Drones and rockets have targeted the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, marking what officials describe as “the most intense assault” since the onset of attacks.
The United Arab Emirates has reopened its airspace after previously closing it in response to missile and drone threats from Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the UK following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s statement that the country would not engage in a “wider war” over Iran.
Trump reiterated his call for other nations, particularly NATO allies, to assist in securing the Strait of Hormuz, expressing surprise that more world leaders have not shown eagerness to participate in safeguarding this critical oil shipping route.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz asserted that this conflict “is not a matter for NATO,” while NATO confirmed that “allies have already stepped up to provide additional security in the Mediterranean.”
Leaders from the UK, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy issued a joint statement warning that a significant Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon would result in “devastating humanitarian consequences.”
Earlier, the Israeli military announced the initiation of “a wide-scale wave of strikes” in Tehran, Shiraz, and Tabriz, with BBC Verify reporting videos showing damage in Iran’s capital.
European leaders have condemned the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK are calling for Israel and Lebanon to begin negotiating a “sustainable political solution,” citing a “deeply alarming” humanitarian situation in Lebanon.
In their joint statement, they urged Hezbollah to disarm and halt attacks on Israel, condemning the group for choosing to align with Iran in hostilities. They emphasized, “A significant Israeli ground offensive would have devastating humanitarian consequences and could lead to a protracted conflict. It must be averted.”
This statement was released amid reports of Israeli airstrikes across Beirut, which Lebanon’s National News Agency indicated were concentrated in southern neighborhoods.
On Monday, Israel’s military reported the commencement of “limited and targeted ground operations” against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist political and military group backed by Iran, has been designated as a terrorist organization by countries including the UK and the U.S.
Strikes in Iraq continued into Tuesday, with a series of attacks reported throughout the week.
On Monday, a drone ignited a fire at a luxury hotel within Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, home to government buildings and foreign embassies.
On Tuesday morning, the U.S. embassy, situated in the Green Zone, came under attack. A security official informed AFP that “three drones and four rockets targeted the embassy, with at least one drone crashing inside the compound.”
A witness told Reuters that they observed at least three drones approaching the U.S. embassy. While two were intercepted, a third drone struck within the embassy grounds, according to Reuters.
Iraqi security sources indicated to AFP that this incident represented “the most intense assault since the attacks began.”
