not to war Middle East continues to expand — with the USA sinking an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka and forces of I’LL TAKE (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) intercepting an Iranian missile heading towards Türkiye.
The main information also involves more than 1.114 since the start of the war, HRANA reported. Among the dead are 168 children and 14 teachers who were killed in Israel on Saturday (28), according to Iranian state media.
See what the main headlines are
- Torpedoed warship: A United States submarine sank one in international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka, killing more than 80 people, according to Sri Lankan officials.
- Turkish intercept: NATO air defense systems shot down an Iranian missile heading into Turkish airspace on Wednesday. It is believed to be the first time that NATO forces have intercepted an Iranian missile heading towards a member country since the beginning of this conflict.
- US soldiers identified: On Wednesday night, the Pentagon publicly identified the two in a drone strike in Kuwait on Sunday. The other four dead soldiers had already been identified on Tuesday.
- Voting in the Senate: Republicans on Wednesday rejected a resolution that sought to limit US President Donald Trump’s war powers.
- “Initial phase”: Senior U.S. officials warned Wednesday that the country will begin carrying out operations inside Iran and that the operation is still in its early stages.
- US objectives: The White House press secretary said US goals are to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile program, “annihilate” its naval presence, dismantle its allied groups considered terrorists and prevent the country from developing a nuclear weapon. According to her, a change of regime is not the main objective.
- School bombing: The White House has not ruled out that the US military carried out an attack on a girls’ elementary school in Iran during the initial joint US-Israeli bombings that killed at least 168 children, according to Iranian state media.
What is happening in Iran and Lebanon?
- Early morning attacks: Israel launched its 11th wave of attacks against Iran since the start of the conflict, with bombings flying over Tehran overnight until Thursday morning, targeting military infrastructure.
- Non-Lebanese attacks: Israel also stated on Wednesday night that it had again attacked Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut, without giving details. Israel has been bombing parts of the country throughout the week after the Iranian-backed armed group fired projectiles from Lebanon into Israel.
- Number of deaths: More than 1,100 civilians have been killed in Iran since Saturday, according to a US-based rights group. In Lebanon, at least 77 people died in Israeli bombings, according to the country’s Ministry of Health — including three paramedics.
- Difficult conditions: Many residents of southern Lebanon began exhausting journeys after Israel ordered an evacuation from the region; some displaced families were forced to sleep on the streets at night. Many Tehran residents have fled to the countryside, while those who remain shelter at home, living in fear of constant shelling.
- Next Supreme Leader: Iran’s top clerics are still working to choose a successor for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in US and Israeli attacks on Saturday. Israel warned that any new leader would be “an unequivocal target for elimination.”
What happens in the rest of the region?
- Iran reacts: Iran launched a new barrage of missiles against Israel during the early hours of Thursday. The country also continues to attack neighboring Gulf states armed with American weapons and air defense systems, although the US says the pace of Iranian airstrikes has slowed.
- Deaths elsewhere: Although the highest death tolls are in Iran and Lebanon, more than two dozen people have died elsewhere — in Iranian attacks on Israel and Gulf countries, as well as US and Israeli bombings in Iraq.
- Attack on Amazon: Iran launched a drone attack on an Amazon data center in Bahrain, a state-linked news agency reported. Iranian drones also targeted two Amazon facilities in the United Arab Emirates.
- Oil leak: Oil is leaking from a tanker anchored near Kuwait after an explosion nearby. All crew members are safe, but the leak could cause environmental damage.
- Kurdish-Iranian cooperation: The president of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region and Iran’s foreign minister pledged “cooperation” in a phone call on Wednesday. CNN previously reported that the CIA intends to foment a rebellion in Iran by arming Iranian Kurds.
- Diplomatic exits: The United States authorized the departure of non-essential employees and their families from several Middle Eastern countries on Wednesday, and Qatari authorities are evacuating residents living near the American embassy following Iranian attacks on US facilities in the region this week.
- US Evacuations: The first US evacuation flight left the Middle East on Wednesday, after the Trump administration came under fire for not having a prepared withdrawal plan. More than 17,500 Americans have returned to the U.S. since Feb. 28, the State Department reported Wednesday night.
- Impacts on travel: Israel has begun reopening its main international airport to inbound flights, with the first of two return flights landing on Thursday. Some flights have departed from major Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai and Jeddah, but many travelers are still trying to find ways to leave the region.
