Update: War in the Middle East

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on March 3, 2026. [AFP]

Here are the latest events in the Middle East war:

 'Iran oil infrastructure intact'

Iran's Fars news agency, citing sources on Kharg Island, a crucial hub for Tehran, said there had been no damage to oil facilities after President Donald Trump said US strikes had destroyed only military targets there.

Trump had threatened in a social media post to target oil infrastructure on the island if Tehran continues to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has, in turn, threatened to target US-linked oil infrastructure.

 Israeli strikes

The Israeli army told people in an industrial zone in the west of Iran's northern city of Tabriz to leave ahead of military operations on Saturday.

"Urgent warning to all people located in the industrial area west of Tabriz," the Israeli military posted on X, adding it would "continue to operate in the area in the coming hours".

Meanwhile, an Israeli strike hit an apartment building in a northern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut and targets in the country's south, local media said Saturday.

An overnight Israeli strike killed a dozen medical staff at a clinic in south Lebanon, health authorities said earlier Saturday, after Iran-backed Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem said his group was ready for a long confrontation with Israel.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 773 people in Lebanon since March 2, according to the health ministry.

US embassy in Baghdad attacked

A drone struck the US embassy in Baghdad on Saturday, an Iraqi security official said, as an AFP journalist saw smoke rising from the complex. The attack followed strikes targeting the powerful Iran-backed group Kataeb Hezbollah, killing two members including a "key figure", security sources told AFP.

None of the sources said who was believed to be behind the embassy strikes, and the Kataeb Hezbollah group has not commented.

Trump says Iran 'defeated', wants deal

US President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has been "totally defeated" in the US-Israeli military campaign against the country, despite Iranian officials pledging to continue the fight.

"The Fake News Media hates to report how well the United States Military has done against Iran, which is totally defeated and wants a deal - But not a deal that I would accept!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, without elaborating.

Hamas plea

Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Saturday called on Iran to refrain from targeting neighbouring countries, while affirming Tehran's right to defend itself against Israel and the United States.

"While affirming the right of the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to this aggression by all available means in accordance with international norms and laws, the movement calls on the brothers in Iran to avoid targeting neighbouring countries," Hamas said in a statement.

Hamas, which fought a devastating two-year war with Israel in Gaza, also called on the international community to "work towards halting" the ongoing war immediately.

Trump says US to escort tankers 'very soon'

Trump told reporters Friday that the US Navy would start escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz "very soon" to restore oil exports as he struggles to tackle soaring energy prices.

 Qatar evacuates 'key areas'

Qatar's interior ministry said Saturday that it was evacuating a number of "key areas" as Iran presses its retaliatory air campaign against Gulf countries.

In Doha's central Musheireb district some residents received phone alerts telling them to "evacuate the area immediately... to the nearest safest place as a temporary precaution".

Iran targets Israel

Iran launched a fresh round of missiles towards Israel, state media reported just after midnight on Saturday in Tehran, but Israeli rescue workers said there were no reported casualties following the strikes.

Israel's military said it had identified missiles from Iran and "was operating to intercept the threat," as air raid sirens in multiple areas sent people into shelters.

- US reportedly bulking up military presence -

The United States appears to be reinforcing its Middle East deployment by sending an amphibious assault ship and Marines to the region, The Wall Street Journal reported.

CNN reported that the deployment includes an Expeditionary Unit, which are typically made up of 2,500 Marines and sailors.