US-Israel-Iran war: Tehran says 'no reason to negotiate', calls US attack on ship 'war crime'

The UK has said that it will deploy four additional Typhoon jets in Qatar for regional defensive operations, as the situation remains tense in the Middle East.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump had said that Iran operations are likely to last 4 to 5 weeks but that he's prepared "to go far longer than that."

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said 370 people from the state are stranded in the Gulf amid the escalating conflict in the region, and his government is actively coordinating with the Centre to ensure their safe return. According to officials, the Punjab government has deployed two senior officers to coordinate and monitor the process of ensuring the safe and hassle-free return of Punjabis stranded in the strife-torn West Asia.
A round-the-clock helpline has also established.

Traffic was gridlocked in Lebanon's capital on Thursday as panicked residents tried to flee after Israel's military issued a notice ordering all of Beirut's southern suburbs to evacuate, apparently signalling plans for a major bombardment of the area.

Pakistan on Thursday decided to introduce weekly revisions in petroleum prices effective from Saturday and consider measures such as work-from-home and distance learning to conserve fuel amid possible oil supply disruptions due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia. The decision was taken at a meeting of the cabinet committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to monitor petrol prices due to the regional situation, The Dawn newspaper reported.

The US submarine which sank Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka's coast did not issue any warning before launching the attack, an Iranian diplomat said on Thursday. Speaking to PTI Videos, Saeid Reza Mosayeb Motlagh, Iran's Consul General in Mumbai, also stated that his country will not create any obstacle for commercial ships in the Gulf of Hormuz, but any vessel suspected of using commercial cover to carry out hostile activities will be dealt with accordingly.

India on Thursday issued an advisory, asking its citizens in the United Arab Emirates to remain vigilant, calm and adhere to the safety guidelines of the local authorities in view of the prevailing situation in the region.

"They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela. Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Trump said.

The Iranian warship, which sank in international waters off Sri Lanka's coast after a US submarine attack, was not carrying any weapons, a senior Iranian official said on Thursday, describing America's targeting of the vessel as against international law. The Iranian ship -- IRIS Dena -- was returning home after participating in the Milan multilateral naval exercise hosted by India when it was attacked early Wednesday.

A day after a US submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka's coast, the Indian Navy on Thursday said it had deployed its long-range anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft to augment search operation launched by Colombo to rescue the crew members of the frigate.

Bahrain says an Iranian missile hit a state-run oil refinery. It said the fire Thursday night was extinguished and the refinery was still working.There were no reports of casualties.

The Punjab government has deployed two senior officers to coordinate and monitor the process of ensuring the safe and hassle-free return of Punjabis stranded in the strife-torn West Asia, officials said on Thursday. Following the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, a round-the-clock helpline has already been established with immediate effect.

At least 175 international flights were cancelled at Delhi and Bangalore airports on Thursday due to the Middle East crisis, officials said.Carriers, including those from the Middle East, started operating a limited number of flights to ferry passengers who have been stranded in the wake of the escalating conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran.

Azerbaijan has closed its southern airspace near Iran for 12 hours after ardent strikes by Tehran. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev slammed recent drone strikes from Iranian territory on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic as a terrorist act against Azerbaijan’s state and civilians, calling for Iranian officials to offer a clear explanation and issue an apology.

Iran has not yet elected the successor of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in a joint US-Israeli airstrike last week, a senior Iranian official said Thursday.

Ayatollah Dr Abdul Majeed Hakeemelahi, the representative of Iran's supreme leader in India, also said that the process to elect a new leader is still underway.

“If the leaders of UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Turkey, and similar countries want to see an end to threat of Iranian missiles, they should expel the Americans from their territories and ensure the complete removal of all US military bases," Tehran Times quoted an Iranian MP as saying.

The Indian Navy said on Thursday that it responded to distress call Iranian warship IRIS Dena after it was hit by a torpedo of a submarine of the United States (US) and deployed INS Tarangini for search and rescue operation. The navy said INS Ikshak was also deployed later and it remains in the area for search of the missing personnel as a humanitarian measure for ship wrecked personnel.

The UAE’s air defenses intercepted 6 out of 7 ballistic missiles and 125 out of 131 drones targeting the country, with limited impact from 1 missile and 6 drones falling on UAE territory. Since the start of Iranian aggression, 196 ballistic missiles and 1,072 drones have been detected, with most successfully intercepted. Eight cruise missiles were also neutralised. The attacks resulted in 3 fatalities and 94 minor injuries across multiple nationalities.

The death toll in Iran from the ongoing war with the United States and Israel has reached at least 1,230 people, an Iranian government agency said Thursday. The Iran's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs offered the toll.

Prolonged disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz beyond a week could rapidly spill over from energy markets to fertiliser supplies, industrial inputs, construction materials and export sectors such as diamonds, think tank GTRI said on Thursday.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow channel located between Iran and Oman that links the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea.

Severe airstrikes hit an Iranian Army ammunition depot in Bushehr. Huge explosions are rocking the area.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks carried out today in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic by Iran. In a statement, the ministry emphasised that attacks targeting third countries in the region and actions that heighten the risk of the conflict spreading must end immediately.

The Kremlin said Thursday that Iran hasn't asked Russia for military assistance as it faces the US and Israeli attacks.

Asked whether Russia could go beyond rhetoric and offer military assistance to its ally, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that "there have been no requests from the Iranian side.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev slammed recent drone strikes from Iranian territory on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic as a terrorist act against Azerbaijan’s state and civilians, calling for Iranian officials to offer a clear explanation and issue an apology. He affirmed that Azerbaijan will not join operations against Iran, but has directed its armed forces to prepare appropriate responses to safeguard its sovereignty following the incident. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to discuss the situation in West Asia.

“Spoke with my friend President Emmanuel Macron today. We discussed our shared concerns over the evolving situation in West Asia and the need for a return to dialogue and diplomacy. We will continue to engage closely and coordinate efforts towards the early restoration of peace and stability in the region,” PM Modi posted on X.

The death toll in Iran from the ongoing war with the United States and Israel has reached at least 1,230 people, an Iranian government agency said Thursday. The Iran's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs offered the toll.

Azerbaijani officials reported that two drones struck the Nakhchivan exclave on March 5, with one hitting Nakhchivan International Airport and another falling near a school in Shekarabad, causing civilian injuries and damage. Azerbaijan condemned the attacks as violations of international law and summoned Iran’s ambassador for an explanation, reserving the right to respond. However, Iranian officials have denied responsibility for the strikes, stating that Iran does not target neighbouring countries and questioning the reports. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held a telephonic conversation with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi amid escalating conflict in West Asia. In a post on X, Jaishankar said he had a telecon with the Iranian Foreign Minister during the afternoon.

The UAE’s air defenses intercepted 6 out of 7 ballistic missiles and 125 out of 131 drones targeting the country, with limited impact from 1 missile and 6 drones falling on UAE territory. Since the start of Iranian aggression, 196 ballistic missiles and 1,072 drones have been detected, with most successfully intercepted. Eight cruise missiles were also neutralised. The attacks resulted in 3 fatalities and 94 minor injuries across multiple nationalities. 

Iranian state media reported that a Khorramshahr-4 heavy missile was launched early this morning toward Israeli territory. According to the report, the missile carries a one-ton warhead and has an estimated range of about 2,000 kilometers.

Iran on Thursday claimed it has destroyed over 20 bases belonging to the United States in Kuwait, Bahrain and UAE. Since the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei by the US and Israel, Tehran has been launching ardent strikes on the US and its allies in the Middle East.

France has allowed the US forces to use some of its bases in the Middle East to continue operations against Iran. Israel and the US have renewed their strikes in Tehran.

Foreign Secretary on behalf of the Government of India signed the condolence book at the Embassy of Iran days after the killing of Ayatollah Khomeini in strikes by India and Iran. 

Several explosions jolted Doha as Iran intensified attacks on US allies amid raging war in the Middle East, as per AFP. Besides, six persons were injured due to drone debris in Abu Dhabi.  

Amid raging war in the Middle East, China has offered mediation to ease tensions. To push this through, a special envoy will be dispatched to the region. 

SpiceJet will operate 13 special flights from the UAE on Thursday to facilitate the return of passengers stranded due to the Middle East conflict. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the airline said it operated 12 special flights from Fujairah to Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi.

The ongoing war with Iran could cost Israel an estimated NIS 9. 4 billion (USD 3 billion approximately) per week under current restrictions on economic activities, the Israeli Finance Ministry has warned.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry on Thursday accused Iran of carrying out a drone attack against its exclave of Nakhchivan. One drone crashed near the airport in Nakhchivan and another one near a school, the ministry said in a statement.

Azerbaijan on Thursday summoned the Iranian envoy after two people were wounded in drone hits on an airport and near a school. "We strongly condemn these drone attacks launched from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which resulted in damage to the airport building and injuries of two civilians," Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Another round of explosions were heard over the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday, AFP reported. Doha has been targeted by waves of Iranian drones and missiles since Iran launched a sprawling retaliation campaign across the Gulf in the wake of the US and Israeli attacks against Iran.

Britain's Defence Minister John Healey is headed to Cyprus, media reports said, following the outbreak of war in the Middle East and a drone strike on a UK air base on the Mediterranean island. Healey would arrive later Thursday, the BBC and the PA news agency reported. The visit comes after the runway of the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Akrotiri came under attack by an unmanned drone on Monday.

The Israeli military said it identified a fresh round of missiles launched from Iran on Thursday, the sixth day of a war engulfing the Middle East. "A short while ago, the IDF (military) identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said in a statement.

France’s foreign affairs minister has spoken with his Iranian counterpart and condemned Iran’s strikes on its neighbors after it retaliated to US-Israeli attacks. Jean-Noel Barrot recalled “France’s commitment to stability in the Middle East, to de-escalation, and to the resumption of a demanding diplomatic dialogue, in compliance with international law, within which the use of force must be framed,” France’s foreign affairs ministry said Thursday.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday accused Iran of carrying out a drone attack on its exclave of Nakhchivan. The ministry said in a statement that one drone crashed near the airport in Nakhchivan, and another one near a school. Two civilians were injured, the ministry said. Azerbaijan “strongly condemns this incident,” the Foreign Ministry said in the statement.

Israel’s military said Thursday morning it detected missile launches from Iran. Alerts telling residents they’d soon be asked to enter bunkers sounded on phones in Jerusalem.

Limited flight operations have resumed at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, according to the Abu Dhabi media office. As we reported earlier, the UAE’s two flag carriers, Emirates and Etihad, are set to hold limited flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi through the UAE’s safe air corridors.

China will send its special envoy to Middle East for mediation.

Israeli attacks have killed six people, including four members of one family, in villages in southern Lebanon, the state-run National News Agency is reporting. In a village near Kfar Tebnit, two children and their parents were killed, while another attack in the Nabatieh region killed the mayor of a village and his wife.

Italy is planning ⁠to ⁠send air defence aid to Gulf countries facing Iranian air strikes, Prime Minister ⁠Giorgia Meloni has said. “Like the UK, France and Germany, Italy ‌intends to send assistance to Gulf countries, specifically in the field of defence and in particular, air defence,” she told ⁠an Italian radio station, according to the Reuters news agency. “This ⁠is not only because they are friendly nations, but above ⁠all because tens of thousands ⁠of Italians live ⁠in the region and around 2,000 Italian troops are deployed there – people ‌we want to, and must, protect.”

Iran airs a message from Ayatollah Amoli calling for 'shedding of Trump’s and Israelis' blood’. 

Israel’s military said Thursday it struck additional command centers of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. "A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force completed a wave of intelligence-based strikes in Beirut against several command centers belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization," read a statement by the military.

It added that among the targets was a command center used by Hezbollah’s aerial unit. The command centers were intended to be used by Hezbollah to attack Israeli military personnel and civilians, the military said.

Airstrikes were heard throughout Beirut on Thursday, though it wasn’t clear immediately what was hit.

Sri Lanka is trying to "safeguard ⁠lives" on another ⁠Iranian ship off its coast, the country’s cabinet ‌spokesperson said, adding that the vessel was in the ⁠economic zone beyond ⁠the South Asian island nation's territorial ⁠waters. "We are doing ⁠our ⁠utmost to safeguard lives," spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa ‌said.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed an attack Thursday on an American oil tanker in the northern reaches of the Persian Gulf. The statement read on Iranian state television did not elaborate, but may be linked to an attack off the coast of Kuwait earlier in the day in which a tanker was targeted, according to a report from the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center.

Israel's airspace reopened for limited incoming flights Thursday after being closed since the joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began. Under the phased plan, one passenger flight per hour will be allowed in the first 24 hours, totaling about 5,000 people, with more later depending on security. Outgoing commercial flights are still prohibited.

Sirens warning of a suspected drone intrusion are being heard in southern Israel near the border with Jordan, Israeli media is reporting. The sirens were being heard in several communities in the region, the Times of Israel is reporting.

The Red Crescent Society of Iran said the US-Israeli airstrike campaign targeting Iran has struck 174 cities in the country. In a statement Thursday, the Red Crescent said it had recorded at least 1,332 attack so far in 636 locations. It said residential areas had been hit in a number of cities. It added seven Red Crescent bases and branches had been damaged, as well as three of its rescue vehicles and 14 medical and pharmaceutical centers.

Minister for Energy Abbas Aliabadi says the US-Israeli attacks have caused damage to water and electricity supply facilities in various parts of the country, according to the IRIB broadcaster. But he said repairs are continuing to ensure uninterrupted service delivery. People should be careful about their water and electricity consumption, he added.

A video posted by Iran's state channel Press TV shows rows of buildings destroyed by the latest joint US-Israeli air strikes on Tehran. Some people were seen walking through the debris next to the hollowed-out buildings, which Press TV described as residential. One frame showed a parked vehicle destroyed and covered with dust, while another angle showed a backhoe clearing a mound of shattered concrete and other debris.

Anthony Albanese has announced that Australian military assets are heading to the Middle East as a contingency plan, without giving further details about the assets being sent. Australian broadcaster SBS News reported that two military planes have been deployed.

Iran's Foreign Minister says the US has "perpetrated an atrocity at sea" by sinking the Iranian naval frigate Dena, which it would come to "bitterly regret". "The US has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles (3219km) away from Iran’s shores," Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X. "Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning." He added: "Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret (the) precedent it has set."

The Israeli military says it has launched a broad wave of attacks against Iranian state infrastructure throughout Tehran.

Israel's air defence system has intercepted two drones over the western Galilee region, Israel’s Channel 12 is reporting. Sirens had earlier been heard in towns in the region, Israeli media reported.

The Israeli military said it launched a wave of strikes on the Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday. "The IDF (army) has just begun a large-scale wave of strikes against infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran," a military statement said.

A spokesperson for the Israeli military says its air force has attacked and destroyed a ballistic missile platform that had been preparing to launch an attack from the Iranian city of Qom. In a statement posted on X, Avichay Adraee said that the Israeli air force also destroyed an air defence system dedicated to targeting aircraft in the Iranian city of Isfahan. The strikes were aimed at degrading Iran’s defence as well as expanding Israel's air control in the region, he wrote.

Lebanese state media says Israeli strike kills Hamas official.

United States Central Command says efforts to eliminate Iran's mobile missile launch capabilities are continuing as the joint US-Israel military operation against Tehran enters its sixth day. "We are finding and destroying these threats with lethal precision," it said in a statement on X. A video clip posted by CENTCOM showed a series of strikes the US military carried out to destroy what it claimed were mobile missile launchers.

Kuwait's Ministry of Interior is saying the incident occurred outside its territorial waters, more than 60 kilometres away from the Mubarak al-Kabeer port. Earlier, the UKMTO said the master of a tanker at anchor reported hearing and seeing a large explosion on the vessel’s port side before observing ⁠a small craft leaving ⁠the area. It said all crew were safe, but that the vessel had taken on water and that oil was seen in the ⁠water from a ⁠cargo tank, potentially causing ⁠environmental impact.

The Saudi Ministry of Defense said the latest drone was shot down near Al Jowf region, which is in the north of the country. This came after the ministry announced intercepting three drones east of al-Kharj Governorate.

The Saudi Defense Ministry said it destroyed a drone in the kingdom’s al-Jawf province, which borders Jordan.

Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health said that the attack has killed at least two people.

The Iranian Tasnim news agency says several explosions have been heard in Tehran in the past hour and that the country has activated its air defences. This is the latest report of explosions in the Iranian capital this morning. There have also been reports of blasts in the western city of Sanandaj in Iran’s Kurdistan Province.

A missile has been spotted flying over the Jordanian city of Aqaba in the past hour heading in the direction of Israel. This comes after Iran announced launching a volley of missiles towards Israel.

A series of explosions in the Iranian capital that sent fireballs up into the sky. The attack happened near a highway north of Tehran.

Qatar's Ministry of Interior has ordered the evacuation of residents living near the US embassy in Doha as a precautionary measure. 

 Iran's Press TV is reporting that Iranian forces have launched an operation targeting “anti-Iran separatist forces” in the Kurdish region of neighbouring Iraq. Video clips posted on X by Press TV showed explosions lighting up the night sky during the operation. The new outlet did not specify the location of the strikes.

For the third time in the early hours of Thursday, Israel’s military said Iran had launched missiles at the country and its defense systems were working to intercept them. No casualties were reported in the first two incidents.

Sirens sounded in Jerusalem and loud booms were heard.

The Saudi Defence Ministry says it intercepted three drones east of al-Kharj Governorate.

Iran launched missiles at Israel early Thursday as aerial attacks in the Middle East commenced for a sixth day after an American submarine sank an Iranian warship and Iran threatened the destruction of military and economic infrastructure across the region. Israel announced the incoming attack shortly after its military said it had begun new strikes in Lebanon targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Beirut's southern suburbs.

The State Department says that charter flights for American citizens stranded in the Middle East since the start of military operations against Iran have begun. The department said Wednesday that one plane has left the Middle East to bring Americans home.

The Pentagon on Wednesday night released the last two names of the six US soldiers killed in a Kuwait attack. The soldiers identified were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento and Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa.

Footage, verified by Al Jazeera, shows multiple explosions in the western city of Sanandaj. Local sources said the target appears to be a radio and television authority and that the explosion broke windows of neighbouring homes.

Qatar’s Interior Ministry said Thursday that authorities were evacuating residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha as a temporary precaution. No further details or threats were immediately reported. Since the start of the US–Israel war with Iran, American diplomatic missions across the Middle East have faced heightened threats, closures and evacuations as Iranian missiles and drones have targeted or prompted alerts at US embassies and consulates.

‌The United ⁠Kingdom ⁠Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says it received a ⁠report of an incident 30 nautical ⁠miles (about 55.5km) southeast of Kuwait’s Mubarak al-Kabeer. The master of a ‌tanker at anchor reported hearing and seeing a large explosion on the port side before observing ⁠a small craft leaving ⁠the area, it said. Oil was seen in the ⁠water from a ⁠cargo tank, potentially causing ⁠environmental impact, and the vessel had taken on ‌water. All crew were safe, UKMTO added.

Israeli army struck Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon's Tripoli.

Three people have been killed in two Israeli strikes on vehicles on Beirut’s airport highway, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. The strikes late Wednesday came after a third day of Israeli bombardments in response to renewed Hezbollah attacks.

Footage, verified by Al Jazeera, shows explosions in several locations in the northern province, located in the autonomous Kurdistan region. According to local media, at least four explosions were heard in the province, near the areas of Arabat, Zarkuiz and Surdash. The attacks targeted the headquarters of the Kurdistan Toilers Association or Komala, an Iranian Kurdish armed group in Iraq. It was not immediately who was responsible for the attacks. It comes after Iran warned of “terrorist movements” along its border with Iraq amid reports that the US was in contact with Kurdish groups there to foment rebellion against Tehran.

The strikes have been continuing over the past few hours and into Thursday morning. From time to time we hear the sound of multiple massive blasts across the Iranian capital Tehran. Of course, we are also hearing reports from other cities about similar strikes targeting military headquarters and political centres. The latest report on casualties has put the civilian death toll at more than 900, with over 6,000 reported injured as a result of the recent strikes, according to the ministry of health. Meanwhile, statements from the Revolutionary Guard said that retaliatory attacks continue including the 17th and 18th wave of strikes. The Revolutinary Guard is claiming that they have targeted Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport and some of the country’s advance radar system.

An air strike hit the Hezbollah stronghold of south Beirut early Thursday, after Israel had issued a warning to residents. Elsewhere, three people were killed in a pair of Israeli strikes on vehicles along Beirut's airport highway, Lebanon's health ministry said. Prior to these strikes, officials had said 72 people had been killed and more than 83,000 others displaced since the start of a new round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel said it identified missiles launched toward the country from Iran very early on Thursday morning, and its defensive systems were working to intercept them. Shortly before that announcement, Israel had said its forces had begun strikes against Hezbollah in Beirut, as the war moved into its sixth day.

A ballistic missile launched from Iran and heading towards Turkish airspace via Iraq and Syria was destroyed by NATO air defence systems, Turkish officials said Wednesday. The defence ministry said it had been "engaged and neutralised by NATO air-and-missile defence assets deployed in the eastern Mediterranean".

It did not specify the missile's intended target. Iran has been hitting sites across the region in retaliation after the United States and Israel launched strikes against it on Saturday. A Turkish official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the missile had been "aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus but veered off course".

Officials said fragments that fell in the Dortyol district in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border, had been identified as pieces of the interceptor used to neutralise "the threat in the air". No casualties were reported.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud has held a phone call with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, according to a statement from Riyadh. The pair discussed the ongoing Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region, the statement said.

Israel and the United States have made "historic gains" in the war against Iran, which began when the allies launched strikes on the Islamic republic, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin's Netanyahu's office said Thursday.

"Israel and the United States have together made historic gains to protect our citizens and the civilized world," a spokesperson for Netanyahu, Shosh Bedrosian, said in a video message. She also claimed the attack was needed as Iran was rebuilding its atomic bomb programme in "new underground bunkers", and because there were indications of an Iranian plans "to attack Israel and American forces in the Middle East."

A senior Iranian official said on Wednesday that Tehran would hold a public ceremony for citizens to pay their respects following the death of the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, France 24 reported, citing state media.

Hojjatoleslam Mahmoudi, head of Iran's Islamic Propagation Council, said the farewell ceremony would continue for three days, and the funeral procession would be announced later.

The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall starting at 10 pm (1830 GMT) on Wednesday, but was "postponed", state media said, without elaborating further, as per France 24.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Consulate General in Mumbai stated that Iran has not selected any candidates for leadership.

The United States said that more than 17,500 American citizens have safely returned from the Middle East since February 28, as Washington stepped up evacuation and assistance efforts amid escalating security concerns in the region.

In a media note issued by the Department of State, Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson said that over 8,500 US citizens returned to the country on Tuesday alone, marking one of the largest single-day movements in recent weeks. "Since February 28, over 17,500 American citizens have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East with over 8,500 US American citizens returning to the US yesterday alone," the statement said on Wednesday.

Three large explosions in the Lebanese capital, targeting the city’s southern suburbs. The Israeli army claimed the strikes, which came without any forced evacuation order, saying it has begun attacking “Hezbollah infrastructure”, adding that more details would follow.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson has accused the European Union of “hypocrisy and a blatant double standard” after comments by the bloc’s foreign policy chief about Tehran’s actions in the region. In a post on X, Esmaeil Baqaei criticised EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, saying the bloc had “lost its moral and political compass” by failing to condemn attacks against Iran. Baqaei said Iran was “under attack by brutal aggressors” and had the right under international law to defend itself. His comments came after Kallas wrote on X that Iran was “sowing chaos” in the region and “indiscriminately attacking its neighbours”. She added that while a democratic Iran would pose less of a threat to the region, “no one can predict which direction Iran will take”.

Saudi Arabia’s ministry of defence has said that three cruise missiles have been intercepted and destroyed outside Al-Kharj city.

The army had earlier issued a threat forcing residents of the neighbourhood to displace, saying they would imminently strike a building there. This is the third Israeli army strike on the Haret Hreik neighbourhood in the southern suburbs of Beirut in the past 24 hours.

Senate Republicans voted down an effort Wednesday to halt the Trump administration’s war against Iran, demonstrating early support for a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East with no clear U.S. exit strategy. The legislation, known as a war powers resolution, failed on a 47-53 vote tally. The vote fell mostly along party lines, though Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voted in favor and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against. The war powers resolution gave lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. The vote forced them to take a stand on a war shaping the fate of US military members, countless other lives and the future of the region.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has reiterated the League's frustration with Iran's ongoing attacks against Arab states. In a new statement on Wednesday, Gheit said the attacks were not only a "blatant" violation of international law, but also an assault on the principles of "good neighbourliness".

Gheit said Iran’s assaults have created "unprecedented" hostility between Iran and Arab states that will have a "profound impact" on future relations. Although no Arab state is downplaying the crisis Iran currently faces, it is not an acceptable justification for attacking other states, the League head added.

New Zealand ordered two military aircraft to the Middle East on Thursday in preparation for evacuations of its citizens. 

A ballistic missile launched from Iran and heading towards Turkish airspace via Iraq and Syria was destroyed by NATO air defense systems, Turkish officials said. The defense ministry did not specify the missile's intended target. Iran has been hitting sites across the region in retaliation after the United States and Israel launched strikes against it on Saturday.

Israel's military issued new evacuation orders for a Beirut suburb on Thursday, warning residents it was about to strike targets it said were linked to Hezbollah. The warning posted on social media by the Israeli military's Arabic language spokesperson came as hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed group intensified -- including direct clashes in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam on Wednesday, according to Hezbollah.

Israel's Home Front Command said workplaces may reopen and gatherings of up to 50 people will be allowed if there is nearby shelter starting Thursday at noon, although schools will remain closed. The nationwide shutdown, imposed when the war began Saturday, is being loosened as the Israeli military says incoming missile fire has dropped in recent days.  

Iran would target Israel's Dimona nuclear facility if the United States and Israel attempt to pursue regime change in the Islamic Republic, an Iranian military official said. The semi-official ISNA news agency reported that the official warned Iran could strike the nuclear site in southern Israel if such efforts were made.

The Israeli army’s Arabic language spokesperson says the army will soon strike a building in southern Beirut’s Haret Hreik, and has ordered the displacement of residents there. Additionally, in a statement on Telegram, Hezbollah says its fighters engaged in armed confrontations with advancing Israeli troops in the town of Dahira in the far south of Lebanon.
 

⁠A ⁠majority of the US Senate ⁠backed President Donald Trump's ⁠military campaign against Iran, voting to block a bipartisan resolution aiming ‌to stop the air war and require that any hostilities against Iran be ⁠authorised by Congress. As ⁠voting continued, the tally in the ⁠100-member chamber was 52-47 ⁠not to ⁠advance the war powers resolution.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has accused the United States and Israel of striking dozens of civilian sites during attacks across the country. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a post on X that locations hit included hospitals, schools, residential areas and markets in several Iranian cities. Among the sites listed were residential areas in Tehran’s Niloufar Square, hospitals in Tehran and Ahvaz, the Tehran Grand Bazaar, the historic Golestan Palace complex south of the capital and an elementary school in Minab. Baghaei also said residential areas in Maragheh in northwestern Iran and a sports hall in Lamerd in Fars province were struck, claiming civilians were killed in both incidents. In total, the Iranian official listed 33 sites and facilities that he said had been targeted in the attacks.

Three people have been killed and six more wounded in two separate Israeli attacks Wednesday evening, Lebanon's Health Ministry says.  The attacks unfolded on the airport road near Beirut, the ministry reported, but did not provide further details.

An air strike hit a residential apartment building located in the al-Amroussieh area in Beirut's southern suburbs.