Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in Beirut's southern suburbs on Tuesday. Raising the stakes for the global economy, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would block oil shipments from the Gulf unless US and Israeli attacks cease. “Today will be yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran,” US defence secretary Pete Hegseth told a Pentagon briefing. At least 1,270 people ​have been killed since the US and Israeli air strikes began on February 28th, according to Iranian state media reports. In Israel, rocket strikes and drones sent millions to bomb shelters as plans to reopen schools were put on hold.

Source: The Irish Times March 11, 2026 16:35 UTC