Mideast reels under wave of attacks by Iran

Dubai: Intense Israeli airstrikes pounded the capitals of Iran and Lebanon on Friday as the United States apparently struck an Iranian drone carrier at sea in its unrelenting campaign against the Islamic Republic's fleet of warships. Iran launched new retaliatory attacks in the Middle East at the end of a full week of bombardment, which US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned was "about to surge dramatically." Israel's military said Friday morning it had begun "a broad-scale wave of strikes" on Tehran, Iran's capital.

Witnesses described the Israeli airstrikes as particularly intense, shaking homes in the area. Others reported explosions around the Iranian city of Kermanshah in an area that is home to multiple missile bases. The Israeli military said strikes have already destroyed most of Iran's air defences and missile launchers. The war has escalated to affect countries across the Middle East and beyond. Early Friday, Iran fired missile and drone attacks into Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, all countries that host US forces.

There were no immediate reports of casualties. In Lebanon, where the war has rekindled fighting between Israel and Iran-allied Hezbollah militants, Israel launched a series of airstrikes late Thursday into Friday in the southern suburbs of Beirut and other areas.