Iran vs US-Israel war LIVE updates: Bombing in Middle East intensifies as Trump claims victory | World News

Smoke and flames rise from buildings following an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon. (AP Photo)The Middle East is on fire – and the world is watching. What began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran, has exploded into a full-scale regional war with no end in sight. Twelve days in, the conflict has reshaped the geopolitical map, sent energy markets into freefall, and put civilian lives on the line across multiple countries.
Where things stand now:
US President Donald Trump has claimed victory in the war against Iran, saying: “We won in the first hour”. Iran says US and Israeli forces have bombed nearly 10,000 civilian sites, killing more than 1,300 civilians since the war began.Story continues below this ad
Tehran’s streets – once bustling – have become ghost towns as Israel struck densely populated areas. The UN is warning of toxic “black rain“, mass displacement, and disrupted supply chains for life-saving goods as humanitarian conditions deteriorate rapidly.
On the military front, the conflict is intensifying, not winding down. Iran and Hezbollah carried out a joint operation involving five hours of sustained fire, striking more than 50 targets across Israel. In response, Israel launched large-scale strikes in Lebanon after coming under attack from dozens of Hezbollah rockets. Iran has launched strikes against military bases in Middle East nations like Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, and Qatar.
The war has already claimed key leadership in Iran. The strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior military figures. House of Commons Library His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was swiftly elected as the new supreme leader on March 8, though CNN reported he suffered a fractured foot and other minor injuries in the first wave of strikes.
The economic shockwaves are global. The International Energy Agency has agreed to release a record 400 million barrels of crude oil in response to disruption caused the conflict.
Meanwhile, the US military says it destroyed Iranian navy ships, including 16 minelayers, near the Strait of Hormuz – the chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global crude oil flows.
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