International
Iran launches new strikes on Israel
Iran launches new strikes on Israel
Israel and Iran launched strikes against each other for a third day on Sunday, with both countries vowing to continue responding to attacks.
On Sunday evening, there were explosions in the sky above Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as Israel’s defence system shot down missiles fired from Iran.
In overnight strikes on Saturday, ten people, including two children, were killed and more than 100 injured in Israel, authorities said.
Israel said its strikes had hit dozens of targets in Tehran. Iranian media, quoting the health ministry, said 224 Iranians had been killed and 1,277 injured as of Sunday evening.
Israel initially launched an attack on Iranian nuclear infrastructure and other targets on Friday.
Iran later confirmed the head of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) intelligence unit, Mohammad Kazemi, had been killed, alongside a deputy and another commander.
BBC journalists are unable to report from inside Iran due to restrictions by the country’s government, making it difficult to assess the damage caused by Israel’s offensive.
In Israel, sirens blared on Sunday evening, causing people to take shelter as incoming missiles were intercepted.
Iran’s state TV said the country attacked Tel Aviv, Haifa and other cities with “tens of Iranian missiles and drones”.
Israeli police confirmed a weapon hit “one of the settlements” in the northern coastal port city of Haifa, where footage showed thick columns of smoke rising into the night sky.
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“At this stage, no reports of casualties have been received, but property damage has occurred,” officials said.
The evening attack came after overnight strikes into Sunday morning, which hit homes in northern and central Israel.
A 10-storey block of flats in Bat Yam was struck in the early hours, killing six people, including a 10-year-old-boy and a eight-year-old girl. Others were trapped underneath rubble.
Four people were also killed in Iranian attacks on the northern Arab town of Tamra, according to emergency services and the local hospital.
Rescue paramedic Ori Lazarovich, who was working at the scene in Bat Yam, told BBC News: “We started triaging people, while the building was still on fire on one side.
“Some were crying and some were holding their family members, I saw fear in their eyes.”
“People came out all grey, covered in soot and ash and debris and suffering from smoke inhalation,” he added.
A woman who lived in a building next to the blast zone in Bat Yam sat surrounded by suitcases.
“We’ve been here 24 years and now we have to start over. I’m holding myself back from crying,” she told the BBC.
Visiting the scene of the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran would pay a “very heavy price” for “the premeditated murder of civilians, women and children”.
Meanwhile in Iran, Tehran’s oil ministry said the Shahran oil depot in the capital was hit by Israeli strikes overnight.
Israel’s military said fighter jets struck more than 80 targets in Tehran overnight, including the Iranian Ministry of Defense and “additional targets where the Iranian regime hid the nuclear archive”.
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An aerial refuelling aircraft was also struck at an airport in the north-east city Mashhad.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a warning on social media to the Iranian people, telling them to stay away from all weapons manufacturing facilities.
Writing in Farsi, IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee said: “For your own safety, we ask you to evacuate these facilities immediately and not to return until further notice.”
One resident in Tehran told BBC Persian: “Everyone is trying to escape Tehran – one way or another”.
Another said: “Tehran isn’t safe, clearly. We get no alarms or warnings from officials about Israeli attacks. We just hear the blasts and hope our place isn’t hit.
“But where can we go? Nowhere feels safe.”
Netanyahu told Fox News on Sunday that he thinks Israel has set Iran “back quite a bit” in its nuclear capacity.
“I think they were completely surprised,” he said.
Between Saturday and Sunday, the officially reported death toll in the country increased by almost 100 – from 128 up to 224.
However, other estimates put the number of fatalities in the country much higher.
Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a Washington-based human rights organisation that has long tracked Iran, said the total number of civilian or military deaths in the country over the past two days – as of 22:00 GMT on Saturday – reached at least 863.
Both countries have promised further retaliation
“If [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said his country had the right to defend itself from aggression – and that Israel must stop its attacks.
Three US officials told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that US President Donald Trump rejected a recent Israeli plan to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
During an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Netanyahu did not directly confirm or deny the story, first reported by Reuters.
The Iranian former crown prince Reza Pahlavi – the son of Iran’s former Shah who was overthrown in the country’s 1979 Islamic revolution – has told the BBC people who oppose the country’s government have been “re-energised” by Israel’s attacks, which killed senior Iranian military leaders.
“The ultimate solution is regime change, and now we have an opportunity because this regime is at its weakest point,” he said, speaking from exile on the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show.
On Sunday, Trump told ABC News that “it’s possible [the US] could get involved” after reaffirming the country is not involved in the conflict “at this moment”.
He added he is “open” to Russia’s Vladimir Putin becoming a mediator between the two sides.
Iran launches new strikes on Israel
BBC
International
Iran Launches ‘Massive’ Drone Strikes on Israel, US Bases
Iran Launches ‘Massive’ Drone Strikes on Israel, US Bases
Iran’s army and Revolutionary Guards announced on Saturday that their forces had launched a “massive wave of drone attacks” targeting Israel and US military bases in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait, as the regional conflict escalates into its second week. According to the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the Iranian Navy carried out the strikes against what Tehran described as “American bases and occupied territories.” The operation reportedly targeted strategic locations including Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE, a US base in Kuwait, and a strategic facility in Israel. (tbsnews.net)
Later, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed additional strikes on Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE. The Guard alleged that the attacks damaged air warfare centres, satellite communication systems, early warning radars, and fire-control radars used by US forces, according to Tasnim News Agency. (today.lorientlejour.com)
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The current surge in attacks comes after US and Israeli airstrikes inside Iran on February 28, which Tehran claims killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a broader conflict. Since then, Iran has retaliated with multiple drone and missile attacks against Israel and US interests in the region. (reuters.com)
The hostilities have spread across the Gulf, with missiles and drones intercepted over the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar, forcing governments to issue civil defence alerts and suspend some flights. (gulfnews.com)
Meanwhile, Israel has conducted pre-emptive air raids inside Iran, reportedly deploying dozens of fighter jets to target Iranian military infrastructure, escalating the tit-for-tat confrontations. (turkiyetoday.com)
Analysts warn that the escalation could destabilise the Middle East further, disrupt oil supplies, and trigger international military responses. The attacks highlight the increasing risks for US forces and allied personnel stationed across the Gulf, as well as potential threats to civilian infrastructure in the region.
Iran Launches ‘Massive’ Drone Strikes on Israel, US Bases
International
Iran War: US Authorizes $151.8 Million Bombs Sale to Israel
Iran War: US Authorizes $151.8 Million Bombs Sale to Israel
The United States State Department has approved a $151.8 million emergency arms sale to Israel, authorising the transfer of thousands of bombs and critical support services as the Middle East war involving Israel, the United States, and Iran intensifies. The deal, announced on Friday, reflects Washington’s urgent support for Israel’s defence capabilities amid the ongoing regional crisis.
Under the agreement, Israel will receive 12,000 BLU‑110A/B general-purpose bombs, each weighing approximately 1,000 pounds (470 kilograms), along with US government and contractor technical, logistics, and engineering support. The arms package is designed to boost Israel’s ability to counter current and future threats, strengthen homeland defence, and serve as a deterrent against regional adversaries, the State Department said.
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The emergency designation was invoked under the Arms Export Control Act, allowing the sale to bypass the usual congressional review process. Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that “an emergency exists that requires the immediate transfer of these defence articles in the national security interests of the United States.” Critics have warned that bypassing Congress for a weapons sale of this scale raises concerns about oversight and accountability, given the conflict’s humanitarian and geopolitical implications.
The arms sale comes as hostilities in the Middle East continue to escalate following recent US‑Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets, which triggered retaliatory attacks by Iranian‑backed forces, including missile and drone strikes on Israel and US facilities across the Gulf region. Observers say the weapons transfer signals unwavering US support for Israel amid growing regional instability.
The emergency sale also underscores the strategic US‑Israel defence partnership, which has long been central to Washington’s Middle East policy. The contract will be executed with existing stockpiles and contracted suppliers, ensuring Israel can rapidly deploy the munitions in the ongoing conflict. Human rights groups and some lawmakers have criticised the sale, warning that further militarisation could exacerbate civilian casualties and prolong the conflict.
Iran War: US Authorizes $151.8 Million Bombs Sale to Israel
International
Ghanaian UN Peacekeepers Hit by Missile Attack in Lebanon as Iran‑Linked War Escalates
Ghanaian UN Peacekeepers Hit by Missile Attack in Lebanon as Iran‑Linked War Escalates
The headquarters of Ghana’s United Nations peacekeeping battalion in southern Lebanon came under a missile attack on Friday, critically wounding two Ghanaian soldiers and underscoring the growing dangers facing peacekeepers in the escalating Middle East conflict involving Israel, the United States, and Iran‑aligned forces.
In an official statement, the Ghana Armed Forces said the attack occurred at the battalion’s base in southern Lebanon, where Ghanaian troops are deployed as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The missile strike also left a third peacekeeper psychologically traumatised, and destroyed the Officers’ Mess facility, which was completely burned down in the blast.
The Ghana military did not identify the group responsible for launching the missiles. However, it noted that Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lodged a formal protest with the United Nations Headquarters in New York, urging all parties to respect international obligations to protect UN peacekeepers and civilians in conflict zones.
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The attack comes amid a dramatic escalation in violence after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel, drawing Lebanon directly into the wider war between Israel/United States and Iran. Following the rocket attacks, Israel intensified operations against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, leading to heavy exchanges of fire and multiple missile strikes across border communities.
UNIFIL, established in 1978 to monitor ceasefires along the Lebanon–Israel border and stabilise the area, includes troops from several countries, with the Ghanaian battalion among the key contingents. The mission has increasingly come under strain as hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah exact heavier tolls on local communities and UN positions alike.
According to military officials, the two wounded Ghanaian soldiers were stabilised and receiving medical care inside the UN peacekeeping base. Plans are underway to transfer them to a UNIFIL referral hospital outside the conflict zone for further treatment. The traumatized soldier was also receiving support from mission medical teams.
Lebanese media and UN sources reported that the missile attack occurred amid intense clashes between Israeli forces and Iranian‑aligned Hezbollah fighters, who continue to exchange rocket and artillery fire. While UNIFIL has not officially confirmed responsibility for the attack by any particular group, the volatile security situation in southern Lebanon has repeatedly placed peacekeepers at risk of stray rockets and deliberate targeting.
In response to the incident, UNIFIL leadership reiterated its commitment to safeguarding peacekeepers and civilians in the region, calling on all parties to respect UN mandates and international law. The United Nations urged the protection of peacekeeping personnel and condemned any attacks on UN positions as threats to the broader mission of maintaining stability.
The escalation has also resulted in multiple civilian casualties and infrastructure damage across border towns on both sides of the Israel–Lebanon frontier, with Lebanese residents reporting missile impacts in residential areas and Israeli communities facing ongoing rocket barrages since the conflict’s expansion.
The missile strike on Ghanaian troops marks one of the most serious attacks on UN peacekeepers in recent weeks, highlighting fears that the Middle East war could draw wider international involvement and increase risks for non‑combatant forces operating under the UN banner.
Ghanaian UN Peacekeepers Hit by Missile Attack in Lebanon as Iran‑Linked War Escalates
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