US-Iran war as it happened: Iran denies asking Trump for ceasefire negotiations; Four more Iranian women footballers withdraw their asylum bid to stay in Australia

Thank you for joining us as the Middle East conflict entered a third week.

Here’s what happened today:

• Australia confirmed it would not send a warship to the Middle East as US President Donald Trump warned that NATO faces a “very bad” future if US allies fail to assist in opening up the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran had not sought a ceasefire or negotiations with the US, contradicting claims by Trump that Tehran wanted to make a deal.
• Dubai temporarily halted flights at its main international airport, following a drone attack. Emirates flights that left Melbourne and Sydney last night bound for Dubai were diverted.
• One of the two remaining Iranian soccer players in Australia uploaded a smiling social media photo declaring that “everything will be fine”, as the number of team members seeking asylum rapidly diminished.

We will resume our live reporting here.

Emirates said limited services would resume at Dubai’s main international airport after a drone incident caused a suspension of flights hours earlier. The event was the latest to set back the aviation hub’s efforts to normalise operations as the Iran conflict enters its third week.

Emirates said it expected to operate a limited schedule after 10am local time (5pm AEDT).

The state-owned carrier had to cancel some flights after a suspension of operations that lasted more than seven hours — the longest halt since Dubai restarted flights at the airport through what it calls “safe air corridors” three days into the war.

Local authorities announced the suspension after a “drone incident” caused a fire at a nearby fuel tank on Monday, forcing aircraft to circle outside the airport while emergency teams responded.

The fire was contained, Dubai’s media office said in a post on X. No injuries were reported.

Bloomberg

Israel began “limited” ground operations against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon recently, the Israeli military said on Monday.

“IDF troops have begun limited and targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon,” Israel Defence Forces posted to X.

The military said the operations were part of efforts to bolster forward defences.

With Reuters

The Australian share market has fallen as the war with Iran dragged into its third week and hopes dimmed for a quick resolution.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index finished Monday down 33.7 points, or 0.39 per cent, to 8583.4, while the broader All Ordinaries dropped 45.7 points, or 0.52 per cent, to 8793.4.

“Markets are coming to terms with the stark reality that there may be no easy resolution to the war in Iran, and that the impact on global energy prices could last longer than initially expected,” said Justin Lin, investment strategist at Global X ETFs Australia.

Ongoing stress in private credit markets is also starting to weigh on investor sentiment and share markets, Lin added.

AAP

One of the two remaining Iranian soccer players in Australia has uploaded a smiling social media photo in Brisbane declaring that “everything will be fine”, as the number of team members seeking asylum rapidly diminishes.

On Sunday team captain Zahra Ghanbari became the latest player to abandon an asylum claim, sparking fears the players’ relatives are being threatened with retaliation by the Tehran regime.

Five members of the Iranian delegation have now abandoned their asylum claims, and members of the diaspora in Australia have expressed concerns the remaining two players will follow.

Read more here

Taiwan: The US has ordered that a “911 force” of 2500 marines be redeployed from Japan to the Middle East, signalling the possibility of American boots on the ground.

The taskforce is part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, a rapid-response force trained for amphibious ground and aviation combat, as well as logistical support.

Usually based on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, the unit can operate entirely from a floating base, allowing it to remain offshore while staying close to the conflict.

The unit, known colloquially as America’s 911 force because of members’ high levels of combat readiness, was among the first conventional ground forces deployed by Washington in conflicts such as the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Read more here

The Telegraph, London