As the conflict between Iran and the US-Israel entered its sixth day on Thursday, several major developments have unfolded, as the exchange of airstrikes between the three countries escalates.
Iran launched a wave of missiles at Israel early today, sending millions of residents into bomb shelters, the IDF reported, as sirens were activated in communities across central Israel, the Jerusalem area and parts of the West Bank. However, there were no casualties. The IDF later announced that it was safe for Israelis to leave their bomb shelters.
Iran said it targeted the headquarters of Kurdish forces in Iraqi Kurdistan, according to Iranian state media, following strikes on Kurdish regions in both Iran and Iraq.
“We targeted 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 fresh strikes against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. At least eight people were killed between late Wednesday and early Thursday, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry and the state news agency.
The Israeli military also struck a building in the Beddawi Palestinian camp in the coastal city of Tripoli, killing two people, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.
Hezbollah command centres in Beirut were targeted in a wave of overnight Israeli airstrikes, the Israeli military said. Lebanese state media reported that a senior Hamas official was killed in the strikes.
Israel also launched fresh strikes on Tehran on Thursday, the IDF said.
Italy to send air defence aid to Gulf countries
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday said that Italy is planning to send air defense aid to Gulf countries in the face of Iranian air strikes.
“Like the United Kingdom, France and Germany, Italy intends to send assistance to Gulf countries, specifically in the field of defense and in particular air defense,” Meloni told radio station RTL 102.5, reported CNN.
“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,” she added.
Strait of Hormuz closed to ships from the US, Israel and Europe
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, which has seen traffic dry up since the war began — is now closed to ships from the US, Israel, Europe and other Western allies, reported CNN.
“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 passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
IDF strikes down missile launcher in Iran
The Israeli military on Thursday destroyed a ballistic missile launcher — armed and ready for launch towards Israel — in the Qom area in Iran.
The Israeli military also struck a Hezbollah command centre in a fresh strike on Beirut. In a post on X, the military said: “Among the command centres struck was one used by the aerial unit of the Hezbollah terror organisation.”
The Israeli military said Hezbollah used the command centres targeted to advance and carry out various plots against IDF forces and Israeli civilians.
Iran denies firing missile toward Turkey
Iran’s armed forces denied firing any missile toward Turkish territory and said they respect the country’s sovereignty, Reuters reported, quoting Iranian state media.
Turkey’s Defence Ministry on Wednesday said that a drone had been directed towards Turkish airspace but was engaged and neutralized by NATO air and missile defence systems over the eastern Mediterranean.
Saudi Arabia intercepts drones
Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said early Thursday that its forces intercepted and destroyed several drones flying over the country. According to a statement posted on social media, one drone was brought 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.
Death toll rises
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, who was 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 hospitalised since the war began. The Health Ministry reported that in the past 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 US submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters.
At least 87 people were reported dead after the Iranian warship — which was returning from Visakhapatnam following an exercise organised by the Indian Navy last month — was torpedoed by a US submarine off the southern coast of Sri Lanka early Wednesday.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath identified the Iranian vessel as IRIS Dena. It was the first time a US attack submarine had used a torpedo to sink a combat ship since 1945.
Araghchi, in a post on X, said: “The US has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores. Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning.”
“Mark my words: The US will come to bitterly regret the precedent it has set,” he added.
Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli, in one of the few public statements from Iran’s clerical leadership so far, said the country was “on the verge 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 — his blood is on my shoulders.”
Republicans back Trump
US Senate Republicans backed US 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 authorisation, voting 53 to 47 against it — as the conflict expands into a wider international crisis.
Evacuation efforts ramp up
A US government charter flight departed the Middle East in route to the United States, as part of our ongoing efforts to assist Americans return home on Thursday, the US State Department said.
“Additional flights will be surged across the region, and American citizens in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel interested in the Department’s charter flight or ground transportation options should complete the Crisis Intake Form at mytravel.state.gov or contact the State Department’s 24/7 Task Force,” it added.
More than 17,500 American citizens have returned safely to the United States from the Middle East since February 28, with over 8,500 returning 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 airspace closures.
The airline said operations will resume after authorities announce the safe reopening of Qatari airspace.
“A further update will be provided on March 6 by 09:00 Doha time,” the airline said.
Limited relief flights will operate from March 5 to assist 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 receive 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 strike
The Pentagon released the names of the final 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; Sgt. First Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida, and Sgt. First Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska.
Indian Embassy advisory in Qatar
The Indian Embassy in Qatar issued a fresh advisory on Thursday, urging Indian citizens to follow safety guidance issued by Qatari authorities strictly.
“Flight operations from Hamad International Airport remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. Qatar Airways and other flights remain suspended,” the advisory 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.
Plumes of smoke rise as strikes hit the city during the US-Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Ira. (AP Photo) 
Share
