As the conflict between Iran and the United States-Israel entered its sixth day on Thursday, several major developments have unfolded, as the exchange of airstrikes between the three countries intensifies.
Iran launched a wave of missiles at Israel early today, sending millions of residents into bomb shelters, the Israeli military said, as sirens went off in communities across central Israel, the Jerusalem area and parts of the West Bank. However, there were no victims. The IDF subsequently announced that it was safe for Israelis to leave their bomb shelters.
Iran said it attacked the headquarters of Kurdish forces in Iraqi Kurdistan, according to Iranian state media, following attacks on Kurdish regions in both Iran and Iraq.
“We attacked the headquarters of Kurdish groups opposed to the revolution in Iraqi Kurdistan with three missiles,” Iran’s official IRNA news agency said on X.
The Israeli military said it had launched new attacks against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. At least eight people died between Wednesday night and early Thursday, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry and the state news agency.
The Israeli army also attacked a building in the Palestinian Beddawi camp in the coastal city of Tripoli, killing two people, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.
Hezbollah command centers in Beirut were hit overnight by a wave of Israeli airstrikes, the Israeli military said. Lebanese state media reported that a senior Hamas official was killed in the attacks.
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Israel also launched new attacks on Tehran on Thursday, the Israeli military said.
Italy to send air defense aid to Gulf countries
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Thursday that Italy plans to send air defense aid to Gulf countries in the face of Iranian airstrikes.
“Like the United Kingdom, France and Germany, Italy intends to send assistance to the Gulf countries, specifically in the field of defense and in particular air defense,” Meloni told radio station RTL 102.5, CNN reported.
“This is not only because they are friendly nations, but above all because tens of thousands of Italians live in the region and around 2,000 Italian troops are deployed there: people we want and must protect,” he added.
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Strait of Hormuz closed to ships from the US, Israel and Europe
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes, whose traffic has been reduced since the war began, is now closed to ships from the United States, Israel, Europe and other Western allies, CNN reported.
“We had previously said that, based on international laws and resolutions, in times of war the Islamic Republic of Iran will have the right to control the passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
IDF shoots down missile launcher in Iran
The Israeli military on Thursday destroyed a ballistic missile launcher, armed and ready to be launched towards Israel, in the Qom area of Iran.
The Israeli army also attacked a Hezbollah command center in a new attack on Beirut. In a post on X, the military said: “Among the command centers attacked was one used by the air unit of the terrorist organization Hezbollah.”
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The Israeli military said Hezbollah used selected command centers to advance and carry out several plots against IDF forces and Israeli civilians.
Iran denies firing missile at Türkiye
Iran’s armed forces denied firing any missiles into Turkish territory and said they respect the country’s sovereignty, Reuters reported, citing Iranian state media.
Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that a drone had been directed into Turkish airspace but was attacked and neutralized by NATO air and missile defense systems over the eastern Mediterranean.
Saudi Arabia intercepts drones
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday morning that its forces intercepted and destroyed several drones flying over the country. According to a statement posted on social media, one drone was shot down east of the northern Al-Jawf region, while three others were intercepted east of Al-Kharj governorate, located southeast of Riyadh. The ministry did not specify the origin of the drones.
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Death toll increases
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 1,114 civilians in Iran have been killed since the war began on Saturday. The last rites of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed on February 28 during the first phase of US-Israeli airstrikes, have been postponed.
The toll includes 183 children, most of them under the age of 10, according to the latest figures released by HRANA on Thursday, CNN reported.
In Israel, at least 1,473 Israelis have been hospitalized since the war began. The Ministry of Health reported that in the last 24 hours, 199 injured people have been taken to hospitals as a result of the conflict with Iran, according to The Times of Israel.
Iranian warship torpedoed
Another major development came on Thursday when Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States of committing an “atrocity at sea” after a A US submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters.
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At least 87 people were reported dead after the Iranian warship, which was returning from Visakhapatnam following an exercise organized by the Indian Navy last month, was torpedoed by a US submarine off the southern coast of Sri Lanka early on Wednesday.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath identified the Iranian ship as IRIS Dena. It was the first time a U.S. attack submarine had used a torpedo to sink a combat ship since 1945.
Araghchi, in a post on
“Mark my words: the United States will come to bitterly regret the precedent it has set,” he added.
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Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli, in one of the few public statements by Iran’s clerical leaders so far, said the country was “on the brink of a great test” and urged action against its enemies during remarks on state television.
He called for “the shedding of Zionist blood” and “the shedding of Trump’s blood,” adding: “Fight the oppressive America: its blood is on my shoulders.”
Republicans back Trump
US Senate Republicans backed President Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran, blocking a measure that would have limited President Trump’s power to continue waging war against Iran without congressional authorization, voting 53-47 against it, as the conflict expands into a broader international crisis.
Evacuation efforts intensify
A US government charter flight departed the Middle East en route to the United States, as part of our ongoing efforts to help Americans return home on Thursday, the US State Department said.
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“Additional flights will be increased throughout the region, and U.S. citizens in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel interested in the Department’s ground transportation or charter flight options should complete the Crisis Intake Form at mytravel.state.gov or contact the Department of State’s 24/7 Task Force,” it added.
More than 17,500 U.S. citizens have returned safely to the United States from the Middle East since Feb. 28, and more than 8,500 returned on Wednesday alone, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson said.
Flight disruptions
Qatar Airways said flight operations from Doha remain suspended due to the closure of airspace.
The airline said operations will resume after authorities announce the safe reopening of Qatari airspace.
“A new update will be provided on March 6 at 09:00 Doha time,” the airline said.
Limited relief flights will operate from March 5 to help stranded passengers, including:
- Flights from Muscat to London Heathrow, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Rome and Amsterdam
- A flight from Riyadh to Frankfurt
Passengers were advised not to proceed to the airport unless they received official notification from Qatar Airways.
Oman Air also announced the cancellation of flights to and from several destinations on March 6, 7 and 8 due to ongoing airspace closures, including Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad and Khasab.
Pentagon releases names of soldiers killed in Kuwait drone attack
The Pentagon released the names of the last two of the six soldiers killed in a recent drone strike in Kuwait.
They were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, and Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa.
The four soldiers previously identified were Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa; Sergeant. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida, and Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska.
Notice from Indian Embassy in Qatar
The Indian Embassy in Qatar issued a fresh advisory on Thursday, urging Indian citizens to strictly follow the safety guidelines issued by Qatari authorities.
“Flight operations from Hamad International Airport remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. Qatar Airways and other flights remain suspended,” the notice said.
The embassy also provided new helpline numbers:
+974 55647502 and +974 55362508.
Queries can also be sent to the embassy via email at cons.doha@mea.gov.in.
