New Iranian attacks target Israel and U.S. bases as more Israeli strikes hit Lebanon

Iran launched more missiles at Israel and U.S. bases as the war in West Asia entered its sixth day. Israel announced multiple incoming attacks early Thursday (March 5, 2026) and said it was intercepting the missiles.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it began new strikes against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. At least eleven people were killed there late Wednesday (March 4, 2026) into Thursday (March 5, 2026) according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry and the state news agency.

Tehran has warned of the destruction of the Middle East’s military and economic infrastructure, and the war has rattled financial markets, with most taking their cues from what the price of oil is doing. Early Thursday (March 5, 2026), oil prices resumed their ascent.

Iranian and Israeli ambassadors trade accusations in South Korea

Ambassadors of Iran and Israel held separate news conferences Thursday (March 5, 2026) in South Korea’s capital, trading sharp accusations as their countries continued an escalating war in the Middle East.

Speaking through an interpreter, Iran’s Ambassador to South Korea Saeed Koozechi demanded that Seoul — a key U.S. ally — be more vocal in demanding a halt to what he called an illegal aggression by U.S. and Israeli forces, which launched attacks despite active negotiations.

He said “many coffins would return to the United States” if it decides to deploy ground forces, and defended Iranian strikes on Gulf states hosting US military bases as unavoidable.

The Israel ambassador in Seoul, Raphael Harpaz, said the joint U.S.-Israeli military operations aim both to destroy Iran’s nuclear development facilities and ballistic missile sites, and to help free Iranian people from oppression.

South Korea has supported U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions but has not explicitly endorsed the US-Israeli attacks, instead calling for a swift restoration of dialogue.

Saudi Arabia destroys drone

The Saudi Defence Ministry said it destroyed a drone in the kingdom’s al-Jawf province, which borders Jordan.

Israeli strike targets Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon’s north, killing 2

The Israeli military struck a building in the Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp in the coastal city of Tripoli, killing two people, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.

The strike, which hit the area without prior warning and marked the northernmost strike so far, wounded another individual, the Health Ministry said.

Iran-Israel war day 5 highlights: Air strike hits Hezbollah’s Beirut stronghold after Israel warning; Hegseth says U.S. submarine sank Iranian warship off Sri Lanka

The Israeli military did not immediately say who it targeted in the strike.

Located about 85 kilometers (53 miles) north of Beirut and more than 180 kilometers (112 miles) from the Lebanese-Israeli border, Beddawi was targeted during the 2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Despite a ceasefire reached in November 2024, the Israeli military said in July it struck a Hamas figure in the camp.

Israeli strike kills 3 in southern Lebanon

An overnight Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle on a coastal highway in southern Lebanon, killing three people, Lebanon’s state news agency said.

The highway connects the city of Tyre to Naqoura, a border town near Israel.

On Wednesday (March 4, 2026), the Israeli military warned residents to move north of the Litani River, which serves as a key buffer line with villages south of it lying closest to the Israeli border.

The number of people killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon in the four days since the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah reignited has risen to more than 70, with over 430 people wounded, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Wednesday (March 5, 2026).

It is not clear how many of those killed in Lebanon were civilians, but the Health Ministry said Tuesday that they included seven children.

Officials with Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group were also killed.

Iran’s clerics are choosing a new supreme leader

Iran’s leaders are scrambling to replace Khamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years. It’s only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that a new supreme leader is being chosen.

Potential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement. Mojtaba Khamenei, Khamenei’s son, has long been considered among them — though he has never been elected or appointed to a government position.

In a sign that Iran’s leadership will only seek to consolidate its power as it faces its biggest crisis in decades, the head of the judiciary warned that “those who cooperate with the enemy in any way will be considered an enemy.” Israel’s Defence Minister, Katz, said on X that Iran’s next supreme leader — if he continues to threaten Israel, the US and others — “will be a target for elimination.” 

Published – March 05, 2026 11:53 am IST