US-Israel-Iran War Live Updates: Saudi Arabia intercepts three ballistic missiles; Bahrain reports strikes on hotel, residential building

Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said its air force intercepted a drone attack targeting the Al-Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in the Middle East.

Before the interception, the Qatari government had sent security alerts to mobile phones across the country. The message warned residents to stay away from windows and avoid open areas.

Israel said it launched a wave of strikes on Tehran early Friday, targeting what it described as “regime infrastructure” in the Iranian capital.

Iranian state television reported explosions in several parts of the city following the strikes.

The dignified transfer of the six U.S. soldiers killed during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East will be held Saturday at Dover Air Force Base, according to Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn.

The ritual, which involves the movement of remains for U.S. troops killed during their military service, is considered one of the most solemn acts for any president, and the White House has confirmed that President Trump will attend.

In a statement released Thursday, Rep Nunn, a Republican from Iowa, said he would attend the ceremony to honor the brave Americans killed in action and stand with their families during the solemn moment.

This statement also confirmed the postponement of a separate political event that was to feature Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Two of the six soldiers being honored at the ceremony were from Iowa.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Friday that three Australian military personnel were onboard an American submarine that sank an Iranian navy ship off the coast of Sri Lanka this week.

Speaking to Sky News, Albanese stated, "I can confirm that there were three Australian personnel on board that vessel." He further clarified the nature of their presence, adding, "I can confirm also, though, that no Australian personnel have participated in any offensive action against Iran."

Bahrain stated early Friday that Iran targeted two hotels and a residential building in the capital, Manama.

According to a post on X by the interior ministry, the Iranian aggression caused material damage but resulted in no loss of life.

Adm Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, informed reporters that Iranian ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90 percent since the start of the US-Israel war against Iran, while drone attacks have fallen by 83 percent.

Despite these significant drops, Cooper stressed that US forces remain vigilant and noted that American attacks on the Iranian navy have intensified.

According to the Admiral, US forces have sunk more than 30 Iranian ships to date, including a drone carrier roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier that he described as currently being on fire.

Cooper further explained that President Trump has tasked the military with leveling Iran’s ballistic missile industrial base to destroy their ability to rebuild. He emphasized that the US is systematically dismantling Iran's future missile production capability and that this process is currently in progress.

While noting that the mission will take time, he stated that forces are well-supplied and ready to prosecute the mission decisively. Cooper concluded by stating that the US and Israel are fighting to win and will continue to decimate Iran’s ability to project power outside its borders, recalling his earlier appearance in dress uniform during February talks in Oman as a reminder of American military might.

Regarding the Israel-Iran conflict, US secretary of war Pete Hegseth stated on Thursday, "...Our commitment to our mission objectives only increases as our advantages continue to increase."

Hegseth emphasized the sustainability of the military effort, noting, "Our stockpiles of defensive and offensive weapons allow us to sustain this campaign as long as we need to." He concluded by signaling that the operation is still in its early stages, saying, "We have only just begun to fight and fight decisively."

Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that it intercepted three ballistic missiles launched toward an air base, as Iran continues to press attacks across the Gulf.

"Three ballistic missiles launched towards Prince Sultan Air Base were intercepted and destroyed," the Saudi defense ministry posted on X.

Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, stated Thursday that strikes on the Iranian navy have “intensified.”

According to the Admiral, US forces have sunk more than 30 Iranian ships to date.

Among the vessels destroyed was an Iranian drone carrier ship described as being roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. “And as we speak, it’s on fire,” Cooper said.

US President Donald J Trump issued a direct appeal on Thursday to members of the Iranian security apparatus, calling on the Revolutionary Guard, the military, and the police to lay down their arms and surrender.

In a stern warning, the President stated that those who continue to fight "are only going to be killed," while offering "complete immunity" to those who choose to stop.

"Now is the time to stand up for the Iranian people and help take back your country," Trump said, framing the defection as a chance for Iranians to reclaim their nation. He emphasized that the alternative to accepting the offer would be "absolutely guaranteed death."

The President also extended his appeal to the diplomatic corps, urging Iranian diplomats stationed around the world to request asylum. He called on them to assist the US and its partners in "shaping a new and better Iran with great potential."

Trump concluded by asserting that the United States would ensure that any future leadership in Iran would no longer pose a threat to America or its neighbors.

At an event on Thursday with players from the MLS champion Inter Miami, President Trump stated that Iran's navy has been effectively destroyed, claiming the US wiped out “24 ships in three days.”

He further asserted that the country’s anti-aircraft weapons and airplanes “are gone,” declaring that Iran now possesses “no air force” and “no air defense.”

Trump provided these brief updates at the start of the event without offering specific details, making it difficult to immediately verify the scope of the losses. During his remarks, the president also suggested that Iranian leaders are now ready to negotiate a deal to end the fighting.

However, he expressed a preference for continuing the military campaign, stating, “We want to fight now more than they do.”

The US House of Representatives narrowly rejected a war powers resolution on Thursday that sought to halt President Trump’s military strikes against Iran. The 212–219 vote serves as an early sign of unease within Congress regarding the rapidly widening conflict, which is currently reordering American priorities both at home and abroad.

This House vote follows a similar outcome in the Senate, where a matching measure was defeated along party lines just one day prior. Lawmakers are now confronting the reality of representing a wary public during wartime, navigating the complexities of lives lost, rising economic costs, and tested alliances resulting from the president's unilateral decision to engage in war with Iran.

While the tight tally in the House was largely expected, the result provides a clarifying snapshot of the political divide over the joint US-Israel military operation. It also highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the president's rationale for bypassing Congress, which holds the sole constitutional power to declare war.

Medics reported no immediate injuries following a fresh Iranian ballistic missile attack on central Israel.

Military assessments indicate that only a small number of missiles were launched in the latest salvo, which marked the eighth attack from Iran since midnight.

Despite the limited number of missiles, police confirmed that fragments and submunitions from a cluster bomb warhead impacted several areas, causing localized damage. One impact site in a central town sparked a fire that required intervention from rescue services.

Sirens sounded across Tel Aviv and the surrounding central regions during the attack, sending residents to bomb shelters. Following the assessment of the threat, the IDF Home Front Command informed civilians that they could leave their shelters but advised them to remain in close proximity to protected areas.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed Thursday that they successfully eliminated Zaid Ali Jumaa, a senior Hezbollah commander, during an airstrike in Beirut on Wednesday. Jumaa served as the head of Hezbollah’s firepower management and artillery array in southern Lebanon, a role in which the military says he was responsible for the launching of thousands of rockets, missiles, and drones toward Israeli territory.

In addition to his recent leadership, the IDF identified Jumaa as the commander of the Khiam area in 2015, where he orchestrated a deadly anti-tank missile attack in the Mount Dov region.

An Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut late Thursday, according to Lebanese state media. The attack followed an evacuation warning issued by the Israeli military to residents in the area.

AFPTV footage showed a plume of smoke rising from the site in Lebanon. The country was drawn into the Middle East war on Monday when the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader.

The Israeli military said late Thursday it had detected new missiles launched from Iran towards Israel and the country's defence systems were operating to intercept them.

"A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said.

A group of 43 Ugandan students have spoken of their trauma after fleeing the US and Israeli bombing campaign in Iran and returning to Uganda on Thursday.
"I am lost for words," said Sharon Twiine, 29, who had been studying international relations at Ahlul Bayt International University in Tehran when the war broke out.

The Ugandan ambassador organised their escape by bus to the Turkish border and then on to Istanbul where they caught a flight home.

"It was scary, traumatising and I wouldn't wish for anyone to experience" such a thing, Twiine told reporters at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda.

Another of the students, Oscar Nyegyema, said a site near their university was hit by an air strike.

"We could hear the ground trembling, we could hear the ground shake. We were all scared, we were all feeling devastated, we really did not know whether we could make it out," he said.

Despite the trauma, Nyegyema said he would return to finish his programme in Iran as soon as possible.

Some Ugandan students chose to stay despite the offer of return from their government.

"The truth is for these students, they believe that if they return home, the two years spent in their four-year degree study may go to waste because they may not be able to afford the ticket back to the university," said Aloisius Ssegawa, another of the students who returned on Thursday.

Twiine said she was "traumatised" by the experience.

"I love to study, I love to practice what I will learn from Iran but I think I will have to get therapy first," she said.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Thursday his country was in an economic "state of near-emergency" as a result of the Middle East war, warning of runaway inflation.
The Arab world's most populous nation has not been physically impacted by the US and Israeli war with Iran, which has seen strikes on Egypt's wealthy Gulf allies and paralysed trade through the vital Strait of Hormuz.

But by the close of business Thursday, the Egyptian pound had fallen to an eight-month low against the US dollar, trading at 50.2 to the USD amid reports of short-term investment outflows.

Egypt's import-dependent economy has proven highly sensitive to fluctuations in the currency, which has lost two-thirds of its value since 2022.

At a military academy event, Sisi said "the current crisis might have some repercussions on prices", warning that price-gouging traders could be tried "in military courts", according to a statement from his spokesman.

Over the weekend, Sisi had warned the war could spell trouble for the Suez Canal, the region's other vital waterway besides the Strait of Hormuz and a key source of foreign currency for Egypt.

Major shipping companies have already directed traffic away from the region, rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope off the tip of southern Africa.

Sisi said Thursday that Egypt was attempting "sincere and honest mediation efforts to stop the war, as its continuation will have a hefty toll".

Cairo has in the past hosted nuclear talks between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and is a guarantor of the US-brokered Gaza peace deal between Israel and Hamas.

But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday his country was "not asking for a ceasefire" or negotiations with the US.

Israel's military chief said Thursday he had ordered troops to expand the area under Israeli control in southern Lebanon, as the country's ongoing operation against Hezbollah intensified.

"We are striking with force, on the front line and deeper in Lebanon. I instructed Israeli army forces to move forward and deepen the line of control along the border, while establishing positions at key points in southern Lebanon," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said during a televised address.

The US House of Representatives was expected Thursday to reject an effort to curb Donald Trump's authority to wage war against Iran, as the president faces fierce criticism over launching the conflict without seeking approval from Congress.

Lawmakers are due to vote on a bipartisan resolution led by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna that would require Trump to obtain congressional authorization before continuing military operations against Tehran.

But the measure is widely expected to fail, a day after the Senate rejected a similar effort, underscoring Congress's limited appetite -- particularly among Republicans -- for confronting the White House in the early days of the conflict.

Even if it were to pass, Trump could veto it -- a step that would require two-thirds majorities in both chambers to override, an almost impossible threshold in the current Congress.

The vote comes less than a week after the United States and Israel began a sweeping military campaign against Iran, targeting missile facilities, naval assets and other infrastructure.

The strikes have already killed senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and triggered retaliatory attacks across the region.

The conflict has also claimed American lives: six US servicemembers have been killed in retaliatory strikes, including on a US base in Kuwait, intensifying pressure on lawmakers to weigh in on a war that Congress has not explicitly authorized.

Democrats argue the administration has offered shifting explanations for the strikes and has failed to demonstrate that Iran posed an imminent threat requiring immediate military action.

- 'War of choice' -

"Senate Republicans had their chance to do something that would have been overwhelmingly popular: to say no to Trump's war," Chuck Schumer, who leads the chamber's Democratic minority, said in a floor speech on Thursday.

"Instead, they enthusiastically said yes, and now they own this war with Iran just as much as Donald Trump does."

Under the Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war. The 1973 War Powers Resolution -- passed after the Vietnam War -- was intended to prevent presidents from committing US forces to prolonged conflicts without congressional consent.

The House resolution invokes that law, directing the president to withdraw US forces from "unauthorized hostilities" involving Iran unless lawmakers explicitly approve the operation.

But Republican leaders have rallied behind Trump, arguing that limiting his authority during an ongoing military campaign would embolden Iran and endanger US troops.

"I think passage of a war powers resolution right now would be a terrible, dangerous idea... It would empower our enemies," House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters.

"It would kneecap our own forces, and it would take the ability of the US military and the commander in chief away in completing this critical mission to keep everybody safe."

Johnson urged Republicans to oppose the House measure, arguing that the military operation had been "limited, precise and extremely lethal," as well as a "remarkable success."

But Massie, one of the few Republicans willing to break with the administration, said Congress must reassert its constitutional role.

"Under our Constitution, the power to initiate war rests solely with Congress," he said. "Congress owes our service members a clearly defined mission, so that when they accomplish it, they can come home."

The United States and its allies in the Middle East are seeking Ukraine’s expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Various countries, including the United States, have approached Ukraine for help in defending against the Iranian drones, Zelenskyy said late Wednesday. He said he has spoken in recent days with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait about possible cooperation.

Russia has fired tens of thousands of Shaheds at Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago, launching a swarm of more than 800 drones and decoys in its biggest nighttime barrage. Iran has responded to joint U.S.-Israeli strikes by launching the same type of drones at countries in the Middle East.

Ukrainian assistance in countering Iranian drones will be provided only if it does not weaken Ukraine’s own defenses, and if it adds leverage to Kyiv’s diplomatic efforts to stop the Russian invasion, according to the Ukrainian leader.

“We help to defend from war those who help us, Ukraine, bring a just end to the war” with Russia, Zelenskyy said. Later Thursday, Zelenskyy said he had received a U.S. request for support to defend against the drones in the Middle East and had given the order for equipment to be provided along with Ukrainian experts without providing further details.

“Ukraine helps partners who help our security and the protection of our people’s lives,” he added in a social media post.

Ukraine has battle-tested drone defenses
Ukraine has pioneered the development of cut-price drone killers that cost as little as $1,000, rewriting the air defense rule book and making other countries take notice.

European countries got a wake-up call last September on the changed nature of air defense when Poland scrambled multimillion-dollar military assets, including F-35 and F-16 fighter jets and Black Hawk helicopters, in response to airspace violations by cheap drones.

Ukrainian manufacturers have developed low-cost interceptor drones specifically designed to hunt and destroy Shaheds, and its rapidly expanding drone industry is producing excess capacity.

Zelenskyy announced earlier this year that Ukraine would begin exporting the battle-tested systems.

The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said before chairing a meeting of EU and Gulf foreign ministers via video link Thursday that the talks would look at how Ukraine’s experience can help countries counter Iranian drones.

Middle East war delays Russia-Ukraine talks
The Iran war, now in its sixth day, has drawn international attention away from Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, and forced the postponement of a new round of U. S-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine planned for this week, Zelenskyy said.

Western governments and analysts say the Russia-Ukraine war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, while there is no sign that yearlong U.S.-led peace efforts will stop the fighting any time soon.

“Right now, because of the situation around Iran, there are not yet the necessary signals for a trilateral meeting,” Zelenskyy said. “But as soon as the security situation and the overall political context allow us to resume that trilateral diplomatic work, it will be done.”

Zelenskyy thanked the United States for the return from Russia on Thursday of 200 Ukrainian prisoners of war. Russia's Defense Ministry also said it received the same number of prisoners from Ukraine and thanked the U.S. and United Arab Emirates for mediating.

Prisoner swaps have been one of the few tangible results of the talks. Vladimir Medinsky, a Russian negotiator, said on social media that a total of 500 prisoners from each side would be exchanged between Thursday and Friday.

Oleksandr Merezhko, the head of Ukraine’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee, said Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to drag out the negotiations so that he can press on with Russia’s invasion while escaping further U.S. sanctions.

He urged the U.S. administration to look at the Russia-Ukraine war and the war in the Middle East as linked.

“In reality, Russia and Iran are close allies that act in concert — Iran supplies weapons and Russia helps Iran develop its defense industry. These are interconnected conflicts,” Merezhko told The Associated Press.

Ukraine’s army has recently pushed back Russian forces at some points along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (750-mile) front line, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Localized Ukrainian counterattacks liberated more territory than Ukrainian forces lost in the last two weeks of February, the Washington-based think tank said this week, estimating the recovered land at about 257 square kilometers (100 square miles) since Jan. 1.

Israel's military chief said Thursday that more than 60 percent of Iran's ballistic missile launchers and 80 percent of its air-defence systems have been destroyed in the ongoing US-Israeli campaign against the Islamic republic.

"We have neutralised and destroyed more than 60 percent of the ballistic missile launchers," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in a televised statement.

He added that Israel had also destroyed 80 percent of Iran's air defence systems and had "achieved almost complete air superiority in the skies of Iran".

Britain is sending additional fighter jets to Qatar amid the widening war in the Middle East, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Thursday as his defence minister visited Cyprus.
The four Typhoon planes will join an existing UK squadron in the Gulf state "to strengthen our defensive operations in Qatar and across the region", Starmer told reporters.

The announcement came after Defence Secretary John Healey arrived in Cyprus following a drone strike on a UK air base on the Mediterranean island earlier this week.

An Iranian-made unmanned drone struck a hangar at the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Akrotiri on Monday.

Two further drones detected that day were shot down by British warplanes.

"As circumstances in any conflict change, you've got to be willing to adapt the action you take," Healey told Sky News from the Akrotiri base, adding that Iranian strikes were "increasingly indiscriminate".

Healey earlier posted on X alongside a photograph of himself meeting Cypriot Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas.

The pair discussed how "the UK is further reinforcing our air defences to support our shared security," he added.

Britain's Labour government has faced criticism from the Cypriot authorities over its response to the attacks.

On Wednesday, Cyprus's High Commissioner to the UK Kyriacos Kouros said Cypriots were "disappointed" at the level of information-sharing with residents.

"Let's say the people are disappointed, the people are scared, the people could expect more," he told the BBC's Newsnight programme.

Starmer told a news conference Thursday that two Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet missiles that can take down drones would arrive in Cyprus on Friday.

He had announced their deployment on Tuesday, adding that he was also dispatching "helicopters with counter-drone capabilities" as part of Britain's "defensive operations" in the region.

Starmer has also deployed HMS Dragon, a Type 45 air defence destroyer able to launch eight missiles in under 10 seconds and guide up to 16 missiles simultaneously.

It is not due to set sail until next week however, according to officials.

- 'Limited defensive purposes' -

Starmer has faced criticism from the opposition Conservative party which said he has been too slow to deploy resources to the region.

The premier insisted that throughout January and February the government moved fighter jets, air defence missiles and advanced radar systems to the region.

UK Typhoon and F-35B jets have been operating in the Middle East since the war began on Saturday with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Starmer initially refused to have any role in the US-Israeli war with Iran but later agreed to a US request to use two British military bases for a "specific and limited defensive purpose".

Those bases are in Gloucestershire, western England, and the UK-US Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.

Starmer has insisted that the Akrotiri base is not being used by US bombers.

Monday's drone strike there caused minimal damage and no casualties, British officials said.

Service personnel's families have been moved away from the base as a precaution.

The Israeli military issued an urgent warning on Thursday to residents of three villages in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa region, instructing them to evacuate immediately.

The order, posted to X by the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee, specifically targeted the towns of Douris, Brital, and Majdaloun. Adraee stated that the military is prepared to "operate forcefully" against Hezbollah infrastructure in these areas and advised residents to head west via the Zahle-Baalbek road to ensure their safety.

Iranian state television reported on Thursday that drones had struck the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

State television did not provide any details on the claim. The Guards had previously been alleged to have hit the US carrier, but the Pentagon said at the time that the "missiles launched didn't even come close".

The claim comes as the conflict continues to escalate following several days of intensive military exchanges between the United States, Israel, and Iran.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Thursday that the conflict in the Middle East has pushed regional tensions to a "terrifying level," warning that the violence is at high risk of spreading further.

Speaking during a televised speech, Erdogan addressed the ongoing crisis following the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran. "With the air strikes against our neighbour Iran, regional tensions have reached a terrifying level," he said.

He further expressed concern over Tehran’s retaliatory actions, noting that "the missiles and kamikaze drones directed by Iran against other countries in the region raise fears of the conflict spreading to a much wider area."

"No, we are waiting for them," he said, adding, "Because we are confident that we can confront them, and that would be a big disaster for them."

Talking to NBC News, Iran FM added that, it "currently has 'no intention' to close Strait of Hormuz".

Iran launched a new wave of attacks on Israel, US bases and other countries in the region on Thursday, warning Washington would “bitterly regret” sinking an Iranian warship. The retaliation came as the US and Israel continued nationwide strikes on Iran for a sixth straight day.

The conflict has widened to involve at least 14 additional countries. Azerbaijan accused Iran of drone attacks — a claim Tehran denied — while Israel expanded operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, issuing evacuation orders in Beirut’s southern suburbs as ground fighting intensified.

US and Israeli forces have targeted Iran’s military infrastructure, leadership and nuclear programme. With Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed at the outset of the war, the campaign’s objectives remain fluid and the conflict increasingly appears open-ended.

"A distress call from IRIS Dena was received at the MRCC Colombo in the early hours of 04 March 26 as reported by the Sri Lankan Navy. The ship was operating 20 NM West of Galle in the SAR region under Sri Lankan responsibility. On receipt of the information, the Indian Navy promptly launched its SAR efforts commencing with a long-range maritime patrol aircraft at 1000 hr on 04 March 26 to augment the search efforts led by Sri Lanka. Another aircraft with air droppable life rafts was also kept standby for immediate deployment. INS Tarangini which was operating in vicinity was deployed for aiding the rescue efforts and arrived in search area by 1600 hr on 04 March 26. By this time SAR had been undertaken by Sri Lankan Navy and other agencies. INS Ikshak has also sailed from Kochi to augment the search efforts and continues to remain in the area to search for missing personnel as a humanitarian measure for ship wrecked personnel. Coordination with the Sri Lankan side on Search and Rescue efforts is ongoing," Indian Navy.

The UN's International Maritime Organization told AFP on Thursday that around 20,000 seafarers and 15,000 cruise ship passengers are stuck in the Gulf because of the Middle East war.

The shipping regulator's secretary general Arsenio Dominguez said that the "IMO is ready to work with all stakeholders to help ensure the safety and well-being of the seafarers affected."

The death toll in Iran from the ongoing war with the United States and Israel has reached at least 1,230 people, an Iranian government agency said Thursday.

The Iran's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs offered the toll. (AP)

France has authorised the temporary deployment of US aircraft at some of its military bases in the Middle East following the escalation of regional tensions triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran, the French military said on Thursday.

The move comes as the conflict has widened across parts of the region, prompting allied countries to strengthen defensive coordination.

"As part of our relations with the United States, the presence of their aircraft has been temporarily authorised on our bases" in the region, a spokeswoman for the military general staff told AFP.

She added that the aircraft were contributing to security efforts for allied nations in the Gulf.

"These aircraft contribute to the protection of our partners in the Gulf."