Smoke rises from Israeli bombardment on the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on March 4, 2026

Washington (United States) (AFP) - Here are the latest main events related to the war in the Middle East:

- Trump mulls role in post-war Iran -

The White House said President Donald Trump is weighing up a US role in Iran after the American-Israeli operation against the country concludes.

“I think it’s something the president is actively considering and discussing with his advisors and his national security team,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

- US pulls staff from Karachi, Lahore -

The United States ordered non-emergency staff at two Pakistani consulates to leave the country and granted permission for staff to leave missions in Saudi Arabia, Cyprus and Oman.

At least 25 people died in weekend protests in Pakistan against the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, according to an AFP tally, with hundreds of protesters attempting to storm the consulate in Karachi, the country’s most populous city.

- Israeli strikes on Lebanon ‘kill 72’ -

Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed 72 people and displaced more than 83,000 since the start of a new round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanese officials said.

Israel has carried out air strikes on multiple areas of Lebanon after the Iran-backed militant group began launching rockets and drones towards it on Monday in retaliation for the US and Israeli attacks.

- China to send envoy to mediate -

China will send a special envoy to mediate in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

Beijing is a close partner of Iran and has said it backs Tehran in defending its sovereignty, while urging the United States and Israel to cease their attacks.

- Qatar, Turkey ire -

Qatar’s PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani lambasted Iran’s foreign minister during a call, accusing Tehran of trying to drag their neighbors into war.

Turkey, meanwhile, summoned the Iranian ambassador after a missile – apparently targeting a Cyprus base – landed in Turkish territory.

- Cargo crisis deepens -

Danish shipping giant Maersk said it was suspending bookings in the Gulf until further notice following a risk assessment.

Maersk had said Sunday that it was halting passage through the Suez Canal and the narrow Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and crucial for oil tankers, in the Gulf. Several shipping groups made similar announcements.

- Hormuz crew rescued -

The Omani navy rescued 24 crew members of a container ship struck by missiles in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian forces claimed “complete control” of the strait a day after Trump said the US Navy was ready to escort tankers through the channel.

- Sri Lanka recovers 87 bodies -

A US submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, as the effects of the war in the Middle East spread to yet another country.

“We have collected 87 bodies, and a search is still on for the others who are still missing,” a Sri Lankan navy official told AFP.

- Israel plans weeks of Iran ops -

The Times of Israel reported that the Israeli military was planning “at least one or two more weeks of operations in Iran, during which it aims to hit thousands more Iranian regime targets.”

Earlier the military said it had begun a fresh wave of strikes on Tehran, as an AFP journalist reported a fresh explosion in the northeast of the Iranian capital.

- Khamenei funeral postponed -

The funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that was due Wednesday evening has been postponed, state television announced, “in anticipation of unprecedented turnout.” A new date will be announced later, it said.

Deliberations over who would succeed Khamenei were still going on, it said.

- Iran state media: 1,000 killed -

Iran’s official IRNA news agency said US-Israeli strikes had killed 1,045 military personnel and civilians since the start of the war. AFP was not in a position to independently verify the toll.

IRNA cited a statement from Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs.

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