Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Iran claims 'complete control' of strait: latest in the Mideast war
Paris, France, March 4 (AFP) Mar 04, 2026
Iran claimed total control of the key energy transit Strait of Hormuz Wednesday, the war's fifth day, as Israel hit Iran with fresh strikes and advanced into Lebanon against Tehran-backed Hezbollah militants.

Here are the latest developments:


- Israel plans 'one or two' more weeks of strikes -


Israeli media said the military was planning "at least one or two more weeks of operations in Iran, during which it aims to hit thousands more Iranian regime targets," the Times of Israel reported after a briefing to the nation's military reporters.

Earlier the Israeli military said it had begun a fresh wave of strikes on Tehran, as an AFP journalist reported a fresh explosion in the northeast of the Iranian capital.

The army said it had struck "dozens" of targets, including security command centres in Tehran and a missile facility in Isfahan in western Iran, and had shot down an Iranian fighter jet over the capital.


- Khamenei funeral postponed -


The funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that was due Wednesday evening has been postponed, state television announced, "in anticipation of unprecedented turnout". A new date will be announced later, it said.


- Iran 'trying' to appoint successor -


Iran is "trying" to quickly appoint a successor to Khamenei as supreme leader, despite the ongoing US-Israeli bombardment, state TV reported.


- Guards claim control of Hormuz -


The Revolutionary Guards said Iranian forces had "complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for world oil and gas supplies, and any vessels seeking to pass risked damage from missiles or stray drones.

Trump had said Tuesday the US Navy was ready to escort oil tankers through the crucial Gulf shipping route.


- Ship in Hormuz struck -


A container ship transiting Hormuz was struck by an "unknown projectile," causing a fire in the engine room, the UK maritime agency said, the fourth reported attack in the waters within 24 hours.


- Iran state media say 1,000 killed -


Iran's official IRNA news agency said Wednesday US-Israeli strikes had killed 1,045 military personnel and civilians since the start of the war. AFP was not in a position to independently verify the toll.


- Israel orders Lebanon evacuations -


The Israeli army said it had begun strikes in southern Lebanon after ordering people living south of Lebanon's Litani river to evacuate, as the military expanded its campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.

Lebanese state media said Israeli forces had entered the southern Lebanese town of Khiam, about six kilometres from the border.

On Monday, Hezbollah attacked Israel from Lebanon after Khamenei's killing. Since then, Israeli strikes in multiple areas have killed at least 11 people.

Hezbollah said it had struck an Israeli army vehicle in south Lebanon, after firing a missile and drones at Israel overnight.


- Iran launches missiles at Israel -


Sirens wailed in Jerusalem after the Israeli military said it had detected missiles launched from Iran at Israel.


- NATO, Turkey warn Iran after missile intercepted -


Turkey warned Tehran after a missile headed toward its airspace was intercepted.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his Iranian counterpart in a phone call that "any steps that could lead to the spread of conflict should be avoided," a foreign ministry source said, after NATO defence systems shot down a missile launched from Iran heading toward Turkey.

NATO condemned the 'targeting of Turkey'.


- UAE, Qatar intercept drones, missiles -


The UAE's defence ministry said Wednesday its air defences "successfully engaged today with 3 ballistic missiles and detected 129 drones, of which 121 drones were intercepted".

Qatar's military said it had been targeted at dawn by 10 drones and 2 cruise missiles from Iran, with all of the projectiles intercepted by its forces.


- Spain PM hits back at Trump -


Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hit back at President Donald Trump's criticisms of Madrid's refusal to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran.

"No to war," he said, a day after Trump threatened to sever all trade with Spain.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Sanchez to "express France's European solidarity his office said.


- Stocks firm up after tumble -


European stock markets steadied after steep losses across Asian stock markets, where rising oil prices rattled investors.

Earlier the Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock exchanges reopened sharply lower after a two-day trading suspension over Iran's missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.

burs/yad/jj


ADVERTISEMENT




 WAR.WIRE

SINO.WIRE

NUKE.WIRE
Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Sidekick autonomy software guides YFQ-42A test mission for CCA program
Infleqtion lists shares on NYSE as neutral atom quantum firm
Top Chinese gaming companies continue to challenge
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News
NASA Stennis proves water systems ready for Artemis IV upper stage trials
Sateliot books Spanish Miura 5 launch for two next gen Trito satellites in 2027
New Wenchang lunar pad completes first Long March 10 test
24/7 News Coverage
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4798-4803: Back for More Science
UAE extends Mars probe mission until 2028
Mars relay orbiter seen as backbone for future exploration
24/7 Coverage of GPS News
Vantor adds Google Earth AI models to Tensorglobe for secure mission support
ASII launches national geospatial digital twin for Australian agriculture
China rolls out BeiDou satellite messaging for emergency use
Space Business News
Saudi Arabia intercepts drone attack targeting huge refinery: defence ministry
France's Dassault accuses Airbus of sabotaging European aircraft project
Gulf defences unprepared for Iranian drones, analysts say
24/7 News Coverage
Einstein probe catch may show black hole shredding white dwarf
Cheops spots inside out exoplanet quartet
Swift observatory changes operations ahead of planned orbit reboost
24/7 Coverage of GPS News
NASA announces overhaul of Artemis lunar program amid technical delays
Chang'e-6 farside samples reshape lunar impact history
New Wenchang lunar pad completes first Long March 10 test
Robot News from RoboDaily.com
Carbon fibers bend and straighten under electric control
Autonomous TerraScout robot delivers real-time field prescriptions
OpenAI hires creator of 'OpenClaw' AI agent tool
Radar News from RadarDaily.com
Valen array advances multi-mission sensing tech
Satellite radar maps reveal rapid delta land loss
Airbus taps Synspective SAR radar network for expanded Earth imaging
Indo Daily
Southern Indian Ocean waters lose salt as climate shifts currents
India's tougher AI social media rules spark censorship fears
Brazil eyes fossil fuel roadmap 'that unites'
Russo Daily
NATO trains storming Baltic beach to deter Russia
Australian defence firm helps Ukraine zap Russian drones
Madagascar's new leader in Moscow for talks with Putin
24/7 News Coverage
Chinese cable project opposed by US sparks row in Chile
Einstein probe catch may show black hole shredding white dwarf
Chang'e-6 farside samples reshape lunar impact history

All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.