessels and warned of heavy electronic interference. Oman said a drone boat hit an oil tanker and killed one mariner. Saudi media said drones hit near Ras Tanura and Saudi Arabia shut the refinery as a precaution.
Newly appointed Iranian cleric makes first comments
Iranian cleric Alireza Arafi has delivered some of his first public remarks since he was made a member of Iran’s temporary leadership council.
In remarks aired on state television, Arafi said he hoped that a new supreme leader would be “quickly” appointed. The 88-seat Assembly of Experts, a group of mostly hard-line clerics, will choose former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s replacement. But no clear successor is in place.
Arafi is serving on a temporary leadership council that includes President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iran’s hard-line judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei. Arafi added that state institutions were continuing to function “under these extremely difficult circumstances.”
Iran launches drones at a Qatari power plant
Iran has targeted a power plant in Qatar, the country’s defense ministry said. There were no casualties.
The ministry reported that Iran launched two drone attacks, one targeting a water tank at a power plant in Mesaieed, in southern Qatar, and another targeting an energy facility operated by Qatar Energy in the industrial city of Ras Laffan.
Lebanon slams Hezbollah’s activities as illegal
Lebanon’s government says it considers Hezbollah’s military activities illegal and says the group should hand over its weapons. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said only the state can decide on matters of war and peace.
Kuwait shot down 3 U.S. warplanes by mistake, U.S. military says
The U.S. military said Monday that Kuwait “mistakenly shot down” thee American F-15E Strike Eagles during a combat mission as Iran attacked the country.
The U.S. military’s Central Command said the combat included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones — the first time Iran’s aging combat fleet has been engaged in the war.
“The U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences,” it said. “All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defence forces and their support in this ongoing operation.”
Oil tanker is attacked in the Gulf of Oman, killing 1
A bomb-carrying drone boat exploded against a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Monday, killing one mariner on board, Oman said.
The state-run Oman News Agency said the attack occurred in the Gulf of Oman off Muscat, the sultanate’s capital. It identified the vessel as the MKD VYOM. It said the dead crew member was from India.
Iran has been threatening vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.
Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva condemns attacks
Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, said the “use of force and the deliberate killing of civilians” is a violation of the UN Charter and condemned the recent strikes by the U.S. and Israel.
“The ongoing unlawful military aggression against Iran exemplifies the dominance of raw power over the principles of human rights,” he said.
Iran says it targeted a U.S. aircraft that crashed in Kuwait
Iranian state television claimed that Iran had targeted one of the U.S. aircraft that crashed in Kuwait. It did not elaborate.
Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said earlier Monday that several U.S. warplanes crashed, and all the pilots safely bailed out and were in stable condition.
The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Drones over Abu Dhabi have been intercepted, UAE says
Air defences in the United Arab Emirates have intercepted drones over Abu Dhabi, officials said.
Debris fell on a warehouse and a commercial facility in the city’s industrial areas. There was minor damage but no injuries, according to a statement posted on X by the Abu Dhabi Media Office.
Jordan says partial airspace closure remains in effect
The Jordanian Civil Aviation Authority says airspace will be closed between 6 p.m. (1500 GMT) to 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) daily until further notice. It called the closure “partial and temporary.”
Lebanese seek shelter from Israeli strikes in Beirut schools
Displaced families from southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs sought refuge in schools in the capital, after Israel launched its deadliest barrage of airstrikes in more than a year. It came hours after Hezbollah fired missiles across the border.
At a public school hastily converted into a temporary shelter, families arrived carrying mattresses, plastic bags and bundles of clothing. People sat on sidewalks beside their belongings, some smoking quietly as they waited for space to open inside.
Hussein Abu Ali, who fled with his wife and children, described the moment the strikes hit. “My son began shaking and crying. … Where are you supposed to go? I stepped outside, then back in because I was afraid of shooting in the air. I gathered my children and went down to the street.”
Israeli attacks killed at least 31 people and wounding 149, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry
Russia in contact with Iran and Gulf countries
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Russia remains “in constant contact with the Iranian leadership” while also keeping up communication with the Persian Gulf states.
Peskov said Moscow was deeply disappointed to see the U.S. and Israel attack Iran despite the progress made in the U.S.-Iranian talks.
He said Russia will continue to take part in the U.S.-mediated talks on Ukraine and praised Washington’s efforts to help negotiate an end to the conflict.
Iran says its Natanz nuclear enrichment site was targeted
Iran’s ambassador to the UN’s nuclear watchdog alleged on Monday that U.S.-Israeli airstrikes targeted Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment site.
Israel and the U.S. have not acknowledged strikes at the site, which the United States bombed during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.
Iran’s Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Reza Najafi, told journalists he condemned what he called the “unlawful, criminal and brutal” attacks by the U.S. and Israel against Iran.
“Again they attacked Iran’s peaceful safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday,” he said. “Their justification that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons is simply a big lie.”
Israeli warplanes strike Beirut again on Monday
Israel’s air force carried out new airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs Monday. The blasts were heard in parts of the Lebanese capital.
The strikes hit an area where the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group has a giant hall used to hold rallies. It was not immediately clear if there were casualties.
Saudi Arabia shuts key oil refinery after attack
Saudi Aramco temporarily shut down its Ras Tanura oil refinery near Dammam on Monday after it was targeted by Iranian drones.
Saudi state television reported the decision, citing what it described as an “official source.” It added there were no casualties from the fire and its decision was a precautionary one.
The refinery has a capacity over half a million barrels of crude oil a day.
An Iranian student describes heavy security presence
An Iranian university student reached by The Associated Press on Monday described a heavy security presence in the northern city of Babol and nearby towns.
Communications into Iran remain unstable with internet access mostly blocked. The student, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security fears, said he had briefly regained an internet connection and was able to talk with friends in nearby towns where a similar security presence was reported. Babol is 136 miles (220 kilometres) north of the capital, Tehran.
The student said armed riot police were on the streets Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday as crowds gathered to mourn the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Germany unable to evacuate tourists stuck in Middle East
About 30,000 German tourists are currently stuck on cruise ships, in hotels or at closed airports in the Middle East and cannot get back home because of the conflict.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said late Sunday that a military evacuation was currently not possible because of the closed airspace.
He said that the government was looking into other options to help bring its citizens home and that everyone should follow advise by German travel agencies and local authorities.
The German Travel Association called on tourists to “remain at their booked hotels as a matter of urgency” and not “make their own way to the airport or to a neighbouring country.”
No damage so far to Iranian nuclear facilities, IAEA chief says
The UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Mariano Grossi on Monday said that “up to now” the International Atomic Energy Agency has “no indication that any of the nuclear installations, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor or other nuclear fuel cycle facilities” in Iran have been damaged or hit.
Addressing a special session of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna, he said that the IAEA continues to try and contact the Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities via the IAEA’s own Incident and Emergency Center “with no response so far,” given the limitations in communications caused by the conflict.
Grossi urged military restraint, warning that Iran and many other countries in the region that have been targeted militarily have “operational nuclear power plants and nuclear research reactors, as well as associated fuel storage sites,” which increases the threat to nuclear safety.
So far, he said, “no elevation of radiation levels above the usual background levels has been detected in countries bordering Iran.”
Iranian Red Crescent says death toll in Iran at least 555
The Iranian Red Crescent Society said Monday that the U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign targeting Iran has killed at least 555 people so far in the Islamic Republic.
The society added that 131 cities have come under attack so far in the war.
Iranian attack on Saudi refinery marks ‘significant escalation,’ analyst says
Iran’s decision to target the Saudi refinery further expands the war gripping the Middle East, directly targeting the lifeblood of the kingdom’s economy.
Already, Iran has been threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil trade passes.
Several ships have been attacked as well there.
“The attack on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery marks a significant escalation, with Gulf energy infrastructure now squarely in Iran’s sights,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst at the risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.
“An extended period of uncertainty lies ahead as Iran seeks to impose a heavy economic cost by putting tankers, regional energy infrastructure, trade routes and U.S. security partners in the crosshairs,” he said.
Saudi oil refinery is attacked by drones
Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery came under attack Monday from drones, the kingdom’s defence ministry said, with authorities downing the incoming aircraft.
A Saudi military spokesman made the announcement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
Online videos from the site appeared to show thick black smoke rising after the attack. Even successfully intercepted drones cause debris that can spark fires and injure those on the ground.
Ras Tanura, near Dammam, has a capacity over half a million barrels of crude oil a day.
Israel expects many days of combat in Lebanon
Israel’s military has launched an offensive campaign in Lebanon that could include “many prolonged days of combat ahead,” Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the military chief of staff, said on Monday morning.
Hezbollah launched several rockets and drones toward Israel overnight, and Israel responded by striking dozens of targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon, he said.
“Hezbollah will pay a very heavy price for this,” Israel’s military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said. He added that Israel is keeping “all options on the table” for a possible ground operation in Lebanon.
Israel has called up more than 100,000 reservists since the war with Iran began on Saturday.
Israel also recommended that residents of 53 villages in southern Lebanon evacuate, causing massive traffic jams.
Strikes kill 3 in western Iran
Strikes killed three people in the western city of Sanandaj early Monday, Iran’s state-run news agency said.
IRNA said the strikes hit two residential sites without providing further details.
U.S. warplanes crash, Kuwait says
Several U.S. warplanes crashed Monday in Kuwait, the country’s Defence Ministry said, with all the pilots safely bailing out.
The ministry did not elaborate on what caused the crashes but it came during an intense period of Iranian fire targeting the country.
The Kuwaiti Defense Ministry said the pilots were taken to a hospital for checkups and their condition was stable.
The U.S. military’s Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Turkey temporarily stops border crossings by Iranians visiting for short trips
Turkey has temporarily closed its border with Iran to crossings by Iranians visiting for short trips, the Trade Ministry said, following public concerns that the tensions could trigger migration flows.
A ministry statement said that in a mutual agreement reached with Iran, Turkey is allowing its citizens and third country nationals to enter from Iran but short trips by Iranians have been temporarily suspended.
Meanwhile, commercial freight crossings between Turkey and Iran are continuing “in a controlled manner,” the ministry said.
Israel says Gaza crossings to remain closed
Israel said crossings to Gaza, where much-needed humanitarian aid passes, will remain closed while the war with Iran continues.
COGAT claimed that Gaza has sufficient stockpiles of food for an “extended period” though some organizations, including the World Central Kitchen which operates soup kitchens across Gaza, have warned that they are running out of supplies.
“We need food deliveries every single day to feed hungry families who are not part of this war,” chef Jose Andres, the founder of World Central Kitchen, wrote on X.
Fire and smoke rise from inside U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait
Fire and smoke rose from inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait after an Iranian attack on the small Mideast nation on Monday.
The United States had earlier 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.
The Health Ministry said that the strikes also wounded 149 people.
It said about two-thirds of those killed were in southern Lebanon.
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.
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.
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A previous version of this story included a post on fire and smoke rising from US Embassy in Kuwait that referenced a video obtained by The Associated Press; however the video was not from the same location.
The Associated Press