Saudi Arabia condemns 'reprehensible' Iranian attacks on Gulf

This live blog follows updates for Day 10 of the US-Israel war on Iran

• Hezbollah officials claim downing Israeli helicopter 
• Saudi Arabia condemns 'reprehensible' Iranian attacks on Gulf
• China's Middle East envoy urges war de-escalation during Saudi talks
• Dozens wounded in Bahrain as Gulf suffers missile, drone attacks
• Saudi Arabia says intercepted drone attack targeting oil field

Saudi Arabia condemns 'reprehensible' Iranian attacks on Gulf

Published March 9, 2026 | 05:35 GMT

Saudi Arabia lambasted Iran on Monday, calling Tehran's attacks targeting the kingdom and their Gulf neighbors "reprehensible", according to a statement from the foreign ministry.

Saudi Arabia "renews the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's categorical condemnation of the reprehensible Iranian aggressions against the Kingdom, the Gulf Cooperation Council states, a number of Arab and Islamic countries, and friendly nations, which cannot be accepted or justified under any circumstances," the statement posted on the ministry's official X account read.

Hezbollah officials claim downing Israeli helicopter 

Published March 9, 2026 | 05:20 GMT

Hezbollah said on Monday it was fighting Israeli forces who landed in eastern Lebanon by helicopter across the Syrian border, the second such operation since the outbreak of the latest conflict with Israel.

Israel, which has kept up strikes targeting Hezbollah despite a 2024 ceasefire, launched multiple waves of strikes last week across Lebanon and sent ground troops into border areas.

In a statement on Monday, Hezbollah said it detected "the infiltration of approximately 15 Israeli enemy helicopters" from the Syrian side of the border in eastern Lebanon, an area where Hezbollah holds sway.

The group said its fighters "engaged the helicopters and the infiltrating force with appropriate weapons, and the confrontation" was ongoing.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) earlier reported "fierce clashes... towards the outskirts of the town of Nabi Sheet to repel Israeli forces that carried out a landing by helicopters" in the area.

Two Hezbollah officials in the Bekaa region, where Nabi Sheet is located, told AFP that an Israeli helicopter was downed.

The Israeli army did not immediately comment on the incident.

China's Middle East envoy urges war de-escalation during Saudi talks

Published March 9, 2026 | 05:07 GMT

China's envoy to the Middle East urged de-escalation in the conflict-ridden region and called for attacks on civilians to be condemned during talks with Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Beijing said Monday.

The war, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has threatened global energy security and trade, as well as China's oil supplies.

Beijing is a close partner of Tehran and condemned the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but it has also criticized Iranian strikes against several Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, since the outbreak of the conflict.

Dozens wounded in Bahrain as Gulf suffers missile, drone attacks

Published March 9, 2026 | 05:00 GMT

Bahrain said Monday that an Iranian drone attack on the island of Sitra injured 32 people overnight, as Gulf nations reported new attacks with Tehran pressing its retaliatory strikes across the region.

All of the wounded were Bahraini citizens and there were four "serious cases", including children, the health ministry said in a statement carried by the state news agency.

The wounded included a 17-year-old girl who suffered severe head and eye injuries, and a two-month-old baby, according to the ministry.

Several explosions were also heard Monday in the Qatari capital Doha, AFP journalists said, as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait all reported new attacks.

Saudi Arabia says intercepted drone attack targeting oil field

Published March 9, 2026 | 03:35 GMT

The Saudi defence ministry said Monday it had thwarted a drone attack targeting an oil field in the kingdom's east, near the Emirati border.

"Four drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field were intercepted and destroyed," a defence ministry statement said.

UAE says air defenses responding to missile attack

Published March 9, 2026 | 03:29 GMT

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates reported a missile attack early Monday that its air defence systems were responding to, as Iran continues its retaliatory strikes across the Gulf.

"Air defence systems are currently responding to a missile threat," the country's National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said in a post on X.

Israel says striking 'regime infrastructure' in central Iran

Published March 9, 2026 | 02:18 GMT

The Israeli military said it launched a wave of strikes targeting "regime infrastructure" in central Iran on Monday, the first such announcement since the Islamic Republic appointed a new supreme leader.

Israeli forces have "begun an additional wave of strikes on Iranian terror regime infrastructure in central Iran", the military said in a brief statement, shortly after announcing strikes on Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran drone attack on Bahrain leaves 32 civilians wounded: health ministry

Published March 9, 2026 | 02:36 GMT

Bahrain's ministry of health said that an Iranian drone attack, which targeted the Gulf nation's island of Sitra overnight, wounded 32 civilians.

All of the wounded were Bahraini citizens, and there were four "serious cases", including children, said the ministry in a statement carried by the Gulf nation's state news agency.

Israel military says struck Hezbollah targets in Beirut

Published March 9, 2026 | 02:15 GMT

Israel's military said it struck the Beirut area early Monday, targeting Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Israeli forces "struck infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation in Beirut", the military said in a brief statement.

An AFP correspondent heard a loud explosion in the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.

Kuwait says air defenses intercepting missile, drone attack

Published March 9, 2026 | 01:43 GMT

Kuwait's defense ministry said the country's air defenses were working to intercept a new missile and drone attack on the Gulf nation, as Iran continues its retaliatory strikes in its war with the United States and Israel.

"Kuwaiti air defenses are currently dealing with missile and hostile drone attacks," the ministry said.

Iran fires first missiles at Israel after supreme leader chosen: Report

Published March 9, 2026 | 00:57 GMT

Iran fired its first missiles towards Israel after the appointment of the Islamic republic's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, state broadcaster IRIB said.

"Iran fires first wave of missiles under Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei towards occupied territories," IRIB said on its Telegram channel.

It posted a picture of a projectile bearing the slogan "At Your Command, Sayyid Mojtaba," a Shiite religious reference.

Hezbollah says fighting Israeli forces who landed in east Lebanon

Published March 9, 2026 | 00:21GMT

Hezbollah said it was engaging Israeli forces who landed in eastern Lebanon, the second such operation since the outbreak of the latest conflict with Israel.

In a statement, the Iran-backed group said it detected "the infiltration of approximately 15 Israeli enemy helicopters" from the Syrian side of the border in eastern Lebanon, an area where Hezbollah holds sway.

The group said its fighters "engaged the helicopters and the infiltrating force with appropriate weapons, and the confrontation" was ongoing.

US orders embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia due to Iran war

Published March 9, 2026 | 00:19 GMT

The United States said that it was ordering embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia as Iran strikes the kingdom in retaliation for the attacks by Washington and Israel.

The State Department said in a travel advisory it had "ordered non-emergency US government employees and US government employee family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to safety risks."

Trump says oil price spike on Iran war a 'small price to pay'

Published March 9, 2026 | 00:01 GMT

US President Donald Trump dismissed the war-related spike in oil prices as a "small price to pay" for removing the threat of Iran's nuclear program.

"Short-term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for USA, and World, Safety and Peace. ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!" he wrote on his Truth Social platform.