Portal:Current events/2026 March 2

March 2, 2026 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
  - 2026 Iranian strikes on Arab countries
    - 2026 Iranian strikes on Kuwait
      - Two Kuwaiti navy members are killed amid Iranian attacks, according to the Kuwaiti defence ministry. (The Times of Israel)
      - Iranian drones strike the U.S. embassy in Kuwait City. (AFP via NDTV)
    - 2026 Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia
      - Iran launches a missile and drone attack on Saudi Aramco's oil refinery in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, causing several large fires at the facility, and forcing its closure by Saudi authorities. (The Caspian Post)
    - 2026 Iranian strikes on the United Arab Emirates
      - Dubai International Airport resumes limited flights for stranded international passengers, with the first flights cleared to depart Dubai. (CNBC)
  - 2026 Iranian strikes on Cyprus
    - Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides confirms that an Iranian drone struck the British base RAF Akrotiri last night. Paphos International Airport is evacuated after a "drone threat", while Greece deploys two frigates and F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus amid rising tensions. (BBC) (Reuters) (Ekathimerini)
  - Reactions to the 2026 Iran war
    - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says that the United Kingdom has agreed to a United States request to use British military bases for "defensive" strikes on Iranian missile sites. (BBC)
    - NATO secretary general Mark Rutte states that NATO has no plans to be involved in the conflict, while praising Israel and the United States for their strikes against Iran. (Reuters)
  - The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reports three more U.S. soldiers have been killed, bringing the death toll among U.S. forces to six, since the start of the conflict with Iran. (The Times of Israel) (CBS News)
  - Three U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter jets crash in Kuwait during combat operations against Iran after being mistakenly shot down by the Kuwaiti military. All crew members survive. The U.S. CENTCOM confirms the loss of the three aircraft in a friendly fire incident. (ABC4 News) (CNN) (Turkiye Today)
  - U.S. Air Force B-1 Lancer strategic bombers carry out strikes targeting above-ground ballistic missile launch sites and command and control centres in Iran. (Devdiscourse)
  - The Qatari air force says it shot down two Iranian Su-24 jets over the Persian Gulf. (AP)
  - The U.S. military says it has struck IRGC Navy drone carrier IRIS Shahid Bagheri. (The Times of Israel)
- Hezbollah–Israel conflict
  - 2026 Lebanon war
    - As a response to Israel's attacks against Iran and Israel's occupation of parts of Lebanon, Hezbollah fired two projectiles targeting an Israeli military base near Haifa. Israel then responded with attacks in Beirut and across many villages in Lebanon. At least 52 people are killed and 149 more are injured. (Al Jazeera) (BBC News) (Reuters)
    - Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam bans Hezbollah’s military activities following an attack on Israel. (Al Jazeera)
Russo-Ukrainian war
- Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
  - Ukrainian drones strike an oil terminal in the Russian port city of Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai. Four residential buildings in the area are reportedly damaged in the attack. (Kyiv Independent)
2026 Afghanistan–Pakistan war
- The Taliban says the Afghan military has successfully repelled Pakistani warplanes with surface-to-air missiles that were attacking Bagram Airfield as explosions are reported in several cities, including Kabul. (The Guardian)

Arts and culture

Destruction of cultural heritage sites during the 2026 Iran war
- Iranian semi-official news agency Mehr News Agency reports that the former royal residence and UNESCO World Heritage Site Golestan Palace is damaged by an airstrike. (WANA)

Business and economy

Qatari-state owned QatarEnergy halts all LNG production at its Ras Laffan Industrial City following an Iranian drone attack. (Bloomberg News)

Disasters and accidents

A floor collapses in an under-construction building in Johannesburg, South Africa, killing nine people. (AP)

Health and environment

Sudanese civil war (2023–present)
- Save the Children announces that vaccines have arrived in the Sudanese state of South Kordofan, their first in three years since the civil war broke out. (Sudan Tribune)

Law and crime

The owner is killed and three others are critically injured in a mass shooting inside a newly launched hotel in Churu district, Rajasthan, India. Three suspects are arrested. (Hindustan Times)

International relations

Canada–India relations
- Canadian prime minister Mark Carney and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi agree to a deal that would strengthen their economic partnership, aimed at boosting ties after two years of strained relationship between the two countries. (AP)
France and weapons of mass destruction
- French president Emmanuel Macron announces that France will increase its stockpile of nuclear weapons for the first time in decades citing global threats such as Russia's war on Ukraine, China's growing military power in Asia, and changing U.S. defense priorities as reasons for the nuclear build-up. (Politico)
- Denmark and France make an agreement on strategic nuclear deterrence. However, French nuclear weapons are not to be located on Danish territory. (Reuters)
Rwanda–United States relations, Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda conflict
- The U.S. Department of State imposes sanctions on the Rwandan military for allegedly supporting the March 23 Movement and violating a peace agreement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AFP via Barron's)
Spain–United States relations
- U.S. military aircraft begin to leave Spain after the Spanish government denied the U.S. permission to use their airbases for military operations against Iran. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Protests against the 2026 Iran war
- Protests against the 2026 Iran war in the United States
  - A protest organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation is held in Phoenix, Arizona near the Arizona State Capitol. Additionally, counter-protests are held in support of the war and praise the Trump administration for the strikes. (Fox 10 Phoenix)
  - Anti-war protests are held in Des Moines, Iowa, against the US-Israel strikes. (USA Today)
- Left-wing parties in India organize protests in Vijayawada against the war and the killing of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. (The Hindu)

Sports

2026 Winter Paralympics
- Belarus at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, Russia at the 2026 Winter Paralympics
  - Lithuanian broadcaster Lithuanian National Radio and Television says it will not air the opening ceremony of the upcoming Winter Paralympics, citing the participation of athletes from Belarus and Russia. (LRT)