The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has rejected reports that a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle crashed inside Iran. The claim had spread widely on social media. “Rumors circulating on social media of a US F-15E crash in Iran early Wednesday are baseless and not true,” CENTCOM said in a statement. The reports had suggested the fighter jet went down in southwestern Iran during ongoing tensions in the region. US officials quickly denied the claim and said no such incident had occurred. The statement comes as military exchanges between the US, Israel and Iran continue. Officials have not reported any US aircraft losses inside Iran.  (PC: X)

Missiles fired by the United States and Israel hit two schools in Parand, a town southwest of Tehran, Iranian media reported on Thursday. Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency shared images showing damaged classrooms and debris. It said several nearby residential buildings were also damaged in the strikes. At the same time, air raid sirens sounded across central Israel. Two blasts were heard in Jerusalem, AFP journalists reported. Israel’s military said it had detected missiles launched from Iran. Authorities activated warning systems and asked residents to follow safety instructions. Iran later said another missile attack struck two more schools. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan said it would respond after accusing Tehran of launching an earlier attack. (PC: X)

A second Iranian warship is moving toward Sri Lanka a day after a US submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, killing at least 87 sailors. Sri Lankan authorities confirmed the new vessel is currently just outside the country’s territorial waters with more than 100 crew members on board. Officials say they are monitoring the situation and trying to safeguard lives amid rising tensions. The earlier attack occurred about 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s coast and has intensified the ongoing US-Iran conflict. The presence of another Iranian ship near Sri Lanka has raised concerns about further escalation in the region. (PC: AP)

Iranian drones struck Nakhchivan International Airport in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave on March 5, marking a new escalation in the expanding regional conflict. According to Azerbaijani officials, at least two drones crossed the border from Iran, with one hitting the airport terminal and another landing near a school in a nearby village. The attack injured several civilians and caused structural damage at the airport. Azerbaijan strongly condemned the strike, summoned Iran’s ambassador and warned that the incident would not go unanswered. The drone attack highlights how the wider Iran-related conflict is spreading beyond the Middle East and raising fears of broader regional instability.

Israel and Iran carried out new attacks on Thursday as fighting in the Middle East entered its sixth day. Israeli forces said they struck a missile launcher in Qom and an air defence system in Isfahan. Explosions were also reported in Tehran. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks toward Israel. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Israeli defence systems intercepted several strikes in the sky. Meanwhile, the UK delayed a planned evacuation flight for its citizens from Oman due to a technical issue. In the United States, lawmakers voted against a proposal that would have limited the authority of Donald Trump to order further military action against Iran. (PC: BBC)

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it struck a US oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf hours after an American torpedo sank an Iranian warship. Iranian state media said the tanker caught fire. Casualties were not immediately known.   The strike followed a US submarine attack on Iran’s frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean. The ship had been returning from naval exercises in Visakhapatnam, India.   Iranian officials said 87 sailors were killed and more than 60 remain missing.   The attack happened off Sri Lanka’s southern coast in international waters. US forces have recently increased strikes on Iranian naval assets in the region. (PC: India Today)

Iran has condemned the US for sinking its naval frigate IRIS Dena in international waters near Sri Lanka. Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Aragchi called the strike an “atrocity at sea”.   He said the warship had recently visited India for naval exercises hosted by the Indian Navy. The vessel was returning from Visakhapatnam when it was struck by a torpedo fired from a US submarine.   Aragchi said the ship carried about 130 sailors and was attacked without warning far from Iran’s shores. “Washington will bitterly regret setting such a precedent,” he said.   Reports say around 80 sailors may have died. Sri Lankan naval teams rescued about 30 survivors.(PC: X)

Residents in Iran say daily life has become frightening as US and Israeli strikes continue across the country. Many people in Tehran say the attacks feel constant and unpredictable.   “Each day has felt like a month. The volume of attacks is so high,” said Salar, a Tehran resident whose name was changed for safety.   The strikes began on February 28 and have targeted military and political sites. Iranian officials say more than 160 people were killed when a girls’ school in Minab was hit. The White House said it does not target civilians and is investigating.   Residents say streets are mostly empty and security checkpoints have increased. “There are checkpoints everywhere,” one student said.

The UK Ministry of Defence said a “Shahed-type drone” that struck the Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri in Cyprus was not launched from Iran. The Iranian-made drone hit the runway at the RAF base near Limassol around midnight on March 2. Officials said the strike caused minimal damage and no injuries. It is believed to be the first attack on the military facility since 1986. In a statement, the ministry said: “A Shahed-like drone which targeted RAF Akrotiri was not launched from Iran.” The UK also said it has resupplied air defence systems to British and allied bases in the region. Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet missiles will arrive in Cyprus soon. (PC: The Indian Express)

Iran fired another round of missiles at Israel on Thursday as the conflict with the US and Israel entered its sixth day. Air raid alerts were triggered in several Israeli areas, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The Israeli military issued three warnings of incoming Iranian missiles within two hours. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Local media also reported explosions in Tehran. The fighting began after US and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Meanwhile, the US sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the ship “thought it was safe in international waters”. (PC: X)