US-Iran war highlights: US hits Iranian missile sites near Hormuz; Trump says ‘ahead of schedule’ in war

US Iran war news: Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel.

US Iran war highlights: The updates to this live blog have ended. Iran has confirmed the death of top of its top officials after Israel claimed to have killed Ali Larijani and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani on Tuesday. The death of the two senior Iranian security officials is a major blow to the Islamic Republic’s leadership as it faces its greatest test in decades.

Ali Larijani was the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and was considered one of the most powerful figures in the country since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike. Gholam Reza Soleimani was the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij.

Iran, which confirmed the killings, fired salvos of missiles and drones at its Gulf Arab neighbors and Israel. Earlier in the day, a wave of drone and rocket attacks targeted the US embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, with a Reuters report describing it as the most intense assault since the attacks began, with at least five drones used.

This comes after the war in the Middle East raged on multiple fronts Monday, as the US and Israel pummeled military targets in Iran’s capital, Israel stepped up its campaign against Iran-backed militants in Lebanon, and Iran retaliated with a drone strike that temporarily closed Dubai’s airport, a crucial hub for travellers.

Oil and gas crisis

Fears of a global energy crisis continued, even as a small number of ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil normally travels.

Iranian strikes on commercial ships in and around the strait — and even just the threat of attacks — have slowed shipping to a trickle, dramatically increasing oil prices and pressuring Washington to do something to ease the pain for consumers and the global economy.

Brent crude, the international standard, remained over $100 a barrel. U.S. President Donald Trump said he had demanded that roughly a half-dozen countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. But his appeals brought no immediate commitments.

Nanda Devi reaches India

Indian LPG carrier, Nanda Devi, carrying around 45,000 metric tonnes of gas, reached Gujarat after crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.

The vessel has arrived at Vadinar port in Gujarat. Although it was initially scheduled to head to Kandla port, it has been diverted to Vadinar.

Indian-flagged LPG tanker, Shivalik, had already reached Mundra Port a day earlier. The vessel delivered approximately 45,000–46,000 tonnes of LPG.

Iran on Strait of Hormuz

Speaking of the Strait, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: “From our perspective, it is open” — just not for the United States, Israel and its allies. On social media, Araghchi also rejected as “delusional” claims that Iran was looking for a negotiated end to the war, saying it was seeking neither “truce nor talks.”

Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran more than two weeks ago, Tehran has regularly fired drones and missiles at Israel, American bases in the region and Gulf Arab countries’ energy infrastructure.

Strikes continued early Tuesday, with the Israeli military reporting a salvo of Iranian missiles. Sires sounded just south of the Sea of Galilee. No injuries were reported.

Iran nuclear sites status

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said that nuclear material at Iranian facilities is currently buried under rubble following recent attacks, adding that it could only be retrieved under supervision from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Israel hits Beirut, launches new attacks on Tehran

Massive explosions were heard in Beirut on Monday as Israel launched new attacks on the Lebanese capital, saying it was striking infrastructure related to the Iran-linked Hezbollah militia. Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel after US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28.