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The soldiers are Capt. Cody Khork, 35; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20. All four were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve sustainment unit out of Iowa.

The two other soldiers who were killed in the strike on Sunday have not yet been identified.

"It with deep sadness and unyielding grief that we acknowledge and recognize our soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Our soldiers relentlessly, consistently, and fearlessly served with sincere dedication and pride," Brig. Gen. Clint A. Barnes, deputy commanding general of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, said in a release by the US Army Reserve on Tuesday.

"They were the ultimate ambassadors for freedom," Barnes said. "They represent the best of what our country stands for. May God grant their families peace and comfort in their memories. We will never forget them."

CNN first reported that the suspected drone strike hit a temporary tactical operations center at the port of Shuaiba in Kuwait on Sunday. At the time of their deaths, the soldiers were serving with 1st Theater Sustainment Command.

A source familiar with the situation described the operation center as a triple-wide trailer with office space inside; the building was surrounded by concrete barriers that are typically used to protect military structures overseas from things like car bombs and improvised explosive devices. However, there was nothing overhead that could shield the building from drones or missiles.

There was no siren or warning ahead of the strike to give the troops time to take cover in a bunker, the source familiar said.

Khork, from Lakeland, Florida, enlisted in the National Guard in 2009 as a multiple launch rocket system/fire direction specialist. He commissioned as a military police officer in the Army Reserve in 2014, and deployed to Saudi Arabia; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Poland. His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Joint Service Achievement Medal.

Amor, from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, enlisted as an automated logistics specialist in the National Guard in 2005. She transferred to the Army Reserve a year later and deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019.

Amor, who was a mother to a high school senior and a fourth-grader, was just days away from returning home to her family, her husband, Joey Amor,told The Associated Press.

"She was almost home," Joey Amor told the AP, adding that he had spoken to her two hours before she died, but "she just never responded in the morning."

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Nicole Amor's decorations included the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal.

Tietjens was from Bellevue, Nebraska, and enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2006 as a wheeled vehicle mechanic. He had deployed to Kuwait twice before, in 2009 and 2019. His awards and decorations also include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal.

Nebraska US Senator Pete Rickettssaid in a statementhis "heart and prayers are with the Tietjens family as they mourn the loss of their heroic son."

Coady, from Des Moines, Iowa, was posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant. He enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2023 as an Army information technology specialist. His awards include the Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon.

Coady was also studying information systems, cybersecurity, and computer science at Drake University, according to school officials, who described him as "well-loved and highly dedicated." Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds honored Coady for his service, saying in a statement that he "heroically answered his nation's call to duty and gave the ultimate sacrifice."

1st Theater Sustainment Command is a stand-alone group based out of Fort Knox, Kentucky, composed of troops from units around the country who are assigned to support roles overseas in nine-month rotations.

The command oversees the resupply and support of US forces around the Middle East, bringing in ammunition, water, fuel, food, repair parts and more. It also manages ports and flights, according to the command's website, to "keep people and equipment moving 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Eighteen service members have been seriously wounded as a result of the conflict with Iran, according to US Central Command.

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have indicated that more casualties are likely expected.

"They're great people," Trump said about the six troops who were killedin a phone interviewwith the Daily Mail. "And, you know, we expect that to happen, unfortunately. Could happen continuous — it could happen again."

This story has been updated with additional details.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

As most of the country begins to pay attention to the No. 1 seeds, the bubble teams and the sneaky mid-majors, what many won't realize is that this may be the last time they'll fill out a bracket that doesn't look like it requires advanced trigonometry to figure out.

Indeed, as perfectly imperfect as the 68-team field has been, it feels like this is the final year of sanity before an NCAA tournament expansion most of us don't want and nobody has bothered to explain.

But the NCAA has made it abundantly clear. In 2027, we're probably getting a 72- or 76-team field whether we like it or not.

"I said all along that I think there are some very good reasons to expand the tournament," NCAA president Charlie Baker told reporters last month. "So, I would like to see it expand."

What are those "very good reasons?"

That's where the NCAA and the two mega-conferences pushing toward expansion have struggled to articulate a vision for why it's necessary (because it's not) and why it'll make the tournament better (because it won't).

Yes, in practical terms, the answer is self-evident: The SEC and Big Ten want expansion, and because everyone in the NCAA lives under constant threat of those two pulling a pin on the whole thing, expansion is what they'll get.

It's easy to understand their angle: Both leagues gorged themselves on the remains of the old Big 12 and Pac-12, creating a larger middle class of teams with conference records at or below .500. But rather than accept that a 10th or 12th-place team in an 18-team league might not deserve to play in the NCAA tournament, they'd rather just change the entire structure and make sure none of their members get their feelings hurt.

So that's why expansion is going to happen. That doesn't mean it's a good reason or that it should happen without vigorous pushback from the people who really matter: You know, the fans. Remember them?

Because when you expand the NCAA tournament beyond its current configuration, you're not just adding more mediocre teams to the field, you're effectively changing the nature of the tournament and ignoring why this event has become so popular in the first place.

Why is March Madness such an American cultural phenomenon when college basketball itself is a niche sport with a limited regular-season audience?

It's the bracket. And if you mess with the bracket the way you'd have to for a 72- or 76-team field, you're messing with the tournament in a way that needs to be thought through far more carefully than expansion proponents want to admit.

The 64-team bracket was perfection: Simple, clean, easy for anyone to understand. In fact, you can roughly correlate the NCAA expanding to 64 teams in 1985 with the start of office pools becoming such a tradition that 100 million brackets get filled out every year now, according to some estimates.

And though all kinds of sports leagues use a postseason bracket, the NCAA effectively owns that imagery in American culture. They've made it a key part of the March Madness branding, including on the center court logo at tournament venues, and integrated it into the winning locker room ceremony when a player takes a placard with the name of their school and Velcros it into the next round.

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The bracket structure itself is invaluable in the popularity of the tournament. Even someone who couldn't tell you the difference between the ACC and the A-10 can look at a bracket, see that Team X is playing Team Y and make a pick. You don't need to think about it too hard or know anything about college basketball, yet it triggers an instant level of emotional investment. Between Sunday night when the bracket comes out and Thursday morning, "Who do you have in the Final Four?" is arguably the most-asked question in America at social gatherings, replaced only by "How's your bracket look?" the following week.

Nobody should be too eager to disrupt that, and I don't believe Baker or any of the power conference commissioners who are pushing expansion fully appreciate the risk of making the NCAA tournament more difficult to follow for the common fan than it already is.

Since 2011, when the NCAA expanded to 68, the four play-in games have been mostly an afterthought. It's decent filler programming for a Tuesday and Wednesday night on TruTV, but it's not essential viewing. Those four empty slots on the 64-team bracket are awkward but not overwhelming when people enter their office pools because the real tournament starts on Thursday. That's what everyone looks forward to.

If the tournament expands to 76, however, the likely structure would be four play-in games each on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sure, more single-elimination postseason basketball is good in theory. But eight play-in games means a more complicated, asymmetrical bracket to fill out — and you need to do it by Tuesday morning.

The diehards will adapt quickly. But it's a lot to ask of the tens of millions of people who are only paying attention because of the office pool, and it would arguably be the biggest fundamental change in how America experiences the NCAA tournament since CBS acquired the exclusive TV rights in 1991.

Nobody should be cavalier about the potential for that to go wrong, especially when the reasons given for expansion are so flimsy.

Baker has staked out his position on enhancing the student-athlete experience, citing conversations with athletes who enjoy participating in postseason tournaments.

"From my point of view, the more teams we can get into the tournament and make it work logistically and mathematically, the better," he told reporters. "It gives more kids the opportunity to experience that."

Oh, so athletes like competing for championships? No kidding, Charlie. Every kid should get a pony for Christmas, too.

Other expansion proponents will cite the annual sob stories like Indiana State getting snubbed a couple years ago despite a 28-6 record or West Virginia's six Quad 1 wins being ignored last year while an uninspiring San Diego State team got in only to get waxed by 27 points.

But that's not a compelling reason, either. No matter where you draw the line, someone will always feel aggrieved. At the moment, most bracket experts have a 15-14 Auburn team that has lost 10 of its 16 SEC games among the last teams in.

It's simply laughable to argue that any team that would add value to the NCAA tournament is going to get left out or that the SEC is being disadvantaged by its size and competitiveness. It doesn't even matter if you think Auburn is good enough to make a run. We do not need to expand this thing to make sure more Auburns get in.

Expansion is also not likely to be a financial pot of gold, which is often what motivates these types of moves. It's unclear if CBS/Turner is even willing to pay enough for these extra Tuesday and Wednesday games to be revenue-neutral.

Instead, the leaders of college sports have offered little except that expansion is likely to happen because they want it to happen while failing to explain why it's necessary and how the benefit is greater than the potential cost. They seem eager to gamble the sanctity of a brand college sports spent the last 40 years building without recognizing that the bracket is the brand.

Changing the NCAA tournament is a risk, and one nobody can vigorously defend. It's a solution in search of a problem. But like so many things in college sports, self-interest and inertia will continue to guide the enterprise toward unpopular decisions that make the good stuff worse while failing to fix what's broken.

March Madness is mostly perfect as it is. This year may be the last time we can say that.

The cartel leader died after being wounded in a firefight between his bodyguards and Mexican special forces personnel deployed to capture him in late February.

The 59-year-old founder of the feared Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) was the country's most-wanted man, while the US had offered a $15m (£11.2m) reward for information leading to his arrest.

His death triggered widespread retaliatory violence in which cartel members set fire to vehicles and blockaded roads across 20 Mexican states.

Members of the National Guard were out in force to prevent fresh violence from breaking out during the colourful funeral near Guadalajara in Jalisco state, a stronghold for the cartel.

Large floral tributes were seen being carried into the funeral home ahead of the ceremony, including one shaped like a rooster in a reference to his love of cockfighting.

According to AFP news agency, five lorries were needed to take all the tributes to the cemetery, most of which had been sent anonymously.

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The funeral procession was accompanied by a band playing ranchero music and narcocorridos - songs praising drug lords.

The traditional song El Muchacho Alegre (The Cheerful Boy) was played as Oseguera's gold-coloured coffin arrived at a chapel located inside the cemetery grounds, local media reported.

After an hour-long ceremony, the mourners - many of whom concealed their identities using face masks - followed the coffin as it was carried to the grave.

Mexican media noted that the plot was relatively plain compared with those of other drug lords, which are often topped by large mausoleums.

Under Oseguera's leadership, the CJNG became a powerful transnational criminal organisation which spread from its stronghold in Jalisco into many other Mexican states, where it engages in drug production and trafficking.

Oseguera's killing by Mexican special forces has been seen as a victory for President Claudia Sheinbaum's government, which has come under increasing pressure by her US counterpart Donald Trump to do more to combat drug trafficking.

But there have been fears that the vacuum left behind by the powerful cartel leader could trigger a surge in violence in the short term, as different factions within the criminal group - which is estimated to have tens of thousands of members - fight for control.

• Who was El Mencho, Mexico's most wanted man?

• Threat of further violence looms after Mexican cartel rampage

Rojas lines up at center forward for AFC Richmond in the wildly popular Apple TV show "Ted Lasso."

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Now the actor who portrays Rojas, Cristo Fernández, is on trial with USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive, per multiple reports.

Fernández, 35, has been training with El Paso since last week and,per KTSM 9 News, he played 30 minutes in Saturday's preseason scrimmage against New Mexico United.

The Mexican actor can be seen prominently in the club's Instagram post following the matchup against New Mexico.

We're only a few weeks into 2026 and we already have our first unexpected celebrity relationship: Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton have arrived. Though, apparently things are very casual and it's a "friends with benefits" situation, so don't get too excited. That said, these two have a lot of history despite the fact that their relationship is pretty fresh. Keep reading for a deep dive on their timeline–plus how Lewis responded to those Kendall Jenner rumors.

September 2, 2015

Kim and Lewis are photographed for the first time (with Nicole Scherzinger and Kanye West) at theGQMen Of The Year awards. Obviously, they're both in relationships with other people, so the vibes are strictly platonic!

March 5, 2015

Kim and Kanye hang with Lewis again at the Balmain Aftershow Dinner during fashion week.

September 14, 2015

The internet starts speculating that Lewis and Kendall Jenner are dating, which he promptly denies, tellingE! News"Me and Kendall have been friends for a while, so we're just friends."

November 1, 2021

Kim and Lewis hang at theWSJ. Magazine2021 Innovator Awards. (Note: she was dating Pete Davidson at the time!)

December 31, 2025

Kim and Lewis both attend Kate Hudson's New Year's Eve party in Aspen, but it's an event packed with celebrities so no one really pays any attention. Pics below....

January 28, 2026

Kim opens up about her dating life to Khloé Kardashian on her podcast, saying—when asked if she's with anyone—"Honestly, no. Isn't that crazy?" She adds, "I just feel like my kids need me. It's really hard when I have to put them to bed every night. I get them up. I take them to school. I get them ready. They sleep in my bed. I haven't had time — and I'm okay with that. I thought, 'You know what? I'm going to be studying. I won't have time. When I'm done, I'll open myself up.' I opened myself up. But it's just, I haven't found anyone. And that's okay."

February 1, 2026

News of Kim and Lewis' relationship leaks thanks toThe Sunrevealing they spent the previous night on a romantic mini getaway to the Cotswolds. An insider says "They had a couples massage booked in and had full use of the facilities for just the two of them. It was all kept very quiet—they clearly wanted to have some time for just the two of them. In the evening, they had dinner in a private room so they didn't have other guests around. Estelle Manor is an incredible place to have a date, it's so luxurious and glamorous."

The couple allegedly spend the night of February 1 in London at the Rosewood Hotel, and a sourcesays"it was 'Netflix and chill' vibes — and they couldn't have been happier. When Kim went out to her event, Lewis stayed at the hotel and waited for her to come back."

February 2, 2026

Kim and Lewis head to Paris and Kim's spotted heading to a date at Aqua Kyoto in a totally transparent catsuit.

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Meanwhile, a source tellsThe Sunthey spent "most of their time together in their room and ordered food there" and were trying to be low key, "using side entrances at hotels, or are using hotels which have underground car parks. They'll then use lifts straight to their room. It's like a military operation moving them from place to place but Kim has her two bodyguards and Lewis has his close protection officer on hand to help things run smoothly."

February 3, 2026

Daily Mailreports that Lewis and Kim's relationship is just "friends with benefits" and that "Lewis and Kim are not dating exclusively. He's not looking to settle down with anyone, including Kim, but they are very cool with embracing the rumors and having a friend with benefits vibe."

Another insider added that Kim and Lewis "has a very calm spirit and he has been there for Kim through her complex co-parenting situation with Kanye," but that he "isn't looking to be a stepdad, not looking to be the 'it' couple with Kim. Their schedules are so demanding right now so this set up works for them."

February 8, 2026

Kim and Lewis are spotted at the Super Bowl!

February 9, 2026

Fans think they hear Lewis in the background of this video!

February 11, 2026

A source tellsPeopleKim "feel safe" and she "genuinely enjoys spending time with him."

"There's a comfort level there, because they've known each other for years," they add. "Kim's gone on dates and met people over the years, but Lewis is the first guy she's really into in a long time. She always liked him. She's excited about their romantic connection."

That said, Kim is "just taking things moment by moment and seeing where it goes. Her life is very much centered in Los Angeles with her kids and work. She's not thinking about the future right now, or putting any pressure on it."

March 2, 2026

Lewis and Kim arespottedat Lake Powell by paps, and then they share photos from their trip.

Stay tuned for updates!

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The Gist

• He also shouted her out in his Lifetime Achievement Award speech.

• Ford and Flockhart began dating in 2002, but they didn't get married until 2010.

Harrison Fordshared the key to his 15-year marriage toCalista Flockhart. Speaking toE! Newsat the 2026 Actor Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, theIndiana Jonesalum revealed the important rule he follows in their relationship.

"I don't tell my wife what to do," he said.

Ford was asked if Flockhart would appear on his Apple TV show,Shrinking: "That would be up to her," he shared.

At the Actor Awards, Ford was given the honorary Lifetime Achievement Award.

"Sometimes we make entertainment; sometimes we make art. Sometimes we're lucky to make 'em both at the same time, and if we're really fortunate, we also get to make a living doing it," he explained. "I'm indeed a lucky guy. Lucky to have found my people, lucky to have work that challenges me, lucky to still be doing it. And I don't take that for granted."

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He went on to thank "extraordinary, beautiful wife" Flockhart and his family, "who have given me love and courage through all of it."

Ford and theAlly McBealstar began dating in 2002, tying the knot in 2010. The couple met at the 59thGolden Globes, when Ford caught Flockhart's attention after accidentally spilling wine on her dress mid-conversation. The comical moment apparently sealed the deal for Flockhart, and the two began dating from that point on.

"I'm in love. Romantic love is one of the most exciting and fulfilling kinds of love, and I think there is a potential for it at any stage of your life," Ford said ina 2003 interview, a year after meeting Flockhart. "I was not surprised that I was able to fall in love, and I wasn't surprised that I did."

Ford proposed to Flockhart on Valentine's Day in 2009 after seven years of dating, and the couple married the following year. After the wedding, Ford, who is a dad to four children from his two previous marriages, adopted Flockhart's son, Liam, making their blended family complete.

Read the original article onInStyle

APTOPIX Lebanon Israel Iran

Across Iran's capital, Tehran, explosions rang out overnight as the U.S. and Israel pounded Iran with airstrikes sincekilling its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneion Saturday. Iran and its allies have hit back against Israel, neighboring Gulf states and targets critical to the world's oil and natural gas production.

Airstrikes by the United States and Israel have killed at least 787 people in Iran since the start of the war, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said Tuesday.

The conflict has also spread to Lebanon, where the Iranian-supported militant group Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel on Monday, prompting Israel to retaliate. On Tuesday, the Israeli military hit Beirut with more airstrikes and said it had moved additional troops into southern Lebanon and taken new positions on several strategic points close to the border.

Here is the latest:

Iranian drone damaged part of the US Embassy's roof in Saudi Arabia

According to an internal State Department memo, the strike on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh caused part of its roof to collapse, although there were no reported deaths or injuries to staff.

In Kuwait City, there were also no deaths or injuries after the vicinity of the embassy was hit by two drone strikes that caused no damage to the facility, it said.

US senators are grilling a top defense official over Iran war plans

Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, said it's "very disturbing" that Trump took the U.S. to war because Israel wanted to bomb Iran.

Netanyahu has been "egging for an invasion of Iran for 20 years," the senator said, and past U.S. presidents "have consistently said no."

Senators grilled Defense official Elbridge Colby during an Armed Services committee hearing on the administration's shifting rationale for the attack and warned against sending U.S. boots on the ground.

Colby told senators the president has directed the military campaign to destroy the missile threat from Iran and deny the country a nuclear weapon.

"The president made the decision," Colby said.

Satellite images show damage to Iran's Natanz nuclear facility

The satellite images taken on Monday show several damaged buildings at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, compared with imagery from the previous day, along with additional damage across the complex.

Vantor, an imaging company based in Colorado formerly known as Maxar Technologies, released the images showing the damage that it said affected buildings that house the personnel and vehicle entrances to the underground fuel enrichment complex.

Earlier Tuesday, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said that Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site sustained "some recent damage" amid a U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign.

It said "no radiological consequence expected," from it.

The nuclear facility at Natanz is located nearly 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, and is Iran's main enrichment site. It had been targeted by airstrikes in the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.

Netanyahu threatens further strikes against Iran and Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military plans to respond with even more force against projectiles from Iran and Lebanon on Tuesday during a visit to an Israeli air force base.

"Our pilots are over the skies of Iran and Tehran, and over the skies of Lebanon. Hezbollah made a very big mistake when it attacked us," he said.

He added that the Lebanese government and Lebanese people should understand that Iran-backed Hezbollah is "dragging them into a war that is not theirs, just because of the death of that mass murderer that they have nothing to do with."

A senior Hezbollah official has said that after more than a year of abiding by a ceasefire while Israel launched near-daily strikes in Lebanon, the group's patience has ended.

US Embassy in Israel tells Americans they must find their own way home

If you're an American in Israel looking for a way to leave the country, get a bus to Egypt or if you must, to Jordan. But don't expect the U.S. Embassy to help.

That's according to Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel. In a lengthy post on X Tuesday, Huckabee said the U.S. embassy is directing all U.S. government employees and their family members in Israel to shelter in place "until further notice" as Iran fires missiles into the country.

"The U.S. Embassy is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel," he wrote, adding information about bus service as a courtesy "as you make your own security plans."

The Israeli Ministry of Tourism, he said, began running shuttles to the Taba Border Crossing with Egypt and requires prospective passengers to register via the ministry's evacuation form.

Passengers who wish to cross to Jordan, he said, shuttle to Eilat in southern Israel and continue by taxi to the Yitzhak Rabin Border Crossing. Flights out of Jordan are harder to get than those out of Cairo, Huckabee wrote.

Bulgaria is evacuating people from the UAE and Oman

Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky said that the first evacuation flights for Bulgarians from airports in the Middle East will take place early Wednesday.

"We have already organized the evacuation of some 300 people on the first flight from Oman," she said adding that the repatriation of Bulgarians from Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is also forthcoming.

Bulgaria's government said that up to eight aircraft of varying capacity were on standby to carry out evacuation flights for its citizens from the Middle East at short notice.

There are currently more than 10,000 Bulgarians in the region.

The Tourism Ministry said that around 1,400 organized tourists with tour operator programs are currently in countries in the Middle East. The largest number of them are in Dubai, followed by Jordan.

"Ensuring the safety of Bulgarian citizens and creating conditions for their timely return at the first safe opportunity remains the leading priority," the ministry said.

Tehran resident describes growing fears as the capital comes under heavy bombardment

Communications into Iran remain unstable, with the internet largely blocked. The resident of north Tehran messaged The Associated Press before dawn on Tuesday and spoke on the condition of anonymity because of security concerns.

He said a major blast rattled his building on Monday. "I was by the window and felt the shockwave. Pretty scary, then saw the smoke," he said.

Most stores in the normally bustling area of Tajrish were closed, he added. Iran has declared an official mourning period following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the first wave of joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.

By Amir-Hussein Radjy

Thailand will evacuate 300 nationals from Iran, including diplomats, overland via Turkey

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Tuesday that the evacuees were expected to be transported to a border city in Turkey as soon as possible before flying in back to Thailand.

Thai officials say there are about 100,000 Thai nationals living and working in the Middle East, including 60,000 Thai citizens in Israel.

The prime minister said about 1,000 Thai citizens in United Arab Emirate had registered to be repatriated and they could fly back on normal commercial flights. However, the government would also prepare to transport its citizens to other countries if the airspace is closed.

China's foreign minister warns of 'great repercussions' of attack on Iran in phone call with Israel's top diplomat

Beijing condemns the military strikes on Iran and calls for an immediate cessation of military operations to prevent the conflict from spiraling out of control.

That's the message from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, according to a readout of their call Tuesday published by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

The call was at Sa'ar's request, Xinhua said.

Wang said China had always advocated for a political settlement of the Iran nuclear issue and that recent talks between Iran and the U.S. had been making clear progress before being disrupted by the military strikes.

Wang asked Sa'ar to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in Israel.

Oil-rich Iraq to cut production after Strait of Hormuz closure

Iraq's Ministry of Oil says it will stop its production in a key oil field as the ongoing war in Iran disrupted a key waterway into the oil-rich Persian Gulf.

The widening war between Iran with the United States and Israel has ground tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a halt, causing crude oil prices to surge worldwide. About a fifth of the world's oil passes through the strait, carrying oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran.

The ministry cited a shortage of tankers entering the gulf, forcing them to "stop production and pumping" from the southern Rumaila fields near the city of Basra. That tanker shortage caused "storage levels at our oil warehouses rising to critical levels."

The strait is about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point. It connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. From there, ships can then travel to the rest of the world.

Iran-backed Iraqi militants make a veiled threat to several Arab states

An Iranian-backed militant group in Iraq has issued a veiled threat against Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates amid the widening war in the Middle East.

Kataib Hezbollah, one of the most powerful militant groups in Iraq, claimed that American aircraft that hit their camps earlier this week took off from an airbase in Jordan which houses U.S. forces.

The group also lashed out at Saudi Arabia and the UAE apparently for their criticism of Iranian missile and drone attacks in their territories.

It warned the two Gulf countries to "adjust their statements according to their true size … since their territories and capabilities are harnessed to serve the Zionist-American project."

Ukraine offers to swap drone interceptors for missiles

Ukraine is ready to give its domestically produced interceptor drones to Middle East countries in return for American-made air defense missiles it desperately needs, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday.

Ukraine needs U.S. PAC-3 missiles to counter cruise and ballistic missile attacks by Russia's invading forces in their more than four-year war. Kyiv has also developed cheap and efficient interceptors to combat Russia's Iranian-designed Shahed drones.

Countries in the Middle East are using the same surface-to-air U.S. missiles to defend against Iranian attacks.

"If they give them (air defense missiles) to us, we will give them our interceptor. This is an equivalent exchange," Zelenskyy said at a briefing.

No coordination between Iran and Hezbollah over group's new strikes against Israel, Iran's ambassador says

Ali Bahreini, Iran's top envoy to U.N. institutions in Geneva, said the Islamic Republic doesn't need help from outside Iran and "we are capable of defending our country."

He told reporters on Tuesday that "there hasn't been any coordination between Iran and Hezbollah" and said of the Lebanese group: "They decide independently and act independently."

In a statement posted Monday on X, the Israeli military said: "Hezbollah is operating on behalf of the Iranian regime, opening fire against the Israeli civilians, and bringing ruin to Lebanon."

The Iranian-backed militant group fired missiles at Israel on Monday, prompting Israel to retaliate. Israel's military said its soldiers were operating in southern Lebanon on Tuesday as it continues strikes against Hezbollah.

South Korea evacuates 62 people from Israel

South Korean officials say they evacuated 62 nationals from Israel to Egypt by bus, following the earlier evacuation of 23 Koreans from Iran.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it also evacuated four Americans of Korean descent from Israel.

Dow drops 1.8% as stocks sell off around the world and oil prices leap even higher on war worries

A sell-off for stocks is slamming Wall Street after careening from Europe and Asia, and oil prices are leaping even higher as rise that the war with Iran is widening and may do more sustained damage to the economy than feared.

The S&P 500 dropped 1.6% in early trading on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 880 points, or 1.8%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 1.8%.

Crude oil prices jumped more than 8% as Iran struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia, part of a widening of targets that's also including areas critical to the world's oil and natural gas production. Treasury yields rose.

Merz position on Iran conflict is in the spotlight at White House meeting

Merz has expressed understanding for the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran but has not explicitly supported it.

Speaking on Sunday in reaction to the widening conflict, Merz said that Germany "shares the relief of many Iranians that this mullah regime is now coming to an end."

The chancellor added "together with the United States and Israel, we share the interest in ending this regime's terror and stopping its dangerous nuclear and ballistic armament." At the same time he warned that the military action "is not without risk."

Merz also pointed out that it was not clear what kind of escalation the attacks and counter-attacks could lead to in the region and whether military strikes from outside Iran could bring about political change from within. The chancellor referred to the U.S. interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, which did not lead to the desired outcome.

Trump to meet with Germany's Merz

The U.S. president is hosting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House later Tuesday.

The topics of discussion is sure to include Iran, although Merz's visit was confirmed by the German government before Trump made the decision to strike.

The two leaders will meet in the Oval Office in front of a pool of journalists, and then have lunch. It's Merz's third trip to Washington since he took office 10 months ago.

Average price for a gallon of gas rises 11 cents overnight to about $3.11 in US

The average price for a gallon of gasoline jumped 11 cents overnight to about $3.11 in the U.S., according to motor club AAA.

Gas prices were already rising before the U.S. launchedstrikes on Iranas refiners switch over to summer blends of fuel, but crude futures have risen sharply this week because of the war.

On Tuesday, oil futures soared to levels not seen in more than a year as Iran launched a series of retaliatory attacks, including adrone strikeon the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

Benchmark U.S. crude jumped 8.6% to $77.36 a barrel.

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South Koreans evacuated from Iran to Turkmenistan

South Korean officials say they evacuated 23 South Korean nationals from Iran to Turkmenistan by bus.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that they were being transported to the capital, Ashgabat, and were expected to fly back to South Korea or to third countries on Wednesday.

Russia's nuclear corporation chief says Iran's nuclear power plant faces threats

The head of Russia's state nuclear corporation has said that the Russian-built nuclear power plant in Iran faces growing threats amid the war.

Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev said the plant in Iran's southern port of Bushehr hasn't come under attack yet, but explosions have taken place just a few kilometers (miles) away from the site as nearby military facilities were targeted by strikes.

Likhachev warned that a hit on the plant's reactor or reservoirs holding spent fuel could release dangerous radioactivity and contaminate wide areas, causing a "catastrophe on a regional scale."

Likhachev said that 639 Russian nuclear workers are now in Iran. Some of them, who are now in Tehran, are leaving the country, and some of the personnel in Bushehr will be evacuated later.

More European countries to start evacuating citizens

Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger announced that a repatriation flight carrying Austrians would depart on Wednesday from the Omani capital Muscat. The minister said a first evacuation flight carrying "particularly vulnerable individuals" already took off Sunday.

Nearly 18,000 Austrian citizens are registered in the region, authorities said.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene also said her country will commence the evacuation of "the most vulnerable groups of Lithuanian citizens" from the United Arab Emirates and other surrounding states.

US embassy warns of imminent attack in Saudi city

The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia has warned of an "imminent" missile and drone attack on the oil-rich eastern Saudi city of Dhahran.

"Do not come to the U.S. Consulate" in Dhahrab, the embassy advised. "Take cover immediately in your residence on the lowest available floor and away from windows." It did not provide further details.

More than one-third of flights to the Middle East canceled Tuesday

Nearly 1,900 out of more than 5,450 flights scheduled to the Middle East were canceled on Tuesday, aviation analytics company Cirium said.

UAE says it has repelled hundreds of missiles and drones

The United Arab Emirates said that it possesses all defense capabilities and ammunition stockpiles to protect itself "regardless of the time frame and the length of the escalation period in the region".

The country's defense ministry said in a briefing Tuesday that it has so far repelled hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones fired into the country.

It said a total of 186 missiles and 812 drones were fired toward the country since the weekend.

Ministry spokesperson Abdel Nassir al-Hameedi said injuries that resulted from the Iranian attacks and what he called "minor damages" were the result of shrapnel from interception efforts, not a result of successful attacks against the country.

UN peacekeepers say Israeli forces made forays across border into Lebanon

The U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, says its peacekeepers saw Israeli forces crossing into Lebanon in several areas Tuesday morning "before returning south of the Blue Line," referring to the border between the two countries.

It said Israeli forces were seen crossing in areas near the villages of Markaba, Odaisseh, Kfar Kila and Ramia.

"Over the past two days, as well as dozens of rockets and missiles fired into Israel claimed by Hizbullah, UNIFIL has recorded several airstrikes and hundreds of incidents of firing across the Blue Line and 84 air violations," the statement said.

The Israeli military said earlier that its troops were positioned at several points near the border as it continues strikes against Hezbollah.

Drone hits Oman's largest port; no casualties

A drone struck Oman's largest port of Salalah on Tuesday, authorities said.

The government media office also said two drones were shot down in the southwestern province of Dhofar.

The attacks left no casualties or damage in both Salalah and Dhofar, it said.

Thousands of Syrians leave Lebanon to flee Israeli strikes

Thousands of Syrians have crossed from Lebanon into Syria to flee Israeli strikes over the past two days as Israel and the Iran-allied Lebanese militant group Hezbollah escalated their attacks against each other.

The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said in a statement that around 3,900 to 4,400 people would typically cross from Lebanon into Syria during Ramadan. On Monday, after Hezbollah launched missiles toward Israel and Israel retaliated with bombarding Lebanon, a total of 10,629 people crossed, the vast majority of them Syrian.

Azzam Sweiri, a Syrian farm worker who had been working in southern Lebanon, crossed back into Syria Tuesday.

"The streets were packed with cars and people" as he fled, he said. "It took us 10 or 12 hours just to make it 30 or 40 kilometers."

Zelenskyy offers to help UAE protect itself against Iranian drones

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he has offered to help the United Arab Emirates protect itself against Iranian aerial attacks.

Ukraine has built significant expertise in countering Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia has launched almost daily at Ukrainian targets since Moscow's invasion more than four years ago.

Zelenskyy said on X that he spoke by phone with the United Arab Emirates president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and "discussed how we can help" protect lives in the UAE.

On Sunday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Ukrainian and British experts will work together to help Middle East countries shoot down Iranian drones.

UN human rights chief calls for investigation into reported strike on school

The U.N. human rights chief is calling for a "prompt, impartial and thorough investigation" into what Iran says was an airstrike that hit a girls' school in the southern city of Minab.

Volker Türk said he is "deeply shocked" by the fallout of the hostilities on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the conflict.

Alluding to the reported strike on the girls school, rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said "the onus is on the forces that carried out the attack to investigate it."

She called for those forces to make the findings public and ensure accountability and redress for victims. The rights office said it was making no assessment who might be responsible.

An Israeli military spokesperson said Sunday he is not aware of any Israeli or American strikes in the area.

Qatari official says Iranian attacks 'will not go unanswered'

A Qatari official says Iranian attacks in the gas-rich country "will not go unanswered" as the Iran war expands in the Middle East.

Majed Al Ansari, a spokesman of the Qatari foreign ministry, said the Iranian attacks not only targeted military facilities but struck across all of Qatar's territory.

"Such attacks will not go unanswered," he said in a briefing.

He said there were attempted attacks on the Hamad International airport, adding that more than 8,000 people have been stranded as the country's airspace remains closed.

Turkey urges halt to attacks and calls for diplomacy

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan renewed his call for an end to escalating violence and a return to diplomacy.

"Our fundamental request and demand is clear: the mutual attacks must stop immediately and diplomacy must resume," Fidan said, according to a transcript of his remarks to journalists late Monday.

The minister said Turkey consistently emphasizes this message during talks with other leaders.

Commenting on Iran's attacks on Gulf states' facilities, Fidan said Iran hopes these countries will pressure the United States to stop the war, while adding he believes that outcome "is not likely."

Italy arranges flights to bring home stranded citizens

The Italian government says it is working "non-stop" to assist Italian citizens stranded in the Middle East.

Italy scheduled two flights including one from Muscat, Oman, to Rome's Fiumicino airport Tuesday to carry around 300 people and another from Abu Dhabi to Milan to carry about 200 people, mostly young students.

Another two flights are set to depart from Abu Dhabi to Milan and Rome Tuesday. An additional flight from Muscat has been scheduled for Wednesday.

Romanian pilgrims return to Bucharest from Israel

Romanian tourists arrived in Bucharest early Tuesday after traveling from Israel to Cairo to escape the conflict.

Hundreds of Romanian Orthodox Church pilgrims were stranded in Israel while visiting Bethlehem on a trip led by Romanian priests when the war broke out. The group was forced to cut their trip short to return to Romania.

Romanian pilgrim Mariana Muicaru said she was terrified as rockets flew across the sky in Israel.

"We called our children at 3 a.m. to ask forgiveness because we might die and to tell them we love them and to let them know that it's over for us," she told The Associated Press.

Kremlin says Putin will convey Gulf leaders' concern to Tehran

The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will convey the Gulf leaders' concern over the Iranian strikes on their territory to Iran.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin will "make every effort to facilitate at least minor easing of tension."

He noted that after Monday's calls with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Putin will convey their "deep concern about the strikes on their infrastructure" to Tehran.

Hezbollah official says group will fight 'open war' with Israel

A senior Hezbollah official says that after more than a year of abiding by the ceasefire as Israel's strikes continued on Lebanon, the group's patience has ended, leaving it with no option "but to return to resistance" and fight an open war with Israel.

Mohamoud Komati said Tuesday that Hezbollah exercised patience since a ceasefire ended the Israel-Hezbollah war in November 2024, hoping the government's diplomatic efforts would yield positive results in ending Israeli strikes.

Komati blasted the Lebanese government for calling Hezbollah's actions illegal and demanded it hand over its weapons, saying it did not act to stop Israel's airstrikes that continued on almost daily basis for nearly 15 months.

"The Zionist enemy wanted an open war, which it has not stopped since the ceasefire agreement," Komati said. "So let it be an open war."

Saudi Arabia condemns Iran drone strike against US embassy

Saudi Arabia has condemned in the strongest terms Iran's drone strike that hit the U.S. embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

"The brutal Iranian behavior … will push the region into further escalation," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement, which reiterated the nation's right to protect Saudi territories and interests, including "the option of responding to the aggression."

The Saudi Defense Ministry said the U.S. embassy came under attack from two drones early Tuesday.

Footage aired by the Saudi-owned satellite news channel Al Arabiya showed fire damage on one part of the roof of U.S. Embassy in Riyadh after the drone attack.

Sirens sound in Bahrain

Sirens sounded in Bahrain on Tuesday afternoon as a new Iranian attack was expected.

China calls for safe passage in Strait of Hormuz

China, a major importer of oil and natural gas from the Mideast, has called on all sides to stop the fighting and ensure ships can pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has attacked several ships in the narrow strait through whicha fifth of all oil traded passes, sending oil and gas prices soaring.

"China urges all parties to immediately cease military operations, avoid escalating tensions, safeguard the safety of shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and prevent greater impacts on the global economy," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing.

Israel military says airstrikes hit Iran's presidential office

The Israeli military said Tuesday it has struck Iran's presidential office and the building of the country's Supreme National Security Council.

It said the airstrikes happened overnight.

"In addition, the gathering site of the regime's most senior forum responsible for security decision-making was targeted, as well as the institution for training Iranian military officers and additional key regime infrastructure," it added.

Iran did not immediately acknowledge the strikes.

UN nuclear watchdog says Iran nuclear enrichment site sustained damage

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog said Tuesday that Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site sustained "some recent damage" during a U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign, though it said there was "no radiological consequence expected" from it.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said the damage was focused on "entrance buildings" to the underground portion of the atomic site.

Natanz earlier came under attack by the U.S. in the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June.

The IAEA said it saw "no additional impact" detected at Natanz's fuel enrichment plant, which is buried underground.

Nuclear material is still believed to be buried at the plant alongside damaged and destroyed centrifuges. However, the IAEA has not been allowed to visit any of the attacked sites by Iran since that war.

Red Crescent Society says at least 787 people in Iran killed in airstrikes

Airstrikes by the United States and Israel have killed at least 787 people in Iran since the start of the war, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said Tuesday.

The organization offered the toll in a message on X.