Iran and Iranian-backed militias fired missiles at Israel and Arab states, apparently hitting the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait, while Israel and the United States pounded targets in Iran as the war expanded Monday with statements of defiance and increasing casualties.

In the chaos, the U.S. military said that Kuwait "mistakenly shot down" three American F-15E Strike Eagles during a combat mission.

At least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far by the U.S.-Israeli campaign, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said, and more than 130 cities across the country have come under attack. In Israel, 11 people have been killed, with 31 in Lebanon, according to authorities.

Iranian cleric Alireza Arafi, delivering his first public remarks since he was made a member of Iran's temporary leadership council, said he hoped that a new supreme leader would be "quickly" appointed to replace Ali Khamenei.

Here is the latest:

'This is not Iraq. This is not endless' - Hegseth

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military operations in Iran are the "most precise aerial operation in history."

Decrying Tehran's "expansionist and Islamist regime," Hegseth referenced violence in places across Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon as proxies in more than four decades he said were part of "a savage, one-sided war against America."

"Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their ayatollah and his death cult," Hegseth told a news conference at the Pentagon.

Hegseth said the U.S. is not engaged in a nation building effort in Iran and that ongoing strikes on Iran have a clear mission and won't be the prelude to a long sustained conflict.

"This is not Iraq. This is not endless," he said. "This is not a so-called 'regime change war' but the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it."

Cyprus to protest use of UK military bases

Cyprus said it is displeased that Britain did not make clear its intention to use its military bases in Cyprus in a capacity other than for humanitarian purposes.

Government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said Cypriot authorities had assurances from U.K. officials that the bases would only be used for "strictly in a humanitarian capacity."

Letymbiotis said protests will be lodged with the U.K. government to express Cyprus' displeasure. He left open the possibility that the Cypriot government would possibly open negotiations with the U.K. regarding the bases' status.

Global markets rattled

Military strikes on Iran rattled global markets on Monday with U.S. futures following markets in Europe and Asia lower. Energy prices rose sharply.

Futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average each sank about 1%.

Travel sectors, from airlines and cruise operators to global hotel chains, tumbled. Natural gas futures rose early 6% and futures for fuel used for transportation as well as industrial purposes, spiked more than 14%.

Germany's DAX dropped 1.9% to 24,817.42, while in Paris the CAC 40 lost 1.7% to 8,435.80. Britain's FTSE 100 slipped 1% to 10,808.53.

Shares fell in most Asian markets but they rose in Shanghai, where higher oil prices lifted some oil company stocks such as CNOOC, China Petroleum & Chemical and PetroChina to the 10% limit. The Shanghai Composite index climbed 0.5% to 4,182.59, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 2.1% to 26,059.85. Japan's Nikkei 225 index initially fell more than 2%.

Gold, a safe haven for investment in times of uncertainty, rose 3.1% to about $5,408.10 per ounce.

Cyprus says 2 drones targeting air base have been intercepted

Cyprus says two drones moving in the direction of a British air base on the island have been intercepted.

Cyprus government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis posted on X that the two drones were heading toward RAF Aktotiri Air Base.

Sirens sounded at around 1000 GMT at the key base, minutes before two Typhoon fighter jets and a pair of F-35s took off, ostensibly to intercept the drones. The sirens stopped an hour later with the aircraft landing shortly after.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said earlier that a Shaheed-type drone had cause minor damage when it struck inside the base just after midnight.

Fourth US soldier dies - Central Command

A U.S. soldier has died during the war with Iran, the U.S. Central Command announced on Monday, bringing the official tota l to four.

The soldier was wounded during the initial stage of Operation Epic Fury and died on Monday, it said.

A total of four U.S. soldiers have been killed since Israel and the U.S. launched strikes against Iran on Saturday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social platform on Sunday that "sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That's the way it is. Likely be more, but we'll do everything possible where that won't be the case."

Putin speaks to UAE president - Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Monday to the United Arab Emirates president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss "the unprecedented tragic events in the Middle East in the context of the American-Israeli aggression against Iran and Tehran's harsh retaliatory actions," the Kremlin said.

Putin noted that Russia had sought to help facilitate a settlement of the situation regarding the Iranian nuclear program, but those efforts were "thwarted by an unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign U.N. member state, in violation of the fundamental principles of international law."

Al Nahyan described the Iranian strikes on the Emirates as completely unjustified, noting that the country's territory wasn't used for launching attacks on Iran. Putin expressed his readiness to convey these signals to Tehran and to provide all possible assistance to stabilize the overall situation in the region, the Kremlin said.

Greece sends naval vessels to Cyprus

Greece is sending two frigates and two fighter jets to Cyprus after attacks against a British base on the island.

Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said one of the frigates was equipped with an anti-drone system recently tested in a European Union-led deployment in the Red Sea to protect international shipping.

"(Greece) will contribute in every possible way to the defense of the Republic of Cyprus, in order to confront the threats and unlawful actions taking place on its territory," Dendias said.

'There will have to be dialogue at some point' - IAEA chief

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi expressed hope that a diplomatic process will resume with regard to Iran's nuclear program, highlighting the "indispensable role" that the U.N. nuclear watchdog could play in such a scenario.

"My hope...is that we will be back at the negotiating table sooner rather than later. It is obvious that after this military conflict ends - and we all hope that this will be very, very soon - we will still need to have a long, durable solution, which will provide a sense of predictability and a sense of certainty for Iran and neighboring countries," Grossi told reporters after the special session of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna.

The IAEA chief underlined that "there is a recognition" that "there will have to be a dialogue at some point."

QatarEnergy to halt LNG production

QatarEnergy, one of world's top natural gas producers, said it is halting production of liquified natural gas, taking one of the world's top suppliers off the market.

"Due to military attacks on QatarEnergy's operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City in the state of Qatar, QatarEnergy has ceased production of liquefied natural gas and associated products," it said. "QatarEnergy values its relationships with all of its stakeholders and will continue to communicate the latest available information."

It offered no timeline for restoring its production.

Lebanon says Hezbollah's attack on Israel is an 'illegal' act

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said Hezbollah's rocket attack on Israel were "illegal" acts, adding that such activities give Israel a pretext to destroy the country.

The government held a five-hour Cabinet meeting to discuss the Hezbollah action that triggered massive Israeli retaliation and the displacement of tens of thousands of people.

Information Minister Paul Morcos cited Aoun as saying that what happened overnight "was not to defend Lebanon or protect the Lebanese people. What are witnessing is building collapsing on their residents as they sleep."

Attack on Israel's Beer Sheba

Israel's rescue services said at least 15 people were injured by Iranian missiles in the southern city of Beer Sheba.

Searches are ongoing for additional victims. Several missile barrages targeted Israel from Iran on Monday.

Etihad extends suspension of flights

Long-haul carrier Etihad Airways said in an update that all flights to and from its base in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, will be now suspended until 2 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

Etihad, like fellow Gulf airlines Emirates and Qatar Airways, mainly serves long-haul travelers whose plans have been disrupted by the closure of regional airspace.

Oil prices surge

The price of oil jumped as tanker disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz raise fears about supply shortages from the Persian Gulf.

U.S. oil rose to about $71.97 a barrel on Monday and Brent climbed to about $78.46. Higher prices increase the risk of costlier gasoline and pricier goods.

The U.K. maritime center also reported attacks on vessels and warned of heavy electronic interference. Oman said a drone boat hit an oil tanker and killed one mariner. Saudi media said drones hit near Ras Tanura and Saudi Arabia shut the refinery as a precaution.

Traffic through the strategic Strait of Homruz has sharply dropped following U.S.-Israel weekend strikes in Iran. MarineTraffic.com said that transit through the chokepoint has fallen by 70% since Saturday.

It said that it has noticed changes in vessels' navigation in the past three days including "U-turns, idling, reduced speeds, and last-minute diversions."

Newly appointed Iranian cleric makes first comments

Iranian cleric Alireza Arafi has delivered some of his first public remarks since he was made a member of Iran's temporary leadership council.

In remarks aired on state television, Arafi said he hoped that a new supreme leader would be "quickly" appointed. The 88-seat Assembly of Experts, a group of mostly hard-line clerics, will choose former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's replacement. But no clear successor is in place.

Arafi is serving on a temporary leadership council that includes President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iran's hard-line judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei. Arafi added that state institutions were continuing to function "under these extremely difficult circumstances."

Iran launches drones at a Qatari power plant

Iran has targeted a power plant in Qatar, the country's defense ministry said. There were no casualties.

The ministry reported that Iran launched two drone attacks, one targeting a water tank at a power plant in Mesaieed, in southern Qatar, and another targeting an energy facility operated by Qatar Energy in the industrial city of Ras Laffan.

Kuwait shot down 3 US warplanes by mistake, US military says

The U.S. military said Monday that Kuwait "mistakenly shot down" thee American F-15E Strike Eagles during a combat mission as Iran attacked the country.

The U.S. military's Central Command said the combat included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones - the first time Iran's aging combat fleet has been engaged in the war.

"The U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses," it said. "All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation."

Oil tanker attacked in Gulf of Oman

A bomb-carrying drone boat exploded against a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Monday, killing one mariner on board, Oman said.

The state-run Oman News Agency said the attack occurred in the Gulf of Oman off Muscat, the sultanate's capital. It identified the vessel as the MKD VYOM. It said the dead crew member was from India.

Iran has been threatening vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

Iran's UN ambassador condemns attacks

Ali Bahreini, Iran's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, said the "use of force and the deliberate killing of civilians" is a violation of the UN Charter and condemned the recent strikes by the U.S. and Israel.

"The ongoing unlawful military aggression against Iran exemplifies the dominance of raw power over the principles of human rights," he said.

Drones over Abu Dhabi have been intercepted, UAE says

Air defenses in the United Arab Emirates have intercepted drones over Abu Dhabi, officials said.

Debris fell on a warehouse and a commercial facility in the city's industrial areas. There was minor damage but no injuries, according to a statement posted on X by the Abu Dhabi Media Office.

Lebanese seek shelter from Israeli strikes in Beirut schools

Displaced families from southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs sought refuge in schools in the capital, after Israel launched its deadliest barrage of airstrikes in more than a year. It came hours after Hezbollah fired missiles across the border.

At a public school hastily converted into a temporary shelter, families arrived carrying mattresses, plastic bags and bundles of clothing. People sat on sidewalks beside their belongings, some smoking quietly as they waited for space to open inside.

Hussein Abu Ali, who fled with his wife and children, described the moment the strikes hit. "My son began shaking and crying. ... Where are you supposed to go? I stepped outside, then back in because I was afraid of shooting in the air. I gathered my children and went down to the street."

Israeli attacks killed at least 31 people and wounding 149, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry

Germany won't participate in military action against Iran

Germany will not actively participate in military action against Iran but will consider defending its soldiers stationed on multinational military bases in Jordan and Iraq if they get attacked, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Monday morning.

"The federal government has no intention of participating" in the conflict, Wadephul told Deutschlandfunk public radio. "We also do not have the necessary military resources."

Multinational bases where German troops are stations in Irbil in northern Iraq and Al-Azraq in Jordan were targeted on the weekend, the German military said.

The soldiers on site were not injured and are safe, the German news agency dpa reported.

Strikes kill 3 in western Iran

Strikes killed three people in the western city of Sanandaj early Monday, Iran's state-run news agency said.

IRNA said the strikes hit two residential sites without providing further details.

US warplanes crash, Kuwait says

Several U.S. warplanes crashed Monday in Kuwait, the country's Defense Ministry said, with all the pilots safely bailing out.

The ministry did not elaborate on what caused the crashes but it came during an intense period of Iranian fire targeting the country.

The Kuwaiti Defense Ministry said the pilots were taken to a hospital for checkups and their condition was stable.

The U.S. military's Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Turkey temporarily stops border crossings by Iranians visiting for short trips

Turkey has temporarily closed its border with Iran to crossings by Iranians visiting for short trips, the Trade Ministry said, following public concerns that the tensions could trigger migration flows.

A ministry statement said that in a mutual agreement reached with Iran, Turkey is allowing its citizens and third country nationals to enter from Iran but short trips by Iranians have been temporarily suspended.

Meanwhile, commercial freight crossings between Turkey and Iran are continuing "in a controlled manner," the ministry said.

Israel says Gaza crossings to remain closed

Israel said crossings to Gaza, where much-needed humanitarian aid passes, will remain closed while the war with Iran continues.

COGAT, the Israeli defense body that oversees aid into Gaza and the crossings, said that the crossings could not be operated safely due to the threat of missiles.

Israelis have been instructed to remain close to bomb shelters and places that are not within a certain distance to a bomb shelter are closed.

COGAT claimed that Gaza has sufficient stockpiles of food for an "extended period" though some organizations, including the World Central Kitchen which operates soup kitchens across Gaza, have warned that they are running out of supplies.

"We need food deliveries every single day to feed hungry families who are not part of this war," chef Jose Andres, the founder of World Central Kitchen, wrote on X.

Fire and smoke rise from inside US Embassy compound in Kuwait

Fire and smoke rose from inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait after an Iranian attack on the small Mideast nation on Monday.

Video obtained by The Associated Press showed the smoke with an alarm wailing.

The United States had earlier issued an urgent warning to Americans there to take cover and remain indoors.

It said: "Do not come to the Embassy," without elaborating.

Several loud explosions heard in Irbil, the capital of northern Iraq's Kurdish region

Associated Press journalists heard several loud explosions Monday morning in Irbil, the capital city of Iraq's semiautonomous region of Kurdistan.

WHO calls for protection of civilians and health care facilities

The World Health Organization called for the sparing of civilians and health care facilities in the Middle East amid a regional conflict triggered by Israeli-US strikes on Iran over the weekend.

"The protection of civilians and health care must be absolute," Hanan Balkhy, regional dietitian at WHO wrote on social media.

"All parties must ... ensure medical facilities remain protected."

Lebanese government holds emergency meeting

Lebanon's government is holding an emergency meeting after Hezbollah's attack on Israel triggered Israeli airstrikes in different parts of the country.

The meeting started Monday morning and is being attended by the army chief, Gen. Rudolph Haikal.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the Cabinet will discuss the volatile situation and the measures it plans to take.

Smoke seen over Kuwaiti neighborhood home to the US Embassy

A witness said he saw smoke over a Kuwait neighborhood home to the U.S. Embassy as Americans had been urged to stay away.

Ayman Moawad, an Egyptian worker living near the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, told The Associated Press that he saw smoke over the area.

However, he didn't know if it was specifically the embassy hit in an ongoing Iranian attack targeting the small Mideast nation.

The U.S. earlier issued an urgent warning to Americans there to take cover and remain indoors.

It said: "Do not come to the Embassy," without elaborating.

Strike hits Iranian state TV, witnesses say

Strikes across Iran continued into Monday, with one apparently taking Iranian state television off air.

Witnesses said an attack in northern Tehran's Niavaran neighborhood struck one of the transmitters used for Iranian state TV.

Since then, its satellite signals have dropped.

State media had said hospitals and residential areas had been hit in strikes by the Americans and Israelis.

Iran has not offered any details on its materiel losses.

Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon kill at least 31 people

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon after Hezbollah attacked it have killed at least 31 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said Monday.

The Hezbollah attack and the Israeli retaliatory strikes expand the ongoing war gripping the Mideast after the U.S. and Israel launched an airstrike campaign targeting Iran.

The Health Ministry said that the strikes also wounded 149 people.

It said about two-thirds of those killed were in southern Lebanon.

Cyprus says drone that hit British military base caused 'limited damage'

Cyprus' government spokesperson said an "incident" that happened at a British air base on the island nation's southern coastline involved an "unmanned drone which caused limited damage."

Spokesperson Constantinos Letymbiotis said the incident at RAF Akrotiri occurred shortly after midnight Monday.

He said "information received through various channels" indicated a drone strike.

He didn't specify what kind of drone, where it was launched from or the extent of damage.

Letymbiotis said Cypriot authorities have enacted security protocols and are monitoring the situation in coordination with the U.K. and its two military bases in Cyprus.

The suspected drone strike occurred after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. would help the U.S. in the war against Iran.

Foreign minister suggests Iran's military units acting independently

Iran's foreign minister has suggested his country's military units are acting independently from any central government control after being pressed about attacks on Gulf Arab nations that have served as intermediaries for Tehran in the past.

The comments came in an Al Jazeera interview on Sunday with Abbas Araghchi.

"What happened in Oman was not our choice. We have already told our, you know, army, armed forces to be careful about the targets that they choose," Araghchi said.

"As a matter of fact, our, you know, military units are now in fact independent and somehow isolated and they are acting based on instructions - you know, general instructions - given to them in advance."

Already, there have been attacks on Oman, which served as an intermediary in recent nuclear talks with the United States, and on Qatar, which also has negotiated with Tehran and shares a massive offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf with the Islamic Republic.

Militaries around the world do contingency planning for wars, including what to do if their central governments are affected.

But Iran is a special case given that its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answered only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, controls its vast ballistic missile arsenal and much of its stockpile of bomb-carrying drones.

Araghchi's comments also could serve as an excuse for the attacks as well as to try to ease tensions with Iran's Gulf Arab neighbors, who have grown increasingly enraged by the constant fire targeting them despite efforts at easing tensions in recent years.

Iraqi militia claims drone attack targeting US troops in Baghdad

An Iraqi Shiite militia claimed a drone attack Monday targeting U.S. troops at the airport in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, further widening the retaliation over the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The group, Saraya Awliya al-Dam, is one of a group of Shiite militias operating in Iraq following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of the country that toppled Saddam Hussein.

The U.S. and Iraq did not immediately comment on the claim.

The attack comes as Iranian-supported militias, including the Lebanese group Hezbollah, have entered the war started by the U.S. and Israel in an airstrike campaign targeting Iran's theocracy.

Shrapnel from intercepted missile kills one person in Bahrain

The island kingdom of Bahrain said Monday that one person was killed by shrapnel from an intercepted missile.

The death of a foreign worker at Salman Industrial City, working on a boat there, marks the kingdom's first reported fatality in the war.

Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, said it intercepted 61 missiles and 34 attack drones launched against it.

Some fire has gotten through, striking buildings and the naval base.

World Central Kitchen urges Israel to reopen Gaza crossings

The World Central Kitchen, one of the major groups providing food for Gaza's people, is warning that it would run out of supplies this week if Israel kept the strip's crossings closed.

Israel closed off the Gaza crossings over the weekend after it joined the U.S. in striking Iran.

"We need food deliveries every single day to feed hungry families who are not part of this war," José Andrés, the celebrity chef who founded the organization, said in a social media post.

He said WCK provides 1 million meals a day in Gaza, and that the group and others working in the war-torn Gaza need food and other supplies every day.

"We cannot wait...let the humanitarian trucks go through today!" he said.

Israeli military urges civilians in parts of Lebanon to evacuate

The Israeli military urged people in nearly 50 villages in eastern and southern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of possible retaliatory strikes after Hezbollah fired into Israel.

The Hezbollah attack came in response to the U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Israeli military urged civilians to evacuate their homes and move at least 1,000 meters away from villages to open areas.

People flee southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut after Israeli strikes

Roads in southern Lebanon and leading out of Beirut's southern suburbs were gridlocked early Monday with people fleeing after Israel launched strikes in retaliation for missiles launched across the border by Hezbollah.

The scenes were reminiscent of September 2024, when a monthslong low-level conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated into a full-fledged war.

More than one million people were displaced in Lebanon at the time.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it had carried out a "targeted attack" on senior members of Hezbollah in Beirut and southern Lebanon.

Britain says suspected drone hit its base in Cyprus

Britain's Defense Ministry says a suspected drone has hit its military base at Akrotiri, Cyprus.

It said there were no casualties from the suspected strike which occurred at midnight in Cyprus. It did not provide further details.

RAF Akrotiri is Britain's main air base for operations in the Middle East and is a British sovereign territory.

There was no immediate comment from the government of Cyprus.

On Sunday, U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey had said ballistic missiles were fired toward Cyprus, something rejected by its government.

Bahrain intercepts dozens of Iranian missile and drones

Bahrain's miliary said it has intercepted 61 Iranian missiles and 34 drones since Iran started attacking the country following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran over the weekend.

Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. 5th fleet, is among the Arab Gulf countries that Iran hit in response to U.S.-Israeli strikes that triggered the war.

The Bahraini military said the Iranian missile and drone targeted civilian facilities and private properties in attacks constituting a "flagrant violation of the principles of international and humanitarian law."

Qatar urges residents to remain indoors

Qatar's Interior Ministry has urged residents to remain indoors as the war between the U.S., Israel and Iran enters its third day on Monday.

In a social media post, the ministry called for residents not to get out only for "cases of absolute necessity," and to stay away from windows and exposed areas.

Qatar, which hosts the U.S. largest military base in the Mideast, is one of the Arab Gulf countries that Iran hit in response to US-Israeli strikes that triggered the war.