US and Israeli strikes against Iran - 28 February 2026, Media, Maps & Timelines *NO DISCUSSION*

[imstilla.grandma]

French authorities are investigating a suspected link to Iran after thwarting a bomb attack outside a Bank of America building in Paris, the interior minister said Monday. Five people are in custody.

Authorities suspect a link due to similarities with other recent attempted attacks in Europe for which a pro-Iran group claimed responsibility, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said.

The “modus operandi is in every respect similar to actions that have been carried out in the Netherlands and in Belgium,” Mr. Nuñez said on French radio RTL. In those cases, there were claims by a pro-Iranian group that “linked them to the conflict” in the Middle-East.

The group, known on Telegram as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, which translates as the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, also claimed responsibility for an attack last week in London, where four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity were set on fire.

France suspects an Iran link after foiling bomb attack outside Bank of America

French authorities are investigating a suspected link to Iran after thwarting a bomb attack outside a Bank of America building in Paris over the weekend.

www.post-gazette.com

 

[otto]

Trump erratic proclamations ...

"U.S. forces attacked Kharg Island in mid-March, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying the U.S. "totally obliterated every MILITARY target," leaving investors watching for any sign that the strikes had damaged Kharg's intricate network of ⁠pipelines, terminals and storage tanks.

Since then, Trump's erratic proclamations about the war — veering between violent warnings and promises it will end soon — have included threats to either destroy or seize Kharg Island."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/kharg-island-u-s-israel-iran-war-9.7147150

 

[otto]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/kharg-island-u-s-israel-iran-war-9.7147150

 

[JennieM]

Is Trump threatening a war crime in attacking civilian infrastructure?​

Tom Bateman
US State Department correspondent

US President Donald Trump's threat to blow up electricity plants, oil wells and water desalination plants in Iran could amount to a threat to commit potential war crimes, according to terms set out in international treaties and convention on the laws of war.

He gave the ultimatum in his Truth Social post this morning, in which he said such action would be "retribution" for the regime's killing of Americans for 47 years.

It's not the first such threat he's made during this war, and amounts to an extraordinary shift by the United States away from the 20th Century rhetoric of a so-called rules-based world order.

The deliberate destruction of energy infrastructure could have a devastating effect on civilian life - even if the plants are also argued to have a military or government purpose.

Trump threatens to 'obliterate' Iran's energy facilities if deal not reached 'shortly'

Meanwhile, attacks continue in Iran, Lebanon, and across the region - with a refinery in Israel set on fire by debris from an intercepted missile.

www.bbc.co.uk

Luis Moreno Ocampo, founding chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), said the global rules-based order was designed to protect civilians and prevent nations resorting to war other than in self-defence, or when approved by the UN Security Council.

He told the BBC that the war on Iran amounts to a crime of aggression under international law.

Moreno Ocampo also said Trump's threats to bomb Iranian power plants, as well as attacks by both Iran and Israel on energy infrastructure, do not amount to legitimate targets. He likened such strikes to Russia's attacks on energy sites in Ukraine which led to Russian officials being indicted by the ICC for alleged war crimes.

"The cases of Russia in Ukraine or the US in Iran or in Venezuela is… called a crime of aggression. That means the use of armed forces by a state against the sovereignty, the territorial integrity or the political independence of another state, that's it," said Moreno Ocampo.

"Now we go [from the rules-based system] to the rule of the man, whatever today President Trump decides will be the rule. That's not a viable world," he said.

Iran war shows norms of international conflicts have been upended

US threats against energy infrastructure, and Iran's retaliation on its Gulf neighbours, signal a clear change.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Residents in Lebanese villages ordered to evacuate by Israeli military​

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued fresh evacuation orders for people in several Lebanese villages in the Bekaa valley region.

They include Zalaya, Lbayya, Yahmour, Sahmer, Qalaya and Dalafi.

In an update, IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee says residents should move immediately north of the town of Qaraoun.

Any movement south "may put your lives at risk", he adds.

Trump threatens to 'obliterate' Iran's energy facilities if deal not reached 'shortly'

Meanwhile, attacks continue in Iran, Lebanon, and across the region - with a refinery in Israel set on fire by debris from an intercepted missile.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

3h ago

Two more peacekeepers killed in Lebanon, UN says​

Earlier, the United Nations announced the deaths of two more Indonesianpeacekeepers in south Lebanon, where Israel says it is fighting against Hezbollah.

UN’s Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said:

Two UNIFIL peacekeepers were tragically killed in south Lebanon today, when an explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan.

A third peacekeeper was severely injured, and a fourth was also hurt.

It follows the death of another Indonesian peacekeeper in southern Lebanon yesterday.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said on Sunday that his military would expand its invasion of southern Lebanon, widening the existing so-called “buffer zone” in the country.

Middle East crisis live: US ‘committed to finishing the job’ in Iran, Rubio says, amid fresh strikes in Tehran

Strikes in west Tehran are heavy, BBC reports; US state secretary tells Al Jazeera the straight of Hormuz will be open ‘one way or another’

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

2h ago

France seeks emergency UN meeting after deadly attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon​

France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, has said he has requested an emergency meeting of the UN security council on Tuesday following “the extremely serious incidents” targeting UN peacekeepers in south Lebanonthat killed three Indonesian nationals and injured two others.

“Such attacks near UN peacekeeping positions are unacceptable and unjustifiable,” Barrot said, adding France is calling “for a full investigation into the circumstances of these tragedies”.

The peacekeepers from Indonesia were the first from the UN’s peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as Unifil, to be killed as Israel says it is fighting Hezbollah. Unifil said they were killed “when an explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan”.

Indonesia’s foreign ministry said that harm towards UN peacekeepers is unacceptable, and reiterated its condemnation of Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, calling on all parties to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Middle East crisis live: US ‘committed to finishing the job’ in Iran, Rubio says, amid fresh strikes in Tehran

Strikes in west Tehran are heavy, BBC reports; US state secretary tells Al Jazeera the straight of Hormuz will be open ‘one way or another’

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

2h ago

Iran maintains it is not in talks with United States​

In the last couple of hours, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, again reiterated that Iran has not been involved in negotiations with the United States since the start of this war – and would not until US military aggression ended.

He said on X:

We have had no negotiations with America in these 31 days.

What has occurred is the submission of a negotiation request, accompanied by a set of proposals from #America, which has reached us through certain intermediaries, including Pakistan.

Our position is very clear. At present, as America’s military aggression and invasion continue with full intensity, all our efforts and capabilities are devoted to defending Iran’s essence. We have felt the previous experiences with our flesh, skin and bones, and we do not forget the betrayal that was inflicted upon diplomacy in two instances within less than a year.

Earlier, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, continued to insist that talks were talking place between Tehran and Washington.

The “remaining elements” of the Iranian regime are “increasingly eager to end the destruction and come to the negotiating table, while they still can”, she claimed.

She added that despite the Iranian regime’s “public posturing” and the news media’s “false reporting”, talks between the US and Iran are “continuing and going well”.

Middle East crisis live: US ‘committed to finishing the job’ in Iran, Rubio says, amid fresh strikes in Tehran

Strikes in west Tehran are heavy, BBC reports; US state secretary tells Al Jazeera the straight of Hormuz will be open ‘one way or another’

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

21m ago

Netanyahu declines to put timeline on ending war on Iran but says it is 'beyond the halfway point'​

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier told Newsmax that the US-Israeli war on Iran had achieved more than half its aims, but would not give a timeline on when it would end.

He said the war is “definitely beyond the halfway point. But I don’t want to put a schedule on it,” adding that he believed Iran’s Islamic republic will eventually “collapse internally”, AFP reports.

Middle East crisis live: US ‘committed to finishing the job’ in Iran, Rubio says, amid fresh strikes in Tehran

Strikes in west Tehran are heavy, BBC reports; US state secretary tells Al Jazeera the straight of Hormuz will be open ‘one way or another’

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

8:34 PM BST

UN envoy says ‘Lebanon is a shadow of its former self’ since Israeli invasion​

BY FARNOUSH AMIRI

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaer, the U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon, issued a scathing statement Monday, saying that the humanitarian impact in southern Lebanon as Israel trades fire with Hezbollah has reached devastating levels.

The envoy detailed the three U.N. peacekeepers and nine Lebanese paramedics killed in just the last few days as a snapshot of the death toll that now stands at more than 1,240.

“One thing is clear: the longer this goes on, the harder it will be to come back from,” Hennis-Plasschaer said. “As maximalist rhetoric abounds, the prospect of a negotiated settlement is a daunting one. But we must start somewhere.”

She added that while “tactical military gains may produce short-term wins, on and off the battlefield,” they do risk “long-term damage to the stability and prosperity both Lebanese and Israelis deserve.”

https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-03-30-2026

 

[JennieM]

7:05 PM BST

White House refuses to comment on report that U.S.-made landmines are being used in Iran​

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

When asked about reports that American-made landmines have been spotted on the ground in Iran and whether Trump signed off on using landmines in Iran, Leavitt said: “I don’t have any comment on that report today.”

When asked whether landmines are being used at all, Leavitt again declined to answer, saying: “I don’t have any comment on that.”

https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-03-30-2026

 

[JennieM]

6:55 PM BST

International Red Cross and Red Crescent mourn Iranian doctor killed in strike​

BY SAM METZ

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says a 44-year-old doctor had been killed in an airstrike.

The group said in a statement that a Friday airstrike killed Somayeh Mir Abo Eshagh while she was volunteering with the Red Crescent. It said Abo Eshagh had volunteered intermittently for 22 years.

“The killing of Soumaya, and any attack on humanitarians, is unacceptable and must be condemned. We continue to call for the protection of humanitarian teams who risk everything to save lives — this is a moral and legal obligation,” the group said in a statement.

It said Abo Eshagh was the second medical worker to be killed in Iran and that 17 had been injured since Israel and the U.S. launched the war on Feb. 28.

https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-03-30-2026

 

[otto]

Middle East should pay for the war, EU should fight the war.

"US President Donald Trump wants to examine whether Arab countries should contribute to the costs of the war against Iran. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said this during a press conference.

During the press conference, a journalist asked the question "who will bear the costs of the war" and whether the Arab countries would also make their contribution.

"That is something the president is quite interested in," Leavitt replied. "I won't elaborate further, but I know that is an idea he has. It is a subject he will certainly talk more about," he added.

It is still unclear what that contribution would look like and how any potential implementation would be enforced."​

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/liveblog/iraanse-buitenlandminister-araghchi-waarschuwt-hoog-tijd-om-am~1774500481071/

"The United States may stop promising to defend its NATO allies should they come under attack, President Donald Trump said Friday, escalating his verbal barrage against the alliance as his frustration grows that European leaders have not significantly contributed to his war against Iran.
...

“I said: ‘I really would love to have you come up, bring your boats. You can sail through the beautiful Hormuz straits and you can protect people that are being shot at.’"​

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/27/trump-nato-iran-war/

 

[Yellowbelly]

Massive Kuwaiti oil tanker hit off Dubai.

Middle East crisis live: Kuwait issues oil spill warning after tanker attacked in Dubai port

Kuwait says fire broke out after Iranian attack on giant tanker and warns of possible oil spill in surrounding waters

www.theguardian.com

 

[Yellowbelly]

US Defense Secretary Hegseth's broker looked to buy defense fund before Iran attack, FT reports

US Defense Secretary Hegseth's broker looked to buy defense fund before Iran attack, FT reports

A broker for U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attempted to make a big investment in major defense companies in the weeks ‌leading up to the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing three people familiar with the matter.

www.reuters.com

 

[SouthAussie]

Dalai Lama
31 March 2026
I wholeheartedly endorse the powerful appeal for peace made by the Holy Father, Pope Leo, during his Palm Sunday Mass. His call for the laying down of arms and the renunciation of violence resonated profoundly with me, as it speaks to the very essence of what all major religions teach.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2038857754061017401

 

[SouthAussie]

Israel plans to set up a buffer zone inside southern Lebanon and maintain control of the entire area up to the Litani River, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has been quoted as saying.

He added that the 600,000 residents of southern Lebanon who have been forced to flee will not be able to return until the safety of northern Israel is guaranteed. All homes near the border would be destroyed, he added.

Iran says US-Israeli strikes in Isfahan hit ‘military sites’

Saudi, Qatari, Jordanian leaders meet as Iran continues to retaliate for US-Israeli raids with attacks on Gulf nations.

aje.news

 

[SouthAussie]

Trump is threatening to deploy ground troops to seize critical oil infrastructure on Iran's Kharg Island, a military gambit that experts say would risk American lives and could still fail to end the war.

If Trump wants to hobble Iran's oil industry for leverage in negotiations, a better option might be setting up a blockade at sea against ships that have filled up at Kharg Island's oil terminals, the experts said.

Live: Israel's ground invasion of Lebanon is '100pc defensive', ambassador says

Israel's ambassador to Australia says the incursion of ground troops into southern Lebanon is "100 per cent defensive" as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the country is "beyond the halfway point" in achieving its Iran war goals. Follow live.

www.abc.net.au

 

[sds71]

ROME, March 31 (Reuters) - Italy has denied permission for U.S. military aircraft to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily before flying to ‌the Middle East, a source close to the matter said on Tuesday,

Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper said Italy did not grant ⁠permission because the U.S. had not sought authorization and Italy's military leadership was not consulted, as required under treaties governing the use of U.S. ⁠military installations in the NATO member nation.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2038935548350382292

 

[Dotta]

"Europe has turned its back on Donald Trump's war in the Middle East,
with Italy, Spain and Poland
refusing to support American operations against Iran."

https://twitter.com/x/status/2038957346689253754