Iran-US war live updates: US warns ‘hardest hits yet to come’ as its embassy in Riyadh struck by drones

Emirates, the biggest of the Gulf airlines, has dispatched five Airbus A380 “SuperJumbo” aircraft from its hub at Dubai International Airport this morning.

One is heading for Manchester, another to London Heathrow; both are expected to touchdown around lunchtime on Tuesday. The other three aircraft are flying to Jeddah, Paris CDG and Frankfurt.

While this is an encouraging move, given the complete shutdown of the past three days, it barely scratches the surface of the problem facing hundreds of thousands of travellers in the UAE and around the world.

On a typical day, six of those aircraft would be flying to and from London Heathrow alone.

Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Tuesday that motorists do not need to fear fuel shortages despite concerns that the widening U.S.-Israeli war involving Iran could strain national reserves.

Australia currently holds 36 days of petrol, 34 days of diesel and 32 days of jet fuel in reserve – the highest level in more than a decade, Bowen told reporters.

“There is no need to rush to the service station and fill up,” he said.

“I do understand people’s concerns but it’s important that people know we do have a good stock of petrol in reserve in Australia, there’s no immediate threat to petrol supplies in Australia.”

Oil prices rose for a third straight day on Tuesday amid growing fears of supply disruptions, with Israel striking Lebanon and Iran responding with attacks on energy infrastructure in Gulf states and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Bowen acknowledged petrol prices could come under pressure if global oil prices continue to climb, but said regulators would act against price gouging.

“There is no need for panic buying, that will just make the situation worse,” he said.

The conflict has also spread to Lebanon, where the Iranian-supported militant group Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel on Monday, prompting Israel to retaliate.

At least 52 people have been killed and 154 wounded so far, according to Lebanese authorities.

Israel hit Beirut with more airstrikes early Tuesday morning, saying it was targeting “Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities”.

Hezbollah also said it launched drones targeting an Israeli air base. The Israeli military said it downed two drones.

An Iranian-linked militant in Iraq has also claimed strikes on U.S. military facilities there.

Qatar Airways said it would remain grounded Tuesday over the war.

This comes as governments scramble to help travelers get home after the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel shut down flights through the Middle East.

Tourists and business travelers found themselves stuck unexpectedly in hotels, airports and on cruise ships, with no word on when many airports would reopen or when flights to and through the Middle East would resume.

Governments told stranded citizens to shelter in place.

The Israeli military said Tuesday it was conducting “simultaneous targeted strikes against military targets in Tehran and Beirut,” without elaborating.

Across Tehran, the sound of explosions rang out through the night and into the early morning hours Tuesday, as the U.S. and Israel have continued to pound Iran since killing its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.

Tehran and its allies have hit back against Israel, neighboring Gulf states, and targets critical to the world’s production of oil and natural gas.

The intensity of the attacks and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences. Israel and the U.S. have given conflicting answers about what exactly the war’s objectives are or what the endgame might be.

Iran is continuing to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Perisan Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes.

Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, issued the threat on Iranian state television on Monday.

“The Strait of Hormuz is closed. Anyone who wants to pass, our devotee heroes in the IRGC navy and the army will set those ships on fire,” he said. “Don’t come to this region.”

In a new statement, Donald Trump declared that the United States’ munitions stockpiles at the medium and upper-medium levels are “higher or better” than ever before, describing the supply as “virtually unlimited”.

He asserted that, if necessary, wars could be fought “forever” and “very successfully” using these reserves, which he claimed surpass the finest arms of other nations.

Trump acknowledged that while high-end weapons supplies are strong, they are “not where we want to be,” noting that additional top-tier weaponry is stored in allied countries abroad.

He criticized Joe Biden for sending what he described as hundreds of billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine, accusing the administration of giving away advanced weapons without adequately replenishing U.S. stockpiles.

In the statement, he also likened Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to P.T. Barnum – the fabled American showman and huckster, who popularized the three-ring circus.

Trump credited his first term with rebuilding the U.S. military and said those efforts continue. He concluded by asserting that the United States is fully stocked and prepared to “win, big,” emphasizing confidence in the nation’s military readiness.