Summary of developments so far
The Israeli military announced a “new stage” in its campaign against Iran, with US and Israeli officials hinting at escalating strikes. The IDF said it has “additional surprising moves” as part of this new phase, without elaborating, while US defence secretary Pete Hegseth announced that strikes on Iran will “surge dramatically”.
The IDF claimed to have destroyed the underground bunker of the slain Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which it claims is still used by senior Iranian officials. The Israeli military said approximately 50 fighter jets dropped about 100 bombs at the site in Tehran, which it claimed spread across multiple streets and included “many entry points”. There was no immediate comment from Iran.
The UN said nearly 100,000 people have been displaced within Lebanon and tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in the country have fled back over the border. It follows a mass evacuation order by the IDF for people to flee a vast swathe of Beirut’s southern suburbs as it bombs what it says are Hezbollah targets in the area.
Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, has urged the US to move “very quickly” with its investigation into a deadly strike on a school in southern Iran, which Tehran has blamed on the US and Israel. Türk also said the IDF’s evacuation order for southern Beirut raises serious concerns under international law, “in particular when it comes to issues around forced transfer”.
Officials in Azerbaijan said they are withdrawing diplomatic staff from Iran for their own safety. It comes a day after Azerbaijan said four Iranian drones had crossed its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave.
Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), sought to allay fears over a global oil crisis, saying there is “plenty of oil” in the markets. “We have no oil shortage … there is a huge surplus,” he said.
Boril’s comments were at odds with the remarks made by Qatar’s energy minister, Saad al-Kaabi, who said it could take “weeks to months” for energy exports to return to normal levels even if the war ended immediately. “Everybody’s energy price is going to go higher. There will be shortages of some products and there will be a chain reaction of factories that cannot supply,” he told the Financial Times.
Four people in the UK have been arrested by counter terror police on suspicion of spying on the Jewish community for Iran, the Metropolitan police said. The men, one Iranian and three dual British-Iranian nationals, were arrested this morning shortly after 1am in Barnet and Watford.
The UK deputy prime minister, David Lammy, said 6,500 people have now returned to the UK from the UAE. Emirates airline said it anticipates a return to full network operations in coming days.
Updated at 08.47 EST
Key events
17m ago
UN: Forced displacement in Lebanon could be violating international law
38m ago
Trump: US is moving ‘thousands’ of people out of Middle East countries
1h ago
US investigators believe strike on Iranian girls’ school probably carried out by US forces
1h ago
Lebanon health officials say 217 killed in Israeli attacks
1h ago
US-Israeli strikes against Iran ‘extraordinary mistake’, says Spanish PM
2h ago
Explosions near Erbil airport in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq- report
2h ago
Britain’s deputy prime minister suggests that the UK could take part in strikes
2h ago
Iran’s president says ‘some countries’ have begun mediation efforts to end war
2h ago
Trump: No deal with Iran except ‘unconditional surrender’
3h ago
Video: IDF footage claims to show air strikes on Khamenei’s underground bunker
3h ago
Lebanon drawn into war ‘it did not seek or choose’, says PM
3h ago
Summary of developments so far
4h ago
Video: Pastors pray for Trump and US success in Iran war
4h ago
Mediation talks should be aimed at US and Israel, says Iranian president
5h ago
IDF claims 50 jets bombed Khamenei’s underground bunker ‘still being used by Iranian officials’
5h ago
‘Plenty of oil’ in markets despite Middle East turmoil, says IEA chief
5h ago
Israel official says bombing campaign in Iran going ‘much better than expected’ – report
6h ago
‘We were humiliated’: Israel’s attacks on Beirut cause mass displacement crisis
6h ago
Azerbaijan withdraws diplomats from Iran
6h ago
US probe of Iran school strike must ‘happen very quickly’, says UN rights chief
7h ago
Sri Lankan president calls for peace as Iranian sailors seek refuge on island
8h ago
Four people in UK arrested on suspicion of spying on Jewish community for Iran
8h ago
Majority of Spaniards against US-Israeli attacks on Iran – poll
8h ago
Israel announces new phase in Iran conflict as US warns strikes will ‘surge dramatically’
9h ago
Summary
9h ago
Sri Lanka takes control of an Iranian vessel off its coast after US sunk an Iranian warship
9h ago
Iranian leadership council meets ahead of selecting new supreme leader, state media says
10h ago
Israel carried out 26 airstrikes on Beirut, IDF says
11h ago
Philippines mulls shorter weeks, less air-con as fuel costs bite
11h ago
Two Japanaese nationals detained in Iran, Japan calls for release
12h ago
Evacuated British nationals return to UK, as crisis continues to disrupt flights
13h ago
Trump responds to Iranian claims that ground invasion would be ‘big disaster’
13h ago
Gulf states intercept missiles amid reports of regional discontent
14h ago
Explosions in Tehran, as Israel launches more strikes
14h ago
Hezbollah warns Israeli residents to evacuate near border
14h ago
Ukraine to help US and allies counter Iranian drones
14h ago
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UN: Forced displacement in Lebanon could be violating international law
The United Nations on Friday raised concerns over the Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon that have prompted mass evacuations and displaced nearly 100,000 people, the AFP reports.
“Lebanon is becoming a key flashpoint,” Volker Turk, the high commissioner for human rights for the United Nations, told reporters in Geneva.
“I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities.”
Turk said that he was particularly concerned about Israel’s “blanket, massive displacement orders” for Beirut’s southern suburbs, orders that are impacting “hundreds of thousands of people” and raising “serious concern under international humanitarian law and in particular when it comes to issues around forced transfer”.
The Lebanese health ministry said 217 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Monday.
ShareTrump: US is moving ‘thousands’ of people out of Middle East countries
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the US is moving thousands of people out of various countries throughout the Middle East amidst the conflict with Iran.
“It is being done quietly, but seamlessly,” the president wrote.
Trump finished the post by commending his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who he used to refer to as “Little Marco”.
“The State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, is doing a great job!” Trump said.
Earlier this week, Trump and Rubio appeared to be in misstep over messaging when Rubio said it had been Israel that spurred the Trump administration to take pre-emptive strikes while Trump claimed “if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand”. Rubio later backtracked his comments: “The bottom line is this. We, the president, determined we were not going to get hit first.”
ShareUS investigators believe strike on Iranian girls’ school probably carried out by US forces
Military investigators believe it is likely that US forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed scores of children on Saturday but have not yet reached a final conclusion, according to two US officials.
Reuters was unable to determine further details about the investigation, including what evidence contributed to the tentative assessment, what type of munition was used, who was responsible or why the US might have struck the school.
The Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, on Wednesday acknowledged the US military was investigating the incident.
Two US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters, did not rule out the possibility that new evidence could emerge that points to another responsible party.
Read the full report here:
ShareLebanon health officials say 217 killed in Israeli attacks
The Lebanese health ministry said 217 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Monday, according to Reuters news agency.
A further 798 people have been injured, the ministry said.
The Israeli military has carried out more strikes on Beirut’s southern Dahiyeh suburb, as well as towns in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese prime minister, Nawaf Salam, has warned that a “humanitarian disaster is looming”, as tens of thousands of people were forced from their homes by an Israeli military order and made to seek shelter in other parts of the capital.
The IDF said it attacked a senior commander of the Iranian regime in Tehran, without providing any more details. The statement does not specify whether the commander was killed.
But the Times of Israel, citing security sources, reported that the individual was identified as Asghar Hijazi, who is said to be the acting chief of staff of the supreme leader’s office.
Iran has not yet publicly commented on the report.
Updated at 09.48 EST
US-Israeli strikes against Iran ‘extraordinary mistake’, says Spanish PM
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez has again criticised the US-Israeli strikes against Iran, saying they were an “extraordinary mistake” and “not in accordance with international law”.
Sanchez said “loyal cooperation” should prevail over “confrontation” in relations with the US after tensions over Madrid’s opposition to Washington’s use of its bases against Iran.
“Between allied countries, it is good to help when the other is right, but also to tell them when they are wrong or make a mistake, as is the case here,” he said during a joint press conference this afternoon with Luís Montenegro, the Portuguese prime minister.
Trump lashed out at Spain on Tuesday, calling the country a “terrible” ally and threatening to sever all trade with Madrid.
The US president further criticised Spain yesterday in an interview with the New York Post, calling it “a loser”.
ShareExplosions near Erbil airport in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq- report
The AFP news agency has reported explosions near Erbil airport in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, which hosts US-led coalition troops.
Iraqi Kurdish authorities said earlier that oil production at a field operated by US firm HKN Energy had been halted after an attack, the agency reported.
Several Iran-backed armed factions have claimed attacks on the US base at Erbil airport in recent days, as the war draws in new armed actors and threatens wider chaos and violence.
Read Jason Burke’s report on how Iran-backed militias around the Middle East are intensifying attacks against Israel, the US and their allies:
ShareBritain’s deputy prime minister suggests that the UK could take part in strikes
Ben Quinn
Downing Street has denied there has been a U-turn on UK government policy on Iran after David Lammy, Britain’s deputy prime minister, suggested this morning that the UK could take part on strikes on Iranian targets.
Royal Air Force jets could legally strike Iranian missile sites being used to attack British interests in the Middle East, Lammy said in a BBC interview earlier today.
A spokesperson for the UK prime minister said he wasn’t going to “speculate on hypotheticals” but referred to legal advice published by the government and comments by the Britain’s defence secretary that the focus is on “defensive action”.
Asked if that advice meant the UK could strike targets in Iran that have the capability to strike British targets, he said: “We have consistently said that we’ll take the necessary steps to prevent future strikes … (that) as we’ve set out over the course of the week, is allowing the US to take out those missiles at source whilst we are defending the skies.
The spokesperson added: “We set out a clear course of action that we believe is the best response to the current situation, to eliminate the urgent threats and deliver on our foremost duty to protect British lives.”
A drone believed to have been launched by Iran or a proxy in the region this week hit a hangar at RAF Akrotiri, one of two British bases in Cyrpus which have existed as sovereign territory.
However, the UK government is understood to be adopting “a broad definition of British interests” which, if hit, could be the tripwire for the launching of strikes on Ira
The response from Downing Street to journalists came after Liberal Democrats have called for clarification on whether the British position had changed after Lammy’s comments.
Calum Miller, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesperson, said: “The deputy prime minister is sliding down the slippery slope to full conflict by backing direct UK strikes on military positions in Iran. We need an urgent clarification from number 10 on whether this is a change in Britain’s position on involvement in Trump’s illegal war.”
Updated at 09.19 EST
Iran’s president says ‘some countries’ have begun mediation efforts to end war
Patrick Wintour
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has said for the first time that some countries have begun mediation efforts to end the war with the US and Israel, without identifying those countries, adding that any talks should address those who started the war.
Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and Oman have all offered to mediate at some point since US and Israel launched joint strikes last Saturday. Two days ago, Iran’s foreign ministry said it was a time for defence of the country, not for diplomacy.
Pezeshkian said in a post on X: “Some countries have begun mediation efforts. Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity and sovereignty. Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict.”
Read the full report here:
ShareTrump: No deal with Iran except ‘unconditional surrender’
Donald Trump has posted on Truth Social that there “will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
He continued to say that following this, there will be “the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s)”.
He said the US and its “wonderful and very brave allies and partners” will work “tirelessly” to bring Iran “from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before”.
“IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE,” the US president wrote. “‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN’ (MIGA!)”
Updated at 09.08 EST
Worshippers gathered in Tehran for the first Friday prayers since the conflict began one week ago.
Following prayers, Iranians marched through the streets holding Iranian flags and photos of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader who was killed in one of last weekend’s strikes.
Here are some images:
Iranians attend Friday prayers in the courtyard of the Imam Khomeini Grand mosque in Tehran. Photograph: Vahid Salemi/APIranians attend Friday prayers at the Imam Khomeini Grand mosque in Tehran. Photograph: Vahid Salemi/APA woman holds up a picture of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as government supporters march against the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign. Photograph: Vahid Salemi/APWomen hold up Iranian flags and pictures of the late Khamenei. Photograph: Vahid Salemi/APPro-government demonstrators chant slogans as they hold pictures of Khamenei. Photograph: Vahid Salemi/APShare
Updated at 09.06 EST
Video: IDF footage claims to show air strikes on Khamenei’s underground bunker
The Israeli military released a video purportedly showing its fighter jets dropping bombs at the underground bunker of the slain Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel claimed the underground lair in Tehran is still being used by senior Iranian officials. There has been no comment from Iran or reports of any casualties from either side.
Footage released by IDF claims to show air strikes on Ali Khamenei’s underground bunkerShare
Updated at 09.18 EST
Lebanon drawn into war ‘it did not seek or choose’, says PM
Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, said his country was being “dragged further into the abyss” and drawn into a conflict it “did not seek and did not choose”.
In his speech during a meeting with Arab and foreign ambassadors, he said:
double quotation mark“Lebanon faces a dangerous and trying moment. Our country has been drawn into a devastating war that we did not seek and did not choose. It was a war imposed upon us. The priority of the Lebanese government is to stop this war. Our duty is to protect our country and our people. Today, Lebanon is dragged further into an abyss. Its descent into further violence and chaos has to stop. We continue to call for unity and responsibility.
He continued:
double quotation markI am sure you have seen how massive the forced displacement is of Lebanese citizens from the south of Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. The situation is grave, and our responsibility is high. The consequences of this displacement, at the humanitarian and political level, may well be unprecedented. A humanitarian disaster is looming.
ShareSummary of developments so far
The Israeli military announced a “new stage” in its campaign against Iran, with US and Israeli officials hinting at escalating strikes. The IDF said it has “additional surprising moves” as part of this new phase, without elaborating, while US defence secretary Pete Hegseth announced that strikes on Iran will “surge dramatically”.
The IDF claimed to have destroyed the underground bunker of the slain Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which it claims is still used by senior Iranian officials. The Israeli military said approximately 50 fighter jets dropped about 100 bombs at the site in Tehran, which it claimed spread across multiple streets and included “many entry points”. There was no immediate comment from Iran.
The UN said nearly 100,000 people have been displaced within Lebanon and tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in the country have fled back over the border. It follows a mass evacuation order by the IDF for people to flee a vast swathe of Beirut’s southern suburbs as it bombs what it says are Hezbollah targets in the area.
Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, has urged the US to move “very quickly” with its investigation into a deadly strike on a school in southern Iran, which Tehran has blamed on the US and Israel. Türk also said the IDF’s evacuation order for southern Beirut raises serious concerns under international law, “in particular when it comes to issues around forced transfer”.
Officials in Azerbaijan said they are withdrawing diplomatic staff from Iran for their own safety. It comes a day after Azerbaijan said four Iranian drones had crossed its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave.
Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), sought to allay fears over a global oil crisis, saying there is “plenty of oil” in the markets. “We have no oil shortage … there is a huge surplus,” he said.
Boril’s comments were at odds with the remarks made by Qatar’s energy minister, Saad al-Kaabi, who said it could take “weeks to months” for energy exports to return to normal levels even if the war ended immediately. “Everybody’s energy price is going to go higher. There will be shortages of some products and there will be a chain reaction of factories that cannot supply,” he told the Financial Times.
Four people in the UK have been arrested by counter terror police on suspicion of spying on the Jewish community for Iran, the Metropolitan police said. The men, one Iranian and three dual British-Iranian nationals, were arrested this morning shortly after 1am in Barnet and Watford.
The UK deputy prime minister, David Lammy, said 6,500 people have now returned to the UK from the UAE. Emirates airline said it anticipates a return to full network operations in coming days.
Updated at 08.47 EST
Video: Israel launches strikes in southern Beirut, after ordering mass evacuations
This AP footage shows explosions in south Beirut, as Israel launched strikes against what it claims to be Hezbollah targets in the area. Hours earlier, Israel’s military issued evacuation orders affecting more than 500,000 people. The strikes are a significant escalation after Hezbollah fired missiles and drones into Israel on Monday.
Israel launches strikes in southern Beirut, after ordering mass evacuations – videoShareVideo: Pastors pray for Trump and US success in Iran war
In case you missed it, evangelical leaders gathered around Donald Trump in the Oval Office last night and prayed over him and for the US’s success in the war against Iran.
It comes after reports that US personnel have allegedly been told by a commander that Trump “has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth”, according to a religious freedom group that is dealing with complaints over this from service members.
On the same day of that report, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth, who is known for his embrace of Christian nationalism, described Iran as a “crazy regime” that is “hell-bent on prophetic Islamist delusions”.
Pastors pray with Donald Trump in the Oval Office – videoShare
Reuters news agency has reported Emirates airlines as saying it expects to return to full service in the coming days.
It added that it evacuated 300,000 people from Dubai yesterday.
ShareMediation talks should be aimed at US and Israel, says Iranian president
The president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, said mediation talks should be directed at “those who ignited this conflict”, seemingly referring to the US and Israel.
The US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, killing its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and prompting Iranian counterstrikes, all while nuclear talks were taking place just days before. US and Iranian negotiators had met in Geneva last week for what Omani mediators described as productive negotiations on a nuclear deal.
Pezeshkian said those talks should be aimed elsewhere.
In a post on X, he said:
double quotation markSome countries have begun mediation efforts. Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity and sovereignty. Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict.
ShareIDF claims 50 jets bombed Khamenei’s underground bunker ‘still being used by Iranian officials’
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has destroyed the underground bunker of the slain Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, which it claims is still used by senior Iranian officials.
The IDF said approximately 50 Israeli air force fighter jets dropped about 100 bombs on the site, which it claimed was located under Iran’s “leadership complex” in Tehran, spreading across multiple streets and including “many entry points and rooms for gatherings of senior members of the Iranian terror regime”.
In a statement, the IDF said:
double quotation markThe underground bunker was built beneath the compound and was a secure emergency asset for managing the war by the leader, who was eliminated before he managed to use it.
After Khamenei’s assassination, the compound continued to be used by senior Iranian regime officials.
There was no immediate comment from Iran.
Updated at 06.37 EST