Main points
- The crisis in the Middle East continues as Israeli strikes pound the capitals of Iran and Lebanon, with more than 200 killed in Beirut
- The US says it struck an Iranian drone carrier at sea, intensifying campaign targeting on Islamic Republic’s warships
- Iran vowed to continue targeting Gulf countries in retaliatory strikes, hitting Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
- Irish troops were not targeted or hit in an attack on United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon
- UN general secretary António Guterres has said “the stakes could not be higher” and called for an end to the fighting
- The first repatriation flight for Irish citizens from Middle East has been delayed, department confirms
Key reads
- Pressure on Government to say attack on Iran is a breach of international law
- School killings expose myth of ‘pinpoint’ accuracy bombing
- Analysis: Israel’s escalation in Lebanon raises new questions over Hizbullah’s survival
That’s all for this evening.
Follow along tomorrow for more live coverage.
Good night.
Fire broke out in offices and warehouses belonging to US firms Halliburton and KBR after a drone attack, in Iraq’s Basra, targeted a compound housing employees of foreign oil companies, security sources told Reuters on Friday.
The US central command says its military has damaged or destroyed 43 Iranian warships so far.
Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani says at least 1,332 civilians have died in war so far, with thousands more injured.
He told the reporters at the UN’s headquarters in New York that the US and Israel “have demonstrated that they recognise no red line in committing their crimes”.
The two countries are attacking “densely populated” civilian areas and infrastructure, including schools, medical, recreational and sports facilities, he said.
These acts constitute clear war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Concluding his remarks, he warned the UN Security Council to “act now, without delay”.
“Failure to act will have catastrophic consequences. Today, it is Iran. Tomorrow it could be any [UN] member state,” he said.
Iravani also said Trump’s statements about choosing Iran’s next leader violates the principle of non-interference.
“Iran is a sovereign and independent state,” he said.
“It does not accept, and will never allow, a foreign power to interfere [in its affairs].”– Reuters
Qatar intercepted nine Iranian drones
Qatar’s defence ministry said its air defence systems were “subjected to waves of attacks” from Iranian drones on Friday, starting at dawn and continuing until evening.
In a statement on social media, it said that of the 10 drones that were launched towards Qatar, nine were intercepted while the 10th hit an uninhabited area, causing no injuries. – The Guardian
Unifil to investigate attack on United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon
A spokesman for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), a peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon, confirmed three peacekeepers were injured inside their base in Al Qawzah, southwestern Lebanon amid heavy firing.
The most severely injured was transferred to hospital in Beirut for treatment.
The two others are being treated in a Unifil medical facility.
A fire on the base has been extinguished.
Unifil said it will investigate the circumstances of this “terrible event.”
“It is unacceptable that peacekeepers performing security council-mandated tasks are targeted. We strongly remind all actors of their obligations under international law to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and properties at all times.
“Any attack on UNIFIL peacekeepers constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of the Security Council Resolution 1701 and may amount to a war crime,” said the spokesman.
McEntee describes security situation in Lebanon as ‘extremely worrying’
In a statement, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said the “deteriorating security situation in Lebanon ... will undoubtedly set back the years of progress made in the country.”
She said today’s attack on a Unifil positions is “unacceptable” and condemned “any attack on Unifil personnel and remind all parties of their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers at all times.”
She also condemned Hizbullah’s attacks on Israel in support of its Iranian sponsor and the “disproportionate” Israeli response, including “aerial bombardment, the launch of ground operations and the demand to evacuate civilian populations in southern Lebanon and southern Beirut.”
McEntee has raised these concerns in a meeting between EU and Gulf Co-operation Council foreign ministers yesterday and discussed the situation with her Lebanese counterpart.
“Ireland is committed to supporting the people of Lebanon. Together with our EU partners, we are determined to assist Lebanon in its recovery and rebuilding. The long-suffering people of Lebanon must be given an opportunity to have peace,” she said.
The Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian held a phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin to discuss the latest developments in the region. – Reuters
Taoiseach ‘strongly condemns the reckless strike’ on Unifil base in Lebanon
In a post on X, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said “the role of a peacekeeper is sacrosanct and all should go above and beyond to prevent them from coming into harm’s way.”
“I would like to pay tribute to the courage, resilience and professionalism of the Irish peacekeepers who came to the aid of their Ghanaian colleagues today.”
Earlier today, a Unifil base in southern Lebanon was struck injuring a number of Ghanaian peacekeepers when a fire broke out.
All Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon “remain safe and accounted for”.
The Lebanese Health Ministry report 217 killed since Monday
Israel pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs with air strikes on Friday, stepping up a war with Hizbullah that has forced hundreds of thousands of Lebanese from their homes and killed more than 200, according to a health ministry toll.
Israel ordered everyone in the densely-populated suburbs, Hizbullah’s main stronghold in the capital, to leave on Thursday before launching strikes that lit up the night sky. It has also warned civilians to quit swathes of southern and eastern Lebanon.
They were the widest evacuation orders ever given by Israel in Lebanon and prompted a huge displacement of people before the bombardments that continued into Friday, sending columns of smoke billowing across the Beirut skyline.
No fatalities have been reported in Israel as a result of Hizbullah attacks. The Israeli military said eight Israeli soldiers were injured, five of them seriously by projectile fire toward Israeli territory near the border.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said in a statement that Israeli soldiers had significantly expanded five positions held in Lebanon since November 2024, and were advancing, suggesting the aim was to create a buffer to protect Israeli communities near the Lebanese border.
Hizbullah said it was fighting an Israeli ground incursion near Khiyam, targeting a gathering of military vehicles there.
An Israeli military official said several waves of strikes were launched against Hizbullah in the southern suburbs, striking about 115 targets including in residential buildings that the official said the group used as headquarters.
Air strikes have also targeted Tripoli in the north of Lebanon, Tyre, Sidon and Nabatieh in the south, and Baalbek in the east, the official said.
Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said Hizbullah had fired hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel this week, including around 70 rockets since midnight on Friday. – Reuters
Iran has not closed the Strait of Hormuz but ships linked to Israel or the US cannot pass, said a senior military spokesman to Iranian state TV. – Reuters
The day so far: 10 things you need to know
- The US has said it will take four to six weeks to complete its “objectives” in Iran, according to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.
- Lebanon’s prime minister has warned that a “humanitarian disaster is looming” as Israel continues air strikes against Iranian-backed militants Hizbullah with more than 200 people killed in attacks on Beirut.
- US president Donald Trump has said there will be no deal with Iran except “unconditional surrender”.
- Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has said some countries have begun mediation efforts to end the war but did not name the countries in question.
- US defence secretary Pete Hegseth continued to deny the US was responsible for a strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed at least 165 students.
- A senior Israeli official said the US-Israeli military campaign in Iran was going “much better than expected”, describing Israel’s achievements as “epic”.
- United Nations general secretary António Guterres has called for an end to “all unlawful attacks in the Middle East and beyond”.
- Iran has delayed the naming of a successor to slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, out of security concerns following US and Israeli comments that the new leader could also be targeted.
- Irish soldiers are “well and accounted for” following an attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, with a Defence Forces spokesman saying Irish bases were not targeted.
- The first chartered Government repatriation flight for Irish citizens seeking to leave the Gulf region has been delayed until Saturday, the Department for Foreign Affairs confirmed on Friday.
Defence Forces responding to strike on Ghanaian United Nations post
The Irish Defence Forces has confirmed that a Ghanaian United Nations Post was struck by fire, resulting in casualties.
A spokesman said Irish Defence Forces personnel of the 127th Infantry Battalion have responded and are providing both casualty evacuation and fire fighting assistance.
“All necessary force protection measures continue to be observed and all Irish personnel are well and accounted for,” he said.
The Defence Forces said it condemns any attack on Unifil personnel and remind all parties of their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers.
Médecins Sans Frontières launches nationwide emergency response in Lebanon
MSF/Doctors Without Borders has been distributing blankets, mattresses, and hygiene kits, and trucking water to overcrowded shelters in Beirut, Barja and other areas of the country.
MSF has deployed mobile clinics in Saida, Barja, and Beirut, and is preparing to launch additional mobile clinics across several governorates to reach people where medical care is most urgently needed.
“Our teams are witnessing massive bombardments and civilian harm. Intensified strikes are causing deaths, injuries, and fear, with civilians paying the price,” said Dónal Gorman, Communications Manager for MSF.
“Evacuation orders and ongoing military activities are forcing repeated displacement, often leaving people with nowhere safe to go and leaving some stranded or trapped. Hospitals are receiving casualties, and humanitarian needs are increasing rapidly,” he said.
Across Lebanon, MSF has deployed mobile clinics, including in Saida in southern Lebanon, where an estimated 10,000 displaced people are sheltering. Teams are mobilising to launch additional mobile clinics to support displaced communities in Beirut and the Bekaa region.
MSF is also providing psychological support through helplines for people on the road or unable to reach services. The organisation is supplying drinking water to shelters in Beirut and distributing essential relief items to displaced people.
MSF calls for the protection of civilians, healthcare workers, and medical facilities, and for respect for international humanitarian law.
Irish troops ‘well and accounted for’ in Lebanon
Irish troops and bases were not targeted or hit in an attack on United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon on Friday as hostilities rage between Israel and Hizbullah amid a spreading United States-led war on Iran, reports Ellen O’Riordan.
A Defence Forces spokesman said all Irish UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) personnel deployed in the south of the country are “well and accounted for”, while Irish bases were not targeted. He said all “necessary force protection measures” continue to be observed.
“We condemn any attack on UNIFIL personnel and remind all parties of their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers,” he said.
Ireland has more than 350 troops serving on the multinational Unifil deployment in south Lebanon.
Macron expresses ‘full solidarity’ with Iraqi PM
French president Emmanuel Macron said he spoke to Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and praised his efforts to keep his country out of the conflict in the Middle East.
“I expressed to him France’s full solidarity with Iraq in the face of the ongoing escalation in the Middle East,” Macron said in a post on X.
“I reiterated my support for his resolute action to prevent Iraq from being drawn into the conflict.”
He added: “The stability of the country is essential for the entire region. France supports the full respect for Iraq’s sovereignty, security, and territorial unity,” he wrote.
US says it will take four to six weeks to complete ‘objectives’ in Iran
The United States has sufficient weapons stockpiles to meet operational needs related to the conflict in Iran, said White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt as president Donald Trump prepares to meet with major defence contractors on Friday alongside defence secretary Pete Hegseth.
Leavitt told reporters, the US is well on its way toward controlling Iranian airspace and said that Washington expects the achievable US objectives to be completed in four to six weeks.
Leavitt also said Washington was looking at potential candidates to lead Iran, a day after Trump told Reuters in an interview that the United States must be involved in choosing the next leader of Iran.
“I know there’s a number of people that our intelligence agencies and the United States government are looking at, but I won’t get any further on that,” Leavitt said.
On Thursday, Trump said that he thinks the next leader of Iran is unlikely to be the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son, who has emerged as a front-runner to succeed his father, who was killed in a military strike at the start of the war. – Reuters
UN chief urges end to ‘all unlawful attacks in Middle East’
The United Nations secretary general has called on nations to “stop the fighting and get to serious diplomatic negotiations”.
“The stakes could not be higher,” António Guterres wrote in a post on X.
“All the unlawful attacks in the Middle East and beyond are causing tremendous suffering and harm to civilians throughout the region – and pose a grave a risk to the global economy, particularly to the most vulnerable people. The situation could spiral beyond anyone’s control.
“It is time to stop the fighting and get to serious diplomatic negotiations. The stakes could not be higher,” he wrote.
Sri Lanka pressed not to repatriate survivors from Iranian warship
The United States is pressing Sri Lanka’s government not to repatriate the survivors from the Iranian warship it sank this week, as well as the crew of a second Iranian ship that is in Sri Lankan custody, according to an internal US state department cable seen by Reuters on Friday.
It said: “Sri Lankan authorities should minimise Iranian attempts to use the detainees for propaganda.”
A US submarine sank the IRIS Dena warship in the Indian Ocean about 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s southern port city of Galle on Wednesday, killing dozens of sailors.
On Thursday, Sri Lanka began offloading 208 crew members from a second Iranian ship, the naval auxiliary vessel IRIS Booshehr, which had found itself stranded in Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone but outside its maritime boundary.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said his island nation had a “humanitarian responsibility” to take in the crew.
Officials in Azerbaijan are withdrawing diplomatic staff from Iran for their own safety
It comes a day after Azerbaijan said four Iranian drones had crossed its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave.
Lebanon drawn into a war ‘it did not seek or choose’
In a speech during a meeting with Arab and foreign ambassadors, Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam warned that “a humanitarian disaster is looming”.
Ireland applies for EU help to get citizens out of Gulf
The Government is co-ordinating efforts to fly Irish citizens out of the Gulf region on “repatriation flights” with other European governments, reports Europe Correspondent Jack Power from Brussels.
Ireland and 19 of the European Union’s 27 states have applied for help to get their nationals out of the region as the war in Iran continues, activating what is known as the union’s “civil protection mechanism”, which provides support in response to natural disasters or other crises.
The EU scheme makes it easier for a government to offer spare seats on a flight it has charted out of the region to citizens from other European countries.
Under the scheme the European Commission then covers part of the cost of the flight, in proportion to the percentage of citizens from other EU countries a government flew home.
A commission spokeswoman confirmed that Ireland had joined the co-ordinated efforts on Friday evening.
Officials in a crisis centre in Brussels have helped arrange 10 flights out of Oman under the EU scheme, bringing 1,000 European citizens home.
Ireland was a little later than others to ask for help under the EU’s “civil protection mechanism”, 19 governments had activated it before them.
Iraqi military sources say two katyusha rockets have targeted Iraq’s Taji military base, north of Baghdad. – Reuters
Amid ongoing Israeli air strikes in Lebanon which have prompted mass evacuations, the Norwegian Refugee Council says 300,000 people have been displaced in the country.
Forced displacement in Lebanon could be violating international law
The United Nations on Friday raised concerns over the Israeli air strikes in Lebanon that have prompted mass evacuations and displaced nearly 100,000 people, the AFP reports.
“Lebanon is becoming a key flashpoint,” Volker Turk, the high commissioner for human rights for the United Nations, told reporters in Geneva.
“I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities.” Turk said that he was particularly concerned about Israel’s “blanket, massive displacement orders” for Beirut’s southern suburbs, orders that are impacting “hundreds of thousands of people” and raising “serious concern under international humanitarian law and in particular when it comes to issues around forced transfer”.
The Lebanese health ministry said 217 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Monday.
Iran has launched an attack on US forces in Bahrain, according to an Iranian military spokesman cited by state media. – Reuters
Iranian forces fired seven attack drones at civilian, residential neighbourhoods in Bahrain on Thursday night, US central command commander Brad Cooper said on Friday in a statement. – Reuters
Government chartered flight to Dublin from Oman postponed until Saturday
In a post on X, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said the Government chartered flight from Oman to Dublin is postponed until Saturday due to the “highly challenging operational context for aviation in the region.”
The flight had been due to leave Oman this evening and land at Dublin Airport in the early hours of tomorrow morning.
She said the overnight hotel costs for passengers in Oman will be met by the department.
Three flights have landed in Dublin from the Middle East since conflict broke out.
McEntee said the department is in “direct contact” with citizens across the region to explain what options are available.
She also said she is aware of citizens stranded in other parts of the world due to flight cancellations in the Gulf and encouraged them to make contact with their airlines or travel agents and the Consular Crisis Centre.
It is understood that the issues are similar to those which delayed a repatriation flight from Oman to the UK earlier this week, with Ireland using the same company to charter the plane. The UK government had blamed “technical issues” for the delayed flight, which landed at London Stanstead yesterday.
The Irish Government had offered seats to 280 people on the flight, with a contribution charge of €800 attached for adults travelling while children travelled free. The intending passengers left Dubai this morning supported by Irish embassy staff on the ground.
Ireland’s fuel supply chains are ‘reliable and all appropriate contingency arrangements are in place’
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien’s remarks came after a meeting of the Government’s Energy Security Group which was convened to discuss the implications of the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region, reports Political Correspondent Cormac McQuinn.
The group include representatives from a number of Government departments as well as the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU), electricity and gas agencies and the National Oil Reserves Agency (Nora).
A statement from O’Brien’s department said the current supply and pricing conditions across oil, gas and electricity were reviewed at the meeting and the group assessed the local impacts arising from the evolving situation.
The group also heard from fuel industry representative body Fuels for Ireland.
There was discussion on International Energy Agency (IEA) updates that show that while oil prices continue to fluctuate, there was some stabilisation on Thursday and markets remain adequately supplied.
Similarly, wholesale gas prices, while elevated, remain well below the peak levels seen in recent years, the statement said.
O’Brien said the group met at his request “to take stock of the situation and to get an up-to-date picture from all relevant energy stakeholders.
“It’s important to say that Ireland’s fuel supply chains are reliable and all appropriate contingency arrangements are in place across the energy sector,” he added.
O’Brien said that he has written to retail electricity and gas suppliers as well as fuel suppliers “to emphasise the importance of reducing the exposure for Irish consumers from the price shocks that global uncertainty can create.”
He also highlighted how he previously requested last December that the CRU undertake a review of competition in the retail energy markets and he said the agency has begun that work.
O’Brien added: “Energy affordability is a priority for this Government, and range of measures was introduced in Budget 2026 aimed at helping households with energy costs”.
He said he has engaged with the four biggest energy retailers in recent months “to ensure that hardship funds and focused measures are in place for any customers who find themselves in difficulty.”
“My Department continues to actively monitor the situation and the impact on energy markets and supply,” O’Brien added.
US investigators believe strike on Iranian girls’ school probably carried out by US forces
Military investigators believe it is likely that US forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed more than 150 children on Saturday but have not yet reached a final conclusion, according to two US officials.
Reuters was unable to determine further details about the investigation, including what evidence contributed to the tentative assessment, what type of munition was used, who was responsible or why the US might have struck the school.
The Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, on Wednesday acknowledged the US military was investigating the incident.
Two US officials did not rule out the possibility that new evidence could emerge that points to another responsible party. – The Guardian
Lebanon health officials say 217 killed in Israeli attacks
The Lebanese health ministry said 217 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Monday, according to Reuters news agency.
A further 798 people have been injured, the ministry said.
The Israeli military has carried out more strikes on Beirut’s southern Dahiyeh suburb, as well as towns in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese prime minister, Nawaf Salam, has warned that a “humanitarian disaster is looming”, as tens of thousands of people were forced from their homes by an Israeli military order and made to seek shelter in other parts of the capital. – The Guardian
US moving thousands of people out of various Middle Eastern countries
President Donald Trump on Friday said the US is moving thousands of people out of various countries throughout the Middle East amid the military conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.
“It is being done quietly, but seamlessly,” Trump said in a social media post without providing further details.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have targeted US forces in the UAE’s Al Dhafra airbase and Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait, according to Iranian state media. – Reuters
EU Officials to Speak With Middle East Leaders on Monday
European Commission resident Ursula von der Leyen, vice president Kaja Kallas and European Council President Antonio Costa will discuss the unfolding Middle East conflict with leaders from the region on Monday.
The meeting will be a video conference and will focus on getting Middle Eastern leaders’ assessment of the situation and discussing further support from the EU and its members, according to a spokesperson for Costa. – Bloomberg
Israel attack Iranian senior commander
The Israel Defense Force said it attacked a senior commander of the Iranian regime in Tehran, without providing any more details.
The statement does not specify whether the commander was killed.
Iran has not yet publicly commented on the report. – The Guardian
Flights at Dublin Airport impacted on Friday
A post on Dublin Airport’s X account said, 12 of the 14 flights due to operate to or from Dublin Airport today have been cancelled by airlines, including all services to and from Doha and Abu Dhabi.
Emirates will operate one inbound and one outbound flight this evening, as it did on Wednesday and Thursday.
It also said further disruption to schedules is expected over the coming days.
Passengers are advised to contact their airline directly for updates on the status of their flight.
Explosions near Erbil airport in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq
The AFP news agency has reported explosions near Erbil airport in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, which hosts US-led Coalition troops.
Iraqi Kurdish authorities said earlier that oil production at a field operated by US firm HKN Energy had been halted after an attack, the agency reported.
Several Iran-backed armed factions have claimed attacks on the US base at Erbil airport in recent days. – The Guardian
Iranian state TV claims that Iran has fired missiles at a US base in Kuwait – Reuters
Iran’s president says ‘some countries’ have begun mediation efforts to end war
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has said some countries have begun mediation efforts to end the war with the US and Israel, without identifying those countries, adding that any talks should address those who started the war.
Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and Oman have all offered to mediate at some point since US and Israel launched joint strikes last Saturday.
Two days ago, Iran’s foreign ministry said it was a time for defence of the country, not for diplomacy.
Pezeshkian said in a post on X: “Some countries have begun mediation efforts. Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity and sovereignty. Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict.” – The Guardian
No deal with Iran except ‘unconditional surrender’ – Trump
US president Donald Trump has said there will be no deal with Iran except “unconditional surrender”.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said he will work “tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better and stronger than ever before”.
Number of those displaced in Lebanon expected to rise ‘quite quickly’
The number of displaced people in Lebanon is expected to rapidly increase after unprecedented Israeli evacuation orders covering large parts of the country, with about 100,000 already cramming shelters, a senior UN official said on Friday.
With hostilities raging between Israel and Hizbullah amid a spreading US-led war on Iran, the Israeli military on Thursday ordered residents out of Beirut’s southern suburbs, including districts controlled by the Iran-backed group, before intensifying its air strikes on the area.
Israel has also ordered people out of areas of the eastern Bekaa Valley, and a swathe of the south.
“What we saw in the last couple of days is, I would say ... unprecedented in terms of the scale here in Lebanon of the warnings, the displacement orders, and the reaction, the panic also, that this has all created,” Imran Riza, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, said.
He noted that over a million people were uprooted in Lebanon during a war between Hizbullah and Israel in 2024, 75-80 per cent of whom did not go to collective shelters, and that this time the majority would probably not go to shelters either.
“There are about 100,000 people that are, as of this morning, in some 477 collective shelters. There are some 57 shelters that still have some space, but basically the capacity is being reached very, very quickly,” Riza said.
“We had people moving all over the place and not knowing where to go to. So yes, I think we’re going to have an increased number quite quickly,” he said, citing the example of a Beirut shelter where the number of families rose to 150 on Friday from 90 earlier in the week.
Riza said there was good co-ordination between Lebanese authorities and international aid organisations but resources were short.
“We are much, much worse off in terms of actual funding and material preparedness than we were even in 2024, which was of itself a difficult time,” he said.
The Lebanese health ministry has reported 123 people killed and another 683 wounded as a result of Israeli attacks this week. Its figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Riza said a number of health workers had been killed and injured, and urged respect for international humanitarian law.
“We need immediate de-escalation,” he added. – Reuters
Iran will not compete at Milano Cortina Winter Games, says IPC
Iran will not compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, the International Paralympic Committee announced on Friday, with their lone athlete unable to travel due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Iran’s National Paralympic Committee were planning to send two-time Paralympian Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, who was set to compete in two Para cross-country skiing medal events next week.
However, due to the conflict in the Middle East, the Paralympian who competed in Pyeongchang in 2018 and in Beijing in 2022 cannot travel safely to Italy.
“We were informed by NPC Iran that safe passage to Milano Cortina 2026 was not possible, and, as a result, they would not be able to come to the Games,” Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said in a statement.
“It is really disappointing for world sport and especially for Aboulfazl that he is unable to travel safely to compete at his third Paralympic Winter Games at Milano Cortina 2026.
“Since the conflict began on Saturday, the IPC and Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee have been working tirelessly behind-the-scenes with the NPC and national ski federation to find alternative routes for the safe passage of the Iran delegation to the Games.
“However, with the conflict ongoing across the Middle East, the risk to human life is too high.”
The IPC added that Iran’s flag has also been removed from the athlete parade for Friday’s opening ceremony at the Arena di Verona.
Fuel providers are ‘more than happy’ to co-operate with investigation into price increases
Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke has said fuel industry representatives have told him they will co-operate with an investigation into pricing by the State’s consumer protection watchdog, Political Correspondent Cormac McQuinn reports.
Earlier this week, Burke asked the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to investigate claims of price gouging in relation to home heating oil, petrol and diesel here in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East.
He also arranged a meeting with fuel industry representatives, which took place today.
In a statement, Burke described the meeting as “constructive” and said he “welcomed the opportunity to discuss the current energy market and pricing structures, along with the international factors impacting costs in a very uncertain geopolitical environment”.
Burke said he highlighted the current CCPC investigation and that fuel providers said “they are more than happy to co-operate fully and will encourage their members to do the same.”
The Minister said the CCPC “has a strong mandate to protect consumers and ensure competition law is fully complied with”.
Burke also said: “It was brought to my attention that retail workers have come under significant abuse in recent days.
“I want to make it clear that this behaviour is unacceptable, and no one should take their frustration out on any retail worker.”
He said his department “continues to engage with the sector as matters evolve, including through the Government’s Energy Security Group, which meets regularly”.
Leaders of the UK, France, Germany and Italy have welcomed the “world-leading drone interception expertise” offered by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to partners in the Middle East.
On Thursday, Zelenskiy said the US requested “specific support” in protection against drones in the Middle East, adding that he gave instructions to ensure the presence of “Ukrainian specialists”.
Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Giorgia Meloni discussed the ongoing conflict on Friday morning, during which they condemned “Iran’s egregious attacks”.
“Ongoing intensive diplomacy and close military co-ordination would be vital in the coming hours and days, the leaders agreed.
“They also agreed on the need to co-ordinate closely on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and reiterated their concern about the situation in Lebanon,” Downing Street said.
Uncontrolled migration from Iran ‘must be prevented’ – German chancellor
German chancellor Friedrich Merz called for Iran’s territorial integrity to be preserved and to ensure that the Iranian state remains functional to maintain public order.
“Uncontrolled migration from Iran must be prevented,” Merz said, while visiting a fair for skilled trade in the southern city of Munich. – Reuters
More photos coming in from Lebanon following Israeli air strikes.
Drone attack targets US military base in Iraq
Two drones have been used to attack a US military base near Iraq’s Erbil airport, Reuters reports, citing security sources.
Separately, Kuwait’s air defences are currently dealing with missile and drone attacks, the Kuwaiti army has said.
In Iran, Residential buildings have been attacked in centre of Tehran, state-affiliated Nour News says.
Emirates expects a return to 100 per cent of its network within the coming days, a spokesperson has said.
The airline said it carried out 30,000 passengers out of Dubai on Thursday.
Global air travel remains severely disrupted after the war in Iran forced the closure of key Middle Eastern hubs including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, stranding tens of thousands of passengers worldwide and disrupting thousands of flights. – Reuters
The Trump administration plans to meet executives from the biggest US defence contractors at the White House on Friday to discuss accelerating weapons production, as the Pentagon works to replenish supplies drawn down by strikes on Iran and other recent military operations.
The meeting underscores the Trump administration’s drive to shore up weapons stocks after the Iran operation drew on munitions. – Reuters.
Japan considers releasing emergency oil reserves
Japan is considering releasing its national oil reserves amid the ongoing Iran crisis, Kyodo news agency reported on Friday.
It relies on the Middle East for around 95 per cent of its oil supplies with around 70 per cent coming via the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively closed.
Tokyo holds emergency national reserves equivalent to around 146 days of consumption, while it also has private-sector stockpiles and joint stockpiles with oil-producing countries.
Kyodo said the government plans to monitor the situation and consider whether or not to release part of its national reserves stored across the country to domestic companies to ensure stable supply.
US officials increase security over fear of attack by Iran
Government officials across the US have taken new security measures because of fears that Iran, or its supporters, may launch attacks on targets in the US to retaliate for the US and Israel’s bombing of the country.
Federal and local public officials have announced that they have taken steps such as increasing law enforcement patrols to prevent any attack, which could come directly from the Iranian regime or a lone actor, security experts said.
“If there were ever a time when Iran would want to put into place all the different capabilities it’s built up over these years as off-the-shelf operational planning ... now would be it,” said Matthew Levitt, director of the counter-terrorism program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. – The Guardian
About 50 Israeli fighter jets struck an underground bunker beneath the leadership compound of Iran’s late supreme leader in central Tehran, the Israeli military said on Friday.
The IDF said the facility served as an emergency command centre for Khamenei which senior Iranian officials were still using after his death and that it was targeted following a lengthy intelligence-gathering process. – Reuters
Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has said some countries have begun “mediation efforts”.
“Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict,” he said on X.
US investigation of Iran school strike must ‘happen very quickly’, says UN chief
Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, has urged the US to move “very quickly” with its investigation into a deadly strike on a school in Iran, which Tehran has blamed on the US and Israel.
Iranian officials said the attack on Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab, which happened on Saturday at the start of the US-Israeli combing campaign on Iran, killed at least 165 students.
Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, continued to deny responsibility for the strike, saying it was being investigated and that Americans “never target civilian targets”.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva today, Türk said: “What we have asked for is obviously prompt, transparent and impartial investigations, which we understand has been announced by the United States of America.
“We need this to happen very quickly and we need to also make sure that there is accountability as well as redress for the victims.” – The Guardian
IFA calls on Government to suspend carbon tax amid ‘soaring energy costs’
The president of the Irish Farmers’ Association has called on Minister for Finance Simon Harris to “immediately suspend” carbon tax due to the “daily escalating energy costs for farmers, agricultural contractors and the wider economy”.
Francie Gorman said energy prices have already escalated due to the conflict in the Middle East.
“While the Government cannot stop rising international oil and gas prices due to this conflict, they can significantly help stabilise energy prices here by removing the additional cost of carbon tax,” he said.
“Energy costs have an impact on every facet of the economy from transport to home heating costs. Irish electricity costs are already the highest in Europe; that is why it is even more critical that the Government acts rapidly to try to minimise any further price increases,” he said.
IFA farm business chair Bill O’Keeffe said the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) tariffs on nitrogen fertiliser should also be “immediately suspended” by the EU Commission.
Noting that the European Commission previously said it could temporarily suspend CBAM tariffs if there is evidence of market disruption, O’Keefe said it is “clear” the EU fertiliser market will be disrupted as a “sizeable amount” of global fertiliser travels through the Strait of Hormuz.
“It is now imperative that our Minister for Agriculture pushes the EU Commission for the immediate suspension of CBAM tariffs on fertiliser,” he said.
Iran vows to continue targeting Gulf countries
The Iranian army has vowed to continue targeting Gulf countries in retaliatory strikes, including US military bases located across the region.
“Over the past few hours, various types of destructive drones of the army’s ground forces have targeted American military bases in Kuwait in large numbers,” the Iranian army said today in a statement carried by Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency.
“These attacks will continue in the coming hours.”
Israel official says bombing campaign in Iran going ‘much better than expected’
A senior Israeli official said the US-Israeli military campaign in Iran was going “much better than expected”.
“Nobody could have expected such smooth execution,” the unnamed official told the Times of Israel.
“With such payloads being dropped, and such a complex level of co-ordination required – no one could have anticipated such success so soon.”
The official went on to describe Israel’s achievements as “epic”.
US and Israeli officials said their militaries have all but seized the skies over Tehran, having reportedly destroyed most of Iran’s air defences and missile launchers.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes were “about to surge dramatically”, while the Israeli military indicated that it has begun a new phase in its bombing campaign, with “additional surprising moves in our hands”. – The Guardian
IEA chief warns against return to Russian gas
International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said on Friday that looking to Russia for gas supplies will be economically and politically wrong, given the incoming global supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
“The current crisis in the Middle East has led to questions in some quarters about whether to go back to Russia or not,” Birol told reporters following a meeting of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and EU commissioners on global energy markets.
The EU is under mounting pressure from industries and governments to step in to try to curb high energy prices. von der Leyen has promised to draw up options for EU leaders to consider at a summit later this month.
“One of Europe’s historical mistakes was the over-reliance of its energy sources on one single country, Russia,” the IEA chief said.
The options being considered by the Commission include reducing the taxes and tariffs that inflate many countries’ energy bills, or letting governments use more state aid to support energy-intensive industries, two EU officials told Reuters.
The IEA expects a “huge amount” of liquefied natural gas to reach the market in the next five years, which will put downward pressure on prices, IEA chief Fatih Birol told reporters.
‘We’re sleeping here in the streets’: Lebanese evacuate amid Israeli air strikes
Several waves of strikes were launched against Hizbullah in the southern suburbs of Beirut overnight, striking about 115 targets, an Israeli military official said, including residential buildings that the official said the group used as headquarters.
Before the overnight strikes, an Israeli military spokesperson told residents of the southern suburbs to move east and north, posting a map showing four large districts of the capital he said they must leave, including areas adjacent to Beirut airport.
“Save your lives, evacuate your homes immediately,” the military spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted on X, saying that any movement southwards may endanger their lives.
While Israel has previously ordered people to leave areas around specific buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, this was the first time it instructed residents to leave the entire area.
“We’re sleeping here in the streets – some in cars, some on the street, some on the beach,” said Jamal Seifeddin (43) who fled Beirut’s southern suburbs and spent the night outside in the Lebanese capital’s downtown district.
“I’ve never slept on the ground like this. I’ve been forced to. No one even brought a blanket,” he said.
Israel has sent tanks and troops deeper into southern Lebanon and they were visible on Thursday operating in a bombed-out village near the frontier with smoke rising in the distance.
Hundreds of Israeli troops were also seen on Thursday setting up fortifications on the Israeli side of the border fence. – Reuters
The United Nations human rights chief plans to travel to Washington this month, he said on Friday, but expressed doubt he could influence the development of the Middle East crisis amid mounting concerns.
“I hope to go to Washington DC later this month, and we will see what this will bring,” Volker Türk told reporters in Geneva.
“We have obviously been in touch, but to be honest, I don’t think it’s in any way meaningful in terms of influencing the current trajectory,” he added.
Türk urged international actors to rapidly de-escalate the regional conflict, now into its seventh day after US-Israeli attacks on Iran. – Reuters
Middle East conflict a ‘major humanitarian emergency’ – UN refugee agency
Nearly 100,000 people have been displaced within Lebanon and tens of thousands of Syrian refugees there have fled back over the border, the UN refugee agency said on Friday, calling the situation in the region a “major humanitarian emergency”.
Around 96,000 people are currently sheltered in more than 400 facilities in Lebanon, while more than 33,000 Syrian refugees based in Lebanon have returned to Syria, according to UN figures.
Europe facing ‘heightened’ terrorism threat level – Europol
Europe is now facing an increased level of threat from terrorism and “violent extremism” in response to the US and Israel’s war in Iran, a spokesman for Europol has told our Europe Correspondent Jack Power.
The EU law enforcement agency said: “The terrorist and violent extremist threat level on EU soil is assessed to be heightened”.
“This may manifest itself through home-grown radicalisation by lone-actors. Rapid online dissemination of polarising content may accelerate short-term radicalisation pathways in EU-based diaspora and other individuals,” it said.
The Hague-based agency that helps European police forces co-operate to combat terrorism and other major crimes, warned there was also an increased risk of cyber attacks, like the online attack that crippled the Health Service Executive in 2021.
“The conflict has immediate repercussions for serious and organised crime and terrorism in the EU,” a spokesman for Europol said.
“Key risks are an elevated threat of terrorism and violent extremism, increased cyberattacks targeting EU infrastructure, a rise in conflict-themed online fraud schemes, and the spread of disinformation and influence campaigns,” the spokesman said.
‘Significant increase in demand’ for Russian energy resources amid war in Iran, Kremlin says
The Kremlin said on Friday that the war in Iran had fuelled demand for Russian energy products, a day after the US Treasury issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea.
The conflict, which entered its seventh day on Friday, has left the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping passage all but shut, with countries around the world cut off from a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia has been and remained a reliable supplier of oil and gas, both via pipelines and in liquefied form.
“We are seeing a significant increase in demand for Russian energy resources in connection with the war in Iran. Russia has been and remains a reliable supplier of both oil and gas – including pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas,” Peskov told reporters.
“It also remains capable of guaranteeing the continuity of all deliveries for which contracts have been concluded.”
Peskov declined to disclose possible volumes of Russian oil supplies to India following Washington’s waiver, which followed months of US pressure on New Delhi not to buy Russian oil.
Azerbaijan withdrawing diplomats from Iran
Azerbaijan is withdrawing its diplomats from Iran for their own safety, foreign minister Jeyhun Bayramov said on Friday, a day after Baku said four Iranian drones had crossed its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave.
He said Azerbaijan was evacuating employees from its embassy in Tehran and its consulate general in Tabriz. – Reuters
Large evacuation orders issued by Israel raise ‘serious concern’, says UN human rights chief
Large scale evacuation orders issued by the Israeli army for southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs raise “serious concern” under international law, Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has said.
“These blanket, massive displacement orders we are talking here about hundreds and thousands of people,” he told reporters in Geneva on Friday morning
“This raises serious concern under international humanitarian law, and in particular when it comes to issues around forced transfer,” he added.
Before launching air strikes, the Israel Defence Forces on Thursday issued forced evacuation orders for the whole population of Beirut’s southern suburbs – home to some 500,000 people – sparking widespread panic.
Traffic was at a standstill in the Lebanese capital on Thursday as people tried to flee.
More than 80,000 people had registered as displaced in Lebanon as of Wednesday.
Loud explosions heard in Tel Aviv
Large booms rang out across Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel as Israeli defence systems attempted to intercept an Iranian rocket volley on Friday morning, Reuters reports.
The Israeli military said on Friday it had identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel and that air defence systems were operating to intercept the threat.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Kheibar missiles have been fired toward Tel Aviv on Friday as part of the 21st wave of its “Operation True Promise 4″.
In a statement, it added that the new wave of attacks began with a combined missile and drone operation targeting sites in the heart of Tel Aviv.
The Israeli military separately said it has begun an additional wave of air strikes in Beirut.
Dubai residents told to seek ‘immediate shelter’ amid potential missile threats
An alert was sent out on Friday by the Emirati government warning people in Dubai of “potential missile threats”, the AFP news agency has reported.
The mobile phone alert by the UAE’s interior ministry urges people to seek shelter as the city faces retaliatory strikes from Iran.
“Due to the current situation, potential missile threats, seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building and steer away from windows, doors and open areas,” the alert read.
UK deputy prime minister David Lammy separately praised the work of MI5 and counter-terrorism police after four men were arrested on suspicion of aiding Iran by spying on the Jewish community in London.
He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Iran is the biggest state sponsor of terrorism globally and sadly, that is in effect in our own society as well.
“Our intelligence services and counter-terrorism police have thwarted lots of action over the last few years.
“This is now a live investigation, so I won’t comment on that any further, except to thank our security staff and police for continuing to keep our people safe and doing everything they can where people would cause us harm and individuals in our country harm.” – PA
Royal Air Force (RAF) jets could legally strike Iranian missile sites being used to attack British interests in the Middle East, the UK’s deputy prime minister has said.
David Lammy stressed that RAF jets were currently only shooting down missiles and drones fired by Iran at allies in the region.
But he said there was a legal basis for them to do more and strike directly at the Iranian bases being used to launch attacks.
The UK has already given the US permission to use British bases to carry out defensive strikes against Iran’s missile facilities.
He told BBC Breakfast: “It is entirely legal to protect our people and protect our staff, and therefore all operational capability is available to us in those circumstances.”
He said the UK had the satellite and intelligence capability to identify Iranian sites.
Asked if the UK could fire at an Iranian base in anticipation of it launching an attack, he said: “It is my understanding that that would be legal.”
Defence secretary John Healey has not ruled out UK aircraft taking part in strikes on Iran, saying that “as circumstances in any conflict change, you’ve got to be willing to adapt the action you take”.
The UK has been criticised by allies over its response to the crisis, particularly over the defence of Cyprus and the RAF Akrotiri base which was struck by a drone.
Air defence destroyer HMS Dragon is not expected to sail to the eastern Mediterranean until next week and France and Greece have deployed military assets to defend Cyprus.
Asked if he was embarrassed, Lammy told Sky News: “Absolutely not ... we have F-35s, Typhoons in the sky taking down missiles as we speak and that has happened over Jordan, it’s happened over Qatar and of course, we will support nationals in the region.
“It’s also right to say that we co-ordinate with allies, the French, the Germans. Cyprus is a Nato ally, so we co-ordinate also with other teams and other close allies on how we equip the area.
“HMS Dragon will be in the region in the coming weeks to further bolster and further support our air defences.” – PA
Mosque closed in Melbourne, Australia, after ‘suspicious package’ found
A Melbourne mosque was closed on Friday and surrounding streets cordoned off after a suspicious package was found at the premises, its management said.
The Islamic Council of Victoria, which houses a mosque and the offices of the peak Muslim body, made an urgent community announcement on Friday evening, saying its mosque was closed because a suspicious package had been identified.
“Police have responded and have completely condoned off Jeffcott Street while they assess the situation. We ask all community members to avoid the area and follow police directions”, the social media post said.
Victoria Police confirmed officers were called to the ICV at about 4pm “to conduct a safety check” but were not able to confirm whether a package had been found.
As of 6.30pm local time, officers remained on scene and the area cordoned off as a precaution, with minor traffic disruptions while the investigation was ongoing.
All mosque events and activity were suspended. The centre had been due to host an Iftar dinner in celebration of Ramadan after sunset prayers. – The Guardian
The Trump team’s hyper-aggressive war rhetoric
After nearly five days of war in the Middle East, Pete Hegseth boasted of the “sheer destruction” US and Israeli forces were inflicting on their “radical Islamist Iranian adversaries”.
“They’re toast and they know it,” the US defence secretary said, adding: “And we have only just begun to hunt.”
Later, he said: “We are punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be.”
In Donald Trump’s war against Iran, Hegseth’s rhetoric casting the US as a righteous, ruthless predator is at the centre of a hyper-aggressive messaging strategy from the White House that has included a barrage of social media clips of the military operations to showcase American lethality and prowess.
Read more here.
Four arrested in London on suspicion of spying on Jewish community for Iran
Four men have been arrested on suspicion of aiding Iran’s intelligence service by spying on locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community in London, the Metropolitan Police said.
Detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing London said the men – one Iranian national and three dual British/Iranian nationals, were detained shortly after 1am on Friday at addresses in Barnet and Watford as part of a pre-planned operation.
Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “Today’s arrests are part of a long-running investigation and part of our ongoing work to disrupt malign activity where we suspect it.
“We understand the public may be concerned, in particular the Jewish community, and as always, I would ask them to remain vigilant and if they see or hear anything that concerns them, then to contact us.” – Reuters
How is the Iran war causing heating oil prices to soar?
There has been a dramatic rise in the price of home heating oil in Ireland over the past seven days.
Strait of Hormuz ship traffic at near-complete halt
Ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has ground to a near-complete halt as the Middle East conflict disrupts the key global artery for commodities from oil to fertilisers.
Recent reviews of shipping signals in the strait “indicates transits have reduced to single-digit levels, with only two confirmed commercial transit observed in the past 24 hours,” the Joint Maritime Information Center said in note on Friday.
The crossings involved cargo ships rather than oil vessels, according to the multinational naval advisory group focusing on the Middle East.
The escalating war in the region has prompted dozens of fully laden oil and gas tankers to stay hunkered down within the Gulf. The frequency of attacks on ships in and around the strait remains high, making it too risky for energy tankers and their multimillion-dollar cargoes to attempt a transit. – Bloomberg
Iran delays naming new supreme leader due to security concerns, officials say
Iran has delayed the naming of a successor to its slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, out of security concerns following US and Israeli comments that the new leader could also be targeted, according to two Iranian officials.
Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has emerged as a top contender for the post, but concerns over his security mounted following reports in the media that he may be the new face of Iran, said the two officials, who asked not to be named to discuss sensitive issues.
Once Mojtaba Khamenei’s name began to circulate as the favoured candidate to succeed his father, the US said he would not be acceptable and could be eliminated.
“They are wasting their time,” US president Donald Trump told Axios on Thursday, adding that the former supreme leader’s son is “a lightweight” and an “unacceptable” choice.
“I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” Trump said, referring to Delcy Rodríguez, the Venezuelan vice president who became interim leader after Washington captured the country’s leader.
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said in a social media post Wednesday that any leader appointed by Iran to succeed Ali Khamenei would be “an unequivocal target for elimination”.
US and Israeli strikes have so far killed the ayatollah as well as top military commanders and figures involved in defence, but not clerics. The leaders of Iran’s three branches of government, the presidency, judiciary and parliament, are alive. – The New York Times
Israeli strikes target Iran as US warns of bombardment ‘surge’
Intense Israeli air strikes pounded the capital of Iran early on Friday with the US apparently striking an Iranian drone carrier at sea, intensifying its campaign targeting the Islamic Republic’s fleet of warships.
Iran launched new retaliatory attacks in the Middle East at the end of a full week of bombardment, which US defence secretary Pete Hegseth warned was “about to surge dramatically”.
Israel’s military said on Friday morning it had begun “a broad-scale wave of strikes” on Tehran, Iran’s capital.
Witnesses described the Israeli air strikes as particularly intense, shaking homes in the area. Others reported explosions around the Iranian city of Kermanshah in an area that is home to multiple missile bases.
The Israeli military said strikes have already destroyed most of Iran’s air defences and missile launchers.
The war has escalated to affect countries across the Middle East and beyond.
Early on Friday, Iran fired missile and drone attacks into Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, all countries that host US forces. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The war has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 120 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries. Six US troops have been killed.
The US military said early on Friday that it struck an Iranian drone carrier, setting it ablaze
The US military’s Central Command released black-and-white footage of the burning carrier. The Iranian military did not immediately acknowledge the attack.
The drone carrier, the IRIS Shahid Bagheri, is a converted container ship with a 180 metre runway for drones.
The vessel can travel up to 22,000 nautical miles without needing to refuel in ports, reports said at the time of its 2005 inauguration.
Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, described the carrier as “roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier”.
“As we speak, it’s on fire,” Cooper told reporters.
Speaking alongside Cooper, Hegseth gave few details on Thursday when he promised an upcoming surge.
“It’s more fighter squadrons, it’s more capabilities, it’s more defensive capabilities,” he said. “And it’s more bomber pulses more frequently.”
Qatar’s defence ministry reported it intercepted a drone attack targeting Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the forward headquarters of US Central Command.
A spokesperson for Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said it had intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles fired early on Friday toward Prince Sultan Air Base south of Riyadh, which hosts US forces.
Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, where the interior ministry said Iranian strikes targeted two hotels and a residential building. It said there were no casualties. – AP
Israeli air strikes carried out on Beirut overnight
Israel carried out heavy air strikes on the Hizbullah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut overnight after ordering its residents to leave, while the Iran-backed group warned Israelis to leave towns and villages at the frontier.
Explosions and flashes lit up the night sky over the Beirut southern suburbs, Reuters footage showed. The Israeli military said it had carried out 26 waves of strikes overnight in the southern suburbs, saying targets included Hizbullah’s command centres and weapons storage facilities.
On Thursday, an Israeli military spokesperson told residents of the southern suburbs to move east and north, posting a map showing four large districts of the capital he said they must leave, including areas adjacent to Beirut airport.
Hizbullah, in a message published in Hebrew on its Telegram channel early on Friday, warned Israelis to leave towns within 5km of the border.
“Your military’s aggression against Lebanese sovereignty and safe citizens, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the expulsion campaign it is carrying out will not go unchallenged,” Hizbullah said.
During fighting between Hizbullah and Israel in 2024, tens of thousands of Israelis were evacuated from towns in the border area but many have since returned. Israeli officials have previously said there are no plans to remove them for now.
Lebanon was pulled into the war in the Middle East on Monday, when Hizbullah opened fire, igniting a new Israeli offensive, with air strikes focused on Beirut’s southern suburbs and on southern and eastern Lebanon.
Israel has also ordered Lebanese to leave large areas of southern and eastern Lebanon.
The Lebanese health ministry has reported 123 people have been killed and another 683 wounded as a result of Israeli attacks this week. Its figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
There have been no reported fatalities in Israel as a result of Hizbullah attacks. – Reuters
