Iran–Israel Crisis: Live Updates

In Baghdad, pro-Iranian demonstrators gathered in force, burning Israeli flags and displaying portraits of prominent Iranian military commanders who were killed in past conflicts. The rally underscored rising tensions as Israel and Iran continue to exchange deadly strikes.

The atmosphere in the Iraqi capital was charged, with calls intensifying from Iran-aligned factions for the immediate withdrawal of US forces stationed in the country. Their rhetoric has grown sharper following Israel’s surprise attack on Iran last week; a move that has fuelled concerns of a broader regional conflict.

Warnings of a full-scale war in the Middle East are mounting, with Iraq’s militias increasingly seen as potential players in any future escalation.

Explosions echo across Tehran as smoke rises from what appears to be an Israeli strike on a fuel depot. The capital is tense and uneasy.

Some residents are fleeing, while others remain. Roads are quieter than usual, yet long queues snake out from petrol stations.

The atmosphere is grim. People are not just anxious — they’re furious. The mood on the ground is one of anger and defiance.

Iran has launched a fresh wave of missile attacks on Israel, firing a total of 10 projectiles, all of which were intercepted, according to the Israeli army and the Home Front Command, Al Jazeera reports.

Fragments from the interception reportedly fell in northern Israel, though there were no immediate reports of casualties.

In a separate statement, Israel’s military said it had carried out what it described as a precise strike on Iran’s state television headquarters. The Israeli Defence Forces claimed the building was being used as a communications centre for the Iranian armed forces, citing intelligence provided by its military directorate

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said there is a shared view among G7 leaders on the urgent need to de-escalate tensions between Israel and Iran, as the conflict continues to dominate discussions at the summit in Canada.

Speaking to reporters, and as reported by The Guardian, Starmer said: “I do think there’s a consensus for de-escalation. Obviously, what we need to do today is to bring that together and to be clear about how it is to be brought about.”

He warned of the far-reaching consequences of continued escalation: “The risk of the conflict escalating is obvious, I think, and the implications – not just for the region but globally – are really immense, so the focus has to be on de-escalation.”

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a series of informal discussions with key European leaders over a glass of wine at the G7 summit in Kanakaskis, Alberta, according to The Guardian.

The spontaneous gathering took place in a restaurant area of the main G7 hotel, shortly after Starmer had concluded a formal bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He was first joined by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, followed by French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and finally Meloni once again.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the Middle East crisis “featured heavily” in the conversation, although no officials were present and no detailed readout was provided. When asked whether the leaders also discussed strategies for handling Donald Trump, the spokesperson declined to characterise it that way.

The talks occurred before Trump’s arrival at the summit on Sunday night, and UK officials have stressed the gathering should not be interpreted as a diplomatic snub. Starmer is expected to meet the US president formally later today.

Iranian journalist Younes Shadlou has described the chaos outside Iran’s state television building in Tehran after it was hit during an Israeli strike, telling Al Jazeera that many of his colleagues may still be trapped inside.

“I don’t know how many of my colleagues are still inside right now,” Shadlou said, reporting from the scene as smoke poured from the damaged building.

He added that staff had received evacuation warnings in advance, but many refused to leave. “Everyone stayed until the very last moment to show the true face of the Zionist regime to the world,” he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of carrying out recent strikes on Iran with “comprehensive and insidious purposes,” according to a report by Al Jazeera. The comments followed a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which both leaders condemned what they called an Israeli “act of force” and urged an immediate halt to hostilities.

Following the call, the Kremlin released a statement warning that the ongoing escalation between Israel and Iran had already caused significant casualties and posed “serious long-term consequences for the entire region.”

Electronic interference with commercial ship navigation has intensified across the Strait of Hormuz and broader Gulf region in recent days, raising fresh concerns for maritime safety in one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes.

According to a recent advisory issued by the Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) of the US-led Combined Maritime Forces, the disruption is primarily emanating from around Iran’s Port of Bandar Abbas. The interference is impacting the ability of vessels to accurately transmit location data via their Automated Identification Systems (AIS), creating serious operational and navigational risks for ships traversing the area.

“These interferences, which continue to intensify throughout the region, are having significant impact within the Gulf itself,” JMIC noted.

Iran has previously threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz — a strategic chokepoint for global oil transit — in response to Western sanctions. While no formal closure has been declared, the growing interference is heightening fears over regional instability and its potential effect on global trade and oil markets.

Iranians have described their lives as being “stuck” and overwhelmed by fear after three days of intense Israeli air strikes across the country.

“Everyone is trying to escape Tehran one way or another,” a resident told BBC Persian, adding that long queues at petrol stations reflected desperate attempts to flee the capital.

Since Friday, Israeli air raids have killed at least 224 people in Iran, according to the Iranian health ministry. The Iranian retaliation has left at least 19 dead in Israel.

Residents say the hardest part is living without any warnings or sirens to signal incoming attacks. “We just hear blasts and hope we’re not next,” one person said. Another compared the current anxiety to her childhood during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, noting that at least back then they had warnings before bombings.

Young Iranians, who never experienced that war, are now facing the trauma for the first time. Many families are torn between staying and protecting elderly relatives, or attempting to flee to safer rural areas.

“We’ve all wanted to leave Tehran, but each of us has loved ones who can’t travel,” said one woman, echoing widespread sentiments of helplessness.

Internet disruptions have heightened isolation, making communication difficult. Adding to the confusion, Israeli military warnings to avoid areas near military installations have left residents unsure about safety. “How are we supposed to know where a military site is?” one asked.

Damage to residential buildings has shaken people deeply. Such scenes have not been seen since the Iran-Iraq war, residents said, with homes and neighborhoods now directly targeted.

“This isn’t my war,” another resident said, voicing frustration shared by many. “I just want to survive along with my family.”

A fresh wave of Iranian ballistic missile strikes slammed into Tel Aviv and Haifa early this morning, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens, just hours after Israeli warplanes bombed strategic targets across Tehran. As dawn broke, the increasingly brutal conflict between Israel and Iran was pushing the Middle East towards a wider conflagration.

The rapid escalation began last Friday, when Israel unleashed devastating air strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, including the heavily fortified Natanz and Fordow enrichment sites. More than 220 Iranians, among them women and children, have died since hostilities erupted, with another 75 injured in just the latest attacks.

On Sunday, Iran retaliated fiercely, firing some 350 missiles at Israeli cities, bringing the total killed in Israel since Friday to at least 24, with many victims reportedly unable to reach bomb shelters in time. Israel’s Home Front Command warned that each Iranian barrage now includes between 30 and 60 missiles.

The spiralling violence has led to urgent calls from the international community for both sides to step back from the brink. Yet neither side seems ready to relent, raising fears that the conflict may yet expand dramatically.

Yesterday, a missile struck dangerously close to the United States embassy in Tel Aviv, damaging the facility and sharply raising the stakes. The Pentagon expressed deep concern but refrained from immediate military response, wary of dragging the US deeper into another Middle Eastern war.

“Direct US involvement could unleash uncontrollable regional escalation, targeting vital Gulf infrastructure and US bases,” warned Andreas Krieg, an associate professor in security studies at King’s College London. Such an escalation, Krieg noted, would profoundly undermine President Trump’s ‘America First’ policy, yet diplomatic solutions remain elusive.

Israeli officials insist they have achieved “full air supremacy” over Tehran, destroying approximately 30 percent of Iran’s missile launchers in targeted operations. Brigadier-General Effie Defrin stated bluntly on Israeli television that more than 120 Iranian surface-to-surface missile launchers have been obliterated by Israeli jets.

Yet, on the streets of Tehran, anger is mounting. Israeli air raids, including an attack on Farabi Hospital in Kermanshah, have triggered fury across Iran. At least 45 women and children have been killed in recent strikes, prompting Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani to denounce Israel’s claim of targeting only military sites as “false and brutal.”

Iran’s judicial authorities have vowed swift action against anyone suspected of collaborating with Israeli intelligence. Yesterday, Iran executed Ismail Fikri, accused of passing sensitive information to Mossad, signalling Tehran’s intention to crack down ruthlessly on internal dissent.

At the diplomatic level, tensions exploded yesterday at the Paris Air Show. Organisers abruptly banned several major Israeli arms manufacturers, including Rafael and Elbit Systems, from displaying their wares, condemning their “offensive weapons.” The decision provoked outrage from Israeli officials, who branded the ban “unprecedented and outrageous.”

Meanwhile, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate, caught between the hammer of Israel’s ongoing attacks and Iran-backed Hamas’s resistance. At least 55,432 Palestinians have died since October 2023, with thousands more wounded. Just yesterday, Israeli forces shot dead 20 Palestinians awaiting food aid, further deepening the humanitarian emergency gripping Gaza.

Amid global fears that the conflict could tip into nuclear catastrophe, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) scrambled to assess damage to Iranian nuclear facilities. IAEA director Rafael Grossi confirmed that despite severe damage to surface buildings at Natanz and Isfahan, underground enrichment halls appeared intact and radiation levels remained stable. However, Grossi warned starkly of “massive compromises” to nuclear safety if hostilities continue.

In Tehran, President Masoud Pezeshkian called for national unity amid Israel’s assaults, as Iranians braced for more attacks. Yet Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, defiantly warned Tehran’s citizens they would “pay the price” for Iranian missiles raining down on Israel, even though he later clarified there was no intention to deliberately target civilians.

As missile alarms sound across Israel and Iran, the fear grows that both countries, locked in deadly combat, are sliding inexorably toward a wider regional war. In Washington, Europe and across the Middle East, leaders watch anxiously, knowing that the smallest misstep could ignite an inferno with consequences far beyond the battered cities of Tel Aviv and Tehran.