Iran war LIVE: Nealy 200 Iranian targets hit in last 72 hours and over 30 ships sunk, US Central Command chief says
The US has struck nearly 200 targets in Iran over the last 72 hours and sunk 30 of its ships, the head of US Central Command has said.
Listen to this article
Admiral Brad Cooper made the remarks at a press conference late on Thursday.
He told reporters: "And in just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. And as we speak, it's on fire."
Cooper added that Iranian ballistic missile attacks have dipped by 90 percent while drone attacks had plummeted by 83 percent since the first day of the war.
The military chief spoke alongside US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said the US had "no shortage of munitions" and warned the US operation in Iran is "advancing decisively."
Mr Hegseth also addressed President Trump's criticism of Sir Keir Sarmer over his initial refusal to allow the use of UK bases in the Middle East to launch strikes, saying it was "unfortunate" access wasn't granted "from day one".
But he added: "But we got there. We got there, and that's now part of the way that we're operationalising bomber runs... It's more fighter squadrons, it's more capabilities, it's more defensive capabilities, and it's more bomber pulses more frequently.
"The amount of firepower over Iran and over Tehran is about to surge dramatically,"
Follow the latest developments in the conflict below
The US-Israeli war with Iran has entered its ninth day.
Key developments:
- Israel’s military has struck fuel storage sites in Tehran, with explosions seen in the Iranian capital.
- Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of Sir Keir Starmer, saying: “We don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won.”
- Sir Keir said the UK needs “seriousness, not political games” and that his focus remains on protecting British citizens.
- Trump, speaking on Air Force One, claimed Iran was responsible for the deadly strike on a girls’ school in Minab, not the US.
- At least 12 people have been killed in further Israeli strikes in Lebanon, including in an attack on a hotel in Beirut.
- The US has denied Iranian claims that several American soldiers were captured during Operation Epic Fury.
- Trump attended the return of six US troops killed in a drone strike on a port in Kuwait last Sunday.
- Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has “many surprises” planned for the next phase of the war with Iran.
Sir Tony Blair weighs in on Iran war
Sir Tony Blair has also reportedly weighed in on Britain's involvement in Iran.
The former PM, who led Britain into the Iraq war despite massive public resistance, reportedly said at a private event that he thought the UK should have supported Trump right away.
“I am not saying anything that I haven’t already said to the government… I think we should have backed America from the very beginning,” the former Labour prime minister told an event hosted by Jewish News, the Daily Mail reports.
Foreign Secretary hits back after Trump tells Starmer UK 'not needed' in Middle East war
The Foreign Secretary has hit back at Donald Trump after he claimed the UK was “not needed” in the Middle East, because the US has “already won.”
Ramping up his war of words with Sir Keir Starmer on Saturday night, Trump said: "We don't need people that join wars after we've already won.”
This marks the latest of a series of attacks by Trump after Sir Keir chose not to join in on the US and Israel’s initial strikes on Iran.
Speaking to LBC’s Lewis Goodall, Yvette Cooper hit back at the US president, saying Sir Keir’s government “deals with substance, not social media posts.”
Israel warns it 'will pursue all of Khamenei's successors'
Israel has said it will kill anyone who takes on the role of Supreme Leader in Iran.
An X post read: "Iran's Assembly of Experts, which has not convened for decades, will soon gather in the city of Qom.
"We want to tell you that the hand of the State of Israel will continue to pursue every successor and every person who seeks to appoint a successor.
"We warn all those who intend to participate in the successor selection meeting that we will not hesitate to target you either. This is a warning!"
Consensus reached on naming new supreme leader, Iranian state media reports
A majority consensus has been reached on the appointment of a new supreme leader, according to Iranian state media.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on the first day of the war last Saturday. In the immediate aftermath, a three-member leadership council was set up to govern the country temporarily.
The council includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and Alireza Arafi, a jurist and head of the Basij paramilitary force.
Iran’s supreme leader is chosen by the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 Islamic scholars.
According to Iranian state media, one of its members, Ayatollah Mohammadmehdi Mirbaqeri, said a majority consensus had broadly been reached, although “some obstacles” still needed to be resolved.
Iranian media said there was a minor disagreement over whether the final decision must be taken at an in-person meeting or could be issued without that formality.
Three wounded in Bahrain after shrapnel falls following missile attack
Three people have been wounded in Bahrain after shrapnel fell on a university building in Muharraq on Sunday morning, authorities said.
Bahrain’s interior ministry said missile fragments also caused material damage, blaming what it described as “blatant Iranian aggression” in a series of posts on X.
It added that civilian targets had been “indiscriminately attacked” and said a water desalination plant was also damaged in a drone strike.
What you missed overnight
Iran:
- The IDF said it launched a fresh wave of attacks targeting Iranian infrastructure, after oil depots in Tehran were hit overnight.
- Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s “openness to de-escalation” had been “almost immediately killed” by President Trump’s “misinterpretation” of Iran’s capabilities and intentions.
Gulf:- Kuwait’s army said it was dealing with “a wave of hostile drones”, including an attack involving fuel tankers at Kuwait International Airport.
- The Dubai Media Office said a resident was killed after shrapnel from an “aerial interception” hit a vehicle in the Al Barsha area.
Israel:- Opposition politician Yair Lapid urged the government to “destroy all of Iran’s oil fields” to damage its economy.
- The IDF said it was intercepting missiles launched from Iran.
Lebanon:- The Israeli military said it had carried out a strike on the Quds Force in Lebanon, the overseas arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
- Lebanese officials reported several overnight strikes, including one they said hit a hotel and killed four people.
- Officials also said nearly half a million people have been displaced by the fighting so far.
Israeli strike on Beirut hotel kills four
Lebanon’s health ministry said four people were killed and 10 others wounded in an overnight Israeli strike on a hotel in Beirut.
Images from the Ramada hotel showed blackened, damaged walls after the attack.
A further eight people were killed in strikes on more than 20 towns and villages, AFP reported, citing the health ministry.
The Israeli military said it had carried out a “precise strike” in Beirut targeting members of the Quds Force, the overseas arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, but did not say who was targeted or exactly where the strike landed.
Earlier in the night, Israel’s military said it was attacking what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut’s Dahiyeh area.
Ramada hotel showed blackened, damaged walls
First aid responders gather at a Ramada hotel that was targeted by an Israeli strike, in BeirutHuge fire erupts at Tehran oil depot after Israeli strike
Footage showed a large fire burning at the Shehran oil depot on the northern outskirts of Tehran after an Israeli strike late on Saturday night.
Israel’s military said it had targeted several fuel storage sites in the Iranian capital which it claims are used by the Iranian armed forces.
In a statement, the IDF said Iranian military forces make “direct and frequent use” of the fuel tanks to run military infrastructure, and said the strike marked “an additional step” in damaging what it described as the regime’s military capabilities.
It added that it would continue operations aimed at degrading those capabilities and removing threats to Israel.
That's all from our live blog today
Join us tomorrow for more coverage