Israel's defense minister said Tuesday that the military killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani in an overnight strike. The military also announced it killed Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force.
Iranian state media did not immediately confirm either death.
Also on Tuesday, a drone attack in the United Arab Emirates sparked a fire at an oil tank farm in Fujairah, an emirate on the country’s east coast with the Gulf of Oman that has been repeatedly targeted, the state-run WAM news agency reported. It said no one was injured in the blast.
The Israeli military also said Tuesday it had launched new attacks across Tehran and Beirut, with the strikes on the Lebanese capital targeting Hezbollah militants.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said “numerous countries” have told him “they’re on the way” to help police the Strait of Hormuz. But he also suggested some countries’ reluctance showed a lack of reciprocity in defense agreements with the United States.
The war has killed at least 1,300 people in Iran, at least 850 in Lebanon and 12 in Israel, according to officials in those countries. The U.S. military says 13 U.S. service members have been killed and about 200 wounded.
Here is the latest:
Israel warns of missiles from Iran
Israel’s military warned of a new barrage of missile fire from Iran on Tuesday, with air defenses firing and explosions heard.
Albania Parliament declares Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization
Albania’s Parliament adopted a resolution Tuesday declaring Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization, with 79 lawmakers from Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party voting in favor of the measure.
The resolution also labels Iran a state sponsor of terrorism.
Taulant Balla, head of the Socialist parliamentary group, said the resolution aims to denounce state support for terrorism, the use of proxy groups for destabilization and hybrid tactics including cyberattacks on sovereign institutions.
“For Albania, this is not just a distant geopolitical issue,” Balla said, noting it has been a target of cyberattacks.
Albania blamed Iran’s Foreign Ministry for a July 2022 cyberattack that disrupted government information technology systems and shut down online public services for several days.
Officials said the attack was likely retaliation for Albania hosting members of an Iranian opposition group. Albania’s government then severed diplomatic ties with Iran.
Red Cross says Iran civilians pay ‘heavy price’
The Red Cross says civilians in Iran are paying “a heavy price” as the U.S. and Israel war against the Islamic Republic shows no sign of abating.
Vincent Cassard, head of the Red Cross delegation in Iran, said the war has placed “heavy strain” on Iranians.
“The heavy loss of life is alarming,” he said. “Daily life in Tehran has been profoundly disrupted.”
He said damaged schools and hospitals, as well as facilities of the Iranian Red Crescent, show “the heavy price that civilians are paying as a result of hostilities.”
Israel says it killed Soleimani in combat tent
Israel says it killed Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force,
in a combat tent alongside other Basij commanders.
They were using the tent as makeshift headquarters due to concerns their regular bases could be targeted, according to an Israeli military official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines.
Israeli strike in Gaza kills 2 Palestinians and wounds 12
Two Palestinians were killed Tuesday by an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.
The strike hit a vehicle in the Muwasi, a tent camp area west of the southern city of Khan Younis, the Red Crescent said in a statement.
Twelve others were wounded in the strike and taken to a hospital run by the Red Crescent in Khan Younis, it said.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Debris from missile interception kills Pakistani in Abu Dhabi
A Pakistani national was killed by falling debris in Abu Dhabi following the interception of an incoming missile, Pakistan’s embassy said.
It was the third announced death of a Pakistan national in the Emirates since the start of the war.
Israel says top Iranian security official killed in overnight strike
Israeli defense minister said Tuesday that the Israeli military killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani in an overnight strike.
Israel Katz made the announcement.
The Israeli military also announced it killed Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force.
Iranian state media did not immediately confirm either death. However, it said a message from Larijani’s office would published shortly.
The killings again strip away top leaders from the Iranian theocracy after the Feb. 28 strike that killed 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated last night and have joined Khamenei, the head of the annihilation program, along with all those eliminated from the axis of evil in the depths of hell,” Katz said in a statement.
Larijani hails from one of Iran’s most famous political families. A former parliamentary speaker and senior policy adviser, he was appointed to advise the late Khamenei on strategy in nuclear talks with the Trump administration. He also served as the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, its top security body.
Born June 3, 1958, Larijani had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in January as Tehran violently suppressed nationwide protests. It identified him as being “responsible for coordinating the response to the protests on behalf of the supreme leader of Iran.”
“Larijani was one of the first Iranian leaders to call for violence in response to the legitimate demands of the Iranian people,” the U.S. Treasury said at the time.
The nationwide protests in January and the violent crackdown that followed killed thousands and saw tens of thousands detained.
Larijani had been a conservative force within Iran’s theocracy. He served as parliament speaker from 2008 to 2020. However, as Iran increasingly felt pressured from abroad and at home, Larijani began issuing more hard-line threats.
Larijani’s brother, Sadeq, had served as the head of Iran’s judiciary.
The late Khamenei had barred Larijani from running for president in 2021 after he positioned himself as a pragmatic candidate who would back a return to Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
“I have done my duty before God and the dear nation, and I am satisfied,” Larijani wrote on then-Twitter at the time. “Thank you to all those who expressed their gratitude and I hope you will participate in the elections for the promotion of an Islamic Iran.”
Kuwait says 2 medics injured in attack
Two medics were injured when shrapnel fell on an ambulance center in Kuwait during an attack on the Gulf nation, authorities said.
The Health Ministry said the injured were taken to a hospital and they are in stable condition.
The killing of Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani comes on the eve of “Chaharshanbe Souri,” or the Festival of Fire in Iran on Tuesday night.
The festival comes in the hours just before the Wednesday before Nowruz, which is the Persian New Year.
To celebrate, people light bonfires, set off fireworks and send wish lanterns floating off into the night sky. Others jump over and around fires, chanting “My yellow is yours, your red is mine,” invoking the replacement of ills with warmth and energy.
Authorities already have sent threatening text messages to the public, urging them not to take part in the festival, worried it could lead to renewed protests against the theocracy as it faces likely the greatest challenge to its survival since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who had drawn people into the streets during nationwide protests in January, issued a warning Monday saying Iranian authorities “issued threats of deadly force to suppress these peaceful celebrations and prevent the Iranian people from honoring their heritage.”
He earlier urged demonstrations in front of Iranian embassies abroad on Tuesday.
The Israeli military said Tuesday it killed Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani in a strike on Monday.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge Soleimani’s killing.
The all-volunteer force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is used to suppress demonstrations in the country.
“The Basij forces are part of the armed apparatus of the Iranian terror regime,” the Israeli military said in its statement. “During internal protests in Iran, particularly in recent periods as demonstrations intensified, Basij forces under Soleimani’s command led the main repression operations, employing severe violence, widespread arrests, and the use of force against civilian demonstrators.”
The U.S. Treasury listed Soleimani’s birth year as 1965. He has been sanctioned by the U.S., the European Union and other nations over his role in helping suppress dissent for years through the Basij.
“The Basij organization used lethal force to suppress the November 2019 protests in Iran, causing the deaths of and injuries to unarmed protesters and other civilians in many cities across the country,” the EU said in sanctioning him. “As head of the Basij organization, Gholamreza Soleimani bears responsibility for the violent suppression of the protests and serious human rights violations in Iran.”
Since the war began Feb. 28, Israel has launched specific attacks targeting Iran’s leadership, killing 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other military commanders.
Killing Soleimani likely could further strain the command and control of the Basij, which would be crucial in putting down any uprising against the theocracy.
The Basij and other internal security forces have been a target of attack by both the Americans and the Israelis so far.
Bahrain has reported Tuesday that it has been targeted by more drone attacks from Iran.
The country's Defense Ministry tallied 129 missiles and 233 drones fired towards the county since the start of the war. It’s an increase of nine drones since Monday.
A drone attack in the United Arab Emirates sparked a fire at an oil tank farm Tuesday in Fujairah, an emirate on the country’s east coast with the Gulf of Oman that has been repeatedly targeted, the state-run WAM news agency reported. It said no one was injured in the blast.
The report came after a brief closure of the UAE’s airspace when the military reported it was “responding to missile and drone threats from Iran.”
Lebanon's army said five of its soldiers were hurt after the Tuesday morning airstrike on the village of Kfar Sir.
Two of the five soldiers were seriously wounded.
The army said the troops were hurt while travelling in a car and a motorcycle. They were all taken to hospital for treatment.
Iran and Iraq are holding talks about allowing transit of Iraq’s oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, Iraqi
Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani said Tuesday.
The comments were carried by the country’s state-run Iraq News Agency.
The war and the virtual closure of the strait have severely impacted Iraq, where the economy depends overwhelmingly on oil.
The news agency said Iraq’s oil production has been reduced to 1.2 million barrels daily, down from 4.3 million barrels daily prior to the war.
China is communicating with the U.S. about issues including a planned visit by President Donald Trump, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.
“China and the U.S. are in communication on issues including the timing of President Trump’s visit to China,” Lin Jian said in Beijing.
Trump on Monday said because of the war he proposed a delay to the trip, which was scheduled for late March to early April.
Lin added that U.S. officials clarified “the visit is unrelated to the issue of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Trump told the Financial Times that he would like to know before leaving for Beijing whether China would help secure the strait.
A U.S. trade official on Monday walked back the statement, saying a postponement would be unrelated to China’s help in the strait.
The Israeli military says it conducted a “combined wave of strikes” against infrastructure in Tehran, Shiraz and Tabriz on Monday.
The military says the strikes in Tehran hit command centers, launch sites and air defense systems.
In Shiraz, the internal security forces’ command center and a ballistic missile site were hit.
In Tabriz, the strikes “dismantled” additional air defense systems, the military says.
South Korea says 26 of its vessels and 183 crewmembers remain in waters around the Strait of Hormuz.
Park Il, spokesperson of South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, said Tuesday that officials are in close contact with port authorities in nearby countries to facilitate the provision of food and other supplies.
Park said they plan to take unspecified additional steps if the situation worsens.
South Korea has been cautious about discussing support for U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump urged several governments, including Seoul, to deploy naval assets.
“The government will maintain close communication with the U.S. side and conduct a close and careful review of the issue, taking into account various factors and the changing regional situation,” Park said.
Ali Mojtaba Rouzbehani, Iran’s ambassador in Turkmenistan, says it will defend the Strait of Hormuz and called for U.S. forces to withdraw.
“I have a proposal for Trump: if he wants stability and passage through the Strait of Hormuz, he must ensure that his military forces withdraw from the strait,” the ambassador said in Ashgabat on Monday.
“The Strait of Hormuz is not currently closed. But as a result of this aggression, no ships can pass through the strait, and we will defend its stability and security,” he said.
The ambassador added that U.S. and Israeli forces “have other targets in the region.”
“They’ve targeted water treatment plants, fuel storage facilities, and other facilities. These ongoing threats must end,” he said.
The speaker of Iran’s parliament told Iranian state television that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be “as it was before” as Iranian fire keeps nearly all traffic out of the strategic waterway.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf made the comment in an interview aired Tuesday as Iranian fire continues to target shipping in the region.
“They are flying, launching missiles, should we just sit back and do nothing in response, or not? Naturally, it is our undeniable right. We must do this,” Qalibaf said.
“Let me speak clearly, the Strait of Hormuz has always been important, one of the world’s key strategic chokepoints,” Qalibaf said. “But look at this strategic mistake by the Americans and the Zionist regime, this trap they set, and the recklessness they showed, has turned this potential into an active reality. This is a high-risk opportunity.”
The strait typically sees 20% of all oil and natural gas traded pass through it.
Australian and New Zealand government ministers agree the Middle East war should end as quickly as possible.
Australian and New Zealand foreign and defense ministers met for annual talks Tuesday in Australia’s capital Canberra.
“We discussed the escalating situation in the Middle East. We want this crisis to end as quickly possible and move to a negotiated solution,” New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters told reporters at a joint press conference after the meeting.
Kuwaiti security forces arrested 16 people suspected to have links with Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group allied with Iran, the state-run Kuwait News Agency reported.
The interior ministry said in a statement late Monday that the 14 Kuwaiti and two Lebanese suspects sought to “create chaos, and disrupt public order” during the war, the agency reported.
The ministry did not identify the people arrested. It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers.
It said authorities found firearms, ammunition, weapons for training and assassinations and encrypted communication devices and drones.
The ministry said the suspects aimed to recruit others to join Hezbollah.
Kuwait has for years experienced attacks that authorities linked to Iran.
A Pakistani man was killed Tuesday morning in a missile attack on the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi, authorities say.
The Abu Dhabi Media Office says the man was killed when shrapnel fell in the Bani Yas area while air defenses were intercepting a ballistic missile.
The death toll in the UAE since the start of the war is now at eight people including two soldiers, according to authorities.
In Iran’s capital, Tehran, witnesses heard airstrikes in the night even as heavy rain and a thunderstorm swept across the area.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry says it's intercepting a dozen drones on Tuesday morning over the country’s vast Eastern Province, home to oil infrastructure.
A fire broke out in an industrial area on Tuesday morning in Qatar after a missile was intercepted over the gas-rich country, the interior ministry said.
An Associated Press journalist in Qatar heard explosions as air defenses near Doha worked to intercept incoming Iranian fire on Tuesday morning.
Qatar’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted a missile attack on the country a short time later.
In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai residents received a missile alert around the same time.