Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

In a photo published by Iranian news outlets and on Ali Larijani's Telegram and X accounts, a handwritten message can be seen which doesn’t have a time and date stamp on it, but the country’s state media reports is from today.

The message praises the “warriors” of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, on the day of the funeral ceremony for those who were killed on the IRIS Dena warship earlier this month.

It comes as Iran is preparing to hold further state‑organised events today, including an evening ceremony to honour 84 sailors killed in a torpedo attack by a US submarine on 4 March.

The sailors were among 130 thought to be aboard the Iranian warship, the IRIS Dena, when it was sunk about 40km (25 miles) from Sri Lanka's southern coastline.

The Iris Dena had been returning from a military exercise hosted by India when it was attacked.

Image source, Iranian President's Press Office/UPI/Shutterstock

Ali Larijani was last pictured in public at the Quds Day march in Tehran on 13 March, according to his X account which purported to show him in the street waving and talking to supporters.

A day earlier, he taunted President Trump on social media, posting on X that "Trump says he is looking for a speedy victory. While starting a war is easy, it cannot be won with a few tweets."

"We will not relent until making you sorry for this grave miscalculation."

In another post on 10 March, Larijani said Iran was not scared of Trump's "threats", adding that "even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iranian nation".

"Be careful, so that you won’t get eliminated," he added.

Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

Israeli media are reporting that Ali Larijani was attacked with his son in a hideout apartment.

Israel’s Minister of Defence Israel Katz said Larijani had been “eliminated” and that he and the prime minister had instructed the military to “continue hunting down” Iran’s leadership.

The Iranian security chief had been seen in public last Friday taking part in Quds Day rallies.

He was a former nuclear negotiator for Iran and a close ally of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war.

There’s been no confirmation of his death from Iran.

The IDF says Iran has launched more missiles at Israel and its defensive systems are operating to intercept them.

Separately, the Iranian state broadcaster is reporting a new wave of missiles have been launched from Iran towards the "occupied territories".

We can now bring you more of Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz's statement on overnight strikes which he claims killed Iran's security chief Ali Larijani.

He says Israeli forces also killed the top security official and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani.

"The prime minister and I have instructed the IDF to continue hunting down the leadership of the regime of terror and oppression in Iran," Katz says.

"US President Trump spoke about the high rate of turnover of Iran's leadership... we will update him that the high rate of turnover continues and is even increasing following the assassination of two of the most senior remaining leaders."

Katz continues by praising Israeli air force pilots and intelligence officials involved in the operation.

Iran has yet to confirm whether Larijani and Soleimani have been killed.

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

Image source, Reuters

Ali Larijani is the influential secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).

He was appointed in August 2025 by President Masoud Pezeshkian as secretary of the SNSC and as the representative of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to the council.

He has also been described in Iranian outlets as an adviser to the late supreme leader. He served as speaker of Iran's parliament for 12 years, from May 2008 to May 2020.

Although he headed the Principlist faction in parliament from 2008 to 2012, he has been described as a "moderate conservative" in recent years.

Before becoming speaker, Larijani served as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator between 2005 and 2007.

His brother, Sadegh Larijani, is another influential figure in the Islamic Republic. He chairs the Expediency Council, a top arbitration body that serves as the final arbiter between parliament and the constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council.

Image source, Getty Images

Israel’s Minister of Defence Israel Katz says Ali Larijani has been killed.

In a statement, Katz says he was just informed of the top Iranian security official's death following Israeli strikes overnight.

We'll bring you more shortly.

At least two Iranian media outlets say top security official Ali Larijani will be publishing a message shortly.

An Israeli military official has just confirmed to the BBC that Larijani was targeted by the IDF.

The posts from the Tasnim and Mehr news agencies say the message will be "published in a few minutes".

The IDF also says its air force has killed the commander of Iran's Basij unit - a paramilitary group involved in the brutal crackdown on anti-government protests earlier this year.

In a Telegram post it says it targeted Gholamreza Soleimani on Monday. The IDF says he was at the helm of the Revolutionary Guards-linked militia for six years.

There has been no word in Iranian media as yet.

An Israeli military official has confirmed that the IDF targeted the secretary of Iran's National Security Council Ali Larijani.

It's unclear if he is killed or injured.

Rachel Clun
Business reporter

The price of oil is hovering around $103.15 (£77.37) a barrel, dipping after a spike of nearly $105 in early trading on Tuesday.

The movement in oil prices comes as the Iraqi oil minister says they were in contact with Iran to allow some oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Iraqi state news agency.

Major Chinese oil companies have also started making inquiries with Russian crude oil suppliers after the US waived sanctions in a bid to ease pressure on global oil supplies, sources told the Reuters news agency.

Oil prices have jumped since the war between the US-Israel and Iran began and crucial access to the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted. But prices eased on Monday after reports several ships had been able to safely navigate the channel.

About a fifth of the world’s oil supply is usually transported through the narrow strait.

Azadeh Moshiri
South Asia Correspondent, in Dubai

In the early hours of the morning, our team woke up to the sound of an explosion, windows shaking and alerts on our phones.

The "public safety message" warned to seek shelter due to potential missile threats.

Authorities say the sounds "heard in various parts" of Dubai are caused by interceptions from the UAE air defence system.

Yet the death toll has grown. In the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, a missile was intercepted this morning, and debris killed a Pakistani national.

Eight people have been killed since the start of the war, according to the UAE's Ministry of Defence, including two members of the armed forces on active duty, and six civilians of Pakistani, Nepali, Bangladeshi, and Palestinian origin.

Oil and gas zones and Dubai's airport have again been affected by the war. Despite the noises heard overhead, daily life is still carrying on here, albeit Dubai is noticeably emptier than usual.

Iran has launched more than 1,900 missiles and drones at the UAE since the war began. Tehran may be hoping this will add pressure on Gulf countries to urge the US to end the war.

What it is doing is infuriating officials, who say they've been taken aback by the scale of the attacks, and called them "a violation of sovereignty and international law".

Rachel Clun
Business reporter

Image source, Getty Images

British Airways has cancelled some Middle East flight routes until June as the conflict between US-Israel and Iran continues.

Flights to Amman, Bahrain, Dubai and Tel Aviv have been temporarily cancelled until 31 May, and Doha flights remain suspended until 30 April.

A British Airways spokesperson said: “Due to the continuing uncertainty of the situation in the Middle East and airspace instability, and to provide more clarity to our customers, we’ve extended the temporary reduction in our flying schedule in the region.

“We’re keeping the situation under constant review and are directly in touch with affected customers to offer them a range of options.”

People with flights booked to any of the cancelled destinations have the option of rebooking with another carrier, changing their travel to another date, or receiving a full refund.

British Airways flights to Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia are continuing.

The US embassy in Baghdad was targeted by drones and rockets overnight, with Iraqi security sources telling the AFP news agency it was "the most intense assault since the attacks began".

Here’s a look at what else has been happening:

• A fire at a luxury hotel in Baghdad was started by a drone in the city’s heavily fortified Green Zone, where the US embassy and government buildings are also located
• A Pakistani national has been killed by missile debris in Abu Dhabi, according to government officials
• As Israel continues strikes on Lebanon - Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the UK are urging both countries to begin negotiations following what they say is "deeply alarming" humanitarian situation in the country
• Speaking to BBC Newsnight on Monday, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb defended Keir Starmer following President Trump's criticism of the UK over the conflict - our North America correspondent says Trump appears to be increasingly frustrated with European allies

Image source, Reu

Osmond Chia
Business reporter

Image source, Reuters

President Trump said on Monday that he is planning to delay high stakes visit to China later in March by about a month because of the Iran war.

"It's very simple. We've got a war going on. I think it's important that I be here," he said, stressing there were "no tricks to it" and he was looking forward to seeing President Xi Jinping.

The development comes a day after Trump told British newspaper the Financial Times that he might postpone the meeting if China did not help unblock the Strait of Hormuz - a critical waterway for the Gulf's energy shipments.

Trump's remarks come as frictions between the world's two largest economies have grown, fuelled by the Iran war.

Beijing is a major buyer of Iranian energy exports and has criticised the US and Israeli strikes against the country.

Washington also announced it would investigate trade practices among a list of countries, including China, after Trump's tariff policy was struck down by the Supreme Court in February.

Representatives from the US and China have met in Paris in recent days for negotiations over investments, tariffs and economic sanctions.

You can read more here.

Peter Bowes
North America correspondent

President Trump appears to be growing increasingly frustrated with what he sees as a lacklustre response from America's European allies as - one by one - they rebuff his request for help.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says the war with Iran is "not a matter for Nato" while officials in France have made it clear that Paris will not deploy naval forces directly into the Strait of Hormuz - as part of a US‑led effort to force it open - while the war is ongoing.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Finland's President Alexander Stubb said he didn't support an "escalation of the situation" by sending the country's military to support the US.

Trump expressed surprise that other countries were not "eager" to be involved and stressed that nations such as China and Japan, who rely heavily on the strait for oil, should step up.

Asked about his planned trip to Beijing later this month, Trump has said it may be postponed so that he can stay at home to focus on the war.

Trump's confidence is undimmed - but every Iran option comes with riskpublished at 06:32 GMT 17 March

06:32 GMT 17 March

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

Image source, EPA

In the third week of the joint US-Israeli war against Iran, Donald Trump faces decisions that could define the rest of his presidency.

But if the American commander-in-chief is grappling with a war of choice that seems in danger of spiralling in ways he can't control, those concerns are not playing out in public.

In more than an hour of public remarks at the White House on Monday, he discussed his thinking on the state of the war effort - and also on Kennedy Center renovations, White House ballroom construction plans, this year's World Cup tournament, the health of a Republican congressman and a host of other unrelated topics.

It was classic Trump, as unscripted and wide-ranging as ever. While Trump may be interested in other topics, he is confronting a lesson previous American presidents have learned the hard way - that war can consume a presidency whether they want it to or not.

And evidence continues to mount that a war that Trump had previously said was "already won" and "very complete" now has a timeline that could stretch for weeks or even longer.

You can continue reading here.

The Israel Defense Forces has issued an urgent warning to residents in southern Lebanon – "specifically in the village of Arab al-Jal" – to evacuate as the military says it continues to target Hezbollah.

"The Defense Army will attack military infrastructure belonging to the terrorist Hezbollah in the near timeframe," an Israeli Defense Forces spokesman said in a post on X, external.

It comes as Lebanese state media reports that Israeli airstrikes have struck three neighbourhoods in Beirut early on Tuesday, as cited by AFP.

Israel confirmed earlier it had carried out "an additional wave of strikes on Hezbollah terror infrastructure in Beirut", on Telegram.

A Pakistani national has been killed by shrapnel in Abu Dhabi overnight, government officials said on Tuesday.

In a statement on X, they said the incident happened after "the interception of a ballistic missile by air defence systems".

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb has defended Sir Keir Starmer amid Donald Trump's criticism towards the UK prime minister over the conflict in Iran.

Speaking exclusively to BBC Newsnight, Stubb has said that he admires Sir Keir, and to "never underestimate the capacity" of the UK PM's "to stay calm".

Many international leaders have both "good days [and] bad days" with Trump, he added.

Trump says he's "not happy" with the UK after Sir Keir said it would not be drawn into a "wider war" over Iran.

When asked about whether Nato allies, including Finland, should join the US, Stubb said: "This was a surprise attack, so none of us knew about it and that's why probably there's been reluctance and a little pushback."

"We have our own backyard to take care of –1,340 km of border with Russia... We wouldn't have much to give. We don't have bases, these kinds of things to give. What I think I'd like to see now is more peace mediation rather than an escalation of the situation."

On the topic of some sanctions on Russia being lifted by the US, Stubb said: "I don't like it."