Summary

  1. 'It was as if the night had turned into day': Iranians describe oil depot explosionpublished at 22:49 GMT

    Ghoncheh Habibiazad
    Senior reporter, BBC Persian

    “There’s a lot of smoke in the city. I can smell something burning,” says a woman in her twenties who lives in Tehran.

    A number of oil depots in Tehran and Alborz provinces were struck tonight, according to a statement by the National Iranian Oil Company. The statement says that fuel supply to both provinces is being carried out “sustainably from other sources”.

    “My mum was very stressed. First, there was a red light and everywhere was alight. Then a red cloud formed. We went upstairs to the rooftop and found out that an oil depot had been hit,” says a man in Karaj, a city in Alborz province near Tehran.

    “It was as if the night had turned into day,” says another man in his twenties from Karaj.

  2. Israel confirms strikes against Tehran fuel depotpublished at 22:42 GMT

    A large plume of smoke rises over Tehran after explosions were reported in the city during the night on March 07, 2026Image source, Getty Images

    The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed it struck "several fuel storage complexes" in Tehran, after footage we reported earlier showed huge flames above the city.

    The IDF says it was a "significant strike" against fuel tanks that it claims the Iranian regime makes "direct and frequent use of to operate military infrastructure".

  3. Qatar ruler tells Trump his nation 'will not hesitate’ to defend itselfpublished at 22:25 GMT

    Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (L) meets with US President Donald Trump (R) aboard the plane in Doha, Qatar on October 25, 2025Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    The Qatari emir and President Trump, pictured here last year, have spoken about the Iran conflict in a phone conversation

    The emir of Qatar has told President Trump that Qatar "will not hesitate to defend" itself following continued attacks from Iran.

    In a phone conversation, reported by Qatar's state-run news agency, Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani told the president that the current escalation of military action in the region will have "dangerous repercussions".

    Qatar's Ministry of Defence earlier today said it intercepted a "missile attack" targeting it.

  4. How the US and UK have disagreed over attacks on Iranpublished at 22:08 GMT

    Adam Goldsmith
    Live reporter

    Keir StarmerImage source, Reuters

    Earlier today, the BBC learned that one of Britain's two aircraft carriers, the HMS Prince of Wales, has been placed on advanced readiness in Portsmouth.

    As we've reported, though, Donald Trump a short while ago accused this manoeuvre of being too little, too late. Here's a reminder of how US-UK relations on Iran arrived at this point:

    • UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer withheld permission from the US to use its military bases to launch its initial strikes on Iran
    • He instead has maintained that efforts should be made to "de-escalate" the conflict - while Trump hit back that Starmer "is not Winston Churchill"
    • The prime minister later announced that the UK had agreed to a US request to use British military bases for "defensive" strikes on Iranian missile sites, but stressed the UK "will not join offensive action now"
    • In the meantime, British warship HMS Dragon is being loaded with ammunition as it is readied to sail to protect a military base in Cyprus next week
    • And, on Saturday United States B-1 bomber jets were seen landing at RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire
  5. US wants to pick Iranian president, Trump sayspublished at 21:57 GMT

    President Trump has been speaking to reporters on Air Force One and here's a quick summary of his latest comments:

    • On the next leader of Iran, Trump says he wants to “pick a president” for Iran that will not be “leading the country into war”, because the US does not want to “come back every five years”
    • On what unconditional surrender looks like, Trump says this is when Iran “can’t fight any longer”, before adding “if they surrender or if there is nobody around to surrender but they are rendered useless in terms of military”
    • On oil prices, the US president says he “figured oil prices would go up, which they will” but adds that “they will also come down; they’ll come down very fast”
    • On Iranian claims the UShit a water desalination plant on Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz, affecting the water supply of 30 villages, Trump says he “knows nothing” about it
  6. Trump salutes as US service members' bodies returnpublished at 21:48 GMT

    Trump, wearting a white baseball hat that reads "USA," closes his eyes as soldiers carry a casket in front of him as he salutesImage source, Reuters

    As we've been reporting, President Trump has been in Delaware witnessing the return of US soldiers' bodies killed in the US-Israeli war against Iran.

    We've just seen some images of Trump saluting coffins draped in the US flag as they are lifted by soldiers from a plane at Dover Air Force Base.

    Soldiers in green and brown uniforms carry a casket drapped with an American flag off of a planeImage source, Reuters
    A wide shot showing the tail end of a military plane as soldiers carry a casket off of it and members of the Trump administration saluteImage source, Reuters
    Trump and th efirst lady are seen saluting a casket as soldiers carry it on front of themImage source, Reuters
  7. 'We don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won,' Trump tells Starmerpublished at 21:12 GMT
    Breaking

    Donald Trump has just posted on his Truth Social messaging platform.

    He says "the United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East".

    "That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer - But we will remember," Trump says.

    "We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!" he adds.

    For context: The UK government has not joined offensive operations or given any commitment to do so. Earlier, the BBC reported one aircraft carrier had been put on an advanced state of readiness in case it needed to be deployed to the region. The UK has allowed the US to use its bases for defensive operations.

  8. Video shows huge flames in Tehran after oil refinery hitpublished at 20:52 GMT

    As we reported a short while ago, an oil depot in southern Tehran has been been struck, according to the Fars News Agency.

    We've now seen video footage from Tehran that has been shared online showing huge flames above the city. The video has been authenticated by BBC Verify.

    It is unclear whether there are any casualties.

    Media caption,

    Video shows huge flames in Tehran

  9. Spain evacuates ambassador and staff from Tehran, foreign minister sayspublished at 20:33 GMT

    Spain's Foreign minister sits at a tableImage source, Europa Press via Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares

    As Tehran continues to face US and Israeli air strikes, Spain has evacuated the last of its staff from its embassy in the Iranian capital.

    Writing on Saturday night on social media, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirms: "We have just successfully evacuated the Spanish Embassy in Iran".

    He says this is after the ambassador and other essential personnel who had remained in Tehran have now crossed the border into Azerbaijan.

    "The rest of our embassies in the region and the crisis room remain fully operational 24 hours a day through the emergency phone lines," he adds.

    Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has spoken out against Donald Trump's attacks on Iran, who says his government's position is "no to war".

  10. 'The people inside Iran have been forgotten,' Iranian man tells BBC Persianpublished at 20:00 GMT

    Faren Taghizadeh
    Senior Journalist, BBC Persian

    Despite Iran’s internet blackout, I regularly receive text and voice messages from within the country - people talking about life under attack. One was from a forty-something man, who sounded really low.

    "I’m freaking out," he says. He describes seeing "a lot of fighter jets" and hearing "five or six explosions".

    Although the war itself is in the headlines, "the people inside Iran have been forgotten", he says.

    In his view, all the media talks about is what Trump has said and how Iran responded. "Even Iranians abroad are mostly either dancing and congratulating Israel, the US, and Trump, or tearing each other apart," he says.

    Meanwhile, inside Iran, he is seeing people "nearly break from fear" at the sound of a door slamming. "When I call someone and they don’t answer, I almost have a heart attack," he says.

    BBC Persian is the Persian language service of BBC News, used by 24 million people around the world - the majority in Iran - despite being blocked and routinely jammed by Iranian authorities.

  11. Oil depot hit in south Tehran, reports Iranian mediapublished at 19:34 GMT

    An oil depot in south Tehran has been been struck, according to the Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

    It follows the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announcing a short while ago that it had begun a "wave of strikes" toward the city.

  12. Evacuation measures at Akrotiri in Cyprus extended until next weekpublished at 19:33 GMT

    Nikos Papanikolaou
    BBC News

    A car drives out of the entrance of RAF Akrotiri, a British sovereign base in the country, as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies, Cyprus March 5, 2026.Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    A car pictured at the entrance to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus

    Authorities at the British-administered Akrotiri Sovereign Base areas in Cyprus, in co-ordination with the local government, have decided to extend evacuation measures in the Akrotiri area until next week.

    Following a new security assessment, the British bases say the area will remain evacuated as a precaution, with the measures now expected to remain in place until next Friday. The situation will be reassessed again on Saturday morning.

  13. Trump meets families of soldiers killed in war with Iranpublished at 19:27 GMT

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    Reporting from Dover, Delaware

    I'm currently in a small briefing room at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where President Trump is privately meeting with the families of the six US soldiers killed early in the conflict.

    It's a solemn occasion, and the mood is very sombre. Upon arrival, a US Air Force officer briefed us on the proceedings.

    The six soldiers will be brought off the C-17 transport aircraft in two groups, starting with the most senior, Maj Jeffrey O'Brian, and ending with the lower ranking Sgt Declan Coady.

    They will be brought out in "transfer cases", which are used to transport the fallen to Dover, and are later placed in caskets to be transported to the soldier's final resting place.

    Two came from Iowa, while one each came from Nebraska, Minnesota and Florida. All six were from the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa, and were killed in an Iranian strike on their base in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.

    We have been repeatedly told that terminology is important - and that this is not a "ceremony", and ultimately, the event is about the families that lost their loved ones.

  14. Trump arrives in Delaware to witness return of US soldiers' bodiespublished at 19:20 GMT

    Donald Trump holds a silver railing as he walks down the steps of Air Force one with his eyes closed and his head tilted downwards, he is wearing a navy suit and red tieImage source, Getty Images

    We're just seen images of President Trump and some senior administration officials - including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth - arriving at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where the president is expected to witness the return of the bodies of American service members killed in the US-Israeli war against Iran.

    First Lady Melania Trump and other members of the administration are expected to be there as well.

    It is unclear if all six US service members who were killed in Kuwait last week will be arriving today or just some of them.

    Donald Trump holds his right first up while holding a white baseball hat in his left hand, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stands nearby as do other members of the militaryImage source, Getty Images
  15. Dubai resident killed by falling shrapnel from 'aerial interception' in UAE, officials saypublished at 18:58 GMT
    Breaking

    A resident of Dubai has been killed after shrapnel from an "aerial interception" fell on to a vehicle, the Dubai Media Office has announced.

    It says the incident occurred in the Al Barsha area of the city, resulting in the death of a driver.

    It follows the United Arab Emirates announcing a short while ago that it was responding to "incoming missile and drone threats from Iran".

  16. UK government organises Dubai flight for British nationalspublished at 18:35 GMT
    Breaking

    We're hearing that the UK government will charter a commercial flight out of Dubai to help British nationals hoping to leave the Middle East.

    The flight is scheduled to leave the United Arab Emirates early next week, and there is expected to be a charge for seats.

    British nationals, their spouses or partners, and children under the age of 18 are eligible to register their interest through the gov.uk website.

    The Foreign Office will contact people directly to issue them a ticket and will prioritise those who are vulnerable, such as those with urgent medical needs.

    The government says it is working with commercial operators to increase their capacity so more Brits can get home, and says they will continue to work with the airlines to find more routes for people to return. 

  17. Araghchi says US will be responsible for 'intensification' of Iran's actionspublished at 18:11 GMT

    More from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who warns US President Donald Trump that if he seeks escalation, "it is precisely what our powerful armed forces have long been prepared for".

    "Responsibility for any intensification of Iran's exercise of self-defence will lie squarely with the US administration," he adds.

    It comes after Iran's president earlier suggested that Tehran would not target its neighbouring Gulf states, "unless attacked first".

    Araghchi follows up by suggesting that Iran's "openness to de-escalation" provided its neighbour's territory is not used to attack Iran has been "almost immediately killed" by Trump's "misinterpretation" of Iran's capabilities and intent.

    Earlier, Trump appeared to characterise the Iranian president's comments as "surrender" to its neighbours, and warned the US would hit Iran "very hard".

  18. Iran foreign minister: Our 'openness to de-escalation' killed by Trumppublished at 17:56 GMT
    Breaking

    Abbas AragchiImage source, Getty Images

    Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran's "openness to de-escalation" has been "almost immediately killed" by US President Donald Trump.

    In a statement following Trump's comments earlier today, Aragchi says Trump has misinterpreted Iran's "capabilities, determination and intent".

  19. Here's what you need to knowpublished at 17:55 GMT

    Adam Goldsmith
    Live reporter

    A man carries bags through rubble in BeirutImage source, EPA/Shutterstock

    Around the Gulf states

    After Iranian President Masoud Pezekshian promised Gulf states that Tehran would not attack them "unless attacked first", Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have continued to report drone attacks through the day.

    The UAE's president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan says his country is in a "time of war" but stresses they are "no easy prey" as footage shows a drone strike near Dubai International Airport.

    In Iran

    Satellite images show damage to numerous aircraft at Tehran's Mehrabad airport - where the Israeli military says it struck 16 aircraft in an overnight bombing raid.

    As the war continues, there are reports that a new supreme leader could be chosen within 24 hours.

    In Lebanon

    In Lebanon, where Israel continues its ground and air campaign against Hezbollah fighters, 294 people have been reported killed by the country's health ministry. It says a further 1,023 have been wounded.

    There are few signs the offensive in Lebanon is set to slow; the Israeli military today warned residents in the southern suburbs of Beirut to evacuate while it targets Hezbollah.

    In the UK

    HMS Prince of Wales, one of the UK's two aircraft carriers, is being readied to sail, raising speculation it might be sent to the Middle East to defend British interests.

    And, five US B-1 bomber jets have been seen landing at RAF Fairford, after Donald Trump declared today that the US "knocked out 42 Iranian navy ships" in three days of the conflict.

  20. UAE says it's intercepting missiles and drones from Iranpublished at 17:48 GMT

    The UAE says it's responding to "incoming missile and drone threats from Iran".

    Officials say air defence systems are intercepting ballistic missiles, while fighter jets are targeting drones and other aerial vehicles.

    This is another attack, following the one reported about two hours ago.