A week after the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran, a wider conflict is escalating across the Middle East, prompting warnings from the United Nations that the situation could spiral out of control. Terrified residents in Lebanon and Iran are being displaced as bombardment continues, while neighboring Gulf nations are defending against Iranian attacks.
What are the main headlines?
- ‘Unconditional surrender’: President Trump stated there would be no deal with Iran except “unconditional surrender,” without outlining specific demands. He also indicated he is unconcerned whether Iran becomes a democratic state, so long as its leadership treats the US and Israel well.
- UN plea: The UN chief has called for serious diplomatic negotiations to halt the fighting, warning the situation could escalate beyond control.
- ‘Wave of strikes’: Israel launched a “broad-scale wave of strikes” against Iran, with footage showing Tehran’s Mehrabad airport in flames.
What’s happening in Iran and Lebanon?
The US has struck more than 3,000 targets inside Iran in the past week, according to Central Command. Israel launched a “broad-scale wave of attacks” on Tehran in the early hours of Saturday, with explosions reported in the eastern and western parts of the capital. Dramatic footage showed Tehran’s Mehrabad airport catching fire.
So far the US-Israel attacks have killed more than 1,230 people in Iran, including children, according to Iranian state media. Iranian residents have described living in constant terror, with streets deserted as people hide at home or flee their villages. The fear is amplified by an internet blackout, leaving many without access to news or warning systems.
Israel continued hitting Beirut on Friday, targeting command centers used by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The strikes have killed more than 200 people and wounded nearly 800, according to Lebanese state media. Two Ghanaian soldiers serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon were “critically injured” after coming under missile fire on Friday, according to the Ghanaian army, though it was not specified whether the missiles were fired by Israel or Hezbollah.
Israel’s evacuation orders and strikes in Lebanon have displaced nearly half a million residents, the Norwegian Refugee Council estimated. Official figures suggest around 100,000 are in government shelters, but this is likely a fraction of the real figure.
Iran and Lebanon are firing back at Israel. CNN staff in Tel Aviv witnessed explosions in the sky in the early hours of Saturday. On Friday, eight Israeli soldiers were wounded by Hezbollah fire, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Hours after the US Embassy in Baghdad warned Americans to leave Iraq, saying that hotels in Iraqi Kurdistan could be targeted by pro-Iranian militias, a drone exploded near a hotel in Erbil. A pro-Iranian Islamist militant group claimed responsibility, warning American troops and contractors that it would continue to target hotels across the country.
Saudi Arabia intercepted multiple Iranian drones and a missile on Saturday, and early-morning sirens sounded in Bahrain. Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates faced more Iranian attacks on Friday. These Gulf nations are attempting to avoid chaos and have condemned Iran’s strikes, while stressing they have not allowed the US to use their territory to launch attacks.
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