Trump says Iran offers talks: what's happening in the Middle East

Updated

The military operation of Israel and the United States in Iran continues for the second day. Briefly about the latest events for the evening of March 1 - in this material.

- Airstrikes continue across the Middle East. Iran is firing missiles at Tel Aviv and the Persian Gulf countries. Among the targets are the airports of Dubai and Kuwait, writes Bloomberg. Earlier, the strikes also affected the symbols of Dubai - a hotel on the artificial archipelago Palm Jumeirah and one of the emirate's iconic buildings, the Burj al-Arab ("Sail"), and the port of Jabal Ali, one of the largest in the world. Israel also continues to strike Iran.

- Donald Trump has said that Iran's interim leadership wants to talk to him and he is open to that conversation. Asked how an escalation in the Middle East could affect oil prices or the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, "I'm not worried about anything." He added: "I'm just doing what's right. It works out in the end."

Trump also said the U.S. has sunk nine Iranian Navy ships.

- Israel said it will call up 100,000 reservists to reinforce the army. The mobilization is a sign that Israel is preparing for a confrontation with Iran, which could last not just a few days but longer, Bloomberg writes. Israel has also tentatively approved an additional $2.9 billion for this year's defense budget.

- Iran has said it has no intention of officially closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for oil and gas tankers from the Persian Gulf. Nevertheless, transit through the strait has been effectively suspended due to risks to ships.

- Three U.S. servicemen were killed in the operation and several others were wounded.

- The Abu Dhabi and Dubai stock markets will be closed on March 2 and 3.

- In addition to Khamenei, key figures in Iran's army and intelligence services, including the chief of staff of the armed forces and the defense minister, have been assassinated. The country will be temporarily governed by a three-member council of the president, the head of the judiciary and a representative of the IRGC. The 88 experts are expected to choose a successor to the supreme leader's post at a later date.

- Israel said earlier that more than 1,200 munitions were dropped on Iran in the first 24 hours of the operation. By comparison, 330 munitions were dropped on Iran on the first day of last year's 12-day war, Bloomberg writes. Trump said the day before that the strikes on Iran will continue "for a week or as long as it takes."

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor