This live blog will follow the updates for the fifth day of the US-Israel war on Iran.
- The United States and Israel continued their assault on Iran, with the death toll in the nation rising to 787
- US President Trump has said that the onslaught on the Middle Eastern country is likely to continue for 4-5 weeks
- Israel has also targeted Hezbollah in Lebanon and launched a new ground incursion into the country’s south
- Pakistan’s PM Sharif has said that the country remains ready to play a constructive role in efforts to promote peace and stability
- Iran expanded the war by attacking multiple Gulf countries; however, maintained that it was only targeting US bases
French President Emmanuel Macron said that the United States and Israel's military operations in Iran were conducted "outside international law," but placed primary blame on the Islamic Republic.
"The United States of America and Israel decided to launch military operations, conducted outside international law, which we cannot approve of," said Macron.
But "the Islamic Republic of Iran bears primary responsibility for this situation," Macron added, citing their "dangerous" nuclear program, support for regional proxies, and orders to shoot "its own people" during protests in January.
Israel warns residents to leave 16 south Lebanon towns ahead of attacks
Published: March 3, 2026 | 2:16 GMT
The Israeli military called on people to leave 16 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, in an "urgent warning" before using force against Hezbollah fighters.
"For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately" and head to "open areas", said a statement shared by the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee, listing 16 locations near the border.
US says 2,000 targets hit in Iran
Published: March 3, 2026 | 2:00 GMT
The US military has hit nearly 2,000 targets since attacking Iran alongside Israel, targeting ballistic missiles and "all the things that can shoot at us", said Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command.
"These forces bring a massive amount of firepower, representing the largest buildup by the US in the Middle East in a generation," he said in a video message, describing the first day's barrage as bigger than the so-called "shock and awe" against Saddam Hussein's Iraq in 2003.
Trump insists he struck Iran on his own terms
Published: March 3, 2026 | 1:32 GMT
President Donald Trump and his team scrambled to reclaim the narrative on why he decided to attack Iran, after his top diplomat suggested the US struck only after learning of an imminent Israeli strike.
"No, Marco Rubio didn't claim that Israel dragged Trump into war with Iran," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted Tuesday on X.
At an Oval Office meeting later with Germany's chancellor, Trump went further, saying that "Based on the way the negotiation was going, I think they (Iran) were going to attack first. And I didn't want that to happen."
"So, if anything, I might have forced Israel's hand."
Loud explosion heard in Beirut: Report
Published: March 3, 2026 | 00:13 GMT
A loud explosion was heard by an AFP journalist in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, shortly after midnight on Wednesday, as Israel and Hezbollah traded strikes and rocket fire.
Tehran-backed Hezbollah reprised its rocket and drone attacks on Israel on Monday after a long hiatus in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a wave of joint US-Israeli strikes.
Israel says it has launched 'broad wave' of strikes on Iran
Published: March 3, 2026 | 22:49 GMT
Israel's military said it has launched a "broad wave of strikes" on targets in Iran, after the Islamic Republic launched three separate missile barrages at Israeli territory in recent hours.
The military said the targets of its latest strikes include "launch sites, aerial defence systems, and additional infrastructure."
This live blog will continue to be updated with confirmed developments, official statements, and casualty assessments as they emerge.
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