Timeline of destruction in the Middle East one week on since first Iran strikes
A week of the conflict in the Middle East has left death, destruction and uncertainty in its wake, with Iran and the US-Israel coalition hammering each other with more missiles.
The tensions between the US and Iran became an active conflict last Saturday when the first missiles landed in Tehran, killing the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Donald Trump has vowed to continue the bombardment until Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender.’
The crisis has spilt into the neighbouring Gulf states, Iraq’s Kurdistan, Lebanon, Azerbaijan and even Cyprus.
And concern is growing over the impact on global trade as oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have virtually stopped over fear that tankers will be struck.
Here is a breakdown of some of the events during the rapidly evolving conflict.
Saturday, February 28
Khamenei’s compound hit
One of the first, and main targets, was the supreme leader Khamenei’s ultra-secure compound.
The CIA and Mossad had reportedly been tracing movements linked to the cleric and his bodyguards for months, including using Tehran traffic cameras.
After intelligence showed that Khamenei and senior military and government officials were due to meet at the complex on Saturday morning, the attack was brought forward, with fighter jets taking off from Israel at about 6am. The compound and those inside were hit at around 9.40am.
Girls killed at Minab primary school, Iran
Up to 168 schoolgirls were killed after US-Israel bombing in Minab, southern Iran, according to the country’s state media, although the exact death toll has not been verified.
Another 100 students were also injured in an attack that UNESCO described as a ‘grave violation of international law.’
Airspace closure grounds flights
Flights to, from and through the region were severely disrupted after airspaces closed while many airlines decided to avoid flying over Iran, Iraq and the Persian Gulf.
Those wanting to leave the Gulf states were left with limited options after flights to Dubai were also affected.
Sunday, March 1
UK gives permission for US to use military bases
Sir Keir Starmer eventually gave the US military the green light to use UK bases.
At first, the Prime Minister had denied this in an apparent attempt to avoid Britain being drawn into the conflict.
The initial denial drew criticism from Donald Trump, who said ‘This not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with’ in reference to Sir Keir.
Monday, March 2
American fighter jets shot down in friendly fire incident
Kuwait shot down three US F-15E fighter jets in a friendly fire mix-up.
The pilots managed to eject to safety, although some locals first thought they were Iranian troops due to the colour of their parachutes.
One pilot told concerned locals she was ‘OK’ after making the emergency landing in a Kuwaiti desert.
Tuesday, March 3
US embassy in Riyadh struck by drones
Trump threatened further retaliation after two drones hit the embassy in Saudi Arabia.
The suspected Iranian drones caused a small fire and minor damage, while no one was injured.
Wednesday, March 4
Deaths in Lebanon after Israeli airstrikes
Lebanon, and Beirut in particular, saw further airstrikes as the Israeli army targeted pro-Iranian Hezbollah fighters.
At least 11 people were reportedly killed after Israel bombarded a hotel and a residential building.
Container ship hit in Strait of Hormuz
A Maltese-flagged vessel was struck by a projectile while travelling through the narrow shipping lane Iran has effectively closed.
Oil tankers have stopped going through the key route for fear of being hit, and fears are growing over the impact on the world economy and trade.
Thursday, March 5
British Typhoon jets sent to the Middle East
The Prime Minister confirmed that the government will send four more Typhoon jets to Qatar to protect British people and allies in the region.
The death toll in the conflict stood at over 1,000 by Thursday, with around 1,200 people killed in Iran, 102 in Lebanon, 10 in Israel, and six American troops.
Friday, March 6
More evacuation charter flights arrive in UK
The first charter flight from Oman’s capital Muscat touched down at Stansted shortly before 1am.
It was first scheduled to leave on Wednesday, but the aircraft had technical issues.
More than 140,000 Brits are in the Middle East while 4,000 have returned home so far.
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