Iran news and live updates: Iran’s presidential offices hit as Hezbollah to fight ‘open war’ with Israel
RECAP: Israel says the Iranian regime’s leadership compound has been ‘dismantled’ as defence minister Israel Katz claims the IDF has been authorised to ‘advance and seize’ strategic areas in Lebanon.
THE NIGHTLY: Read the recap of events below.
Key events
03 Mar 2026 - 06:51 PM
Iranian missiles launched to Israel, military claims
03 Mar 2026 - 06:50 PM
IDF: Iranian regime has been ‘dismantled’
03 Mar 2026 - 06:47 PM
Hezbollah willing to fight ‘open war’ with Israel
03 Mar 2026 - 06:32 PM
Oil and natural gas prices spike again
03 Mar 2026 - 06:29 PM
Hezbollah’s ‘centres of gravity’ hit in Beirut strike, Israel claims
03 Mar 2026 - 06:18 PM
Death toll in Iran more than 780, society reports
03 Mar 2026 - 06:13 PM
Israel claims it has hit Iranian regime compound
03 Mar 2026 - 05:13 PM
Defence prepares for evacuation flights
03 Mar 2026 - 05:02 PM
Aussies stranded in Dubai could face huge fines, jail
03 Mar 2026 - 04:52 PM
PM engages UAE President on evacuation flights
03 Mar 2026 - 04:41 PM
UK to continue its ‘defensive’ action
03 Mar 2026 - 04:05 PM
‘Not been helpful’: Trump blasts Starmer
03 Mar 2026 - 03:49 PM
Israel vows troops will ‘seize’ areas of Lebanon
03 Mar 2026 - 03:42 PM
WATCH: Explosions as Iranian missile hits Israel
03 Mar 2026 - 03:32 PM
Islamic group could lose funding over mourning Ayatollah
03 Mar 2026 - 03:19 PM
Israel ‘not likely’ to deploy troops to Iran
03 Mar 2026 - 03:14 PM
Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, IDF says
03 Mar 2026 - 03:07 PM
The countries most affected by Strait of Hormuz blockade
03 Mar 2026 - 02:58 PM
US expands evacuation list to Kuwait and Qatar
03 Mar 2026 - 02:56 PM
Mass funeral held in Iran for 165 killed in US-Israeli strikes
03 Mar 2026 - 02:21 PM
Americans in Saudi urged to avoid embassy after strike
03 Mar 2026 - 02:17 PM
WATCH: US bombers take off from Arabian Sea amid Iran attack
03 Mar 2026 - 02:11 PM
Iran issues threat to shipping through Strait of Hormuz
03 Mar 2026 - 01:58 PM
Known locations of US-Israeli strikes in Iran
03 Mar 2026 - 01:49 PM
Evacuations amid ‘simultaneous’ strikes on Tehran and Beirut
03 Mar 2026 - 01:41 PM
Chalmers asks ACCC to monitor fuel prices amid spike
03 Mar 2026 - 01:30 PM
Trump makes disturbing ‘unlimited’ weapons claim
03 Mar 2026 - 01:05 PM
Iran says US air base attacked and destroyed
03 Mar 2026 - 12:50 PM
Netanyahu says war against Iran may take ‘some time’
03 Mar 2026 - 12:49 PM
WATCH: Saudi oil refinery up in smoke
03 Mar 2026 - 12:16 PM
Beirut hit by Israeli strikes
03 Mar 2026 - 12:06 PM
Surging diesel prices spell trouble for economy
03 Mar 2026 - 11:40 AM
Foreign Minister: US involvement a ‘war of choice’
03 Mar 2026 - 11:21 AM
Netanyahu denies Israel ‘dragged’ US into war
03 Mar 2026 - 11:00 AM
Israel claims Iran was on cusp of developing nuclear weapons
03 Mar 2026 - 10:21 AM
‘You’ll find out soon’: Trump responds to US embassy drone strike
03 Mar 2026 - 10:06 AM
Death toll in Iran climbs to 555 amid US-Israeli strikes
03 Mar 2026 - 10:02 AM
At least 15 flights from Dubai to evacuate stranded passengers
03 Mar 2026 - 09:52 AM
What you need to know about Iran conflict today
03 Mar 2026 - 09:03 AM
US embassy in Riyadh issues urgent ‘shelter in place’ alert
03 Mar 2026 - 08:57 AM
US embassy in Saudi Arabia reportedly hit by suspected Iranian drones
03 Mar 2026 - 08:10 AM
Wong says Middle East transport hub strikes hurting ability to get people home
03 Mar 2026 - 08:03 AM
Israel claims Islamic Jihad commander killed in Beirut strikes
03 Mar 2026 - 07:55 AM
Moment a US F-15 fighter pilot is rescued by Kuwaiti locals
03 Mar 2026 - 07:31 AM
Don’t cancel your flights, minister warns stranded Australians
03 Mar 2026 - 07:29 AM
US State Department issues ‘leave now’ warnings for citizens
03 Mar 2026 - 06:48 AM
‘Another missile’: Stranded Aussie’s plea from Middle East
03 Mar 2026 - 06:46 AM
‘Set those ships ablaze’: Iran shuts down Strait of Hormuz
03 Mar 2026 - 06:20 AM
Marles confirms airbase used by ADF hit by Iranian drones
03 Mar 2026 - 05:40 AM
US soldier death toll mounting
03 Mar 2026 - 05:33 AM
Reserve Bank chief says Middle East conflict could worsen inflation
03 Mar 2026 - 04:25 AM
‘Last best chance’: Trump says he seized moment to strike
03 Mar 2026 - 04:07 AM
US embassy in Kuwait hit by missile strike
‘Not been helpful’: Trump blasts Starmer
US President Donald Trump has blasted UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his role in the strikes against Iran and flagged a downturn in their relationship.
Mr Trump declared the UK leader “has not been helpful” and has taken too long to take a stance on the Middle East conflict.
“I never thought I’d see that. I never thought I’d see that from the UK,” he told UK publication The Sun.
Israel vows troops will ‘seize’ areas of Lebanon
Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz says the IDF has been authorised to “advance and seize” additional strategic areas in Lebanon.
Alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Katz says the move has been allowed in order to “prevent fire on Israeli border communities”.
“The IDF continues to operate forcefully against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. The terrorist organisation is paying - and will continue to pay - a heavy price for its fire toward Israel,” Mr Katz said in a statement, translated from Hebrew to English by the BBC.
WATCH: Explosions as Iranian missile hits Israel
Footage verified by the ABC shows an Iranian missile hitting the southern Israeli town of Be’er Sheva.
15 people were reported to have “minor” injuries according to the Israeli rescue service.
Islamic group could lose funding over mourning Ayatollah
The Federal Government is reviewing a $670,000 election pledge to an Islamic community group in Melbourne after it held a gathering to mourn Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
As the Government grapples with how to help tens of thousands of Australians caught up in the Middle East war zone and the economic fallout, it came under fire during Question Time from an Opposition again focused on the ISIS brides and the support given to the community group.
The Dandenong-based Taha Association was promised $670,000 by local Labor MP Julian Hill to upgrade its facilities and fund faith activities, Arabic language education and mental health supports. The money is yet to be handed over.
Israel ‘not likely’ to deploy troops to Iran
Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani has told reporters it is “not very likely” Israel will engage in a boots-on-the-ground operation in Iran.
Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, IDF says
The Israeli Defence Force says its military has soldiers “operating in southern Lebanon” as part of its offensive against Hezbollah.
IDF spokesperson Avichar Adraee says Israeli troops are positioned on the Lebanon-Israel broder in a “forward defense” posture to “additional security” for residents in northern Israel.
The countries most affected by Strait of Hormuz blockade
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is sending shockwaves across global energy markets, with Asia expected to face the maximum pain.
A senior commander from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Monday that the Strait of Hormuz had been shut and warned that any vessel attempting to transit the waterway would be targeted, Iranian media reported.
Located between Oman and Iran, the Strait functions as a vital artery for global oil trade. Roughly 13 million barrels per day passed through it in 2025, representing about 31 per cent of all seaborne crude flows, according to energy consulting firm Kpler.
What you need to know about the Iran conflict today
- The Australian Government is considering contingencies on how to bring home tens of thousands of citizens stranded in the Middle East as the US-Israel war on Iran widens, Defence Minister Richard Marles said, describing the situation as a “very significant consular challenge”.
- US President Donald Trump has delivered his first public address since the conflict erupted, saying the US and Israel could not wait any longer before striking Iran. The attack on Iran was “our last, best chance to strike” and to eliminate the “intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime”, Mr Trump said.
- The US embassy in Riyadh was reportedly struck by two suspected Iranian drones, sparking a fire and prompting an urgent “shelter in place immediately” warning for American citizens in Saudi Arabia. No injuries have been reported.
- A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard official has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, vowing Iran would fire on any vessel attempting to pass through it, according to Iranian state media.
- Three US fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences, though all six crew members ejected safely. US Central Command confirmed the American death toll has risen to six after recovering the remains of two previously unaccounted-for personnel.
- Iran has intensified its attacks across the region, launching strikes on Israel, Lebanon, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq. Iraq’s Foreign Ministry says more than 70 missile and drone strikes have hit the city of Erbil since Saturday.
- Saudi Arabia’s largest oil refinery, Ras Tanura, was shut down after shrapnel from an intercepted Iranian drone ignited a major fire at the facility.
- Iran’s Red Crescent says the national death toll has now surpassed 550 as US and Israeli forces focus their operations on Tehran.
- The US has ordered mandatory evacuations of diplomatic personnel from Iraq, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, and Kuwait.
- US President Donald Trump has claimed his country has an “unlimited supply” of weapons to use against Iran and that “wars can be fought forever”.
- Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu says the war may take “some time”, and denied Israel had “dragged” the US into a war with Iran.
- Israel is conducting strikes on the capital cities of Iran and Lebanon, Tehran and Beirut.
- A mass funeral has been held for the 165 people reportedly killed in Iran’s south on Saturday morning.
US expands evacuation list to Kuwait and Qatar
The US State Department have requested US citizens evacuate from “diplomatic outposts” in Kuwait and Qatar, joining evacuations from Iraq, Jordan, and Bahrain.
The US Embassy in Kuwait has also been temporarily closed.
Mass funeral held in Iran for 165 killed in US-Israeli strikes
Iranian state television is reporting a mass funeral has been held for the 165 people killed in an attack on what it says was a girls’ school in Minab in Iran’s south.
Thousands of people are believed to have attended the funeral.
