Tehran vows ‘eye for an eye’ as attacks, counterattacks escalate across Middle East

• Iran targets US and Israeli assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, and Saudi Arabia amid rising tensions

• Pentagon ramps up strikes on Iranian targets; US forces hunt mine-laying vessels and naval assets

• IRGC deploys missiles with warheads over one tonne, rejects US claims of program destruction

• Supreme National Security Council warns Trump: ‘Ashura-loving nation of Iran does not fear paper threats’

• Israel approves special war budget, prepares to extend state of emergency until end of March

• At least 40 killed near Risalat Square Tehran experienced some of most intense bombardment of the war overnight

 TEHRAN/WASHINGTON/TEL AVIV: Iran continued its counterattacks on US and Israeli targets across the Middle East, including strikes in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, as tensions escalate following President Donald Trump’s warning that Iran would be hit “TWENTY TIMES HARDER” than previous strikes.

According to Iranian and regional reports, the latest wave of attacks has intensified the ongoing war, which has already pushed the Middle East into a highly volatile security crisis, with casualties mounting on multiple fronts.

 Iran Rejects US Threats, Boosts Missile Deployment

A top Iranian security adviser responded sharply to Trump’s remarks, stating: “The Ashura-loving nation of Iran does not fear your paper threats. ” Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rejected US claims that its missile program had been crippled, asserting that Tehran is now deploying projectiles in larger numbers with warheads weighing over one tonne.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday would mark “the most intense days of strikes against Iran since the start of the war,” signaling Washington’s determination to escalate military pressure.

In parallel, Israel and Hezbollah continued exchanging fire, with the Lebanese death toll from Israeli strikes nearing 500. Iran’s attacks have caused casualties in other countries as well: one person was killed in Manama, Bahrain, while two were killed in central Israel, according to regional reports. Tehran itself experienced some of the most intense bombardment of the war overnight, with at least 40 killed near Risalat Square, Al Jazeera reported.

Iranian Leadership Rejects Ceasefire

Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated Tuesday night that Iran is not seeking a ceasefire. “Certainly we aren’t seeking a ceasefire. We believe the aggressor must be punished and taught a lesson that will deter them from attacking Iran again,” he said in a post on X.

2/ The Zionist regime has consistently perpetuated a vicious cycle of "war, negotiations, ceasefire, then war again" throughout its disgusting history. We will break this cycle.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 10, 2026

Ghalibaf further criticized Israel’s historical approach: “The Zionist regime has consistently perpetuated a vicious cycle of ‘war, negotiations, ceasefire, then war again.’ We will break this cycle.”

At the same time, the Iranian army confirmed launching a new spate of strikes targeting a military center in Haifa, Israel, as well as the satellite intelligence reception center of the Ofek spy satellites.

📹 یک مرکز نظامی در حیفا و مرکز دریافت اطلاعات ماهواره‌های جاسوسی افق هدف حمله پهپادهای نیروی زمینی ارتش

اطلاعیه ارتش:

مرکز نظامی واقع در حیفا که هدف قرار گرفته نقش کلیدی در ساخت تسلیحات نظامی داشته است#ازالة_اسرائیل_من_الوجود pic.twitter.com/Ozxtm6ADq0

— خبرگزاری تسنیم (@Tasnimnews_Fa) March 10, 2026

These attacks underscore Iran’s ongoing strategy to target critical military infrastructure of both Israel and its allies.

 Warnings Against US Naval Movements

Iranian naval officer Ali Reza Tangsiri dismissed reports of a US-escorted oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz, labeling them “utterly false.” He warned that any passage of US or allied naval forces would be halted by Iranian missiles and suicide drones, signaling Tehran’s continued intent to dominate strategic maritime chokepoints in the Gulf.

دشمن بداند هر کاری انجام دهند، بدون تردید ما به ازای متناسب و فوری خواهد داشت؛ هیچ شرارتی بی‌پاسخ نمی‌ماند، ما امروز قاعدهٔ «چشم در برابر چشم» را حکم می‌کنیم؛ بی‌تعارف، بی‌استثنا.
اگر جنگ زیرساخت را آغاز کنند، بدون شک زیرساخت‌ها را هدف قرار خواهیم داد.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 10, 2026

Ghalibaf also reiterated that any aggression against Iran will be met with proportionate retaliation. “Whatever the enemy does, we will undoubtedly respond with a proportionate and immediate retaliation,” he said. He added that attacks on Iran’s infrastructure will be met with similar measures, invoking the principle of “an eye for an eye.”

Iran Criticizes US ‘Fake News’ Over Strait of Hormuz

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that the US had spread false information about naval movements in the Strait of Hormuz to manipulate financial markets. “Markets are facing the biggest shortfall in history, bigger than the Arab Oil Embargo, Iran’s Islamic Revolution, and the Kuwait invasion combined,” he wrote. Araghchi stressed that these reports would not protect the US from the inflationary impact of its own policies on American citizens.

Strong Iranian Rebuttals to Trump

In response to Trump’s warnings on Truth Social, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani declared: “The Ashura-loving nation of Iran does not fear your paper threats.”

ملت عاشورایی ایران، از تهدیدات پوشالی شما نمی‌ترسند.
بزرگتر از شما هم نتوانستند ملت ایران را حذف کنند.
مراقب خود باشید حذف نشوید! pic.twitter.com/v1aWLoJk7K

— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 10, 2026

He emphasized that Iran has historically survived pressures and confrontation from powers greater than the United States. Larijani issued a sharp warning: “Watch out for yourself—lest you be eliminated!”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reinforced this stance in a post on X, stating: “Iran is the heir to a civilization at least 6,000 years old.

Iran is the heir to a civilization at least 6,000 years old. Through the trials of history, no power has ever succeeded in erasing this storied name. Anyone who entertains the illusion of destroying Iran knows nothing of history. Aggressors have come and gone; Iran has endured. pic.twitter.com/XX63yFuynT

— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) March 10, 2026

Through the trials of history, no power has ever succeeded in erasing this storied name. Aggressors have come and gone; Iran has endured.”

Gulf States Respond to Missile Attacks

The Qatari defence ministry reported intercepting five ballistic missiles launched from Iran, assuring the public that there were no casualties or damages.

تعلن وزارة الدفاع القطرية عن تعرض دولة قطر، من بعد ظهر اليوم الثلاثاء، لهجوم بعدد (5) صواريخ باليستية من الجمهورية الإسلامية الإيرانية، حيث نجحت قواتنا المسلحة، بفضل من الله، في التصدي لعدد (5) صواريخ باليستية دون تسجيل أي خسائر.

حفظ الله قطر وأميرها وشعبها والمقيمين على أرضها.… pic.twitter.com/ICLGIZxAX1

— وزارة الدفاع - دولة قطر (@MOD_Qatar) March 10, 2026

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior confirmed that the security threat had been neutralized and normalcy restored.

 Israel Prepares Special War Budget

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a special war budget to fund operations against Iran. Smotrich described the allocation as “an investment, not an expense,” emphasizing that Israel would continue its military campaign while maintaining economic stability.

Officials indicated that Israel may extend the state of emergency until the end of March, reflecting concerns that pressure from the US could force a premature halt to operations. Israeli military sources suggested plans to continue strikes for four to five weeks, signaling their determination to pursue strategic objectives in Tehran.

Iran Updates Military Strategy

According to Iran Military Media on X, Tehran has revised its missile strategy in response to US attacks on urban centers and attempts to blind its air-defense network.

Two factors—the indiscriminate U.S. attacks on urban centers and civilian infrastructure, and the blinding of the enemy’s air‑defense network in the region—have prompted Iran to fundamentally change its launch strategy. From now on, Iranian strikes will form a continuous cycle,…

— Iran Military Media (@IRMilitaryMedia) March 10, 2026

The updated approach entails: Continuous missile strikes around the clock; Deployment of warheads exceeding one tonne; Increased geographic scope and intensity of strikes; Focus on irreversible damage to enemy infrastructure.

The military media post concluded that there is broad consensus in Iran that “the time has come to escalate the attacks.”

Iranian Intelligence Operations

Iran’s Intelligence Ministry reported the arrest of a foreign national conducting espionage on behalf of the United States and Israel, acting as a proxy for two Gulf states. Over the past few days, 30 additional spies, internal mercenaries, and operational agents affiliated with Israel and the US have been detained.

US Intensifies Strikes

Pentagon officials confirmed that US military operations will reach unprecedented intensity, with the most fighters and bombers deployed simultaneously since the onset of the conflict.

Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth stated that President Trump would control the duration and intensity of operations, emphasizing that it was not for military leaders to determine when the war would end. Hegseth added that US objectives include destroying Iran’s naval capabilities, targeting assets such as artillery, fighters, bombers, and sea-launched missiles.

General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, confirmed that US forces continue to hunt mine-laying vessels and storage facilities used by Iran to potentially block maritime traffic.

Hegseth also accused Iran of positioning rocket launchers near civilian areas, including schools and hospitals, to prevent effective US strikes. While he did not directly address a strike that hit an elementary school in Minab, Iran claims that over 150 people were killed in the incident.

The US maintains that no civilian targeting occurs intentionally, though investigations into the Minab incident are ongoing. Iran, however, has responded by launching waves of missiles and drones at countries hosting US forces, although Hegseth noted that the volume of Iranian fire had slightly declined in the past 24 hours, indicating possible operational constraints.

Current Situation on All Fronts

As of Tuesday: Iran continues retaliatory strikes across the Gulf and Middle East.

Israel is deploying special war budgets and extending emergency measures

The US is escalating strikes against Iranian targets while monitoring operational outcomes

Qatar neutralizes missile threats successfully

The region remains in unprecedented volatility, with casualties rising, infrastructures threatened, and global markets sensitive to developments in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding territories. Analysts warn that the conflict could continue for weeks, with both sides escalating military and financial strategies to gain leverage.

Iran fighting back but not stronger than US thought, top US general says

Iran is fighting back but is not tougher than the US military expected before the war, the top US general told reporters, as the Pentagon promised its most intense day of strikes in the 10-day-old conflict.

The Pentagon says the number of Iranian strikes has fallen sharply from the start of the war, as the Pentagon bombs Iran's weapons inventories and targets Iran's more limited number of missile launchers.

Asked if Iran was a stronger adversary than he expected when the US military drew up its war plans, General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters the fight was not harder than expected.

"I think they're fighting, and I respect that, but I don't think they are more formidable than what we thought," ⁠Caine told the Pentagon briefing.

Israeli claims to destroy Basij forces’ key assets in Iran region

In its latest war update, Israel’s military says it carried out extensive strikes over the last week targeting infrastructure used by Iran’s Basij militia and internal security forces located in Ilam province.

Attacks “destroyed” most of those forces’ “main assets” in the province including several command centres, it said.

The Basij paramilitary forces is considered to be deeply ideological, often made up of young, working-class men. There are an estimated 450,000 personnel in the armed group, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Basij personnel are often deployed on the front lines of protests and have played a large role in countering uprisings against the government in recent years.

 UN releases study on Strait of Hormuz implications

UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has published an analysis on the global ramifications of the closure of the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping corridor during the US-Israel war on Iran, Al Jazeera reports.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key global shipping chokepoint, carrying about a quarter of seaborne oil and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers.

What do current disruptions mean for global trade and development? @UNCTAD analysis: https://t.co/2mT87Y29bo pic.twitter.com/dAYabe5bXc

— UN Trade and Development (@UNCTAD) March 10, 2026

It finds that freight rates for oil tankers and war risk insurance premiums are surging, while marine fuel costs are also rising, increasing shipping costs across supply chains.

One-third of global seaborne fertiliser trade — about 16 million tonnes — passes through the strait, raising concerns about fertiliser access for some of the poorest countries.

Moreover, developing economies may be particularly exposed as high debt burdens and rising borrowing costs limit their ability to absorb new price shocks.

Past crises, including COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, showed how disruptions to energy, transport and agricultural inputs can quickly spread across interconnected markets.

“UNCTAD stresses that the ultimate scale of the economic impact will depend on the duration and intensity of disruption, and emphasises the need for continued monitoring and efforts to safeguard maritime trade corridors in line with international law,” says UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

US likely to look for exit from war before Israel

The US and Israel are unlikely to be on the same page as to how long to continue the war in Iran, says Andreas Krieg, associate professor of security studies at King’s College London.

For the US, there are “diminishing returns … every day this war continues”, said Krieg, while Israel has greater “willpower” to keep it going.

“In this context, Trump will be the one to call it quits at some point. And he seems to be quite eager to get to this point,” said Krieg.

“The Israelis might not be happy with it … The Israelis will not say mission accomplished because they can keep it going for quite some time,” he added, though noting that Israel will ultimately be pushed to succumb to “whatever the US is saying”.

White House says US military now moving to dismantle Iran’s missile production

The United States military is now moving to dismantle Iran’s missile production, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said in a press briefing, adding that B-2 bombers have recently dropped 2,000-pound bombs on what she described as deeply buried missile sites in Iran, Reuters reports.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has told reporters that Americans will see oil and gas prices “drop rapidly” once the US military’s national security objectives are “fully achieved” in Iran, Reuters reports.

US has not escorted any tankers through Strait of Hormuz, White House says

The United States has not yet escorted any oil tankers or vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has told reporters, according to Reuters.

Leavitt was responding to a question about why US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright deleted a post on X earlier in the day in which he said the US Navy had successfully escorted an oil tanker through the strait “to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets.”

 Oil plunges, stocks steady as Trump says Iran war over 'very soon'

Oil prices sank and equities steadied Tuesday following a wild day of swings that came after US President Donald Trump signalled that the US-Israel war on Iran could end sooner than thought.

International oil benchmark, Brent North Sea crude, plunged nearly seven percent to $92 a barrel, a day after nearing $120.

"This downward swing in oil helped US stocks stage an impressive comeback on Monday to trade in positive territory -- a trend which continued in Asia and is now being repeated in Europe," noted AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.

The Paris and London stock markets gained around 1.5 per cent, after European gas prices sank 15 per cent, helping ease concerns over a renewed surge for global inflation. Frankfurt gained over two per cent.

Asian stock markets rallied, with Seoul up more than five per cent and Tokyo ending with a gain of 2.9 per cent.

There were advances in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Bangkok, Mumbai, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta.

Wall Street was unable to continue the rally when trading opened Tuesday, with the Dow and S&P 500 opening flat while the Nasdaq edged higher.

"This is still a fluid market, and if the headlines deteriorate, or the war escalates, then we could see prices reverse once again," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at trading group XTB.

As the crisis in the crude-rich Middle East entered its second week, Trump said the campaign was far ahead of his initial timeline of around a month. "It's going to be ended soon, and if it starts up again they'll be hit even harder," he told a news conference in Florida on Monday.

Iran responded by vowing to block Gulf oil exports and asserting that they, not the US, would "determine the end of the war".

Still, Trump's remarks helped reverse the previous day's spike in oil prices, which had surged since Iranian attacks on shipping closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to the US-Israeli strikes that killed its supreme leader.

The surge also followed strikes on an oil depot in Iran and after attacks on oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

The US president also said he would temporarily waive some oil-related sanctions, after acknowledging talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Investors' attention focused on the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20 per cent of the world's crude oil usually transits from the Gulf to world markets.

About 10 vessels in or near the strait have come under attack since Iran all but blocked the strait in retaliation for the US-Israeli strikes, according to shipping experts.

"While things have calmed down, ultimately, the biggest factor for markets will be whether energy supplies from the region resume normally," said Forex.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada.

"Until traders see confirmation that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has stabilised and production is returning, oil prices are unlikely to retreat dramatically from current levels," he added.

President Emmanuel Macron has said France and its allies are working on a "purely defensive" mission to reopen the strait, aiming to escort ships "after the end of the hottest phase of the conflict".

As many as 150 US troops wounded so far in Iran war, sources say

As many as 150 US troops have been wounded so far in the war with Iran, two people familiar with the matter has told Reuters.

The figure has not been previously reported and is far higher than the Pentagon’s publicly disclosed figure of 8 seriously wounded US forces.

The Pentagon did not immediately comment.

Lebanon’s death toll from Israeli attacks reaches 570: Govt

The number of people killed in Lebanon since Israel renewed widespread attacks on the country last week now stands at 570, with 1,444 injured, Al Jazeera reports citing a report by the Lebanese government’s Disaster Risk Management Unit.

A total of 760,000 people have been registered as displaced since the outbreak of fighting.

Lebanon’s government says that nearly 760,000 people have been registered as displaced since the outbreak of the new war between Israel and Hezbollah, AFP reports.

In an updated figure, the government’s disaster management unit said the total number of people who registered their names on a website affiliated with the social affairs ministry reached 759,300, including 122,600 people staying in government shelters.

Iran says oil blockade will continue until attacks end

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday they would not let any oil be shipped from the Middle East if US and Israeli attacks continue, prompting President Donald Trump to say the US would hit Iran much harder if it blocked exports.

The rhetoric did little to quell a fall in crude prices and a rally in global shares that followed Trump expressing confidence in a swift end to hostilities, even after Iran showed defiance by naming Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader.

Trump said on Monday the US had inflicted serious damage on Iran's military. He also predicted the conflict would end before the initial four-week time frame he had set out, although he had not defined what victory would look like.

Israel says its war aim is to overthrow Iran's system of clerical rule.

"Our aspiration is to bring the Iranian people to cast off the yoke of tyranny," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office on Tuesday.

"In the end, that depends on them. But there is no doubt that through the actions taken so far we are breaking their bones - and our hand is still extended," he said. "If we succeed together with the Iranian people, we will bring about a permanent end - if such things exist in the life of nations."

 US officials have mainly said Washington aims to destroy Iran's missile capabilities and nuclear programme, but Trump has said the war can end only with a compliant Iranian government.

At least 1,332 Iranian civilians have been killed and thousands wounded, according to Iran's UN ambassador, since the US and Israel began air and missile strikes across Iran at the end of February.

Trump said US attacks could increase sharply if Iran sought to block tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles one-fifth of the world's oil supply. “We will hit them so hard that it will not be possible for them or anybody else helping them to ever recover that section of the world," Trump told a press conference on Monday.

Iran says it will determine end of war

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said it would not allow any oil to leave the region if attacks from the US and Israel continue. "We are the ones who will determine the end of the war," a spokesperson said, describing Trump's comments as "nonsense", according to state media.

In a later Truth Social post, Trump repeated his warning. "If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far," he said.

Saudi Aramco, the world's top oil exporter, warned on Tuesday of "catastrophic consequences" for global oil markets if the war continued to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait is the world's most vital oil export route, connecting the biggest Gulf oil producers with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The war has already effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, leaving tankers unable to sail for more than a week and forcing producers to halt pumping as storage facilities fill.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran was unlikely to resume negotiations with the US, which he said had spoken of progress after three rounds of talks. "Still, they decided to attack us. So, I don't think talking to the Americans anymore would be on our agenda anymore," he said in an interview with PBS.

The appointment on Monday of Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his slain father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appeared to dash hopes of a swift end to the war, sending oil markets surging and share markets nosediving. Markets swung in the other direction when Trump predicted a quick end to the war, and after reports of a possible easing of sanctions on Russian energy.

 After speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said the US would waive oil-related sanctions on "some countries" to ease the shortage.

According to multiple sources, that could mean a further easing of sanctions on Russian oil, which could complicate efforts to punish Moscow for its war in Ukraine. Other options include a possible release of oil from strategic reserves or restricting US exports, sources said.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell more than 10% on Tuesday after soaring by as much as 29% on Monday to their highest since 2022. Global stock markets also bounced.

The price of gasoline has particular political resonance in the United States, where voters cite rising costs as a top concern ahead of the November midterm elections, when Trump's Republicans will try to keep control of Congress.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday found 67% of Americans expect gas prices to rise over the coming months, and only 29% approve of the war.

Tehran was choked in black smoke after an oil refinery was hit, an escalation in strikes on Iran's domestic energy supplies. World Health Organisation chief Tedros Ghebreyesus warned of the fire risks contaminating food, water and air.

Turkey said NATO air defences had shot down a ballistic missile that was fired from Iran and entered Turkish airspace, the second such incident of the war. Iran did not immediately comment on the report.

Israel's military said it had launched new attacks in central Iran and struck the Lebanese capital, Beirut, where Israel has extended its campaign after the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah fired across the border.

In Australia, five Iranian women's soccer team players were granted humanitarian visas after they sought asylum, fearing persecution in their home nation. Canberra has also promised to send military surveillance aircraft to the Middle East and missiles to the United Arab Emirates to help them defend themselves against attacks from Iran.

Turkiye warns Iran over airspace violations

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that violations of Turkish airspace are "unacceptable," according to TRT World.

The Turkish broadcaster stated that, according to diplomatic sources, the conversation between the foreign ministers focused on a recent missile attack that violated Turkish airspace, prompting Ankara to seek clarification and assurances from Tehran.

In a phone call on Tuesday, Fidan warned Araghchi that Turkiye will continue to take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty, TRT World said citing Foreign Ministry sources.

Fidan also underlined that all regional parties must refrain from actions that undermine security or put civilian lives at risk. Araghchi, meanwhile, stated that the missiles directed towards Turkish airspace did not originate from Iran, adding that a comprehensive investigation into the matter is underway.

Patriot defences deployed in Turkiye

Turkiye has announced the deployment of a Patriot missile defence system in Malatya, in the centre of the country, according to Al Jazeera. The move comes a day after NATO intercepted a second ballistic missile in Turkish airspace.

The deployment was announced following a phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which the Iranian president denied that the missile had been fired from Iran, Al Jazeera reported.

A Turkish defence ministry statement said that "necessary measures are being taken for the security of our borders and airspace, and consultations are being held with NATO and our allies," adding that NATO had also strengthened its air and missile defence measures in the region. The Patriot system, it said, was being deployed in Malatya to support the protection of Turkish airspace.

Malatya is home to Turkiye's Kurecik airbase, a key facility manned by US troops that houses a NATO early-warning radar system capable of detecting Iranian missile launches, Al Jazeera reported.

Iran tells EU chief to ‘spare the hypocrisy’

 Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, reacted to a speech by European Union Chief Ursula von der Leyen during which she said “The people of Iran deserve freedom, dignity, and the right to decide their own future.”

Commenting on a video of von der Leyen’s speech, Baghaei wrote on X, “Please spare the hypocrisy. You’ve made a career out of standing on the wrong side of history – green-lighting occupation, genocide, and atrocities, and now laundering US/Israeli crime of aggression and war crimes against Iranians.”

Baghaei asked the EU chief, “Where was your voice when more than 165 innocent IRANIAN little angels were massacred in the city of Minab?” referencing a girls’ school in Southern Iran that was hit on February 28 during the first day of US and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic.

“Why don’t you say anything when hospitals, historical sites, oil facilities, diplomatic police headquarter, firefighting stations and residential neighborhoods are wickedly targeted?” the spokesperson questioned.

Further, he accused the EU leadership of being silent “in the face of lawlessness and atrocity”, saying this “is nothing less than complicity”.

Baghaei ended his tweet by telling the EU chief to “Scroll through the replies under your own post and see what people really think about your “whitewashing of criminals.”

Citing 'strategic mistake' EU pivots back to nuclear energy

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said Europe's turn away from nuclear power had been a "strategic mistake", as soaring oil prices rekindled concerns about the bloc's energy vulnerability.

Speaking at a nuclear summit in Paris, the European Commission president endorsed a return to atomic energy, saying the European Union would back investments in "innovative nuclear technologies". "It was a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its back on a reliable, affordable source of low-emission power," she said.

"For fossil fuels, we are completely dependent on expensive and volatile imports. They are putting us at a structural disadvantage to other regions," von der Leyen said at the Paris summit, which aims to boost the use of civilian nuclear energy. "The current Middle East crisis gives a stark reminder of the vulnerability it creates," she added.

Her comments came as the EU is set to unveil new energy plans that von der Leyen said will include "a 200-million-euro ($230-million) guarantee to support investment in innovative nuclear technologies".

Brussels is focusing in particular on small modular reactors (SMRs), which the commission would like to see in operation by the early 2030s.

SMRs have about a third of the generating capacity of a traditional nuclear power reactor -- but are relatively simple to build and thus more affordable.

Their designs promise enhanced safety features and more efficient operations than traditional plants, but have yet to be deployed at scale.

Merz says sees 'no common plan' to quickly end Iran war

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has voiced concern that the US and Israel appear to have "no common plan" for bringing the war against Iran "to a swift and convincing end".

"The United States and Israel have been waging war against Iran for over a week. We share many of the goals, but with each day of the war, more questions arise," Merz said. "We are particularly concerned that there is apparently no common plan for how this war can be brought to a swift and convincing end."

Speaking at a Berlin press conference alongside Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Merz warned that "Germany and Europe have no interest in an endless war". "We have no interest in the dissolution of Iran's territorial integrity, statehood or economic viability."

The US-Israeli military campaign must not lead to "a scenario like the one we saw in Libya, Iraq or other states in the region," Merz said. "This affects our security, our energy supply and may also have an impact on migration."

Merz added that "the world needs a stable, viable Iran as part of a regional peace and security order in which neither Israel nor other partners are threatened and in which Tehran abandons its nuclear ambitions and renounces terrorism".

Mideast war displaces 100,000 in Lebanon in single day: UN

Israeli strikes and mass evacuation orders have seen nearly 700,000 people flee their homes in Lebanon in just over a week, with more than 100,000 leaving in 24 hours, the UN said Tuesday.

"Lives have been upended on a massive scale," said Karolina Lindholm Billing, the representative in Lebanon of UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency.

In just over a week since the new escalation in Lebanon, Israeli air strikes and evacuation warnings to residents of dozens of villages "forced families across Lebanon to flee within minutes", she told reporters in Geneva, speaking from Beirut.

She said "more than 667,000 people in Lebanon have now registered on the (Lebanese) government's online platform as displaced". "This is an increase of 100,000 in just one day," Lindholm Billing said, stressing that this is "a faster pace of displacement compared to 2024", during Israel's last war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday accused Hezbollah of working to "collapse" the state and expressed Beirut's readiness for "direct negotiations" with Israel.

Lebanese authorities said on Monday that Israel's attacks since March 2 have killed at least 486 people, including 84 children.

AFP has not been able to carry out a detailed breakdown of the figures.

Lindholm Billing said that around 120,000 of those displaced in Lebanon were sheltering in government-designated collective sites, while many others were staying with relatives or friends or searching for accommodation.

"Many -- often displaced for the second time since the hostilities in 2024 -- fled in a rush with almost nothing, seeking safety in Beirut, Mount Lebanon, northern districts and parts of the Beqaa" in the east, she said.

The World Health Organization meanwhile warned that "overcrowding in shelters and host homes is heightening public health risks, including disease outbreaks, interruptions to routine health services, and disruption of care for chronic diseases, maternal health conditions and mental health disorders".

Many people were also making their way to neighbouring Syria.

More than 78,000 Syrians had returned home from Lebanon since the latest war began, while over 7,700 Lebanese had also crossed the border, Lindholm Billing said, citing Syrian authorities.

She said UNHCR was rushing to replenish its country-level stocks of essential items in Lebanon but its operations in the country were currently only 14 percent funded.

The UN's World Food Programme also said it had activated its food and cash aid to help those displaced in Lebanon.

"However, as needs continue to outpace our capacity to respond, we are in very urgent need of additional funding and support in order to continue to sustain the scale of the response," warned WFP Lebanon country director Anne Valand.