The UN has warned of a humanitarian crisis as the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its second week, with strikes continuing on both sides
Tehran after US-Israeli airstrikes, March 7, 2026 © RT
Welcome to RT’s live coverage of the eighth day of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Iran’s new supreme leader is slated to be selected within the next 24 hours, Fars News has said, citing sources in the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of Islamic jurists elected by direct popular vote every eight years.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed that Tehran would “never surrender” to the US and Israel but apologized to neighboring Gulf states. Certain American military assets are located in these countries and have been targeted by Tehran.
US President Donald Trump has once again threatened that the Islamic Republic “will be hit very hard” today.
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How much damage has Iran done to US bases in the Middle East?
The US-Israeli war on Iran has entered its second week, with strikes continuing on both sides. Explosions were heard in Tehran hours after footage showed the capital’s Mehrabad airport in flames. Israel announced it had used more than 80 fighter jets to carry out a “broad-scale wave of strikes” on Iran, while it said its air defenses intercepted multiple waves of Iranian attacks.
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At least 41 people have been killed in Israeli air and ground raids on the town of Nabi Chit, in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.
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The IRGC has warned that all US-Israel military bases and interests will be considered “primary targets” if attacks on Iran continue.
- US-Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and wounded thousands, Iranian UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani has said. The deadliest strike to date hit an elementary school in the southern Iranian town of Minab, killing at least 168 children, as well as teachers and staff. The New York Times said in an analysis published on Thursday that American forces were likely responsible for the strike.
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US behind strike on Iranian school – NYT
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Washington aims to take Iran’s vast oil reserves “out of the hands of terrorists,” National Energy Dominance Council Executive Director Jarrod Agen said in an interview with Fox News on Friday.
- Trump has dismissed the possibility of a US ground invasion of Iran, calling it a “waste of time” in an interview with NBC. Washington could shift its focus to Cuba after the conflict with the Islamic Republic is over, with Trump saying it would be “a question of time.”
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is not seeking a ceasefire and sees no reason to negotiate with the US, arguing that previous talks had been interrupted by attacks.
Follow our live coverage for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.
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07 March 2026
17:48 GMT
The UK Ministry of Defense has said the US is using British bases “to prevent Iran firing missiles into the region, which is putting British lives at risk.”
According to the ministry, British jets are continuing air operations over Jordan, Qatar and Cyrpus “in defence of British interests and allies,” with additional resources, including a Merlin helicopter, on the way.
- 17:27 GMT
US State Department releases a security alert for Iraq: “Americans choosing not to depart should be prepared to shelter in place in a secure location for extended periods.”
- 17:21 GMT
No countries in the Middle East will enjoy peace as long as US bases remain in the region, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf has said.
The defense policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran are consistent, based on the guidelines of our martyred Imam.As long as the presence of U.S. bases in the region continue, the countries will not enjoy peace.Iranian officials and people are united on this principle.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 7, 2026
- 17:16 GMT
Bahrain’s ministry of interior says Iran’s latest attack caused “a fire and material damage to a house and several surrounding buildings in Manama”, the capital city.
- 17:14 GMT
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has said in a statement that responding to the US and Israel’s “brutal military aggression” is an exercise of the country’s inherent right to self-defense.
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It also stressed that Tehran remains committed to maintaining “friendly relations” with its neighbors based on mutual respect. It emphasized that Iran’s operations against US military bases and facilities in the Gulf “should under no circumstances be perceived as enmity or hostility towards the countries of the region.”
Iran’s president earlier apologized to the countries of the region and said Iran respected their sovereignty.
- 16:45 GMT
An Iranian armed forces spokesperson has stated that Tehran “will continue the war as long as the Americans are present in the region.”
© RT
Meanwhile, the IRGC has said it has carried out the 26th wave of its military campaign.
- 16:45 GMT
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has said that the nation has entered a “time of war” in his first public comments since the conflict began.
Speaking to those injured in strikes, he said that the UAE has “thick skin and bitter flesh – we are no easy prey.”
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited the hospital to meet an injured Indian citizen, personally checking on his condition. He assured the patient of the best possible medical care and full support.The gesture highlights humanitarian compassion and the strong… pic.twitter.com/AVjzYYKs9B
— News Narrative (@NewsNarrative1) March 7, 2026
- 16:16 GMT
Iran’s new supreme leader is slated to be selected within the next 24 hours, Fars News has said, citing sources in the Assembly of Experts.
The Assembly of Experts for the Leadership is an 88-member body of Islamic jurists, elected by direct popular vote every eight years. According to Iran’s constitution, the Assembly’s mandate is to appoint, monitor, and dismiss (if appropriate) the supreme leader.
- 15:58 GMT
Iranian doctors have gathered in Tehran to protest against US-Israeli strikes targeting civilians.
© RT
“We ask the international community, all freedom-seeking people of the world, all those who call themselves human […] to condemn these attacks. We ask our neighbors not to allow them to attack us from their bases. We are neighbors; we have lived together peacefully for centuries,” Dr. Hoseini told the press.
- 15:56 GMT
Israel has claimed to be targeting military infrastructure that belongs to the IRGC.
Its air force positions were allegedly “responsible for the aerial situational assessment” and defending Iran’s airspace.
The IDF also reportedly “struck air defense systems, command centers, logistic storage facilities, and additional structures belonging to the terror regime that were located adjacent to the situation room.”
No comment has been made by the IRGC as of yet.
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05 March 2026
06:44 GMT
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has condemned the US and Israel for failing to consult Ottawa before the bombing of Iran.
He said the current conflict reflects “the failure of the international order,” stressing that “the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the UN or consulting with allies, including Canada.”
- 07:01 GMT
“Two main narratives have emerged among people in Tehran during the first six days of the war,” Hami Hamedi, RT’s Iran bureau chief, said, explaining that some residents are demanding stronger retaliation against the United States and Israel, including continued missile strikes, while a larger group appears exhausted by the conflict and wants it to end so life can return to normal. Despite these differences, he said both sides share one position – they strongly oppose “the disintegration of Iran” and reject any form of separatism.
RT crew captures the aftermath of a strike on an Iranian intelligence building near Hemmat Highway in Tehran, filmed on the way to the Broujerdi residential complex. Smoke and damage are visible at the site.
- 07:20 GMT
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has insisted that his country didn’t push the United States into the war with Iran, saying in a CBS News interview that “Israel does not dictate to President Trump anything, and Israel does not drag America into a war, God forbid.”
Herzog claimed the decision for the US to join the strikes was made independently by Trump, calling it a result of Washington’s own “clear considerations and professional decision-making process.” He also stressed that Israel was not asking for American troops, adding: “I’m not calling on any boots on the ground. I’m not asking any American or anyone else.”
Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, offered differing explanations for the US entry into the Iran war, with Trump saying he acted because Tehran was preparing to strike first, while Rubio said Washington moved pre-emptively ahead of expected Iranian retaliation to Israeli action.
- 07:27 GMT
RT journalist Ali Rida has evacuated along with local residents in Beirut as Israeli strikes intensified, reporting that “another evacuation order” had been issued and that “everyone is driving away from the area.”
- 07:43 GMT
Iran has not sent or received any messages from the US since the start of the conflict, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi has said in an interview with MSNBC, dismissing speculation about back-channel contacts between the two sides.
Takht-Ravanchi said Tehran is focused solely on defending itself, adding that the war had been “imposed” on Iran and rejecting claims it could be ended quickly.
“They thought they could end the war in a few days, but they were gravely mistaken,” he said. The diplomat accused the US and Israel of targeting civilians, including school children, as well as hospitals and relief forces, and insisted Iran’s actions constitute “legitimate defense.”
- 07:51 GMT
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told Israel to “keep going until the end – we’re with you” during talks late Wednesday evening with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, according to a statement from Israel’s Defense Ministry. He did not elaborate on what exactly that “end” might be.
- 07:53 GMT
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei has backed US Senator Bernie Sanders’ claim that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dominates American foreign policy, writing on X that the senator’s assessment was “sadly true.”
Sadly true! https://t.co/1cajj4y32A
— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) March 4, 2026
- 08:06 GMT
“Even the leftist-liberal UK’s The Economist is now on board with a $100-a-barrel oil price,” Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian presidential envoy and head of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, wrote on X, citing the magazine’s warning that brief disruptions could push Brent oil toward $100, while months of conflict could drive prices even higher.
Even the leftist-liberal UK’s The Economist is now on board with a $100-a-barrel oil price. https://t.co/lJQX7QLKfj
— Kirill Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) March 5, 2026
Brent crude was trading around $83-84 per barrel on Thursday, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) hovered near $76-77, both rising several percent on the day as traders price in the risk of supply disruptions across the region and potential threats to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
- 08:33 GMT
Italy plans to send air defense assistance to the Gulf countries amid Iranian strikes, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday, adding that Rome would join the United Kingdom, France and Germany in providing support.
Speaking to RTL 102.5 radio, Meloni said the aid would focus “specifically in the field of defense and in particular air defense,” adding the move was aimed at protecting tens of thousands of Italians living in the region and around 2,000 Italian troops deployed there.
- 08:37 GMT
Israel has intensified its strikes in Lebanon, which the IDF says are targeting Hezbollah positions, and six people have been killed in attacks on villages in the country’s south, the state-run National News Agency has reported. Two children and their parents died as a result of a strike on a village near Kfar Tebnit, while a separate attack in the Nabatieh area killed a village mayor and his wife, according to the report.
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