Trump Says He's 'Disappointed' by Starmer For Blocking Use Of Diego Garcia For Iran Strikes

"U.S. President Donald Trump said he was disappointed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to use the joint UK–U.S. military base on Diego Garcia island to strike Iran.

Trump said that Starmer’s initial refusal to let Washington use the Chagos Islands base was unlike anything that had “happened between our countries before.”
Starmer confirmed late on March 1 that the UK had initially decided not to take part in U.S. strikes against Iran, but said the security situation had changed as Iranian actions began threatening British personnel and interests in the region.
“We have British jets in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations which have already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes,” Starmer said. “But the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source – in their storage depots or the launchers which used to fire the missiles.”
Starmer said that he would now allow the United States “to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose.”
Trump said it “took far too long” for Starmer to change his mind.
“It sounds like he was worried about the legality,” he said.
The base on Diego Garcia is regarded by the United States as one of its most strategically important military hubs. Located roughly 2,300 to 2,400 miles from the southern coast of Iran, it allows long-range bomber and naval operations across the Middle East, East Africa, and the Indo-Pacific." 

ZeroHedge

Iranian Drones Hit U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

"Iranian drones hit the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, causing
a fire and damage to the building on Monday.
U.S. Embassy in Riyadh said that a “shelter in place” order has been issued for Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran, along with limited “non-essential travel to any military installations in the region.”
Breitbart

Ukraine hits Russia's S-300 air defense radars in series of strikes

"Ukrainian forces struck radar stations of an S-300 air defense system and an S-300V4

complex in the Russian-occupied part of Donetsk Oblast overnight among other military targets, Ukraine's General Staff said.
That same night, Ukraine struck a Russian ammunition depot and a troop position in Donetsk Oblast. In the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukrainian strikes targeted a fuel and lubricants depot, a military repair facility, and Russian troop positions, the report read." KI

Kuwait shoots down three US warplanes

"Kuwaiti air defenses shot down three American F-15E fighter jets in “an apparent friendly fire incident” early on Monday, US Central Command has stated.
The Gulf country hosts a major US airbase from which Washington has been launching

warplanes since the beginning of its massive unprovoked joint attack on Iran, together with Israeli forces. The attacks, which have killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as over a hundred schoolgirls in a strike on a single building in the south of the country, have provoked a massive response across the Gulf region.
“During active combat – that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones – the US Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” CENTCOM wrote in a press release on Monday. “All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident.” RT

U.S. announces destruction of Iranian navy in Gulf of Oman

"The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced the destruction of all 11 Iranian

military ships and vessels in the Gulf of Oman.
The U.S. military said that at the start of the war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, but “today they have ZERO”.
“The Iranian regime has harassed and attacked international shipping in the Gulf of Oman for decades. Those days are over. Freedom of maritime navigation has underpinned American and global economic prosperity for more than 80 years. U.S. forces will continue to defend it,” the U.S. Central Command stated." Ukrin

Very strong mag. 6.2 Earthquake - 62 km SE of Sinabang, Indonesia

"A very strong magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean near Pulau Babi island, Indonesia, in the morning at 11.56 am local time (Asia/Pontianak GMT +7). The quake had a very shallow depth of 18 km (11 mi) and was reported felt by some people near the epicenter." VD

Fires rage at Iran's Bandar Abbas naval headquarters, Strait of Hormuz traffic stalled

"Satellite images released Monday show fires burning and vast plumes of black smoke rising from Iran’s main naval headquarters at Bandar Abbas, with at least one vessel ablaze

following a strike.
The images, from Planet Labs, were released within days of the U.S. and Israel launching targeted strikes on Iran, and ahead of President Donald Trump saying he would not rule out sending U.S. troops into Iran if "necessary" amid Operation Epic Fury.
The escalation comes as commercial tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has effectively stalled, according to maritime intelligence.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commander also said the Strait of Hormuz was closed Monday, with Iran claiming it would set fire to any vessel trying to pass.
Fox News National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin confirmed the Strait of Hormuz was not closed, according to CENTCOM." msn

Nine Killed as pro-Iran Protesters Attack U.S. Consulate in Pakistan’s Karachi

"At least nine people were killed during pro-Iran protests outside the United States consulate in the Pakistan megacity of Karach, with

dozens more injured as they tried to storm the diplomatic outpost.
Hundreds of pro-Iranian Shiite Muslim protesters surrounded the consulate.
Nine people died from gunshot wounds, according to the hospital record seen by AFP, while a rescue service spokesman said 20 others were wounded as security forces and police opened fire to disperse the mob." 

Breitbart

Iran Attacks UK Base After PM Green-Lights Strikes

"The United Kingdom has confirmed that an Iranian kamikaze drone impacted one of its airfield’s in Cyprus, marking the first time the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East have directly impacted one of the nation’s military installation. The attack came just hours after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer — alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — indicated that they were open to joining offensive strikes against Iranian missile and drone targets.
The impact was confirmed at RAF Akrotiri, a Royal Air Force installation located within the United Kingdom’s Sovereign Base Area in southern Cyprus." 

TP

152 combat clashes on front line over past day

"There were 152 combat engagements between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian troops over the past day.
Over the past day, the aviation, missile forces, and artillery of the Defense Forces struck eight areas of enemy manpower concentration and a UAV control center.
In the Northern Slobozhanshchyna and Kursk sectors, the enemy carried out four airstrikes using nine aerial bombs and conducted 137 shellings, seven of them with multiple launch rocket systems.
In the Southern Slobozhanshchyna sector, the enemy attempted once to break through Ukrainian defensive lines near Vovchanski Khutory.In the Kupiansk sector, the enemy did not conduct offensive actions.
In the Lyman sector, the enemy attacked eight times, attempting to break into Ukrainian defenses toward Stavky, Drobysheve, Lyman, and near Serednie.
In the Sloviansk sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled 13 attempts by the occupiers to advance near Platonivka, Zakytne, Riznykivka, and toward Ozerne.
In the Kramatorsk sector, the occupiers did not conduct offensive operations.
In the Kostiantynivka sector, the enemy carried out 13 attacks near Pleshchiivka, Ivanopillia, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Sofiivka, and toward Illinivka, Novopavlivka, and Kostiantynivka.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Ukrainian defenders stopped 23 assault actions near Rodynske, Pokrovsk, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetske, and toward Novopavlivka and Shevchenko.
In the Oleksandrivka sector, the enemy attacked six times near Ternove, Kalynivske, and Zlahoda.
In the Huliaipole sector, 40 enemy attacks took place near Huliaipole, Zelene, and toward Tsvitkove, Zaliznychne, Varvarivka, Sviatopetrivka, Huliaipilske, and Staroukrainka.
In the Orikhiv sector, two combat engagements occurred near Plavni and Stepnohirsk.
In the Prydniprovske sector, the enemy did not conduct active operations over the past day." Ukrin

Nine Iranian Navy Ships Now on the Bottom of the Ocean

"President Trump took to his Truth Social account to inform us that at least nine Iranian navy craft have now found new berths at the bottom

of the ocean.
"I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large and important. We are going after the rest — They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also! In a different attack, we largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters. Other than that, their Navy is doing very well! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP." 

RedState

Notorious Iranian Leader Confirmed Dead Following Israeli Airstrike

"Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who served as president of Iran from 2005 to 2013, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that directly targeted his residence in Tehran’s Narmak neighborhood on Sunday, March 1.
Iranian state-affiliated media confirmed the assassination, which reported that the ex-president died alongside his security detail and several companions." TP

Ukrainian drones reportedly strike major oil terminal in southern Russia's Novorossiysk

"Ukrainian drones struck a major oil terminal, leaving fires in the southern Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight. The Sheskharis oil terminal in the Port of Novorossiysk was struck." Ukrin

Trump: New Iranian leadership seeks talks

"President Donald Trump has said the new Iranian leadership has asked to speak with him and that he has agreed to talk to them.

"They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long."
He also said some of the Iranians involved in talks in recent weeks were no longer alive. "Most of those people are gone. Some of the people we were dealing with are gone, because that was a big – that was a big hit," he said." Pravada

Iran sets up interim leadership council to run the country after Khamenei's death

"Iran sets up interim leadership council to run the country after Khamenei's death
"Iran has announced that a three-member interim Leadership Council has been established to run the country following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian made the announcement in an address broadcast on state television." Pravada