ran’s army on Thursday said it had carried out drone strikes inside Israel, including an attack on a radar installation. According to the military, the strikes targeted locations in Tel Aviv as well as the Meron radar base in northern Israel.
Azerbaijan, meanwhile, accused Iran of launching two drones into its territory, an incident that reportedly injured two people. Azerbaijani officials said one drone fell at an airport in Nakhchivan near the Iranian border, while another landed close to a school. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador and lodged a strong protest.
In a statement, Azerbaijan condemned the strikes, demanded an explanation from Tehran and said it reserved the right to take appropriate response measures.
The Israeli military is preparing for at least one to two more weeks of operations against Iran, with plans to target thousands of additional regime and military sites. The plan comes after several days of heavy bombing. By Wednesday, the Israeli Air Force said it had dropped more than 5,000 bombs on Iranian targets since the conflict began, according to the Times of Israel.
Large explosions were reported on Thursday in Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas. Reports indicated the blasts occurred near Bandar e Bahonar in the First Naval Zone of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, close to the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Iran also reported a fresh wave of strikes beginning around midnight. Loud explosions were heard in eastern Tehran and shockwaves were felt across parts of the capital, although the exact targets were not immediately confirmed.
Overnight strikes were also reported in the Kurdish cities of Sanandaj, Saqqez and Bukan. Iranian authorities said that more than 150 cities across the country have come under attack since Saturday.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched a 19th wave of retaliatory attacks targeting Israel and United States bases in the region, according to Al Jazeera.
Iran fired a new round of missiles toward Israel on Thursday, according to the Israeli military and Iranian state media, triggering air raid alerts in several areas including Tel Aviv. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The Israeli military said the launches followed a pause of more than seven hours in attacks. It added that its air defence systems were working to intercept the incoming missiles. Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB also confirmed that the missile launches had taken place.
United States President Donald Trump described Iran as a country that was “out of control,” saying pre emptive strikes had been launched to stop Tehran from attacking Israel first. He said Washington was now in a strong position against Iran and claimed that those who attempted to become leaders in the country often ended up dead.
The United States also said it had destroyed more than 20 Iranian vessels, including one of Tehran’s most advanced submarines, during the ongoing operations. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed the development during a briefing on Wednesday.
Iranian state media reported that more than 1,000 people have been killed in Israeli and United States strikes that began last weekend. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, several members of his family and a number of senior Iranian officials were also killed in the attacks after diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran failed.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had attempted to pursue diplomacy to avoid war but was forced to respond after what he called American Zionist military aggression. Speaking with leaders from neighbouring Gulf states, he said Iran respected their sovereignty and believed regional security should be achieved through collective cooperation.
A member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts said the process of selecting a successor to Khamenei was nearing completion. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami told state television that the new Supreme Leader would be identified soon, although the current wartime situation meant the process remained sensitive.
Iranians were expected to begin paying their respects to Khamenei from 10 pm on Wednesday at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Musallah, where a public mourning ceremony would allow citizens to bid farewell to the late leader. Authorities said additional mourning events would follow in the coming days.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had launched about 40 missiles at United States and Israeli targets on the fifth day of the war. In a statement broadcast on state television, the Guards said the attack was carried out as part of the seventeenth wave of Operation Honest Promise 4 by its aerospace forces, although further details were not provided.
The conflict also spread to Lebanon. An Israeli air strike targeted Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Beirut early Thursday after residents had been warned to evacuate the area.
Two other Israeli strikes on vehicles along Beirut’s airport highway killed three people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Officials said at least 72 people had been killed and more than 83,000 displaced since the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began.
Israel said it and the United States had achieved significant progress in the war against Iran. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the latest strike was necessary because Iran was attempting to rebuild its nuclear weapons programme using new underground facilities.
Turkey said NATO air defence systems intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched from Iran that was travelling toward Turkish airspace through Iraq and Syria. Officials did not specify the missile’s intended target. Iran has been striking locations across the region in retaliation for United States and Israeli attacks on its territory.
Trump praised the military campaign and said Iranian leaders were being eliminated, adding that operations would continue. Speaking to technology executives, he said the United States was performing well in the conflict.
Spain rejected a claim from the White House that it had agreed to allow United States operations against Iran to use Spanish bases. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Spain’s position on the conflict and the use of its military bases had not changed.
The White House said Trump was considering the role the United States might play in Iran after the military campaign concludes. Leavitt said the issue was being discussed with the president’s advisers and national security team.
Tensions across the region continued to grow. Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani accused Iran of attempting to draw neighbouring countries into the conflict during a call with Tehran’s foreign minister. Turkey also summoned the Iranian ambassador after a missile believed to be heading toward a base in Cyprus landed inside Turkish territory.
Global shipping disruptions have intensified. Danish shipping company Maersk suspended new bookings in the Gulf following a security assessment. The company had already halted routes through the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global oil shipments. Several other shipping firms have taken similar steps.
The Omani navy said it rescued 24 crew members from a container ship that was struck by missiles in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian forces later claimed they had taken complete control of the strait, a day after Trump said the United States Navy was prepared to escort oil tankers through the waterway.
Sri Lanka also reported that its navy had recovered 87 bodies after a United States submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship off its coast. Search operations were continuing for others who were still missing.
