Israel says it has begun a “broad-scale wave of strikes” targeting key Iranian infrastructure as the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its seventh day.
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Iran has reportedly launched a new wave of retaliatory attacks on neighbouring countries hosting US bases early on Friday.
The new wave of strikes mark a full week of full-scale attacks affecting countries across the region.
US President Donald Trump previously said US operations are expected to last four to five weeks, but noted that the US military has capability to go “far longer”, vowing to continue fighting until all of the war’s objectives are met.
Washington says its strikes on Tehran aim to eliminate Iran’s missile programme, wipe out its naval capacity, ensure the country can never obtain a nuclear weapon and end its ability to fund armed groups in the region.
Follow the live blog for the latest developments.
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7:48 GMT+1
Israeli army launches wave of attacks on southern Beirut
Israeli air forces carried out 26 strikes on the Dahieh neighbourhood in southern Beirut in the early hours of Friday, targeting what it claimed was Hezbollah infrastructure.
It comes after Israel warned a day prior that the Iran-backed Lebanon-based group will “face the consequences” choosing to join the war in support of Tehran, stressing that any threat on Israel or its people will not be tolerated.
“Among the targets were an executive council’s command centre and a facility storing UAVs used for attacks against Israel,” announced the IDF in a post on X.
The Israeli military says it has however taken measures to “mitigate the risk of harm to civilians” prior to the strikes.
8:28 GMT+1
Seoul declines to comment on possible shift of US assets
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told a legislative hearing that the United States has not requested military or non-military assistance from Seoul amid its war on Iran, but declined to comment on whether Washington was seeking to move some of its assets stationed in the country to support the fighting.
Cho Hyun said he could not confirm details related to US military operations when asked by a lawmaker about a US media report that the Pentagon was seeking to relocate some Patriot anti-missile defence systems to a major airbase near the capital, Seoul.
Cho said Seoul and Washington were maintaining close communication and that the allies’ combined defence posture would not be affected by developments in the Middle East.
US Forces Korea said in a statement that it does not comment on the “movement, relocation or potential repositioning of specific military capabilities or assets” for operational and logistical security reasons.
Their statement came in response to questions from reporters that the US had moved the defence systems to Osan Air Base, where transport aircraft were also spotted, suggesting that the US was looking to move these assets outside of the country.
8:17 GMT+1
Sri Lanka takes control of Iranian vessel off its coast
Sri Lanka began transferring more than 200 sailors from an Iranian vessel on Friday after the ship sought assistance while anchored outside the country’s waters, as tensions mount in the Indian Ocean after a US submarine struck an Iranian warship earlier in the week.
Sri Lanka navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath said the sailors of the IRIS Bushehr vessel were being brought first to the port of Colombo and the ship will later be moved to an eastern port on the island.
The move by the Sri Lankan government to take over the vessel came after the US sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off the island nation’s coast on Wednesday, marking one of the rare instances since World War II in which a submarine sank a surface warship.
The IRIS Dena had been participating in naval exercises hosted by India before heading into international waters on its way back to Iran. At least 74 countries took part in the Indian naval drills, including the United States.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said late on Thursday that authorities decided to take control of the IRIS Bushehr vessel after discussions with Iranian officials and the ship’s captain, after one of its engines failed.
“We have to understand that this is not an ordinary situation,” he said. “No civilian should die in wars. Our approach is that every single life is as precious as our own.”
The IRIS Bushehr has however been described in previous Iranian media reports as a navy logistics ship that also had a helicopter pad on it.
7:54 GMT+1
Saudi Arabia intercepts another Iranian drone northeast of the capital Riyadh
The Saudi Defence Ministry says it has intercepted another drone launched from Iran on Friday, this time, northeast of the capital Riyadh.
It comes after an earlier announcement where the ministry announced that it has intercepted three drones targeting the city.
7:42 GMT+1
Etihad to resume “limited flight schedule” from Friday
The UAE’s flagship carrier, Etihad Airways, says it will resume a “limited flight schedule” from Friday, operating between Abu Dhabi and a number of key destinations.
In a post on X, the Emirati airline says guests with previous bookings on flights interrupted by the war will be accommodated on these flights, but has urged travellers to only make their way to the airport if directly contacted by its representatives, or hold a valid confirmed booking on one of these new flights.
“The decision has been taken in coordination with relevant authorities following extensive safety and security assessments. Etihad continues to monitor the situation closely and will only operate flights once all safety criteria are met,” says Etihad.
All other routes remain suspended until further notice, but the airline noted that its executives are constantly reviewing the situation and are working on making more flights available soon.
7:28 GMT+1
Dubai warns residents of social media use
Residents of Dubai have been receiving mass text messages warning them about their social media activity.
A message attributed to Dubai police said that “photographing or sharing security or critical sites, or reposting unreliable information, may result in legal action and compromise national security and stability.”
There was no elaboration in the message.
It comes as Bahrain issued a similar, but sterner warning as the Iran war rages on across the Mideast.
The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven autocratic sheikhdoms home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The UAE, while socially liberal in many regards compared with its Middle Eastern neighbours, has strict laws governing expression and bans political parties and labour unions.
7:27 GMT+1
Iranian leadership council meets, state-run media outlets say
Iranian state television reported on Friday that a leadership council in the country met and discussed how to hold a meeting of the country’s Assembly of Experts, which will select the nation’s new supreme leader.
The leadership council includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi and cleric Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi.
The statement provided no timeline on the selection of the supreme leader, nor information on whether the Assembly of Experts would meet in person or remotely for the vote.
Buildings associated with the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical panel, have been attacked during the US-Israeli military campaign.
7:25 GMT+1
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted drones east of Riyadh
The Saudi Defence Ministry said it destroyed three drones in the eastern areas of Riyadh.
The ministry said earlier Friday that it intercepted a cruise missile over the city of Kharj.
