Intense Israeli airstrikes slammed Tehran and southern Beirut early Friday while U.S. forces struck an Iranian drone carrier at sea, widening a weeklong war that has spread across the Middle East and drawn multiple countries into the conflict.
Explosions shook neighborhoods across Iran’s capital as Israel launched what its military described as a “broad-scale wave of strikes” targeting missile launchers, air defenses and military infrastructure.
Witnesses reported powerful blasts that rattled homes, while additional explosions were heard near the western city of Kermanshah, home to several Iranian missile bases.
Israeli officials say most of Iran’s air defense network and many of its missile launchers have already been destroyed in days of sustained attacks.
The conflict, now entering its second week, has killed at least 1,332 people and spread far beyond Israel and Iran.
Iranian missiles and drones targeted U.S.-linked facilities across the Gulf early Friday, striking airspace over Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Those countries host American troops and military bases. Authorities reported no immediate casualties.
In Lebanon, Israeli jets carried out at least 11 strikes overnight in the southern suburbs of Beirut and surrounding areas, targeting Hezbollah positions.
Traffic gridlocked major roads as residents tried to flee or find shelter.
Fires broke out near residential blocks and a gas station, while two hospitals evacuated patients and staff following Israeli warnings for civilians to leave the area.
The United States has increasingly joined Israel’s campaign against Iran’s military capabilities.
U.S. Central Command confirmed Friday that American forces struck the Iranian drone carrier IRIS Shahid Bagheri, setting the vessel ablaze. The ship, a converted container vessel with a long runway for drones, had been designed to operate far from Iranian ports for extended periods.
Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, described the ship as comparable in size to a World War II aircraft carrier.
“As we speak, it’s on fire,” Cooper told reporters.
The strike followed another major blow earlier this week when an American submarine sank an Iranian frigate returning from naval exercises near Sri Lanka, killing at least 87 sailors.
Overnight, U.S. B-2 stealth bombers also dropped dozens of heavy “bunker-buster” bombs on deeply buried missile launch sites inside Iran.
Cooper said American forces have also targeted facilities linked to Iran’s military command structure, including its space and missile coordination networks.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned the air campaign is set to intensify further.
“It’s more fighter squadrons, more capabilities, more defensive systems,” he said. “And more bomber missions more frequently.”
Iran responded with a new wave of missile and drone attacks across the region.
Qatar said it intercepted a drone aimed at Al Udeid Air Base, a major hub for U.S. Central Command operations. Saudi Arabia reported destroying three ballistic missiles heading toward Prince Sultan Air Base south of Riyadh.
Air raid sirens also sounded in Bahrain after Iranian strikes targeted two hotels and a residential building. Officials said there were no casualties.
Kuwait activated its air defenses as drones and missiles crossed its airspace. Six American soldiers stationed there were killed earlier in the conflict.
According to U.S. military officials, Iranian attacks have now reached at least a dozen countries across the region.
The war has already caused heavy losses.
Officials report at least 1,230 people killed in Iran, more than 120 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel. Six U.S. service members have also died.
Beyond the battlefield, the conflict has disrupted global oil supplies, forced airlines to reroute flights and rattled financial markets.
The United Nations warned the war could spiral into a broader humanitarian crisis. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged all sides to step back from further escalation.
“The world urgently needs to see steps to contain and extinguish this blaze,” he said.
The conflict has also shaken Iran’s political leadership after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the opening strikes of the war.
Iranian state television reported that a leadership council has begun discussions on convening the Assembly of Experts, the powerful clerical body responsible for selecting the country’s next supreme leader.
The council includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi and senior cleric Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi.
No timeline has been announced for the vote, and several buildings linked to the Assembly of Experts have already been damaged during the Israeli-U.S. air campaign.
Trump signals political pressure on Tehran
At the White House, President Donald Trump urged Iranians to challenge their government, promising “immunity” to those who attempt to reclaim their country from the ruling regime.
Trump also suggested the U.S. should play a role in determining Iran’s next leader.
“We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” he said, dismissing speculation that Khamenei’s son Mojtaba might succeed his father.
U.S. military leaders cautioned Iranians against public protests while the bombing campaign continues.
“It’s common sense,” Hegseth said. “Don’t go out and protest while bombs are dropping.”
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Israeli strikes and evacuation orders have triggered a mass civilian flight.
The Lebanese health ministry says at least 123 people have been killed since fighting with Hezbollah reignited. Nearly 100,000 people have been displaced inside Lebanon, according to the U.N. refugee agency.
Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees have also fled across the border back into Syria.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned both Israel and Hezbollah for the escalating crisis, saying the country and its people “did not choose this war.”
Humanitarian officials warn the growing displacement could quickly overwhelm resources.
The World Health Organization has begun increasing disease monitoring as crowded shelters struggle with shortages of clean water and sanitation.
“It worries us very much,” said WHO regional director Hanan Balkhy, pointing to the rapidly rising number of displaced civilians.
What began as a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran has rapidly expanded into a regional conflict involving Gulf states, militias and global powers.
Airstrikes, missile barrages and naval battles are now unfolding from the Mediterranean to the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
