Summary: The article details escalating military actions between Israel, the U.S., and Iran, including Israeli strikes on an underground bunker in Tehran and the outskirts of Beirut, as well as Iranian retaliatory drone and missile attacks on Tel Aviv and U.S. allies. The conflict has led to widespread airspace closures in the Middle East, significant civilian displacement in Lebanon, and disruptions to global shipping, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz.
Main Topics Covered:
1. Recent military strikes and retaliations between Israel/U.S. and Iran.
2. The regional impact, including airspace closures and civilian displacement.
3. Disruption to global shipping and energy supplies in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran War Maps: Tracking the Mideast Conflict
Maps show where U.S. and Israel have struck Iran, and where Iran has retaliated.
Israeli officials said on Friday that their forces had destroyed an underground bunker that had been used by Iran’s supreme leader before he was killed last week, part a fresh wave of heavy strikes on Tehran. The Israeli military also pounded the southern outskirts of Beirut. Iran launched a wave of drones and missiles at Tel Aviv, though there were no immediate reports of major damage. Iran also targeted U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf. Here’s how the day unfolded.
Major developments — March 6
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe Israeli military said on Friday it had hit an underground bunker in Tehran located beneath the compound where Iran’s slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on Saturday.
The underground bunker, the military said, had continued to be used by senior Iranian officials since the initial strike.
Satellite imagery taken on Friday and published by Planet Labs shows fresh damage to buildings around the leadership compound, in addition to impacts from the Saturday strikes.
As of March 6, much of the airspace in the Middle East remains closed or subject to restrictions. The bulk of the closures have been in effect since the fighting broke out almost a week ago, leading to tens of thousands of flight cancellations. The latest restriction came on Thursday when Iranian drones fell in Azerbaijan, prompting that country to close part of its airspace.
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENTU.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran continued unabated, and Israel unleashed a major bombardment on the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon. Iran attacked pro-American Kurdish forces based in neighboring Iraq, and Azerbaijan said it had been struck by two Iranian drones. Here’s how the day unfolded.
Major developments — March 5
The Israeli military on Thursday warned residents to evacuate from four neighborhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah holds sway. The warnings have prompted fears that Israel might begin a large-scale bombing campaign there.
Israeli officials told residents of the Burj al Brajneh and Hadath neighborhoods to head east toward Mount Lebanon and residents of the Shiya and Haret Hreik neighborhoods to move north toward Tripoli.
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in Lebanon since the latest onset of hostilities began, according to the United Nations. At least 102 people have been killed in Lebanon since Monday, according to a statement from the Lebanese health ministry.
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENTNATO air defenses shot down an Iranian ballistic missile headed toward Turkey, the United States sank an Iranian Navy ship in international waters and several European nations deployed military assets to the region to protect their interests. Here’s how the day unfolded.
Major developments — March 4
A senior Iranian military official threatened this week to “set on fire” any ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. Vessels in the region have already come under attack since the conflict began on Feb. 28. Several oil and gas facilities have also been struck or affected by nearby shelling, though the damage did not initially appear to be catastrophic.
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENTTankers have been staying away from Hormuz since the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran that began on Saturday. A prolonged conflict could ripple broadly across the global economy, threatening the energy supplies of countries halfway around the world and stoking inflation.
On Monday, just two oil and gas tankers appear to have crossed the strait, according to a New York Times analysis of shipping activity from Kpler, an industry data firm. On Tuesday, one tanker passed through.
Since the U.S. and Israel jointly began attacking Iran on Saturday, destroying Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities has emerged as a top objective for President Trump despite the unlikelihood that it can be accomplished without ground troops.
A New York Times analysis of satellite imagery shows how these sites have been targeted since the Pentagon’s most recent air campaign against Iran began on February 28.
Strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile sites
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe State Department urged Americans to depart immediately from 14 Middle East countries, citing “serious safety risks.” Three U.S. embassies in the region ceased operations. Two of those embassies, one in Riyadh and one in Kuwait, were the subject of Iranian drone strikes in the first days of the conflict.