Iran has accused the United States (US) and Israel of using a modified drone design to frame Tehran for regional attacks, escalating tensions in the Middle East. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has claimed that US and Israel had copied the Shahed-136 drone and repurposed it as a “Lucas” drone.

He described the operation as a “diabolical plot,” asserting that it was intended to falsely attribute drone attacks across the region to Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has expressed gratitude to Pakistan for extending “strong solidarity and support” amid the ongoing US-Israeli military actions. In a post written in Urdu, Araghchi said on X: “On this blessed, divine, and spiritual day and hour, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for their full-throated expression of solidarity and support with the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the face of the aggression by America and the Zionist regime.”


Zolfaghari also warned that logistics and service centres supporting the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier in the Red Sea were considered potential targets. “Aircraft carrier Gerald Ford in the Red Sea is a threat to Iran. Accordingly, the logistics and service centres for USS Ford strike group are considered to be targets,” he said in a video shared by Fars news agency.

Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar said that Israel should prepare for an intensification of hostilities. “We know that in the coming days there could be an escalation. All of the State of Israel, all of us, need to be more prepared in the coming days. It is very likely that the war will take several more long weeks,” he told Israel’s Radio 103FM.

Iran’s internet has remained largely offline for 17 days, NetBlocks reported, while US-led strikes and Iranian counterattacks have continued. Mohammad Esmaeil Tavakoli, head of Tehran province’s Emergency Medical Services, said that at least 503 people have died in the province since the conflict began, with 5,700 injured.

Recent attacks have also affected the UAE. A missile strike killed one Palestinian civilian on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, authorities said. “Authorities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi responded to an incident in the Al Bahia area involving a missile strike on a civilian vehicle, which resulted in the death of one Palestinian national,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a post on X. A separate drone strike in Fujairah triggered a fire at an industrial zone, which civil defence teams were attempting to control, with no injuries reported.

Dubai International Airport partially resumed flights after a fire near its fuel tanks, city authorities said. “Authorities are currently responding to a fire resulting from a drone-related incident in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport,” the Dubai Media Office posted. Emirates Airlines said it would operate a limited schedule following the incident.

Economic and commercial activity in the UAE has been affected by regional tensions. Citibank said most of its branches and offices in the country will remain closed until further notice due to security concerns. The Mall of the Emirates branch in central Dubai is the only exception, operating on reduced hours, the bank said in a message to customers.


The Israeli military has begun what it described as “limited and targeted ground operations” against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. “In recent days, IDF troops from the 91st division have begun limited and targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, aimed at enhancing the forward defence area,” the Israeli army said in a statement.


Oil prices hovered near $100 per barrel, and stock markets showed mixed movements as the conflict entered its third week. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described Israeli strikes on Tehran fuel depots as “ecocide,” citing potential long-term risks to public health and environmental contamination.

Donald Trump has said that Iran is using artificial intelligence as a tool for disinformation. “Iran has long been known as a Master of Media Manipulation and Public Relations. They are militarily ineffective and weak, but are really good at ‘feeding’ the very appreciative Fake News Media false information,” Trump said on Truth Social. He added that reports of destroyed US aircraft and burning buildings were “FAKE NEWS, generated by AI.”

Regional powers have largely avoided direct involvement. Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan said the country would not be drawn into the conflict, while Japan and Australia declined US requests to send naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz. Trump warned that NATO could face a “very bad” future if allies fail to assist in reopening the strategic waterway.

Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, called for rapid verdicts against those linked to the US and Israel. “We must not delay or show leniency in executing final verdicts against those who, during wartime and unrest, committed crimes and were affiliated with the aggressor enemy,” he said, according to Tasnim news agency.

US forces have also conducted airstrikes near Iran’s Chabahar Free Trade Zone, with reports of “intense explosions” from the area. 
Earlier, reports indicated that the US State Department had announced a $10 million reward for information on Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and nine other top officials. 

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed Khamenei was wounded and “likely disfigured,” questioning his ability to govern. The conflict had already claimed at least 2,000 lives across the region, with casualties reported in Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Israel, and other countries. Trump stated that Iran had been “totally defeated” but remained in talks, while Iran’s IRGC continued attacks, and the US prepared to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

The humanitarian impact continues to rise across the region. AFP and Al Jazeera reports indicate that at least 2,000 people have died since February 28, including 1,332 in Iran, 687 in Lebanon, 30 in Iraq, 12 in Israel, and 13 US service members, six of whom were killed in a recent aircraft crash in Iraq. Other fatalities were recorded in the UAE, Kuwait, Syria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.