Canada supported U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran ‘with regret’: PM Carney

Strikes continued to escalate across the Middle East on Tuesday as the Iran conflict entered its fourth day.

At a glance:

• U.S. strike targets assembly selecting successor
• Oil prices continue to surge sharply
• Canada seeks Oman airspace to evacuate citizens
• More than 1,700 targets struck: U.S. army
• European nations send warship, jets to Cyprus
• Trump meets with German chancellor
• Exiled prince dismissed as successor: Trump

Explosions rang out overnight in Iran’s capital, Tehran, while Iran and its allies launched missiles and drones to hit back against Israel and targets in neighbouring Gulf states, including oil facilities and the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

The conflict has also reignited hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. With no clear exit plan, the stage is being set for a potentially prolonged conflict that could embroil the entire region in war.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada supported the strikes on Iran “with regret,” as they highlighted further decline in the rules-based international order.

Read more:

• Hundreds reported dead in Iran as drones hit U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia
• Canadians urged to avoid all travel to 10 countries as conflict spreads in Middle East
• Canada’s support for U.S. striking Iran came ‘with regret’ for global law: PM Carney
• Canada being closely watched as Iran war escalates, Middle East journalist says
• Canadian military personnel in Middle East out of harm’s way: McGuinty
• Russia says it has seen no evidence that Iran developing nuclear weapons
• Has the U.S. ever assassinated a world leader before?
• Here’s everything that happened on March 2, 2026

Here’s everything that happened on March 3, 2026.

Canada ‘not asked to participate’ in U.S. strikes: Carney

Speaking with reporters while in Australia, Prime Minister Mark Carney said it appears the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran broke international law.

“We were not informed in advance, we were not asked to participate,” Carney told reporters. “Prima facie, it appears that these actions are inconsistent with international law.”

This past weekend, Carney broke with most European allies by unequivocally endorsing American strikes on Iran, which have since been joined by Israel.

Some Liberal MPs challenged that move, saying Canada must stand up for the protection of civilians and territorial sovereignty even when it involves adversarial states.

The Canadian Press

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All parties should respect ‘rules of international order’: Carney

In support of the Iranian people, Carney says Canada supports efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“Because Canada is taking the world as it is, not passively waiting for the world we wish to be,” he said.

He says Canada takes this position “with regret, because this current conflict is yet another failure of the international order.”

He says the U.S. and Israel have acted without consulting its allies.

“Canada reaffirms that international law binds all belligerence,” he stated.

He says that Canada condemns the strikes by Iran on civilians and civilian infrastructure, asking that all parties, including the U.S. and Israel, to “respect the rules of international order.”

Lynn Chaya, CTVNews.ca journalist

Iran principal source of Mideast terror: Carney

Speaking from Australia, Prime Minister Mark Carney said: “Canada has long seen Iran as the principal source of instability and terror in the Middle East.” He continues to say that Iran and its proxies has murdered hundreds, “including Canadian civilians.”

Carney adds that despite decades of negotiations, Iran still hasn’t dismantled its nuclear program.

“Canada has long supported the imperative of neutralizing this grave global threat.”

Lynn Chaya, CTVNews.ca journalist

Canada closely watched as conflict escalates: Mohamed Fahmy

An Egyptian-Canadian journalist says panic is spreading across the Middle East as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran escalates, with civilians in countries long considered safe now caught in the fallout.

“I’ve covered the region for the longest time, and I haven’t seen this kind of turmoil,” Mohamed Fahmy said in an interview with CTV News Channel on Tuesday. “This moment is a crisis that no one would have ever imagined.”

Amid the turmoil, Fahmy, who is currently in Egypt, said Canada is being closely watched.

“People here understand that Canada has always tried and has been taking a position where they’re not falling into Mr. Trump’s havoc, and how he’s approaching the region,” he said, adding Canada’s response to past tensions with Washington, including trade disputes, has shaped perceptions abroad.

“In this specific incident, everyone is trying to see what is Canada going to do next,” Fahmy said.

Tammy Ibrahimpoor, CTVNews.ca producer

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U.S. destroyed 17 Irani ships: military

The U.S. military has destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including a submarine, and struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran, the commander of the U.S. Central Command said on Tuesday.

“Today, there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman,” U.S. Central Command’s Brad Cooper said in a video posted to X.

Reuters

CIA trying to arm Kurdish uprising: CNN

The CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, multiple people familiar with the plan told CNN.

The Trump administration has been in active discussions with Iranian opposition groups and Kurdish leaders in Iraq about providing them with military support, the sources said.

Iranian Kurdish opposition forces are expected to take part in a ground operation in Western Iran, in the coming days, the senior Iranian Kurdish official told CNN.

“We believe we have a big chance now,” the source said, explaining the timing of the operation. The source added the militias expect U.S. and Israeli support.

The CIA declined to comment.

CNN

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U.S., Israel control nearly all Iran’s airspace: Israeli diplomat

“I’m sure we will be able to show that superiority in the next few days,” Israeli ambassador Danny Danon told reporters at the United Nations.

He cautioned, however, that while U.S.-Israeli attacks have degraded Iranian capabilities and it’s harder for them to launch missiles, “they put missiles underground, in caves, in secret locations.”

He said Israel has told its own citizens and people in the region, “give us some more time” to further degrade the Iranian military and achieve its objectives: “no nuclear weapons, no missile threat, no terror infrastructure.”

“It will not continue forever,“ Danon said.

The Associated Press

U.S. consulate in Dubai hit with drone attack

A drone attack caused a fire near the U.S. consulate in Dubai on Tuesday, a government statement said, a day after the U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by an Iranian strike.

“Dubai authorities have confirmed that a fire resulting from a drone-related incident near the U.S. Consulate has been successfully contained,” the official Dubai Media Office posted on X. “No injuries have been reported.”

AFP

U.S. doesn’t want ‘endless war’: Schumer

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says the American people do not want an endless war.

“America wants (U.S. President Donald Trump) to pay attention to the problems at home, not the problems overseas,” Schumer told reporters Tuesday, adding “the administration doesn’t seem to know what’s it’s doing.”

He also said the administration has not offered a clear reason for the decision to attack Iran, saying “every hour there’s a different rationale as to why we’re doing this.”

Tammy Ibrahimpoor, CTVNews.ca National Digital Producer

Israel disabled around 300 missile launchers: statement

The Israeli military said Tuesday that its strikes had disabled around 300 missile launchers in Iran since the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on the Islamic republic over the weekend.

“This is the result of more than 1,600 sorties and a systematic, around-the-clock effort to locate and target launchers and missile stockpiles in order to reduce fire toward the Israeli home front,” the army said in a statement.

AFP

Macron orders nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Mediterranean

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday ordered France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to help protect allied assets during the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Macron said the Charles de Gaulle will be escorted by its air wing, and its escorting frigates.

In a pre-recorded speech on French TV, Macron added that Rafale fighter jets, air-defence systems, and airborne radar systems have been deployed over the past few hours in the Middle East.

The Associated Press

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Trump says he ‘might have forced Israel’s hand’

When asked by a reporter if Israel forced his hand to get the U.S. to launch strikes against Iran, Trump said “no, I might have forced their hand,” contradicting previous reports from his administration.

Just yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. attacked Iran only after learning that Israel would strike.

“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t pre-emptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,” Rubio told reporters

However, Trump says failed negotiations with Iran is what prompted the U.S.’s pre-emptive strikes.

“You see, we were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first. They were going to attack if we didn’t do it,” he said.

Based on how the negotiations were going, he said Iran was going to attack first.

“So if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand.”

Lynn Chaya, CTVNews.ca journalist

Trump dismisses exiled prince’s ambitions

Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of Iran’s last Shah, has said he wants to lead his country in a transition to democracy. But speaking to reporters on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to throw cold water on the former crown prince’s ambitions.

“We haven’t been thinking too much about that,” Trump told reporters in the White House. “It would seem to me that somebody from within may be would be more appropriate.”

A prominent Iranian dissident, Pahlavi has spent nearly 50 years in exile, largely in the U.S., since his father’s overthrow in 1979.

“He looks like a very nice person,” Trump added.

Echoing the leadership transition in Venezuela, Trump said he prefers if “somebody that’s there, that’s currently popular” takes power.

“We have people like that,” Trump said. “We have people that were more moderate.”

Daniel Otis, CTVNews.ca journalist

Trump expects oil prices to fall

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he expects oil prices to drop as soon as his administration’s military operation in Iran ends.

Reuters

Lynn Chaya, CTVNews.ca journalist

Canada seeks Oman airspace to evacuate citizens: Anand

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says she has asked Oman for use of its airspace “if necessary, for Canadian citizens to get out” of the Middle East.

Anand says Ottawa’s top priority in the ongoing war involving Iran is safety for Canadians in the region and Oman still had “viable” airspace as of this morning.

She said that in a conversation with her Omani counterpart today she asked for Canada to use airspace of that country, which sits across the Gulf of Oman from Iran.

Global Affairs Canada says more than 97,000 Canadians have registered as being in the Middle East.

The Canadian Press

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U.S. to cut all ‘dealings’ with Spain

In his joint press conference, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would cut all trade with Spain after the European country refused to allow its military bases to be used by the U.S. during the conflict. He also called Spain “unfriendly.”

“Spain has been terrible,” Trump said. “I told Scott [Bessent] to cut off all dealings with Spain.”

Lynn Chaya, CTVNews.ca journalist

‘Another hit today on new leadership’: Trump

In a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that there “was another hit today on the new leadership,” following local reports that strikes hit a building of a body tasked with electing Iran’s new supreme leader.

Lynn Chaya, CTVNews.ca journalist

Strikes hit building of assembly electing new leader: media

Israeli and U.S. strikes on Tuesday hit the building of a body tasked with electing Iran’s new supreme leader, local media reported.

“The American-Zionist criminals attacked the Assembly of Experts building in Qom,” south of Tehran, according to the Tasnim news agency.

The assembly is tasked with appointing, supervising and potentially dismissing the supreme leader.

Local media showed footage of the building severely damaged in the strikes.

There was no information on any potential casualties.

The Mehr news agency reported that the building was no longer being used for meetings.

Tasnim reported that strikes had already targeted the main headquarters of the Assembly of Experts in Tehran on Monday.

Iran declared on Sunday the start of a transition process after confirming Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death.

AFP

What to know about the Strait of Hormuz

The widening war in Iran has ground tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a halt and oil prices have soared, highlighting the important role the narrow passageway plays in global energy supply.

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes. Tankers travelling through the strait, which is bordered in the north by Iran, carry oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran. Most of that oil goes to Asia.

Any disruption to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is highly disruptive to the oil trade.

The Associated Press

U.S. military says has struck over 1,700 targets

The United States military has carried out strikes against more than 1,700 targets in Iran, U.S. Central Command said on Tuesday.

In a fact sheet, U.S. Central Command said the strikes, which started on Saturday, had targeted Iranian Navy ships, submarines, and anti-ship missile sites along with command and control centres.

Reuters

Canada warns of Iranian cyberattacks

Canada is warning that Iranian reprisals are “very likely” to include cyberattacks.

“Canadian critical infrastructure operators and other possible targeted entities should remain vigilant to threats posed by cyber actors aligned with Iranian interests,” a bulletin from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security states. “Pro-Iran hacktivists will likely view Canada as a target… due to Canada’s public support of the U.S./Israel military activity.”

Such operations could include cyberattacks against energy grids and government information systems, as well as online harassment of military personnel, diaspora communities and political activists.

“Iranian state-sponsored cyber threat actors opportunistically target poorly secured critical infrastructure networks and internet-connected devices around the world, including those associated with the water and energy sectors,” the bulletin cautions. “We assess that Iranian cyber threat actors will likely target opponents abroad, especially those advocating for regime change in Iran.”

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security is part of Communications Security Establishment Canada, the federal agency responsible for cybersecurity and foreign signals intelligence.

Daniel Otis, CTVNews.ca journalist

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Britain to send warship to Cyprus

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday that Britain is sending a warship and helicopters to Cyprus after a drone hit a U.K. base there.

Starmer said he had told the island’s president that the U.K. is deploying helicopters with counter-drone capabilities and the air-defence destroyer HMS Dragon to the region.

It comes after an Iran-made drone hit RAF Akrotiri base over the weekend, causing minor damage and no injuries.

The Associated Press

Canadian military personnel ‘out of harm’s way’: defence minister

National Defence Minister David McGuinty says there are “some” Canadian military personnel in the Middle East right now, but that they’re “all fine,” and “out of harm’s way.”

“It’s something we’re watching very carefully,” he told reporters Tuesday in Sydney, Australia, the second stop on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s nine-day Indo-Pacific tour.

Asked how he squares Canada’s support for the joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, considering it does not appear to be on side with international law, McGuinty said the federal government has been monitoring the situation in Iran for “quite a while, carefully.”

“The prime minister and the government decided from the beginning of this that we would support this incursion, but we’re also calling for a diplomatic end to it,” he said. “We would very much prefer to see peace and a ceasefire.”

“Canadians know this is a difficult, complicated and unfortunate situation,” he also said, adding he hopes “cooler heads prevail.”

Spencer Van Dyk, CTV News writer & producer

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Macron to address nation tonight

French President Emmanuel Macron will on Tuesday speak to the nation about the war in Iran and its consequences, the Elysee said, after France vowed to protect its nationals and bases in the Middle East.

Macron, who on Monday warned that a widening war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran risks spilling over to Europe’s borders, will deliver a televised address to the nation at 8:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. EST).

During a meeting of France’s defence council on Sunday, the French president said France would raise its defence posture in the Middle East to protect its nationals and bases there, and to support countries in the region targeted by Iran in retaliation for the Israeli-U.S. strikes.

Earlier Tuesday, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that France had deployed Rafale fighter jets over the United Arab Emirates to protect its naval and air bases.

France has hundreds of navy, air force and army personnel based in the United Arab Emirates. Its Rafale aircraft are stationed at Al-Dhafra base near Abu Dhabi.

AFP

Shah’s widow on Khamenei’s death

Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death is “historically significant” but will not “automatically” lead to the fall of the Iranian system, the widow of the country’s last shah told AFP in an interview Tuesday.

“The passing of a man, however central he may be to the architecture of power, does not automatically mean the end of a system,” said Farah Pahlavi, who has lived in exile in Paris since being driven out of Iran in the 1979 revolution.

“What will be decisive,” she said, was “the ability of the Iranian people to unite around a peaceful, orderly and sovereign transition to a state governed by the rule of law”, which she added her son Reza Pahlavi “is in the process of preparing”.

AFP

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 are 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.

The Associated Press

Former ambassador doubtful on regime change

A former Canadian diplomat says regime change in Iran will be unlikely without boots on the ground.

“Certainly, the Americans and the Israelis have hollowed out the leadership [in Iran], but I don’t know how you get from that to the people in the streets taking over the government,” Dennis Horak told CTV News Channel on Monday. “You cannot just tell people to go and rise up. I don’t think it can work that way. We haven’t had any examples of regime change by the air.”

Horak served as Canada’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Yemen from 2015 to 2018 and headed Canada’s mission to Iran from 2009 to 2012, the year Canada shuttered its embassy in Tehran.

Outside of potential special forces operations in Iran, Horak doesn’t expect there will be a considerable U.S. ground deployment.

Daniel Otis, CTVNews.ca journalist

Veiled threat from Iran-backed militants

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.”

The Associated Press

Communication blackout remains in Iran

With internet and phone service disrupted in Iran, Iranian Canadians are struggling to keep in touch with family and friends.

“The regime has cut off the internet,” Parisa Moshfegh told CTV News Channel from Vancouver. “The very few messages that I get is that people are obviously scared, but people have hope because this is the only way, basically, that we can get rid of the Islamic Republic.”

Watching from afar has been a cause for anxiety, Moshfegh said, but she is also hopeful for Iran’s future.

“I just hope that this would be the last time that the Islamic Republic is cutting the internet, cutting phones within the country,” she said. “And honestly, I think hope is just what’s giving us enough force to survive this.”

Daniel Otis, CTVNews.ca journalist

Intelligence assessment warns of Iranian attacks on U.S.

Iran and its proxies could target the U.S. with attacks in response to the Saturday killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by Israeli and U.S. strikes, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment reviewed by Reuters.

The Feb. 28 threat assessment produced by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Iran and its proxies “probably” pose a threat of targeted attacks on the United States, although a large-scale physical attack was unlikely.

Reuters

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Iraq to cut oil production

Iraq’s Ministry of Oil says it will stop production in a key oil field as the ongoing war in Iran disrupts the Strait of Hormuz.

The widening war between Iran, 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 Associated Press

China opposes strikes on Iran

Beijing has condemned the military strikes on Iran and is calling for an immediate cessation of military operations to prevent the conflict from spiralling out of control.

The message from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is 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 has 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.

The Associated Press

Canadian witness describes attack on Dubai

Bryan Jorgensen from Barrie, Ont. is currently on vacation in Dubai. When Iranian retaliatory strikes began to hit the Emirati city, Jorgensen was on a waterfront pedestrian bridge.

“The first tracers started going into the sky and the drones started attacking,” Jorgensen told CTV News Barrie from an apartment in Dubai. “It got really quiet. It’s a very popular spot. There’s hundreds of people there, and it got really quiet. And some people are swearing, but everybody’s looking nervous. Everybody’s got their phones pointing to the sky.”

Jorgensen is supposed to fly back to Canada on March 11, but with most Middle Eastern airspace closed, it’s unclear if he will be able to return as scheduled.

Daniel Otis, CTVNews.ca journalist

Watch here

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 defence 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.

The Associated Press

Impact on fuel prices in Canada

As war in Iran continued to spill over into other Middle East regions on Tuesday, an international affairs expert said the conflict is significantly impacting global oil flows, which could lead to higher fuel prices in Canada.

The Iranian regime continued with retaliatory strikes Tuesday, and the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has closed the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway is the main export route for the Gulf region’s major oil exporters, where around 20 per cent of the world’s supply of crude originates.

“It’s tightening supply; there’s nothing really moving (out of) the Gulf right now,” Carlton University Prof. Fen Hampson told CTV Your Morning on Tuesday.

“When you have that kind of chokehold now on 20 per cent of world’s production, that is going to have an effect on prices everywhere, and even though here in North America and in Canada, we’re not dependent on Gulf oil, we are going to see a spike in gasoline and diesel prices.”

Jordan Fleguel, CTVNews.ca journalist

Carney speaks to UAE president

Prime Minister Mark Carney said he spoke to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, thanking him for protecting Canadians living in the country.

In a statement, Carney said he also expressed his solidarity with the UAE “against Iranian missile and drone attacks on civilians across the Middle East.”

The prime minister made clear his position on the conflict.

“Despite more than two decades of negotiations and diplomatic efforts, Iran has not dismantled its nuclear program, halted its enrichment activities, nor ended its support of terrorist proxies,” Carney said.

“Canada has long supported the imperative of neutralising this grave global threat.”

Lynn Chaya, CTVNews.ca journalist

Trump on weapon stocks

U.S. President Donald Trump says the United States is “not where we want to be” in terms of its stockpiles of the highest-end weapons.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, he added that “Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully” using just “medium and upper medium grade” weapons.

AFP

Flights to the Middle East cancelled Tuesday

Nearly 1,900 out of more than 5,450 flights scheduled to the Middle East were cancelled on Tuesday, aviation analytics company Cirium said.

The Associated Press

Dow drops 1.8%, oil prices leap

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.

The Associated Press

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Why Iran relies on asymmetric warfare

Outgunned by the U.S. and Israel, Iran has traditionally relied on asymmetric warfare against its enemies, which is when unconventional tactics like guerilla attacks, terrorism and sabotage are used to deliver blows to more powerful adversaries.

“Much of the equipment that Iran has is hopelessly outdated, and so in term of quality of equipment, it’s not particularly a great match,” Royal Military College of Canada Prof. Christian Leuprecht told CTV Your Morning on Tuesday. “But it has a lot of short-range missiles and it has a lot of drones.”

Those capabilities are allowing Iran to strike back at targets in Israel and the Persian Gulf. According to Leuprecht, who is an expert in security and defence, Iran’s asymmetric strategy also includes the “financing of militia groups throughout the region that can strike American partners.”

Daniel Otis, CTVNews.ca journalist

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.

The Associated Press

Turkiye 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 Turkiye 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.”

The Associated Press

Italy arranges flights to bring home stranded citizens

The Italian government said Tuesday 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 in the early afternoon Tuesday, while an additional flight from Muscat has been scheduled for Wednesday.

Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto sparked a political controversy at home after being stranded in Dubai with his family during the initial phase of the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, returning to Rome on Sunday on a military aircraft.

The left-wing opposition called for Crosetto’s resignation, stressing the minister travelled alone to an area of crisis without being informed of the deteriorating situation. Premier Giorgia Meloni defended the minister on Monday, saying he never stopped doing his job.

The Associated Press

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.

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.

The Associated Press

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.

In the comments released by Hezbollah’s media office, 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.”

The Associated Press

Saudi Arabia condemns Iran drone strike against U.S. 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.

The Associated Press

Sirens sound in Bahrain

Sirens sounded in Bahrain on Tuesday afternoon as a new Iranian attack was expected.

The Associated Press

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 the narrow strait through which a 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.

The Associated Press

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.

The Associated Press

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.

The Associated Press

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.

The Associated Press

Israeli military says Iran launched missiles

Israel’s military said Iran launched missiles at the country and it was working to intercept them.

The Associated Press

Israeli military strikes building housing Hebzollah TV and radio station

The Israeli military struck a building in a southern suburb of Beirut housing Hebzollah’s TV and radio station, causing heavy damage.

The strike after midnight Monday came after a warning by the Israeli military to evacuate the building. Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV was interrupted for about an hour before the station resumed its programs.

During the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, Al-Manar TV and al-Nour Radio station were both struck but continued broadcasts from secret locations.

The Associated Press

France will dispatch warship to Cyprus

Cypriot officials say France will dispatch a warship to Cyprus to help bolster the country’s anti-drone defenses after a Rashed drone struck a British military base on the east Mediterranean island.

France also will send additional land-based, anti-drone and anti-missile systems to the country, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Germany also responded positively to a request to send a warship, according to three officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to provide details publicly.

The equipment will arrive in Cyprus as soon as possible, they said.

The French military did not respond immediately to a request for information from The Associated Press.

The drone struck the British base, RAF Akrotiri, shortly after midnight Monday and caused only minor material damage to an aircraft hangar. Another two drones were intercepted by British warplanes around midday Monday after they were scrambled from the air base, officials said.

Greece has sent four F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus while two of its state-of-the-art frigates are on their way.

The Associated Press

Fire reported at Fujairah oil facility as drone attack intercepted

A fire broke out in an oil industrial facility Fujairah, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, as forces intercepted a drone attack, authorities said.

No casualties were reported.

The government media office in Fujairah said the drone was intercepted and that shrapnel landed in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone.

The office said the fire was put down and operations resumed.

The Associated Press

Iran’s state media reports deaths in Hamadan

At least five people were killed or wounded in airstrikes in Iran’s western city of Hamadan, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Strikes also were reported across other cities, including Isfahan and Shiraz.

The Associated Press

Lebanese army evacuating ‘advanced positions’ along Israeli border

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the Lebanese army is evacuating some of its positions along the border with Israel.

The agency said the troops are redeploying to other posts.

The report comes after Israel’s military said it is conducting operations inside Lebanon along the border with Israel.

The Associated Press

Israel says Iran’s firepower significantly limited

Israel’s army said Tuesday that Iran’s firepower has been weakened.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran have “limited significantly” Iran’s ability to fire.

Shoshani said Israel has been going after Iran’s missile launchers and have taken out dozens of them.

Iran has fired hundreds of missiles but it’s hard to tally the total amount with Iran also striking other countries, he said.

The pace of missiles being launched at Israel has slowed since the first two days of the war.

Shoshani said the slowdown also could be partly attributed to Iran understanding the war could go on for longer than they had thought and they are trying to pace themselves.

The Associated Press

Iran begins returning pilgrims from Mecca and Medina

Iran has started the process of returning Iranian pilgrims from the shrine cities of Mecca and Medina, state media said Tuesday.

Alireza Enayati, Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said the process of returning 9,000 Iranians currently in the cities of Mecca and Medina began Monday.

In a report carried by the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency, Enayati said the departure is taking place in the same manner as during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in 2025. Iranian pilgrims will leave Saudi Arabia through Saudi–Iraqi border crossings and return to Iran from Iraq.

The announcement came during the Muslim holy month of Ramada and a widening that has seen Iran target sites in Saudi Arabia.

The Associated Press

U.S. ambassador advises Americans to leave through Sinai Peninsula

The U.S. ambassador in Israel told Americans there that the best way to leave is through Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

Mike Huckabee said in a social media post early Tuesday that the embassy was receiving lots of evacuations requests as embassy staff “are sheltering in place.”

“There are VERY LIMITED options,” he wrote. “Not sure when Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv will reopen.”

He advised Americans to take buses to Egypt’s resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh and Taba in southern Sinai, describing that route as “best.”

The Associated Press

UAE added to list of U.S. State Department evacuations

The U.S. State Department evacuations of non-emergency personnel and family reached six nations on Tuesday with the inclusion of the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE, home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi and long considered a safe corner of the Middle East, has been dragged into the Iran war with interceptions and attacks.

The other countries include Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan. Kuwait and Qatar.

The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi also warned there could be militant attacks in the UAE as well.

“Terrorists may attack with little or no warning and may target tourist locations, transportation hubs, shopping areas, government facilities, places of worship, and in particular locations associated with the Jewish and Israeli communities,” it added.

The Associated Press

Attack hits Iranian Kurdish opposition camp

A camp for Iranian Kurdish opposition in the semiautonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq was attacked Tuesday morning, an official said.

A missile and drone hit the Azadi camp in Irbil and slightly injured one person, according to Kareem Parwizi, a senior official with the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran.

The Associated Press

Oman says drone hit fuel tank at port

Oman said a drone hit a fuel tank at its port in Duqm on Tuesday.

The state-run Oman News Agency said no one was hurt in the attack.

Duqm has been a key resupply route for the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which is operating in the Arabian Sea.

The Associated Press

Israeli military says a division is operating inside southern Lebnaon

The Israeli military says one of its divisions is operating inside southern Lebnaon and took positions on several strategic points close to the border.

The Arabic language spokesperson of the Israeli military posted on X that the troops’ move inside Lebanon is part of its efforts to bolster the forward defense system and create an addition layer of security.

The military said that at the same time the air force is conducting strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in the area to thwart threats and prevent infiltration attempts into Israel.

The Israeli operations inside Lebanon came after a long night of airstrikes on southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The Associated Press

Israeli has no immediate plans to deploy ground troops in Iran

The Israeli military says there are no immediate plans to deploy ground troops in Iran.

Asked about the possibility of sending in ground forces, spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters it is “not very likely.”

The Associated Press

Thailand intensifies security around U.S., Israeli and Iranian embassies

Thailand is intensifying security around the U.S., Israeli and Iranian embassies as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies.

Public broadcaster Thai PBS quoted the head of the National Security Council, Chatchai Bangchua, describing the additional measures as he said authorities would also monitor sites linked to the countries.

Thailand depends heavily on tourism and is one of Asia’s most-visited countries, attracting more than 32 million foreigners last year. It is a popular destination for Americans, Israelis and citizens of Gulf countries and before recent airspace closures received dozens of direct flights from the Middle East each week.

The Associated Press

Israeli military says soldiers operating in southern Lebanon

The Israeli military says soldiers are “operating in southern Lebanon’ as it continues strikes against Hezbollah.

In a statement, it said the troops are positioned at a several points near the border in what it described as a “forward defense posture” as it battles Hezbollah militants.

It says the deployment is part of a broader effort to increase security for residents in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon. It has also beefed up troops and air defenses in the area.

The army says there are no plans to evacuate Israeli residents of border areas.

Israel has been occupying five positions in southern Lebanon since a November 2024 ceasefire ended more than a year of fighting with Hezbollah. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani says the new deployment is in addition to those five positions, with the aim of preventing attacks on Israeli border towns.

The Associated Press

U.S. adds Kuwait and Qatar to evacuation list

The U.S. State Department added Kuwait and Qatar to the evacuation list from its Mideast diplomatic outposts.

The Associated Press

U.S. shutting down embassy in Kuwait

The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is shutting down as the Middle East is grabbed in a widening war.

The embassy said in a social media post Tuesday that it is closing “until further notice” due to the war.

The Associated Press

Iran holds mass funeral for people killed in reported school attack

Iran on Tuesday held a mass funeral ceremony for 165 people killed in what it described as an attack on a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab.

Iranian state television showed thousands of people filling a public square. Men waved the Islamic Republic flag while largely standing apart from women draped in black chadors.

From the stage, a women who said she was the mother of “Atena” held up a printed image of portraits that she called “a document of American crimes.” She added, “They died in the way of God.”

The crowd erupted into chants of “Death to America,” “Death to Israel” and “No surrender.”

U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said he was aware of reports that a girls’ school was struck and officials were looking into them.

An Israeli military spokesperson said Sunday he was not aware of any Israeli or U.S. strikes in the area.

The Associated Press

Qatar Airways to remain grounded

Qatar Airways said it would remain grounded Tuesday over the war.

The Associated Press

Drone strikes hit Amazon data centers

Amazon said Monday that two of its data centers in United Arab Emirates were hit by drones, while a drone strike near one of its facilities in Bahrain “caused physical impacts to our infrastructure.”

The tech giant said on its website that the strikes have caused structural damage and gotten in the way of power getting to infrastructure. The company did not say who was responsible for the strikes.

“We are working to restore full service availability as quickly as possible, though we expect recovery to be prolonged given the nature of the physical damage involved,” Amazon said.

The Associated Press

Iran threatens shipping in Strait of Hormuz

Iran is continuing to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Perisan Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes.

Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, issued the threat on Iranian state television on Monday.

“The Strait of Hormuz is closed. Anyone who wants to pass, our devotee heroes in the IRGC navy and the army will set those ships on fire,” he said. “Don’t come to this region.”

The Associated Press

Israel striking Tehran and Beirut

The Israeli military said Tuesday it was conducting “simultaneous targeted strikes against military targets in Tehran and Beirut,” without elaborating.

The Associated Press

Iraq added to evacuation list

The U.S. State Department said it added Iraq to the evacuation list from its Mideast diplomatic outposts.

The Associated Press

U.S. State Department orders Bahrain and Jordan evacuation

The U.S. State Department on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family in Bahrain and Jordan.

The State Department announcement online said the decision came “due to safety risks.” The department has urged Americans across the Mideast to leave over the ongoing war with Iran.

The Associated Press

U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia tells Americans to avoid it

The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia acknowledged coming under attack from Iranian drones Tuesday and urged Americans to avoid the diplomatic post for the time being.

The Saudi Defense Ministry earlier Tuesday said the embassy was attacked by two drones.

The Associated Press

Explosions heard in Tehran

Across Iran’s capital, the sound of explosions rang out throughout the night into the early morning hours.

Witnesses described hearing aircraft overhead as well.

It wasn’t immediately clear what had been hit.

The Associated Press

Iran launches attack on Bahrain air base, state TV reports

Iranian state television early Tuesday read a statement from the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, saying that it launched a missile and drone attack targeting an air base in Bahrain.

The Associated Press

Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut

Israeli airstrikes hit the Lebanese capital Tuesday morning.

The Israeli military said it was targeting “Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities in Beirut.”

Hezbollah also said it launched drones targeting an Israeli air base.

The Israeli military said it downed two drones.

The Associated Press

Japan tells its shipowners to steer clear of Persian Gulf

Tokyo has told Japanese shipowners to have their ships stay away from the Persian Gulf to ensure the safety of their crew members.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters Tuesday that the Transport Ministry has notified the Japanese Shipowners’ Association to do the utmost to protect crews on board the ships in the region.

Kihara said those already in the Gulf are urged to lie at anchor where it is safe to do so.

On Monday, Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with Iranian ambassador to Japan Peiman Seadat and conveyed Japan’s consistent stance that Iran must stop attacks on neighboring countries and other actions destabilizing the region.

Motegi also noted the importance of ensuring safety in the Strait of Hormuz, which is key to Japan’s energy security.

The Associated Press

Iranian foreign minister says U.S. entered ‘war of choice on behalf of Israel’

Iran’s top diplomat early Tuesday sought to turn the tables on the United States, describing it as entering “a war of choice on behalf of Israel.”

After Trump urged Iranians to take over their government, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the same call to Americans.

“Shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters,” Araghchi wrote on X. “American people deserve better and should take back their country.”

The Associated Press