Breaking news: US and Israel's attack on Iran, live | Von der Leyen: 'One should not mourn the Iranian regime that has inflicted death and imposed repression on its own people'

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said debating whether the conflict launched by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "chosen or necessary" misses the point and that the EU must focus on "the reality of the situation."

“European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that debating whether the conflict with Iran launched by U”

El País

On the ninth day of the war, Turkey sent F-16 fighters to the north of Cyprus to reinforce air defenses for the island's Turkish community as the Israeli military launched a new wave of attacks against central Iran and Beirut.

El País

The impact of an Iranian missile in central Israel killed one person and seriously injured two others, bringing to 11 the number of fatalities in Israel from projectiles launched from Iran.

Two soldiers were killed during Israel's invasion of Lebanon in a Hezbollah ambush.

The Israeli military also announced a new wave of bombings against alleged Hezbollah infrastructure in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

The conflict has driven a sharp spike in energy markets.

Oil prices rose about 15% on Monday to $106 per barrel, Brent passed the $100-per-barrel mark, and West Texas Intermediate rose 14% to surpass $103 per barrel.

El País

El País reports the price per barrel has risen nearly 46% in just over a week since the joint Israel–U.S. attacks began.

El País calls the now-real risk of a price above $100 a potential global energy crisis.

Regional diplomacy and state reactions reflected deep divisions.

“European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that debating whether the conflict with Iran launched by U”

El País

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said his government is willing to negotiate directly with Israel "in any format and place," including civilian delegations on Cypriot soil, but "the Israelis ... have not yet responded to our proposal."

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas called for restraint, criticized the Iranian regime as "responsible for decades of violence," and said "the fewer options it has to terrorize the region, the better," adding the ayatollahs' regime is "weaker than ever" and has a "militada military capacity."

China urged respect for Iran's sovereignty and an immediate ceasefire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Mojtaba Jameneí on his appointment as Iran's supreme leader after the death of Ali Jameneí, who El País reports was killed in an Israeli–U.S. bombing in Tehran on February 28.

U.S. President Trump said the new leader "will not last long" without his administration's approval.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi rejected any external interference.

Tehran Times published photos of 100 Iranian children killed in the bombing of a school in Minab province, saying the attack killed more than 150 people, the vast majority students.

El País reports Trump denied U.S. responsibility and accused Iran of staging the attack, while noting "various investigations confirm that U.S. planes bombed the nearby military base and very likely were also responsible for the massacre at the school."

El País

Domestically in Israel, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir expanded eligibility for gun-carrying licenses to 300,000 more Jerusalem residents and urged: "Go get a license. Weapons save lives!"

An explosion in Liège damaged a synagogue, with a neighbour saying the device went off in front of a mosque and no casualties were reported.

The mayor condemned the blast as antisemitism, police deployed counterterrorism investigators, and officials have not officially linked the incident to the new Middle East war though early statements point in that direction.

The Belgian coalition government led by Bart de Wever has avoided condemning the Israeli and U.S. attacks, calling the ayatollahs' regime "a criminal regime" in its explanation.