US & ‘Israel’ at war with Iran | Day 7 coverage

Interior Ministry urges citizens and residents to move to the nearest safe location immediately.

The Saudi Ministry of Defense says four drones targeting the Shaybah oil field in Rub’ al Khali were successfully intercepted and destroyed.

Iranian officials said the country’s future will be decided by Iranians, rejecting calls by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to play a role in selecting the next supreme leader.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked Trump’s remarks, saying the fate of Iran would be determined by its people, not by foreign leaders.

“The fate of dear Iran, which is more precious than life, will be determined solely by the proud Iranian nation, not by [Jeffrey] Epstein’s gang,” he wrote on X.

His comments came after Trump suggested he wanted involvement in appointing a successor to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who was killed earlier in the war.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh also criticized the proposal, arguing that Trump has no authority to influence Iran’s political leadership. He described the idea as a “colonial approach,” questioning how a foreign leader could seek to shape Iran’s political system.

Under Iran’s constitution, the next supreme leader is selected by the Assembly of Experts, an elected council of 88 clerics. Analysts say all potential candidates are expected to remain loyal to the Islamic Republic system, making outside influence unlikely.

The remarks come as the war between Iran and the United States and ‘Israel’ enters its seventh day, with both sides exchanging strikes and escalating rhetoric over the future of the region.

President Donald Trump has privately discussed the idea of deploying a small contingent of U.S. troops in Iran for specific strategic purposes, according to multiple U.S. officials, but has not focused on a large-scale ground invasion, sources say.

Trump spoke by phone with NBC’s Tom Llamas, responding to recent comments from Iranian officials and mounting questions about how far the United States is prepared to go in the war.

“It’s a waste of time. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose,” Trump said, dismissing remarks by Iran’s foreign minister that Tehran was ready for a ground invasion. He emphasized the United States is focused on continuing the air and missile campaign rather than planning a large‑scale ground operation.

Trump’s remarks come as the U.S. and 'Israel' continue Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing military campaign launched last week following joint strikes on Iranian targets, including the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The conflict has widened across the Middle East and triggered significant regional retaliation.

While ruling out near‑term troop deployments, Trump also reiterated a broader strategic goal of removing Iran’s current leadership structure. According to the NBC interview, he said the U.S. wants to “clean out everything” in Tehran and has ideas for what he called a “good leader” to replace the current regime, but did not offer names.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, addressing related speculation earlier this week, said there is currently no plan to send ground troops to Iran, but insisted all options remain “on the table.” She criticized reports based on anonymous sources as uninformed about official deliberations.

Outside experts have said that even limited U.S. troop deployments for specific objectives, such as special operations missions, could dramatically escalate American involvement and risks for U.S. forces. Such scenarios would mark a shift from the predominantly aerial and naval campaign pursued to date.

The war has already taken a toll: U.S. Central Command has reported American casualties from Iranian counter‑attacks, and Gulf allies have voiced frustration over the lack of coordination and increasing instability in the region.

President Donald J. Trump said Friday that the largest U.S. defense manufacturers have agreed to quadruple production of “Exquisite Class” weaponry, following a White House meeting with top industry executives.

In a Truth Social post, Trump described the session as “very good,” saying companies discussed production plans and schedules aimed at rapidly boosting output to “the highest levels of quantity.” He claimed that expansion of facilities began three months before the meeting and that many new plants and production lines are already under way.

Trump also said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of medium and upper‑medium grade munitions, which he said have been used in operations in Iran and Venezuela, and that orders at those levels have also increased.

Executives from major defense contractors including BAE Systems, Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace, L3Harris Missile Solutions, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon attended the meeting, which Trump said will be followed up in two months.

The announcement comes as the U.S. military continues operations in the Middle East, where stockpiles of high‑end munitions such as interceptors have drawn scrutiny, and as lawmakers and Pentagon officials press for replenishment of key systems.

The Israeli Occupation Forces announced a new broad‑scale wave of strikes targeting Iranian regime infrastructure in Tehran and across Iran, as part of its ongoing campaign against what it calls the “Iranian terror regime.”

Sirens have sounded across southern 'Israel', including near the Dimona nuclear reactor, as Iran reportedly launches a new wave of rockets toward 'Israeli' territory, according to Fars News Agency.

Residents in Tehran reported hearing several explosions in Iran’s capital, Tehran.

A drone struck an oil facility housing foreign energy companies in southern Iraq for the second time on Friday, two security sources told AFP.

A security official in the Basra province said that "two drones were shot down over the Burjesia oil complex, but a third got through" and hit the site.

Another security source confirmed the drone strike.

The United States struck more than 3,000 targets during the first week of the Iran war, the US military said on Friday.

Targets include command-and-control centers, air defense systems, missile sites, and Iranian navy ships and submarines, US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said in a fact sheet.

Jordan’s Public Security Directorate announced that an unknown object fell in a vacant area in Irbid on Friday evening.

Authorities confirmed the object was remnants of an explosive device.

Security teams responded immediately, secured the site, and handled the device following standard safety procedures.

No injuries or property damage were reported.

Kuwait Airways has begun operating flights from several capitals to Saudi Arabia to return Kuwaiti citizens home safely.

The airline confirmed the flights are part of an organized effort to ensure timely and secure repatriation. A spokesperson said, “Flights are being dispatched to facilitate the return of our citizens, with support provided throughout the journey.”

Bahrain’s Civil Defense Council announced a ban on gatherings in streets and public squares to protect public safety amid ongoing Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting the Kingdom.

Authorities said the decision comes as part of precautionary measures to safeguard citizens and residents and to strengthen civil protection procedures during the current security situation.

Azerbaijan’s State Security Service announced it has prevented the preparation of “terrorist attacks” and the collection of intelligence in favor of Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

Authorities said the plots reportedly targeted the ‘Israeli’ embassy in Baku and an Ashkenazi synagogue.

Air raid sirens were heard across wide areas of Greater Tel Aviv as authorities warned of incoming aerial threats.

The 'Israeli' military on Friday accused Iran of using missiles equipped with cluster warheads in its strikes on 'Israel', launched in response to an ongoing military campaign by 'Israel' and the United States against the Islamic Republic since Feb. 28.

The army did not specify the exact location or timing of the alleged use of the weapons. However, video footage filmed overnight Thursday in central 'Israel' showed a barrage of bright points descending toward the ground, according to images captured by AFP.

AFP said that a munitions expert who reviewed the footage, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the images appear to show the detonation of a warhead containing cluster munitions.

Read more: US & ‘Israel’ at war with Iran | Day 7 coverage

'Israeli' military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani told reporters that Iranian forces had used cluster munitions on multiple occasions. "They are using cluster munitions. They have used them simultaneously in several incidents, and directing them against civilians is a war crime. We are monitoring the situation closely," he said.

Neither Iran nor 'Israel' is a signatory to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of the weapons.

Separately, 'Israeli' police released a video message warning residents about the dangers posed by cluster bombs. An explosives disposal technician explained that while the home front faces threats from missiles, drones and shells during the war, cluster munitions represent a lesser known but highly dangerous risk.

Police said earlier this week that a missile containing cluster bombs had been fired toward 'Israel', though authorities did not disclose the exact location or time of the launch.

In a statement, police said explosives experts examined debris from a projectile reportedly launched from Iran and determined it was a military component linked to cluster munitions.

Cluster munitions release numerous small explosive submunitions over a wide area. Some of these submunitions fail to detonate upon impact, posing a long term danger to civilians.

Military censorship rules in 'Israel' restrict journalists from filming or reporting damage to military or security facilities. Coverage of damage in civilian areas is permitted, but reporters are not allowed to disclose precise locations.

During the 12 day war between Iran and 'Israel' in June, Amnesty International accused Iran of firing cluster munitions into civilian areas in 'Israel', describing the act as a "flagrant violation of international humanitarian law."

A rocket attack targeted a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) site at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, Reuters reported.

More than 10 explosions across PMF headquarters in Nineveh province.

A fresh wave of missile attacks launched from Iran set off sirens across Greater Tel Aviv, 'Israeli' officials confirmed.

The ‘Israeli’ army reported that its air defense systems are actively engaging the incoming projectiles to 'protect civilian areas'.

Iranian state media confirmed the start of the new missile assault, marking another escalation in the ongoing regional war.

‘Israeli’ forces targeted a site belonging to the Ghanaian contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the town of Al-Qouzah.

The strike reportedly caused injuries among the peacekeeping troops stationed at the site. Details on the number of injured personnel have not been released.

Sirens sounded in Jerusalem and surrounding areas after Iran launched a salvo of missiles.

The ‘Israeli’ army announced extensive strikes in western Iran, targeting over 400 sites and infrastructure linked to missiles and drones.

The operation marks a significant escalation in the ongoing US–‘Israeli’ campaign against Iranian military capabilities. 

Military officials said the attacks aim to disrupt Iran’s missile and drone networks across the region.

The head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Brad Cooper, claimed that Iranian forces launched 7 attack drones at residential neighborhoods in Bahrain Thursday evening.

Cooper claimed in a social media statement that the strikes “deliberately” targeted civilians across the Middle East.

“This is unacceptable and will not go unanswered,” he said, asserting that the US will respond to threats against civilians amid ongoing US-‘Israeli’ operations against Iran.

Russia has been providing Iran with intelligence to help target United States military forces in the Middle East, according to officials cited by The Washington Post.

The reported assistance includes information on the locations of American warships and aircraft operating in the region.

Officials said the intelligence sharing began after the war erupted and may have helped Iran carry out more precise strikes against US military infrastructure and defense systems.

The extent of Moscow’s involvement remains unclear, and Russian authorities have not commented on the claims.

Germany has withdrawn additional Bundeswehr forces from the Middle East as security concerns mount during the seventh day of the US–‘Israeli’ war on Iran, a military spokesperson confirmed to Reuters.

Soldiers deployed with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are being pulled due to the escalating risk. Germany had previously reduced its military presence in Erbil, northern Iraq, while troops stationed in Bahrain have returned home. Withdrawals from Kuwait are reportedly in preparation.

Around 500 German soldiers remain deployed across the region, primarily in Iraq, though some personnel have already been moved from high-risk sites.

Hezbollah announced it has targeted several northern ‘Israeli’ settlements with missiles and drones, including Shomera, Kiryat Shmona, and Ramot Naftali.

The group said the attacks on Ramot Naftali and Kiryat Shmona were part of warnings previously issued to ‘Israeli’ communities near the Lebanese border.

The ‘Israeli’ army confirmed that 5 soldiers from the Givati Brigade were seriously injured after an anti-tank missile was fired from Lebanon.

Ma’ariv reports that a total of 8 soldiers were wounded, 5 in critical condition.

At least 217 people have been killed and 798 wounded in Lebanon since the start of a new war between 'Israel' and Hezbollah on Monday, Lebanon's health ministry announced Friday.

The previous toll from the ministry, published Thursday evening, was 123 dead and 683 wounded.

'Israeli' airstrikes hit south and east Lebanon as well as Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday.

Iranian state television reported that explosions were heard in the capital, Tehran, and in the northwestern Iranian cities of Tabriz and Urmia.

Iran launched missile and drone strikes on a site belonging to the Iranian Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, local reports confirmed.

Plumes of smoke were seen rising from the targeted site. No injuries were reported.

The attack comes amid ongoing tensions between Tehran and Kurdish opposition groups operating across the border in Iraq. 

US Embassy in Amman announced that all immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments are canceled until further notice due to the current security situation. The Embassy emphasized that the safety of applicants remains a top priority.

Applicants with scheduled appointments are advised not to visit the Embassy. Officials said they will be contacted to reschedule once visa services resume.

Jordan activates all-clear alarm

Iranian media said on Friday that explosions had rocked the key port city of Bandar Abbas on its Gulf coast amid US and ‘Israeli’ strikes on Iran.

"Several explosions were heard in the city of Bandar Abbas," the Etemad online website reported.

Other media including Shargh daily carried similar reports.

Air raid sirens were heard across Kuwait as authorities responded to a potential aerial threat. 

Warning sirens sound across Jordan

Several explosions were heard in the Bahraini capital Manama on Friday, with authorities sounding sirens as Iran pressed its retaliation campaign in the Gulf.

"The siren has been sounded. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," the interior ministry said in a statement on X.

An Iranian military spokesman said Friday that forces targeted what he described as a US-owned oil tanker in the Gulf and that it was now "burning".

"An oil tanker vessel owned by the United States near the borders of Kuwait has been targeted and is burning," said Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for the military's central headquarters, according to state TV.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that some countries had begun mediation efforts to end the war with the United States and ‘Israel’, but said any talks should address those who started the war.

"Some countries have begun mediation efforts. Let's be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation's dignity and sovereignty," said Pezeshkian in a post on X.

"Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict."

The son of 'Israel' Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was wounded along with other soldiers during a military activity near the Lebanon border, according to the 'Israel' Army Radio.

For the full list of updates since Feb 28 - visit the link below. 

Read more: US, 'Israel' launch full-scale attack against Iran