Washington, Mar 7: US President Donald Trump warned in a Truth Social post that more Iranian officials will be targets, saying, “Today Iran will be hit very hard!,” while noting an apology by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier in the day to neighbouring nations over Tehran’s attacks.
Gulf countries say they have intercepted more ballistic missiles and drones launched from Iran.
Bahrain reports damage to a house and surrounding buildings
The island Kingdom’s Interior Ministry said Saturday evening that Iranian missiles caused a fire and other damage to a house and several surrounding buildings in the country’s capital of Manama.
It was not clear if an Iranian missile hit the country or the damage was a result of interception efforts.
This is the first material damage the country reports Saturday, but sirens have sounded at least seven times.
Israel’s military issues renewed evacuation warnings
The Israeli military issued an urgent, renewed evacuation warning Saturday for residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs, urging those remaining in the area to leave immediately.
The warning, covering an area which had previously received evacuation warnings in the past few days, appeared to be directed at those who have not yet left ahead of what could be renewed Israeli strikes in the area.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee told residents they would be notified by the military when it is considered safe to return to their homes.
Israel’s military said over the weekend it has struck more than 170 targets associated with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel says 2 soldiers wounded in Lebanon fighting
The Israeli military says two soldiers have been moderately wounded by anti-tank fire in southern Lebanon.
Israel has been battling Hezbollah militants in the area.
Thousands of Israelis return home on special flights
Israel’s airport authority says some 5,268 people are expected to return to the country on Saturday on special flights repatriating Israelis stranded abroad.
That would bring the number of Israelis returning to Israel to nearly 15,000 people since the flights began on Thursday.
Israel’s skies have been mostly closed since the war broke out a week ago. There have been very limited repatriation flights, including through the U.S. state department, in the past two days. Limited commercial flights of Israeli companies offering rescue flights to Greece and Cyprus will resume on Sunday, the airports authority said.
Israel’s overland borders have remained open. Almost 19,000 people have entered Israel and 24,700 people have exited Israel via its land crossings since the war began last week.
UK puts one of its aircraft carriers on advanced preparedness
The U.K.’s Ministry of Defence said one of the country’s two flagship aircraft carriers has been placed on advanced preparedness, stoking speculation that it may be deployed to the Middle East.
Following reports that an aircraft carrier was being prepared in response to the crisis in the Middle East, the ministry said it is “reducing the time it would take” for HMS Prince of Wales to set sail for any deployment.
“HMS Prince of Wales has always been on very high readiness and we are increasing the preparedness of the carrier,” it said in a statement.
Strikes spread fear in Iran’s capital
A university student who lives in western Tehran has described deepening fear in the capital as strikes intensify.
Tehran is under severe bombardment, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. Every moment without any warning sirens or any announcement some part of the city is under attack and many buildings have broken glass, he added.
Even residents in parts of the city far from clear government and military targets are living in fear, he said.
Qatar, Bahrain, and UAE intercept missiles and drones from Iran
Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates all reported they intercepted missiles and drones on Saturday evening from Iran. The attacks come eight hours after Iranian president apologized Saturday for attacks on “neighbouring countries.”
The attacks underlined the limited powers exercised by the theocracy’s leaders over the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which controls the ballistic missiles targeting Israel and other countries. It answered only to Khamenei and now appears to be picking its own targets.
The UAE’s Defense Ministry said that it was responding to intercept missiles and drones launched toward the country, as Qatar’s Defense Ministry also said that it intercepted a missile attack. Meanwhile, sirens went off in the island kingdom of Bahrain for the seventh time on Saturday.
UAE says it is intercepting missiles and drones from Iran
The United Arab Emirates says it is being attacked by Iran.
The Defense Ministry says air defense systems were intercepting missiles and drones.
Israel targets Tehran airport it says was used for militant groups
The Israeli military said Saturday that it struck a Tehran airport used to help transport weapons to militant groups that Iran supported across the Middle East.
The military said the Mehrabad Airport was used to transfer weapons and cash to militant groups, especially Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel said it destroyed 16 aircrafts that were used for transporting weapons as part of a broad wave of strikes against Tehran overnight. The strike also destroyed several Iranian fighter jets.
There was no immediate acknowledgement of the strike on Iran’s state media.
Trump calls troops killed in drone strike great heroes’
Trump spoke during an event on Florida about the six U.S. troops who were killed in a drone strike in Kuwait. Trump is set to fly to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware later Saturday, to be on hand for the dignified transfer of the troops.
Trump called it a “very sad situation to greet the families of the heroes who are coming home from Iran and coming home in a different manner than they thought they’d be coming home.” He added the troops are “great heroes in our country.”
Trump said that “when it comes to war,” there will be U.S. troop deaths, but added “we’re going to keep it to a minimum.”
Kuwait to reduce oil production as precautionary’ step due to war
Kuwait says it is reducing oil production as a “precautionary” measure due to the war in the Middle East.
The Kuwait Petroleum Cooperation blamed Iran’s attacks on the country as well as threats to the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil trade passes.
The Kuwaiti statement did not say how much it was reducing output, but Saturday’s announcement threatened to further jolt global energy markets.
Kuwait is one of the world’s largest oil producers. The week-old war has disrupted the flow of oil out of the Gulf and sent oil prices surging.
Turkiye is considering sending fighter jets to northern Cyprus
State-run Anadolu news agency reported the Defense Ministry is considering deploying F-16 aircraft “to ensure the security” of the ethnic Turkish part of the island.
A British air base on Cyprus’ southern coastline was hit by a Shahed drone on Sunday.
Citing a ministry statement, Anadolu said the move would be under “phased plans” currently being discussed.
Ankara maintains some 30,000 troops in northern Cyprus, which broke away from the Greek south in 1974. Turkey is the only country to recognize the northern administration. (PTI)
