Iran launches new wave of attacks on Israeli and US bases while Israel begins new strikes in Lebanon

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched new wave of attacks Thursday morning at Israeli and American bases following a threat to destroy military and economic infrastructure across the region, which came after the U.S. and Israelintensified their bombardmentof Iran and a U.S. Navy submarinesank an Iranian warshipin the Indian Ocean.

APTOPIX Iran US Israel

Israel announced multiple incoming missile attacks and air sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iranian state television said additional strikes also targeted U.S. bases. The Israeli military said it launched targeted strikes in Lebanon at Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Beirut's southern suburbs.

The U.S. and Israel launched the war Saturday, targeting Iran's leadership, missile arsenal and nuclear program while suggesting that toppling the government is a goal. But the exact aims and timelines have repeatedly shifted, signaling an open-ended conflict.

The tempo of American and Israeli strikes on Iran was so intense Wednesday that state television announced the mourning ceremony forIranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the conflict, would be postponed. Millions attended the funeral of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989.

President Donald Trump praised the U.S. military for "doing very well on the war front, to put it mildly." Fellow Republicans in the U.S. Senate stood with Trump on Iran as theyvoted downa resolution seeking to halt the war.

Iranfired on Bahrain, Kuwait and Israelas the conflict spiraled. Turkey said NATO defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkey's airspace.

The war has killed more than 1,000 people in Iran, more than 70 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries. It has disrupted the supply of the world's oil and gas, snarled international shipping and stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers in the Middle East.

Threats expanding across the Middle East

Countries around the region braced for potential dangers Thursday, a day after Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened "the complete destruction of the region's military and economic infrastructure."

Qatar's Interior Ministry said authorities were evacuating residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha as a temporary precaution, without providing further details.

Fighter jets could be heard overhead in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai and Saudi Arabia said it destroyed a drone in its province bordering Jordan.

A new attack off the coast of Kuwait appeared to expand the area where commercial shipping was in danger.

An explosion rocked the area early Thursday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center run by the British military. It said a tanker apparently came under attack, but the agency did not offer a cause. Iran in the past has attacked ships by attaching limpet mines to them.

Prior attacks since fighting began Saturday have happened in the Gulf of Oman and theStrait of Hormuz, which connects it to thePersian Gulfand through which about a fifth of the world's oil is shipped.

Brent crude prices are up 15% since the start of the conflict as Iranian attacks have disruptedtraffic through the strait, with the current price the highest since July 2024.

Buildings of Iranian military and security forces targeted

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a torpedo from an American submarine sank an Iranian warship Tuesday night in the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lankan authorities said 32 crew members were rescued, while its navy recovered 87 bodies.

Israel said it hit buildings associated with Iran's internal security command as well as the Basij, an all-volunteer force of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard whose bloody crackdown on protesters in January left thousands dead.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said his country's forces have decentralized leadership, with units acting largely on their own, which could blunt the effect of attacks on top command and control hubs.

Shifting timelines for US operations

During his Pentagon briefing, Hegseth did not give a definitive timeline for U.S. operations, which Trump has said could last for a month or longer.

"You can say four weeks, but it could be six. It could be eight. It could be three," Hegseth said. "Ultimately, we set the pace and the tempo. The enemy is off balance, and we're going to keep them off balance."

U.S. and Israeli military officials say launches from Iran have declined as their attacks have taken out ballistic missiles, launchers and drones. Israel's Homefront Command announced it was easing restrictions that closed workplaces nationwide. It said workplaces could reopen Thursday if there is a shelter nearby. Schools would remain closed.

Still, explosions sounded early Thursday in Israel, which said its defensive systems were moving to intercept at least three waves of Iranian missiles.

At least 1,045 people have been killed in Iran, the country's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs said Wednesday. Eleven people have died in Israel.Six U.S. troopshave been killed, including a major whose identity was released Wednesday.

Another eight people were killed in Lebanon, including two in a building struck by the Israeli military in the Beddawi refugee camp in the coastal city of Tripoli on Thursday and three on a coastal highway, authorities said. The Israeli military did not immediately say who it targeted in the strikes.

In two near-simultaneous Israeli drone strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs late Wednesday, two vehicles were hit, killing three people and wounding six, the health ministry said. The Israeli military said it targeted a Hezbollah member, adding that further details would follow.

Israel says its offensive had been planned for midyear

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the offensive against Iran was originally planned for mid-2026, but "the need arose to bring everything forward to February."

He listed events inside Iran, Trump's positions and the possibility of "creating a combined operation" as reasons.

The protests in Iran put unprecedented pressure on its leadership. Trump threatened military action in response to the crackdown beforeshifting his attentionto Iran's disputed nuclear program.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that the U.S. launched its operation partly out of concern Iran might strike U.S. personnel and assets in the region first. A phone call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the airstrikes began also was "important with respect to the timeline," she said.

Iran's clerics are choosing a new supreme leader

Iran's leaders are scrambling to replaceKhamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years. It is only the second time sincethe 1979 Islamic Revolutionthat a new supreme leader is being chosen.

Potential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement.Mojtaba Khamenei, Khamenei's son, has long been considered among them, though he has never held a government position.

In a sign that Iran's leadership will only seek to consolidate its power, the head of the judiciary warned that "those who cooperate with the enemy in any way will be considered an enemy."

Israel's defense minister, Katz, said on X that Iran's next supreme leader "will be a target for elimination" if he continues to threaten Israel, the U.S. and others.

Rising reported from Bangkok, Becatoros from Athens, Greece, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut, Lebanon, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, Julia Frankel in Jerusalem and Giovanna Dell'Orto in Miami contributed to this report.

byGreen Magazine

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7:42:00 PM

Iran launches new wave of attacks on Israeli and US bases while Israel begins new strikes in Lebanon

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched new wave of attacks Thursday morning at Israeli and American bases follo...

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China sets lowest growth target since 1991 as economy struggles to keep momentum

BEIJING —Chinaannounced its lowest growth target in 35 years Thursday as the world's second-biggest economy struggles with challenges at home and growing uncertainty around the world.

This year, China will aim for GDP growth of 4.5% to 5%, "while striving for better in practice," Premier Li Qiang, China's No. 2 official, said in a "work report" delivered inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during the opening session of the National People's Congress, China's biggest political event of the year.

That figure, the country's lowest since 1991, compares with the5% target achieved last yearand is the first formal downgrade since 2023. It's an acknowledgment that China's growth is slowing as the model that supercharged its economy for decades starts to reach its limits.

"While recognizing our achievements, we are also clear-eyed about the difficulties and challenges we face," Li said in his more than hourlong address, during which he read much of the 35-page report.

Thousands of delegates are gathered in Beijing for the National People's Congress, where the ruling Communist Party sets economic targets, lays out policies and signals its tone to the rest of the world. The event, overseen by Chinese leaderXi Jinping, is tightly scripted and almost entirely predetermined to showcase a leadership hyper-focused on stability.

It comes weeks before PresidentDonald Trumpis set to visit China for a meeting with Xi where both leaders are trying toextend a fragile trade truce. The highly anticipated meeting has been further complicated byU.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which has close ties with Beijing.

China is trying to rebalance its export-dependent economy by boosting domestic demand while addressing structural issues, including a prolonged property slump, industrial overcapacity and soaring local government debt.

It is also investing heavily in cutting-edge technologies such asartificial intelligenceandroboticsas it competes with the United States for global dominance in those industries.

Li said the government would roll out economic policies "against U.S. tariffs," which have varied wildly since Trump launched a trade war with China upon his return to office last year. Though China's exports to the U.S. have fallen precipitously under the tariffs, it has sold more products elsewhere in the world and had arecord trade surplusof almost $1.2 trillion last year.

Defense spending will increase 7% to more than $275 billion, according to a separate government budget report, down from 7.2% last year and roughly in line with recent years. China, which has recently seen alarge-scale purge of senior military officers, aims to modernize its military by 2035 amid rising tensions in the region, including over the Beijing-claimed island ofTaiwan.

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"We will make solid gains in military training and combat readiness, and speed up the development of advanced combat capabilities," Li said in his speech.

Even with a slightly lower growth target, which was widely expected, China is seeking to project confidence in the face of uncertainty and pressures. But the picture is complicated by the war in Iran, China's longtime strategic partner.

China has been a lifeline for heavily sanctioned Iran, buying 80% of its crude oil imports in exchange for a major discount. But they account for only about 13% of China's total oil imports and are easily replaced.

Beijing is more concerned about theStrait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping route that Iran has effectively shut down in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli strikes. China, the world's largest energy importer, relies on the strait for one-third of its oil imports and a quarter of its gas.

Though China has spent years building up its reserves, which analysts say can offset immediate supply shocks, an extended conflict threatens its economic interests across the Middle East.

Iran is the second Chinese partner in two months to be targeted by U.S. military action, after the surprisecapture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduroin January. Beijing has criticized the strikes on Iran, as it did the U.S. raid on Venezuela, but is unlikely to provide more than rhetorical support.

Stability amid international turbulence is a key theme for China's leadership, which favors a "multipolar world" over one dominated by the U.S. But Beijing is also keen to preserve stability in its relationship with Washington, meaning it is unlikely to let the Iran strikes delay or derail Trump's China visit, which the White House says will start March 31.

In his speech, Li talked about the "positive outcomes" from five rounds of U.S.-China trade talks and said economic and trade cooperation between the world's two biggest economies was on a "more stable footing."

China's economic plans are complicated by its aging and rapidly shrinking population, with officials prioritizing more marriages and a higher birthrate a decade after ending the controversial one child policy. The country of 1.4 billion people faces the same demographic crunch as the U.S. and many other countries, with young people increasingly putting off marriage and starting families or decidingnot to have children at all.

Li proposed building a "childbirth-friendly society" in the next five years, with changes to education and health care. Many young people in China complain that the cost of raising children is too high andjob prospects too low.

With more than one-fifth of its population over age 60, China is also trying to improve services at the other end of the age spectrum with initiatives to bolster the so-called silver economy. Li said the government would expand sports programs and increase the number of beds at elder care facilities.

byGreen Magazine

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7:42:00 PM

China sets lowest growth target since 1991 as economy struggles to keep momentum

BEIJING —Chinaannounced its lowest growth target in 35 years Thursday as the world's second-biggest economy struggles...

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Who won the Trent McDuffie trade? Grading blockbuster Rams-Chiefs deal

TheLos Angeles Ramsand Kansas City Chiefs have swung the first major trade of the NFL offseason.

The Chiefsare trading cornerback Trent McDuffieto the Rams in exchange for the No. 29 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, along with fifth- and sixth-round picks this year and a third-round pick in 2027, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade could not become official until the start of the new league year on March 11.

The deal significantly changes the landscape for two teams desperate to claw back to the front of the pack in their respective conferences. For Los Angeles, it serves as the latest marquee veteran addition – at perhaps the most pressing area of need – for a team seeking to capitalize onNFL MVP Matthew Stafford's return. The Chiefs, meanwhile, receive more ammunition for resetting a roster that still has several needs and is undergoing some salary cap-related shifts.

But who came out ahead in the deal? Here are grades for each team:

Rams trade grade: B

Turns out Rams general manager Les Snead wasn't kidding about trying to maximize Stafford's competitive window.

After the 38-year-old quarterback announced after taking home the league's top individual award that he would be returning for the 2026 season, Snead later suggested that the team was intent on catering its offseason to "make the most of the time we have" with the passer. On Tuesday, Snead seemed to tease the possibility of using one of his two first-round picks to swing a splashy deal.

"Is there an All-Pro that you could add?" Snead told reporters. "That would be nice."

Less than 24 hours later, he has one in the former Chiefs standout.

McDuffie's arrival shores up the back end of a Rams defense that unraveled down the stretch, culminating with Sam Darnold torching the group for 346 yards and three touchdowns in Los Angeles' NFC championship game defeat. Coverage performance can be volatile, but the four-year veteran has reliably clamped down on opposing receivers. And parting with the latter of the Rams' two first-rounders and holding onto their payoff from the Atlanta Falcons' ill-conceived gamble last year was a nice touch from Snead.

Still, this is a fairly considerable compensation package – including the a likely extension that should be costly – for a player not in an elite tier at his position group. And there are at least a couple areas of concern.

At 5-11 and 193, McDuffie doesn't solve Los Angeles' lingering problem of matching up with bulkier receivers. Those size limitations led Kansas City to place the 2022 first-round pick in the slot early in his career, and the result was an All-Pro campaign in 2023. Staying there full-time with the Rams might be a non-starter given how much the team gave up to land him, but moving him inside at least occasionally should be a consideration.

McDuffie also struggled last season with the Chiefs tilting more toward zone coverages, allowing a career-worst catch rate of 67.9% and a passer rating of 96.3 when targeted, according to Next Gen Stats. That might seem like a bad fit for defensive coordinator Chris Shula's scheme, which tends to live in zone looks. Maybe the move indicates the team wants to deploy more man coverage to better combat the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and other top-flight targets capable of burning the secondary.

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There's plenty to like about the configuration the Rams have to make this work, including the presence of Jimmy Lake, McDuffie's college coach at Washington, as the newly appointed defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator. And perhaps this was merely an overdue investment for Snead, who had largely scoured the bargain bin at cornerback since parting with Jalen Ramsey in 2023.

Still, as Snead somewhat returns to his "(expletive) them picks" roots, it seems clear that the Rams paid a premium to address their most glaring deficiency with a proven entity rather than one of the draft's top cover men. Whether that apparent overpay will be justified in the end won't become clear until at least next January.

MORE:Latest NFL free agency news, rumors, trade buzz and more

Chiefs trade grade: A-

The knee-jerk reaction for many in Kansas City might be best summed up by Patrick Mahomes.

"Damn," the Chiefs quarterback wrote after news broke of McDuffie being sent packing.

Some disappointment is only natural for an organization attempting to reclaim its status as the AFC's alpha after falling to 6-11 last season, the franchise's worst mark in a decade-plus. Viewed through the proper lens, however, this deal might actually help fast-track a resurgence.

That general manager Brett Veach bailed on paying yet another standout cornerback should come as no surprise. Veach previously walked away from both L'Jarius Sneed and Charvarius Ward rather than pay them top-of-market contracts.

If McDuffie wasn't in Kansas City's long-term plans, offloading him before he reaches free agency might simply have been good business. Not only do the Chiefs not have to worry about fitting him into a cap-crunched roster this year and beyond, they can now focus on re-signing fellow cornerback Jaylen Watson, whoranked 13th on Nate Davis' top 100 free agent rankingsand likely would not have been able to return without the secondary's sea change.

But the big boon here is the draft picks. As Kansas City gets set to make its earliest selection (No. 9) since 2013, the breadth of the team's needs at premium positions is rather imposing. Yes, a wide receiver to assist Mahomes would be of massive value. Then again, a massively disruptive defensive end or defensive tackle could also be required. And don't forget about the lackluster outlook at running back, safety and potentially tight end if Travis Kelce retires.

With a second Day 1 selection and additional draft resources in hand, Veach now is well-positioned to build something formidable for the latter half of Mahomes' career rather than merely cling on to the vestiges of a bygone era. And going this route was necessary given what Kansas City faced with its salary cap.

Pressure on Veach, however, ramps up considerably in April. Describing the general manager's draft track record as uneven would be charitable, and his various missteps in evaluating young talent have played a central role in Kansas City's roster becoming so lopsided.

But Veach has also displayed a shrewd sense for when to sell high on his existing veterans, and he might have timed the market correctly again here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trent McDuffie trade grades: How Rams, Chiefs fared in huge NFL deal

byGreen Magazine

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Who won the Trent McDuffie trade? Grading blockbuster Rams-Chiefs deal

TheLos Angeles Ramsand Kansas City Chiefs have swung the first major trade of the NFL offseason. The Chiefsare...

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Stefon Diggs to be free agent after Patriots release

Add another veteran wide receiver to the list of pendingNFL free agents.

TheNew England Patriotsinformed wide receiverStefon Diggsthat they will release him after the start of the new league year, which is set for March 11.

Diggs, 32, signed a three-year, $63.5 million contract with New England in free agency last offseason. He will end hisPatriotstenure after playing one year on that contract.

"THANK YOU for a hell of a year," Diggswrote in an Instagram story. "We family forever (heart emoji)."

During the 2025 season, Diggs' 11th season in the NFL, he caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. His receptions and yardage total, along with his 104 targets, led all Patriots pass-catchers this season.

The Maryland product will have a chance to join a fourth team in four seasons when he becomes a free agent next week after spending 2023 with the Buffalo Bills, 2024 with the Houston Texans and 2025 with New England.

NFL NEWS, TAKES, FANTASY ADVICE:USA TODAY Sports has you covered with our NFL vodcast

2. New York Jets – OLB/DE David Bailey, Texas Tech

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 3. Arizona Cardinals – OLB/DE Arvell Reese, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 4. Tennessee Titans – RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 5. New York Giants – LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 6. Cleveland Browns – OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 7. Washington Commanders – S Caleb Downs, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 8. New Orleans Saints – WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 9. Kansas City Chiefs – CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 10. Cincinnati Bengals – DE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 11. Miami Dolphins – OT Spencer Fano, Utah

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 12. Dallas Cowboys – CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – WR Denzel Boston, Washington

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 14. Baltimore Ravens – DL Caleb Banks, Florida

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – WR Makai Lemon, USC

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 17. Detroit Lions – OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 18. Minnesota Vikings – S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 19. Carolina Panthers – DT Peter Woods, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 20. Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay Packers) – OLB/DE T.J. Parker, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 21. Pittsburgh Steelers – WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 22. Los Angeles Chargers – G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 23. Philadelphia Eagles – DE/OLB Akheem Mesidor, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars) – WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 25. Chicago Bears – S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 30. Denver Broncos – WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 31. New England Patriots – DE Keldric Faulk, Auburn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

NFL mock draft: First-round projection after Trent McDuffie trade

Mike Vrabel recently discussed Stefon Diggs' future with the Patriots

At the NFL combine last week, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel praised Diggs for his contributions on the field as well as his leadership.

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"He worked extremely hard in the time that he was rehabbing from the knee," Vrabel said, referring to Diggs' recovery from the torn ACL he suffered in 2024. "I think he was just a really good presence each and every week."

The Pats' head coach said at the time that he and other members of New England's front office were still evaluating Diggs' future, including how Diggs' legal troubles factored into the decision.

The veteran wide receiver is facing strangulation and assault allegations after a physical altercation with his personal chef in December last year. Diggs was arraigned on Feb. 13, days after the Patriots' loss in Super Bowl 60, and pleaded not guilty to felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery.

Vrabel said at the NFL combine that Diggs "or anybody else that has something, have done exactly what they're supposed to do, been where they're supposed to be, communicated with the court when they're supposed to communicate with them. So we're going to let all that take care of itself, and then we'll have to see what the judgments are in those particular cases."

Diggs is due for another pre-trial hearing on April 1.

Stefon Diggs stats

• Games (starts): 17 (17)

• Receptions: 85

• Receiving yards: 1,013

• Yards per reception: 11.9

• Touchdowns: 4

• Games (starts): 161 (153)

• Receptions: 942

• Receiving yards: 11,504

• Yards per reception: 12.2

• Touchdowns: 74

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Patriots to release star WR Stefon Diggs

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Stefon Diggs to be free agent after Patriots release

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Report: Jon Rahm jet carries seven LIV Golf players out of Dubai to Hong Kong tournament

A midnight flight out of bordering Oman on a jet arranged by Jon Rahm brought seven players out of a war zone and into safety 24 hours before the start of LIV Golf Hong Kong, according to Golf.com.

LIV Golf was set to begin play in the annual event in Hong Kong on Thursday and made an attempt to arrange travel from Dubai, which has been struck repeatedly during an escalating conflict involving Iran, Isreal and the United States.

U.S. officials called for American citizens to evacuate 14 Middle East nations, but only after damage had already been done around Dubai International Airport, grounding flights. Several LIV Golf players and caddies live in the United Arab Emirates.

According to the report, Rahm's plan required players to coordinate from different locations in the Middle East to travel toward Oman. The driving distance from downtown Dubai to the border is more than 90 minutes. The usual flight time from Oman to Hong Kong is approximately seven hours.

Golf.com reported Lee Westwood, Anirban Lahiri, Thomas Detry, Sam Horsfield, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk and Caleb Surratt and a caddie traveled in a shuttle van to the Oman border under the cloak of darkness before switching to another shuttle for transportation to an airstrip where the aircraft waited to fly the crew to Hong Kong.

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"It was terrifying," Surratt told Golf.com via text on Tuesday. "But since then, it's been OK. It was bad Sunday and Monday here with missile interceptions, but all day today was fine."

McKibbin and Surratt are teammates on Rahm's Legion XIII.

They landed just before midnight local time and all are expected to participate in the event this weekend.

Multiple reports indicated Laurie Canter, an eighth LIV Golf player who was in Dubai, was not on the flight but was expected to arrive in time for the start of the event. By late Wednesday, a limited opening of the main airports in Dubai and Oman was permitted.

--Field Level Media

byGreen Magazine

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6:22:00 PM

Report: Jon Rahm jet carries seven LIV Golf players out of Dubai to Hong Kong tournament

A midnight flight out of bordering Oman on a jet arranged by Jon Rahm brought seven players out of a war zone and into...

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