US-Iran War Live News Updates: Explosion In Dubai; Netanyahu Prepares To Topple Iran Regime

In a post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump wrote, "We are totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran, militarily economically, and otherwise, yet, if you read the Failing New York Times, you would incorrectly think that we are not winning. Iran’s Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth. We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time - Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today. They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honor it is to do so! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP." [sic]

Dubai authorities said that they are handling a minor incident where shrapnel from a successful air interception fell onto a building facade in central Dubai, specifically on Sheikh Zayed Road. No injuries were reported.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has claimed that its ballistic missiles have hit the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, allegedly disabling the vessel and compelling it to withdraw from Gulf waters. The United States has rejected the claim, stating that the carrier "continues to support Operation Epic Fury."

The authorities in Dubai have confirmed that a missile or drone was intercepted in the air, but debris fell down and hit a building in central Dubai, causing a minor incident. No one was hurt in the incident.

Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez said Thursday that the conflict in the Middle East and rising fuel costs could ultimately benefit the interoceanic waterway as global shippers adjust routes.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Vásquez said that higher energy, fuel and navigation costs could make the Panama Canal a more attractive option for commercial traffic.

“When costs increase, in general when the price of marine fuel rises, the Panama Canal becomes a more attractive route,” Vásquez said.

A loud explosion was heard in central Dubai, with smoke visible in the area, following sounds of explosions, reports NDTV.

Iran has launched its 44th wave of missile attacks as the war with Israel enters its 14th day. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims these strikes are targeting Israeli cities as well as US bases in Erbil and Bahrain. 

Iran has launched drone strikes on Northern Israel, reportedly injuring 33 people. The attack involved multiple missiles and drones, with sirens sounding across northern Israel, reports NDTV.

A woman and a child were killed, and 35 others injured, in an Israeli air strike on a residential building in Arak, western Iran, according to Al Jazeera Arabic and the city's deputy governor.

The State of Qatar has strongly condemned the Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, considering them a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities by compelling the Israeli occupation authorities to cease their repeated attacks on Lebanon and to respect international conventions and laws.

The Ministry affirmed the State of Qatar's unwavering stance towards the Republic of Lebanon, its unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and its full support for all efforts that enhance its stability and prosperity.

Iran's UN Envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, stated that Iran won't close the Strait of Hormuz, despite threats from the country's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, to use it as a pressure tactic. Iravani emphasised Iran's right to preserve peace and security in the waterway, citing the country's commitment to freedom of navigation under international law.

Israeli warplanes pummelled Lebanon, targeting even the busy heart of Beirut, in response to missiles from Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters launched into Israel. One strike hit in a neighbourhood that is close to Lebanon's parliament, United Nations offices and international embassies.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said forces were targeting a “facility affiliated with Hezbollah.”

An Israeli strike also hit in the vicinity of Lebanon's only public university, killing a professor and the director of the science faculty at the campus in Hadath, on the outskirts of Beirut's southern suburbs. There was no immediate comment from Israel.

(Source: AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli attacks have killed top Iranian nuclear scientists.

Speaking Thursday night at a news conference, Netanyahu denounced Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, as a 'puppet of the Revolutionary Guards' who cannot appear in public. And he addressed the Iranian people, saying the moment for a 'new path of freedom' was approaching and that Israel stands with them.
 

Donald Trump believes Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is likely alive despite not being seen publicly since taking office. "I think he probably is. I think he is damaged, but I think he's probably alive in some form," Trump said in an interview with Brian Kilmeade. 

Hosseinian told The Associated Press the new supreme leader was wounded in the attack on his family's home, but 'it is not serious.' The hope is he will attend the massive, state-organised Eid prayer next week that his father traditionally led. Hosseinian added that Iran's strikes on Gulf nations have also been strategic.

"Even when we targeted hotels, we had precise information that they were hosting American and Israeli soldiers," he said.

Khamenei called on Gulf Arabs to "shut down" US bases in the region, saying protection promised by Washington was "nothing more than a lie."

He also said Iran has studied "opening other fronts in which the enemy has little experience and would be highly vulnerable" if the war continues. He did not elaborate, but Iran has been linked to previous attacks on US, Israeli and Jewish targets around the world.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi says Iran had proposed mechanisms to ensure no nuclear weapons, but the US dismissed it due to a lack of understanding of the technical details. He argues that Americans won't benefit from rising oil prices and tariffs, as these policies only enrich corporations and harm households.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country's attacks were creating conditions for the Iranian population to topple the government.

"It is in your hands," Netanyahu said at a news conference, addressing the Iranian people. "We are creating the optimal conditions for the fall of the regime."

Iran's secretive new supreme leader vowed to keep up attacks on Gulf Arab countries and use the effective closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz as leverage against the United States and Israel.

It was his first public statement since being chosen to succeed his father, who was killed in an Israeli strike.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, who Israel suspects was wounded in the opening salvo of the war, has not appeared in public since then.

In the statement read by a state TV news anchor, he vowed to avenge those killed in the war, including in a strike on a school that killed over 165 people.

The US Treasury Department announced it was taking steps to further ease sanctions on Russian oil as crude prices surge during the Iran war. The agency said that it was granting a license that authorises the delivery and sale of some sanctioned Russia crude oil and petroleum products for the next month.

Trump signalled earlier this week that he would take further action to ease restrictions on sanctioned oil to help make for the loss of oil flowing on the market because of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The move follows the Trump administration granting temporary permission for India to buy Russian oil.
 

(Source: AP)