This article details a multi-day escalation in military strikes between Israel, the U.S., and Iran, along with regional spillover. Key events include Israeli strikes on targets in Tehran and Beirut, and Iranian retaliatory drone and missile attacks against Israel and U.S. allies. The conflict has led to significant airspace closures across the Middle East, disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and civilian displacements in Lebanon.
Main Topics Covered:
1. Military strikes and retaliations between Israel/U.S. and Iran.
2. Regional spillover affecting Lebanon, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and maritime routes.
3. Impact on civilian infrastructure, displacement, and global trade.
Iran War Maps: Tracking the Mideast Conflict
Maps show where U.S. and Israel have struck Iran, and where Iran has retaliated.
The Israeli military said it had launched a broad wave of strikes at Tehran early Saturday. Soon after, Iranian state media said Israeli strikes had hit the area near Mehrabad Airport in Tehran.
Footage shared on state media showed multiple explosions and columns of smoke rising into the night sky.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTIsraeli 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
The 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.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTAs 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.
U.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
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe 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.
NATO 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
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTA 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.
Tankers 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.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTSince 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.