ISTANBUL: A gunman was killed and two others wounded in a shootout Tuesday with police outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, the local governor said, adding that two officers were lightly wounded. Governor Davut Gul confirmed the killing of one of the assailants during the attack that took place around 12:15 pm local time. It was not immediately clear if the intended target was the Israeli consulate. No Israeli diplomats &quot;are currently on Turkish soil&quot;, a source familiar with the matter told AFP. Israeli diplomatic missions had been evacuated &quot;not only in Turkey but throughout the region for security reasons&quot; shortly after October 2023. Authorities have identified the assailants. Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said they arrived in Istanbul by a rental vehicle from Izmit and one of the assailants was affiliated with an &quot;organization that exploits the region&quot;. Turkish officials would not immediately reveal the group the attacker was linked to but Turkish media said it could be ISIS, whose members clashed with Turkish police in Yalova &ndash; which lies on the shores of the Sea of Marmara about 90 kilometers southeast of Istanbul. Dressed in camouflage ISIS militants opened fire on police in Yalova in December, killing three officers and wounding nine others. Turkish police have stepped up nationwide raids against ISIS militants, rounding up 125 suspects shortly after that attack. One of the two assailants in Tuesday&#39;s shootout &ndash; who are brothers &ndash;has a drug record, the interior minister said. Turkish media reported that the three suspects were armed with long guns, dressed in camouflage, and carrying backpacks. A large police presence was deployed in front of the consulate, located in the Levent business district on the European side of Istanbul, AFP journalists witnessed. They also saw bloodstains on the ground in an adjacent parking lot. Footage broadcast by private NTV television showed police officers opening fire near a busy thoroughfare, as well as an injured person being carried away on a stretcher. An investigation has been launched by the Istanbul public prosecutor&#39;s office, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said on X.

Protestors set fire to an image depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they gather to protest against the US and Israel attack of Iran and the killing of the Supreme leader in front of Israel Consulate in Istanbul on March 1, 2026. (AFP)

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Turkish media reported that the three suspects were armed with rifles and dressed in camouflage outfits while wearing backpacks.

Shots outside Israel's Istanbul consulate, two police officers wounded: media

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ISLAMABAD: Iran stated it has no plans to deploy mines in the Persian Gulf, citing full control over the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, reported Tasnim News Agency on Monday. According to the Iranian news outlet, a spokesperson for Iran&rsquo;s Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters said the country has the initiative in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. He said that Iran can secure the area using existing capabilities. The spokesperson stated that Iranian armed forces, working with regional partners, can maintain security and that non-regional powers have no authority to intervene. The Middle East has seen a sharp escalation in the multi-week conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, marked by intense military strikes and a high-stakes standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. According to AFP, US President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum on Sunday, demanding Iran fully reopen the Strait or face attacks on its power plants. Just before the deadline expired on March 23, Trump postponed strikes for five days, citing &ldquo;very good&rdquo; talks with an Iranian official. Tehran denied any negotiations, while stating the US was attempting to manipulate energy markets. The joint US-Israeli airstrikes have targeted military and infrastructure sites in Tehran, AFP reported. On Tuesday, an Iranian missile struck a building in an upscale Tel Aviv neighborhood. Iran&rsquo;s military claims full control of the Strait of Hormuz. While some friendly vessels have passed, the effective closure has driven global oil prices above $100 per barrel. Casualty estimates indicate more than 1,000 people have been killed in Iran and dozens in Lebanon since the war began.

A map shows the Strait of Hormuz on a laptop computer screen in this photo illustration in Athens, Greece, on March 3, 2026. (AFP)

Says its forces control the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman and can maintain security without additional measures.

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Shots outside Israel's Istanbul consulate, two police officers wounded: media

Iran says it has no plans to lay mines in Persian Gulf