The US and Israeli military strikes that started on 28 February have hit thousands of targets across Iran and triggered retaliatory strikes in the Gulf region as Tehran seeks to impose a high cost on America and its allies.
Iran has attacked countries, including Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Azerbaijan became the latest country drawn in, as it accused Iran of firing drones at its territory and ordered its southern airspace closed for 12 hours. Israel has also been carrying out strikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah.
US President Donald Trump Friday declared that there would be no deal with Iran to end the war and that he would only settle for “unconditional surrender”. Iran has also expressed no intention to enter any negotiations with the other side.
US-Israel & Iran conflict | LIVE UPDATES
09.15 pm: Jaishankar to speak on West Asia conflict Monday
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will make a statement in the Lok Sabha regarding the situation in West Asia Monday as the second half of the Budget Session of Parliament begins.
According to the revised list of business of Lok Sabha for 9 March circulated Sunday evening, “Dr S Jaishankar to make a statement regarding the situation in West Asia.”
06.20 pm: Iran says attacks on fuel storage facilities amount to ‘intentional chemical warfare’
Spokesperson of Iran’s foreign ministry Esmaeil Baqaei says in a statement on X that the US-Israeli “criminal war” against Iran has entered a “dangerous new phase with deliberate strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure”.
“These attacks on fuel storage facilities amount to nothing less than intentional chemical warfare against the Iranian citizens. By targeting fuel depots, the aggressors are releasing hazardous materials and toxic substances into the air, poisoning civilians, devastating the environment, and endangering lives on a massive scale. The consequences of this environmental and humanitarian catastrophe will not be confined within Iran’s borders.
The U.S.-Israeli criminal war against the Iranian nation has entered a dangerous new phase with deliberate strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure. These attacks on fuel storage facilities amount to nothing less than intentional chemical warfare against the Iranian citizens
By… pic.twitter.com/Ar9P815aU2
— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) March 8, 2026
03.50 pm: Panel responsible for choosing next Iranian supreme leader nears decision
03.00 pm: Over 9,600 civilian units attacked by US-Israel, says Iranian Red Crescent
According to Iranian Red Crescent Society, at least 9,669 civilian units, including 7,943 residential units and 1,617 commercial units have been destroyed in US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
9,669 civilian units have been damaged in airstrikes. Of these, 7,943 are residential units and 1,617 are commercial units, along with several medical and educational facilities, significantly affecting people’s livelihoods and economic infrastructure. https://t.co/Gkk4vA3NcJ pic.twitter.com/swObMatkTM
— جمعیت هلالاحمر ایران (@Iranian_RCS) March 8, 2026
01.00 pm: Iranian oil sites hit in overnight strikes by Israel
Israel struck oil depots in Iran overnight, which is reported to have caused spillage.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen has said Israel’s attacks on Iran’s oil facilities were part of the escalation in the war, and that will be more escalations “in the coming days”.
Speaking to Israel’s Radio 103 broadcaster, as reported by Al Jazeera, Cohen said “all targets that will help us harm the current regime in Iran” are on the table.
Asked about the planned duration of the war, he said: “We know the time frame in which we hope to achieve all the goals we set. There is a plan in the war, there are developments on the ground, we don’t want to be in a situation where in another year or two we will be in another round.”
Al Jazeera also reported that the oil spill coming from the targeted oil depots have leaked into some of Tehran’s sewage system, igniting a “river of fire” on the side of the streets in the Iranian capital. It shared a video clip posted on X by the culture and arts account ‘Living In Tehran’, showing fire burning along a stretch of a road in the city.
Spill of oil in the sewage system has created a flowing burning river in parts of #Tehran after oil depots were bombed earlier tonight, setting the streets in the Iranian capital on fire. pic.twitter.com/tHIFE6Z5EW
— Living in Tehran (LiT) (@LivinginTehran) March 8, 2026
The Iranian Oil Ministry earlier confirmed that fuel depots were hit by strikes in three areas, including in Karaj city in Alborz province, west of Tehran, according to Al Jazeera.
12.25 pm: Russia ‘will benefit’ from West Asia war, focus shifting from dealing with China, says Polish minister
Russia is a beneficiary of the ongoing conflict in West Asia as it will be able to increase its exports of oil to countries, and thus be able to continue to fund its war with Ukraine, which is “very unfortunate”, said Michał Baranowski, Polish Deputy Minister for Economic Development.
In an exclusive interview with ThePrint, Baranowski highlighted that Russia’s gains from the war in West Asia would be “not good” for the stability and security of Europe or Ukraine.
Baranowski said that until war broke out in West Asia, the biggest challenge European countries were looking to manage was China and its overcapacity in manufacturing and its non-marketing practices.
“You ask whether they (Russia) will benefit. Well, it’s hard to see how they wouldn’t in a moment when the prices are rising and demand is rising on top of that. That’s very unfortunate,” he said.
Read Keshav Padmanabhan’s report.
11.00 am: UAE says it is intercepting missile & drone threats from Iran
UAE Ministry of Defence says the country’s air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran.
“MOD asserts that the sounds heard are the result of the Air Defence Systems intercepting missiles and drones,” the statement reads.
تتعامل حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية مع تهديدات صاروخية وطائرات مسيرة قادمة من إيران
وتؤكد وزارة الدفاع أن الأصوات المسموعة في مناطق متفرقة من الدولة هي نتيجة اعتراض كل من منظومات الدفاع الجوي للصواريخ البالستية، والمقاتلات للطائرات المسيرة والجوالة.UAE air defences are… pic.twitter.com/cR5u9BTxzz
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) March 8, 2026
10.30 am: ‘Large-scale’ war ‘unlikely’ to oust Iranian regime, says intel report
An intelligence report by US National Intelligence Council says that a “large-scale” American-led assault on Iran is unlikely to topple the country’s government, according to The Washington Post.
The findings raise doubts about Trump’s claim that the war can be concluded within four to six weeks, the report by Post said, citing three sources familiar with the contents of the intel assessment.
The report was completed just a week after US and Israel launched a joint strike on Iran on 28 February, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Post added. It also said the report described the prospect of Iran’s fragmented opposition taking control of the country as “unlikely”.
09.40 am: China’s Wang Yi says Iran war ‘should not have happened’
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said the ongoing US-Israeli military offensive against Iran should “never have happened”, calling for negotiations and an “immediate” end to the conflict.
At a news conference in Beijing, Wang added that force “will never resolve” the ongoing crisis. “A strong fist does not mean strong reason. The world cannot return to the law of the jungle,” he remarked.
Wang also said that he believes there is no popular support for regime change in Iran.
09.15 am: Trump reiterates demand for Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’