Israel strikes nuclear sites, FBI chief hacked as Iran defies ‘bullies’: As it happened
RT’S LIVE COVERAGE OF THE US-ISRAELI WAR WITH IRAN HAS MOVED HERE
Iran has accused the US and Israel of targeting key civilian nuclear and industrial facilities in a new wave of strikes. Meanwhile, Iran-linked hackers have reportedly breached FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email, publishing photographs and other documents.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi slammed the US and Israel at an emergency UN Human Rights Council session on Friday, convened to discuss the alleged US airstrike on a girls school in Minab that killed over 170 children.
“The attack on the school in Minab was not a mere incident, nor a miscalculation,” Araghchi said, calling it “an atrocity crime and against humanity.” The US is targeting civilians and infrastructure “with no regard for laws of war.”
The Pentagon is drafting options for a potential “final blow” against Iran, according to Axios, that involve ground operations and a large-scale bombing campaign. Officials reportedly outlined four main scenarios for President Donald Trump to consider, largely centered on seizing or blockading Iranian islands near the Strait of Hormuz – a key oil route effectively blocked by the conflict.
The outlet says contingency plans also include ground incursions deep into Iran to secure highly enriched uranium at nuclear facilities. Earlier reports suggested that the Department of War could deploy up to 10,000 additional troops to the region, though White House officials say a ground operation is hypothetical.
Trump earlier claimed that talks with Tehran “are going very well” and delayed strikes on Iranian power facilities by ten days. Tehran denies that it is conducting direct talks and has reportedly set strict ceasefire terms, refusing to negotiate on US conditions after what it called “backstabbing” during earlier negotiations. Araghchi argued that receiving messages does not amount to “talks.”
Here are the latest developments:
- The Israeli military conducted large-scale overnight strikes “in the heart of Tehran” and elsewhere, targeting ballistic missile and air defense production sites. Among them was Iran’s “most central” naval weapons production facility in Yazd, used to assemble and store missiles for launch from ships, submarines, and helicopters against maritime targets.
- US-Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,937 people in Iran since February 28, according to Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian. More than 1,116 people have been killed in Lebanon.
- Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denied that Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran, saying the locations of US bases in the Middle East are “publicly available information” and “everyone in the region knows their coordinates.”
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told Deutschlandfunk radio that the US and Iran could soon meet for direct talks in Pakistan.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has threatened to “escalate and expand” attacks on Iran after accusing Tehran of targeting Israel’s civilian population.
Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.
