As Cyprus takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, it seeks to navigate a volatile geopolitical landscape by bolstering “strategic autonomy” while offering partners stability and predictability.

The shuttering will likely add to supply anxieties as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of global oil consumption flows, grinds to a near-halt after vessels were attacked around it on Sunday.

One Chinese citizen was killed as a result of the conflict in Tehran, where Israel and the United States have been carrying out strikes in an operation that killed the Islamic republic's supreme leader.

The Israeli military said that "in response to Hezbollah's projectile fire "Israeli forces had "begun striking targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization across Lebanon".

The first attack on the British military facility since a rocket attack by Libyan militants in 1986, the incident represents a marked escalation in the conflict.

The tariff deal with the United States should not be interpreted as Indonesia siding itself with one side, but rather as an effort to seek cooperation with all friends and partners that align with President Prabowo Subianto’s vision on foreign policy, according to the Foreign Ministry.

US and Israeli strikes - and Iranian retaliation - sent shockwaves worldwide through sectors from shipping to air travel to oil, amid warnings of rising energy costs and disruption to business in the Gulf region.

In the wake of the United States-Israeli war on Iran, markets are shaken and hundreds of thousands of Indonesians in the Middle East are left fearing an escalating war during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

"The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close," US Central Command said on X.

Key transit airports including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, and Doha in Qatar, were shut or severely restricted as much of the region’s airspace remained closed, with the Gulf grappling with uncertainty after US and Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.

AFP reporters heard blasts in Dubai, Bahrain's capital Manama and Qatar -- where AFP correspondents saw thick black smoke rising on the clear morning horizon in the south of Doha. Shortly after, another wave of blasts reverberated through Dubai.

"Indonesia calls on all parties to exercise restraint and to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy," it said in a statement on X.

The strikes, which Trump said were aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and annihilating its navy, follow repeated US-Israeli warnings that they would strike Iran again if it pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. 

Analysts question whether Trump, who has ruled out deploying US troops on the ground, has a strategy that could unseat Iran’s longtime cleric-dominated government, which has proved resilient in the face of crippling sanctions and periodic mass protests.

Iran responded to the attack with a flurry of missile and drone strikes across the Middle East, killing at least one person in Abu Dhabi and another in Tel Aviv as explosions rocked the showcase cities of Gulf Arab monarchies.

Tehran emerged as one of Russia's closest allies during Moscow's Ukraine offensive and the Kremlin has been calling for restraint amid growing tensions and reports of a possible US intervention in Iran.

Pakistan described its actions as a response to cross-border assaults, while Kabul denounced them as a breach of its sovereignty, saying it remained open to dialogue but warned any wider conflict would result in serious consequences.

Iran launched missiles towards Israel, Israel's military said, and the Pentagon said the US strikes against Iran were named "OPERATION EPIC FURY." 

Explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian media reported, and sirens sounded across Israel around 8:15 a.m. local time in what the military said was a proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of an incoming missile strike.

Oman, which mediated the Geneva talks, offered a much rosier picture and said that Iran had agreed to zero stockpiling of any uranium, making moot the question of the level of enrichment.

For years, Islamabad has blamed Afghanistan for attacks inside Pakistan aimed at overthrowing the government, claiming the Taliban shelter Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan fighters.

AFP reporters in Kabul and Kandahar heard blasts and jets overhead until dawn, as Pakistan launched air strikes on the Afghan capital and the southern power base of the Taliban authorities.

President Prabowo Subianto has arrived in Abu Dhabi to bolster bilateral ties with the United Arab Emirates and advance Jakarta’s regional diplomacy, marking the fourth stop of his overseas tour during which Gaza has often emerged as a central issue.

Judges Jeremy Poon, Anthea Pang, and Derek Pang said in the judgement that they allowed the appeal from Lai, and another defendant in the case, to proceed, as a lower court judge had "erred".

The United States is the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to have joined the board. The other council members are Russia, China, Britain and France.

The US mission in Jerusalem said Tuesday that as part of an initiative to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence, it would provide Americans with "routine passport services in Efrat on Friday, February 27... for one day only".

Indonesia and Jordan pledged closer cooperation to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank during President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Amman, following his attendance at the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace meeting.