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Ukraine-Russia peace talks still expected this week, Zelenskiy says

KYIV, March 2 (Reuters) - A new round of U.S.-brokered peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, scheduled for week, has not been canceled following the weekend strikes on Iran by the U.S. and Israel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday.

Zelenskiy said that Kyiv was considering a new location for the talks, which had been due to take place on March 5 and 6 in Abu Dhabi, and that Turkey or Switzerland were possibilities.

The interior of the damaged flat in an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine February 26, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

Iraq's Erbil in the crossfire with drones and power cuts

As drones swarmed the skies above Iraq's Erbil and air defences streaked up to shoot them down, residents watched from below, fearing the fire would soon reach them.

Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region hosts US-led coalition troops, and its capital, Erbil, is home to a major US consulate complex, making it a target of the war in the Middle East, triggered by the joint US-Israeli strikes Saturday on Iran.

For days, loud bangs have been heard in Erbil as US air defences repeatedly intercepted drones.

Air defences have shooting down drone attacks above Erbil in Iraq

Putin will relay UAE president's complaints about Iranian strikes to Tehran, Kremlin says

MOSCOW, March 2 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a phone call on Monday that he was ready to relay his complaints about Iranian strikes against UAE territory to Tehran, the Kremlin said.

It cited the UAE leader as saying that his country was not being used as a base to attack Iran and that Iranian strikes on the UAE could not therefore be justified.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and UAE's President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attend a welcoming ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, January 29, 2026.    Maxim Shipenkov/Pool via REUTERS

Israeli bombardment sends Lebanese fleeing

As Israeli strikes shattered the nighttime quiet, Beirut cafe owner Hassan rushed home to whisk his wife and young daughter to safety in the nearby mountains outside the city.

The sound of heavy gunfire was a warning to residents that war had returned. The roads quickly clogged and the trip took Hassan, 30, and his family more than three hours.

"We rushed out without taking anything with us, no clothes and no food for my daughter," he said.

Lebanese took flight at the latest strikes

Key Gulf air hubs caught up in Iran conflict

Thriving thanks to their strategic geographical position, strong state backing and leading carriers, huge air hubs in the Gulf oil kingdoms have been shaken by the conflict over Iran.

Following US and Israel strikes on the Islamic Republic, Iran's retaliatory strikes have hit targets across the Gulf, forcing authorities to close airspace and stalling traffic at big hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

"Gulf airspace closures are disrupting aviation corridors between Europe and Asia," wrote analysts from ING bank in a note on Monday.

Emirates airline planes are parked on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport on March 2

US aircraft leave Spain after government says bases cannot be used for Iran attacks

MADRID, March 2 (Reuters) - Fifteen U.S. aircraft have left the Rota and Moron military bases in southern Spain since the U.S. and Israel launched weekend attacks on Iran, maps by flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed on Monday.

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain would not allow its military bases, which are jointly operated by the U.S. and Spain but under Spanish sovereignty, to be used for attacks on Iran, which Spain has condemned.

At least seven of the aircraft were shown on FlightRadar24 as having landed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Airforce Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker taxies at the Moron Air Base in Moron de la Frontera, southern Spain, August 27, 2021. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo/File Photo

Tehran hospital evacuated after explosions nearby, WHO says

GENEVA, March 2 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Monday that a hospital in Iran's capital has been evacuated after explosions nearby and that it is working to verify reports that three other medical centres in the country had been hit since the start of the U.S.-Israeli air war against Iran on February 28.

"We understand patients were moved due to nearby explosions that caused collateral damage to the hospital," said a WHO spokesperson, referring to the Gandhi Hospital in Tehran.

A woman walks on the street following an Israeli and U.S. strike on Gandhi Hotel Hospital, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 2, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

South Korea outclass Iran in Asian Women's Cup opener

South Korea went to the top of Pool A in the Women's Asian Cup after overcoming a dogged Iran 3-0 in their tournament opener on Queensland's Gold Coast on Monday.

The Koreans, runners-up to China in the 2022 edition, totally dominated a brave but outclassed Iran, who showed no signs of being affected by the war raging at home, while some supporters waved shah-era flags.

South Korea's Casey Phair, who came on as a second-half substitute, said her side had plenty of room for improvement.

Ko Yoo-jin (C) scored the final goal in South Korea's 3-0 victory over Iran in their first match of the Women's Asian Cup

Lebanese prime minister says Lebanon will ban Hezbollah's military activities

March 2 (Reuters) - Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Lebanon will ban Hezbollah's military activities after Israel said it struck Hezbollah-linked sites in response to the group's missile and drone attacks following the reported killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

(Reporting by Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily; Writng by Tala Ramadan; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam speaks to journalists at the government headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, December 3, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir