Friday, 06 March 2026
Friday, 06 March 2026
Iran launched a new wave of attacks against Israel, American bases and countries around the region on Thursday, warning that Washington would “bitterly regret” sinking an Iranian warship earlier this week.
The expanding retaliatory strikes came as Israel and the United States continued nationwide bombardment of Iran for a sixth day, targeting military sites, leadership figures and elements of Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The conflict, which began on Saturday, has widened steadily and now involves more than a dozen countries across the Middle East and beyond. It has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 100 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials. Six US troops have also been reported killed.
A day earlier, the United States said it sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in waters off Sri Lanka. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack, saying the US Navy had committed “an atrocity at sea” and warning Washington would regret the move.
Sri Lankan authorities said 32 crew members were rescued from the warship, while the navy recovered at least 87 bodies. The vessel had been carrying around 130 crew members and was returning from an exercise hosted by the Indian Navy that the United States had also joined.
On Thursday, air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as Israeli authorities reported incoming missiles. The Israeli military said it carried out fresh strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile launch sites.
Iranian attacks also targeted several countries hosting American forces. In the United Arab Emirates, a drone was shot down near the Al Dhafra Air Base and falling debris wounded six people. Qatar reported a missile attack on Doha after evacuating residents near the US embassy as a precaution.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a drone near its border with Jordan, while Bahrain said its forces had intercepted 75 Iranian ballistic missiles and 124 drones since the start of the war. An Iranian missile also struck a state-run oil refinery in Bahrain, though authorities said the fire was quickly extinguished and the facility remained operational.
The conflict also spilled into the Caucasus region, with Azerbaijan accusing Iran of launching a drone that crashed near an airport in Nakhchivan and wounded four civilians. Tehran denied responsibility.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated on Israel’s northern front with Lebanon. Israel issued a mass evacuation warning for residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs, signalling possible heavy bombardment. The Israeli military said it struck around 80 targets linked to Hezbollah over the past 24 hours.
UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon reported seeing ground combat near the border overnight as additional Israeli forces moved into the area.
Attacks on commercial shipping have also raised concerns over global energy supplies. Since the war began, ships have come under fire in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes, pushing oil prices higher and disrupting regional air travel.
