Thousands of defiant Iranians take to streets as leaders openly taunt Trump and drone attacks force Italy to pull out troops: Live updates

Italy has withdrawn its troops from Iraq following a drone attack at Camp Singara on Thursday.

Italian troops have gradually been leaving the Middle East but an attack in Iraqi Kurdistan has made the exit more urgent with Iraq increasingly becoming a flashpoint in the conflict.

More than 300 troops have been stationed in Iraq but around 100 have now returned to Rome, the Wall Street Journal is reporting

Italy has also pulled back smaller military units from Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.

No Italian troops were injured in the attack on Camp Singara where a restaurant and two vehicles were destroyed.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has previously said she has no intention for Italy to join the war in Iran.

Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani has taunted Donald Trump in a live interview in Tehran as Israeli airstrikes rain down on the Iranian capital.

Larijani has joined thousands of demonstrators at a Quds Day rally in the city despite fresh Israeli attacks launched earlier today.

While being interviewed, Larijani says Israeli attacks during the demonstrations show Israel’s weakness and confusion.

‘These attacks are out of fear, out of desperation. One who is strong wouldn’t bomb demonstrations at all. It’s clear that it has failed,’ Larijani said.

Striking a defiant tone, he said Donald Trump ‘doesn’t understand that the Iranian people are a brave nation, a strong nation, a determined nation. The more he presses, the stronger the nation’s determination will become.’

Yesterday, Larijani said Trump would be ‘sorry’ for his ‘grave miscalculation’ after the President declared the US had won the war.

Iran’s military has destroyed 111 enemy drones since the start of the Middle East war, the Revolutionary Guard’s Sepah News portal reported on Friday.

It said the Guards had destroyed an MQ-9 over Fars province and another aircraft in Tabriz, meaning “the total number of drones destroyed so far is 111 of various types”.

It did not provide a breakdown of how many were cheap, one-way explosive drones versus more sophisticated multi-use aircraft such as the MQ-9.

Protesters taking to the streets of Tehran said they are not afraid of bombs ‘dropping on our heads’ as they pledged allegiance to Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

In a huge sign of anger towards the US and Israel, many attended today’s Quds rally with messages opposing Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu following the US-Israeli airstrikes.

Both the US and Israel have called for Iranians to rise up and topple the regime following the war which broke out last month. But many on the streets of Tehran said they stood by their leaders.

One told Al Jazeera: ‘hey think that by killing us we will be afraid, that by dropping bombs on our heads we will be afraid. No, we stand by our country.

Another added: ‘Injustice will dissipate. Oppression always comes to an end. Injustice will disappear. God willing, we’ll stay here until Israel is destroyed. We stand behind our leader. We’ve come to pledge allegiance to him.’

Donald Trump today told Fox News Vladimir Putin ‘might be helping’ Iran.

The President made the remarks following reports Moscow is sharing intelligence with Tehran and advising them on drone tactics.

Asked by Fox host Brian Kilmeade if he thought Putin is helping Iran, Trump responded: ‘Yeah, I think he might be helping them a little bit, I guess and he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine right?’

The Washington Post has reported Russia has passed on the locations of American warships and aircraft for Iran to target, while CNN reported Moscow is also helping Tehran with advanced drone strategies.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey yesterday said the Russian president’s ‘hidden hand’ is likely helping Iran respond in the war.

Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian also joined the Quds rally in Tehran earlier today.

Pezeshkian is arguably the highest-ranking political figure behind the Supreme Leader and his presence was likely seen as a message of defiance against the US and Israel.

Security chief Ali Larijani and senior leaders of the Iranian judiciary also joined members of the public demonstrating a pro-Palestinian cause.

by Eleanor Mann

Pope Leo suggested today that Christian political leaders who start wars should go to confession and assess whether they are following the teachings of Jesus, without naming any specific leaders or conflicts.

‘Do those Christians who bear grave responsibility in armed conflicts have the humility and courage to make a serious examination of conscience and to go to confession?’ the pope asked in a speech to priests on Friday.

While Leo did not name anyone, in recent days he has been ramping up calls for an end to the ongoing Iran war, which began with joint US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28.

US President Donald Trump was raised in the Presbyterian Christian faith. Several of his top deputies, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are Catholic.

Bible teachings state that Jesus taught his followers to be non-violent. The Catholic Church generally opposes war.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced they had launched missiles and drones at Israel in coordination with Tehran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

The Guards said in a statement that the operation was part of its annual Quds Day, which is intended to show support for the Palestinian cause.

Air sirens have been activated in Tel Aviv, central Israel and across parts of the West Bank.

There have been no reports of casualties following the latest strikes from Tehran.

by Joanna Tweedy

Airlines have hiked fares and families are scrambling to cancel their holidays just two weeks before Easter as the conflict in the Middle East threatens to cripple the tourism industry.

Some of the world’s biggest airlines this week announced price hikes as the cost of aviation fuel soars. This morning Hong Kong aviation giant Cathay Pacific became the latest to introduce an emergency fuel surcharge, effectively doubling it on most of its routes.

The conflict has sent the price of crude oil rising by a third, reaching more than $100 per barrel on Thursday, with fuel used to supply the world’s airlines soaring even higher.

Here’s a list of major airlines that have increased fuel surcharges so far:

The Australian carrier says flight prices will increase on its long haul routes, particularly those that transit through the Middle East.

American airline United’s CEO Scott Kirby said last week that profits would take a ‘meaningful’ hit because of the Middle East conflict – and if oil prices continued, fares would likely rise quickly as a result.

The Dutch and French carriers, which are airline partners, have both increased fares. KLM released a statement this week saying rising oil prices ‘will impact ticket prices, with the increase varying by destination and class’.

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific said it will review surcharges again next month but has added $72.90 (£55) on flights to and from Hong Kong and Europe and North America in recent days.

The Indian airline and its short haul sibling Air India Express introduced surcharges on both domestic and international routes on Thursday.

The UK protected Bahrain’s airspace for the first time overnight as it extended the number of countries where defence operations are carried out.

In its most recent update, he Ministry of Defence declared RAF Typhoon jets operated above Bahrain for the first time in similar operations already carried out in Qatar, Cyprus, Jordan and the UAE.

Defence chiefs also said a British counter-drone unit also shot down projectiles following recent strikes on coalition bases in Iraq.

by Mark Nicol, Defence Editor

The alarming absence of protections for oil tankers and cargo ships passing through the Strait put War Secretary Pete Hegseth on the back foot. He denied the conflict was widening.

Asked why the US was unable to escort commercial vessels, and would not be able to do so for at least a fortnight, he said: ‘We planned for it, we recognise it, because ultimately we want to do it sequentially, that makes the most for what we want to achieve.

‘We want to send the right signals to the world when we do so. We are grabbing hold of the objectives we want to achieve. We are narrowing not widening the conflict. It is called shaping operations.’

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine explained the delay was due to the Strait being a ‘tactically complex environment’. The US is also sending a Marine Corps expeditionary unit, consisting of additional ships and as many as 5,000 troops to the region.

They will be the first US ground troops committed to Operation Epic Fury. Their deployment will raise fears the US is being dragged into a military quagmire. ‘Boots on the ground’ were not part of the initial US military blueprint.

According to US sources the White House underestimated Iran’s willingness to target shipping and to blockade the Strait in response to US military strikes.

The Marines and the USS Tripoli will set sail for the Middle East from Japan. Their voyage is expected to take eight to 10 days at a maximum cruising speed of 22 to 25 knots.

by Jonathan McEvoy

Formula One bosses are expected to call off the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix in the next 48 hours in response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Daily Mail Sport understands the cars and other critical freight to the Gulf must start their transportation in the middle of next week – presenting a hard deadline for a decision.

F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali and FIA boss Muhammed Ben Sulayem will make the determination based on safety concerns for F1’s 3,000-strong travelling contingent.

They are in close talks with both venue organisers, with whom they have strong relations, to see how to settle the sensitive predicament on which not only millions of pounds rest, but potentially lives too.

Bahrain, pioneers of F1 in the region, pay up to £40million to host their event, while the Saudi GP is an even bigger contributor to the sport’s purse at some £60m a year – the most lucrative destination on the existing 24-race calendar, along with Qatar.