The Iran war has also reached Lebanon.Image: keystone
A ballistic missile flies towards NATO country Turkey, Israel continues to attack Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, there are drone attacks on civilian targets in the Gulf states and the USA sinks a warship off Sri Lanka: the Iran war, which is still less than a week old, is becoming increasingly widespread.
Mar 5, 2026, 7:11 amMar 5, 2026, 7:11 am
On Thursday night, the USA and Israel continued to carry out attacks in Iran, Tehran again attacked Kurdish groups in neighboring Iraq and the Israeli military continued to bomb targets in Lebanon. Fears also increased that Israel could launch another ground offensive in its northern neighbor. These are the latest developments in the war.
Expert: Tehran wants to increase war costs for Washington
“Iran is trying to regionalize the conflict,” says the head of the International Crisis Group’s Iran program, Ali Vaez. “The attacks on the Gulf states and US bases show that Tehran believes that the best option is to increase the costs for Washington and its allies as quickly as possible.”
The firing of a ballistic missile at Turkey on Wednesday represented a new level of escalation. The Iranian missile was intended to hit the important NATO air base in Incirlik, the New York Times reported, citing US military circles. The missile was intercepted by a NATO defense system.
IOM head warns of migration crisis caused by Iran war
Meanwhile, the head of the UN Organization for Migration (IOM) warned Europe of a migration crisis that could develop within days. “Look at the example of Ukraine, where millions of people crossed the border within a few days,” said IOM boss Amy Pope in an interview with the German Press Agency in Brussels.
When there are conflicts not far from Europe, it is crucial to closely monitor people’s migration movements. «We see people who are displaced within the country. “We are monitoring whether and when this expulsion will spread to other countries,” said the American. “What we have observed in the past with attacks in Iran is that they first leave the big cities and go to family members.” The decisive factor is whether the conflict continues, whether it expands and whether civilian infrastructure is also affected. That could then lead to more refugee movements, she said.
Iran’s military attacks Kurdish groups in Iraq
The Iranian armed forces said they were again attacking Kurdish groups in neighboring Iraq. Three rockets were fired at the headquarters of opposition groups, the state news agency Irna reported, citing the military leadership in Tehran.
The pro-government broadcaster Press TV published videos showing attacks on the positions of “anti-Iranian separatists”. US media recently reported that President Donald Trump is considering arming Kurdish groups for an uprising against Iran’s government. The White House rejected this account.
Macron warns Netanyahu against a ground offensive in Lebanon
French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from a ground offensive in neighboring Lebanon. It is important that the territorial integrity of Lebanon is preserved and that the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia stops its attacks on Israel, Macron said on Platform X after talks with Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The parties should return to the ceasefire agreement.
Israel’s army, meanwhile, praised its actions against Iran’s ballistic missile positions as successful. “We believe that our operations against these rocket launchers and against the rocket stocks have contributed significantly to a reduction in the number of rockets fired daily,” said military spokesman Nadav Shoschani. Nevertheless, rocket alarms were triggered at least three times in Israel on Thursday night.
Tanker explosion reported in Persian Gulf
An explosion occurred on a tanker off the coast of Kuwait in the Persian Gulf. The captain of the ship, which was anchored around 55 kilometers southeast of Mubarak al-Kabir, noticed a large explosion on the port side before a small boat drove away, the British Merchant Shipping Safety Authority (UKMTO) reported. Oil from the cargo tank is leaking into the sea. A fire was initially not reported and the crew was fine.
Recently, ships have repeatedly been hit by projectiles in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. The escalation has meant that there are currently hardly any oil tankers and ships carrying liquid gas sailing through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, which is why world market prices have already risen.
Neighborhood of US Embassy in Qatar evacuated
The area surrounding the US Embassy in Qatar was evacuated. The Gulf state’s interior ministry said the residents of the surrounding buildings had been temporarily brought to safety as a precautionary measure. They were provided with other accommodations.
Since the start of the Iran war on Saturday, the Iranian armed forces have repeatedly fired missiles and drones into Qatar. (hkl/sda/dpa)