GENEVA, March 2 (Reuters) - Switzerland said on Monday thatits diplomatic channel between the United States and Iran has remained active since the U.S.-Israeli air war against Iran began on February 28.

"It is available to both parties and operates in both directions," the Swiss foreign ministry said in an email to Reuters, without providing details.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution when Washington and Tehran cut ties, Switzerland has had a mandate of a neutral "protecting power" representing U.S. diplomatic interests in Iran.

ANKARA, March 2 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan criticised attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel as a "clear violation" of interntional law on Monday, adding that Turkey shared the pain of the Iranian people.

Speaking at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey would intensify its contacts at all levels until a ceasefire was reached and calm achieved in the region, adding the continuation of the conflict carried serious risks for the region and the world that nobody could handle.

An extended conflict in the Middle East after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran could trigger global stagflation -- a troublesome blend of high inflation and anaemic growth -- due to spiking oil and gas prices, economists warned.

- Will there be an oil shock ? -

The conflict has nearly halted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 percent of global seaborne oil passes, with several ships attacked.

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 -