Iran Launches Missiles at Israel as Middle East War Enters Sixth Day

Iran Launches Missiles at Israel as Middle East War Enters Sixth Day

Iran launched a fresh wave of missiles at Israel early Thursday, intensifying the rapidly expanding Middle East conflict as hostilities between Iran, Israel, and the United States entered a sixth consecutive day.

Israeli authorities confirmed the incoming missile barrage shortly after the Israeli military said it had begun new air strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs, targeting positions linked to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group operating in Lebanon.

The renewed attacks followed an escalation on Wednesday when the United States and Israel intensified bombardments of Iranian security forces and key government installations, striking multiple locations across Tehran and other strategic cities.

The intensity of the air strikes forced Iranian state television to postpone a planned national mourning ceremony for Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the conflict. The move highlighted the scale of disruption caused by the ongoing military operations.

The war began Saturday after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes targeting Iran’s leadership, missile arsenal and nuclear programme, while officials in both countries suggested that weakening or removing Iran’s ruling establishment could become a broader objective.

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Speaking on Wednesday, Donald Trump, the US President, praised American forces, saying the military was “doing very well on the war front, to put it mildly.” Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in the United States Senate voted down a resolution seeking to halt the war effort.

As tensions escalated, Iran expanded its retaliation by launching attacks toward Bahrain, Kuwait, and Israel. Turkey also reported that NATO-linked defence systems intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile before it entered Turkish airspace.

The war has already caused significant casualties across the region. Iranian authorities say more than 1,000 people have been killed in Iran, while over 70 deaths have been recorded in Lebanon and around a dozen fatalities in Israel. The conflict has also claimed the lives of six American troops, according to US officials.

The escalating hostilities have disrupted global energy supplies and international travel, with oil and gas shipments affected and hundreds of thousands of travellers stranded across the Middle East.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed another major development earlier in the conflict, revealing that an American submarine sank an Iranian naval warship in the Indian Ocean using a torpedo. Sri Lankan authorities later reported that 32 sailors were rescued while 87 bodies were recovered from the waters.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued to target Iran’s security infrastructure, striking facilities linked to the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps known for suppressing domestic protests.

Israeli military officials also confirmed strikes on buildings connected to Iran’s internal security command, operations analysts say could weaken Tehran’s ability to control unrest at home.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, however, insisted that Iranian forces operate under decentralised command structures, suggesting that attacks on senior leadership or command centres may not significantly weaken Iran’s military response.

Images broadcast on Iranian state television showed extensive damage to buildings in Tehran, while additional strikes were reported in the religious city of Qom, where a structure linked to a clerical council responsible for selecting the country’s next Supreme Leader was reportedly targeted.

At the Pentagon, Hegseth declined to specify how long the US military campaign might last.

“You can say four weeks, but it could be six. It could be eight. It could be three,” he said, adding that American forces would continue to maintain pressure on Iranian targets.

Brad Cooper, the top US military commander in the Middle East, said American operations had already damaged Iran’s air defence systems and destroyed ballistic missiles, launchers and drones.

Israeli officials said the number of missile launches from Iran has declined in recent days, allowing some restrictions inside Israel to be relaxed. The country’s Homefront Command said workplaces could reopen if shelters were nearby, although schools remain closed nationwide.

Despite the partial easing of restrictions, explosions were reported again across Israel early Thursday as air defence systems moved to intercept the latest Iranian missile launches.

The conflict has also spread to the maritime domain. A Maltese-flagged container ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz was struck by two missiles, triggering a fire before its 24 crew members were rescued.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy routes, with about one-fifth of global oil shipments passing through it. Shipping tracker MarineTraffic reported that tanker traffic through the strait has fallen by nearly 90 percent compared with prewar levels.

The disruption has sent global oil prices soaring and rattled international financial markets, raising concerns about the potential impact on the world economy.

Inside Iran, political leaders are scrambling to choose a successor to Khamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years. The selection of a new supreme leader marks only the second leadership transition since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Possible candidates range from hard-line clerics advocating continued confrontation with the West to more moderate figures who favour diplomatic engagement. Among those frequently mentioned is Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son.

As the crisis deepens, Iranian authorities have also warned of severe consequences for anyone seen as cooperating with foreign enemies.

Meanwhile, Israel Katz, Israel’s defence minister, said any future Iranian leader who continues to threaten Israel or its allies “will be a target for elimination.”

Iran Launches Missiles at Israel as Middle East War Enters Sixth Day