Nine countries possess nuclear weapons worldwide: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel. In NATO, nuclear deterrence rests on the Alliance’s strategic forces, primarily those of the United States, as well as the independent strategic forces of the United Kingdom and France. Some NATO members take part in the “nuclear sharing” arrangement under which US B61 nuclear bombs are stationed on their territory. Countries commonly listed as hosting these assets include Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.

The United States also declares extended deterrence for allies in the Indo-Pacific, including Japan. The US similarly provides extended deterrence to the Republic of Korea, described as a “nuclear umbrella”. Nuclear umbrella deterrence is tied to alliance commitments and planning for scenarios involving the threat of nuclear weapon use. The deployment and role of deterrence assets are set within security policies and allied arrangements.

A US submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s southern coast. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on 4 March 2026 the strike was carried out in international waters and involved a torpedo. Sri Lanka’s deputy foreign minister said at least 80 people were killed in the attack.

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister, Vijitha Herath, said 180 people were on board. Sri Lanka launched a search-and-rescue operation after receiving a distress call from the vessel. The Sri Lankan navy rescued 32 people and took them to hospital in the port city of Galle. Sri Lankan authorities said the ship was heading back to Iran from an eastern Indian port. The vessel had earlier taken part in a naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal between 18 and 25 February. Searches for additional survivors are continuing.

On 3 March 2026, the UN Security Council issued a statement on Libya urging Libyan stakeholders to engage fully in the political process. The Council reaffirmed support for the UN Special Representative for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, and her roadmap announced on 21 August 2025. It called on parties to participate “fully, seriously and without delay” and to show readiness to compromise. The statement stressed the need for progress towards unifying state institutions, including military and security structures. It highlighted the importance of safeguarding the unity and independence of the judiciary.

The Council underlined the UN’s central role in facilitating a process that is Libyan-led and Libyan-owned. It did not announce new election dates or timelines for the next steps, focusing instead on accelerating political action. Libya remains divided between rival power centres, and the political stalemate continues despite successive mediation initiatives.

Turkey’s defence ministry said on 4 March 2026 that a ballistic missile fired from Iran and heading towards Turkey was destroyed. The ministry said the object was detected after flying through Iraqi and Syrian airspace. It said the missile was intercepted and neutralised by NATO allied air and missile defence assets. The interception took place over the eastern Mediterranean.

The ministry said there were no casualties or injuries. It did not specify the missile’s intended target. Turkey said it reserves the right to respond to hostile actions directed at its territory. Ankara called on parties to refrain from steps that could lead to further escalation in the region.

The Kremlin said on 4 March 2026 that Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. The talks are set to cover disruptions to oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia. Russia described Ukraine’s actions as “blackmail” of regional states over transit. Ukraine said the pipeline was severely damaged in January by a Russian attack and cannot be repaired quickly. Hungary and Slovakia, in turn, accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying repairs for political reasons.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Druzhba will be one of the key topics of the meeting. No details were provided on when full flows might be restored. The dispute remains part of broader tensions over some EU states continuing to import Russian oil.

Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said on 4 March 2026 that the evacuation of Polish citizens from Israel and Jordan is in its final stage. He said some people were taken overland to Egypt with support from Polish consuls, and that airports in Egypt remain open. According to the foreign ministry, 736 Poles have so far left Egypt as part of the evacuation effort. About 800 people have left Jordan, including around 300 in the past 24 hours. Sikorski said around 30 Poles are still in Israel and are yet to leave the country. He added that there are no new requests requiring evacuation from the Jordanian direction.

The foreign minister said the situation in Lebanon is more complicated than in Israel and Jordan. He also said the largest concentration of Polish citizens in the region is in the United Arab Emirates. He added that numerous flights are expected from the UAE in the coming days, and that the Polish government is seeking the option for some of them to operate to Warsaw