Democracy Dies in Darkness
Updated
March 5, 2026 at 6:33 a.m. EST
Israeli forces bombarded Iran and Lebanon on Thursday, as the assault entered a sixth day and the wider region grappled with conflicts emerging on multiple fronts. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the United States would “bitterly regret” its strike on an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean. Hezbollah and Israel escalated attacks against each other and were fighting on the ground inside southern Lebanon. Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reported fresh attacks, as Iran said it launched a wave of retaliatory strikes throughout the region, including against Kurdish forces in Iraq. Iran denied firing a missile toward Turkey, a day after Turkey said NATO air defenses shot down an Iranian ballistic missile heading toward its airspace. Targeting Turkey, a NATO member, would mark a major escalation in the conflict.
What to know
- Regional war spirals: Israeli forces targeted Iran and Lebanon and retaliatory attacks from Iran continued to hit across the Persian Gulf and beyond, dragging more countries into the conflict. Two Iranian drones fell in Azerbaijan, its foreign ministry said Thursday. Qatar’s government reported intercepting missile attacks and said it would evacuate residents living near the U.S. Embassy as a “precautionary measure.” Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry said it had intercepted drones and cruise missiles.
- Iran lashes out after U.S. sinks frigate: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the United States will come to “bitterly regret precedent it has set” after the attack against the IRIS Dena a day earlier. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said it was the first time a U.S. submarine has fired a torpedo at an enemy ship in combat since World War II. Sri Lankan authorities said 87 bodies had been recovered.
- Lebanon caught in crosshairs: Beirut was jostled awake Thursday by at least six Israeli airstrikes slamming into the southern suburbs of the city. At least 72 people have been killed in Lebanon since Hezbollah entered the war late Sunday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said, as hundreds of strikes hit across the country. Israeli troops have moved further into Lebanon, displacing tens of thousands.
- War powers vote: The Senate rejected a resolution Wednesday to block President Donald Trump from ordering further strikes on Iran, declining to halt a war started without the consent of Congress.
Iran launches drones and missiles at Persian Gulf neighbors and beyond
Iranian forces launched a fresh wave of retaliatory drone and missiles across the Middle East and beyond Thursday, according to statements from Iran’s military and authorities in neighboring nations.
Two Iranian attack drones struck buildings in southern Azerbaijan around midday Thursday, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said, the first time that nation has reported such attacks since the conflict began.
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