Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel is winning the war and that Iran is collapsing. He asserted that Iran will no longer be able to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles. His statement came as Iran launched a series of missile attacks targeting Israel, with explosions reported in Jerusalem and air raid sirens sounding across the city.

According to the Israeli military, three rounds of missile strikes were detected within an hour and a half before midnight local time. No immediate reports of casualties or damage were available. Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported that air raid sirens also went off in northern Israel following the Iranian missile attacks.

The escalation marks a significant intensification of hostilities between Israel and Iran, with both sides exchanging military actions amid heightened regional tensions.

The United States has approved arms sales worth $230 billion to three Middle Eastern countries as tensions with Iran intensify. According to the US State Department, the United Arab Emirates will receive air defense systems and related equipment valued at over $80 billion, including missiles, drones, radar systems, and ammunition for F-16 fighter jets. Kuwait will purchase military equipment worth $80 billion, featuring missile defense and radar systems. Jordan will receive $75 million in aircraft and ammunition support.

A State Department official, speaking anonymously, said an additional $6 billion in arms sales to the three countries had also been approved. These did not require congressional notification because they were part of previously authorized packages or purely commercial transactions.

The arms deals come as regional tensions rise due to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, with the US reinforcing defense cooperation with its Arab partners in the Middle East.

Iran’s military announced that it carried out a drone strike on Israel’s Ministry of Internal Security in Jerusalem. The attack was described as retaliation for the killing of senior Iranian officials, including Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib. The statement said the operation was conducted under the banner of avenging the ‘blood of the heroes’ from the warship IRIS Dena. The extent of damage or casualties from the strike has not yet been confirmed.

Earlier, on March 4, a U.S. torpedo attack on the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off southern Sri Lanka killed more than 80 naval personnel as the vessel was returning home from exercises in India. Since February 28, the United States and Israel have continued joint operations against Iran, resulting in over 1,300 deaths, including Iran’s then-supreme leader Ali Khamenei, according to the report.

In response, Iran has launched drone and missile attacks targeting U.S. military facilities in Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, signaling a widening regional confrontation.

Japan and five European countries have announced their readiness to join a coordinated effort to reopen the Hormuz Strait and ensure safe maritime passage. In a joint statement, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan said they would participate in an 'appropriate effort' to stabilize global energy markets disrupted by recent conflicts. The announcement follows multiple attacks on energy facilities in the Gulf region amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, which has sent oil and gas prices soaring.

The countries did not specify what form their 'appropriate effort' would take but urged an immediate halt to attacks on oil, gas, and civilian infrastructure. They also pledged to take necessary measures to stabilize international energy markets and to work with certain energy-producing nations to boost production and restore balance.

Since February 28, when U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began, shipping through the Hormuz Strait has been nearly halted. Before the conflict, about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas exports passed through this vital waterway.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel and the United States are protecting the entire world through a military operation against Iran. He claimed that Israeli strikes have significantly reduced Tehran’s military capabilities and asserted that Iran can no longer enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles, though he provided no evidence to support these claims.

Netanyahu said the operation aims to eliminate Iran’s nuclear and missile threats by targeting facilities buried deep underground. He also suggested that the campaign would give the Iranian people a chance to take control of their own destiny. Addressing reports that Israel had drawn the United States into the conflict, Netanyahu dismissed them as “fake news,” adding that no one could dictate actions to President Trump.

The remarks were reported by Middle East Eye and come amid ongoing regional tensions and reports of Israeli drone activity over Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Thursday that Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles following joint airstrikes by the United States and Israel. Speaking at a press conference, he said Iran’s missile and drone stockpiles had been severely weakened and that facilities producing related equipment were being destroyed. Netanyahu added that Israel was also targeting factories involved in nuclear weapons development.

However, Netanyahu did not provide evidence to support his claim that Iran’s uranium enrichment capability had been eliminated. The statement came weeks after Oman’s foreign minister said Iran had agreed not to stockpile enriched uranium during indirect talks with the United States, before the February 28 airstrikes. Iran responded with missile attacks on Israel and other Gulf countries and disrupted oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Netanyahu noted that the conflict has so far remained largely aerial but suggested that ground operations may be necessary, without giving details. He denied accusations that he had drawn the United States into the conflict.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan energy complex involved only a small portion of Iran’s military capability. In a post on social media platform X, he said Iran exercised restraint out of respect for requests to reduce tensions.

Araghchi indicated that if Iranian infrastructure is attacked again, the country will no longer maintain restraint. He also emphasized that any effort to end the ongoing conflict must include addressing the damage caused to Iran’s civilian facilities.

The statement comes amid heightened regional tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Gulf countries, with Iran signaling readiness to respond more forcefully if provoked further.

A US F-35 stealth fighter jet was damaged by Iranian defense fire while conducting an operation inside Iran’s airspace, according to a CNN report citing two sources. The aircraft made an emergency landing at a US airbase in the Middle East after being hit. Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for the US Central Command (CENTCOM), confirmed that the fifth-generation jet was on a wartime mission over Iran when it was struck and forced to land.

Hawkins stated that the aircraft landed safely and the pilot is in stable condition. The incident is currently under investigation. This marks the first reported instance of an Iranian strike damaging a US warplane since the conflict began in late February. Both the United States and Israel have been deploying F-35 jets in the ongoing war, each costing over 100 million dollars.

The emergency landing occurred as senior US officials were publicly claiming major progress in operations against Iran. Earlier on Thursday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asserted that the US was achieving decisive victories and had neutralized Iran’s air defense systems.

An Iranian missile strike caused a fire at an oil refinery in Israel’s key port city of Haifa on Wednesday morning, according to initial reports. The blaze is believed to have started after debris from the missile fell on the facility. It was not immediately clear whether the fire had been brought under control, and no casualties were reported at the time of publication.

Air raid sirens sounded across northern and central Israel, including Jerusalem, shortly before the fire was reported. The Haifa refinery has previously been targeted during periods of Iran-Israel tension, including damage sustained during a 12-day conflict between the United States and Iran last year.

The attack followed an earlier Israeli airstrike on a petrochemical complex at Iran’s South Pars gas field, one of the world’s largest, partly controlled by Qatar. In response, Iran reportedly launched retaliatory strikes on energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, with fires breaking out at Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG complex.

A US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing after reportedly being damaged by suspected Iranian fire amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to sources familiar with the matter. The aircraft, which was on a combat mission, landed safely at a US base in the region, and the pilot was unharmed. US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins confirmed that the fifth-generation stealth jet was forced to land while operating near Iranian airspace and that an investigation is underway.

This marks the first reported incident since the conflict began in late February in which a US warplane was allegedly hit by Iranian fire. Both the United States and Israel have been deploying F-35 jets in the conflict, each valued at over 100 million dollars. Defense Minister Pete Hegseth stated that the United States is maintaining an advantage in the war and that Iran’s air defense systems have been largely dismantled.

The investigation’s outcome may influence future US operational strategies in the region as tensions remain high.

Three unnamed Israeli officials told Reuters that Israel’s attack on Iran’s South Pars gas field was carried out in coordination with the United States. They said the operation was pre-planned and conducted with Washington’s involvement, though they suggested that similar strikes were unlikely to happen again soon.

Their statements came after US President Donald Trump publicly denied any American knowledge of the specific strike. On Wednesday night, Trump wrote on social media that Washington had no prior awareness of the attack and that Israel would not strike the gas field again unless Iran launched another assault on Qatar.

The Israeli officials added that they were not surprised by Trump’s remarks, recalling a similar situation after previous Israeli strikes on Iranian energy depots when US Defense Chief Pete Hegseth had also denied American involvement.

Two journalists from the Russian state-controlled network RT were injured in an Israeli missile strike while on assignment in southern Lebanon on Thursday. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, cited by Al Jazeera, correspondent Steve Sweeney and cameraman Ali Rida were near the Al-Qasmiya Bridge, close to a local military base, when the missile hit nearby. RT confirmed the incident on its website.

Ali Rida alleged that the Israeli forces deliberately targeted them despite their visible press uniforms and identification. A video circulating online shows the missile striking less than ten meters behind Sweeney as he was reporting on camera, forcing him to take cover amid smoke and debris. The footage was captured live by Rida’s camera.

In a later video message, Rida said both he and Sweeney were safe. As of now, the Israeli military has not issued any official statement regarding the attack.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated at a Pentagon press briefing that Iran’s ballistic missile and drone attacks have dropped by 90 percent since the conflict began. He said the United States has damaged or sunk at least 120 Iranian naval vessels, rendering Iran’s surface fleet ineffective and its submarines depleted. Hegseth described senior positions in Iran’s military as temporary due to heavy losses.

He asserted that Iran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions poses a direct threat not only to the United States but also to freedom and civilization. Comparing Iran’s leadership to Hamas in Gaza, Hegseth said Tehran has invested heavily in tunnels, rockets, missiles, and drones, but the US is systematically and forcefully targeting them. He added that the US has struck more than 7,000 targets inside Iran and is preparing for another major strike.

Hegseth concluded that US military capability continues to grow while Iran’s capacity is steadily eroding.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany will not take any direct role in the ongoing war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran in the Middle East. Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Merz stated that Berlin would not act during the conflict and would only consider involvement after a ceasefire is achieved. He emphasized that Germany could contribute later to maintaining safe maritime routes once hostilities end.

Merz clarified that Germany will refrain from any operational participation while the fighting continues. However, he noted that the country is prepared to play an active role in post-war stabilization efforts. His remarks came amid heightened tensions as the conflict continues to affect regional and global stability.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized European nations for not providing sufficient support to Washington in addressing the war’s impact. Several European Union countries reportedly consider the war illegal, reflecting divisions within the Western alliance over the Middle East conflict.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Washington’s objectives in its ongoing attacks on Iran remain unchanged. Speaking at a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, he said the United States continues to monitor various aspects of the war closely and is briefing the President and the national security team. Hegseth emphasized that the US mission is on the right track and proceeding according to plan.

He reiterated that the United States is preparing to launch its largest-ever strike on Iran, claiming that Iran’s ballistic missile production capabilities have been severely damaged. Several world leaders and observers criticized Washington’s actions, arguing that the United States was not under any direct threat from Iran.

The situation has heightened concerns about regional stability, with reports suggesting that the conflict has already affected energy markets and could further escalate tensions in the Middle East.