\n By The Associated Press\n <\/p>\n
Explosions sounded in Tehran Wednesday as Iran’s war with the U.S. and Israel entered a fifth day following earlier strikes on an Iranian nuclear site and retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Republic across the Gulf region.<\/p>\n
The explosions around Tehran came at dawn, according to Iran state television, while Israel\u2019s military said its air defenses had been activated to intercept incoming Iranian missiles and explosions were heard around Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
The war has killed more than 1,000 people in Iran and dozens in Lebanon, while disrupting the supply of the world\u2019s oil and gas, snarling international shipping, and stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
US submarine sinks Iranian warship<\/p>\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says a torpedo from a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship.<\/p>\n
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In a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Hegseth said that the Tuesday night strike on an Iranian warship was the first such attack on an enemy since World War II.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,\u201d Hegseth said. \u201cInstead, it was sunk by a torpedo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Planning for opening strike of war began 3 weeks ago, Israeli official says<\/p>\n
An Israeli military official says top U.S. and Israeli commanders began planning the opening strike of the war against Iran three weeks ago.<\/p>\n
The official says that once Israel\u2019s government decided on its intention to attack Iran, Israel\u2019s top military brass reached out to the Pentagon to coordinate the operation.<\/p>\n
The militaries worked side by side during the opening strikes on Saturday, killing Iran\u2019s supreme leader and dozens of other top officials. As part of the operation, top Israeli commanders went home for the weekend on Friday to deceive Iran into thinking that an attack was not imminent.<\/p>\n
NATO condemns Iran’s targeting of Turkey<\/p>\n
NATO spokesperson, Allison Hart, condemned \u201cIran\u2019s targeting of Turkey\u201d but she did not confirm whether the military organization\u2019s air defenses were used to down the missile.<\/p>\n
\u201cNATO stands firmly with all allies, including Turkey, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region,\u201d she said. \u201cOur deterrence and defense posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked whether NATO air defenses were used, Hart said she \u201ccan\u2019t get into operational details.\u201d<\/p>\n
NATO has parts of a broader European ballistic missile defense system on Turkish soil, including an early warning radar at the Kurecik base which can detect missiles from Iran.<\/p>\n
Turkey talks with Iran over intercepted missile<\/p>\n
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has spoken by phone with his Iranian counterpart after an Iranian ballistic missile that was detected heading toward Turkish airspace Wednesday was intercepted.<\/p>\n
During the call with Abbas Araghchi, Turkey stressed that \u201call steps that could escalate the conflict and contribute to its spread\u201d must be avoided, a Turkish official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol.<\/p>\n
Container ship attacked off Oman<\/p>\n
A container ship was attacked Wednesday afternoon off the coast of Oman, causing fire in its engine room, an agency of the U.K. military said.<\/p>\n
The vessel was transiting eastbound through the Strait of Hormuz, 2 nautical miles north of Oman, when it was hit by an unknown projectile, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, UKMTO.<\/p>\n
Oman, long an intermediary between the West and Iran, has repeatedly come under attack by Iran.<\/p>\n
A top cleric says Iran is \u2018close\u2019 to choosing its next supreme leader<\/p>\n
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami is a member of the Assembly of Experts, the body charged with picking a new leader. His comments were aired on state television.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe options have become clear,\u201d Khatami said. Other top officials have indicated a decision may be close.<\/p>\n
Sirens go off again in Israel<\/p>\n
Sirens have gone off in Jerusalem and elsewhere for simultaneous launches from Lebanon and Iran.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s military earlier said it is seeing a decline in launches from Iran as the campaign enters its fifth day.<\/p>\n
Iran wants Iraq to lean on opposition groups<\/p>\n
An Iraqi official says a senior Iranian official requested that Iraq take measures to prevent Iranian opposition groups based there from breaching the border.<\/p>\n
A statement says Ali Bagheri, deputy secretary of Iran\u2019s Supreme National Security Council, made the request in a call with Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassim al-Araji.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard issues most intense threat yet<\/p>\n
The guard says it is prepared for the \u201ccomplete destruction of the region\u2019s military and economic infrastructure.\u201d The statement came via Iranian state television.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe continued mischief and deception by the United States in the region will come at the cost of the complete destruction of the region\u2019s military and economic infrastructure,\u201d it says.<\/p>\n
It alleges, without offering evidence, that the U.S. military was using \u201ccivilian facilities … as cover.\u201d<\/p>\n
Death toll in Iran rises<\/p>\n
The death toll in Iran from the ongoing war with the United States and Israel has reached at least 1,045 people, an Iranian government agency said Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The Iran\u2019s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs offered the toll, saying it represented the number of bodies so far identified and prepared for burial.<\/p>\n
Turkey says NATO defenses intercept ballistic missile launched from Iran<\/p>\n
Turkey\u2019s Defense Ministry says NATO defenses have intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkey\u2019s airspace. A ministry statement said the missile was detected after crossing Iraqi and Syrian airspace. NATO air and missile defense units stationed in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted it in time.<\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s leader says the world order is rupturing<\/p>\n
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney say he sees the war as an extreme example of a rupturing world order in which countries increasingly act without respect for international norms and laws.<\/p>\n
\u201cGeo-strategically, hegemons are increasingly acting without constraint or respect for international norms or laws while others bear the consequences. Now the extremes of this disruption are being played out in real time in the Middle East,\u201d Carney said at the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based international policy think tank.<\/p>\n
But whether the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran broke international law was \u201ca judgment for others to make,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Shiite leader in Iraq says attack on Iran is a violation of international law<\/p>\n
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a prominent religious leader based in Iraq, condemned the \u201cmilitary aggression\u201d against Iran. He said attacking a country that is a member of the United Nations without U.N. approval is a violation of international law.<\/p>\n
The Iran-born al-Sistani, who is one of the world\u2019s most influential Shiite clerics, warned that war would cause widespread chaos and prolonged unrest \u201cthat will bring calamities to the peoples of the region and to the interests of others as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Al-Sistani is based in the holy Shiite city of Najaf.<\/p>\n
Mourning ceremony for Khamenei postponed<\/p>\n
Iranian state television on Wednesday afternoon said the mourning ceremony for Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been postponed and would be held later after intense strikes targeted Tehran.<\/p>\n
Ex-pat in Dubai recounts facing high prices in search for safety<\/p>\n
A Hong Kong expatriate living in Dubai moved hotels twice and encountered high prices for hotels and flights out of the country in her search for safety.<\/p>\n
Agnes Chen Pun, a partner at an investment firm, said she was afraid her home in Dubai near the Burj Khalifa skyscraper could be targeted. That prompted her to move Monday into a resort in Fujairah on the eastern coast of the UAE, an around 1.5-hour drive from Dubai.<\/p>\n
After spending a peaceful night in Fujairah, however, a fire broke at the port there.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see the dark smoke,\u201d she said. \u201cEveryone is like running, rushing in the (hotel) lobby.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were limited flights leaving UAE or Oman, and she considered taking a private jet from Oman back to Asia, as some others were doing. The cost, however, was as much as $268,000 for a 13-seat private jet flight.<\/p>\n
She finally secured commercial flight tickets at around $2,200 per person for economy class seats for her family for an Emirates flight scheduled to fly out of Dubai to Singapore Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n
Sinking vessel is one of Iran’s newest warships<\/p>\n
The Iranian vessel that was sinking off of Sri Lanka, the IRIS Dena, is one of Iran\u2019s newest warships.<\/p>\n
The frigate was the centerpiece of a two-ship international tour in 2023 that included port calls in countries including South Africa and Brazil. It was accompanied by the support ship IRIS Makran, a converted oil tanker.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Treasury Department included both ships on a sanctions designation in February 2023 along with eight executives of an Iranian drone manufacturer that supplied the weapons to Russia for use against civilian targets in Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Israel orders people in villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate<\/p>\n
The Israeli military is ordering people living in dozens of villages in southern Lebanon close to the border with Israel to evacuate and move \u201cimmediately\u201d north of the Litani River.<\/p>\n
The Israeli army\u2019s Arabic spokesperson warned people on X that if they decide to move south of the river they will be endangering their lives.<\/p>\n
The area south of the Litani River is mostly along the border with Israel. The Lebanese government says it has cleared the area of Hezbollah\u2019s military presence there over the past months.<\/p>\n
Israel sees decline in launches from Iran<\/p>\n
Israel is seeing a decline in launches from Iran as the campaign enters its fifth day, military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said.<\/p>\n
Defrin also said Israel is not surprised by any new weapons Iran may use and had prepared extensively for the confrontation.<\/p>\n
He said Israel would continue to \u201chunt and destroy\u201d Iran\u2019s military capabilities.<\/p>\n
Israel says it struck more than 250 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in 2 days<\/p>\n
Israel has struck more than 250 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over the past 48 hours, an Israeli army spokesperson said Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Spokesperson Effie Defrin said in a recorded statement that the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah had been launching rockets at Israel overnight.<\/p>\n
Defrin said Israel would continue to target Hezbollah until \u201cthe threat is removed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI emphasize: We have no issue with the people of Lebanon. The people of Lebanon are paying the price for the Iranian regime,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
32 rescued from sinking Iranian naval ship off Sri Lankan coast<\/p>\n
A top Sri Lankan official says 32 people have been rescued from a sinking Iranian naval ship off Sri Lanka\u2019s southern coast have been admitted to a hospital.<\/p>\n
Dr. Anil Jasinghe, a top health ministry official, says one of them is in critical condition, seven are receiving emergency treatment and others are treated for minor injuries.<\/p>\n
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament that Sri Lanka\u2019s navy received information that the ship IRIS Dena with 180 onboard was under distress, and that the island nation sent ships and air force planes on a rescue mission.<\/p>\n
There were no immediate details as to how the sailors were wounded and how the ship was damaged.<\/p>\n
Kuwait is targeted again<\/p>\n
Kuwait\u2019s military said a new wave of Iranian missiles and drone was targeting the tiny Mideast nation.<\/p>\n
Judiciary chief threatens Iranians who support US-Israeli campaign<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s judiciary chief threatened \u201cthose who say or do anything\u201d in support of the U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign targeting the Islamic Republic.<\/p>\n
Gholam Hosseini Mohseni Ejehei\u2019s remarks raised the possibility of those detained facing death-penalty charges, as cooperating with an enemy can carry execution if convicted.<\/p>\n
Speaking on state television, he said: \u201cThose who say or do anything in line with the will of America and the Zionist regime are on the enemy\u2019s side and must be dealt with on revolutionary, Islamic principles and in accordance with the time of war.\u201d<\/p>\n
British government plans flight to evacuate stranded citizens<\/p>\n
The British government says a chartered flight will take off from Oman late Wednesday to bring back some of the thousands of U.K. nationals in the Gulf.<\/p>\n
It says the most vulnerable will be prioritized for the first of what is expected to be a series of flights.<\/p>\n
The Foreign Office says more than 130,000 British nationals in the Middle East have registered their presence with the government since the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict broke out, though not all are trying to leave. Many of those are in the United Arab Emirates, and the government has advised against trying to travel overland to Oman.<\/p>\n
Commercial airlines are also starting to resume some flights, with Etihad, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic all due to operate flights from the UAE to London on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Israel says it has shot down a piloted Iranian aircraft over Tehran<\/p>\n
The Israeli military said one of its F-35 stealth fighter jets shot down a piloted Iranian Air Force YAK-130 fighter over Tehran on Wednesday. Israel described it as the first air-to-air combat kill of a piloted aircraft by the fighter jet.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s top diplomat says Trump betrayed his voters<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s top diplomat is again criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump as America and Israel continue their airstrike campaign targeting his country in the war.<\/p>\n
Abbas Araghchi said that \u201cTrump betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen complex nuclear negotiations are treated like a real estate transaction, and when big lies cloud realities, unrealistic expectations can never be met,\u201d Araghchi wrote on X. \u201cThe outcome? Bombing the negotiation table out of spite.\u201d<\/p>\n
The war began Saturday after Israel launched an airstrike killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The U.S. and Iran had held three rounds of nuclear negotiations prior to the start of the war, but no deal had been reached.<\/p>\n
An anxious Tehran resident is torn about whether to leave<\/p>\n
As the fighter jets roared overhead, those still in Tehran looked anxiously to the skies.<\/p>\n
One man who ran a clothing shop said he didn\u2019t know what, if anything, he could do.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to decide what to do. If I leave the city, how am I supposed to earn money and survive?\u201d said the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just hope the Arabs do not get involved. If they do, their missiles won\u2019t be as precise as these.\u201d<\/p>\n
Airstrikes reported in other Iranian cities<\/p>\n
Airstrikes also were reported in the Iranian cities of Urmiah and Kermanshah.<\/p>\n
Israel says \u2018broad scale strikes\u2019 underway in Tehran<\/p>\n
The Israeli military said it had begun \u201cbroad scale strikes\u201d in Tehran.<\/p>\n
More airstrikes hit Tehran<\/p>\n
Airstrikes struck eastern Tehran later Wednesday morning, witnesses said.<\/p>\n
Israel says whoever is chosen as Iran\u2019s next supreme leader will be \u2018a target for elimination\u2019<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s defense minister on Wednesday threatened whoever Iran picks to be the country\u2019s next supreme leader, saying he will be \u201ca target for elimination.\u201d<\/p>\n
Israel Katz made the statement on X.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery leader appointed by the Iranian terror regime to continue and lead the plan to destroy Israel, to threaten the United States and the free world and the countries of the region, and to suppress the Iranian people \u2014 will be a target for elimination,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
Israel targeted a building Tuesday associated with Iran\u2019s Assembly of Experts, which will select the new supreme leader.<\/p>\n
Israel killed the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a strike Saturday that started the war.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n
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