Middle East crisis live: Hegseth says today will be the ‘most intense day of strikes’ in war against Iran

Guardian -March10th2026

Tom Ambrose (now); Vivian Ho and Adam Fulton (earlier)

Hannah Ellis-Petersen

On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates reported intercepting another eight missiles and 26 drones over their territory as Iran continued its barrage of the Gulf state. But as the war dragged into its eleventh day, life in the UAE’s biggest and flashiest city of Dubai had mostly returned to normal.

Though emptied of thousands of tourists who initially fled in fear, people still flocked to the beaches, malls and rooftop bars in their droves. Commercial flights also restarted as the country’s airspace tentatively reopened, even as UAE’s leaders condemned the ongoing “blatant Iranian aggression”.

Many of the 4 million residents of the desert metropolis appeared quite unphased by the ongoing conflict, deeming it low risk to their lives. So far, six people across the UAE have died from falling missile debris, but the country’s defence systems have mostly proved effective and there’s been no substantial damage to Dubai’s lofty skyline.

“They say it’s a war but it’s caused no problem for us, we don’t really see it at all,” said Nader Farid, 30, who moved from Egypt to Dubai five months ago to work in real estate, as he sat on the beach.

“The first day was scary when they warned about incoming missiles. But now it’s been more than a week and life here just goes on, only business is a bit slower. I’m from Egypt, I know that nowhere is safe from war. But this one does not feel bad. We are very protected here.”

Stranded holidaymakers such as Trish Patton, 62, from Glasgow, said she and her partner had been stuck in Dubai for nine days waiting for a flight home. They had been due to fly back the day the war broke out.

“It’s been very surreal and very scary at times,” she said. “Especially when we got the alerts on our phones, saying there may be missiles in your area, it’s pretty terrifying. On the first day it started, there were three drones right above us and we heard the explosions of them being shot down.”

After a week of trying, the couple finally had a flight back to Glasgow on Wednesday. “I’m happy to have survived and I’ll be even happier to be home,” said Patton. “I hope for everyone’s sake this war is over soon.”

Iran accuses US and Israel of ‘manifest environmental crime’

Damien Gayle

Iran has appealed to the UN to condemn the US and Israel for a “manifest environmental crime” over the bombing of fuel storage facilities in Tehran and other cities over the weekend.

The attacks led to the falling of acid rain across Tehran, as well as the spreading of clouds of smoke so thick they blocked out the sun and caused respiratory problems and skin irritation to residents.

A small group of onlookers face away from the camera, looking at a large plume of smoke billowing into the dark sky from over the orange glow of a fire in the distance. The smoke casts the onlookers into shadows. — Residents look on and take pictures as flames and smoke rise from an oil storage facility struck as attacks hit the city during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran on 07 March 2026. Photograph: Alireza Sotakbar/AP

In a letter passed Monday to senior officials at the UN, including secretary general Antonio Guterres, Saeed Iravani, Iran’s UN ambassador, said the explosions had “released large quantities of hazardous compounds including hydrocarbons, sulphur, and nitrogen oxides” creating “severe air pollution and serious health risks”. Subsequent rainfall led to the “dispersion and deposition of these pollutants through highly acidic precipitation”.

“Such developments may result in severe respiratory harm to the population and extensive environmental degradation, including the contamination of water resources and damage to ecosystems and living organisms.”

In response, all medical in Tehran province had been placed on high alert, while Iran’s environment department had advised residents to remain indoors, Iravani said.

“These attacks constitute a clear violation of international obligations arising under multilateral environmental agreements, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, which underscore States’ responsibility to protect the global environment and to refrain from actions that may cause widespread environmental harm.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran calls upon the United Nations and its relevant bodies to urgently address these developments and to undertake appropriate measures, including condemning environmentally destructive acts and pursuing accountability for those responsible for this manifest environmental crime.”