US sinks Iranian warship; NATO downs Iran missile headed into Turkey’s airspace – as it happened
We’re winding down our live coverage for now
An explosion on what the U.S. Department of Defense says is an Iranian warship at sea in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released on March 4, 2026. Department of Defense/Handout via REUTERS
It’s now pre-dawn on Thursday in Tehran and Tel Aviv, and just after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday in Washington (0230 Thursday GMT).
We’re closing our coverage for now, but will start a new page where you can follow the latest soon.
Here’s what you need to know:
- The U.S.–Iran war widened sharply on Wednesday after a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka, killing at least 80 people.
- NATO air defences destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile fired towards Turkey.
- The missile incident is the first time that Turkey – which borders Iran and has NATO’s second-largest military – has been drawn into the conflict, but U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there was no sense that it would trigger the Atlantic alliance’s collective-defence clause.
- The escalation came as the powerful son of Iran’s slain supreme leader emerged as a frontrunner to succeed him, suggesting Tehran was not about to buckle to pressure, five days after the U.S. and Israel launched a military campaign that has killed hundreds.
- The war has paralysed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz for a fifth day, choking off vital Middle East oil and gas flows.
- Worries over the conflict have also convulsed global markets.
You can read the latest wrap-up of our ongoing coverage here.
Qatar evacuates residents near US embassy
4 hours ago
09:29 +07
Qatar is evacuating residents living in the vicinity of the U.S. embassy in Doha as a “temporary precautionary measure”, the Gulf country’s interior ministry said early on Thursday.
“Suitable accommodation has been provided for them as part of necessary preventive measures,” the ministry said in a statement.
Kuwait says tanker incident was outside its territorial waters
5 hours ago
09:03 +07
Kuwait’s interior ministry said a reported explosion on the port side of a tanker occurred outside the country’s territorial waters, at least 60 km (37 miles) from Mubarak Al Kabeer port.
Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a tanker at anchor off Kuwait reported seeing a large explosion on its port side and was taking on water.
The master observed a small craft leaving the area following the explosion, which the UKMTO said occurred 30 nautical miles (56 km) southeast of the Mubarak Al Kabeer port in the Gulf.
“There is oil in the water coming from a cargo tank which could have some environmental impact, the vessel has taken on water, there are no fires reported and the crew are safe,” it said in an advisory note.
Canada says it is helping stranded citizens
5 hours ago
08:36 +07
Canada’s government is working to repatriate citizens who are stranded in the Middle East by organizing seats on commercial flights, the foreign affairs minister said late on Wednesday.
It also is contracting charter flights and offering ground transportation options to neighboring countries.
More than 2,000 Canadians have requested assistance from the Canadian government to leave the region since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said.
About half of those inquiries are coming from Canadians in the United Arab Emirates, 237 from Qatar, 164 from Lebanon, 93 from Israel and 74 from Iran.
Read more here.