The constant sound of explosions has become the default soundtrack in the Middle East, as the US military led by Donald Trump, along with its “wonderful partner” Israel, continues its offensive against Iran.
Angry after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tehran provided a strong response to the military campaign that began with Operation Epic Fury for the United States and Operation Lion’s Roar for Israel.Violent military operations in the Middle East region have entered their seventh day.The US military, in a large-scale show of force, struck several defense installations and key sites across Iran, including the capital, Tehran.
In response, Tehran launched forceful retaliatory strikes, launching multiple missile attacks across the region targeting US military bases and other sites in the Middle East, marking the start of the 19th wave of Operation True Promise 4 on Thursday morning.Donald Trump on combat operations in Iran: “The United States military, in cooperation with great Israeli partners, continues to completely destroy the enemy well ahead of schedule… We are destroying more Iranian missile and drone capabilities every hour.”
Trump has repeatedly called for the fall of the Tehran regime and suggested that the United States help choose the next Iranian leader. Among those selected in the race to become the next Ayatollah after Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba Khamenei has been described as an “unacceptable” choice for the Trump-led United States.The intensified military attacks that began last weekend, even after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, have shown no signs of abating.
Instead, the skies of the Middle East continue to echo the escalating roar of strikes.
Here are the most important developments
“Ready for a long war”: Iran
The Iranian military reflected on its preparedness amid the rapidly escalating situation, saying: “We are prepared for a long war. Our new inventions are on the way. We have not used anything on a large scale yet. Let the enemy expect painful blows in every attack wave.”
The American strike targets the Iranian “drone carrier”.
The US military said it struck an Iranian ship, which it described as a “drone carrier,” which it said was “now on fire.”“US forces are not backing down from the mission to sink the entire Iranian Navy,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X, as the joint US-Israeli military offensive on Iran entered its seventh day.US Central Command described the drone carrier as “roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier.”The post did not mention the location of the attack.A video clip published by US Central Command showed the alleged Iranian ship surrounded by thick smoke after it was subjected to US strikes.
Satellite images show the extent of the destruction
New satellite images show the extent of damage across Iran after days of intense military strikes.The pictures provide a clearer picture of the intense military operations that were carried out in several parts of the country.But the strikes were not limited to military sites.
Schools damaged during the bombing campaign
Two schools in Iran appeared to have been damaged on Thursday during a bombing campaign carried out by the United States and Israel.Pictures of two boys’ schools, a primary school and a middle school, located southwest of the capital, Tehran, show broken windows and damaged or collapsed classroom walls.The photos were published by the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim. Exterior photos were later verified by The New York Times.Analysis of satellite images also showed numerous strike marks and burn scars around a school in southern Iran, suggesting it may have been bombed more than once. Iranian authorities say the attack killed 168 people on Saturday.The damage to the two schools was reported about a week after dozens of people, many of them children, were killed when a girls’ school was bombed in the town of Minab in southern Iran.The two schools that were damaged on Thursday are located in the city of Parand, southwest of Tehran. Shortly after the raids, a photo of a large gray plume of smoke appeared online. The New York Times later verified the photo and confirmed that the smoke came from the area where the two schools are located.
Trump says US should help choose next Iranian leader
Donald Trump said the United States should be involved in choosing Iran’s next leader.Speaking to Reuters in a phone interview, Trump said it would be “terrific” if Iranian Kurdish forces stationed in Iraq crossed the border into Iran to attack security forces.Trump said it was unlikely that Iran’s next leader would be the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a military strike at the beginning of the war.“We’re going to have to choose that person with Iran. We’re going to have to choose that person,” Trump said.Speaking six days after the US and Israel launched their attacks, Trump also supported Kurdish fighters taking action.“I think it’s great that they want to do that, and I would totally support that,” the president said.The conflict has killed more than 1,000 people, including at least six American soldiers, and caused widespread damage and instability across the Middle East.
Israel launches new strikes on Tehran
Israel said it launched a new wave of air strikes on Tehran early Friday.The Israeli army said it carried out “a large-scale wave of strikes against the infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime in Tehran.”Iranian state television reported that several explosions occurred in different areas of the capital.
Hezbollah warns Israelis near the Lebanese border
The Lebanon-based Hezbollah group said its fighters had returned to support Iran after a senior leader of the Shiite group was killed in previous strikes.Hezbollah issued a warning in Hebrew asking Israeli residents in northern Israel to evacuate settlements located 5 kilometers from the border with Lebanon.The group said in its statement that the Israeli army’s actions against Lebanese sovereignty, civilians and infrastructure “will not go unanswered.”
Qatar intercepts a drone targeting a US air base
The Qatari Ministry of Defense announced that its air defense systems intercepted a drone targeting Al Udeid Air Base in Doha.The authorities had previously raised the security alert level and asked residents to stay in their homes and away from windows or exposed areas.
The US House of Representatives supports Trump’s military campaign
On Thursday, the US House of Representatives rejected an attempt to stop the air war launched by President Donald Trump against Iran, and demanded Congressional approval for military action.Lawmakers voted 219 to 212, mostly along party lines. The House of Representatives currently enjoys a slim Republican majority.Two Republicans supported the resolution, while four Democrats voted against it.Opponents accused Democrats of holding the vote simply because they oppose Trump.“We all know we wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for President Donald Trump’s name,” said Rick Crawford, Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.Supporters of the resolution said it was an attempt to restore Congress’s constitutional authority to approve war.The conflict began after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Saturday, a war that has claimed more than 1,000 lives and increased instability across the Middle East.
