By JON GAMBRELL, DAVID RISING, RUSS BYNUM and SALLY ABOU ALJOUD
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israeli warplanes pounded Beirut and Tehran on Friday as Iran launched one other wave of retaliatory strikes towards Israel and Gulf nations. There was no signal of the warfare letting up on its seventh day, as Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth warned the U.S. air marketing campaign towards Iran would “surge dramatically.”
The strikes in Lebanon had been the heaviest since a 2024 ceasefire ended the final warfare between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, who fired rockets at Israel within the opening days of the most recent battle. Tens of 1000’s have fled Beirut’s suburbs and southern Lebanon after sweeping Israeli evacuation warnings.
The warfare has escalated to have an effect on greater than a dozen nations throughout the Center East and past. America mentioned it had struck an Iranian drone provider at sea because it waged an unrelenting marketing campaign towards the nation’s navy that earlier included the torpedoing of a warship within the Indian Ocean.
The U.S. and Israel have battered Iran with nationwide strikes, concentrating on their navy capabilities, management and nuclear program. The acknowledged targets and timelines for the warfare have repeatedly shifted, because the U.S. has at instances steered it seeks to topple Iran’s authorities or elevate new management from inside.
Israel’s navy mentioned Friday morning it had begun “a broad-scale wave of strikes” on Tehran, Iran’s capital. Witnesses described the Israeli airstrikes as significantly intense, shaking properties within the space. Others reported explosions across the Iranian metropolis of Kermanshah in an space that’s residence to a number of missile bases.
Iran in the meantime launched missile and drone assaults at Israel, in addition to Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, all nations that host U.S. forces. There have been no quick reviews of casualties.
Along with Israel, Iran’s assaults have focused their Arab neighbors, disrupted oil provides and snarled international air journey. The warfare has killed at the very least 1,230 individuals in Iran, greater than 120 in Lebanon and round a dozen in Israel, in response to officers in these nations. Six U.S. troops have been killed.
The United Nations excessive commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, urged all nations concerned to de-escalate, saying “the world urgently must see steps to comprise and extinguish this blaze.”
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian mentioned Friday that “some nations” had begun mediation efforts within the battle, with out elaborating.
US says it struck an Iranian drone provider
The U.S. navy mentioned early Friday that it struck an Iranian drone provider, setting it ablaze.
The U.S. navy’s Central Command launched black-and-white footage of the burning provider. The Iranian navy didn’t instantly acknowledge the assault.
The drone provider, the IRIS Shahid Bagheri, is a transformed container ship with a 180-meter-long (yard) runway for drones. The vessel can journey as much as 22,000 nautical miles while not having to refuel in ports, reviews mentioned on the time of its 2025 inauguration.
Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, described the provider as “roughly the dimensions of a World Battle II plane provider.”
“And as we converse, it’s on fireplace,” Cooper advised reporters.
Earlier within the week, an American submarine sank an Iranian frigate off the coast of Sri Lanka because it was coming back from an train hosted by the Indian navy that the U.S. additionally joined. Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 crew members and recovered 87 our bodies.
Underneath cowl of darkness Friday morning, B-2 stealth bombers dropped dozens of two,000 pound “penetrator” bombs on deeply buried ballistic missile launchers inside Iran, Cooper mentioned.
Iranians attend Friday prayers on the Imam Khomeini Grand mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photograph/Vahid Salemi)
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Iranians attend Friday prayers on the Imam Khomeini Grand mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photograph/Vahid Salemi)
Iran targets nations internet hosting US forcesQatar mentioned early Friday it intercepted a drone assault concentrating on Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the ahead headquarters of the U.S. Central Command.
Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles fired early Friday towards Prince Sultan Air Base south of Riyadh, which additionally hosts U.S. forces, mentioned a spokesperson for Saudi Arabia’s Protection Ministry.
Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, the place the Inside Ministry mentioned Iranian strikes focused two inns and a residential constructing. It mentioned there have been no casualties. In Kuwait, the place the six U.S. troopers had been killed Sunday, the military mentioned air defenses had been activated when missile and drone assaults breached its airspace.
The unified navy command of the Gulf Cooperation Council was one of many amenities attacked in Bahrain, in response to Qatar, which has troops assigned there. Qatar referred to as the assault “a direct menace to its safety and stability and the safety of the area.”
The British ambassador to Bahrain mentioned Friday that the UK would assist defend the nation with its fighter jets. Ambassador Alastair Lengthy’s announcement got here the day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned he was sending 4 extra Royal Air Pressure Hurricane fighters to Qatar following requests from allies for additional assist.
In Israel, the sound of explosions may very well be heard in Tel Aviv early Friday morning after a warning about missiles incoming from Iran, as air protection methods labored to intercept the barrage.
Trump once more urges Iranians to ‘take again’ their countryIn transient remarks on the White Home, U.S. President Donald Trump once more urged the Iranian individuals to “assist take again your nation.” This time he promised the U.S. would grant them “immunity” amid the warfare and ongoing risks beneath the present Iranian regime.
“So that you’ll be completely secure with whole immunity,” Trump mentioned, with out giving any particulars about what that meant. “Otherwise you’ll face completely assured demise.”
Cooper and Hegseth cautioned Iranians to not take to the streets whereas the battle remains to be raging, nonetheless.
In an interview with the information web site Axios, Trump mentioned he needs to be concerned in selecting Iran’s new supreme chief to interchange Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed within the opening strikes of the warfare. Trump spoke dismissively of Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, being a front-runner to interchange his father, calling him “a light-weight.”
“We would like somebody that can deliver concord and peace to Iran,” Trump mentioned.
Iranian officers meet to debate new leadershipIranian state tv reported Friday {that a} management council had began discussing the right way to convene the nation’s Meeting of Specialists, which can choose the brand new supreme chief.
The management council contains President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi and cleric Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi.
The assertion supplied no timeline on the collection of the supreme chief, nor info on whether or not the Meeting of Specialists would meet in individual or remotely for the vote.
Buildings related to the Meeting of Specialists, a 88-member clerical panel, have been attacked through the Israeli-U.S. airstrike marketing campaign.
Israel hits Lebanon with a number of airstrikes round BeirutIsrael carried out at the very least 11 airstrikes late Thursday and early Friday, concentrating on the southern suburbs of Beirut. Fires broke out close to a fuel station.
Two hospitals evacuated sufferers and workers. No casualties had been instantly reported.
Türk, the U.N. human rights chief, mentioned he was “extraordinarily involved” concerning the state of affairs, significantly what he described as “blanket, large displacement orders” by Israel to civilians in Lebanon.
The Lebanese well being ministry mentioned the demise toll has risen to 123 because the resurgence of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which struck Israel within the opening days of the warfare.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam slammed each Israel and Hezbollah, saying the Lebanese state and folks “didn’t select this warfare.”
Metz reported from Ramallah, West Financial institution, Rising from Bangkok and Abou AlJoud from Beirut. Geir Moulson in Berlin and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
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