US & ‘Israel’ at war with Iran | Day 28 coverage

US-‘Israel’ strikes on Friday hit steel factories in southwest Iran and Isfahan city, according to Mehr News Agency.

Air Canada has extended its suspension of all flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, ‘Israel’ until September 8.

The suspension also applies to Dubai, with the company citing the “ongoing military situation in the Middle East,” in a statement cited by Hebrew media. 

Air Canada previously cancelled all flights to and from Tel Aviv until May 2, shortly after the ‘Israeli’-US strikes on Iran started. 

“Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, flights to and from Dubai (DXB) and Tel Aviv (TLV) remain suspended,” it said in the statement.

CENTCOM releases footage of what it says are strikes against Iranian military targets.

“U.S. forces continue to eliminate the Iranian regime’s ability to project military power beyond its borders,” the United States Central Command said on X.

• Ahmad Alavi of the Tehran City Council reported that US and ‘Israeli’ airstrikes have damaged at least 120 museums and historical landmarks, including the Saadabad Palace complex and the Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• International monitors have confirmed structural damage to four of Iran’s 29 World Heritage sites, including the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan and Naqsh-e Jahan Square. 

Tehran City Council’s head of the Cultural Heritage Committee, Ahmad Alavi, said Friday that US and ‘Israeli’ airstrikes on Iran have damaged at least 120 museums, cultural sites, and historical landmarks across the country since the start of the war.

Alavi said, “At least 120 museums, historic buildings, and cultural sites across various provinces were directly targeted, resulting in severe structural damage.”

He noted, according to state television, that the affected sites include Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with others such as the Marble Palace, the Teymourtash Museum, also known as the War Museum, and the Saadabad Palace, all located in Tehran.

Saadabad is a vast historical complex in northern Tehran that includes several palaces and heritage buildings set within a large forested area dating back to the early 20th century.

It also houses multiple museums dedicated to Iran’s cultural history, including artifacts from the era of the deposed Shah, such as cars, formal attire, and state gifts from world leaders.

In addition to museums, the complex contains the residences of the Iranian president and the governor of Tehran, while facilities belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the judiciary are located nearby, according to AFP.

The United States and ‘Israel’ launched an attack on Iran on February 28, which on its first day resulted in the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and sparked a war whose effects have spread across the entire region.

In mid-March, UNESCO recorded damage to four out of Iran’s 29 World Heritage-listed sites.

These include Golestan Palace, sometimes compared to the Palace of Versailles and one of the oldest sites in the Iranian capital; the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan in central Iran; Chehel Sotoun Palace, also in Isfahan; and the archaeological sites in the Khorramabad Valley in the east.

Several historic houses in the coastal city of Bushehr overlooking the Gulf were also damaged. In Isfahan, Naqsh-e Jahan Square, a 17th-century architectural masterpiece surrounded by mosques, a palace, and a bazaar, also sustained damage.

The UAE Ministry of Defense said that its air defense systems engaged on Friday six ballistic missiles and nine drones, as Iran keeps targeting Gulf countries in what it says is retaliation against ‘Israeli’-US strikes.

Jordan activates all-clear alarm

Spain’s economy could face a "significant slowdown" due to the Middle East war, the Bank of Spain said on Friday, although it still predicts growth of 2.3 percent in 2026.

"The central scenario anticipates a significant slowdown in the pace of activity, shaped by an international context dominated by the conflict in the Middle East," it said, warning of potential "episodes of financial market instability".

Sirens activated in Jordan amid danger

‘Israeli’ defense minister Israel Katz warned Friday that strikes on Iran will “intensify”, as the ‘Israeli’-US war on the Islamic Republic nears one month old.

“The prime minister and I warned the Iranian terror regime to stop the missile fire toward the civilian population in Israel. Despite the warnings, the fire continues, and therefore IDF strikes in Iran will intensify and expand to additional targets and domains that assist the regime in building and operating weapons against Israeli civilians,” he said during an assessment with military officials.

“They will pay heavy and increasing prices for this war crime,” Katz adds, according to remarks published by his office and cited by Hebrew media.

A loud explosion was heard in the skies of Jordanian capital Amman, as the Iranian state TV said a new wave of missiles was launched at ‘Israel’.

Jordan activates all-clear alarm

Sirens activated in Jordan amid danger

Iran releases footage of its 83rd wave of missiles, amid the ongoing war with ‘Israel’ and the US.

The video also shows IRGC soldiers writing “thank you” on the missiles, in a gesture directed at supporters in Spain, Pakistan, India, and Germany.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said Friday that six ballistic missiles were launched towards the province of Riyadh, as Iran presses on with its campaign in the Gulf in retaliation for US-‘Israeli’ strikes.

Two missiles were intercepted, “while the other four fell in the waters of the Arabian Gulf and uninhabited areas,” according to the statement.

The deadly bombing of an Iranian school on the first day of the Middle East war was a "calculated" assault by the United States, Iran's foreign minister said Friday.

In a video address to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Abbas Araghchi slammed the "calculated, phased assault" on an elementary school "in the city of Minab, south of Iran, where more than 175 students and teachers were slaughtered in cold blood".

"The United States' contradictory remarks aimed at justifying their crime could not, in any manner, elude their responsibility," he said, describing the February 28 attack as "a war crime and a crime against humanity".

The UK's foreign minister Yvette Cooper on Friday urged a "swift resolution" to Middle East war, accusing Iran of holding the global economy hostage by blocking shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

"We are very clear we need to see a swift resolution to this conflict that restores regional stability," Cooper said ahead of a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in France attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Referring to the refusal of Iran to allow vessels through the key Strait of Hormuz, she added: "Frankly, Iran cannot be able to just hold the global economy hostage as a result of a Strait which is about international shipping routes and the freedom of navigation."

Iran's Revolutionary Guards urged civilians across the region on Friday to stay away from areas near US forces, nearly a month into the war with the United States and ‘Israel’.

"The cowardly American-Zionist forces... are attempting to use civilian locations and innocent people as human shields," said the Guards in a statement on their Sepah News website.

"We recommend that you urgently leave locations where American forces are stationed so that no harm comes to you."

Iran's military has warned that hotels housing US soldiers across the region would be targets in its war with the United States and ‘Israel’.

"When all the Americans (forces) go into a hotel, then from our perspective that hotel becomes American," armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi told state television on Thursday.

"Should we just stand by and let the Americans strike us? When we respond, naturally we have to strike wherever they are."

On Thursday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had accused US soldiers of using people in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as "human shields".

"From the outset of this war, US soldiers fled military bases in the GCC to hide in hotels and offices," he said in a post on X, calling on hotels in the region to deny them bookings.

The Fars news agency, quoting unnamed sources, said Iran had sent "firm warnings" to hotels in the region, particularly in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

It added that Iran's military had identified US forces using similar locations in Syria, Lebanon and Djibouti.

Iran accuses its neighbours of allowing US forces to carry out attacks from their territory, but Gulf states have repeatedly denied the accusations, saying even before the war that they would not allow their territory or airspace to be used to attack Iran.

All-clear sirens sound across Jordan

The ‘Israeli’ military said Friday morning that it detected ballistic missiles launched from Iran.

Sirens were sounded in south ‘Israel’.

Sirens activated in Jordan amid danger

Kuwait's main commercial port was damaged in a drone attack on Friday, authorities said, as Iran pressed on with its campaign in the Gulf in retaliation for US-‘Israeli’ strikes.

The Shuwaikh port was targeted at dawn "by enemy drones, preliminary reports revealed material damage but no human casualties", the Kuwait port authority said in a statement on X.

An adviser to the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Iranian forces have trained for “the most complex scenarios”.

According to the Iranian state news agency IRNA, the official said that “the sons of Iran have trained for the most complex scenarios”.

Iran says its armed forces are fully prepared to confront any potential US ground invasion, with a source describing a “million-strong force ready to turn America’s adventure into hell.”

The military source, speaking to Tasnim News Agency, highlighted growing enthusiasm and readiness among Iranian fighters amid speculation of US military action in the region. “Our land forces are highly motivated to defend the homeland’s integrity,” the source said.

In addition to organized units, the source reported a significant influx of volunteers to Basij, Revolutionary Guard, and regular army recruitment centers, reflecting strong national unity in the face of external threats.

The source emphasized the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, warning that any reckless moves by foreign powers will be met with “firm and proportionate deterrence” from Iran. “The security of the Gulf is a red line for the Islamic Republic,” he said.

CNN sources report that former US President Donald Trump is exploring options for a significant military escalation against Iran if diplomatic efforts do not succeed.

Officials at the Pentagon are reportedly moving beyond airstrike scenarios to planning possible ground operations inside Iran. Scenarios under review include deploying troops to seize key targets within the country.

Hundreds gathered today to bid a final farewell to Staff Sergeant Ori Greenberg, 21, who fell during intense fighting in southern Lebanon. Greenberg, a member of the elite Golani Reconnaissance Unit, was killed in an overnight exchange of fire with Hezbollah militants.

Hezbollah announced that it launched rockets at a gathering of ‘Israeli’ troops and their vehicles near a cemetery in the town of Al-Qantara.

The media office of the Sharjah government announced that air defense systems are actively responding to a missile threat.

Authorities confirmed that defensive measures are in place and stressed the importance of public compliance with safety guidance. No casualties or damage have been reported so far.

'Israeli' opposition leader Yair Lapid has issued a stern warning, stating that 'Israel' are "stretched to the limit and beyond." In a televised briefing following a reported Security Cabinet meeting, Lapid highlighted the "10 red flags" raised by the Chief of Staff regarding the military's inability to sustain current missions.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reportedly targeted oil tanks and storage facilities in the Israeli port city of Ashdod.

The ‘Israeli’ military reported that missiles were launched from Iran toward its territory. Defensive systems are currently operating to intercept the incoming threat.

The Home Front Command issued precautionary alerts directly to mobile phones in affected areas. Citizens have been instructed to enter protected spaces and remain there until official clearance. Leaving shelters is allowed only after explicit instructions.

Iranian media have reported explosions in the cities of Tabriz and Urmia in the northwest, and in Kashan in central Iran.

Kuwait’s military announced it is responding to missile and drone attacks, urging citizens to follow official safety and security guidance.

In a statement, the army said that explosions heard across the country were caused by successful interceptions. Officials called for calm and emphasized the need to adhere to authorities’ instructions during the ongoing engagement.

Air raid sirens sounded in the Upper Galilee area in northern ‘Israel’, according to Channel 12.

The broadcaster reported that warning systems were activated across parts of the region, but did not provide immediate details on the cause of the alert.

Iran has announced a ban on its sports teams traveling to countries it considers 'hostile', in a decision that underscores the increasing overlap between politics and athletics.

According to local reports, the move follows official instructions aimed at “protecting” Iranian athletes amid what authorities describe as security and political concerns abroad.

Two people were killed and eight others injured in an air strike carried out by ‘Israel’ on southern Lebanon, according to the National News Agency.

The strike targeted the town of Kfar Reman in the Nabatieh district, a region that has seen repeated cross-border escalations in recent months.

An air strike targeted a military base used by Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces in the border town of al-Qaim, west of the country.

The base, located in Anbar province near the Syrian frontier, is known to host factions aligned with Iran.

Local sources said the attack left three people injured. The extent of the damage remains unclear, and no group has claimed responsibility so far.

Al-Qaim has long been a sensitive military area due to its proximity to Syria and its role as a key crossing point for armed groups and supply routes.

The Popular Mobilisation Forces, a state-recognized coalition of mostly Shiite armed factions, maintain a strong presence in the region.

Iran allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz as a "present" to show it was serious about negotiations to end the war, US President Donald Trump says.

Referring to cryptic comments earlier this week about a "gift" from Tehran, Trump said Iran allowed eight "big boats of oil" to transit the waterway earlier this week, followed by two others later on.