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Middle East war: the latest developments

Auteur: AFP

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Guerre au Moyen-Orient: les derniers développements

Israel launched powerful new strikes on Iran on Wednesday and expanded its offensive into Lebanon, where loud explosions were heard in Beirut, on the fifth day of the Middle East war.

Iran continues to launch missiles against American and Israeli targets in the Gulf in retaliation. The conflict is causing oil prices to soar and unsettling markets, particularly in Asia where the Seoul stock exchange was suspended after a sharp drop.

A summary of the latest developments:

Strikes on Iran

The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that it had "struck dozens" of targets in Iran, including command centers in Tehran.

"The army dropped dozens of munitions on Homeland Security command centers," it said in a statement.

The army had announced earlier that it had targeted a secret underground military center in the Tehran region, destroying "a key element of the Iranian regime's ability to develop nuclear weapons".

The United States has struck "nearly 2,000 targets" since the start of the war with Iran, a US military official said Tuesday, asserting that the strikes in the first 24 hours were "twice" as many as those at the start of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Israel expands its strikes in Lebanon

Israel on Wednesday expanded the scope of its strikes in Lebanon, targeting the area of the presidential palace near Beirut and other areas south of the capital, as well as strongholds of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah.

A new strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut on Wednesday morning, following an evacuation order from the Israeli army.

For the first time, a strike targeted a hotel in Hazmieh, a Christian suburb of Beirut close to the presidential palace and numerous diplomatic missions.

Earlier, Israeli strikes killed at least 11 people on Wednesday south of Beirut and in Baalbek, the Health Ministry and state media reported.

Iran fires missiles at American and Israeli targets

The Revolutionary Guards claimed on Wednesday to have fired around 40 missiles at American and Israeli targets, without providing further details.

An Iranian missile struck the Al-Udeid US military base in Qatar on Tuesday "without causing any casualties," according to a statement released Tuesday by the Qatari Ministry of Defense.

Khameni's national funeral

State funeral for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who had ruled Iran for 36 years before being killed Saturday by Israeli-American strikes, will begin Wednesday evening for three days, the official IRNA news agency announced.

"From 10:00 PM on Wednesday (6:30 PM GMT), the faithful will be able to pay a final tribute to the remains of the martyred leader of the nation (...) at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque" in Tehran, Irna reported.

Ali Khamenei, who died at the age of 86, is to be buried in the holy city of Mashhad (northeast), where he was originally from.

"Total control" of the Strait of Hormuz

The Revolutionary Guards claimed to have "total control" of the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for global oil trade at the entrance to the Gulf, in a statement released Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US Navy could escort oil tankers "if necessary" through the strait, where traffic is frozen.

Financial impact

Oil prices continued to climb in Asia on Wednesday.

In South Korea, trading was suspended on the Seoul stock exchange after the two main indices plummeted by more than 8%, while Tokyo lost over 4% and Hong Kong up to 3%. European stock markets closed sharply lower on Tuesday, but Wall Street merely eased off.

Evacuations

The United States has "authorized" its non-essential diplomatic staff to leave Cyprus, Saudi Arabia and Oman, following six other countries in the region the previous day.

The first flight organized by France to repatriate its citizens from the Middle East arrived in Paris overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, coming from Oman. Germany and the United Kingdom are also scheduled to evacuate their citizens on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia targeted

The Saudi Ministry of Defense announced Wednesday morning the interception of two missiles and nine drones in the country's airspace, in separate messages.

"Two cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed in Kharj," a region in the center of the kingdom, said the spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.

French and British reinforcements

Paris has announced it will send military reinforcements to the Middle East, including the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and Rafale fighter jets. London is sending a warship and anti-drone equipment to protect British bases in Cyprus.

Trump claims Iran struck first

The US president asserted that Iran would have attacked "first" if Israel and the United States had not launched their operation on Saturday, which "destroyed almost everything" in Iran.

"I may have forced Israel's hand," he added, contradicting his foreign minister, Marco Rubio. According to Mr. Trump, most of the Iranian officials Washington had in mind to lead Iran after the war are dead.

Auteur: AFP
Publié le: Mercredi 04 Mars 2026

Commentaires (4)

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    Vérité il y a 14 heures
    Depuis 47 ans l'iran fait dans l'impérialisme chiite en armant et instrumentalisant tous les groupes armés de la région à son profit au détriment des arabes sunnites. Ce régime a jeté les arabes dans les mains d'Israël et des Américains qui n'ont que ce recours pour se protéger au détriment de la cause palestinienne. L'Iran a poussé le Hamas qu'il finance a attaquer Israel pour empêcher l'accorde de défense Israelo-saoudiens, qu'il a provoqué par ses menaces, ce qui a abouti au massacre des palestiniens. Il a provoqué une guerre entre arabes au Yémen avec les Houthis impactant tous les pays frontaliers. Il a soutenu le régime d'Assad réprimant durement les Sunnites syriens. Il a soutenu le Hezbollah y compris dans la guerre civile libanaise. Il a bombardé des sites arabes depuis 47 ans, mené des prises d'otages, soutenu le terrorisme partout et même tous les régimes foireux pour des histoires d'accord de normalisation. Nous nous rappellerons de l'axe Jammeh/Ahmadinejad/Khamenei/MFDC. Et je passe sur les centaines de milliers de morts en interne. La fin de ce régime va enfin faire disparaitre la peur de l'épouvantail Iranien qui lie les Arabes sunnites à Israël et sur laquelle repose toute sa colonisation de la Palestine. Les Arabes pourront enfin soutenir les Palestiniens car la peur de l'Iran ne les liera plus sans condition à Israël et aux USA. Ce régime iranien est l'idiot utile et la base même de l'hégémonie Israélienne dans la région. Ne l'oublions jamais.
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    Observation il y a 14 heures
    Go IRAN tout le monde civilise croyant est avec vous la plupart des americains meme sont avec vous IL faut utiliser toutes Les forces necessaire pour dire non a l aggression Des zioniste israelo americains. IL faut tout detruire en Isreal ne laisser un seul building. Et aux USA the same thing destroy all they have in the golf dont spare nothing that way they LL understand the price of electing an evil racist liar yellow clown as president. Allah swt is in control stay steadfast you ll be victorious at the end. Amerique pensait qu ils sont intouchable lils peuvent meme pas proteger un syteme anti missile qui coute 2 billion dollar Detruit par une drones qui coute $20000. What a stupid equation that money could ve been use to get rid of poverty in the world instead of always thinking about dominating someone. Best way to dominate is to show compassion to humanity not to make weapons. Just one evil percent is doing all these damage to the world Alhamdulilah they LL be judgment day All before Allah swt man will regret being born.
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    Toto il y a 3 heures
    Les massacres du 07 octobre étaient une très mauvaise idée. Maintenant, faut payer l’addition…
  • image
    Tutu il y a 2 heures
    Mais Israël repond puissance 1000 c est incroyable et personne ne bouge.
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    James le juif il y a 22 minutes
    Maintenant tu pourras peut être bien accélérer ta grosse mercedes... Je parle du chauffeur de l'ambassade d'Iran au Sénégal... J'oublie jamais...! Sant Serigne Touba rek 🙏

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