Israel Launches Fresh Strikes on Lebanon as Netanyahu Vows ‘Major Surprises’ in Next War Phase

Israel Launches Fresh Strikes on Lebanon as Netanyahu Vows ‘Major Surprises’ in Next War Phase

AP

Dubai: The Iran war exploded further late on Saturday as pillars of flame rose above an oil-storage facility in Tehran, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised "many surprises" for the next phase of the week-old conflict.

Israel's military confirmed that it hit the fuel-storage facilities in Tehran. Associated Press video showed the horizon glowing against the night sky above Tehran.

It appeared to be the first time a civil industrial facility has been targeted in the war. State media blamed "an attack from the US and the Zionist regime" at the facility that supplies the capital and neighbouring provinces in the north.

Earlier in the day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised for attacks on "neighbouring countries", even as his country's missiles and drones flew towards Gulf Arab states and hard-liners asserted that Tehran's war strategy would not change. AP

Tehran is shrouded in smoke after strikes hit oil depots

March 8, 2026 3:39 pm

Dubai: The sky over Iran's capital was blanketed with smoke on Sunday morning, hours after Israeli strikes hit oil facilities in Tehran. Fars news agency reported that Saturday's strikes hit four oil storage facilities and an oil production transfer centre in Tehran and Alborz. Four tanker drivers in the centre were killed, it reported. The strikes sent up pillars of fire that could be seen as a glow against the Saturday night sky. It appeared to be the first time a civil industrial facility has been targeted in the war. AP

Iran's president threatens more attacks on US targets

March 8, 2026 3:38 pm

Dubai: Iran's president has threatened to step up attacks on American targets throughout the Middle East as the US and Israel press ahead with their air campaign. "When we are attacked, we have no choice but to respond," President Masoud Pezeshkian said. "Our Iran, our country, will not bow easily in the face of bullying, oppression or aggression — and it never has." Pezeshkian appeared to be backtracking from conciliatory comments toward his Gulf neighbours on Saturday. Those comments, in which he appeared to apologise for attacks on their soil, were quickly contradicted by Iranian hard-liners. Pezeshkian said Iran is not looking for a battle against neighbouring Arab countries, many of which host American military bases. "They are our brothers," he said, accusing the US of trying to pit the region's countries against one another. AP

200 children and 200 women are among the war dead: Iran

March 8, 2026 3:36 pm

Dubai: US and Israeli strikes in Iran have killed 200 children and around 200 women, the Iranian Health Ministry said on Sunday. They are among more than 1,200 people killed in the war, spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said in a social media post. He said that more than 1,000 others, including about 400 women, have been injured since February 28. AP

Oil prices will surge further: Iran's parliament speaker

March 8, 2026 3:35 pm

Dubai: Iran's parliament speaker said on Sunday that oil prices will continue to soar, inflicting pain on the global economy as long as the war in the Middle East goes on. Oil prices have soared since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, reaching their highest levels since 2023. The price for a barrel of Brent crude jumped 8.5 per cent to $92.69 on Friday — up from nearly $70 a barrel just late last week. Meanwhile, benchmark US crude climbed 12.2 per cent, to $90.90 a barrel on Friday. "If the war continues like this, there will be neither a way to sell oil nor the ability to produce it," Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said. AP

Israel hits Lebanon, Tehran oil depot as desalination plants become targets

March 8, 2026 3:33 pm

Dubai: Israel on Sunday struck southern Lebanon, Beirut and oil storage facilities in Tehran as the war in the Middle East keeps escalating, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised "many surprises" for the next phase of the conflict. Iran also hit a desalination plant in Bahrain. Earlier on Sunday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a US airstrike damaged an Iranian desalination plant on Qeshm Island, warning that in doing so "the US set this precedent, not Iran." Such infrastructure is critical for drinking water supplies in the parched deserts of the Gulf. AP

Israel targets Iran's F-14 fighter jets

March 8, 2026 1:46 pm

Dubai: Israel's military said on Sunday that it had struck a series of fighter jets that pre-revolutionary Iran purchased from the United States. The fleet of F-14s parked at Isfahan Airport, south of Tehran, was a pillar of the Iranian air force and historically used to defend its airspace. The Israeli military did not say whether the jets were destroyed. It also said it had struck detection and air defence systems. AP

Bahrain says Iranian drone attack has caused material damage to desalination plant

March 8, 2026 1:45 pm

Dubai: It is the first time an Arab country says Iran has targeted a desalination plant during the nine-day war. Hundreds of desalination plants sit along the Persian Gulf coast, and the Arab countries in the region rely heavily on the facilities for their drinking water. Meanwhile, three people were injured in Bahrain from shrapnel following a missile attack. AP

Missile alert sounds in Dubai

March 8, 2026 1:44 pm

Dubai: A missile alert sounded on Sunday morning in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP

Israeli strikes kill 12 people in Lebanon; Iran attacks Bahraini desalination plant

March 8, 2026 1:44 pm

Dubai: Israel has struck southern Lebanon and Beirut again early on Sunday and killed 12 more people, the Lebanese health ministry said, as the war in the Middle East keeps escalating. Israeli officials said the strikes targeted commanders of the Lebanese branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised "many surprises" for the next phase of the conflict. Meanwhile, two border guards in Kuwait were killed when a swarm of missiles and drones hit the Gulf country. AP

Missile lands at US Embassy compound in Iraq

March 8, 2026 10:37 am

Dubai: Three Iraqi security officials said a missile landed on the helicopter landing pad in the US Embassy complex in Baghdad. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly. An embassy spokesperson declined to comment. There were no reports of casualties. It was the first reported strike to land in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone since the Iran war began. Iran and allied Iraqi militias have launched dozens of attacks on US military bases and other facilities in Iraq since then. AP

Trump says the Kurds won’t be involved

March 8, 2026 10:37 am

Dubai: In other developments, Trump said he has ruled out having Kurds join the war, even though Kurdish fighters in the region are willing to assist in efforts to topple the Iranian government. "The war is complicated enough without having ... the Kurds involved," Trump told reporters. AP

Iranian leaders have limited power over the Revolutionary Guard

March 8, 2026 10:36 am

Dubai: Pezeshkian's message underlined the limited powers exercised by theocracy's leaders over the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which controls the hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting Israel and other countries. It answered only to Khamenei and appears to be picking its own targets. Pezeshkian's statement said Iran's leadership council had been in touch with the armed forces and "from now on, they should not attack neighbouring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy." The US strikes have not come from the Gulf Arab governments under attack, but from US bases and vessels in the region. AP

Iranian president apologises for attacks

March 8, 2026 10:36 am

Dubai: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised on Saturday for attacks on "neighbouring countries", even as his country's missiles and drones flew towards Gulf Arab states and hard-liners asserted that Tehran's war strategy would not change. A rift between politicians looking to de-escalate the war and others committed to battling the United States and Israel could complicate any diplomatic efforts. Conflicting Iranian statements came from two of the three members of the leadership council overseeing Iran since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the war’s opening airstrikes. Pezeshkian, who is a member of the council, also dismissed US President Donald Trump's call for Tehran to surrender unconditionally, saying: "That's a dream that they should take to their grave." AP

Israel renews assault on Lebanon after Netanyahu promises 'many surprises' in next phase of war

March 8, 2026 10:35 am

Dubai: Israel renewed its assault on southern Lebanon on early Sunday, including targeting commanders of the Lebanese branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised "many surprises" for the next phase of the conflict. The Israeli military said in a statement that it would "not allow Iranian terrorist elements to establish themselves in Lebanese territory." The latest strikes in Lebanon followed an Israeli attack on Saturday on an oil storage facility in Tehran, which sent up pillars of fire that could be seen in Associated Press video as a glow against the night sky. AP

Trump accuses Iran of deadly school explosion despite evidence suggesting it was likely US airstrike

March 8, 2026 9:38 am

Washington: When asked by a reporter on Saturday whether the US was responsible for the February 28 blast that killed more than 165 people, most of them children, President Donald Trump responded, without providing evidence: "No, in my opinion, based on what I've seen, that was done by Iran." Trump added that Iran is "very inaccurate" with their munitions. Satellite images, expert analysis, a US official and public information released by the US and Israeli militaries, however, have suggested that the explosion was likely caused by US airstrikes that also hit an adjacent compound associated with the regime's Revolutionary Guard. AP

Israeli military confirms strike on Tehran fuel storage facilities

March 8, 2026 9:37 am

Washington: Israel's military confirmed striking several fuel storage complexes in Tehran on Saturday night. Associated Press video showed a glowing horizon over Tehran, followed by pillars of flame and billowing smoke. The Iranian state news agency said an oil storage facility was targeted in the strikes. It is among the first times a civil industrial facility has been targeted in the war. AP

Trump: We're not looking to 'settle' with Iran

March 8, 2026 9:37 am

Washington: President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US retains significant leverage over Iran and isn't looking to negotiate with its remaining leadership. "We're not looking to settle," Trump told reporters on Air Force One. "They'd like to settle. We're not looking to settle." Steve Witkoff, one of his top envoys in talks with Iran, said the Tehran leadership did not seem "very amenable" during negotiations before the US-launched strikes. "They told me and Jared, we're not going to give you diplomatically what you couldn't take militarily," said Witkoff, referring to fellow negotiator and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner. "So you know, I think they're going to need a change of attitude." During the gaggle with reporters, Trump repeatedly described the ongoing US operations in Iran as an "excursion" and said issues such as rising gas prices and the safety of Americans would be improved once the conflict ends. AP

Drones strike multiple sites in Iraq's Sulaymaniyah, killing 1

March 8, 2026 9:35 am

Washington: Several drones struck three different areas in Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's northern Kurdish region, local media reported. One person was killed in one of the attacks, according to an official with one of the Kurdish Iranian dissident groups. Two drones hit a building in the Sulaymaniyah city centre, an area that houses offices and commercial buildings, including a United Nations compound. Live footage shared by local outlets showed a building engulfed in flames, while another video appeared to show air defences engaging drones overhead. Three other drones targeted Force 70, a Peshmerga unit of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan headed by Bafel Talabani, son of former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and a senior Kurdish political leader. One drone also fell near Sulaymaniyah International Airport. No casualties were immediately reported. AP

Drone strikes hit Irbil International Airport in Iraq, killing 1

March 8, 2026 9:34 am

Washington: A drone strike targeted Irbil International Airport in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, killing one security personnel and wounding another person, a local governor said. Loud explosions were heard by Associated Press journalists in Irbil, and smoke was seen rising from inside the airport. Sirens sounded as warplanes flew overhead, and authorities reported several drone or missile interceptions over the facility. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident comes amid a wave of drone and missile strikes linked to Iranian-backed Iraqi militias across Iraq and the region, including attacks on oil fields and the cargo section of Basra International Airport. AP

Human Rights Watch calls for war crime investigation into school explosion

March 8, 2026 9:33 am

Washington: Human Rights Watch is calling for a war crime investigation into the February 28 blast that killed more than 165 people, mostly children, at a school in Iran. In a statement released on Saturday, the rights group said the pattern of strikes at the compound indicates the attack was carried out by "highly accurate, guided munitions". The school was inside a Revolutionary Guard compound, but was walled off from the paramilitary facility and had a separate entrance, Human Rights Watch said. Satellite images, expert analysis, a US official and public information released by the US and Israeli militaries have suggested that the explosion was likely caused by US airstrikes. AP

Israel says it targeted Iranian-linked commanders in Beirut

March 8, 2026 9:32 am

Washington: The Israeli military said in a statement on Sunday morning that it targeted commanders of the Lebanese branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force. Early on Sunday, an Israeli drone struck a room in a hotel in Beirut's Raouche district, a major seaside tourist area, killing four people and wounding 10 others, according to Lebanon's health ministry. The military added that it "will not allow Iranian terrorist elements to establish themselves in Lebanese territory and will continue to eliminate, in a targeted manner, the commanders of the Iranian terrorist regime wherever they operate." AP

Trump says he’ll hit Iran harder as Iranian president apologises to neighbours

March 8, 2026 9:32 am

Washington: US President Donald Trump warned in a Truth Social post that more Iranian officials will be targets, saying, "Today Iran will be hit very hard!," while noting an apology by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier in the day to neighbouring nations over Tehran's attacks. Gulf countries say they have intercepted more ballistic missiles and drones launched from Iran. AP

At least 2 killed in strike on hotel building in central Beirut

March 8, 2026 8:37 am

Beirut: At least two people were killed when a strike hit an apartment in the Ramada hotel building in central Beirut, the first such attack to hit the heart of the Lebanese capital since hostilities resumed between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah last week, a security source said early on Sunday. No further details were immediately available. There was no immediate comment from Israel. Reuters

Trump downplays importance of Russia reportedly sharing intel with Iran to help it hit US targets

March 8, 2026 8:31 am

Doral (US): President Donald Trump said on Saturday that it was inconsequential if Russia has provided Iran with information to help Tehran target US military personnel and assets in the Middle East as the week-old war rages. The president dismissed the import of such information-sharing after he attended the dignified transfer for six Army reservists who were killed in a drone strike in Kuwait the day after the US and Israel launched a war on Iran that has unsettled the global economy. Trump stopped short of confirming reports by The Associated Press and other news outlets that US intelligence officials believe Russia has provided Iran with such targeting information. But if Moscow is passing on such details, he said Iran was getting little out of it. AP

Strikes target Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Dubai

March 8, 2026 8:16 am

Dubai: US allies in the Gulf have said the Trump administration did not give them adequate time to prepare for the war. Hours after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's apology, the United Arab Emirates said debris from an aerial interception fell onto a vehicle and killed an "Asian driver". Four people have now been killed in the UAE since the war began. Authorities have said all were foreign nationals. AP