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Iran says children make up 30% of deaths from US-Israeli strikes  Muslim Network TV

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian discusses latest strikes, IAF bombing Iranian infrastructure, and a rare operation attempting to retrieve Ron Arad's remains in Lebanon The post Daily Briefing Mar. 8 — Despite fewer missiles per attack, Iran strikes still a lethal threat appeared first on The Times of Israel.

Could Azerbaijan be dragged into the US-Israeli war on Iran? Elis Gjevori on Fri, 03/06/2026 - 13:38 Baku’s long-standing relationship with Israel risks drawing Azerbaijan into the expanding war with Iran Iran's former Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh (right) speaks with former army chief Abdolrahim Mousavi during a delivery of drones on 13 January 2025 (Iranian Army Office/AFP) Off Azerbaijan became the latest country to be drawn into the US-Israeli war on Iran after four drones, which it said were launched from the Islamic Republic, struck its exclave of Nakhchivan on Thursday, damaging infrastructure and injuring two civilians. Officials in Baku said one of the drones hit the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport, located about 10km from the Iranian border. Another fell near a school in a nearby village. A third drone was shot down by Azerbaijani forces, while another struck civilian infrastructure. Iran, for its part, has rejected the accusations. "Iran did not carry out strikes against Azerbaijan," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in comments published by the Iranian news agency Tasnim. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "We do not strike neighbouring countries. Iran’s policy is to target only the military bases of its enemies operating in the region and previously used for attacks on Iran, including bases of the United States and Israel," he said. Iran has offered similar explanations for attacks it has carried out against targets in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates since the conflict began. The statement suggested Iran's operations target US and Israeli assets rather than neighbouring states themselves, raising the possibility that Tehran believes such facilities operate in Nakhchivan. Some Iranian analysts have also suggested the incident could involve Israeli covert activity aimed at inflaming tensions between Tehran and Baku. "Maybe during [this] war, some Israeli agents are involved to make the Iran-Azerbaijan relationship very challenging," Seyed Emamian, an assistant professor at Tehran Polytechnic University, told Middle East Eye. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Earlier this week, MEE reported that Iranian officials accused Israel of carrying out some of the drone strikes on energy and civilian sites in the Arabian Gulf, calling the attacks a calculated bid to spark regional anger and pull Arab states into the war on Tehran. A mourner holds a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on 5 March 2026, during a funeral procession in Iraq (Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP) What is Iran's strategy? Analysts say Iran's response to the war has centred on its asymmetric regional influence. For decades, Gulf states have promoted themselves as islands of stability in a volatile region, attracting global investors, tourists and multinational businesses. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Underpinning this idea has been the impression that US military bases in the region would underwrite the security of these states.  Iran's military campaign appears designed to undermine that perception and demonstrate that the costs of the conflict will extend far beyond its borders. Economic uncertainty is already spreading. The Financial Times reported that investors in the Gulf are reconsidering overseas commitments amid the war's disruption to markets. Khalaf al-Habtoor, a prominent Emirati businessman, publicly criticised the war in a social media post directed at US President Donald Trump. "A direct question: Who gave you the authority to drag our region into a war with #Iran? And on what basis did you make this dangerous decision?" he wrote on X. "Did you calculate the collateral damage before pulling the trigger?" The upheaval across the region may be intended to push regional governments to pressure Washington to end the war. Giorgio Cafiero, the chief executive of Gulf State Analytics, a Washington-based geopolitical risk consultancy, said the instability could encourage Gulf states "to see to it that the United States agrees to halt its aggression". "And within this context, I think that if Iran was responsible for the attack [on Azerbaijan]... The relationship that Baku has with Tel Aviv would be an important factor in play," he added. Mourners in the city of Qom attend the funeral of those killed in the US-Israeli war on Iran, 5 March 2026 (Mehdi Alavi/ISNA/AFP) What is Azerbaijan's position in the war? According to Farid Shafiyev, the chairman of the Baku-based Center of Analysis of International Relations, Azerbaijan has tried to remain neutral in the conflict. President Ilham Aliyev visited Iran's embassy in Baku on 4 March to offer condolences following the US-Israeli assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the killing of civilians. 'One of the reasons that Iran is attacking the UAE is not only because of the American bases, it's because of the Israeli bases there' Seyed Emamian, Tehran Polytechnic University "But the recent attack shows that Iran would like to escalate," Shafiyev told MEE. The Iranians, he said, have "implied that Nakhchivan was also used by the Israelis and Americans, which is a completely false assumption". Following the incident, Azerbaijan closed its southern airspace for 12 hours and shut its border crossings with Iran to cargo trucks, including transit shipments. The move disrupted one of the shortest land routes connecting Iran with Russia. Aliyev also threatened to respond militarily, but there has been no official response so far.  "We will not tolerate this unprovoked act of terror and aggression against Azerbaijan," he told a meeting of the country’s security council. "Our Armed Forces have been instructed to prepare and implement appropriate retaliatory measures." Why is Iran worried about the Israeli-Azerbaijani relationship? Tehran has long viewed Azerbaijan's relationship with Israel with suspicion. The two countries cooperate in sectors including energy, defence and cybersecurity, although much of that cooperation remains opaque. Aliyev once described the partnership as resembling an "iceberg", suggesting most of it lies beneath the surface. Energy ties also bind the two countries. Israel imports roughly 40 to 50 percent of its oil from Azerbaijan through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which runs through Turkey. Emamian said that Azerbaijan's ties with Israel pose security concerns for Iran. 'Iran does not want a conflict with Baku...but Baku now is an asset for the US and Israel' - Iranian analyst "One of the reasons that Iran is attacking the UAE is not only because of the American bases; it's because of the Israeli bases there," he said. "Not only military bases but also intelligence and security institutions that they have been covering under the titles of different institutions, companies, so they have been very much active in the intelligence gathering against Iran," he added. Iran has accused Azerbaijan of allowing Israel to conduct espionage operations against it from Azerbaijani territory - an allegation Baku denies. A political analyst in Tehran, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told MEE that Iranian officials believed Israel had used Azerbaijani airspace during a previous conflict. "Azerbaijan let Israel use its airspace to attack Iran in the previous June war," the analyst said, adding that "people in northern parts of Iran along the Caspian sea reportedly said that they heard jets flying in the sky". Baku has rejected the allegation. Still, the analyst said Iranian leaders increasingly view the current war as an existential threat. "Iran does not want a conflict with Baku," the analyst said. "But Baku now is an asset for the US and Israel". What are Azerbaijan's options? The conflict places Azerbaijan in a delicate position. More than 15 million ethnic Azeri live in Iran, giving Baku potential influence if instability spreads across the country. "If Iran goes down in chaos," a Tehran-based analyst warned, Azerbaijan could play a role in shaping developments in the region. The drone incident may provide political justification for a more assertive stance. Israeli commentator says Iran war will lead to ‘Sykes-Picot 2026’ Read More » "It has the excuse and the motive now," the analyst said. However, a fragmented Iran would also pose serious risks for Azerbaijan. Large numbers of ethnic Azeri refugees could cross the border if instability spreads. "I think the leadership in Baku would clearly feel much pressure to come to the aid of these potential refugees. Naturally, that would create burdens for Azerbaijan," Cafiero said. If the crisis escalates, Azerbaijan is likely to rely heavily on its closest ally. "Out of all of Azerbaijan's allies and partners in the world, probably the one which Baku will turn to most closely in the event of this worsening crisis would be Turkey," Cafiero said. Turkey has already backed Azerbaijan militarily, helping it retake territory in Nagorno-Karabakh during the 2020 war with Armenia. "I think that if there is ever any scenario whereby Azerbaijan's national security is threatened, it is safe to assume that the leadership in Ankara would consider that to be a threat to Turkey as well," Cafiero added. "And I think Turkish officials would go very far to come to the defence of Azerbaijan." War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

TEHRAN, Mar. 08 (MNA) – The students of the Allameh Tabatabai University of Tehran have issued a letter to the students in other parts of the globe amid the ongoing war of aggression against their homeland.

Residents in Tehran are flocking to blood donation centres, responding to growing medical needs and fears of shortages.

Author Alon Penzel hears from airport over a year after he says he was harassed by security officers while carrying a placard promoting his book about the October 7 Hamas attack The post Luton Airport apologizes, promises enhanced staff training after alleged antisemitism appeared first on The Times of Israel.

Trump's shifting Iran goals highlight war's weak legal basis  DW.com

Saudi Arabia has told Iran to stop attacks, warned of possible retaliation, sources say  The Times of Israel

UAE official denies Israeli reports of strike on Iran Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, a member of the United Arab Emirates Federal National Council and chairman of its Defense Affairs, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee, has denied Israeli reports that the UAE struck an Iranian desalination facility on Sunday. "The UAE didn't do that," he wrote in a post on X. The Federal National Council is the UAE's quasi-parliamentary body. On Sunday morning, the UAE announced its death toll from Iran's attacks had risen to four.

7 volleys send millions of Israelis to shelters; Iranian president vows 'stronger response' to US-Israeli strikes as fresh attacks reported in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain The post 6 wounded by shrapnel, 1 seriously, as Iran fires suspected cluster warhead missile at Israel appeared first on The Times of Israel.

Middle East crisis live: Israel warns it will pursue Iran’s next supreme leader; smoke fills Tehran after missiles strike oil depots  The Guardian

Pope Leo calls for end to war in Middle East Pope Leo has urged an end to the conflict in the Middle East in an address at the Angelus prayer in Saint Peter's Square. "Let us raise our humble prayer to ⁠the Lord that the roar ⁠of bombs may cease, ⁠that weapons may fall silent, and that space may be opened for ‌dialogue in which the voices of peoples can ‌be heard," he said. The pontiff added that the conflict could spread to other countries, including "dear Lebanon".

Iraq, which had recently regained some stability after decades of conflict, was immediately dragged into the Middle East war triggered when the United States and Israel attacked Iran last weekend. Within hours, warplanes filled Iraq's airspace. Air strikes pounded bases hosting Tehran-backed groups across the country. Iran-backed groups in turn launched attacks on US interests in Iraq, while Tehran struck Kurdish militants in the north.

As the Iran disaster escalates, Starmer should treat the US president as someone whose actions threaten the lawful, democratic way of life everywhere Nine days in, the conduct of the unjustified, illegal US-Israel war against Iran grows ever-more disproportionate, dishonourable and deranged. The torpedoing of an Iranian navy ship off Sri Lanka by a US submarine demonstrated that for reckless Donald Trump, the whole world is his battlefield. Diplomacy, treacherously sabotaged by Washington, has been replaced by unceasing airstrikes that are murdering and maiming hundreds of Iranian civilians. Trump’s White House increasingly resembles a madhouse. War aims shift daily. A clueless, rambling president insists he must help pick Iran’s next ayatollah. Meanwhile, his “secretary for war”, Pete Hegseth, rants manically about killing without mercy. Nine days in, it’s clear Iran’s leaders, those who survive, are not going to roll over in a repeat of Trump’s Venezuela coup. Their forces, though drastically outgunned, are succeeding in spreading pain across the Middle East, inundating defences with waves of drones and missiles. That’s no surprise. Iran warned of a region-wide conflict if attacked again. Trump is now at war with US allies, too, having adopted George W Bush’s crude Iraq war “for us or against us” maxim. The Gulf Arabs – and cruelly battered Lebanon – just want it to stop. Britain and Europe mostly want no part of it, but are being sucked in anyway. The global economy is tumbling into crisis. In Trump’s war on the world, there are no heroes, only victims. Spain’s defiant leader, Pedro Sánchez, is one exception. Continue reading...

Leo says news from region 'continues to arouse deep dismay,' expresses concern at 'violence and devastation and the widespread climate of hatred and fear' The post Pope prays that ‘roar of bombs may cease’ across Middle East appeared first on The Times of Israel.

TEHRAN, Mar. 08 (MNA) – Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, says Iran possesses more advanced and high precision weapons that will continue to target the enemies.

Six soldiers killed in Iran war brought home  CNN

By Gwladys Fouche and Nora Buli OSLO, March 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. embassy in Oslo was hit by a loud explosion early on Sunday, causing minor damage but no injuries in what may have been a deliberate attack linked to the crisis in the Middle East, Norwegian police said. "It's natural to see this in the context of the current security situation and that this could be an attack deliberately targeting the U.S. embassy," Frode Larsen, head of the Oslo police investigation unit told a news conference.

UK must be prepared for a price shock from the Iran war | Heather Stewart  The Guardian

Live updates: War death toll tops 1,200 in Iran, nearly 400 in Lebanon  LiveNOW from FOX