TEHRAN -- Iran's Mehrabad airport was targeted by strikes on Tuesday as the United States and Israel kept bombing the Islamic Republic for a fourth day, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

AMMAN -- Jordan has reopened its airspace to all civilian flights after a security review, according to a statement by the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC) on Tuesday.

CARC Chief Commissioner Dhaifallah Alfarajat said in a statement the decision lifted the partial closure in effect since Monday evening, allowing all arrivals, departures and overflights.

The move followed a coordinated risk assessment and meets the highest international aviation safety standards, Alfarajat said, adding that the commission places the safety of passengers and flight crews at the forefront of its priorities.

Technical teams will continue monitoring the region and implement necessary precautions to maintain safe air operations, he added.

On Monday, CARC announced a partial and temporary nightly closure of Jordan's airspace to all incoming, outgoing and transit flights.

The development comes as the United States and Israel on Saturday launched a large-scale joint attack on Iran. Iran subsequently carried out retaliatory strikes, targeting sites in Israel and U.S. military bases in Gulf countries and Jordan.

TEHRAN -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday it has struck the second US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in the West Asia region.

In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said it hit and destroyed the system with precision-guided missiles.

According to the statement, the IRGC on Monday destroyed the radar of a US THAAD system stationed in a military base in the United Arab Emirates.

It said the destruction of the anti-missile systems has provided its forces with greater freedom to successfully hit their targets.

On Saturday morning, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, 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 region.

In another statement on Tuesday, the IRGC said it has targeted positions of the "hostile counter-revolutionary" groups based in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, which were planning to infiltrate Iranian territory and take action against the country.

In addition, Iran's army said on Tuesday the country's air defenses brought down six Israeli Hermes drones in the provinces of Isfahan, Kermanshah, East Azarbaijan, Khuzestan and Tehran over the past 24 hours.

It added since the beginning of the war, the Iranian armed forces have shot down 35 advanced drones belonging to the "aggressive enemies."

Meanwhile, the general staff of the Iranian Armed Forces on Tuesday denied in a statement any attack by Iran against Oman's territory and ports, the official news agency IRNA reported.

TEHRAN -- An office building of the council responsible for electing Iran's supreme leader was targeted in the latest strikes on Tuesday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

According to Tasnim, the United States and Israel "attacked the Assembly of Experts building in Qom," south of Tehran.

RIYADH -- The US Embassy in Riyadh released a security alert on Tuesday, warning of the threat of imminent missile and UAV attacks on the Saudi city of Dhahran.

The development comes amid sharply heightened tensions following a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on Saturday and subsequent retaliatory missile and drone launches by Tehran toward Israel and US assets across the Middle East.

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military said Tuesday in a statement that it has begun a "large-scale wave" of strikes targeting Iran's state infrastructure in Tehran, adding that further details would be released later.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Tuesday that the red line of protecting civilians in armed conflicts must not be crossed, and indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable.

"We are deeply saddened by the significant civilian casualties caused by the conflict," Mao told a regular news briefing, as the United States and Israel continued to trade military strikes with Iran.

China calls on all parties to fulfill their obligations under international law, effectively ensure the safety of civilians and avoid attacking civilian facilities, she added.

China reiterated on Tuesday that it advocates for the peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation, as well as respect for Iran's legitimate right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a news conference that Beijing calls for an immediate end to military operations and a return to dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible, in order to uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East and the world.

The continuing attacks of Israel and the United States against Iran have sparked renewed doubts about the commitments of parties to the Gaza ceasefire deal.

With heightened regional escalation and governments scrambling to ensure civilian safety in many countries, the situation lays bare contradictions in US policies in the region and weakens the Gaza truce, complicating Washington's role as a "credible peace broker", analysts said.

Sujata Ashwarya, a professor in the Centre for West Asian Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi, said the US-Israel strikes "deepen the strategic contradiction at the heart of Washington's regional policy" as it is "far harder to sustain credible Gaza diplomacy while widening a direct regional war".

The immediate effect "is to make the Gaza ceasefire even more fragile", she said.

Israeli military body COGAT said on Sunday that "several necessary security adjustments have been implemented", including the closure of the crossings into Gaza, among them the Rafah crossing, "until further notice".

"It should be emphasized that the closure of the crossings will have no impact on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip," it said.

Ashwarya said Rafah's closure shows how quickly the humanitarian issue can become collateral to a broader escalation.

"Gulf Arab states are now caught in the most dangerous position: even where they do not seek this war, their hosting of US military assets makes them vulnerable to Iranian retaliation," she said.

"In Iran, the killings of (supreme leader) Ali Khamenei and other senior figures created not clarity but uncertainty, with succession and internal stability suddenly in question," she added.

"For Palestinians, the consequence is grimly familiar: Gaza risks being pushed further down the international agenda just as its humanitarian emergency becomes more acute."

Palestinians have expressed fear that the continuing strikes may turn into a broader war, threatening the already dire situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

'Dangerous layer'

Arhama Siddiqa, a research fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad in Pakistan, said the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran "inject a dangerous new layer into an already combustible region".

"At a moment when Gaza remains devastated and a fragile ceasefire process hangs in the balance, escalation risks shifting the theater from a contained conflict to a broader regional confrontation," Siddiqa said.

"Washington's deeper military imprint may complicate its positioning as a credible broker, while Israel's calculus of deterrence could invite reciprocal responses that widen the arc of instability."

Gulf states, already walking a tightrope between security partnerships and regional de-escalation,"will likely push for containment to shield their economies and energy infrastructure from spillover", she added.

"The recent escalation will inevitably prompt Gulf states to reassess the strategic costs of hosting foreign military assets, especially when such bases can draw them into conflicts not of their own making."

However, Elie Al Hindy, chairman of the Security and Strategic Studies Department at the American University in the Emirates, does not believe the current situation will escalate into a broader conflict.

"I don't think other countries will be involved or fully engaged in the war. Israel, of course, may take this opportunity to continue its actions in the West Bank and Gaza, but will not have the ability or bandwidth to do something major," Al Hindy said.

jan@chinadailyapac.com

Israel says it is attacking Tehran, Beirut simultaneously

LONDON — Ambassadors and foreign ministers from European Union countries met on Sunday via video, both to assess the situation and begin planning the evacuation of European citizens trapped in Gulf states because of the closure of airports and airspace.

After that meeting, the bloc's 27 member nations said parties involved in the conflict should attempt to contain it, and adhere to international law.

The EU's foreign policy chief, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, said: "We call for maximum restraint, protection of civilians, and full respect of international law, including the principles of the United Nations Charter, and international humanitarian law."

The EU added in a separate statement that the conflict "must not lead to an escalation that could threaten the Middle East, Europe, and beyond, with unpredictable consequences, also in the economic sphere".

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez went further, saying the US-Israeli attack on Iran "contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order".

After Sunday's meeting of EU foreign ministers and ambassadors, the bloc's top officials and politicians had planned to reconvene in Lefkosia, Cyprus on Monday morning but the gathering was postponed after a suspected Iranian drone attack on the UK's RAF Akrotiri airbase on the island the night before.

Before the incident, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the US would be able to use British bases for preemptive strikes on Iranian missile sites, to stop Iran attacking neighboring countries.

Hundreds of flights throughout the Middle East were canceled on Monday due to the conflict, with airports, including Dubai's, which describes itself as the world's busiest international hub, closed for a third consecutive day.

The closures led to 2,800 canceled flights on Saturday and 3,156 cancellations on Sunday. Some cruise ship companies have also suspended or adjusted trips because of the situation.

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."