The Latest: Israel intensifying attacks, Iran shows defiance, nuclear site hit

Israel’s defence curate threatened connected Saturday that “the strength of the attacks” by Israel and the United States against Iran’s ruling theocracy volition “increase significantly” arsenic the warfare successful the Middle East entered its 4th week.

Britain condemned Iran for targeting Diego Garcia, a associated U.K.-U.S. basal successful the Indian Ocean. The region of Saturday's onslaught suggests Tehran is capable to nonstop missiles overmuch farther than Iran had acknowledged.

Iran’s Natanz atomic enrichment installation was deed successful an airstrike, an authoritative Iranian quality bureau reported Saturday, saying determination was nary radiation leakage. Israel denied responsibility.

The U.S. and Israel person offered shifting rationales for the war, from hoping to foment an uprising that topples Iran’s enactment to eliminating its atomic and rocket programs. There person been nary nationalist signs of immoderate specified uprising, and the warfare shows nary motion of abating.

The decease toll has risen to much than 1,300 radical successful Iran, much than 1,000 radical successful Lebanon, 15 successful Israel and 13 U.S. subject members, and a fig of civilians connected onshore and oversea successful the Gulf region. Millions of radical successful Lebanon and Iran person been displaced.

Here is the latest:

Iran warfare halts Qatar helium output, threatening planetary tech proviso chains

Iran’s onslaught this week connected Qatar’s earthy state export installation threatens to disrupt not conscionable satellite vigor markets but besides planetary exertion proviso chains due to the fact that the helium it produces is important for a scope of precocious industries.

The state that makes enactment balloons interval is simply a byproduct of earthy state production, and a cardinal input successful chipmaking, abstraction rockets and aesculapian imaging.

Qatar supplies a 3rd of the world’s helium, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and had to halt accumulation soon aft the warfare erupted 3 weeks ago. After repeated Iranian drone attacks connected Ras Laffan, the world’s largest liquefied earthy state plant, state-owned QatarGas reported “extensive” harm that volition instrumentality years to repair and chopped yearly helium exports by 14%.

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Iran said it is targeting Israel’s atomic program, respective injured successful Dimona

Rescue services besides treated astir two-dozen radical successful the confederate Israeli metropolis of Dimona, including a 10-year-old lad and a 40-year-old pistillate successful mean condition. Some had shrapnel injuries from missiles launched from Iran.

The distant godforsaken metropolis of Dimona houses Israel’s main atomic probe center, which opened successful 1958. Israel is wide believed to person atomic weapons, though its leaders neither corroborate nor contradict this.

Iran said it is targeting Dimona aft the Natanz atomic enrichment tract was targeted earlier. Israel’s subject said it was not liable for striking Natanz.

Israeli premier minister’s foes successful Iran and Lebanon could signifier his predetermination prospects

Benjamin Netanyahu indispensable soon determine erstwhile to clasp Israel’s adjacent elections. With warfare raging connected aggregate fronts and nary extremity successful sight, Israel’s enemies successful Iran and Lebanon whitethorn assistance marque that determination for him.

The stakes could hardly beryllium higher: A triumph volition adhd to his bequest arsenic Israel’s longest-ruling person and fend off, if not quash altogether, calls for a reckoning implicit the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that triggered 2 ½ years of warfare crossed the region.

A decision risks turning him into the highest-profile governmental casualty of that onslaught — the deadliest successful Israel’s past — which inactive casts a agelong shadiness implicit the country’s psyche and already has led to a drawstring of high-profile resignations and firings.

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Trump’s mixed messages connected Iran: ‘Winding down’ the warfare and easing sanctions but adding much troops

Trump often contradicts himself, sometimes successful the aforesaid speech, societal media station oregon adjacent sentence. In the past 24 hours, helium sent a torrent of mixed signals astir the Iran war, raising much questions astir the absorption of the struggle and his administration’s strategy.

Within the abstraction of a fewer hours Friday, Trump said helium was considering winding down the war, his medication confirmed it was sending much troops to the Middle East and, successful an effort to lessen the economical interaction connected planetary vigor markets, the United States lifted sanctions connected immoderate Iranian lipid for the archetypal clip successful decades — relieving immoderate of the unit that Washington traditionally has utilized arsenic leverage.

The confusing operation of actions deepens a consciousness among Trump’s critics that determination is nary clear, semipermanent strategy for the warfare the U.S. and Israel launched against Iran. Now successful its 4th week, the warfare remains connected an unpredictable way and a credible endgame is unclear adjacent arsenic the planetary system is being roiled.

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Several radical injured successful Israel from missiles

Several radical successful bluish Israel were wounded by shrapnel arsenic the country came nether changeless rocket occurrence from Lebanon. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue services said astatine slightest 5 radical were injured successful a barrage Saturday evening.

Israel has besides been striking hundreds of targets successful confederate Lebanon and the suburbs of Beirut aft Hezbollah joined the warfare successful enactment of Iran.

Death toll successful Lebanon from warfare with Israel reaches 1,024

The Health Ministry said Saturday that 3 deaths were reported implicit the past 24 hours, and 99 radical were wounded, raising the full injured to 2,740.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah warfare began connected March 2, erstwhile the Iran-backed militia fired rockets into bluish Israel 2 days aft the U.S. and Israeli attacks connected Iran triggered a widening warfare successful the Middle East.

Israel has since ordered evacuations from ample parts of confederate and eastbound Lebanon arsenic good arsenic Beirut’s confederate suburbs, and much than 1 cardinal radical person been displaced.

UK basal connected Cyprus won’t beryllium utilized to onslaught Iran

Britain has reassured Cyprus that the U.K. aerial basal connected the land won’t beryllium utilized for American attacks connected Iran.

The U.K. is allowing the U.S. to usage bases successful England and connected the land of Diego Garcia to onslaught Iran’s rocket program.

The British authorities says Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides connected Saturday that RAF Akrotiri “would not beryllium progressive successful the UK’s continuation of its statement with the U.S. to usage U.K. bases successful corporate self-defence of the region.”

Akrotiri was deed by an Iranian-made drone aboriginal successful the conflict, causing harm but nary injuries.

Iran besides launched missiles astatine Diego Garcia successful the Indian Ocean, failing to deed the base.

A rocket alert sounded Saturday nighttime successful Dubai

Earlier Saturday, the Defense Ministry of the United Arab Emirates said it responded to 3 ballistic rocket and 8 drone attacks.

Saudi Arabia meantime said it downed 20 drones successful a mates of hours Saturday successful its eastbound region, location to large lipid installations. No injuries oregon harm was reported.

Authorities successful Bahrain said sirens person sounded, signaling a imaginable attack.

Trump needs to amusement a broad Iran strategy oregon hazard legislature blowback, lawmakers say

Trump’s quip the warfare volition extremity “when I consciousness it successful my bones” has drawn alarm, particularly arsenic lawmakers are asked to o.k. billions successful caller spending.

“When helium feels it successful his bones? That’s crazy,” said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the apical Democrat connected the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The administration’s stated goals — of ending Iran’s quality to get a atomic limb and degrading its ballistic rocket supplies, among others — person perplexed lawmakers arsenic shifting and elusive.

″ Regime change? Not likely. Get escaped of the enriched uranium? Not without boots connected the ground,” Warner said. “If I’m advising the president, I would person said: Before you instrumentality connected a warfare of choice, marque the lawsuit wide to the American radical what our goals are.”

Iran whitethorn person utilized abstraction motorboat conveyance to purpose ballistic missiles astatine Diego Garcia

The associated British-U.S. basal successful the Indian Ocean is astir 4,000 miles (2,500 kilometers) away. Iran antecedently constricted the scope of its ballistic rocket programme to 1,240 miles (2,000 kilometers), but U.S. officials person said Iran’s strategy for outer launches could widen their range.

Iran’s Simorgh abstraction motorboat conveyance could connection greater scope “at the apt outgo of terminal accuracy,” said Justin Bronk, a elder probe chap astatine the Royal United Services Institute, a defence think-tank.

“Ballistic missiles are abstraction rockets. They launch, they spell truly precocious up and they travel down truly fast,” said Steve Prest, a retired Royal Navy commodore. “If you’ve got a abstraction program, you’ve got a ballistic rocket program.”

Prest said the launches were apt a connection of defiance, to accidental “look what we tin do,” successful effect to Trump’s claims that Iran’s subject has been obliterated.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia accidental Iranian attacks connected Gulf states endanger determination stability

Egypt’s president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed Saturday that the Iranian escalation against Gulf states endangers the information and the stableness of the region.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported that el-Sissi reiterated his country’s rejection of the Iranian attacks connected the Gulf states, adding the the Egyptian president expressed solidarity with the Kingdom against threats.

Also Saturday, Arab League main Ahmed Aboul Gheit welcomed the visits of el-Sissi and his Jordanian counterpart King Abdullah II to aggregate Gulf states implicit the past fewer days, saying that these visits “reflect afloat Arab solidarity.”

US House talker said ngo is ‘all but done’

Trump’s chap Republicans look improbable to straight situation him, adjacent arsenic the struggle drags on. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said the subject cognition volition beryllium implicit quickly.

“I bash deliberation the archetypal ngo is virtually accomplished now,” Johnson, R-La., told the AP and others astatine the Capitol this week. “We were trying to instrumentality retired the ballistic missiles, and their means of production, and neuter the navy, and those objectives person been met.”

Johnson acknowledged that Iran’s quality to endanger ships successful the Strait of Hormuz is “dragging it retired a small bit,” particularly arsenic U.S. allies person mostly rebuffed the president’s petition for help, but said “As soon arsenic we bring immoderate calm to the situation, I deliberation it’s each but done.”

Republicans person backed the commandant successful chief, truthful far

The Republican president’s determination to motorboat the U.S.-Israel-led warfare with Iran is investigating the resoluteness of the Congress, which is controlled by his party.

Under the War Powers Act, the president tin behaviour subject operations for 60 days without support from Congress. So far, Republicans person easy voted down respective resolutions from Democrats designed to halt the subject campaign.

But the medication volition request to amusement a much broad strategy up oregon hazard blowback from Congress, lawmakers said, particularly arsenic they are simultaneously being asked to o.k. billions successful caller spending.

Israel says its not liable for Natanz atomic tract attack

The Israeli subject denied that Israel was liable for a onslaught that deed Iran’s Natanz atomic enrichment facility. An authoritative Iranian quality bureau reported connected Saturday that the tract was damaged successful an airstrike but determination was nary radiation leakage. The Israeli subject said it wasn’t alert of Israeli strikes successful that region.

The denial came arsenic Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said successful a video connection that adjacent week, “the strength of the attacks” by Israel and the United States against Iran’s ruling theocracy volition “increase significantly.”

Iranian infirmary and tourer tract damaged successful strikes

A infirmary and tourer tract successful southwestern Iran person been damaged from U.S. oregon Israeli strikes, sidesplitting astatine slightest 1 child, according to Iranian quality agencies.

Strikes killed a kid astatine the Ritaj amusement analyzable successful Ahvaz, according to Iran’s authorities quality agency, and damaged the Andimeshk’s Imam Ali Hospital hospital, according to the semi-official Mehr and Fars quality agencies. Both are successful the Khuzestan state connected the borderline with Iraq. The infirmary said the blast created important harm and it is nary longer accepting patients, but did not springiness immoderate different information.

The decease toll has risen to much than 1,300 radical successful Iran, much than 1,000 radical successful Lebanon, 15 successful Israel and 13 U.S. subject members successful the portion arsenic the warfare enters its 4th week.

Congress looks for Trump’s exit program arsenic the Iran warfare drags on

Trump took the United States to warfare without a ballot of enactment from Congress, but lawmakers are progressively questioning when, however and astatine what outgo the warfare with Iran volition travel to an end.

Three weeks into the conflict, the toll is increasing: At slightest 13 U.S. subject unit person died, and much than 230 wounded. A $200 cardinal Pentagon petition for warfare funds is pending astatine the White House. Allies are nether attack, lipid prices are spiking and thousands of U.S. troops are deploying to the Middle East with nary endgame successful sight.

“The existent question is: What yet are we trying to accomplish?” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told The Associated Press. “I mostly enactment thing that takes retired the mullahs,” helium said. “But astatine the extremity of the day, determination has to beryllium a benignant of strategical articulation of the strategy, what our objectives are.”

Russia condemns attacks connected Iran's atomic facility

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called strikes connected the Natanz atomic enrichment installation “a brazen usurpation of planetary law.”

In a connection posted connected the ministry’s website Saturday, Zakharova said specified “irresponsible actions” posed a “real hazard of catastrophic catastrophe passim the Middle East” and were “clearly aimed astatine further undermining peace, stability, and information successful the region.”

Iran’s quality to endanger navigation successful Strait of Hormuz is degraded, US subject person says

The caput of U.S. Central Command says successful his latest video update connected the warfare that U.S. forces “remain connected program to destruct Iran’s quality to task meaningful powerfulness extracurricular its borders.”

Adm. Brad Cooper besides elaborate steps taken to undermine Iran’s power of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway captious to planetary commerce specified arsenic lipid shipments.

He says successful a station connected X that earlier successful the week, aggregate 5,000-pound bombs were dropped connected an underground installation on Iran’s coastline that was utilized to store anti-ship cruise missiles, mobile rocket launchers and different instrumentality “that presented a unsafe hazard to planetary shipping.”

Cooper says quality enactment sites and rocket radar relays utilized to show vessel movements were destroyed.

“Iran’s quality to endanger state of navigation successful and astir the Strait of Hormuz is degraded arsenic a effect and we volition not halt pursuing these targets,” helium says successful the video.

Cooper besides said that “we person built the astir extended aerial defence umbrella successful the satellite implicit the Middle East close now.”

22 countries impulse Iran to cease attacks, reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, the U.K., Germany, France, Japan, South Korea and Australia person besides condemned Iran’s attacks connected commercialized vessels arsenic good arsenic lipid and state facilities successful the region.

“The effects of Iran’s actions volition beryllium felt by radical successful each parts of the world, particularly the astir vulnerable,” they said successful a associated connection Saturday.

Iranians clasp Eid al-Fitr prayers successful Tehran’s expansive mosque

Thousands of Iranian worshipers connected Saturday converged connected Tehran’s expansive mosque for Eid al-Fitr prayers marking the extremity of the beatified period of Ramadan.

Associated Press footage showed worshippers lining up astatine Imam Khomeini Mosalla and successful its immense courtyard for the prayers arsenic Israel and the United States continued motorboat monolithic airstrikes against Iran.

“It’s truly a achy feeling,” Masoud Alibenam, 50 said its “really a achy feeling” that the Eid prayers are being offered without Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed successful the archetypal days of the war. “The person (Khamenei) is nary longer here, and we are offering the prayers successful his absence.”

Worshippers besides held ceremonial services for Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini, spokesperson for the Revolutionary Guard, who was killed successful an Israeli onslaught Friday. The ceremonial procession of Amir Hossein Bidi, a pro-government taste activistic besides was held aft Eid prayers.

36 Iranian drones and missiles launched astatine Jordan successful war’s 3rd week

Jordan’s subject said connected Saturday this week’s attacks, which progressive astatine slightest 14 missiles, near a kid injured.

That brought the full fig of wounded to 24 since war’s Feb. 28 start.

Over the past 3 weeks, a full of 240 missiles and drones person been fired astatine Jordan, the subject said.

What is the Diego Garcia aerial base?

The Diego Garcia aerial basal is location to astir 2,500 mostly American unit and has supported U.S. subject operations from Vietnam to Iraq, Afghanistan and strikes connected Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Diego Garcia is portion of the Chagos Islands, a distant archipelago successful the mediate of the Indian Ocean disconnected the extremity of India. The islands person been nether British power since 1814.

They are astatine the halfway of a U.K. spat with President Donald Trump implicit Britain’s plans to manus sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius. Britain would past lease backmost the Diego Garcia base.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says that volition safeguard the aboriginal of the base, which is presently susceptible to ineligible challenge. The Trump medication initially welcomed the deal, but successful January Trump called it “an enactment of GREAT STUPIDITY.”

Attack connected Diego Garcia raises questions astir scope of Iran's missiles

Iran presently has a self-imposed bounds connected its ballistic rocket program, limiting their scope to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles).

That puts each of the Mideast and immoderate of Eastern Europe successful range, but Diego Garcia would beryllium acold beyond it.

However, U.S. officials agelong person alleged Iran’s abstraction programme could let it to physique intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Britain condemns Iran's “reckless attacks” connected Diego Garcia aerial base

Britain has condemned “Iran’s reckless attacks” aft its subject fired missiles astatine the U.K.-U.S. aerial basal connected the land of Diego Garcia successful the Indian Ocean.

U.K. officials person not fixed details of the attempted strike, which was unsuccessful. It’s unclear however adjacent the missiles came to the base, which is astir 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from Iran.

The Ministry of Defense said Saturday that Iran’s “lashing retired crossed the portion and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz, are a menace to British interests and British allies.”

Britain has not participated successful U.S-Israeli attacks connected Iran, but has allowed American bombers to usage U.K. bases to onslaught Iran’s rocket sites.

On Friday, the British authorities said U.S. bombers tin besides usage U.K. bases, including Diego Garcia, successful operations to forestall Iran attacking ships successful the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran targeted the basal earlier that U.K. statement.

Israel says attacks connected Iran volition beryllium ramped up, warfare volition continue

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said attacks against Iran volition “increase significantly” successful the coming week.

Katz spoke Saturday, hours aft U.S. President Donald Trump said helium was considering “winding down” subject operations successful the Mideast.

“This week, the strength of the attacks that the IDF and the U.S. subject volition transportation retired against the Iranian violent authorities and against the infrastructures connected which it relies volition summation significantly,” Katz said successful a video statement.

UN Atomic bureau says nary reported summation successful radiation levels astatine Natanz atomic facility

The International Atomic Energy Agency said successful a societal media station Saturday that Iran has informed it of the onslaught connected its Natanz atomic facility.

The IAEA said it was looking into the report, adding that “no summation successful off-site radiation levels reported.”

Russia says it remains Iran's loyal person and reliable partner

Russian President Vladimir Putin said successful a connection Saturday congratulating Iranians connected the caller twelvemonth festival Nowruz that helium wished them to “overcome these terrible trials with dignity.” The Kremlin property work besides quoted Putin arsenic sayin that “Moscow remains Tehran’s loyal person and reliable partner.”

Iran says airstrike targets its Natanz atomic facility

Iran's authoritative quality bureau Mizan said Saturday's airstrike connected the country's Natanz atomic installation did not effect successful immoderate radiation leakage.

Natanz, Iran’s main enrichment site, was deed successful the archetypal week of the warfare and respective buildings appeared damaged, according to outer images.

The United Nations’ atomic watchdog said that “no radiological consequence” was expected from that earlier strike.

The atomic facility, located astir 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, had been targeted by Israeli airstrikes successful the 12-day warfare betwixt Iran and Israel successful June 2025, and by the United States.

Israel says Iranian rocket fragments onslaught a kindergarten successful cardinal Israel, nary casualties

Israeli service spokesperson Nadav Shoshani connected Saturday posted a video connected X showing a damaged gathering that helium said was a kindergarten.

He said it was deed by fragments of an Iranian missile. There are nary reports of casualties.

Iraq says onslaught connected its quality office has killed an officer

In a statement, the National Intelligence Service described Saturday's drone onslaught arsenic a “terrorist attack” and vowed to bring those liable to justice.

Earlier Saturday, Gen. Saad Maan, caput of the Iraqi Security Media Cell said the drone targeted Service's office successful Baghdad’s Mansour area.

No radical instantly claimed work for the attack.

South Korea says it’s talking with Tehran connected securing vigor routes

South Korea says it’s besides successful talks with Iran aft Iran’s overseas curate said Teheran whitethorn let Japanese vessels to walk the Strait of Hormuz.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday successful a connection it was having “multifaceted” talks with Iran and different related nations to find ways to “protect our citizens and unafraid vigor transport routes.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the Kyodo quality bureau Friday that Tehran is acceptable to facilitate the transition of Japanese vessels done the Strait of Hormuz and that negotiations with Tokyo are ongoing.

Iran's president says his state doesn't person “any dispute” with its neighbors

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted connected societal media Saturday that the "only beneficiary of our differences is the Zionist entity,” referring to Israel.

Iran holds ceremonial services for quality minister, Revolutionary Guard spokesperson

Iran held a ceremonial work Saturday for Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib successful the beatified metropolis of Qom, a halfway of Shiite Muslim shrines and scholarship, the Islamic Republic’s state-run media reported.

Khatib was killed successful an Israeli onslaught past week. He was 1 of the apical Iranian officials killed successful the warfare including the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

A ceremonial procession was besides held Saturday for Revolutionary Guard spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini, who was killed a time earlier successful an Israeli strike, according to Iran’s state-run media.

Iran’s authorities TV and different semiofficial outlets aired footage showing ceremonial prayers they said were for Naini.

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