US-Iran war highlights: Israel military says new wave of missiles fired from Iran; Strikes hit several areas of Iran

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said four more drones have been intercepted and destroyed in the country’s east, as the country continues to defend against a stream of unmanned aerial vehicles that have targeted the country over the past several hours.

Germany is no longer planning to help Israel respond to accusations it is committing genocide in Gaza in a case brought by South Africa to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a German Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said.

“There will not be an intervention at the International Court of Justice,” Josef Hinterseher, deputy spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry, told reporters, the Jewish News Service (JNS) has reported.

Berlin’s decision comes as Germany defends itself against Nicaragua’s accusation that it supported Israel’s genocide, in a separate case before the ICJ, Hinterseher said.

“We are now part of a process at the ICJ initiated by Nicaragua, and we have decided to focus on this process,” he said.

The Houthis have issued a stern warning that they will target American ships and warships in the Red Sea if the United States participates in any attack alongside Israel against Iran.

The statement came from Yahya Sarea, spokesperson for Yemen's Houthi rebels, who described such a scenario as part of a broader strategy aimed at enabling Israel to control the region.

"Because it considers it the biggest obstacle in the way of completing its plan. Therefore, any American attack and aggression supporting the Israeli enemy against Iran is within the framework of the same goal, aiming to enable the Israeli enemy to control the entire region. This is something that cannot be overlooked because it means confiscating the freedom, independence and dignity of our nation, enslaving and humiliating it, obliterating its identity, occupying its homelands, looting its wealth, and establishing the equation of the permissibility of blood, honour, land and sanctities," Sarea said.

Kuwait said Friday its Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery again came under attack by Iranian drones, which sparked a fire at several of its units.

The refinery had been hit on Thursday, sparking fires.

Kuwait said on Friday that firefighters were trying to control the blazes, and there were no immediate injuries from the attack.

The Iranian attack came as Kuwait marked Eid al-Fitr, the celebration marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

The attack on Friday comes as Iran increasingly targets energy sites in Gulf Arab states after Israel on Wednesday bombed Iran’s massive South Pars offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf.

Saudi Arabia has intercepted two more Iranian drones, which were destroyed over the country’s eastern region, the Ministry of Defence has said.

Anne-Sophie Corbeau, at the Centre on Global Energy Policy in Paris, told Al Jazeera that Ras Laffan – the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant in Qatar – is likely to face a lengthy repair timeline after it was attacked by Iran this week.

“We don’t yet know the impact of the damage,” Corbeau said, adding that “based on previous incidents at other LNG facilities, it will likely take months to repair”.

“The last major incident at an LNG facility was Freeport LNG [in Texas] in 2022: the facility was down for eight months. Before that, Snohvit in Norway was down for 1.5 years after a fire in September 2020,” she said.

“In a worst-case scenario, Ras Laffan may not restart in 2026, which means that LNG supply in 2026 would be roughly equivalent to where we were in 2021,” she said.

“This could be a five-year setback; the implications for the world and for gas prices are massive,” she said.

US military forces are preparing to send several warships along with 4,000 marines and sailors to “reinforce its troops fighting against Iran”, Newsmax is reporting, citing four unnamed officials.

The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, which is being deployed from the US West Coast, also includes F-35 fighter jets, missiles, and amphibious vehicles that can be used to conduct amphibious landings, according to Newsmax.

According to HRANA, 1,394 of the dead in Iran so far were civilian casualties, including at least 210 children.

It classed 1,153 as military fatalities, while 639 deaths remain undetermined.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has issued an update on the death toll in Iran, which it says has reached 3,186 people since the war began on 28 February.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday lauded the resilience of the citizens amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia and said that work is underway to gradually reopen schools with "responsibility and sound judgement".

He made the remarks in a video message in Hebrew shared on X.

The Israeli PM thanked people for their perseverance, and said, "We are working to gradually reopen schooling, with responsibility and sound judgment, and to return to our children, as much as possible, stability, security, and routine."

He added, "Together with my colleagues in the government, we continue to do everything to ease the burden on citizens, to strengthen the economy, to assist reservists and their families, and to persist in the effort until achieving all the campaign's objectives. The resilience you are demonstrating and the adherence to the Home Front Command's instructions give us the strength to continue acting with determination for Israel's security and for the future of our children."

Leading European nations, Japan and Canada issued a joint statement on Thursday saying they were ready to join appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and would take steps to stabilise energy markets.

This is the full text of the statement from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada:

We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces.

We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817.

Freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle of international law, including under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The effects of Iran’s actions will be felt by people in all parts of the world, especially the most vulnerable.

Consistent with UNSC Resolution 2817, we emphasise that such interference with international shipping and the disruption of global energy supply chains constitute a threat to international peace and security. In this regard, we call for an immediate comprehensive moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations.

We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.

We welcome the International Energy Agency's decision to authorise a coordinated release of strategic petroleum reserves. We will take other steps to stabilise energy markets, including working with certain producing nations to increase output.

We will also work to provide support for the most affected nations, including through the United Nations and the IFIs (International Financial Institutions).

Maritime security and freedom of navigation benefit all countries. We call on all states to respect international law and uphold the fundamental principles of international prosperity and security.

The Saudi Defence Ministry has announced the successful downing of nine more drones over the country’s Eastern Province, the latest in a night of interceptions involving more than two dozen drones.

The Kuwaiti army said “hostile missile and drone attacks” are being confronted, and members of the public have been asked to follow official safety instructions.

The sounds of explosions being heard are the result of Kuwait’s air defence systems “intercepting the hostile attack”, the military said.

Just over an hour ago, Kuwait’s military reported confronting an earlier missile and drone attack.

The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have all reported missile and drone attacks in the last few hours.

The UAE's Ministry of Defence says it is currently responding to incoming threats from Iran, and told citizens they might hear air defence systems intercepting attacks.

Kuwait also warned of explosions resulting from its air defence system and asked citizens to adhere to safety instructions from authorities.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence reported the interception and destruction of five more drones in the eastern region of the country.

While Bahrain's Ministry of Interior asked residents to head to their nearest safe location after sirens were activated. Later, officials said the attack was a result of "Iranian aggression", and that falling shrapnel had caused a fire at a warehouse.

As Muslims worldwide prepare for the typically joyous holiday of Eid al-Fitr, Lebanon has crossed a grim milestone. The renewal of the war between Israel and the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group has displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon. Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,000 people, Lebanese health officials say.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence has announced that it intercepted and destroyed another drone over al-Jawf province, in the north of the country, amid a continuing stream of drone attacks over several hours.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence has announced that it intercepted and downed five more drones over the Eastern Province, which is the country's economic hub and home to key oilfields.

Members of Iran’s national women’s soccer team were greeted with a welcome ceremony upon their return to the Islamic Republic after several of the players sought asylum in Australia.

“First of all, we are so happy to be in Iran, because Iran is our homeland,” midfielder Fatemeh Shaban said.

People in the crowd waved flags, while some players held bouquets of flowers and signed what appeared to be mini-soccer balls. Iranian media had reported that the team returned on Wednesday.

“I wasn’t expecting this many people to come to welcome us, and I am happy to be the daughter of Iran,” Shaban said in translated comments.

Two Iranian female players, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, chose to remain in Australia and have been training with the Brisbane Roar club.

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior said the fire at a company warehouse broke out due to falling shrapnel resulting from “Iranian aggression”.

Civil Defence workers have the fire under control “without any injuries”, the ministry said.

China is curtailing fertiliser exports to protect its domestic market, industry sources have told Reuters, placing additional strain on global markets already grappling with shortages caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

In mid-March, Beijing banned exports of nitrogen-potassium fertiliser blends and certain phosphate varieties, sources told Reuters.

According to the report, only a handful of fertilisers – notably ammonium sulphate – can be exported from China along with existing bans and export quotas for urea, which would mean between half and three quarters of what China exported last year is now restricted, potentially up to 40 million metric tonnes, according to a Reuters estimate.

Heavy explosions shook Dubai in the United Arab Emirates early Friday as air defences intercepted incoming fire over the city.

A missile alert sounded prior to the strike, with authorities saying they were activating air defences to counter an Iranian barrage.

Authorities in Dubai confirm the success of all air interception operations, with no injuries reported.

“Please rely on official sources for updates,” the UAE city's media office said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence has reported intercepting and destroying three drones in the east of the country over the past hour.

The ministry's spokesperson said earlier that 10 drones were also destroyed on separate occasions over the past several hours.

All were intercepted in the eastern region of the country.

Authorities in both the UAE and Kuwait have said that they were responding to incoming missile threats from Iran, AFP reported.

The Pentagon has asked for an additional $200 billion from Congress to pay for the war against Iran, Bloomberg reported, quoting a person familiar with the matter, as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth argued that the campaign was ahead of schedule and disputed that the US was getting embroiled in a quagmire.

According to the source, the request has been sent to the White House for review and President Donald Trump has yet to sign off. Asked about the figure on Thursday, Hegseth didn’t deny it but said the number could move.

“It takes money to kill bad guys,” Hegseth told a press conference. “We’re going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded.”

If approved by Congress, a $200 billion supplemental spending bill would be the largest since a Covid relief bill in 2020, according to the Congressional Budget Office.