Iran Launches New Missile Barrage at Israel as US Senate backs Trump’s War Powers

1. Here is what has been happeningpublished at 06:05 GMTpublished at 07:05 US lawmakers have voted against a war powers measure that would have limited Donald Trump’s ability to order further military action in Iran. The measure would have required the withdrawal of US forces from the conflict unless Congress approved the operation. It failed to pass the US Senate by 47-53 votes, almost entirely down party lines. The House is set to vote on the same question tomorrow. Here is what else has happened in the last few hours:
   • The Israeli military says Iran launched several missiles towards Israel in the early hours of Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of casualtiesThree people have been killed, and six others injured, after two Israeli strikes near Lebanon’s capital. Lebanese media say the strikes were carried out on the road to the Beirut-Rafik Hariri International Airport (RFHA), citing Lebanon’s health ministryThe UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, says intensifying violence across the Middle East and beyond has already triggered significant population movement. It said an estimated 100,000 people left Tehran in the first two days following the US-Israeli attack. In Lebanon it said 58,000 people were sheltering across collective sitesThe US military has confirmed the name of a fifth soldier killed in an Iranian drone attack in Kuwait in the opening days of the war, and what is believed to be the name of the sixth soldier killed in the attackAround 20,000 seafarers are trapped because of events in the Straits of Hormuz, the head of the UN’s International Maritime Organization has told the BBCThe flight chartered by the UK government to bring Britons back from Oman did not take off as planned on Wednesday evening due to a technical issue, the BBC understands. Qatar Airways says it will operate other relief flights from the Middle East to several European cities on Thursday
   • Qatar has begun evacuating residents living near the US Embassy in Doha as a temporary precautionary measure, according to the Qatar Ministry of Interior. It comes after US embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and the US consulate in Dubai, were attacked by drones this week
   • A tanker off the coast of Kuwait has been hit by a “large explosion”, causing an oil spill, British maritime security agency UKMTO says
2. Oman evacuation flight delayed,
   
   Chief political correspondent The flight chartered by the UK government to bring Britons back from Oman did not take off as planned on Wednesday evening due to a technical issue, the BBC understands. It is instead expected to take off today. Those who were due to be on the flight have been given a free overnight hotel by the UK government.
   
3. Qatar Airways to operate relief flights to European citiespublished at 05:20 GMTpublished at 06:20 Qatar Airways has just announced it will operate relief flights from the Middle East to several European cities on Thursday.Flights from Muscat, Oman will depart for London Heathrow, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Rome and Amsterdam.Another flight will leave from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for Frankfurt.The airline’s main operations out of Doha remain temporarily suspended “due to the closure of Qatari airspace”, it said in a statement on X.It adds: “Passengers are kindly requested not to proceed to the airport unless they have received an official notification from Qatar Airways for these flights.”
   
4. Passenger arriving in Dublin ‘never been so happy to be home’published at 05:02 GMTpublished at 06:02 One of the first passengers to arrive in Dublin from Dubai has said she has “never been so happy to be home”.Gina Quinn was one of about 400 people who landed in the Irish capital on Wednesday.The Emirates flight was the first in a number of days after the United States-Israeli attacks on Iran led to the closure of nearly all airspace in the Middle East.A second flight directly to Dublin from Dubai is scheduled for Thursday, with a further 400 passengers on it.Quinn was on a business trip to Delhi in India with a colleague and stopped in Dubai for a connecting flight back to Dublin.She said it was supposed to be a “quick transit” but soon became “chaotic”.”Getting information about when you might be able to fly home was nearly impossible. The airlines were inundated,” she said.Her husband Kevin Murphy was there to collect her at the airport.He said he was “delighted to have her home,” and “life can go on now”.Also on the flight was Rushali Lakhani who was visiting Dubai on holiday but described how it soon became an “anxiety-inducing” trip.She said she had several sleepless nights, but is now “thanking my lucky stars” to be home safe.
5. Qatar evacuates residents near US Embassy in Doha
   reporting from Riyadh Qatar has begun evacuating residents living near the US Embassy in Doha as a temporary precautionary measure, according to the Qatar Ministry of Interior.“Suitable accommodation has been provided for them as part of necessary preventive measures,” the Ministry said in a statement on X.It comes after US embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and the US consulate in Dubai, were attacked by drones this week.This week the US State Department issued a warning to American citizens to immediately leave the Middle East even as many flights from the region were cancelled or suspended.The US government has been scrambling to book charter flights for American citizens in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and seeking to help people stranded elsewhere book tickets on commercial flights.A US state department official said that since 28 February, about 17,500 citizens have returned from the Middle East.
   
6. War takes toll on the Middle Eastpublished at 04:00 GMTpublished at 05:00 Countries throughout the Middle East – including Lebanon, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates – are increasingly feeling the toll of the conflict. In Iran, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says that, as of 3 March, there have been over 1,000 civilian deaths since the war began, and hundreds more reported deaths are under review. Here are some photos from across the region.Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, Plumes of smoke are visible in an area in a southern neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon on 5 MarchImage source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, A plume of black smoke rises from a fire near fuel depots at the port of Fujairah in the UAE on 4 MarchImage source, ReutersImage caption, People walk through debris in front of buildings damaged during strikes in Beirut, Lebanon on 4 MarchImage source, NurPhoto via Getty ImagesImage caption, A group of Iranian volunteers pass a police facility that was destroyed in Tehran, Iran on 4 March
7. Iran launches missiles at Israel, military sayspublished at 03:22 GMTpublished at 04:22 Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Rocket trails are seen in the sky above Tel Aviv amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacksThe Israeli military says Iran has launched several missiles towards Israel in the early hours of Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties, AFP reported, citing the country’s emergency service.Three separate alerts were issued in two hours, and reporters from Agence France-Presse heard explosions in Jerusalem, but the military has since cleared people to leave shelters.
8. Carney and Albanese call for de-escalation while insisting Iran cannot have nuclear weaponImage source, ReutersAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney have called for de-escalation in the Middle East while arguing a ceasefire should not happen until Iran is unable to develop a nuclear weapon.”The world wants to see a de-escalation … We’re seeing Gulf states that have not been involved attacked across the board, including the attacks on civilian and tourist areas as well. We also want to see the objectives achieved,” Albanese told reporters at a joint press conference with the visiting Canadian leader in Canberra.Carney echoed the Australian PM’s call for de-escalation. “Right now we have a spreading of hostilities. We recognise that. And before we get there, there needs to be the ending of targeting civilians, civilian infrastructure. Those are necessary conditions before ceasefire can exist.”Both leaders have expressed support for the Israeli-US strikes on Iran that began on Saturday. Asked whether he had ruled out joining the attacks on Iran, Carney said he could “never categorically rule out participation,” drawing a distinction between offensive and defensive actions.”We will always defend Canadians. We will always stand by and defend our allies when called,” he said.
   
9. Asia markets bounce after plunging on Wednesday
   Business reporter It’s Thursday morning in Asia and markets are showing some signs of recovery after stocks plummeted since the Israeli and US attacks over the weekend.South Korea’s Kospi index rose by 10% in early trading, after having one of its worst days in decades on Wednesday when the exchange closed 12% lower.Trading on the Kospi was temporarily halted yesterday after it fell below 8%, as part of a mechanism called the circuit breaker designed to prevent panic selling.Japan’s Nikkei 225 index also gained by 4% in the morning, after closing by 3.6% lower on Wednesday.Both countries are big buyers of oil from the Middle East, where shipments have come to a standstill after Iran’s threats to burn any vessel that passes through the critical Strait of Hormuz passageway.Nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes through the channel.
   
10. Pentagon announces identity of sixth soldier believed to be killed in Kuwait attackpublished at 02:01 GMTpublished at 03:01 The Pentagon has just announced that the sixth soldier killed in the attack on Kuwait is believed to be Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California. Marzan, a statement from the Pentagon says, “was at the scene of the incident on March 1, 2026, in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, and is believed to be the individual who perished at the scene.” “Positive identification of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Marzan will be completed by the medical examiner.” The Pentagon is yet to release a photo of Marzan.Six US soldiers were killed when an unmanned aircraft system evaded air defences to hit a command centre in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on Sunday.
    
11. Pentagon confirms name of fifth soldier killed in Kuwait attack
    The US military has confirmed the name of a fifth soldier killed in a drone attack by Iran in Kuwait in the opening days of the war.Major Jeffrey O’Brien, a resident of Waukee, Iowa, commissioned in the Army Reserve as a Signal Corps Officer in 2012. He deployed to Kuwait in 2019, the announcement said. “O’Brien’s awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device.”The US soldiers were killed when an “unmanned aircraft system” evaded air defences to hit a command centre in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on Sunday.US Central Command initially said three soldiers died in the attack, but officials confirmed on Monday the death toll had doubled, after one person succumbed to injuries and two more bodies were found in the rubble.Image source, US Army Reserve CommandImage caption, Major Jeffrey O’Brien, named as among the soldiers killed in an attack on a command centre in Kuwait.
    
12. Tanker struck off the coast of Kuwait, UK maritime monitor sayspublished at 01:16 GMTpublished at 02:16 A tanker off the coast of Kuwait has been hit by a “large explosion”, causing an oil spill, British maritime security agency UKMTO says. “There is oil in the water coming from a cargo tank which could have some environmental impact, the vessel has taken on water, there are no fires reported and the crew are safe and well,” UKMTO says. The tanker reported seeing a small watercraft fleeing the vicinity after the explosion, UKMTO adds.
    
13. Conflict triggers significant displacement of people across regionImage source, Getty ImagesThe UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, says intensifying violence across the Middle East and beyond has already triggered significant population movement.It said an estimated 100,000 people left Tehran in the first two days following the attacks.In Lebanon it said 58,000 people were sheltering across collective sites.In Syria, it said that nearly 10,000 Syrians and close to 1,000 Lebanese crossed from Lebanon on 2nd March, nearly three times the daily average.
14. Saudi Arabia says it intercepted missiles
    Officials in Saudi Arabia said today that it intercepted three cruise missiles. “Three cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed outside the city of Al-Kharj,” Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry posted on social media.
    
15. Group of 200 Indian tourists home-bound after evacuating UAEImage source, Courtesy Yogi OverseasA group of 200 Indian tourists has managed to evacuate the United Arab Emirates after a trip to visit the country’s Hindu temples left them stranded as the war broke out. Yogi Overseas, the tour company which organised the trip, tells me airspace disruptions kept the large group waiting for flights for days. “Our first priority was to ensure that none of the passengers felt panic or discomfort,” said Kaushal Damesha, the head of the tour company. Damesha and a few of the other tour guides stayed behind in Dubai, but made sure to get the dozens of travellers out. Some of those in the group were seniors and children, Damesha said. “Our tour manager spent a lot of time interacting with the passengers, playing games with them and keeping them in good spirits,” he said. After requesting flights from the UAE to anywhere in India, the last of the tour group was picked up today and are en route to their homes.
    
16. Businessman recalls ‘nerve-wracking’ experience after his hotel was struckImage source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, A damaged section of the Fairmount hotel in DubaiA businessman whose hotel was set on fire by a drone has described a “nerve-wracking” experience after returning from the United Arab Emirates.Stuart Carson was staying at Fairmont The Palm Hotel in Dubai on Saturday when it was struck.He arrived back at his home in Northern Ireland on Tuesday night, after a number of earlier flights he had booked were cancelled by airlines.Carson said the situation in Dubai first became clear after he heard loud bangs on Saturday morning, which he thought might have been coming from construction work nearby.Later he started seeing Iranian missiles and drones being intercepted in the sky.He was inside the hotel when the drone hit the building, causing his “whole room to completely shake”.”It was very nerve-wracking” he told BBC News NI’s Evening Extra programme.”The drone struck close to one of my friend’s rooms.”He was there with his son. He called me and said, we’ve been attacked in some way, shape, or form.”
17. Zelensky offers to help Middle East allies counter drone attacks
    Diplomatic correspondent in Kyiv President Zelensky has said Ukraine is drawing up plans to deploy experts to the Gulf to help allies defend their countries against Iranian drones and missiles.He said he had spoken to counterparts in the UAE and Qatar yesterday, and Jordan and Bahrain today.After discussing the Middle East conflict with ministers and commanders, he asked them to develop options to help allies – without weakening Ukraine’s own defences.In a post on X, President Zelensky said: “Ukraine can help protect lives and stabilize the situation…”He added: “Our military possesses the necessary capabilities. Ukrainian experts will work on the ground, and teams are already coordinating this. We are ready to help protect lives, safeguard civilians, and support genuine efforts to stabilize the situation and restore safe navigation in the region.”
    
18. Three killed after Israeli strikes near Beirut – health ministrypublished at 22:31 GMT 4 Marchpublished at 23:31 4 March Three people have been killed, and six others injured, after two Israeli strikes near Lebanon’s capital. Lebanese media say the strikes were carried out on the road to the Beirut-Rafik Hariri International Airport (RFHA), citing Lebanon’s health ministry.
    
19. War powers vote fails – for now
    Reporting from Capitol Hill The war powers vote in the US Senate has just failed in a 47-53 vote – with lawmakers taking their votes almost entirely down party lines. In the end, Senator Rand Paul joined the Democrats to vote yes on limiting Trump’s military powers in Iran, with Senator John Fetterman joining the Republicans to vote no.But this is not the last we’ll hear from Congress – which is the only US government branch which can officially declare war – on these military operations in Iran.The House is set to vote on the same question tomorrow, and some senators told us reporters on the Hill this week that they may be more inclined to back a war powers resolution in the future, if the war rages on past the few weeks Trump has estimated the operation could last.Correction: A previous version of this post incorrectly said the vote failed 47-52, with Senator John Cornyn missing the vote. He was there, and the final vote was 47-53.
    
20. US Senate fails to advance limit on Trump’s war powers
    US senators have voted 47 to 53 to prevent a measure advancing in the chamber that would limit President Donald Trump’s ability to order further military action in Iran.Image source, US Senate

Source: BBC