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China offers $200,000 emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran after school attack.
Iran says death toll of US-Israeli strikes reaches 1,230.
Iran's IRGC official says will burn any ship trying to pass through Strait of Horm.
The United States said on Sunday that combined US-Israeli military operations in Iran could continue for a month, despite concerns about the legality of the attack.
"As strong as it (Iran) is, it's a big country, it'll take four weeks — or less," President Donald Trump told the Daily Mail.
However, the legitimacy of the operation has come into question.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky expressed his opposition to the war and criticized the administration's decision. "This is not 'America First',"Massie posted on X, calling it "acts of war unauthorized by Congress".
Former Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a staunch Trump supporter, also denounced the strike.
"Thousands and thousands of Americans from my generation have been killed and injured in never ending pointless foreign wars and we said no more," she posted to social media. "It's always a lie and it's always America Last."
Republican Representative Pat Harrigan of North Carolina claimed the 1973 War Powers Resolution gives the president the authority to act for up to 60 days without the need to consult Congress, framing the strikes on Iran as legally defensible.
However, Democrats heavily criticized the move.
"If you're going to initiate war, you need Congress," Senator Tim Kaine told Fox News.
"The president not only did not come to Congress to seek a debate or vote, he acted without even notification to the vast majority of us," Kaine said, calling it "an illegal war".
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and top defense officials are scheduled to brief Congress on the situation on Iran on Tuesday, CBS News reported.
The administration spoke about the ongoing operation on Sunday afternoon and acknowledged it is "likely" that more US service members will die.
On Monday, the US Central Command said four US service members have been killed during Iran's initial attacks and four others have been injured.
Analysts believe the death of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei will likely lead to significant shifts in the regional geopolitical landscape and prolonged chaos.
"Since the United States and Israel violated one of Iran's red lines by assassinating the supreme leader, this gives Iran a reason to escalate the conflict and broaden the scope of its targets," said Abu-Bakr Al-Desouky, an Egyptian expert on Gulf affairs and Iranian politics.
Adnan Bourji, director of the Lebanese National Center for Studies, agreed that "the war is still in its early stages, and so far there are no clear indications that it will end very soon".
Marc Weller, director of the Global Governance and Security Centre at Chatham House, said that by attacking Iran, Washington has taken a further, major step in upsetting the global order.
"The core principle of that order is that no state can go to war in pursuit of its own national policy. Where use of force is claimed as necessary in the global interest, this can only be done through a mandate from the (United Nations) Security Council," Weller wrote in an article on Chatham House's website on Sunday.
Shooting in Texas
Meanwhile, a gunman in Texas wearing clothes with an Iranian flag design and the words "Property of Allah" killed two people and wounded 14 on Sunday, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.
Police in Austin said they shot and killed the gunman, who used both a pistol and a rifle to carry out the attack. He was identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
FBI special agent Alex Doran said an exact motive was not known but "there were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism".
Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.
Contact the writers at bilinlin@chinadailyusa.com
Asian countries have voiced deep concern over the escalating US-Israeli military operations in Iran as oil prices surged to their highest in months with airspace closed and trade routes disrupted.
The foreign affairs committee of South Korea's National Assembly called an emergency session for Friday to discuss the effects of the strikes, Yonhap reported on Monday.
The day before, Koo Yun-cheol, South Korea's deputy prime minister and minister of finance and economy, convened an emergency meeting to review the situation following the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
"In particular, the government will respond promptly to the volatility of international energy prices due to the possible instability in the Strait of Hormuz," Koo said on social media.
About 70 percent of South Korea's crude oil is imported from the Middle East, with most of it transported through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran's Revolutionary Guards have threatened to close.
Global oil prices surged on Monday as the benchmark Brent crude opened 13 percent higher to hit $82 per barrel for the first time since 2024 in Asian trading before dropping back below $77.
In Southeast Asia, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he "unreservedly" condemned the killing of Khamenei as the act places the Middle East on the edge of grave and sustained instability.
"Malaysia's trade and energy security are directly implicated, and we will act as necessary to safeguard our national interests," he said on Sunday.
The same day, Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan urged all parties to return to negotiations to achieve a peaceful resolution in accordance with international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Indonesia reemphasized the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every country and resolving differences through peaceful means.
Thailand said on Monday it has suspended oil exports, with relevant agencies instructed to formulate short — and long-term response plans.
Yang Jun-sok? an economics professor at The Catholic University of Korea in Seoul, said, "If the Strait of Hormuz is cut off, then that will lead to a very significant increase in oil prices as well as delays in delivery."
Any greater effect will depend on whether the US and Iran scale up or down the conflict, Yang said, adding that the current fluctuation is within the normal range.
"If the Strait of Hormuz is blocked, or if other Middle Eastern (oil) production facilities are affected … then that will have major consequences for South Korea," he said, noting there is no official statement from Iran on the closure of the waterway. "You need to wait and see."
The conflict may give countries reliant on imports of energy and natural resources additional reasons to find alternative energy sources, Yang said.
In a report published on Monday, Singapore-based United Overseas Bank said it is important to note that Iran has not openly targeted oil tankers plying the region.
However, noting that regional air hubs, including Dubai's key international airport, are closed, it said the latest escalation in conflict is "decidedly" more serious than the relatively brief missile strike by the US on Iran's nuclear facilities in June.
kelly@chinadailyapac.com
WASHINGTON - The US Department of State on Monday urged Americans to depart immediately from the Middle East "due to serious safety risks."
The department "urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks," Mora Namdar, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, wrote in a post on X.
The locations with "serious safety risks" include Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The United States and Israel began massive airstrikes against Iran on Saturday morning. Iran confirmed on Sunday that its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes the previous day.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that US objectives in the operation against Iran "can be achieved without ground forces."
"Right now, we're not postured for ground forces, but obviously the president has those options," he said.
"Our focus is on the destruction of their ballistic missile launchers, their ballistic missile stockpiles and their ballistic missile manufacturing capability, as well as their one-way attack drones and their Navy," he said.
On the same day, US President Donald Trump said that the military campaign against Iran has the "capability to go far longer" than the four to five weeks he projected during media interviews a day earlier.
JERUSALEM - The Israeli military said early Tuesday that it has bombed Iran's communications center with dozens of munitions and "destroyed" it.
The airstrikes came less than an hour after the military posted a warning in Farsi on social platform X, urging residents near the government-run radio and television headquarters in the Evin neighborhood to evacuate the area.
"Over the years, the Iranian Broadcasting Authority called for the destruction of the State of Israel and for the use of nuclear weapons," the military said, adding that the activities at the center were directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The military said it will continue to strike Iranian government infrastructure across Tehran.
RIYADH -- Saudi Arabia's defense ministry said Tuesday that the US embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones.
The drone attack resulted in "limited" fire and material damage, the ministry said.
Previous reports said loud explosions were heard in Riyadh's diplomatic quarter.
WASHINGTON -- The US Central Command announced on Monday the death of two additional US service members in the attacks against Iran, bringing the total number to six.
"As of 4 pm ET, March 2, six US service members have been killed in action. US forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran's initial attacks in the region," the command said in a post on X.
In another post earlier in the day, the command said the US forces have sunk 11 Iranian naval vessels operating in the Gulf of Oman.
WASHINGTON -- Four US troops have been killed in action and 18 others seriously wounded during the ongoing military operation against Iran as of Monday morning, according to US Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins.
The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification, the command said in a statement.
All four died in the same attack in Kuwait, CNN reported.
Earlier on Monday, US President Donald Trump told New York Post that he is not ruling out sending US ground troops into Iran if necessary. Trump later suggested that the campaign could last beyond four to five weeks.
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said Monday at a Pentagon briefing that the US attack on Iran is in its early stages and more US troops and fighter jets are arriving in the Middle East.
"We expect to take additional losses," Caine acknowledged.
JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military said Monday night it completed a wave of strikes in the heart of Tehran targeting the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and the Basij headquarters, on the third day of the US-Israel joint operation against the Islamic republic.
The Israeli Air Force struck "dozens" of headquarters belonging to the government's internal security bodies. Among the targets were over 10 headquarters of the Ministry of Intelligence — Iran's primary intelligence body — along with numerous Quds Force facilities.
The military specifically highlighted strikes on regional command centers and Basij headquarters, adding that it will continue to target Iran's official systems.
In addition to the command centers, the air force continued to target surface-to-surface missile launchers, weapons production sites, and various Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps' Air Force assets.
The strike in the Iranian capital follows a day of heavy escalation, which included the mobilization of 110,000 Israeli reservists and intensive strikes in Lebanon, including in Beirut, after the Iran-aligned Hezbollah fired missiles and drones toward Israel.
UNITED NATIONS -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his call for de-escalation, immediate cessation of hostilities, and genuine dialogue and negotiations in the Middle East, in line with the UN Charter, his spokesperson said Monday.
"As far as the situation on the ground, the position expressed by the Secretary-General on Saturday in the Security Council remains very much valid," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a daily briefing.
"What is needed now in the region more than anything is a way out," he said.
Dujarric said that over the past 48 hours or so, the secretary-general has been in touch with a number of regional leaders, including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi.
"The Secretary-General praised Oman for its efforts on mediating peaceful negotiations and reiterated his condemnation of the attacks against Iran and the Iranian attacks on Gulf countries," he said.
Over the weekend, the UN chief also had a number of conversations with ambassadors from the Gulf Cooperation Council, said the spokesperson.
As the risk of a humanitarian fallout in the region is growing fast, the secretary-general is particularly concerned about the growing number of civilians being killed and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, Dujarric said, stressing that "international humanitarian law is clear -- civilians must be protected at all times, and civilian infrastructure must be protected as well."
TEHRAN -- A senior Iranian military advisor said on Monday the country's armed forces will not let any oil be exported through the Strait of Hormuz.
Ebrahim Jabbari, an advisor to the chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), made the remarks in an interview with state-run IRIB TV while warning that the country's armed forces will take action against any movement by oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
He said the Strait of Hormuz has been closed, and the naval forces of the IRGC and Iranian army will set any ship seeking to pass through it on fire.
Jabbari said oil pipelines in the region will also be targeted by Iran and "we will not let oil be exported from the region."
He added that the United States is dependent on the West Asia region's oil, "but they should know that not a single drop of oil will be supplied to them."
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Monday that the US military campaign against Iran has "capability to go far longer" than the four to five weeks he projected during media interviews one day earlier.
"We have capability to go far longer than that. We'll do it," Trump said at an event in the White House, referring to his earlier remarks that the attacks may last four to five weeks.
"I don't get bored. There's nothing boring about this," Trump said amid the war across the Middle East region.
Earlier, Trump told the New York Post that he is not ruling out sending US ground troops into Iran "if they were necessary".
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Saturday and Sunday found that some 43 percent of US citizens disapproved of the strikes and just 27 percent approved.
TEHRAN -- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday it launched 26 drones and five ballistic missiles at US military targets in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement on its official Sepah News outlet, the IRGC described the operation, the 12th wave of attacks against US bases in the region, as "decisive and targeted."
The statement said that 12 drones struck Camp Arifjan in Kuwait in two stages, while six drones and five ballistic missiles hit the US command and control center at Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE. Six more drones targeted US naval facilities in Bahrain.
The IRGC added that its navy fired two drones at the Athena Nova fuel tanker, which it described as "an ally of the United States" in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the vessel ablaze.
Israel and the United States launched large-scale strikes on Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials. The attacks, which hit most Iranian provinces, have killed more than 550 people, according to Iranian media. Iran has since retaliated with multiple waves of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and US positions across the region.
LONDON -- Britain is not joining the US and Israeli "offensive strikes" on Iran, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday.
Speaking to the British parliament, Starmer said making decisions like this requires "a lawful basis for what the United Kingdom is doing" and "a viable thought-through plan."
He said this is the principle he applied to the decision not to get involved in the "offensive strikes" of the United States and Israel on Iran, adding, "This government does not believe in regime change from the skies."
"President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain's national interest," he said.
US President Donald Trump said he is "very disappointed" in Starmer for blocking him from using the military base in Diego Garcia to carry out strikes on Iran, according to British media reports on Monday.
Britain's previous refusal to let US forces use the base was unlike anything that had "happened between our countries before," Trump said.
In a statement on Sunday night, Starmer accepted the US request to use the base for "specific and limited defensive purposes." But Trump said Starmer "took far too long" to change his mind.
DOHA -- Qatar shot down two Iranian Su-24 military aircraft Monday evening and intercepted multiple missiles and drones in what officials described as a coordinated attack, the country's Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Air defense systems, working with the Qatari air force and navy, intercepted seven ballistic missiles and five drones during the assault, the ministry added in the statement. All missiles were destroyed before reaching their targets, preventing casualties and major damage.
The ministry said Qatar's armed forces "possess the full capabilities and resources necessary to protect the country's sovereignty and territory and to respond decisively to any external threat."
In a joint statement on Monday, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and the U.S. denounced strikes targeting the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, including Iraq's Kurdistan Region.
The attacks "targeted sovereign territory, endangered civilian populations and damaged civilian infrastructure," the statement said, calling the strikes "unjustified and reckless."
Israel and the United States launched large-scale strikes on Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials. The attacks, which hit most Iranian provinces, have killed more than 550 people, according to Iranian media.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel and U.S. military bases across the region. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Tehran seeks to maintain friendly relations with its neighbors and that its attacks are aimed only at U.S. military assets.
MADRID -- Spain will not support military action taken by the United States and Israel against Iran and will not authorize the use of Spanish bases for such operations, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares and Defense Minister Margarita Robles said in separate remarks on Monday.
In an interview with media, Albares called for respecting the international law and warned that the logic of violence only leads to further escalation.
While each country makes its own foreign policy decisions, Europe's voice at this time should be one of balance and moderation, working toward de-escalation and a return to negotiations, he said.
In addition, Albares said the Spanish government will not authorize the use of its bases or their facilities for any action that does not comply with the United Nations Charter and international law.
Meanwhile, during an interview with Spanish national television RTVE, Robles said that the military bases in Moron de la Frontera and Rota, located in southern Spain, have not provided any form of support to the United States and will not be authorized for military action against Iran. The use of the bases must comply with international law and the existing bilateral agreement between Spain and the United States, the defense minister said.
BEIRUT -- Israeli airstrikes hit the Jnah and Bir Hassan areas in Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday evening, the first such strikes near central Beirut since a ceasefire was reached in November 2024, local broadcaster al-Jadeed reported.
The Israeli military said it had targeted a Hezbollah official but provided no further details.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi held separate phone conversations on Monday with his Iranian, Omani and French counterparts, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East and intensified diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation of the situation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi briefed Wang on the latest developments in the region and said the military action initiated by the United States violated international law and crossed Iran's red line, leaving Iran with no choice but to exercise full self-defense.
Araghchi noted that China has publicly articulated a position of fairness and justice, and he expressed hope that China would continue to play a constructive role in preventing further escalation of regional tensions.
Wang reiterated China's support for Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and national dignity, and in defending its legitimate rights and interests.
He voiced confidence that Iran will maintain national and social stability under the current circumstances, take seriously the legitimate concerns of neighboring countries, and ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in Iran.
During his phone conversation with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Wang commended Oman for its active mediation in facilitating Iran-US negotiations and its sustained efforts to uphold regional peace.
Wang said that China attaches importance to the legitimate concerns of Gulf countries and supports them in safeguarding their sovereignty and national security. The spillover of the conflict does not serve the fundamental and long-term interests of Gulf states, he said.
Wang expressed hope that Gulf countries will strengthen independence and self-reliance, oppose external interference, foster good-neighborly relations, enhance solidarity and cooperation, and truly hold their future and destiny in their own hands.
Al Busaidi said it is regrettable that the US and Israel abandoned previous negotiation outcomes and launched military strikes, warning that a prolonged conflict would lead to more casualties and property loss.
He noted that China has consistently upheld the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and remains a reliable and positive force. At this sensitive moment, Oman looks forward to China playing an important role, he said, pledging that Oman will ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions on its soil.
During his phone call with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Wang emphasized that the international community should oppose any act that violates international law and must not apply double standards.
Major powers should not attack other countries at will by relying on military superiority, and the world must not be allowed to regress to the law of the jungle, he said.
Wang emphasized that the Iranian nuclear issue should ultimately return to the track of political and diplomatic settlement.
He expressed hope that France will maintain an objective and fair position, remain calm and rational, and work with China to steer the situation toward de-escalation while jointly safeguarding the basic norms governing international relations.
Barrot said the military strikes launched by the US and Israel in Iran were conducted without consultation with, or authorization from, the UN Security Council.
As permanent members of the Security Council, France and China bear special responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, he said, adding that France looks forward to working with China to play a positive role in easing tensions and stabilizing the situation in the Middle East.
The flurry of high-level communications in the past three days, including the one between Wang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, has underscored China's active diplomatic engagement aimed at de-escalating tensions and steering the situation back to the track of political and diplomatic resolution.
Following the US-Israeli attack on Iran, the Security Council, at the request of China and Russia, convened an emergency session on Saturday to discuss the situation.
On Monday, fresh explosions were heard in Iran, Lebanon and across the Middle East, with reports suggesting that the death toll in the current conflict had exceeded 550.
According to China's Foreign Ministry, as of Monday, more than 3,000 Chinese nationals had been evacuated from Iran, while one Chinese citizen was killed in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Ding Long, a professor at Shanghai International Studies University's Middle East Studies Institute, said the killing of Iran's supreme leader "has set a dangerous precedent, undermining the existing international order and reshaping modern warfare in a manner that could produce a far-reaching chilling effect".
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Monday that he is not ruling out sending US ground troops into Iran if necessary.
"I don't have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground,' I don't say it," Trump told New York Post in an interview.
"I say 'probably don't need them,' (or) 'if they were necessary,'" he said.
Trump claimed that the military campaign launched on Saturday morning was "way ahead of schedule" in terms of killing dozens of senior Iranian officials.
On Sunday, Trump told The New York Times that he estimated the war would last four to five weeks.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Saturday and Sunday found that some 43 percent of US citizens disapproved of the strikes and just 27 percent approved. Another 29 percent said they were not sure.
"I think that the polling is very good, but I don't care about polling," Trump said in the interview.
On Monday, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani said the country is prepared for a long war.
"Iran, unlike the United States, has prepared itself for a long war," Larijani said in a post on social media platform X.
"As in the past 300 years, Iran did not start this war, and our brave Armed Forces have not engaged in any attacks except in defense. We will fiercely defend ourselves and our six thousand years old civilization regardless of the costs and will make the enemies sorry for their miscalculation," he said.
TEHRAN -- At least 555 people have been killed in US and Israeli strikes against Iran since Saturday morning, the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said on Monday.
In a statement published on its official website, the IRCS noted that 131 Iranian counties were targeted in the strikes.
More than 100,000 rescuers are on full alert across the country, and relief and rescue operations, as well as the transfer of the wounded to medical centers, are underway, the statement said.
Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities on Saturday morning, killing the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as well as some of the leader's family members, top military commanders and civilians. Iran responded through several waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases in the West Asia region.
On Saturday, a girls' school in Iran's southern province of Hormozgan was targeted in the Israeli and US attacks, leaving at least 165 people killed and 95 others wounded, the official news agency IRNA reported.
In addition, a hospital in northern Tehran, in particular its neonatal ward, was damaged in a US-Israeli strike on Sunday night.
BERLIN -- German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Monday clarified that Germany has no intention of participating in military operations against Iran.
In an interview with German radio station Deutschlandfunk, Wadephul expressed concerns over the escalation in the Middle East.
France, Britain, and Germany on Sunday issued a joint statement saying they would "take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region."
Wadephul emphasized that the interpretation of this statement varies by country.
"For us, it means nothing more than that our Bundeswehr soldiers would defend themselves if they were attacked," he added.
He noted that while Britain has decided to provide bases for U.S. use, Germany has neither the military assets in the area nor the intention to join such actions.
