Daily briefing on US–Israel attacks on Iran: Day 7
Cairo – (Xinhua) (ANTARA) – Tensions across the Middle East region continued to rise on Friday (6 March) as the United States, Israel and Iran exchanged attacks, resulting in numerous casualties and prompting international evacuations. Meanwhile, global markets and energy prices reacted to the escalation of the conflict. Here is a summary of the latest developments and the impact on the countries involved and other parties affected by the conflict:
United States
– U.S. military investigators are reviewing allegations of an attack on a girls’ school in Iran that killed at least 165 children, though no conclusions have yet been reached, according to Western media reports.
– U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would not accept any agreement with Iran other than ‘unconditional surrender’. He also met defence contractors amid concerns about weapon stocks, which the White House said remain sufficient.
– U.S. stocks fell on concerns about slowing growth and high inflation. Meanwhile, benchmark crude rose by 14.1% to $92.30 a barrel, closing above $90 for the first time since 2024.
Israel
– The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Friday said it had attacked more than 400 targets in western Iran, including missile launchers and drone facilities, and destroyed a bunker beneath the leadership complex in Tehran using 50 fighter jets.
– Eight Israeli soldiers were wounded in a rocket attack by Hezbollah in northern Israel, five of them seriously. IDF Chief Eyal Zamir pledged to continue operations against the militant group.
Iran
– Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said several countries had started mediation efforts. He also spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the crisis.
– The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that a U.S. base in the United Arab Emirates had been used as a launching pad for attacks on the school in Minab.
– Iran also said it had launched several waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
Iraq
– Iran-backed militias said they conducted 27 attacks on ‘enemy bases’ in the region in the last 24 hours.
– The U.S. Embassy warned of threats to hotels in Iraqi Kurdistan and urged U.S. citizens to leave the area.
Bahrain
– Bahrain Defence Forces announced on Friday that they had destroyed 78 missiles and 143 drones directed at the kingdom since the start of Iranian attacks.
United Arab Emirates
– The UAE’s air defence system intercepted nine ballistic missiles and 109 drones on Friday, according to the Defence Ministry.
– Aviation authorities said Dubai airports have handled more than 1,140 flights in recent days to aid travellers returning home amid regional air disruptions.
Qatar
– Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said on Friday that plans to launch additional LNG production in Qatar by the end of this year would be postponed due to rising tensions in the Middle East.
– Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority said on Friday it was resuming partial air traffic using emergency routes with limited capacity.
– Israeli attacks since Monday have killed at least 217 people and injured 798 others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health on Friday.
– Two Ghanaian UN peacekeepers were seriously injured in an attack on their base in southern Lebanon amid ongoing hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.
Turkey
– Turkish flights to Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan were suspended until 9 March. Flights to Gulf states were also cancelled on Friday.
Azerbaijan
– Azerbaijan said on Friday it was withdrawing its diplomatic staff from Iran following cross-border drone incidents in the Nakhchivan exclave; Iran denied responsibility for the incident.
United Kingdom
– British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the King of Bahrain that four British jets deployed to Qatar could be used to help defend the Gulf kingdom against Iranian missiles and drones targeting Gulf states.
France
– France dispatched a helicopter carrier to the Mediterranean to bolster its carrier, Charles de Gaulle, officials said on Friday in response to the worsening situation in the region.