From the jet fuel used in bombing raids to acrid smoke from burning oil depots, the conflict in the Middle East is inflicting a significant toll on nature and the climate. AFP interviewed experts about the environmental cost of war that often goes under the radar: - Bombers and
March 14 (Reuters) - Russia is supplying Iran with Shahed drones to use against the U.S. and Israel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told CNN in an interview excerpt aired on Saturday. Zelenskiy told CNN's Fareed Zakaria that it is "100% facts" that Iran has used
When Israeli settlers attacked their West Bank village of Abu Falah, Milia Hamayel told her son not to try to fight them off, but the 30-year-old went to defend a friend's land anyway. "I called him two or three more times and he didn't answer. After that -- may God have mercy
Dubai is scrambling to preserve its image as a safe haven despite Iran's onslaught, with influencers rallying behind the government's message as authorities crack down on those sharing footage of strikes. For decades, the Gulf was seen as an oasis of safety in a tumultuous
AI-created videos circulating on Elon Musk's X depict American soldiers captured by Iran, an Israeli city in ruins, and US embassies ablaze -- a surge of lifelike deepfakes despite a policy crackdown to curb wartime disinformation. The Middle East war has unleashed an avalanche
By Maya Gebeily, Emily Rose and Jarrett Renshaw DUBAI/JERUSALEM/PALM BEACH, March 15 (Reuters) - Iran threatened escalation across the Middle East to retaliate for American airstrikes on its energy hub and U.S. President Donald Trump urged friendly nations to send warships to
Three more members of the Iranian women's football team have left their asylum in Australia and decided to return home, Canberra said Sunday. Seven members of Iran's visiting football delegation competing in the Women's Asian Cup had sought sanctuary in Australia after they
Formula One races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been cancelled as the Middle East war engulfs the region, motorsport's governing body the FIA announced on Saturday. "It has been confirmed today that, after careful evaluations, due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East
Iran is aiming its missiles at the sources of the Gulf's wealth and shaping regional policy. The stability of these regimes is starting to come under threat
Two homes in Eilat were damaged by interception debris, and a home in Ness Ziona was destroyed. 'I fainted on the floor. A taxi driver caught me and picked me up. I'm shocked I'm alive,' a Ness Ziona resident told Haaretz
SYDNEY, March 15 (Reuters) - Three members of the Iranian women's soccer team who had sought asylum in Australia have decided to return to Iran, the government said on Sunday. Australia granted humanitarian visas to seven Iranian footballers last week after they sought asylum,
Both U.S. and Iranian officials have rejected initiatives by several countries to taper off the current war, indicating a prolonged campaign
David Sacks, a prominent right-wing figure, made waves as the first senior administration figure to publicly criticize the war in Iran. Speaking on his popular podcast 'All-In,' Trump's AI czar took shots at GOP war hawks and warned against Israel's potential usage of nuclear
March 14 (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization said on Saturday that it has verified 12 doctors, paramedics and nurses were killed in a strike on the Bourj Qalaouiyeh primary healthcare center in Lebanon late on Friday. "The killings in the last 24 hours of 14
FRANKFURT, March 14 (Reuters) - The Swiss government said on Saturday that it discussed requests by U.S. military and official aircraft to fly over the country, and based on its law of neutrality, rejected two but permitted three. "The law on neutrality prohibits overflights by
Iran's envoy to Ukraine, Shahriar Amouzegar, dismissed the support Kyiv has offered to the United States and its Gulf allies, after Ukraine advertised its expertise in destroying Iranian-designed drones launched by Russia. Iran has been attacking countries across the region --
The statement warned that pushing the Lebanese army to confront those fighting Israel could destabilize it. Hezbollah's oppostion suggest the timing of the statement is tied to ongoing discussions about disarming the group
Speaking to Haaretz, a regional source said that Turkey, Oman and Egypt are pushing for an end to the Iran war which they deem unbeneficial. Iran and Egypt's presidents reportedly discussed 'possible ways to end the escalation' on Friday
By Steve Holland, Humeyra Pamuk, Parisa Hafezi and Alexander Cornwell WASHINGTON/DUBAI/TEL AVIV, March 14 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration has rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war that started
March 14 (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told MS Now in an interview on Saturday that there is no problem with Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed on Friday that he was wounded and likely disfigured.
Turkey's top diplomat said Saturday that Iran was denying responsiblity for firing ballistic missiles towards Turkey despite evidence from technical data. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi after NATO defence
According to a source familiar with the matter, Trump's envoy Jared Kushner will be leading the move on behalf of the U.S., as Israeli sources suggest a large-scale Israeli ground operation to seize Lebanese territories might be launched if diplomacy fails
U.S. officials warned Iran could block the key oil route, but Trump believed Tehran would back down first
US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged other nations to send ships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, the critical chokepoint for global oil supplies disrupted by the Mideast war. Trump, who has said the United States will soon start escorting tankers through the strait,
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said countries that rely on oil carried through the Hormuz strait should take responsibility for keeping the passage open, with American help. Global oil prices have surged by 40 percent as Iran has choked off the vital sea passage and
By Maayan Lubell and Nazih Osseiran JERUSALEM/BEIRUT March 14 (Reuters) - The Israeli military warned on Saturday that it may strike ambulances and medical facilities which it said were being used unlawfully by Hezbollah in Lebanon, though it did not provide evidence for the
JERUSALEM, March 14 (Reuters) - Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold direct talks in the coming days, their first since the start of the Iran war that has drawn Lebanon deeper into conflict, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Saturday, citing two sources with knowledge of
The suspension comes hours after the U.S. attacked military targets on Iran's Kharg Island oil export terminal and Iran's Revolutionary Guards responded by saying that U.S. interests in the UAE were legitimate targets
Two more players of the Iranian women's football team, which competed in the Asian Cup in Australia, and one member of the backroom staff have withdrawn their requests for asylum in the country, Iranian state media said on Saturday. Seven members of the visiting women's
March 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said four of five tanker planes targeted in an attack on a base in Saudi Arabia suffered "virtually no damage." "Four of the five had virtually no damage, and are already back in service. One had slightly more damage,
March 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that many countries would send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, but did not provide details on which countries would do so. "Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted
By Nidhi Verma and Saurabh Sharma NEW DELHI, March 14 (Reuters) - India has sought safe passage for 22 of its vessels stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz, a foreign affairs ministry spokesperson said on Saturday, after Iran allowed a few Indian ships to sail through, in a
CAIRO, March 14 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Iran-aligned militant group Hamas has called on Iran to not target neighbouring countries, while still reaffirming Tehran's right to respond to the U.S.-Israeli attacks. This is the first time the group has publicly commented on
Here are the latest events in the Middle East war on Saturday: - Attack on Baghdad military base - A drone attack late Saturday targeted the Baghdad airport complex, which houses a military base and a US diplomatic facility, two security sources told AFP. The drones "targeted
UN chief Antonio Guterres said Saturday on a visit to Beirut that diplomatic channels remained open to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah and urged the international community to support Lebanon. Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war last week when Hezbollah
Israel kept up strikes on Lebanon on Saturday as Beirut said 26 paramedics had been killed since the latest war erupted between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah this month. French President Emmanuel Macron said the Lebanese government was ready to engage in "direct talks" with
Kharg Island, targeted in US air strikes on Saturday, is a scrubby stretch of land in the Gulf that handles almost all of Iran's crude exports. Announcing the strikes, US President Donald Trump described Kharg as a "crown jewel" for Iran and maintained that every military
Iran struck and reportedly damaged five U.S. refueling aircraft • A port in the United Arab Emirates suspended oil operations after a drone-related fire • Qatar evacuated parts of Doha • The United States sent 2,500 marines to the Middle East
By Sarah El Safty and Nidhi Verma DUBAI, March 14 (Reuters) - Some oil-loading operations have been suspended in the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah emirate, a major bunkering hub and crude export terminal, after a drone attack and fire on Saturday, industry and trade sources
Hezbollah suffered heavy losses in a war with Israel more than a year ago, but the Shia movement has now regrouped only to end up fighting what it has called an "existential battle" and which some warn could be its last. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when
The strikes in southern Lebanon killed 23 people, including 12 medical workers at a primary health center, as air raids also hit residential areas. Lebanon's health ministry said the toll could rise, while more than a million have been displaced since the conflict began
Despite destroying much of Iran's navy, the U.S. has yet to secure the Strait of Hormuz, where Tehran uses fast boats, mines, shore missiles, and unmanned vessels to maintain leverage over global oil flows and strike commercial shipping with deadly asymmetric tactics
By Saurabh Sharma NEW DELHI, March 14 (Reuters) - Stranded for two weeks at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas as drones and missiles set ships ablaze nearby, 26-year-old seafarer Ambuj says he has not been home for six months and cannot wait to see his family. Ambuj, who asked
Explosions rocked cities across the Middle East on Saturday as the US embassy in Baghdad was hit by a drone strike and Tehran warned Emiratis to stay away from ports as it targets the world's energy supply lines. Washington's embassy in Iraq was hit for the second time since
US President Donald Trump urged other nations to help secure a vital shipping lane choked off by the war with Iran that showed no signs of slowing on Saturday as strikes hit the US embassy in Baghdad and a major Emirati energy facility. Two weeks after the United States and
Israel said the war against Iran was entering its "decisive phase" on Saturday, as explosions rocked cities across the Middle East, with strikes on the US embassy in Baghdad and a major Emirati energy facility. Washington's embassy in Iraq was hit by a drone, security sources