live

War in the Middle East live: Donald Trump demands role in choosing Iran's next leader as thousands flee Beirut

Skip to timeline

US President Donald Trump has demanded a role in choosing Iran's next leader, saying that the son of assassinated supreme leader Ali Khamanei would be "unacceptable" to him.

Meanwhile, Israel has issued warnings for civilians in southern Beirut to evacuate, sparking panic.

In other news overnight, the second commercial flight out of the Middle East since hostilities began arrived in Sydney from Dubai.

Follow live.

Key Events

Submit a comment or question

Live updates

Welcome to our coverage

Welcome to our live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest from across the region.

Here are a few of the latest updates:

Donald Trumphas said he wants a role in choosing Iran's next leader.- A second commercial flight out of the Middle East has arrived safely in Sydney, with dozens of Australians being greeted by tearful friends and family. AustraliaandNew Zealandeach sent military planes to the Middle East to assist with evacuating their citizens.- Israeli forces entered southern Lebanon and issued a wide-ranging evacuation order for southern Beirut, causing panic in the capital. - The UKwill send more jets toQatar, whileItalyandGreecewill bolsterCyprusdefences,as European nations were drawn further into the Middle East conflict. - Blasts were heard across Dohaas Qatar's capital came under attack by Iranian missiles. Explosions were also heard inAbu Dhabi. - Iran targeted an oil refinery in Bahrain.No one was hurt and a fire has been extinguished. Azerbaijansaid it was preparing 'retaliatory measures' for drones hitting its territory it says came from Iran, which denies involvement.Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyyhas said the US has asked Kyiv for help dealing with drones in the Middle East

Iran's foreign minister speaks with NBC

Morning everyone - this is Rachel Clayton reporting from Washington DC.

President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth will be up later this afternoon local time, we'll bring you the latest when that kicks off.

For now, the *Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi *spoke with NBC News in the US from Tehran earlier today.

He answered a range of questions about the war, including why Iran was attacking its neighbours and whether the regime is willing to negotiate with the US.

*Sinking of Iranian warship *

Araghchi started off accusing the US of a "war crime" when a US submarine sank a warship in the Bay of Bengal.

He said the ship was carrying trainees, was in the region for a training exercise and was not armed.

Who's in charge in Iran?

"The system is working very well", Araghchi said, adding that under the constitution, a council of cabinet ministers is fulfilling the duties of the supreme leader.

When asked if Khamenei’s son was in line to take over, he said, "We have to wait for the assembly of experts to choose".

Attacking neighbours

Araghchi denied Iran had attacked its neighbours, instead saying it had attacked American bases “which are unfortunately located [on] the soils of our neighbours”.

"I have been in touch with their foreign ministers and I have explained that we are not targeting you. We have targeted wherever the Americans are. Maybe there have been some collateral damages as it is in every war."

*Does Iran want a ceasefire? *

No.

"We don't see any reason why we should negotiate with the US when we negotiated with them twice, and every time they attacked us in the middle of negotiations."

Is Iran prepared for a US ground invasion?

"We are waiting for them," Araghchi said.

"We are confident we can confront them, and that would be a big disaster for them."

NATO allies increase missile defence posture after Türkiye incident

NATO *allies have increased their alliance-wide ballistic missile defence posture following the intercept of a missile from Iran targeted at *Türkiye, the alliance's military headquarters say.

The posture will remain at the heightened level until the threat from Iran's "continued, indiscriminate attacks across the region subsides," Colonel Martin O'Donnell, spokesperson for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, said in a post on X.

Abu Dhabi resident tells ABC latest barrage worst yet

In the past hour Abu Dhabi has come under Iranian barrage with debris from intercepted missiles falling, reportedly injuring tourists.

Video posted on X shows at least six interceptions near the Zayed International Airport.

A resident in Abu Dhabi has told the ABC that it’s the worst of the conflict so far.

The Zayed International Airport had just resumed limited flights for stranded travellers.

Trump tells Kurdish opposition groups to go on the offensive

Donald Trump has encouraged Kurdish opposition groups to go on the offensive.

"I think it's wonderful that they want to do that, I'd be all for it," the president said on a phone call with Reuters.

When asked if the US would provide or had offered air cover, he responded, "I can't tell you that," but added the objective for the Kurds would be "to win."

"If they're going to do that, that's good," Trump added.

Iranian Kurdish militias have consulted with the United States in recent days about whether, and how, to attack Iran's security forces in the western part of the country, according to three sources with knowledge of the matter.

The Iranian Kurdish coalition of groups based on the Iran-Iraq border in the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan has been training to mount such an attack in hopes of weakening the country's military, as the United States and Israel pound Iranian targets with bombs and missiles.

-Reporting with Reuters

US asks Ukraine for help with Middle East drones

Ukraine's President *Volodymyr Zelenskyy *says Ukraine has received a request from the United States for help in dealing with drones in the Middle East, adding he has ordered expert support to be given.

Indonesians pressuring government to leave Trump Board of Peace

The fallout from US and Israeli strikes on Iran is widening, with Indonesians putting increased pressure on their own leader to withdraw from US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace (BoP).

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto joined the BoP earlier this year, also committing 8,000 Indonesian troops to form part of a BoP-led stabilisation force in Gaza.

Following strikes on Iran, major Indonesian Islamic organisations, representing at least tens of millions of people, have called on Prabowo to withdraw from the board and rescind the offer of troops.

A large group of civil society organisations and prominent Indonesians have also signed a joint petition titled, "Against the New Imperialism", calling on Indonesia to withdraw from the BoP.

"The Chair of the BoP, who is supposed to safeguard peace … has instead acted against peace itself."

On Thursday, members of Indonesia's small Shi'a community and others gathered at the Iranian ambassador to Indonesia's residence, to join in prayer and mourn the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Many there criticised Indonesia's decision to join the Board of Peace.

Death toll in Lebanon surpasses 100

The Lebanese health ministry says the death toll from Israeli strikes has risen to 102 since the country was drawn into regional war earlier this week.

The ministry added that 638 people have also been wounded since Monday, adding that the tolls were likely to increase as hospitals treat more victims.

-Reporting with wires

Bahrain says an Iranian missile hit a state-run oil refinery

Bahrain says a fire resulting from a missile strike on an oil refinery has been extinguished.

The refinery is still working and no one was injured.

But it marks another Iranian strike targeting the region’s oil industry, the lifeblood of the Gulf Arab states.

Air raid sirens sounded across Bahrain today, with residents urged to seek shelter, and mobile phones had alerted people in Dubai of possible missile fire from Iran.

Authorities in the tiny Gulf nation said a facility in the oil refining and factory town of Maameer had suffered minor damage, with no casualties.

-Reporting with AP

WHO says it has verified 13 attacks on health sites in Iran

The World Health Organization chief says it has verified 13 attacks on health infrastructure in Iran and was checking reports that four healthcare workers were killed and 25 others injured.

"An estimated 100,000 people have left Iran and in Lebanon, more than 60,000 people have been displaced," Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference.

A WHO spokesperson told Reuters the verified attacks in Iran had resulted in three deaths and no injuries.

"For Lebanon, we have now verified three attacks resulting in three deaths and six injuries," the spokesperson said.

At the same press conference Dr. Hanan Balkhy said the WHO logistics hub in Dubai, which provides health supplies to dozens of countries, is temporarily out of service because of transport restrictions in the region.

A spokesperson from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also said three of its workers had been injured in military attacks since February 28 in Iran.

-Reporting with Reuters

Sri Lanka evacuates crew of second Iranian ship

Sri Lanka evacuated** 208 crew members of an Iranian navy vessel**, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, a day after a US submarine struck and sank another Iranian frigate.

He said Sri Lanka's navy will also take over the second vessel and shift it to the northeastern port of Trincomalee for safe keeping amid fears that could be target for attack.

*Reporting with AFP *

Explosions heard in Abu Dhabi

Residents in the Emirati capital** Abu Dhabi **have reported hearing a series of loud explosions, with UAE air defences responding to a missile threat as Iran pressed on with its retaliation campaign in the Gulf.

"Air defence systems are currently responding to a missile threat," the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said in a statement on X.

Abu Dhabi residents said they heard numerous heavy explosions.

Ministry of Defence posted on X explaining the sounds heard the sounds heard “are the result of the Air Defence Systems intercepting missiles and drones”.

Authorities in Abu Dhabi responded to falling debris at two sites in an industrial zone after air defences intercepted a drone, the emirate's media office said.

Six Pakistani and Nepalese nationals were injured.

Fresh waves of explosions, most from interceptions, also rocked Dubai, Doha and Manama on Thursday (local time).

-Reporting with wires

Trump wants to be personally involved in choosing Iran's next leader - Axios

*Donald Trump *has said he wants to be personally involved in choosing Iran's next leader.

The US president has given an interview to Axios, in which he said the reported frontrunner to be the next supreme leader — Mojtaba Khamenei, theson of assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — would be "unacceptable" to him.

"They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela," he told the website.

No new leader has emerged but statements by Iranian politicians suggest an announcement could be imminent.

He made similar comments** in an interview with Reuters**.

"We [the US] want to be involved in the process of choosing the person who is going to lead Iran into the future," he said.

"We don't have to go back every five years and do this again and again ... Somebody that's going to be great for the people, great for the country."

Gridlock as Israel warns residents to leave southern Beirut

Israel has warned residents to leave Beirut's southern suburbs, including Hezbollah-controlled areas, on Thursday (local time), prompting an exodus from a swathe of the capital, which a far-right Israeli minister said would soon resemble parts of Gaza.

Traffic was gridlocked in Lebanon's capital as panicked residents tried to flee.

The notice for the area known as Dahiyeh advised residents to “save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” and specified which routes residents of different areas could take.

Since the resurgence of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, Israel has struck sites in Beirut’s suburbs and issued a blanket warning for residents south of the Litani River to evacuate their homes, but had not previously issued a blanket evacuation order for areas outside of Beirut’s capital.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted a video on X from near the Lebanon border, in which he said that Dahiyeh would soon resemble parts of Gaza, where Israel's two-year military campaign against Hezbollah's ally Hamas has left much of the territory in ruins.

"You wanted to bring hell on us but you have brought hell upon yourselves. The Dahiyeh will look like Khan Younis. Our northern residents will soon live in quiet, peace and security," said Smotrich, who sits on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet.

Azerbaijan closes southern airspace near Iran for 12 hours

Azerbaijan closed part of its airspace in the south after it said four Iranian drones flew across its border.

The airspace will remain closed for 12 hours, according to a notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by Azerbaijan, starting from 7 pm local time.

This comes after two drones hit an airport and a village in the Azerbaijani exclave north of Iran.

Azerbaijan said the the drones came from the direction of Iran, but Iran denied it attacked and accused Israel of framing it.

Azerbaijan's military said it was preparing 'retaliatory measures' to the attack.

Loading...### A mother breathes a sigh of relief

A mother breathed a sigh of relief late last night after her daughter and son in law finally returned home from Dubai after days of trying to get a flight to Australia.

They arrived onboard the second commercial flight to leave the Middle East and arrive in Sydney.

Dina Iseani had been stranded with her husband in the Middle East since Saturday, and had several flights cancelled at the last minute.

"I am so overwhelmed, but so grateful to be home," she said.

"It's just been so stressful, hearing everything and being five months' pregnant."

Ms Iseani said she and her husband heard multiple explosions and interceptions from their hotel room.

"Not knowing when we were going to get a flight, getting cancelled every last minute, that was the stressful part," she said.

Missiles in the sky an unwelcome sight for visiting Brits

A young couple with an eight-month-old baby were also among those who arrived in Sydney from the Middle East late last night.

William Boles and his family were on the way to Australia for holidays from the United Kingdom, when they were left stranded in Dubai for several days due to flight cancellations.

"We literally saw some of the missiles coming towards the hotel," he said.

Mr Boles said at first it took a few seconds to realise it was missiles in the sky.

"Then you're like, 'Oh my God, it's coming towards us,'" he said.

"It was awful, one of the worst weeks of our lives."