Israel pounds Tehran; US hits Iranian drone carrier
Israel said on Friday that it launched a “broad-scale wave of strikes” on Tehran, with witnesses reporting powerful explosions that shook homes across the Iranian capital. Additional blasts were reported around Kermanshah, a region believed to host several Iranian missile bases.
The bombardment comes amid a week of escalating hostilities between US, Israel and Iran that has spread across West Asia. On Friday, Qatar said it intercepted a drone targeting Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the forward headquarters of US Central Command. Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three ballistic missiles aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base.
Meanwhile, the US said it struck an Iranian drone carrier identified as the IRIS Shahid Bagheri, setting the vessel ablaze at sea. The strike was confirmed by US Central Command, which released footage showing the burning ship. Iranian officials did not immediately acknowledge the attack.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth warned the conflict could intensify further, saying the US campaign against Iranian military capabilities was “about to surge dramatically.”
The conflict has also reignited fighting in Lebanon between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Israel launched at least 11 airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut late Thursday into Friday, prompting residents to flee and hospitals to evacuate patients.
The war has caused widespread disruption across the region, including attacks on oil infrastructure and disruption to global air travel. According to officials, the conflict has killed more than 1,230 people in Iran, over 120 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel. Six US soldiers have also been killed.
Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has urged all sides to de-escalate, warning that the situation risks spiralling further. “The world urgently needs to see steps to contain and extinguish this blaze,” he said.
