Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543552
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 MARCH 2026 NEWS US, Israel attack Iran, Tehran retaliates with strikes across region THE United States and Israel kicked off a massive bombing campaign against Iran on Sat- urday, targeting regime offi- cials and military sites. US President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" early on Saturday and called for regime change in Iran. He said the military attacks would obliterate Iran's missiles and nuclear facilities, and target the country's mil- itary capabilities on land, air and sea. Trump urged Iranians to "take over" the government, saying: "This will be probably your only chance for genera- tions." Israel said its aircraft target- ed several sites where Iranian regime officials were known to be staying. The office of Iran's supreme leader, and the pres- idential office in Tehran, were reportedly targeted. With an internet blackout imposed by the Iranian regime getting information from in- side Iran has been difficult but according to Iranian state me- dia reports, at least 53 people were killed at a girls' school. Meanwhile, Iran launched re- taliatory strikes on Israel and US military bases in the region, including Qatar, Bahrain, Unit- ed Arab Emirates and Kuwait. The hostilities have caused major disruption to air travel in the region with flight can- cellations and diversions. Flights to Dubai, Saudi Ara- bia, Israel, Bahrain, and Qa- tar are among those affected. Emirates temporarily suspend- ed its operations, while Wizz Air suspended all of its flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman. In Malta, flights bound to Larnaca in Cy- prus and Doha in Qatar faced delays. Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg called for restraint as he expressed concern over the de- velopments in the Middle East. "We call on all parties to ex- ercise maximum restraint, pro- tect civilians, respect interna- tional law, and allow dialogue to prevail," Borg said. He added that Malta's con- sular team is fully focused on providing assistance to Maltese citizens affected by the devel- opments. Tensions in the region have been high as Washington and Tehran have been trying to reach an agreement on a deal to limit Iran's nuclear activi- ties. Talks were happening in Oman and on Friday, the Oma- ni foreign minister was saying a deal was in reach. Nonetheless, early on Saturday, the US and Israel initiated a bombing cam- paign across different regions of Iran. In a joint statement, the Eu- ropean Commission and the EU Council noted the devel- opments in Iran were "greatly concerning" and reaffirmed what it called the EU's "stead- fast commitment to safeguard- ing regional security and sta- bility". European leaders reacted with a mix of alarm and cau- tion to news of joint US–Israeli military strikes on Iran, warn- ing that the offensive risked widening the conflict across the Middle East. French president Emmanuel Macron called the strikes an "outbreak of war" that "carries serious consequences for inter- national peace and security". France, he said, will call for an "urgent meeting" of the United Nations Security Council. In a joint statement, Europe- an Commission president Ur- sula von der Leyen and Europe- an Council president Antonio Costa called the developments "greatly concerning", urging all sides to avoid steps that could further inflame tensions or weaken the global non-prolif- eration framework. "We call on all parties to ex- ercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law," von der Leyen and Costa wrote in statement posted on X. The EU's chief diplomat, Ka- ja Kallas, struck a somewhat more measured tone, charac- terising the situation as "peril- ous". Iran's regime, she wrote, "has killed thousands" and "its ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, along with sup- port for terror groups, pose a serious threat to global secu- rity". But "protection of civilians and international humanitari- an law is a priority", she said, adding that the EU's Aspid- es naval force remained "on high alert" in the Red Sea and "stands ready to help keep the maritime corridor open". US President Donald Trump announcing the planned air strike on Iran