Israel strikes Beirut as assault on Iran, region widens

The New Arab's live blog on the US-Israeli war on Iran and the wider crisis in the Middle East has now ended, and will resume at 0900am.

Thank you for following. 

Lebanese state media said Friday that Israel had launched air strikes on several towns in southern Lebanon.

"Enemy warplanes launched nighttime strikes on the towns of Srifa, Aita al-Shaab, Touline, Sawana and Majdal Selm," the official National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Another strike targeted the eastern Lebanese town of Dours at dawn, the NNA said.

The Qatari defence ministry said air defences thwarted a drone attack targeting the US air base at Al-Udeid, Washington's largest military facility in the Middle East.

"Qatar Emiri Air Defense Forces successfully intercepted a drone attack targeting Al-Udeid Air Base," the ministry said.

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards announced a wave of missile launches on the Israeli commercial hub of Tel Aviv on Friday, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA.

"Missiles headed toward Tel Aviv," IRNA said, reporting a Guards statement on "a combined missile and drone attack... targeting locations in the heart of Tel Aviv".

Lebanon's Hezbollah warned Israeli residents to evacuate towns within 5 km (3.11 miles) of the border between the countries in a message posted on its Telegram channel in Hebrew early on Friday.

Hezbollah's message came less than a day after Israel warned residents to leave Beirut's southern suburbs, prompting an exodus from a swathe of the capital known as Dahiyeh.

Lebanon was pulled into the war in the Middle East on Monday, when Hezbollah opened fire, sparking Israeli airstrikes focused on Beirut's southern suburbs and on southern and eastern Lebanon.

"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," Hezbollah said.

Three Australian military personnel were onboard an American submarine that sank an Iranian navy ship off Sri Lanka this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday.

Speaking to Sky News, Albanese said: "I can confirm that there were three Australian personnel on board that vessel".

The personnel were onboard the submarine as part of training arrangements under AUKUS, a multi-decade defence pact with Britain and the United States, Albanese said.

"These are long standing third country arrangements that have been in place for a long period of time," he said.

"I can confirm also, though, that no Australian personnel have participated in any offensive action against Iran," he added.

At least 84 sailors were killed in Wednesday's torpedo attack on the IRIS Dena -- the first military strike far outside the Middle East region since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran.

The United Arab Emirates is weighing freezing billions of dollars of Iranian assets held in the Gulf state, a move that could curb Tehran's access to foreign currency and global trade amid the US-Israeli military conflict, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. The Emirati foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment outside business hours.

UAE authorities are weighing measures ranging from freezing the assets of UAE-based shadow companies used to mask trade to a sweeping financial crackdown on local currency exchanges which are used to move money outside of formal banking channels, the report said, citing officials familiar with discussions.

If the UAE decides to move on Iran’s shadow-financing empire, a key target would be accounts affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the report added.

UAE policymakers are also considering direct maritime action, such as seizing Iranian ships, the report said, citing two of the officials familiar with the discussions.

Bahrain said on early Friday that Iran had targeted two hotels and a residential building in the capital Manama.

"Iranian aggression targets two hotels and a residential building in Manama, causing material damage but no loss of life," the interior ministry posted on X.

Saudi Arabia said Friday it had intercepted three ballistic missiles launched towards an air base, as Iran pressed attacks across the Gulf.

"Three ballistic missiles launched towards Prince Sultan Air Base were intercepted and destroyed," the Saudi defence ministry posted on X.

The United States has sunk more than 30 Iranian ships during the ongoing war, while ballistic missile and drone attacks by Tehran's forces are down substantially, a top US military officer said Thursday.

"We're now up over 30 ships (sunk), and in just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship, roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. And as we speak, it's on fire," Admiral Brad Cooper told a news conference.

Meanwhile, Iranian "ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90 percent since day one. Drone attacks have decreased by 83 percent since day one," said Cooper, the head of Central Command which is responsible for US forces in the Middle East.

The United States launched a massive air campaign against Iran in concert with Israeli forces on February 28, and Iran has responded by firing waves of attack drones and missiles at other countries in the region.

Destroying Iran's ballistic missile capabilities and its navy are two of Washington's main stated goals for the mission against Iran, which the United States has dubbed "Operation Epic Fury."

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that Iran was making a mistake if it believed that the United States could not sustain the ongoing war, adding that Washington had just begun to fight.

"Iran is hoping that we cannot sustain this, which is a really bad miscalculation," Hegseth told reporters during a visit to the headquarters of US Central Command

 US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he wants to finish the war in Iran first, but then it "will be just a question of time before you and a lot of unbelievable people are going to be going back to Cuba".

Trump, speaking at an event with the Inter Miami soccer team at the White House, said Cuba wants "to make a deal so badly."

"We want to finish this one first," he said, referring to the conflict in Iran.

The death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon this week increased to 123, the Lebanese health ministry said, as a new wave of strikes hit Beirut's southern suburb.

"The toll from the Israeli aggression on Monday... increased to 123 martyrs and 683 wounded," a ministry statement said.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi leader said his group was ready to strike at any moment in a televised speech on Thursday, on day six of the US-Israeli campaign against the Islamic republic.

"Regarding military escalation and action, our fingers are on the trigger, ready to respond at any moment should developments warrant it," Abdul Malik al-Houthi said.

The Israeli military said it has begun striking Hezbollah 'infrastructure' in Beirut's southern suburbs, following evacuation warning.

AFPTV footage showed a plume of smoke rising from the site in Lebanon, which was drawn into the Middle East war on Monday when the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iran's supreme leader.

The Israeli military said late Thursday it had detected new missiles launched from Iran towards Israel and the country's defence systems were operating to intercept them.

"A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said.

Rome is temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran and moving staff to Azerbaijan, Italy's foreign minister said Thursday.

"We have decided for security reasons to temporarily close our embassy in Tehran, and move the personnel to Baku," Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told journalists at the Senate.

His spokesman confirmed the closure to AFP but stressed Italy "has not broken off diplomatic relations".

The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on Saturday, prompting it to retaliate across the region.

Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that several explosions were heard in Tehran on Thursday morning.

Germany said on Thursday it had no plans to send additional military support to the Middle East, after European allies announced plans to move forces to the eastern Mediterranean following a drone strike at a British air base in Cyprus.

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told parliament on Thursday that Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands would send naval assets to protect Cyprus in the coming days.

Britain is also deploying a destroyer and additional helicopters with anti-drone capabilities to the region and is joining France and Greece in boosting air defences in Cyprus.

Germany's navy participates in the long-running United Nations UNIFIL monitoring mission in Lebanon, but the defence ministry said the military's focus remained on NATO defence operations in eastern Europe.

"Germany is currently not planning any additional military capabilities beyond its existing contributions to international missions in the Middle East," the ministry said in a statement.

The statement said the anti-aircraft frigate "Sachsen" was currently taking part in NATO's Cold Response exercise in the Arctic.

Israel's military chief said Thursday he had ordered troops to expand the area under Israeli control in southern Lebanon, as the country's ongoing operation against Hezbollah intensified.

"We are striking with force, on the front line and deeper in Lebanon. I instructed Israeli army forces to move forward and deepen the line of control along the border, while establishing positions at key points in southern Lebanon," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said during a televised address.

Israel took the decision to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in November and was planning to carry out the operation around six months later, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday.

Khamenei was killed in the first hours of the US-Israeli air campaign that began on Saturday in the first assassination of a country's top ruler by an airstrike.

The joint air assault is nearing the end of its first week after opening salvos killed the country's leaders and set off a regional war, with Iranian attacks in Israel, the Gulf and Iraq, and Israeli attacks against Iran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"Already in November we were convened with the prime minister in a very tight forum and the prime minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) set the goal of eliminating Khamenei," Katz told Israel's N12 TV news. The timing was set for mid-2026, he said.

The plan was eventually shared with the Washington and brought forward around January after protests broke out Iran, when Israel was concerned its pressured clerical rulers might launch an attack against Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East, Katz said.

Iran is seeking to escalate the conflict in the Middle East by attacking other countries in the region indiscriminately, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday.

"Iran is an exporter of war," Kallas told reporters at a press conference with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis during a visit to Zurich. "Right now, the regime tries to drag as many countries into this war as possible."

When asked whether she thought Iran was trying to suck NATO into the conflict and whether the EU had a strategy to avoid getting involved, Kallas accused Tehran of trying to "sow chaos" in the region and attacking other countries "indiscriminately".

Both NATO and the EU had mechanisms enabling members to decide on whether they needed to call for help, she said. This had not been the case so far, she added.

Kallas said Iran had been considerably weakened, and that she saw a chance for the Iranian people to "determine their own future."

The Israeli military on Thursday warned residents of three villages in Lebanon's eastern Beqaa region to evacuate immediately.

"Urgent warning to the residents of the Beqaa region, specifically the residents of the villages and towns of Douris, Brital, and Majdaloun: Hezbollah's activities in the area are forcing the IDF (Israeli military) to operate forcefully against it in order to target its military infrastructure," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X.

"To ensure your safety, we urge you to evacuate the area immediately and head west."

Earlier on Thursday, the military issued an unprecedented warning for hundreds of thousands of residents to leave Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh, a stronghold of Hezbollah.

Later, Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned the district would face devastation similar to Gaza.

"Hezbollah made a mistake, and it will pay a heavy price. We are striking at the head of the octopus in Iran, and at the same time we will sever Hezbollah's arm," he said in a video statement as he visited Israel's northern border.

The US and Qatar are in discussions with Kyiv about acquiring Ukrainian interceptor drones as a cheap alternative to down Iranian Shahed UAVs amid the war in the Gulf, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The early-stage talks are taking place between government officials, not companies, and the technology being discussed includes systems to listen out for incoming enemy drones and disrupt their communication signals, the source said.

Qatar's International Media Office did not respond to a request for comment. The Pentagon declined to comment.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday evening the United States had asked Kyiv for help in downing Shaheds.

"I have instructed that the necessary resources be provided and that Ukrainian specialists be present to ensure the necessary security," he said, without giving further details or mentioning Ukrainian interceptor drones.

Zelensky said earlier that Ukraine had also received similar requests from Middle Eastern countries and that he would only go ahead with deals if they did not weaken Ukraine's own defences against Russia's invasion.

France will strengthen its cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces and provide armored transport vehicles as well as operational and logistical support, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, as Lebanon was pulled deeper into the war in the Middle East earlier this week.

"Everything must be done to prevent this country, so close to France, from once again being drawn into war," Macron said in a post on X.

"At this moment of great danger, I call on the Israeli prime minister not to expand the war to Lebanon. I call on Iranian leaders not to further draw Lebanon into a war that is not its own," the French leader added.

After meeting with the chief of staff of the French military in Beirut, Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun asked Macron to intervene to "prevent the targeting of the southern suburbs following threats by the Israeli army against its residents," the Lebanese presidency said in a separate statement.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he would approve of an offensive by Iranian Kurdish fighters into Iran in support of the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic.

"I think it's wonderful that they want to do that, I'd be all for it," Trump said in an interview with news agency Reuters.

Trump declined to say if the United States would provide air cover to Kurdish forces.

Since the United States and Israel launched the war on Saturday, Iran has been striking Iranian Kurdish groups based in autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan whom Tehran accuses of serving Western and Israeli interests.

Several Iranian Kurdish groups back fighting for greater autonomy within Iran, angering the Islamic republic but also many opponents, including monarchists who insist on territorial integrity.

While Kurds have historically had less friction with the Iranian state than their brethren in Iraq, Turkey and Syria, Iranian Kurds form some of Iran's rare armed and organized opposition groups.

Experts say they could potentially help special forces infiltrate and destabilise Iran.

Sri Lanka evacuated 208 crew members of an Iranian navy vessel on Thursday, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, a day after a US submarine struck and sank another Iranian frigate.

He said Sri Lanka's navy will also take over the second vessel and shift it to the northeastern port of Trincomalee for safe keeping amid fears that could be target for attack.

Iran's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, categorically denied that his country attacked the US embassy in Riyadh this week, following accusations by Saudi Arabia that Iran targeted the compound with drones.

"We confirmed that Iran has no role in the attack on the US embassy in Riyadh," the ambassador told AFP.

"If the operations command in Tehran attacks somewhere, it takes responsibility for it."

Iran's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, said on Thursday his country remained appreciative of Saudi Arabia's pledge not to allow its airspace or territory to be used during the ongoing war with the US and Israel.

"We appreciate what we have repeatedly heard from Saudi Arabia, that it does not allow its airspace, waters, or territory to be used against the Islamic Republic of Iran," he told AFP.

Before the outbreak of war, Riyadh had thrown its support behind diplomatic efforts to diffuse tensions between Tehran and Washington and vowed that its airspace would not be allowed to be used for attacks against Iran.

US President Donald Trump told Axios on Thursday that he needs to be personally involved in selecting Iran's next leader.

"Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Axios quoted Trump as saying in an interview.

"I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela," Trump said.

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned Thursday that a southern Beirut suburb, a stronghold of Hezbollah, will face devastation similar to Gaza after the Israeli military told residents to evacuate.

"Very soon Dahiyeh will resemble Khan Younis," Smotrich said, referring to a southern Gaza city which has been heavily damaged by Israeli bombardments during the two-year war with Hamas.

"Hezbollah made a mistake, and it will pay a heavy price. We are striking at the head of the octopus in Iran, and at the same time we will sever Hezbollah's arm," he said in a video statement as he visited Israel's northern border.

The Lebanese health ministry said on Thursday that the death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon has risen to 102 since the country was drawn into regional war earlier this week.

The ministry added that 638 people have also been wounded since Monday, adding that the tolls were likely to increase as hospitals receive more victims.

Iranian authorities were issuing warnings to people connecting to the internet in defiance of a communications blackout that had left the Islamic Republic largely cut off from the outside world, witnesses told AFP on Thursday.

Iran's internet connectivity was currently running at "around 1 percent of ordinary levels", monitor group Netblocks said on Thursday, leaving most Iranians struggling to access basic information, navigation tools or communication apps.

Those who had successfully connected using VPNs (virtual private networks) to circumvent the controls had received warnings over their phones.

"If you repeatedly connect to the international internet in the coming days, your line will be blocked and the necessary measures will be taken to refer your case to the judicial authorities," the messages said.

A Tehran resident, who messaged AFP on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the "internet speed is very slow".

"You can't call, and voice messages don't get delivered. We can just text," the resident added.

Azerbaijan on Thursday closed part of its airspace in the south after it said four Iranian drones flew across its border.

The airspace will remain closed for 12 hours, according to a notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by Azerbaijan.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday that four additional Typhoon fighter jets would be sent to Qatar as the conflict in the Middle East escalates, insisting that the UK has the right plan for defence.

Starmer told a press conference Britain had the right plan and had already been pre-deploying military equipment across the region before the start of the war.

"My focus is providing calm, level headed leadership in the national interest," Starmer said.

"That means deploying our military and diplomatic strength to protect our people, and it means having the strength to stand firm by our values and our principles, no matter the pressure to do otherwise."

He said Britain was sending four additional Typhoon jets to join the squadron in Qatar to strengthen our defensive operations there and in the region.

"We have the right plan for defence," he said.

NATO stands by the assertion that a ballistic missile launched from Iran was targeting Turkey before being shot down, an alliance spokesperson told AFP Thursday, contradicting a Turkish official's claim it was headed for a military base in Cyprus.

Asked whether the missile deliberately targeted locations in Turkey, spokesman Martin O'Donnell replied "yes" and referred to the alliance's formal response to the incident on Wednesday.

In an initial statement, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said the alliance condemns "Iran's targeting of Turkiye," using the country's official name.

O'Donnell declined to provide further details on the missile's target, citing security concerns.

"I will refrain from revealing any additional information that could impact security or force protection," he said.

The son of the last shah toppled in Iran's 1979 Iranian revolution said Thursday that whoever the clerical government chooses to succeed the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be illegitimate.

Reza Pahlavi, who has positioned himself as an alternative if the Islamic Republic falls, said on social media that "victory is near" after Khamenei was killed last weekend as the US and Israel's war began.

"Any attempt to appoint a successor for him is pre-destined to fail. Whomever is introduced... will lack legitimacy and will be considered an accomplice to the bloody record of this regime and its criminal leaders," Pahlavi said.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Khamenei, is among the leading contenders to succeed his father.

Pope Leo released a video on Thursday, praying that God would help world leaders renounce war as a means of resolving conflicts in an unusual appeal as the US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran pressed on for the sixth day.

"Lord, enlighten the leaders of the nations, so they may have the courage to abandon projects of death," the pontiff said in the video message.

"Today we lift up our prayer for peace in the world, asking that nations renounce weapons and choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy," he said.

Leo releases a video message each month to announce his prayer intentions for that month. The pope's intention for March is "for disarmament and peace".

It was unclear if Thursday's video was created specifically to respond to the US-Israeli military offensive, which has set off a regional war with Iranian attacks in Israel, the Gulf and Iraq, and Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

The Vatican did not immediately respond to a question about when the video was recorded.

More than 20,000 Israelis have returned to the country since the start of the Iran air war that began on Saturday, the Transportation Ministry said on Thursday.

Israel's airspace was ​closed on Saturday at the start of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which have triggered missile barrages from Iran against Israel, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded abroad.

The ministry said its data show 120,000 Israelis are currently abroad who wish to return to Israel and that the operation to repatriate them would likely take seven to 10 days.

The World Health Organisation chief said on Thursday that it has verified 13 attacks on health infrastructure in Iran amid a US-Israeli campaign, killing four health care workers and injuring 25 others.

"WHO has verified 13 attacks on health care in Iran and one in Lebanon," World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference.

Another WHO official at the same briefing added that four ambulances were also affected and that hospitals and other health sites suffered minor damage due to strikes nearby.

Turkey said on Thursday that it strongly condemned the Iranian drone attacks in Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave, and repeated its call for attacks targeting third countries to be halted.

"We emphasise once again the need to stop attacks targeting third countries in the region and carrying the risk of spreading the war," the foreign ministry said in a statement, after the top diplomats of the two countries discussed the attacks in a call earlier. 

Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that the Israeli military's call for residents of vast areas of southern Lebanon to evacuate raised "serious risks of violations of the laws of war".

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war when Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel, with Israel conducting air strikes across the country and its troops pushing into border towns.

On Thursday, Israel renewed its warning to residents of hundreds of square kilometres (miles) of southern Lebanon to evacuate because of military action.

"Calling on everyone who lives south of the Litani (River) to evacuate immediately raises serious legal and humanitarian red flags and fears for the safety of civilians," said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch.

"How are older people, the sick and people with disabilities going to be able to evacuate immediately? And how will their safety be guaranteed as they leave?" he said in a statement from the rights group.

HRW said "the sweeping nature" of Israel's call raised "concerns that their purpose is not to protect civilians", adding that the area was home to hundreds of thousands of people.

The evacuation call "raises serious risks of violations of the laws of war", it added.

Lebanese authorities said dozens of people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced from their homes since Monday.

An Iranian remotely controlled boat laden with explosives was used on Thursday to target and damage the Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker Sonangol Namibe anchored in Iraqi waters, according to initial assessments from two Iraqi port security sources.

The small boat exploded after hitting the tanker and was the first recorded attack inside Iraq's exclusive economic zone waters and an escalation of threats to commercial ships in the Gulf, the sources said.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday that they had hit a US tanker in the northern part of the Gulf, and the vessel was on fire.

Iran's army said on Thursday it had launched a drone attack on a US site in the Iraqi Kurdistan city of Erbil.

"The headquarters of the American aggressor forces in Erbil, Iraq, was attacked by the army's ground forces' attack drones," the army said in a statement broadcast by state TV.

Iran's army said it had carried out drone strikes in Israel on Thursday, including a radar site.

The strikes hit "targets in Tel Aviv as well as Meron radar base" in Israel's north, the army said as quoted by state TV.

Israel's war in Iran is entering a second phase that will see its fighter jets attacking ballistic missile sites buried deep underground, two sources familiar with Israel's military campaign said.

One said Israel aimed to neutralise Iran's ability to launch aerial attacks at Israel by the end of the war, which was also focused on taking out the Islamic Republic's leadership.

A military spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its attack plans.

Israel's police and domestic intelligence agency on Thursday issued a warning over attempts by Iranian services to infiltrate and recruit Israelis online.

Israel, in coordination with the United States, began striking Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and sparking a rapidly escalating regional war.

"The Shin Bet and the Israel Police reiterate their warning to the public against maintaining contact with Iranian intelligence elements online and carrying out security-related tasks at their direction," the two organisations said in a joint statement.

"Over the past year... attempts by Iranian intelligence elements to recruit Israelis via social networks have intensified, for the purpose of carrying out missions aimed at gathering intelligence on strategic targets, the whereabouts of individuals and critical infrastructure," it added.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev accused Iran of 'terrorism' and threatened retaliation after four people were wounded on Thursday in drone attacks on an airport and near a school that Aliyev blamed on his country's neighbour.

"Today a terrorist act was carried out from the Iranian side against the territory of Azerbaijan," Aliyev told a security council meeting.

Azerbaijan's military "have been instructed to prepare and carry out retaliatory measures" and "placed on mobilisation level number one, and must be ready to conduct any operation," he added.

The Lebanese government said on Thursday it would ban any activity by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, a main backer of Hezbollah, and seek to deport its members from Lebanon.

Information Minister Paul Morcos said the country's cabinet had decided to "prevent any activity" that members of the Iranian Guards "may carry out from Lebanese territory... and to have them detained by the competent judiciary to deport them".

He added that Iranians would now require a visa to enter Lebanon.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed Iranian drone attacks in the Nakhcivan exclave during a phone call on Thursday with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov, a Turkish diplomatic source said. 

The US-Israeli attacks on Iran were clearly in breach of international law, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Thursday.

It was the strongest criticism to date from Italy's right-wing administration, which has sought to establish close ties with US President Donald Trump since he took office last year.

The decision to launch the strikes last weekend "of course fell outside, needless to say, the rules of international law", Crosetto told the lower house of parliament.

He said Italy was being forced to respond to a conflict that the United States and Israel had initiated without warning their allies and partners.

"It is a war that was started without anyone in the world knowing. One in which we, like the rest of the world, find ourselves having to manage (the consequences)," said Crosetto, who is a member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party.

Italy has said it will send air defence aid to Gulf countries and naval assets to Cyprus to help them protect against Iranian strikes launched in response to the US-Israeli attacks.

The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council called on Thursday for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the crisis in the Middle East, while reiterating that Gulf countries have the right to defend themselves against Iran.

"The ministers reiterated their commitment to regional stability and called for protection of civilians and full respect of international law," the EU and GCC said in a joint statement issued after a videoconference of European and Gulf foreign ministers.

"The ministers reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to dialogue and diplomacy as means to resolve the crisis," they said, adding that they agreed on "joint diplomatic efforts to bring about a lasting solution" to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and "ultimately allow the Iranian people to determine their future".

US military support aircraft have been authorised to use a French military base, the French military said Thursday, adding it had obtained "full guarantees" that the planes were not taking part in Iran strikes.

"US aircraft providing operational support (not combat aircraft) have been accepted at the Istres air base in France," the French general staff said.

"Given the context, France has required that the assets involved in no way take part in the operations conducted by the United States in Iran, but strictly in support of the defence of our partners in the region. It has obtained full guarantees to that effect," a military statement added.

Iran's military said on Thursday that it had launched a drone attack against a US military site in Kuwait.

"Drone units of the armed force's navy targeted a site of the US forces Camp Udairi in Kuwait using combat drones," the army said in a statement broadcast by state TV.

Camp Buehring, formerly known as Udairi, is a major US military facility in northwestern Kuwait.

British Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer said on Thursday there were indications the Iranian crisis could run into weeks or possibly months.

"The situation is evolving, but there are indications that this is a crisis, not of days, but of weeks and possibly months," Falconer told parliament.

Iran's armed forces on Thursday denied having launched a drone attack on Azerbaijan after Baku said at least two Iranian drones hit the country, wounding two people.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran...denies its armed forces launched a drone toward the Republic of Azerbaijan," the general staff of the armed forces said in a statement, according to state TV, which also blamed Israel.

"Such actions by the Zionist regime, aimed at disrupting relations between Muslim countries in various ways, are not unprecedented."

European Union countries will "pay the price, sooner or later" if they remain silent on the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, which Tehran considers a violation of international law, a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry told Spanish broadcaster TVE on Thursday.

Esmaeil Baqaei also reiterated Tehran's denials that a missile intercepted in Turkish airspace was launched from Iran.

An Iranian government agency says at least 1,230 people have been killed in the war.

Iran's army said it had carried out drone strikes in Israel on Thursday including a radar site.

The strikes hit "targets in Tel Aviv as well as Meron radar base" in Israel's north, the army said as quoted by state TV.

Iran accused Israel and the United States on Thursday of deliberately targeting civilian areas during their war on the Islamic Republic, which began six days ago.

"Our people are being brutally slaughtered as the aggressors deliberately target civilian areas and any location they believe will inflict the maximum possible suffering and loss of life," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a post on X.

Countries in the Middle East have told European officials they are concerned about the risk of civil war in Iran as a result of the US-Israel war on Iran, EU foreign chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday.

"When we talk to the countries in the region, they are also worried about civil wars inside...the regime's leadership and what is going on there," she said ahead of a video conference with EU foreign ministers and representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council on the situation in Iran and the broader Middle East.

She also said the EU is "extremely worried" about maritime security in the region and that it is trying to keep routes such as the Strait of Hormuz open. 

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Iran had not approached Moscow with a request for arms supplies and that Russia's position on the matter was well-known. 

Turkey said on Thursday that it was closely following actions by the Iranian Kurdish PJAK militant group, adding that its actions threatened Iran's security and regional stability, amid reports of discussions between Iranian Kurdish militias and the United States about the US and Israeli war against Iran.

On Tuesday, sources told Reuters that the Iranian Kurdish militias had consulted with the United States about whether, and how, to attack Iran's security forces in the western part of the country.

South Korea has banned travel to Iran for its citizens starting at 6PM (0900 GMT) on Thursday due to heightened safety risk from the war, its foreign ministry said in a statement.

Italy is planning to send air defence aid to Gulf countries in response to Iranian air strikes, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, underscoring Rome's concern for the safety of its citizens and troops in the region as well as for energy security.

"Like the United Kingdom, France and Germany, Italy intends to send assistance to Gulf countries, specifically in the field of defence and in particular air defence," Meloni told radio station RTL 102.5 on Thursday.

She said the move was driven not only by diplomatic ties but by the presence of Italians on the ground. Tens of thousands of Italian nationals live in the Gulf, while around 2,000 Italian troops are deployed there, she said.

"These are people we want to, and must, protect," Meloni added, noting that the Gulf region was also vital for Italy's and Europe's energy supplies.

Meloni also addressed questions about the possible use of US military bases on Italian soil, saying Italy and its allies were respecting the terms of existing bilateral agreements.

"This means that what is laid down in the agreements is not being called into question, and I think that applies to everyone. The same applies to us," Meloni said.

Italy is also ready to act to limit the economic impact of the Iran crisis, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told parliament on Thursday. 

Iran's internet is "around 1 percent of ordinary levels" with a communication blackout sparked by the war with Israel and the United States entering a fifth day, monitor Netblocks said on Thursday.

"Iran's internet blackout has now exceeded 120 hours with connectivity still flatlining around 1 percent of ordinary levels," Netblocks said in a message posted on X.

"Meanwhile, an increasingly Orwellian environment is emerging as telcos threaten users who try to connect to the global internet with legal action."

⚠️ Update: #Iran's internet blackout has now exceeded 120 hours with connectivity still flatlining around 1% of ordinary levels.

Meanwhile, an increasingly Orwellian environment is emerging as telcos threaten users who try to connect to the global internet with legal action. pic.twitter.com/CYJiS50gjr

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) March 5, 2026

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called for de-escalation in the Middle East war in a conversation with his Iranian counterpart and reiterated concern about French nationals held in Iran, his ministry said Thursday.

In Wednesday's call with Abbas Araghchi, Barrot "condemned the Iranian strikes, reaffirmed 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".

Barrot also expressed his country's concern over the fate of "nationals detained in Iran", calling for their "immediate and unconditional release".

A second Iranian warship was heading towards Sri Lanka's territorial waters Thursday, a day after a US submarine destroyed an Iranian frigate, a minister told parliament.

Media minister Nalinda Jayatissa said the second Iranian warship was just outside Sri Lankan waters, but gave no further details. Official sources said the vessel was carrying more than 100 crew.

Azerbaijan accused Iran on Thursday of firing two drones at its territory, injuring two people, and said it had summoned the Iranian ambassador in order to issue a strong protest.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said one drone fell on an airport in Nakhchivan, near the border with Iran, and another landed near a school.

In a statement, it condemned the attacks, demanded an explanation from Iran, and said Azerbaijan reserved the right to take "appropriate response measures".

There was no immediate comment from Iran. 

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday that they had hit a US tanker in the northern part of the Gulf, and the vessel was on fire. There was no immediate confirmation of the incident or of a similar attack that Iran claimed earlier this week.

The Guards said in their Thursday statement carried by state media that, in time of war, passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be under the control of the Islamic Republic.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday that they had hit a US tanker in the northern part of the Gulf, and the vessel is on fire.

The Guards said in the statement carried by state media that, in time of war, passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be under the control of the Islamic Republic.

Sri Lanka is trying to "safeguard lives" on another Iranian ship off its coast, the country's cabinet spokesperson said on Thursday, 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 intelligence ministry said on Thursday that it targeted posts of "separatist groups" who intended to enter through western borders, adding that they sustained heavy losses.

Iranian Kurdish militias have consulted with the United States in recent days about whether, and how, to attack Iran's security forces in the ​western part of the country, according to three sources with knowledge of the matter.

The Iranian ministry statement, which was carried by state media, said Iranian forces are cooperating with "noble Kurds" to thwart the "Israeli-American" plan to attack Iranian soil.

Iranian state television aired a message Thursday from an ayatollah in Iran calling for the "shedding" of blood from Israelis and US President Donald Trump.

The message came from Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli and represented one of the few clerical statements coming from Iran as it faces a combined airstrike campaign from Israel and the United States.

"We are now on the verge of a great test and we must be careful to fully preserve this unity, to fully preserve this alliance," he said in the statement.

He called for "the shedding of Zionist blood, the shedding of Trump's blood""

"The Imam of the time says, 'Fight the oppressive America, his blood is on my shoulders,'" the ayatollah added.

Israeli strikes killed eight people in Lebanon on Thursday as Israel renewed its evacuation call for vast areas of the country's south, long a stronghold of Hezbollah.

The National News Agency (NNA) reported that the mayor of a village in the Nabatieh region of south Lebanon and his wife were killed in one strike, while in a nearby village, another strike killed two children and their parents.

The Lebanese health ministry said two people were killed by a strike on a car near the city of Zahle in the east of the country.

Another round of explosions were heard over the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday, AFP journalists 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.

Israeli strikes killed six people in two southern Lebanese villages on Thursday, state media reported.

The mayor of a village in the Nabatieh region and his wife were killed in one strike, the National News Agency reported, adding that in a nearby village a strike killed two children and their parents.

Tehran said it had hit Iraq-based Kurdish groups "opposed to the revolution", as reports said the United States was looking to arm Kurdish guerrillas to infiltrate Iran.

The strikes, which killed a member of an exiled Iranian Kurdish group, according to a representative, followed a warning from Iranian officials.

"Separatist groups should not think that a breeze has blown and try to take action," said Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

"We will not tolerate them in any way."

The US struck Iranian frigate Dena, a guest of India's navy carrying almost 130 sailors, in international waters without warning, Iran's foreign minister said on X on Thursday.

"The US will bitterly regret the precedent it has set," Abbas Araqchi said.

A US submarine strike hit the Iranian vessel off Sri Lanka's southern coast, thousands of miles from the Gulf.

Iran's Armed Forces respect the sovereignty of Turkey and deny firing any missile towards its territory, it said in a statement carried by state media on Thursday.

Turkey's defence ministry said on Wednesday that a ballistic missile fired from Iran toward Turkish airspace after passing Syria and Iraq was destroyed by NATO air and missile defence systems over the eastern Mediterranean.