BANGKOK — 3 March 2026, The government on Tuesday warned businesses against taking advantage of tensions in the Middle East by raising prices, saying violators face up to seven years in prison and fines of up to 140,000 baht.
Ayrin Phanphruet, deputy government spokeswoman, said authorities are closely monitoring unrest in the Middle East and have instructed all relevant agencies to prepare response measures, particularly to ensure adequate supplies of essential consumer goods.
She said retailers and business operators must not exploit the situation by increasing prices without justification and are required by law to clearly display prices for goods and services.
The government urged strict compliance with the Price of Goods and Services Act B.E. 2542 (1999), which prohibits unjustified price increases, hoarding, and any actions deemed unfair to consumers. Offenders face a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, a fine of up to 140,000 baht, or both.
Ayrin called on the public not to panic. Inspections by the Internal Trade Department under the Commerce Ministry found that consumer goods remain sufficiently stocked and there are currently no factors warranting price increases, she said.
The government will continue to monitor the situation closely and take decisive legal action against those found exploiting consumers, she added.
Consumers who encounter unjustified price hikes, failure to display prices or suspected hoarding can file complaints with the Internal Trade Department hotline at 1569 or at provincial commerce offices nationwide.
Bangkok police have arrested a 33 year old man accused of snatching a handbag from a young British tourist in December, allegedly telling officers he committed the crime to support his two wives.
Officers from Bang Rak Police Station apprehended Thanit “Nui” Meesaeng, a native of Ayutthaya province, on 2 March at around 19:20 in front of a 7 Eleven convenience store in Prachasongkhro 23 alley, Din Daeng district. He was wanted under a Criminal Court warrant issued on 27 February on charges of robbery.
The arrest followed a complaint filed by a 21 year old British woman who reported that at about 12:50 on 13 December 2025, she was walking along Surawong Road opposite the Grand Centre Point Surawong hotel when a suspect on a motorcycle rode up from behind and snatched her bag before fleeing.
Inside were a silver iPhone 17 Pro Max, two Pandora bracelets worth about 60,000 baht in total, and 3,000 baht in cash.
Investigators said they gathered evidence before seeking a warrant for Thanit’s arrest. During questioning, he allegedly confessed, claiming that income from working as a motorcycle taxi rider via an app was insufficient and that he needed money to support his two wives.
Police said a background check showed he had previously committed a similar offense in the Nang Loeng area. He has been handed over to investigators at Bang Rak Police Station for legal proceedings.
A 68-year-old German tourist said he was heartbroken after his flight to Thailand was canceled due to Middle East airspace closures linked to the conflict between Iran and Israel.
Rolf Kollrep, who visits Thailand twice a year, had planned to spend the entire month of March holidaying in the country. He was scheduled to depart Germany on 2 March on a Qatar Airways flight transiting through Doha before continuing to Bangkok. Accommodation in Pattaya and Hua Hin had been booked since last year.
However, several countries in the Middle East began closing their airspace on 28 February as tensions escalated, disrupting international routes that pass through hubs such as Doha and Dubai. On the morning of 1 March, Kollrep received an email from the airline informing him that his flight had been canceled, with rebooking available in approximately two weeks.
“I feel very sad, like a heartbreak. No one expected something like this to happen. But when it does, you have to accept it,” he said.
Despite the setback, Kollrep said he would return to Thailand once the situation stabilizes. “Of course,” he replied when asked if he would reschedule his trip, reaffirming his affection for the country.
The airspace closures have affected large numbers of international and Thai travelers, particularly those flying on routes that transit the Middle East. Many passengers have been stranded at airports since 28 February and 1 March, with some flights canceled and others forced to reroute to avoid conflict zones.
BANGKOK — Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand will continue exporting fuel to Laos despite heightened tensions in the Middle East, stressing the importance of energy cooperation with its neighbor as concerns grow over a possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking on 3 March after chairing a meeting at the Foreign Ministry to assess the regional situation, Anutin said Thailand has the legal authority to suspend fuel exports if national security requires it. However, he noted that exports remain in place for Laos, citing close bilateral ties and mutual energy dependence. Thailand imports part of its electricity supply from Laos, while exporting surplus refined fuel in return.
Thailand refines about 170 million liters of fuel per day and consumes around 130 million liters domestically. Approximately 7 million liters per day are exported to Laos, with additional volumes shipped to other countries. Anutin said if the situation escalates, the government may need to reassess exports totaling more than 30 million liters per day that currently generate revenue.
He emphasized that Thailand’s fuel reserves remain sufficient and the situation has not reached a crisis point. While global market volatility may affect prices, he said the government will meet with the Energy and Commerce ministries on 4 March to discuss measures to stabilize costs and ease the burden on the public. “Thailand First,” he said, means minimizing any impact on the country while maintaining essential partnerships, including with Laos.
BANGKOK — Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on 3 March declared a “Thailand First” policy as tensions escalate in the Middle East, pledging to prioritize the safety of Thai nationals and minimize any impact on the country. Speaking after chairing a meeting at the Foreign Ministry to assess the situation with ambassadors and consular officials across the region, he said the government is preparing all possible measures to evacuate around 300 Thais from Iran, considered the highest-risk area.
Anutin said the overall morale of Thais in the region remains good, with fewer than 25% expressing a desire to return home. In Israel, about 20 out of more than 60,000 Thai nationals have requested repatriation, while some 1,000 in the United Arab Emirates have indicated interest in returning, though commercial travel routes remain available. He added that authorities are ready to coordinate alternative transit points if airspace closures occur.
The prime minister stressed that safety remains the top concern and instructed embassies to fully assist any Thai citizen wishing to return. He acknowledged logistical challenges, including exit visa requirements and disruptions to government services in affected countries, but said the government would pursue every available channel to bring citizens home swiftly.
Addressing concerns over energy security, Anutin said Thailand’s oil reserves remain sufficient and the situation has not reached a crisis level. He is scheduled to meet with the Energy and Commerce ministries on 4 March to discuss measures to stabilize prices should the conflict persist. While global market volatility may affect fuel costs, he said the government would seek to cushion the impact on living expenses and prevent price gouging, reaffirming that “Thailand First” means safeguarding both the nation’s security and economic stability.
CHIANG RAI — Residents of Mae Sai district and Myanmar’s Tachileik province continued to queue for fuel on 3 March after fears spread that Thailand could suspend fuel exports amid fighting in the Middle East.
After the Thai–Myanmar Friendship Bridge opened at 06:30, Myanmar-registered cars and motorcycles crossed into Mae Sai to refuel at local petrol stations. Many drivers were seen filling vehicles and containers for stockpiling over concerns that Myanmar could face shortages if exports were halted. More than half of vehicles waiting at some stations bore Myanmar licence plates, prompting some Thai residents to join queues out of concern supplies could run low.
Two petrol stations on the outskirts of Mae Sai have temporarily closed since yesterday after running out of fuel and are awaiting new deliveries in two days. Larger stations in the town centre said they still had sufficient supply.
In the Golden Triangle area of Chiang Saen district, exporters initially paused shipments following reports that the Energy Ministry had ordered a suspension. On 3 March, oil tankers stranded at a private pier began departing after clarification from the ministry.
An acting senior official at the Energy Ministry said no order had been issued to ban fuel exports. The Department of Energy Business is monitoring the Middle East situation closely and assessing potential impacts, the statement said, adding that any formal decision would be announced if necessary.
PHUKET — Residents in Rawai have raised concerns over foreign tourists sunbathing and swimming naked on a public beach, questioning whether the practice is appropriate and calling on authorities to investigate.
On 2 March 2026, the Facebook page “Phuket Info Center” posted four photos showing foreign visitors reportedly sunbathing nude at a beach in Rawai subdistrict, Muang district. The images triggered widespread debate online.
The post asked whether a so-called “nude beach” in Phuket was suitable, saying the use of a public beach for nudity could affect morality and the island’s tourism image.
According to local reports, the beach is located before Laem Phromthep and can be accessed via a narrow natural trail through an area known as “Soi Shadow”, requiring a 600–800 metre walk. The relatively secluded spot has become known among foreign visitors as “Shadow Beach”.
Most visitors are said to be Russian and European tourists, as well as expatriates living and working in Phuket and nearby provinces. The activity has reportedly continued for nearly a year, with both men and women sunbathing fully nude, while some wear bikinis. The beach is most frequented from afternoon until evening on an almost daily basis.
Although access is difficult, requiring a walk along a narrow coastal hillside path, no individual or company has claimed ownership or charged entry fees, indicating the area remains public land.
Community representatives in Rawai said they disagreed with the use of a public beach for nudity, arguing it was inappropriate and contrary to Thai cultural norms and laws. They said the practice had caused discomfort among local residents and should not be ignored.
Residents have called on relevant agencies — including the Rawai Municipality, Chalong Police Station, the Phuket Provincial Culture Office and the Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket Office — as well as tourism operators to examine the issue and establish clear measures to protect Phuket’s image as a world-class resort destination.
They stressed they were not opposing personal freedom in private spaces such as hotel rooms or villas. However, they said behaviour on public beaches accessible to all must comply with Thai law and social norms.
Under Section 388 of the Criminal Code, public nudity may constitute an offence for committing an indecent act in public, punishable by a fine of up to 5,000 baht.
Online reactions have been mixed, with some users saying such behaviour had existed for years, while others called for better communication with tourists about Thai culture and customs.
The U.S. and Israel have continued to pound Iran since killing its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, while 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.
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.
The U.S. military announced Monday that two previously unaccounted for service members were confirmed dead, bringing the total American casualties during the operations against Iran up to six.
Here is the latest:
Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut
Israeli airstrikes hit the Lebanese capital Tuesday morning.
The Israeli military said it was targeting “Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities in Beirut.”
Hezbollah also said it launched drones targeting an Israeli air base.
The Israeli military said it downed two drones.
President Donald Trump speaks during a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Japan tells its shipowners to steer clear of Persian Gulf
Tokyo has told Japanese shipowners to have their ships stay away from the Persian Gulf to ensure the safety of their crewmembers.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters Tuesday that the Transport Ministry has notified the Japanese Shipowners’ Association to do the utmost to protect crews on board the ships in the region.
Kihara said those already in the Gulf are urged to lie at anchor where it is safe to do so.
On Monday, Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with Iranian ambassador to Japan Peiman Seadat and conveyed Japan’s consistent stance that Iran must stop attacks on neighboring countries and other actions destabilizing the region.
Motegi also noted the importance of ensuring safety in the Strait of Hormuz, which is key to Japan’s energy security.
Netanyahu claims Iran was rebuilding to make ‘atomic bomb program immune’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is defending the decision to go to war with Iran alongside the United States.
Netanyahu, speaking on Fox News Channel’s Hannity, contended that Iran was rebuilding “new sites, new places” that would make “their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months.”
He did not offer evidence to support his claim.
Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed limited activity at two nuclear sites in Iran before the war, with analysts saying it was likely Tehran was trying to assess damage from American strikes in June and possibly salvage what remained there.
“We had to take the action now and we did,” Netanyahu said. “Otherwise the Iranian mass murder regime would have immunity from future action.”
Echoing a Trump administration point, he repeated that the war would not be “endless” and that it would create the conditions for the Iranian people to form a democratic government.
However, there’s been no sign of any mass uprising against Iran’s theocracy since the war started.
Netanyahu said the conflict could be a “gateway for peace” between Israel and regional powers, including Saudi Arabia.
However, Saudi Arabia alongside other Arab nations remain furious over the treatment of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Iranian foreign minister says US entered ‘war of choice on behalf of Israel’
Iran’s top diplomat early Tuesday sought to turn the tables on the United States, describing it as entering “a war of choice on behalf of Israel.”
After Trump urged Iranians to take over their government, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the same call to Americans.
“Shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters,” Araghchi wrote on X. “American people deserve better and should take back their country.”
Sirens sound in Bahrain
Sirens have sounded in Bahrain early Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said.
The ministry has called for people to head to the nearest safe place.
Cairo-based Sunni institution calls for war’s halt
Al-Azhar al-Sharif, the Sunni Muslim world’s foremost seat of religious learning, has called for an immediate halt of the war in the Middle East.
The Cairo-based institution also denounced attacks on Arab countries, saying that “these aggressions are rejected … whatever the justifications, pretexts or explanations.”
Conflict escalates beyond regional confrontation, think tank says
“Iran’s deliberate targeting of the energy sector introduces a new and dangerous dimension to this war,” warned the New York-based think tank The Soufan Center.
“The conflict has escalated beyond merely a regional confrontation. By striking the energy arteries of the world, Tehran is signaling its capacity to impose global economic consequences and demonstrating to Israel and the United States that it is beyond their respective capabilities to keep the war contained.”
World heritage site in Tehran damaged after strike, UNESCO says
UNESCO has voiced concerns about the Golestan Palace, a world heritage site in the Iranian capital, which was reportedly damaged due to an airstrike in its vicinity.
Monday’s strike hit Tehran’s Arag Square in the buffer zone of the palace, the U.N. agency reported.
The palace was damaged by debris and shock waves from the strike, it said.
Fire at the US Embassy in Riyadh after attack
Saudi Arabia said early Tuesday that the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh came under attack from two drones, which caused a “limited fire” and minor damage.
Further details weren’t immediately available. Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry made the announcement via the kingdom’s state television.
In the early hours of Tuesday, in a post on X, the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia asked American citizens in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran to immediately shelter in place.
A diplomatic quarter resident in the neighborhood of the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the security situation said there was light smoke coming from the embassy.
The attack comes after the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait was targeted Monday in an attack.
Australia says Iranian drones struck military facility in UAE
Iranian drones struck an Australian military facility in the United Arab Emirates but there were no injuries, Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles said.
The drones struck on the first night of the Iran war the Al Minhad Air Base, which is a logistics hub for Australia’s Middle East operations near Dubai, Marles said on Tuesday.
“We have a number of Australians who operate from a headquarters that we’ve had at Al Minhad now for many, many years,” Marles told Seven Network television.
“They are all accounted for, they are all safe. We’ve got north of 100 serving personnel actually across the Middle East in a range of countries, but most are in the UAE and that base is very important for us,” he added.
Associated Press journalists have heard multiple explosions near Al Minhad during the war, as well as many aerial interceptions.
Iran state TV airs aftermath of strikes on its premises
Iran-run state TV aired the aftermath of two explosions around the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting premises following US-Israeli strikes.
The head of the IRIB told Iranian media that no one was injured in the early Tuesday strikes. The state broadcast aired smoke from around what broadcasters called the “glass tower of IRIB” near the Evin area of Tehran.
IRIB offices and infrastructure have been hit before since the start of the US-Israeli strikes on Saturday.
The strikes followed an evacuation warning from the Israeli army to residents of the Evin district of Tehran, asking them to avoid the area around IRIB buildings. Shortly after, the Israeli Air Force said it struck what it described as a communication center used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Israeli strike hits Hezbollah-aligned media building in Beirut’s southern suburbs
Israeli military struck a building housing Al-Manar channel studios in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an evacuation warning, the channel said. Israeli military said it targeted “Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities in Beirut.”
Plumes of smoke were seen billowing over the skyline. No immediate details on casualties were available.
The strike followed Hezbollah missile and drone attacks on northern Israel shortly after midnight Sunday, prompting waves of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon, which killed at least 52 people and wounded 154, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
In a statement early Tuesday, Hezbollah said “confrontation is a legitimate right,” describing its firing of rockets toward Israel as “a reaction to the aggression, and adding that it had repeatedly warned that Israeli attacks “could not continue without a response.”
A poster of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the ongoing joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign, and the late Iranian Revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, right, lays on a motorcycle amid debris left by a strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
US House Speaker says Israel’s determination to act left Trump with a ‘very difficult’ decision
A classified briefing at the Capitol left lawmakers with little clarity about the purpose, cost and next steps in the U.S. operation against Iran.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson described the U.S. attack as a “defensive operation” because he said Israel was determined to act on their own against Iran, “with or without American support.”
Johnson said Trump had a “very difficult decision” to make, and determined that Iran would immediately retaliate against U.S. personnel and assets.
But Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said “there was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. There was a threat to Israel.”
Rubio, Hegseth and others briefed the lawmakers, but Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he found their answers “completely and totally insufficient.”
The Trump administration will likely seek supplemental funds from Congress to pay for the operation, they said.
Number of wounded troops in Iran grows
The conflict has left 18 American service members seriously wounded, Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command said Monday.
The number has grown from the five troops initially reported as seriously wounded on Sunday morning.
Six service members also have been killed in Kuwait. All six were Army soldiers and part of the same logistics unit, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
When asked about the deaths Monday, Hegseth said an Iranian weapon made it past allied air defenses “and, in that particular case, happened to hit a tactical operations center that was fortified.”
— By Konstantin Toropin
Bahrain ambassador criticizes Iran for targeting his country, Gulf nations at UN meeting chaired by US first lady
Bahrain’s U.N. Ambassador Jamal Alrowaiei told the U.N. Security Council “the Iranian aggression is resulting in significant material and psychological damages that threaten the safety and security of residents and citizens.”
Alrowaiei, the Arab representative on the 15-member council, said the ongoing Iranian attacks on civilian facilities and residential areas in Bahrain, which hosts a major U.S. naval base, have forced schools to close temporarily to protect students and children.
In the broader region, he told the council Monday that according to the U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF, 30 million children in the Middle East and North Africa are out of school or not receiving formal education — “equivalent to one in every three children being deprived of education.”
State Department urges Americans to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries
The State Department urged Monday that all U.S. citizens leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to safety risks with the ongoing escalations that have slipped the region into significant chaos.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar posted on the social media site X that Americans in countries, including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel, should “DEPART NOW” using any available commercial transportation.
The guidance comes as some major airlines have canceled flights to and from the region as the war that began when U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday. It has since grown into a wider regional conflict, touching nearly every country nearby.
Voters in Texas wonder why US attacked Iran
Several voters from Houston casting ballots in a Texas primary election said they’re worried about what will come next in Iran.
“I think that this could go on for years to come if they don’t have a clear exit strategy,” said Charles Padmore, a 45-year-old independent contractor. “I don’t even think they have a strategy. I think they just went in blind.”
He posits that Trump acted “by the whims of Israel.”
Nineteen-year-old college student Sophia Morales and her mother, Dina Morales, don’t feel like they’re getting a clear explanation from Trump about why he attacked Iran.
“I feel like Iran was in a war with Israel, but then all of a sudden, we’re in war too,” said Sophia Morales. She especially wants an explanation following reports that a girls school was bombed. Added her mother: “I don’t think I’ve heard of any clearer plans of what’s next after the bombing, just like what’s next in Venezuela.”
If Iran was a legitimate threat to the United States, Trump should have “gone the right way” and convinced Congress to authorize military action, said Alex Diaz, 31, a high school teacher.
“I’m just like, ‘Are you trying to kill us? Are you trying to cause a World War III?’” Diaz said.
Two Trump voters trust the president on Iran
Two Trump supporters in Texas say they’re confident the president is doing the right thing in Iran and don’t see a conflict with his campaign promises to pursue peace.
“I just expected him to do what needs to be done to protect America,” said Connie Stamps of Waco. “He wants to protect America first, and that’s what he’s doing. And he cares about the whole world. So he’s the peace president.”
Stamps said she’s thankful to have a president “who is brave enough to do what he says he’s going to do.”
Mollie Leutwyler Smith, who also lives near Waco in McLennan County, said she didn’t have war with Iran in mind when she cast her ballot for Trump, but she appreciates that he’s taking decisive action. She prefers his approach to the deal former President Barack Obama brokered with the Iranians.
“Did I vote for that in particular? I won’t say I voted for that, but, yes, I think as the president, he can make decisions,” she said.
Israel says it will reopen a Gaza border crossing closed since Iran war began
COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing civilian affairs in Gaza, announced one crossing into the territory would reopen on Tuesday “for the gradual entry of humanitarian aid.”
At the start of the war with Iran, Israel had said it couldn’t safely operate the Gaza crossings under fire. However, the U.N.’s humanitarian office monitoring Gaza warned Monday that a total closure would stretch stocks of food, water and fuel, as well as further inflate the price of basic goods in the devastated Palestinian territory.
In its announcement late Monday, COGAT said it would work in coordination with the American Civil Military Coordination Center and under some security restrictions to reopen the Kerem Shalom Crossing.
US Embassy in Jordan temporarily evacuates staff
Diplomatic staff at the U.S. Embassy in Jordan have left the embassy compound in Amman “due to a threat.”
The U.S. diplomatic mission did not disclose additional details, but the announcement comes not long after Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah threatened to attack American military bases in Jordan.
The announcement that embassy personnel had left the compound in Amman appeared to be a prelude to a potentially larger departure of diplomatic staff from Jordan.
Jordanian police meanwhile urged residents living near the embassy to stay indoors, close windows and take other “precautionary measures.”
Rubio warns ‘hardest hits’ are still to come on Iran
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters before his scheduled House and Senate Intelligence Committees briefing about Iran on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo)
Pressed on how long the U.S. military would remain focused on Iran, Rubio said as long as it takes.
“The hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military. The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now,” he told reporters at the U.S. Capitol.
“How long will it take? I don’t know how long it will take,” he said. “We have objectives. We will do this as long as it takes to achieve those objectives.”
Rubio says regime change is not the objective in Iran
“We would love for there to be an Iran that’s not governed by radical Shia clerics,” he said heading into a classified briefing on Capitol Hill. “That’s not the objective.”
The initial joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran killed the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Ayatollah Khamenei, along with many other top leaders.
“The objectives of this operation are to destroy their ballistic missile capability and make sure they can’t rebuild it, and make sure that they can’t hide behind that to have a nuclear program,” he said. “That’s the objective of the mission.”
Rubio, Hegseth and others are briefing the congressional leaders and the top lawmakers on the national security committees in Congress about the Iran operation.
US death toll rises to 6 troops
The U.S. military on Monday announced the deaths of two more American service members during the operations against Iran, bringing the total death toll to six people.
U.S. Central Command stated in a post on X that U.S. 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 post did not state where two service members were killed. Their identities are being withheld until 24 hours after their families are notified, the military said.
Iran’s top diplomat shares a photo of graves dug for girls killed in apparent airstrike
Iran’s foreign minister posted an aerial photo showing rows of freshly dug graves for more than 160 girls who he said were killed by an airstrike on an elementary school in the country’s south.
“Their bodies were torn to shreds,” Abbas Araghchi said in a post Monday on social media, adding, “This is how ‘rescue’ promised by Mr. Trump looks in reality.”
The photo shows mourners gathered among long, orderly rows of graves stretching across an open dirt lot. White chalk rectangles mark measured burial plots as yellow excavators dig into the earth.
Iranian state media has reported that the girls’ school was hit in an airstrike on Saturday, killing at least 165 people and wounding dozens more. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area. The U.S. military said it was looking into the reports.
Senior UN official highlights impact of recent Middle East escalations on children
U.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the U.N. Security Council on Monday during a session chaired by first lady Melania Trump on protecting children, education and technology in conflict.
Before making general statements about the impact of conflict on children worldwide, DiCarlo highlighted the immediate impact of the U.S.-Israel strikes and Iranian retaliation on the youngest citizens of regional countries.
“We have been reminded of this truth over the last two days. Schools in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman have closed and moved to remote learning owing to the ongoing military operations in the region,” she said.
DiCarlo added that the world body was aware of the reports about the deaths at a girl’s school in southern Iran, which Iran said killed dozens of children. Both U.S. and Israel have said they are looking into it.
Mourners grieve Israeli teens killed in Iranian missile attack
Three young siblings killed in an Iranian missile strike in central Israel were buried Monday night at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
Yaakov, 16, Avigail, 15, and Sarah Biton, 13, were among nine people killed Sunday when a missile hit a shelter in a synagogue in Beit Shemesh, the deadliest attack on Israelis since the war began. Rescuers searched the rubble late into the night.
Israel’s rescue services said 65 people were hospitalized, including two seriously wounded.
President Isaac Herzog visited one of the injured, Penina Cohen, at Hadassah Hospital on Monday. She told him she lost her husband, Yosef, and her mother-in-law, Bruria, in the strike. She and her young son were sitting beside them in the shelter when the missile hit.
“I was right beneath the hole that was torn open, and I have no explanation for how we were not more seriously hurt. We experienced a great miracle,” she said. “Today my son turns 13, and he was meant to celebrate his bar mitzvah. Instead, we are burying my husband and mother-in-law.”
Iran accuses US of hypocrisy before Melania Trump’s UN meeting on protecting kids during conflict
Moments before U.S. first lady Melania Trump led a U.N. Security Council session Monday on protecting children in armed conflict, Amir Saeid Iravani, Iranian ambassador to the U.N., blasted the subject of the meeting, saying that it was in contrast to the reported deadly strikes on a girl’s school in Iran on Saturday.
“It is deeply shameful and hypocritical,” Iravani told reporters, “that on the very first day of its presidency of the Security Council, the United States convenes a high-level meeting on protecting children, technology, and education in armed conflict under the agenda item ‘Maintenance of international peace and security,’ while at the same time launching missile strikes against Iranian cities and bombing schools and killing children.”
He added, “For the United States, ‘protecting children’ and ‘maintaining international peace and security’ clearly mean something very different from what the UN Charter provides.”
US military says it’s taken out 11 Iranian warships in the Gulf of Oman
“Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have ZERO,” U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.
The statement follows President Donald Trump’s Truth Social post on Sunday that U.S. forces had “destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships.” The president said they would be “going after the rest” and had “largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters.”
UN says Israel’s Gaza closure causes fuel rationing and water shortages
The U.N.’s humanitarian office tracking Gaza said Monday that the Israeli closure of all crossings into Gaza was stretching stocks of food, inflating the prices of basic goods and halting municipal services like solid waste collection as humanitarian workers tried to ration fuel supply. It said that reduced water production in some parts of Gaza City had left people drinking as little as two liters of water a day.
COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing civilian affairs in Gaza, closed crossings into the territory at the start of the unfolding war and froze the entrance and exit of humanitarian workers. It said the crossings cannot not be safely operated under fire and that they would reopen as soon as the security situation allows.
Tense calm in Jerusalem during a lull in Iranian missile fire
A tense calm has settled over the central Jerusalem after an afternoon and evening with no sirens announcing incoming missiles from Iran. The streets are still quite empty in West Jerusalem, where most Israelis live.
NATO chief calls on European allies to support war against Iran
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an interview that the United States’ and Israel’s war against Iran is crucial for security in Europe. He said the allies could support the effort even without direct involvement in military operations, through logistics and access.
Rutte, a former prime minister of the Netherlands, said he unreservedly approves of Trump’s decision to attack Iran and kill its supreme leader. Rutte cited the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.
“It would be a stranglehold on Israel. It could potentially mean Israel’s defeat,” Rutte told German public broadcaster ARD in its Brussels studio on Monday.
When asked about the possibility of NATO entering the war, Rutte said absolutely no one believed that NATO would be involved. “This is Iran, this is the Gulf, this is outside NATO territory,” he said.
NATO troops deployed for 20 years to Afghanistan, and its 2011 air campaign helped topple Libya’s late leader Moammar Gadhafi.
A plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohsen Ganji)
Iran says it shot down 20 drones since the war began
Iranian state-run IRNA news agency said the country’s military has shot down 20 “enemy drones” since the beginning of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Saturday.
Iraqi militias threaten US military presence in Jordan
A prominent Iran-backed Iraqi militia has threatened to attack American military bases in neighboring Jordan.
Kataib Hezbollah has claimed attack on U.S. bases in northern Iraq in solidarity with Tehran.
Iran has been targeting American military assets in the Mideast in its ongoing war with Washington and Israel.
The Iraqi government for years has tried to keep a delicate balance maintaining strong ties with both Washington and Tehran.
Israel strikes a Hezbollah-linked financial institution in Lebanon
The military said it has completed a wave of strikes targeting branches of al-Qard al-Hasan, saying the quasi-banking system is being used to fund the militant group’s military wing.
The strikes come amid a day of successive Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and in its capital, following Hezbollah rocket fire on Israel.
Al-Qard al-Hasan is officially a nonprofit charity institution operating outside the Lebanese financial system, and one of the tools by which Hezbollah entrenches its support among the country’s Shiite population.
Israel targeted the institution also in 2024 during its monthslong conflict with Hezbollah.
More US adults oppose initial airstrikes on Iran, early polling suggests
Americans’ initial reactions to Trump ordering airstrikes against Iran over the weekend appear more negative than positive, according to a new snap poll from The Washington Post that was conducted via text message on Sunday.
About half those polled opposed the strikes, while 39% were in support. Roughly 1 in 10 were unsure. Democrats and independents drove much of the disapproval, with nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and about 6 in 10 independents opposed to the military strikes.
Republicans were much more supportive, with 81% backing the military action. About 1 in 10 Republicans were opposed, and a similar share were unsure.
Respondents were about twice as likely to say the U.S. should stop the military strikes as that time, rather than continue them.
Spain says joint US bases were not used in attack on Iran
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the U.S. attack an “unjustifiable” and “dangerous” military intervention.
Defense Minister Margarita Robles said “no assistance of any kind, absolutely none,” had been provided from the Rota and Morón bases in southern Spain, which are shared with the U.S. but remain under Spanish command.
“There is a deal with the U.S. over these bases, but our understanding of the deal is that operations have to comply with international legal frameworks and that there has to be international support for them,” Robles said.
The U.S. and Israel were acting “unilaterally without the support of an international resolution,” Robles said.
Flight map data from FlightRadar24 showed that several U.S. military aircraft had left the bases in southern Spain since the weekend attack, including nine tankers that departed Sunday from Morón for Germany.
Israel says it intercepted a drone from Lebanon
Israel’s military said the hostile aircraft was intercepted and it is reviewing the incident. The army’s social media post did not blame the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah or any other party.
Iran-backed Hezbollah did not immediately issue a statement. The group had fired rockets late Sunday into northern Israel, sparking Israeli strikes throughout Lebanon that killed at least 31 people and displaced thousands.
Drone hits at a fuel terminal in the UAE but fire is contained
Authorities in Abu Dhabi quickly responded to the drone attack on the Musaffah fuel terminal and got the fire under control. No injuries were reported and operations at the terminal were not affected, according to a statement by the Abu Dhabi Media Office posted on X.
BANGKOK — The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is preparing to provide financial assistance of 2,000 baht per day to foreign tourists stranded in Thailand due to flight cancellations linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports Natthriya Thaweewong said on 2 March that the ministry has held urgent discussions with key tourism stakeholders, including the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Tourism Council of Thailand, the Thai Hotels Association, and other service-sector groups, to coordinate assistance for affected visitors.
The worsening regional conflict has led to airspace closures and widespread flight cancellations, leaving a number of tourists unable to return home.
Natthriya said many of the stranded visitors had arrived before the situation intensified and may now be facing financial constraints.
“Thailand should act as a good host. In cases of force majeure where tourists cannot travel home, the ministry has regulations allowing initial compensation of 2,000 baht per day,” she said, adding that officials will continue assessing the scope of assistance required.
Hotels asked to offer discounts
The ministry has coordinated through the Thai Hotels Association to request discounted room rates for stranded tourists. Service operators are also being asked to provide special travel packages so visitors can continue traveling within Thailand at reduced prices while awaiting return flights.
Local TAT offices, provincial tourism and sports offices, and volunteer networks have been instructed to check on stranded tourists at hotels to assess immediate needs and provide support.
Natthriya described the situation as “an opportunity within a crisis” to reinforce Thailand’s reputation for hospitality.
“We want tourists to feel confident that if they travel to Thailand, they will be well taken care of and able to return home safely,” she said.
Focus on major tourist provinces
Officials have been directed to prioritize assistance in key destinations including Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Chiang Mai and Bangkok, where significant numbers of tourists — particularly from Arab countries — are reported to be stranded.
Authorities are also monitoring cases where tourist visas may be nearing expiration and will provide guidance and support as needed.
The ministry is working closely with private-sector partners, airlines and hotel operators, many of whom are already offering support through fare adjustments and reduced accommodation rates.
Natthriya said the proposal has received agreement in principle at a recent meeting, though authorities will continue monitoring the situation before considering broader relief measures.
“Taking good care of stranded tourists is crucial. It reflects Thailand’s image as a safe and welcoming country,” she said.
Released prisoners, in a bus, are welcomed by family members and colleagues after they left Insein Prison Monday, March 2, 2026, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)
BANGKOK (AP) — The head of Myanmar’s military government granted amnesty to thousands of prisoners, mostly political detainees, and activists being prosecuted or in hiding, state-run media reported Monday.
There was no sign former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was ousted in the military takeover in 2021 and has been held virtually incommunicado since then, would be freed. However, according to independent online media reports, those freed included former members of her government and her National League for Democracy party, including Myo Aung, a former mayor of the capital, Naypyitaw.
Family members and colleagues holding name cards wait to welcome the released prisoners from Insein Prison Monday, March 2, 2026, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)
The amnesty, which coincides with Peasants’ Day, a national holiday honoring farmers, comes two weeks before parliament is set to convene for its first session in more than five years, following the recent election that critics said was neither free nor fair.
About a dozen buses carrying prisoners were welcomed outside the gate of the Insein prison in the country’s largest city of Yangon at 11 a.m. by relatives and friends who had been waiting since the announcement earlier Monday.
Tinzar Aung, 30, who was freed from Insein prison, told The Associated Press: “I am very happy. I pray that all those who are still in prison will be released.” She was sentenced in 2022 to seven years in prison under a counterterrorism law, which carries a potential death penalty and was widely used to arrest and imprison political and armed opponents, journalists, and others involved in dissent since the army takeover five years ago.
State-run MRTV television reported that Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the military government, pardoned 10,162 prisoners, including 7,337 convicted under the counterterrorism law. MRTV also said 12,487 others, who were either being prosecuted under that law or were in hiding, will receive amnesty and have their cases closed, as well as 10 foreigners.
Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar, an independent watchdog group that records human rights violations in Myanmar’s prisons, said in a statement that it has initially counted the release of 324 political prisoners from 10 prisons.
Released prisoners get off a bus as they are welcomed by family members and colleagues after they left Insein Prison Monday, March 2, 2026, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)
The identities of those released were not immediately available, but online reports said members of university student unions in Yangon were included in the first group freed.
The Democratic Voice of Burma reported that journalist Hmu Yadanar Khet Moh Moh Tun, sentenced to 13 years in prison in May 2023, was also released.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent organization that keeps detailed tallies of arrests and casualties linked to the nation’s political conflicts, more than 22,800 political detainees were incarcerated as of Feb. 27. They include the 80-year-old Suu Kyi, who is serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted in what supporters have called politically tinged prosecutions.
Mass amnesties to mark holidays are not unusual in the Southeast Asian nation.
The prisoners’ release began Monday but may take a few days.
