WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he ordered the U.S. military to attack Iran to thwart Tehran's nuclear program and a ballistic missile program that he said was growing rapidly.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; eduiting by David Ljunggren)
On Dubai's artificial island, empty beaches stand in stark contrast to frantic hotel lobbies, where stranded tourists have taken shelter as they wait for a way home.
Iran's strikes on Gulf neighbours since Saturday, following the US-Israeli attack, forced the UAE to shut its airspace, blindsiding travellers who thought they were headed to one of the region's safest holiday destinations.
Dubai, which welcomed nearly 20 million visitors in 2025, has built its brand on safety and the global reach of its busy airport.
MOSCOW, March 2 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed risks of escalation around Iran in a phone call with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, the Kremlin said in a statement.
"Both sides expressed serious concern about the real risks of the conflict spreading, which has already affected the territories of a number of Arab countries and could have catastrophic consequences," the Kremlin said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday backed the aims of the US-Israeli war on Iran but called for its early end, voicing fear for the global economy, as he visited the White Hosue.
Merz, who has been among Europe's more hawkish voices on Iran, became the first foreign leader to see Trump after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran on Saturday.
"This is, of course, damaging our economies. This is true for the oil prices, and this is true for the gas prices as well," Merz told reporters in the Oval Office as he met Trump.
WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - Top U.S. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Monday gave an initial timeline and some details on the start of the U.S. military operation in Iran. So far four U.S. service members have been killed and four others remain seriously wounded, the military has said.
FEBRUARY 27: At 3:38 p.m. ET (2038 GMT), the U.S. Central Command received "the final go order" from President Donald Trump: "Operation Epic Fury is approved. No aborts. Good luck."
Workers stayed home and Ramadan prayers were cancelled in Kuwait on Monday as the tiny Gulf emirate was left on edge following Iranian attacks that marked its biggest upheaval in decades.
Home to a major US military presence, Kuwait has been sucked into Iran's war against the United States and Israel, with the US embassy apparently hit, three American warplanes mistakenly shot down by its military, and a power station struck.
After years of US planning and weeks of military buildup, President Donald Trump gave the order for American forces to strike Iran: "Operation Epic Fury is approved. No aborts. Good luck."
US forces then launched a sweeping campaign of strikes that has smashed Iranian command-and-control sites, destroyed missile infrastructure and sunk navy vessels.
Below, AFP examines key moments in the US operation against Iran.
- The buildup -
LONDON, March 2 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has led Iran to strike military and economic targets in a more "reckless" manner in the region.
The death of Khamenei "will not stop Iran from launching these strikes," Starmer told parliament. "In fact, their approach is becoming even more reckless and more dangerous to civilians."
(Reporting by William James and Sam Tabahriti, writing by Andrew MacAskill, editing by Alistair Smout)
WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - The "big wave" is yet to come in the war with Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump told CNN on Monday, adding that Washington did not know who the country's new leader would be following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"We haven't even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn't even happened. The big one is coming soon," Trump said, telling CNN it was unclear who was now leading the country.
"We don't know who the leadership is. We don't know who they'll pick," he said.
By Angelo Amante
ROME, March 2 (Reuters) - Italy has received requests for air defence and anti-drone systems from Gulf countries caught up in the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States, Rome's defence minister told lawmakers on Monday.
The war against Iran is expanding as Israel has attacked Lebanon in response to strikes by militant group Hezbollah, Tehran has fired missiles and drones at Gulf states, and an Iranian-made drone has hit a British air base in Cyprus.
