Lebanese civilians flee amid deadly Israeli strikes on Beirut suburbs
Published On 2 Mar 20262 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Lebanese civilians have fled southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs as a deadly escalation erupts between Israel and Hezbollah. Many are seeking sanctuary in makeshift shelters across Lebanon’s capital. At least 31 people were killed and 149 wounded in overnight Israeli strikes on Beirut’s suburbs and southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Highways became gridlocked as people evacuated following Israel’s deadliest assault on Lebanon in over a year. The strikes came shortly after Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel for the first time in more than 12 months. “I don’t know how long it will take us to reach Beirut,” said Ali Hamdan, who had been travelling for seven hours on what should have been a 30-minute journey from his village to Sidon. “I’m headed towards Beirut, but I don’t know where yet. We don’t have a place to stay.” In Beirut, public schools transformed into emergency shelters. Families arrived with mattresses and belongings, while volunteers registered names as classrooms and courtyards filled with displaced people. Hussein Abu Ali, who fled with his family from a southern Beirut suburb, recounted the strikes: “My son began shaking and crying. Where are you supposed to go? I stepped outside, then back in because I was afraid of shooting in the air. I gathered my children and went down to the street.” Nadia al-Salman, displaced from Majdal Zoun in the south, declared: “They do not intimidate or frighten us, and they will not make us retreat even an inch from the path of resistance.” Advertisement During the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war, over one million Lebanese were displaced. Many remain unable to return to their destroyed border villages. Hezbollah stated Monday’s attacks were retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and “repeated Israeli aggressions”, calling them “a legitimate defensive response”. The Israeli military warned residents in approximately 50 communities across southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate. Military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin stated Israel is considering “all options,” including a potential ground invasion, warning that “Hezbollah will pay a very heavy price”. He added that Israel has mobilised over 100,000 reservists since the war with Iran began on Saturday. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Speed, surprise, and violence of action’: how US launched attack on Iran
NewsFeed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US General Dan Caine detailed how American forces launched a “massive, overwhelming attack across all domains of warfare” targeting Iran. Published On 2 Mar 20262 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Starmer lets US use bases for Iran clash: UK’s military, legal quagmire
Early on Monday, a suspected Iranian drone crashed into the runway at the United Kingdom’s RAF Akrotiri base in southern Cyprus. British and Cypriot officials said the damage was limited. There were no casualties. Hours later, two drones headed for the base were “dealt with in a timely manner”, according to the Cypriot government. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The incidents came after Prime Minister Keir Starmer signalled on Sunday that the UK was prepared to support the United States in its confrontation with Iran – raising the prospect that the UK could be drawn deeper into a war it did not choose by its closest ally. In a joint statement with the leaders of France and Germany, Starmer said the European group was ready to take “proportionate defensive action” to destroy threats “at their source”. Later, in a televised address, he confirmed that Westminster approved a US request to use British bases for the “defensive purpose” of destroying Iranian missiles “at source in their storage depots, or the launches which are used to fire the missiles”. But his agreement did little to placate US President Donald Trump, who said the decision came too late. UK-based military analyst Sean Bell cautioned against reading too much into the Akrotiri incident. “I understand the projectile that hit Cyprus was not armed, it hit a hangar [with] no casualties, and appears to have been fired from Lebanon,” he said, citing sources. Al Jazeera was not able to independently verify the claim. The broader context, he argued, is more consequential. Advertisement The US has taken the action “and everybody else is having to deal with the fallout”, he said. Iran’s military strength lies in its extensive ballistic missile programme, he said, adding that while some have the range to threaten the UK, they do not extend far enough to strike the US. “I don’t think [US] President Trump has yet made the legal case for attacking Iran, and … international law makes no discrimination between a nation carrying out the act of war and a nation supporting that act of war, so you’re both equally complicit,” he said. Bell said that Washington likely reframed the issue, communicating to London that, whatever triggered the escalation, US forces were now effectively defending British personnel in the region. That shift, he suggested, provided a legal basis to “not to attack Iran, but to protect our people”, allowing the UK to approve US operations from its bases under a “very, very clear set of instructions” tied strictly to national interest and defence. UK officials ‘tying themselves in knots’ However, concerns of complicity had reportedly shaped earlier decisions, according to Tim Ripley, editor of the Defence Eye news service, who said the British government initially concluded that US and Israeli strikes on Iran did not meet the legal definition of self-defence under the United Nations Charter. When Washington requested the use of bases such as RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, UK, and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, Starmer is understood to have consulted government lawyers, who advised against participation. Up until Starmer’s televised address, in which he approved the US request, the UK had not considered the campaign a war of self-defence, said Ripley. While Washington’s legal reasoning has not changed, the war’s trajectory has. Iranian retaliatory strikes – which have seen drones and missiles targeting Gulf states – have placed British expatriates and treaty partners under direct threat. “The basis of our decision is the collective self-defence of longstanding friends and allies, and protecting British lives. This is in line with international law,” Starmer said. According to Ripley, several Gulf governments, which maintain defence relationships with the UK, sought protection, allowing London to focus on protecting British personnel and partners rather than endorsing a broader campaign. However, with memories of the Iraq War hanging over Westminster, British ministers have stopped short of explicitly backing the US bombing campaign. Advertisement British officials are “tying themselves in knots” trying to describe a position that is neither fully participatory nor detached, he said. US-UK: A strained relationship Starmer on Monday told Parliament that the UK does not believe in “regime change from the skies” but supports the idea of defensive action. But Ripley warned that any arrangement allowing US warplanes to operate from British air bases carries significant risks. Iran’s missile systems are mobile and launchers mounted on trucks, he said. From RAF Fairford or Diego Garcia, US aircraft face flight times of seven to nine hours to reach Iranian airspace, necessitating patrol-based missions. Once airborne, pilots may have only minutes to act. The idea that a US crew would pause mid-mission to seek fresh British legal approval is unrealistic, he said. London must rely on Washington’s assurance that only agreed categories of “defensive” targets will be struck. If an opportunity arose to eliminate a senior Iranian commander in the same operational zone, the temptation could be strong. Yet such a strike might fall outside Britain’s stated defensive mandate. The aircraft would have departed from British soil, and any escalation could implicate the UK, Ripley said. Bell highlighted another weakness: Britain has no domestic ballistic missile defence system. If a ballistic missile were fired at London, he said, “We would not be able to shoot it down.” Intercepting such weapons after launch is notoriously difficult, reinforcing the argument that the only reliable defence is to strike before launch. The UK, therefore, occupies a grey zone: legally cautious, operationally exposed and strategically dependent on US decisions, it does not fully control. Beyond the legal and military dilemmas, Starmer must also contend with a sceptical public. A YouGov poll conducted on February 20 found that 58 percent of Britons oppose allowing the US to launch air strikes on Iran from UK bases, including 38 percent who strongly oppose. Just 21 percent support such a move, underscoring limited domestic backing for deeper involvement. Adblock test (Why?)
Petrol, diesel prices today: Know how rising crude oil prices will affect rates in India
Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East region, the international crude oil prices have surged massively, which could lead to an increase in petrol and diesel prices in the coming days.
Adams unloads on Mamdani over Iran, says he’s choosing ‘tyrants over victims’
Former New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams sounded off against his successor, Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and politicians on both fringes of the political spectrum for their knee-jerk reaction to the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Adams has not been shy about attacking people within his own party, including Kamala Harris, in a recent volley, and on Sunday addressed what he suggested could be construed as hypocritical sympathy for the Iranian dictatorship rather than the actual will of the oppressed Iranian people. He said Iranian Americans living in New York are cheering and not protesting the U.S. for “finally confronting the savage regime that has tortured, murdered, and terrorized their families for nearly half a century.” “The ones screaming in protest are the usual political fanatics on the far left and far right, people so blinded by ideology that they will defend a regime that whips women for showing their hair, executes LGBTQ people from cranes, bankrolls terrorism, and openly calls for America’s destruction,” Adams said. MAMDANI PLEDGED TO FIGHT FOR ALL BUT SCRAPPED ORDER JEWISH STUDENTS SAY PROTECTED THEM “If you are running interference for that regime, you are not ‘anti-war,’ you are morally hollow,” Adams said, going on to share images of New Yorkers, including children, waving Iranian flags. Adams posted the statement in response to Mamdani’s own critical view of the military action, in which the socialist said, “Americans do not want this… You are choosing tyrants over victims.” “Today’s military strikes… mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression. Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war,” Mamdani said. “They want relief from the affordability crisis. They want peace. I am focused on making sure that every New Yorker is safe.” Mamdani then addressed Iranian American New Yorkers directly, telling them they are the “fabric of this city” and that they will be “safe here.” Adams’ critique of Mamdani – and the far-left and far-right – came following his own lengthier commentary on the Iran matter, in which he celebrated the death of Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei. TEL AVIV ANALYST SHELTERS FROM 30 MISSILE SIRENS IN 48 HOURS, SAYS IRAN ‘WON’T RECOVER’ “While the military operation continues and the regime’s ultimate fate remains uncertain, the passing of a man who ruled through fear, repression, and brutality cannot be ignored,” he said. “We also stand with the Iranian people, who have endured so much and long for dignity, liberty, and a future free from tyranny. New York is home to a vibrant Iranian community. I know how long you have hoped and prayed for the freedom of your loved ones in Iran. Be assured that the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers stand with you tonight.” Adams received bipartisan praise, including from former Secretary of Defense Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis, Ret. “Many Iranian Americans support the U.S. for taking action against Iran’s brutal regime, while the loudest critics are ideological extremists defending tyranny over victims. New Yorkers stand with those confronting this evil and protecting freedom,” Mattis said, adding that Khamenei’s death is a “significant moment” but the focus must remain on support for U.S. forces. Adams’ comments drew global reaction as people responded on X with videos of street celebrations in Washington, Berlin, Sydney and beyond, with some wishing the ex-mayor had been as cogent on the campaign trail and thereby prevented Mamdani’s rise. Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.
1 in 4 Americans back Trump’s Iran strikes, most say he’s too quick to use force: poll
About one in four Americans, but a majority of Republicans, say they approve of the U.S. military strikes on Iran ordered by President Donald Trump, according to a new poll. The national survey, conducted Saturday and Sunday by Reuters/Ipsos in the hours after the start of “Operation Epic Fury” by American and Israeli forces on Iran that resulted in the killing of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also indicates about half believe Trump is too willing to use military force. Twenty-seven percent of those surveyed said they approved of the strikes, with 43% disapproving and nearly three in 10 not sure. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS UPDATES ON THE ATTACKS ON IRAN But there’s a partisan divide, with Republicans by a 55%-32% margin supportive of the military action. The vast majority of Democrats, 73%, disapproved of the strikes, with only seven percent saying they approved. A plurality of independents, 44%, disapproved of the military attack, with 19% supportive and nearly four in 10 unsure. IRAN’S NEAR HALF CENTURY WAR ON AMERICANS The poll was conducted before the U.S. military announced on Sunday the first U.S. casualties in the operation — three service members killed and five more seriously wounded. “I think that the polling is very good, but I don’t care about polling. I have to do the right thing. I have to do the right thing. This should have been done a long time ago,” Trump said in an interview Monday with the New York Post when asked about the new survey. The joint U.S.-Israeli operation is expected to carry on for days, with officials telling Fox News that Israel is targeting Iranian leadership, while the U.S. is attacking military targets and ballistic missile sites that pose an “imminent threat.” The attack has plunged the volatile Middle East into a new and unpredictable conflict. Iran has retaliated against Israel and other nations in the region. Trump on Sunday warned against Iranian retaliation, saying that if Iran were to “hit very hard,” they would be met with “a force that has never been seen before.” OIL PRICES SURGE AFTER TANKERS STRUCK NEAR STRAIGHT OF HORMUZ The attack on Iran follows strikes Trump has ordered in recent months against Venezuela, Syria, and Nigeria. According to the poll, 56% of Americans think the president is too willing to use military force to advance U.S. interests. Nearly nine in 10 Democrats, six in 10 independents, and nearly a quarter of Republicans said Trump was too willing to use military force. Trump, in his interview with the New York Post, emphasized that “it’s not a question of polling. You cannot let Iran, who’s a nation that has been run by crazy people, have a nuclear weapon.” “I think people are very impressed with what is happening, actually,” Trump insisted. “I think it’s a silent — if you did a real poll, the silent poll — and it’s like a silent majority,” the president added. Trump’s overall approval in the new survey stands at 39%, down a point from the previous Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in mid-February.
Gas prices could jump as Middle East tensions threaten global oil supply
Americans could soon see higher gas prices as escalating tensions in the Middle East threaten a critical global oil choke point, raising fears of supply disruptions that could quickly reverberate across U.S. energy markets. After joint U.S.–Israeli strikes, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, targeted Iranian sites over the weekend and killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, concerns quickly shifted to how Tehran might respond and whether oil infrastructure or tanker traffic could become collateral damage. Any disruption to global crude supplies could translate into higher costs for American drivers at the pump. “Every time we’ve had flare-ups in the Middle East like we’re seeing right now — and we’ve seen this kind of situation periodically over the last 50 years — it has caused significant disruption to energy markets,” economist Stephen Moore told Fox News Digital. “I would expect we could see anywhere from 25 to 50 cents a gallon increase in gas prices in the short term,” he said. TOMAHAWKS SPEARHEADED US STRIKE ON IRAN — WHY PRESIDENTS REACH FOR THIS MISSILE FIRST Market data already shows prices moving higher. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said oil prices were up $5 per barrel, while wholesale gasoline prices had risen 11 cents per gallon. He expects retail gas prices to begin climbing immediately, especially in areas where stations tend to adjust prices in sharp, periodic jumps. The national average could hit $3 per gallon as soon as Monday, De Haan said, with some stations increasing prices by 10 to 30 cents this week and potentially more in markets that see larger price swings. Moore warned that prices could climb further and remain elevated if vital transit routes or oil facilities are disrupted. TRUMP PLEDGES TO ‘AVENGE’ FALLEN US SERVICE MEMBERS AS TENSIONS WITH IRAN INTENSIFY “Huge amounts of global oil travel through the Strait of Hormuz, so this could be incredibly disruptive, delaying delivery of oil and gas,” he said. “The Iranians have already knocked out some oil facilities in the Middle East, and who knows what they’re up to next. When you have less supply, prices go up. The big question is whether this will be a temporary bump or something more prolonged.” The ongoing conflict sits near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important energy corridors. “This shipping route represents around 25% of global oil trade and 23% of liquefied natural gas trade,” explained Jaime Brito, executive director of refining and oil products at OPIS. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between Iran and Oman that has long been a flash point during regional crises, serves as a vital artery for global energy markets. Roughly 20 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products — about one-fifth of global oil supply — transit the strait each day, underscoring how disruption there can quickly send shock waves through international energy markets. HORMUZ ERUPTS: ATTACKS, GPS JAMMING, HOUTHI THREATS ROCK STRAIT AMID US-ISRAELI STRIKES Highlighting the growing concern, Maersk, widely regarded as a bellwether for global ocean freight, said it will suspend all vessel crossings through the Strait of Hormuz until further notice and cautioned that services to Arabian Gulf ports may be delayed. Still, not all price movements are immediate. “Developments over the weekend in the Middle East should hypothetically take time to ripple into the global supply chain. An initial assessment would suggest no specific price impacts should be seen in the gasoline market across the world, including the U.S.,” Brito told Fox News Digital. However, Brito said prices could climb quickly if markets expect trouble ahead, even before supplies are actually affected. As a result, Brito said, developments in Iran may have already translated into higher gasoline, diesel and other fuel prices in parts of the U.S., depending on regional supply dynamics and individual company pricing strategies. From a domestic standpoint, Brito added that gasoline prices follow a seasonal pattern, typically climbing during the summer travel months. “March prices are not expected to be significantly high,” he said, noting that spring break travel could support demand in certain areas — but not at the level seen during peak summer driving season. Ultimately, the direction of gasoline prices will depend less on seasonal demand and more on how the geopolitical situation unfolds in the days ahead.
Prediction markets point to Talarico-Paxton showdown in Texas Senate race
Traders on prediction market platform Kalshi are signaling growing confidence that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico are on track to secure their parties’ Senate nominations. The Texas primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, with voting opening in the morning and results expected later that night or early Wednesday. Kalshi’s market data shows traders assigning Talarico a 75% probability of securing the Democratic Senate nomination, a 49-point advantage over fellow Texas Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Talarico, 36, is a Texas state representative first elected in 2018, has positioned himself as a progressive voice within the party and has emerged as a rising Democratic figure in the Lone Star State. PREDICTION MARKETS FAVOR DEMOCRATS IN NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, VIRGINIA IN 2025 ELECTION RACES Trading volume, or the total dollar amount wagered on this market, stands at just over $5.2 million. While odds on these markets don’t serve as formal forecasts, they do provide a real-time snapshot of trader expectations. While Democrats appear to be consolidating behind Talarico, the Republican primary has taken a sharper turn, with traders overwhelmingly backing Paxton over longtime Sen. John Cornyn. Traders assign Paxton an 81% probability of securing the GOP nomination, a 63-point lead over Cornyn. About $2.2 million has been wagered on this market. CORPORATE AMERICA IS ON THE MOVE, AND THESE RED STATES ARE CASHING IN Paxton, a conservative firebrand and longtime ally of President Donald Trump, has served as the state’s attorney general for nearly a decade. Cornyn has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002. When it comes to the general election in November, prediction markets give the Republican Party an edge. Even with Talarico leading the Democratic field, traders appear to believe the GOP remains better positioned statewide. Kalshi traders see a Talarico and Paxton contest with Paxton winning the Senate seat. Texas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in more than three decades. Whether those odds hold will depend on how voters respond in the months ahead, but for now, prediction markets suggest Texas remains in Republican hands.
Indian mariner killed as oil tanker hit by drone boat in Gulf of Oman amid US-Iran conflict
The merchant ship MV SAND, which sails under the flag of Panama, in coordination with the Maritime Security Centre, evacuated the survivors. Oman’s Royal Navy is monitoring a damaged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman and warning ships to stay clear.
Middle East conflict: India shares emergency contact details for Indians stranded in Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Qatar
As many Indians have been pleading for help amid the Middle East conflict triggered by the US-Israel strikes on Iran, the Ministry of External Affairs has released emergency helpline numbers and email IDs for Indian nationals currently living in the conflict-hit countries of the region.