Iran warns US bases, assets 'legitimate targets' amid Trump threats of attack

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Ten people have been pronounced dead following the Israeli strike in eastern Lebanon earlier tonight, Lebanese media is reporting.

More than 30 people were wounded in the missile strike, which targeted a building in the Bekaa Valley, according to National News Agency. 

The Trump administration has informed Congress that it intends to proceed with planning for a potential re-opening of the US Embassy in Damascus, Syria, which was shuttered in 2012 during the country’s civil war.

A notice to congressional committees earlier this month, which was obtained by The Associated Press, informed lawmakers of the State Department’s "intent to implement a phased approach to potentially resume embassy operations in Syria."

The 10 February notification said that spending on the plans would begin in 15 days, or next week, although there was no timeline offered for when they would be complete or when U.S. personnel might return to Damascus on a full-time basis.

The administration has been considering re-opening the embassy since last year, shortly after longtime strongman Bashar Assad was ousted in December 2024, and it has been a priority for President Donald Trump's ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack.

A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed at least six and injured 25, Lebanese media is reporting.

The strikes reportedly occurred in the Bekaa Valley in the country's east.

Earlier, two people were killed in an Israeli drone strike in a Palestinian refugee camp in the south.

The US Congress could vote as soon as next week on whether to block President Donald Trump's ability to strike Iran without lawmakers' approval, as the US military prepares for a potentially serious conflict with Iran if diplomatic efforts fail.

Members of Congress, including a few of Trump's fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, have tried - and failed - repeatedly to pass resolutions that would bar Trump from military action against foreign governments without lawmakers' approval.

Trump's Republicans hold slim majorities in both the Senate and House and have blocked the resolutions, arguing that Congress should not restrict Trump's national security powers.

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky filed a Senate resolution late last month to block hostilities against Iran unless explicitly authorized by a congressional declaration of war.

In the House of Representatives, Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Ro Khanna of California said they planned to force a vote on a similar resolution next week.

"Trump officials say there's a 90% chance of strikes on Iran. He can't without Congress," Khanna said in a post on X.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP on Friday that the Palestinian Islamist movement was open to international peacekeeping forces in Gaza, but rejected any interference in the territory's "internal affairs".

"Our position on international forces is clear: we want peacekeeping forces that monitor the ceasefire, ensure its implementation, and act as a buffer between the occupation army and our people in the Gaza Strip, without interfering in Gaza's internal affairs," Qassem said.

The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier was seen entering the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, where it was ordered by US President Donald Trump as part of a massive military buildup in the Middle East.

The carrier was seen transiting the Strait of Gibraltar - which links the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean - in a photo taken from the Gibraltar side of the strait.

Trump - who had previously sent another carrier to the Middle East - said Friday he is "considering" a limited strike on Iran if negotiations fail to yield a replacement for the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in office.

(AFP)

Lebanon's health ministry has said two people were killed in the Israeli strike that hit a Palestinian refugee camp in the country's south on Friday.

Lebanese media earlier reported that "an Israeli drone" targeted the Ain al-Helweh camp near the southern city of Sidon.

The Israeli military said it had targeted Hamas.

Israeli forces have deployed tear gas and stun grenades amid new clashes with Palestinians at Al-Aroub refugee camp near Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli forces deploy tear gas amid a new raid in the village of Bayt Fajjar near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian media.

The Israeli army said it was on "defensive alert" as the United States threatens potential military action against Iran, but insisted there were no changes in its guidelines for the public.

"We are closely monitoring regional developments and are aware of the public discourse concerning Iran. The (Israeli military) is on defensive alert," army spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a video statement published Friday.

"Our eyes are wide open in all directions, and our finger is more than ever on the trigger in response to any change in the operational reality," he added, but emphasised "there is no change in the instructions".

An Israeli strike in south Lebanon hit the country's largest Palestinian refugee camp on Friday, state media said, while the Israeli army said it targeted Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The official National News Agency said "an Israeli drone" targeted a neighbourhood of the Ain al-Helweh camp, which is located on the outskirts of the southern city of Sidon.

The Israeli army said in a statement that its forces "struck a Hamas command centre from which terrorists operated" in the area.

Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon despite a 2024 ceasefire that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with militant group Hezbollah.

Israel has also struck targets belonging to Hezbollah's Palestinian ally Hamas, including in a raid on Ain al-Helweh last November that killed 13 people.

US President Donald Trump said Friday he is contemplating a limited military strike on Iran, in case a deal on its nuclear program is not reached.

Asked by a reporter if he is "considering a limited military strike if Iran doesn't make a deal," Trump answered: "The most I can say -- I am considering it."

US military planning on Iran has reached an advanced stage with options including targeting individuals as part of an attack and even pursuing regime change in Tehran, if ordered by President Donald Trump, two US officials told Reuters.

The US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the planning, did not offer further details on which individuals could be targeted or how the US military could attempt to carry out regime change without a large ground force.

The United States did not seek zero uranium enrichment in nuclear talks this week, and Iran did not offer to suspend enrichment, Iran's foreign minister said on Friday, adding that he expected to have a draft counterproposal ready within days.

"We have not offered any suspension and the US side has not asked for zero enrichment," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in an interview on US cable television news network MS NOW.

"What we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran's nuclear program, including enrichment, is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever," he said.

Araqchi added that technical and political "confidence-building measures" would be enacted to ensure the program would remain peaceful in exchange for some kind of action on sanctions, but he gave no further details.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said US negotiators have not requested Tehran end its nuclear enrichment programme, contradicting statements from American officials.

"We have not offered any suspension, and the US side has not asked for zero enrichment," Araghchi said in an interview with the Morning Joe show on US TV network MSNBC.

Almost 80,000 Muslims performed the first Friday prayer of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa Mosque amid heightened Israeli restrictions and measures.

Israeli forces prevented thousands from reaching the mosque at the Qalandia Checkpoint north of occupied Jerusalem and at Checkpoint 300 south of the city.

Despite restrictions and checkpoints, 80,000 prayed the first Friday of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa. pic.twitter.com/r0teNpKOFU

— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) February 20, 2026

A US federal grand jury has charged three Silicon Valley engineers with allegedly stealing trade secrets from tech companies, including Google, and transferring the information to Iran, the Justice Department said Thursday.

The three engineers, identified in court documents as Iranian nationals, are facing charges of conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, theft and attempted theft of trade secrets and obstruction of official proceedings.

Samaneh Ghandali, 41, her sister Soroor Ghandali, 32, and husband Mohammadjavad Khosravi, 40, were arrested Thursday and appeared in a federal district court in San Jose, California, the Justice Department said.

Both Samaneh and Soroor Ghandali had worked at Google before moving on to another company, while Khosravi worked at another unidentified company.

All three lived in San Jose.

Prosecutors accused the trio of exploiting their positions at companies dealing with mobile computer processors to get access to sensitive data, including information related to data security, before transferring it to Iran.

It was not clear to whom in Iran the information was sent.

Israeli fire injured a Palestinian child after the forces opened fire in the town of Jabalia al-Balad, north of the Gaza Strip, Wafa reports.

The child was struck by live ammunition.

Seven months after deadly clashes between Syria's Druze minority and government-backed forces, the spiritual leader of Druze in neighbouring Israel said members of the community across the border remained in peril.

"They're still besieged, completely encircled. They aren't allowed to bring in any humanitarian aid, including the aid we're trying to deliver," Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif told AFP in an interview this week.

The cleric spoke in Julis, a quiet Druze village in northern Israel, where the community has set up an "emergency room" to coordinate aid efforts for Druze in Syria.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has discussed Iran's nuclear programme with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday via its Telegram channel.

FIFA and the Board of Peace signed a partnership agreement on Thursday.

The collaboration plan includes building 50 mini-pitches near schools and residential areas in Gaza, five full-size pitches across multiple districts, a state-of-the-art FIFA academy and a new 20,000-seat national stadium, FIFA said.

Trump said FIFA will raise $75 million for soccer-related projects in Gaza.

"Today, FIFA and the Board of Peace have signed a landmark partnership agreement that will foster investment into football for the purpose of helping the recovery process in post-conflict areas," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

"Together with the support of the Board of Peace, FIFA will drive this partnership which is built to deliver impact at every stage."

Israeli forces detained five Palestinians after raiding north of Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank, Wafa reports.

Israeli forces stormed multiple homes, ransacking property and questioning their residents. Hammam Attili, Eyhab Asiya, and Mujahed Salim from the town of Attil; Majd Ahmad Abdel Ghani from Saida; and student Wadie Maher Qashou were subsequently detained.

Equities were mixed, and oil prices rose on Friday after Donald Trump ratcheted up Middle East tensions by hinting at possible military strikes on Iran if it did not make a "meaningful deal" in nuclear talks.

The remarks fanned geopolitical concerns and cast a pall over a tentative market rebound following an AI-fuelled sell-off this month.

Traders are also looking ahead to the release of US data later in the day that will provide a fresh snapshot of the world's top economy.

A slew of forecast-beating figures over the past few days has lifted optimism about the outlook but tempered expectations for more interest rate cuts.

The US president told the inaugural meeting of the "Board of Peace", his initiative to stabilise Gaza, that Tehran should make a deal.

"It's proven to be over the years not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran. We have to make a meaningful deal otherwise bad things happen," he said, as he deployed warships, fighter jets and other military hardware to the region.

He warned that Washington "may have to take it a step further" without any agreement. "You're going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days."

Discussions on Gaza's future must begin with a total halt to Israeli "aggression", Palestinian group Hamas said after US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace met for the first time.

"Any political process or any arrangement under discussion concerning the Gaza Strip and the future of our Palestinian people must start with the total halt of aggression, the lifting of the blockade, and the guarantee of our people's legitimate national rights, first and foremost their right to freedom and self-determination," Hamas said in a statement Thursday.

Trump's board met for its inaugural session in Washington on Thursday, with a number of countries pledging money and personnel to rebuild the Palestinian territory, more than four months into a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.