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.
Six US Army Reserve soldiers have been killed in a drone strike on a US military facility in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. US President Donald Trump and other senior officials have warned the Iran conflict will result in more deaths.
On the other side, hundreds have been killed, including the bombing of an elementary girls’ school in Iran’s Minab. US officials say they have struck at least 30 Iranian naval vessels. This includes IRIS Dena, the Iranian frigate that was hit in a submarine strike by the US while it was on its way home from a multilateral exercise organised by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam.
US-Israel and Iran conflict | LIVE UPDATES
9.55 am: China in talks with Iran for Hormuz passage
Reuters reported that China is in negotiations with Iran to allow ships carrying crude oil and Qatari gas safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Hundreds of ships have been stranded around the Strait, which is a critical waterway for about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas.
Iran had said Thursday it had not closed the Strait to everyone. Only ships from the US and Israel and Europe won’t be allowed through it, it had said.
9.30 am: Trump claims Iran reaching out for deal
Trump said Thursday that Tehran was reaching out to the US about making a deal amid US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
“They’re calling, they’re saying ‘how do we make a deal?’ I said you’re being a little bit late,” said Trump, speaking at an event with the Inter Miami soccer team at the White House.
Trump touted the US military actions in Iran, saying they were destroying Tehran’s missile and drone capability and that “their navy is gone — 24 ships in three days”.
He called on Iranian diplomats to request asylum and help shape a better country. “We also urge Iranian diplomats around the world to request asylum and to help us shape a new and better Iran,” he said.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York declined to comment, Reuters reported.
9.00 am: US says next phase of operation beginning
Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, said America was hitting Iran’s ability to rebuild. “As we transition to the next phase of this operation, we will systematically dismantle Iran’s missile production capability for the future, and that’s absolutely in progress,” Cooper said, adding that it would take some time.
Separately, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, said at a press conference Thursday, that Iran was making a mistake if it believed the US could not sustain the ongoing war. “Iran is hoping that we cannot sustain this, which is a really bad miscalculation,” Hegseth said, adding: “We set the timeline.”
8.30 am: US says it struck another Iranian naval ship
US Central Command tweeted another video that purportedly shows another Iranian naval ship going up in flames.
U.S. forces aren't holding back on the mission to sink the entire Iranian Navy. Today, an Iranian drone carrier, roughly the size of a WWII aircraft carrier, was struck and is now on fire. pic.twitter.com/WyA4fniZck
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 6, 2026
8.00 am: India can buy Russian oil for 30 days, says US
US’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Twitter that in consideration of the West Asia conflict, the US was issuing a “temporary 30-day waiver” to “allow” Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil.
“President Trump’s energy agenda has resulted in oil and gas production reaching the highest levels ever recorded.
To enable oil to keep flowing into the global market, the Treasury Department is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil. This deliberately short-term measure will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government as it only authorizes transactions involving oil already stranded at sea.
India is an essential partner of the United States, and we fully anticipate that New Delhi will ramp up purchases of U.S. oil. This stop-gap measure will alleviate pressure caused by Iran’s attempt to take global energy hostage.