Dubai, Mar 2 (AP) Iran fired missiles at Israel and Arab states Monday and the war expanded to include militias Tehran backs in the Middle East with an attack by Hezbollah on Israel, which struck back against the group in Lebanon and with the United States pounded targets in Iran.
As the American and Israeli airstrikes kept hitting the country, top Iranian security official Ali Larijani said on X: “We will not negotiate with the United States.”
Trump, who a day earlier had encouraged Iranians to “take over” their government, signaled Sunday that he was open to dialogue with Iran’s new leadership.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister suggested earlier that military units were acting independently from any central government control after being pressed about attacks on Gulf Arab nations that have served as intermediaries for Tehran in the past.
More than 200 people have been killed since the start of the strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior leaders, Iranian leaders have said.
Here is the latest:
Strikes kill 3 in western Iran
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Strikes killed three people in the western city of Sanandaj early Monday, Iran’s state-run news agency said.
IRNA said the strikes hit two residential sites without providing further details.
US warplanes crash, Kuwait says
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Several U.S. warplanes crashed Monday in Kuwait, the country’s Defense Ministry said, with all the pilots safely bailing out.
The ministry did not elaborate on what caused the crashes but it came during an intense period of Iranian fire targeting the country.
The Kuwaiti Defense Ministry said the pilots were taken to a hospital for checkups and their condition was stable.
The U.S. military’s Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Turkiye temporarily stops border crossings by Iranians visiting for short trips
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Turkiye has temporarily closed its border with Iran to crossings by Iranians visiting for short trips, the Trade Ministry said, following public concerns that the tensions could trigger migration flows.
A ministry statement said that in a mutual agreement reached with Iran, Turkey is allowing its citizens and third country nationals to enter from Iran but short trips by Iranians have been temporarily suspended.
Meanwhile, commercial freight crossings between Turkey and Iran are continuing “in a controlled manner,” the ministry said.
Israel says Gaza crossings to remain closed
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Israel said crossings to Gaza, where much-needed humanitarian aid passes, will remain closed while the war with Iran continues.
COGAT, the Israeli defense body that oversees aid into Gaza and the crossings, said that the crossings could not be operated safely due to the threat of missiles.
Israelis have been instructed to remain close to bomb shelters and places that are not within a certain distance to a bomb shelter are closed.
COGAT claimed that Gaza has sufficient stockpiles of food for an “extended period” though some organizations, including the World Central Kitchen which operates soup kitchens across Gaza, have warned that they are running out of supplies.
“We need food deliveries every single day to feed hungry families who are not part of this war,” chef Jose Andres, the founder of World Central Kitchen, wrote on X.
