The United States consulate in Dubai has been attacked by an Iranian drone as the Islamic regime ramps up attacks on US targets and its Gulf neighbours.
In footage of the event, the terrifying sound of an approaching drone could be heard before a deep orange fireball and thick plume of smoke rising into the night sky.
Meanwhile, Qatar said that Iran had launched two missiles towards its territory, with one targeting the US-run Al Udeid base.
It came as two drones struck the US Embassy in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh on Monday.
Subsequently, it has now emerged that one of the targets of the attack was a CIA centre in the embassy complex.
Addressing the consulate attack this evening, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed a drone struck a parking lot adjacent to US consulate in Dubai.
He said that all personnel have been accounted for following the incident.
Goodnight
That's all from Tuesday's coverage of the war in Iran. For the latest live blog, click the link below.
Two Kuwaiti army personnel killed in Iranian attacks
Two Kuwaiti army personnel have died as a result of Iran's attacks against the country, the government media office has confirmed.
Qatar arrests two Iranian Revolutionary Guards cells
Qatar's state security apparatus has confirmed it has arrested two cells affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the country.
Son of slain Ayatollah appointed as new Supreme Leader
Iran’s Assembly of Experts has chosen Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, the son of the late supreme leader, as his successor.
The second son of Ali Khamenei is widely believed to have been groomed for the role and is said to exert considerable influence behind the scenes.
He is thought to have close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country’s most powerful military force.
A dynastic handover, however, is traditionally viewed with suspicion within the Shiite clerical establishment, where hereditary succession is frowned upon.
Marco Rubio confirms attack on US consulate
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed a drone struck a parking lot adjacent to the US consulate in Dubai.
He said that all personnel have been accounted for following the incident.
Drone strike at US consulate in Dubai sparks fire
An Iranian drone strike has hit the US consulate in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and sparked a fire.
Authorities have been able to control the blaze, and no injuries have been reported.
France orders aircraft carrier and frigates to Mediterranean amid Middle East tensions
Emmanuel Macron has ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, along with its air wing and accompanying frigates, to deploy to the Mediterranean amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
“Faced with this unstable situation and the uncertainties of the coming days, I have ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, its air assets, and its frigate escort to set sail for the Mediterranean,” he said in a televised address to the nation.
Israel strikes compound vital for Iran’s ‘necessary capabilities’ for nuclear weapons
The Israeli military has said it has struck a compound in Iran vital to the development of the Islamic regime’s nuclear weapons programme.
It said that the facility was operated to develop the “necessary capabilities’ to develop the destructive warheads.
Donald Trump considering military protection for oil tankers to 'cool enegry prices'
Donald Trump is weighing up providing military protection to oil and gas tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to "cool energy prices".
The price of heating oil is up nine per cent, the highest since October 2023.
Israel kills commander in Iran's infamous Quds Force
Israel has said it has killed the commander of Iran's infamous Quds Force in Lebanon, Daoud Ali Zadeh, in a strike on Tehran.
The Quds force is an elite element of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that specialises in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations.
President Trump outlines 'worst case scenario' in Iran
President Trump has outlined what he would consider the “worst case scenario” result in Iran following the US toppling the Islamic regime.
Addressing the issue to reporters, he said: “We hit Iran, and somebody takes over as bad as the previous person."
Regarding who might fill the leadership vacuum in Iran, the US leader appeared open to options.
“Someone from within might be more appropriate”
Iranian drones down en route to US embassy
Iraq has downed Iranian drones that were en route to the US embassy in Erbil, security sources have said.
Earlier, Iran US tragetd the US embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Keir Starmer shares 'outrage' over Iran Cyprus strikes
Keir Starmer has shared his "outrage" over Iran's drone strikes on RAF Akrotiri in a phone call with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “He expressed his outrage at the drone attack on the RAF Base in Akrotiri on Sunday evening – adding that it is a deeply concerning example of the highly dangerous, indiscriminate attacks by Iran and its proxies taking place across the region.
“He set out his unwavering support for Cyprus and its security. In addition to the ongoing defensive operations undertaken by the UK, he confirmed the UK will deploy two Wildcat helicopters later this week. These helicopters will provide more counter-drone capability to hunt and shoot down any further threats, he added.
“A Type 45 Air Defence Destroyer, one of the most capable air defence warships in the world, will also be deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean to help defend the area, he said.
“They agreed to keep in close contact.”
Britain shoots down Iranian drones, MoD confirms
Britain has shot down Iranian drones over Iraq, Jordan, and Qatar over the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.
President Trump threatens trade embargo with Spain over Iran resistance
President Trump has threatened a trade embargo with Spain over the nation's restiance on allowing the US to use its military bases as part of operations against Iran.
"We're going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don't want anything to do with Spain," the US leader declared.
Donald Trump issues direct barb to Keir Starmer as he fumes: 'I am not happy with the UK'
President Donald Trump has he is "not happy with the UK" as he issued a direct challenge to Keir Starmer.
"This is not Winston Churchill we're dealing with," the US leader said of his British opposite number.
US and Germany 'on same page' with Iran
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said Germany is "on the same page" with the US on Iran.
"We are on the same page with getting rid of the terrible regime in Iran," he told reporters while meeting President Trump in the White House.
'Loud bangs' heard in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi
"Loud bangs" have been heard in Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi, according to eyewitnesses.
It could suggest a new wave of attacks on the cities in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
A quarter of a million Britons live in Dubai.
US has launched 1,700 strikes on Iran so far ahead of renewed 'big wave'
The United States has launched 1,700 strikes on Iran since Operation Epic Fury began on Saturday.
Yesterday, President Trump confirmed that another "big wave" of attacks on the Islamic regime was imminent.
Donald Trump tells Iran 'it's too late to talk' as key site in picking new Supreme Leader destroyed
President Donald Trump has told the Iranian regime it was now "too late to talk" as a key site in appointing a new Supreme Leader was devastated in a fresh strike.
Taking to Truth Social, the US leader issued a brutal assessment of the Islamic Republic after the initial exchanges of Operation Epic Fury.
"Their air defence, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone," he wrote.
"They want to talk. I said 'Too Late!'""
Meanwhile, Israel’s air force struck the building housing Iran’s Council of Experts in the holy city of Qom to disrupt the process of appointing a new Supreme Leader.
An IDF official said the strike occurred while votes were being counted and that the aim was to prevent the clerical body from selecting a successor to former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated on Saturday in the first wave of Israeli strikes.
"We wanted to prevent them from picking a new supreme leader," the unnamed Israeli official said.
It was not immediately clear how many of the council’s 88 members were in the building at the time or the extent of the damage.
Donald Trump expected to issue Iran update in meeting with German Chancellor
President Donald Trump is expected to issue an update on US operations against Iran this afternoon as he hosts German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House.
While the meeting was arranged before the launching of Operation Epic Fury on Saturday, the campaign against the Islamic regime is likely to be addressed.
The pair will speak to assembled journalists before sitting down for lunch.
Previously, Chancellor Merz said that Germany shared the “relief of many Iranians that this mullah regime is now coming to an end".
Yesterday at a medal awarding ceremony at the White House, Mr Trump set out a timeline for the US to “crush” Iran and said his country was “ahead of schedule” in the objective.
Dow Jones continues to nosedive amid US strikes in Iran
The US stock market continued to dip into the red as the Dow Jones collapsed by 1,000 points once Wall Street trading opened this morning.
President Donald Trump and Israel's decision to take direct military action against Iran has spooked investors as oil prices surge globally.
The S&P 500 slipped by around 1.6 per cent, while the Dow Jones and tech-heavy Nasdaq both nosedived by 2.20 per cent as fears grow that the conflict in the Middle East will escalate.
Crude prices are surging once again as key supply routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, remain blocked and Iranian attacks widened out to include Gulf State energy infrastructure.
Iranian political building destroyed in latest air attack
A building where Iranian officials who will decide the country's new supreme leader meet has been destroyed in airstrikes, state new agencies reported.
The Assembly of Experts, which has buildings in both Tehran and south of the capital in the city of Qom, consists of members who help to decide who assumes the role after Ayatollah Khamenei's killing on Saturday.
Witnesses also told the Reuters news agency the area close to the assembly had been hit, with the assembly's Qom building housing flattened by the air attack.
Iran echoes Trump's sentiment - 'too late to talk'
The Iranian ambassador doubts the "usefulness of negotiation" with US as conflict continues.
Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, has cast doubt on the prospect of negotiations with the United States.
"For the time being we are very doubtful about the usefulness of negotiation," Ali Bahreini told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday, according to the Reuters news agency.
It comes after US President Trump declared it was "too late" to talk in a post on his Truth Social messaging platform.
PM's 'foot-dragging' put US relations in jeopardy, says shadow armed forces minister
Commenting on President Trump’s latest remarks about the Prime Minister, Mark Francois, shadow armed forces minister, highlighted Sir Keir's "foot-dragging" putting relations between the two nations in jeopardy.
He told GB News: "Sir Keir Starmer’s endless foot-dragging over Iran is now clearly damaging our relations with the United States - the key relationship within NATO.
"Starmer’s flip-flop over the use of the runway at Diego Garcia meant that US bombers initially had to undertake a 37 hour round trip from the Midwest to strike their targets in Iran - a point seemingly not lost on President Trump.
"As we now know that the Americans have a definitive legal veto on Labour’s bonkers Chagos Deal, let’s hope they now publicly exercise it - and thus kill the whole mad scheme off, once and for all".
'Too soon to tell' impact on numbers of refugees from Middle East
It is “too soon to know” if the Middle East conflict will affect the number of people crossing the English Channel in small boats, Oxford University experts have said.
In recent years, Iran has been the most common country of origin for asylum applicants, and Iranians have made up the largest group of small boat arrivals in the UK.
But Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said it “remains unclear” how much the latest unrest will affect asylum trends.
She said: “If there is another violent crackdown, this could push more people to leave.
“If there is a change in regime, some people who feared the previous government might feel safer, but instability and conflicts could emerge as new groups wrestle for power.
“This makes the situation for refugees unpredictable".
Most Iranians leaving the country will not travel as far as the UK, but it is still a major destination, she said.
Iran was the third most common country of nationality among asylum seekers in 2024, after Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to the Migration Observatory.
UK sending 'significant level of defensive capability' to RAF Akrotiri
Downing Street said the UK has sent a “significant level of defensive capability” to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus amid reports that France plans to move air defence systems to the island after the base was hit by a drone.
When asked about France sending warships to the region, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “I’m obviously not going to comment on other countries, I think we’ve set out multiple times the assets, the capabilities that we’ve deployed defensively to the region and that includes radar systems, air defence and F-35 jets.
“That is a significant level of defensive capability to our bases in Cyprus".
As the UK is understood to be considering sending a Type 45 air defence destroyer to the region, he said the Ministry of Defence will provide updates “when armed forces have taken significant defensive action”.
'Too late to talk' says Trump - taking action 'without boots on the ground'
US President Donald Trump has shared a brief update on the conflict in Iran via his Truth Social platform.
Responding to another user on the platform who said the US strikes had led to "the birth of the Trump Doctrine", the president said of Iran: "Their air defence, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone.
"They want to talk. I said too late'".
Government charter flight to repatriate Britons trapped in Oman, Foreign Secretary declares
A Government charter flight will take off from Muscat, Oman, “in the coming days”, the Foreign Secretary has said.
Yvette Cooper told the Commons that 130,000 British nationals have now registered their presence with the Foreign Office, allowing them to receive updates from the British government as the situation unfolds.
She told MPs: “Members will know that in many of these countries, the airspace is still closed, but I am in close contact with my counterparts across the region, speaking again yesterday with the UAE on the excellent support that they are providing and some of the departures that they are now securing as this becomes viable.
“We are also working with airlines on increasing capacity out of Muscat for British nationals, with priority for vulnerable nationals, and a Government charter flight will fly from Muscat in the coming days, prioritising vulnerable nationals, but British nationals in Oman must wait to be contacted by the foreign office regarding these options, and we will continue to work 24/7 on supporting British nationals in the region.
“I would tell the House, this is a very fast-moving situation. We have unprecedented numbers of British nationals in the region, and I will continue to update members and affected British nationals as the situation evolves".
Keir Starmer accused of 'backing the Iranian regime over Donald Trump' by Tory frontbencher: 'Disgraceful!'
Keir Starmer could back down even further with welfare bill as vote beckons | GETTYChris Philp has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over his refusal to permit American forces to utilise British military bases, amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Speaking to GB News, the Shadow Home Secretary branded the decision "deeply harmful" to the nation's interests and a "disgrace".
"Once again, Keir Starmer has revealed himself to be a weak lawyer and not a leader," he declared.
Mr Philp accused the Prime Minister of effectively siding with Tehran over Washington, suggesting Sir Keir appeared to believe "supporting the Iranian regime was more important than supporting America".
READ MORE HERE
National Cyber Security Centre advise review of UK security amid 'heightened risk'
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has advised a review of security methods in response to the evolving events in the Middle East.
The guidance warned there was “almost certainly a heightened risk” of cyber threat for UK organisations and entities that have a presence, or supply chains, in the Middle East.
“Iranian state and Iran-linked cyber actors almost certainly currently maintain at least some capability to conduct cyber activity,” the NCSC notice warned.
Matthew Dunn, a former MI6 field officer, warned the Iranian state will “lash out” at anyone it sees aligned to the US strikes, including the UK, using a combination of human and cyber tactics.
“Sleeper cells and Iranian proxies in the UK, mainland Europe, and the US will be activated,” he said. “Military targets will, of course, be an objective, but more worryingly, will be the softer targets of Iranian diaspora who could be political candidates for regime change".
Iranian sleeper agents in the UK could be 'repurposed for retaliation' on British soil
A Cabinet Office source has said while Tehran will be looking to respond within the West, the UK is a “significantly lesser target” compared to the US.
The official added that UK intelligence officers tasked with monitoring Iranian espionage in Britain are actively monitoring sleeper cells to get ahead of any hostile reaction.
“I can confidently say that MI5 is going to be closely monitoring these units,” they told The i Paper, "they will be looking at who is coming and going over the next few weeks and months".
Andreas Krieg, associate professor in Security Studies at King’s College London, noted how sleeper agents traditionally used to harass Iranian dissidents could feasibly be “repurposed for retaliation".
He cautioned that moving from harassment to a physical attack would mark “a significant escalation”, carrying far higher operational risk and a greater chance of disruption.
'High alert' for Iranian sleeper agents plotting attacks in Britain
British intelligence are monitoring Iranian sleeper agents in the UK amid heightened fears of hostile retaliation on British soil.
Emerging fears are that the regime’s activities could expand to terror incidents, cyber attacks and the spread of misinformation across the West.
Retaliation could also see state-backed Iranian terrorism or cyber operations against critical British infrastructure, such as banks and energy supplies.
A UK intelligence source said British involvement in the conflict risked an increase of cyber attacks from Tehran, while a counter-terror official warned of an increase in “lone wolf” attacks.
They told The i Paper there could be “thousands of individuals” who might see an “opportunity and a cause to attack now”.
In a worst-case scenario, they warned, the UK could potentially witness a “series of attacks in the UK similar to 2017” - a deadly string of terror attacks, with five incidents resulting in 40 people killed and more than 900 injured.
Britain considering sending warship to Cyprus joining France and Greece to defend RAF Akrotiri from Iranian attacks
The Government is considering sending HMS Duncan to the Eastern Mediterranean to defend UK's base in Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, MoD sources have told GB News.
The base has come under attack since the start of the war with Iran, struck by a drone attack on Sunday night mere hours after control of the base was handed to the US for defensive purposes.
The consideration of deployment of the warship marks the first direct action taken by the UK in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict, following deployment of French and Greek warships to the region.
Type 45 destroyer that is the only piece of equipment in the British arsenal with the ability to shoot down ballistic missiles.
Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour government is on record saying "Britain is not at war", and that any and all decisions taken would be exclusively in the interest of the British people.
Reports of hit to Iran's presidential office
Israeli military claims to have hit Iran's presidential office, with the air force having struck the Iranian regime's leadership compound.
The BBC reports a statement on Telegram, where the IDF says "numerous munitions" were dropped on the Presidential Office and the Supreme National Security Council.
It adds that a military training institution and "additional key regime infrastructure" were also hit.
Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei used the compound, the IDF says - killed at his own compound over the weekend in US-Israeli strikes.
Confirmed damage to Iran's central nuclear site amid recent strikes
Damage to Iran's Natanz nuclear site has been confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency - with the entrance to buildings of the Fuel Enrichment Plant having sustained damage in the recent strikes.
The statement reads: "Based on the latest available satellite imagery, IAEA can now confirm some recent damage to entrance buildings of Iran’s underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP).
"No radiological consequence expected and no additional impact detected at FEP itself, which was severely damaged in the June conflict".
The sprawling nuclear facility is a centre part of Iran's nuclear program.
Death toll in Iran jumps to near 800 overnight
The number of Iranians killed in US-Israeli strikes has risen to 787, up from 555 yesterday, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
The new number is more than a 40 per cent increase from the humanitarian relief organisation’s earlier estimates.
Across the Middle East, dozens of people have been killed as Iran launches retaliatory strikes and the war expands, including six US personnel.
Images show destruction in Beirut from fresh strikes
Lebanon strike
|GETTY
Fresh images show the aftermath of fresh strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut launched by Israel this morning, as well as in Iran's capital Tehran.
Israel says it's hitting "military targets" in both locations, including sites that belong to Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Billowing smoke plumes rise above flattened buildings in the aftermath of the strikes, with firefighters working to help residents and dampen hotspots.
Darren Jones rejects claims PM's hesitance to act is 'pandering to Muslim voters'
Darren Jones rejected suggestions that the UK’s limited involvement in the Middle East was because Sir Keir Starmer was “pandering to Muslim voters”.
He told BBC Radio 4: “We’re obviously in discussions with the Americans about their operations, but the key point is, we are not militarily involved in the wider conflict in the Middle East, we are involved in a very discreet and narrow way to defend British interests, British citizens and British armed forces".
When echoed the stance of Donald Trump, he replied: “That’s just, that’s not right.
“The UK will act in the interests of British citizens, regardless of their faith or where they are in the United Kingdom.
“I think the public would rightly say they don’t want to be involved in a wider war in the Middle East, but they would expect us to do whatever we can to defend British citizens".
When asked whether the Government will show the courage to speak out against Mr Trump’s course of action, he replied: “Look, we will do what we need to do to protect British citizens and British interests.
“We obviously have conversations with the Americans and with other regional partners. We have been working closely with President Macron and Chancellor Merz in France and Germany, as well as closely with our regional allies in the Middle East, but our first and foremost priority is to defend British citizens".
Robert Jenrick slams PM's 'failure to be a reliable ally' to US
Reform UK Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said that Sir Keir Starmer’s “failure to be a reliable ally” has placed the relationship with the US “under a lot of strain”.
Speaking after Donald Trump’s comments in an interview with The Sun, Mr Jenrick told Times Radio that it is “sad” to see the “special relationship” phrased in that way.
He said: ”It’s bigger and deeper than one prime minister and one president and so I’m sure it can be built up again in the future.
“But it’s quite clear that the Prime Minister’s failure to be a reliable ally to the United States in this moment has placed it under a lot of strain, and that is a cause for concern.
“I’m actually more concerned about British interest, rather than what another leader, albeit a very important ally of ours, thinks of the United Kingdom.
“And there again, I think Starmer has got it wrong, because we’ve seen the drone attacks on our base in Cyprus, putting in danger our troops and the service families who live there.
“The Prime Minister’s response has been too slow. He should have made our bases available sooner and he should have used what military assets we have to defend that base more rigorously than he did".
Cyprus point finger at UK for being 'dragged into conflict'
Cyprus has blamed Britain's "poor communication" for the drone strike on RAF Akrotiri, and opened the door to Chagos-style negotiations over the future use of the sovereign base.
The island nation accused the UK of dragging it into the Middle East crisis without adequate consultation, saying there had been a lack of clarity over how the airbase was being used.
Cyprus said the British government had given assurances that RAF Akrotiri would be used for humanitarian purposes only.
However, after Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the US would be permitted to use British bases to strike Iranian missile sites, Nicosia made its displeasure clear.
Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said: "This is something we must state we view with concern".
When asked whether Cyprus would consider renegotiating the status of the British bases, Letymbiotis said: "In this regard, we are not ruling anything out".
The two bases - RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia - together currently form a British Overseas Territory under exclusive British sovereignty.
Starmer's decisions on Iran said to be 'on the basis of legality and British interest'
The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister has said Donald Trump’s remarks about the UK do not “negate the fact that we make decisions on the basis of legality and British interest”.
Asked whether he accepted the US was frustrated, Darren Jones told Sky News: “Well I’ve seen the president’s words but that doesn’t really negate the fact that we make decisions, as I say, on the basis of legality and British interest.
“We were content to offer bases at Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford, because evidently, the operations the Americans will run from those airfields will reduce the risk to British citizens and British assets in the region, and that’s why we agreed to the request to use those bases on that basis alone.
“But the Prime Minister is very clear that we were not involved in that first strike and we’re not kind of going to war with Iran or getting involved in a wider set of activities".
Asked whether the UK’s assessment was that there was not a legal basis for the initial military action over the weekend, Mr Jones said: “We were not involved in the first wave because it didn’t meet the test the Prime Minister’s set out".
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