Iran attacks LIVE: Middle East prepares for all-out war after Trump launches ‘massive’ assault on Iran with Israel and Tehran hits back with missile strikes on Tel-Aviv

The British embassy in Doha has recommended that UK nationals in Qatar shelter in place after this morning’s strikes.

The UK withdrew its diplomatic staff from Iran on Friday due to security concerns.

The government had already warned against all travel to Iran prior to Saturday’s strikes.

The Foreign Office has also moved some staff based at the British embassy in Tel Aviv and their dependents to another location in Israel.

Tehran has vowed a ‘crushing’ response in retaliation for a daylight missile strike by the United States and Israel, as Israeli citizens were this morning warned to stay close to shelters amid warnings of incoming missiles.

Shortly after 8am, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said it had identified ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward Israel, with defensive systems operating to ‘intercept the threat’. It updated minutes later to warn ‘an additional barrage’ had also been detected.

The Home Front Command in Israel had sent alerts to mobile phones in the areas thought to be targeted warning citizens to head for their safe rooms and shelters.

Sirens originally sounded across Tel Aviv, with the alerts later heard in Jerusalem, as well as across northern and southern Israel.

Images emerging show hospital patients being placed in a car park at Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv for safety, following the sounding of sirens.

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Israel has named its operation against Iran ‘Lion’s Roar’ – after the US dubbed it ‘Epic Fury’.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose the title after the previous Israeli operation targeting Iran in June 2025 was called ‘Rising Lion’.

Israelis have been seen rushing to bomb shelters today as Iran responded to the country’s attack in coordination with the US.

Citizens were seen carrying children and taking their pets, while hospitals moved patients to safer areas in preparation for possible strikes and casualties.

Sirens have sounded across northern Israel, as well as in Jerusalem.

Airlines from around the world are cancelling flights to destinations across the Middle East as fears of a wider war grow.

Germany’s Lufthansa is suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel, Beirut in Lebanon, and Oman until at least March 7.

Wizz Air has cancelled flights to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman.

KLM has stopped all flights to Tel Aviv.

The US Department of Defence, which Trump has renamed the Department of War, has named its military action against Iran.

In a brief post on social media, it said: ‘OPERATION EPIC FURY’.

The post was reposted by Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defence, who the Trump adminstration styles the Secretary of War.

The exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has urged people in Iran to prepare to return to the streets following the launch of military action by the US and Israel.

He claimed the Islamic Republic is ‘collapsing’ and called on the military to break with the clerical regime.

Addressing security forces directly, Pahlavi said they had sworn to defend Iran and its people, not the Islamic Republic, warning they would ‘sink’ with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei if they failed to switch sides.

He described the US action as a ‘humanitarian intervention’ targeting the regime’s repression apparatus rather than the Iranian nation, and appealed to President Donald Trump to exercise maximum caution to avoid civilian casualties.

Israel’s military has just now claimed that an ‘additional barrage’ of missiles has been launched towards the country by Iran.

It said it had first identified warheads launched from Tehran in a statement at 8.10am UK time.

It said then: ‘Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat. In the past few minutes, the Home Front Command has sent a precautionary directive directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas.’

Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Iran ‘must not be armed with nuclear weapons’ and that Israel will ‘remove the existential threat’ posed by Iran.

In a statement released just now, he said: ‘My brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel, a short time ago, Israel and the United States embarked on an operation to remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran.

‘I thank our great friend, President Donald Trump, for his historic leadership. For 47 years, the Ayatollah regime has been shouting ‘Death to Israel,’ ‘Death to America.’

‘It has spilled our blood, murdered many Americans, and massacred its own people. This murderous terrorist regime must not be armed with nuclear weapons that would allow it to threaten all of humanity. Our joint action will create the conditions for the courageous Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands.

‘The time has come for all segments of the Iranian people – the Persians, the Kurds, the Azeris, the Baluchis, and the Ahwazis – to throw off the yoke of tyranny and bring about a free and peaceful Iran.

‘I appeal to you, the citizens of Israel, to listen to the instructions of the Home Front Command. In the coming days, in Operation ‘The Roar of the Lion,’ we will all be required to have endurance and fortitude.

‘Together we will stand, together we will fight, and together we will ensure the eternity of Israel.’

Sirens have sounded across northern Israel in the last few minutes as the IDF warns of an imminent missile attack.

Israelis have been told to go to shelters as the military says it is working to intercept missiles.

‘At this time, the Israeli Air Force is operating to intercept and strike threats where necessary to remove the threat,’ the IDF said in a statement.

Both Iran and Israel have closed their airspaces to commercial flights this morning after the launch of major attacks on Tehran.

It is not known how long they will remain closed.