Iran Intensifies Attacks Across Gulf as Israel Bombards Tehran

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Turkey came under fire on Wednesday, a first for a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since the conflict began. 

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NATO said its air defenses downed the ballistic missile, and Ankara warned Tehran against acts that could further widen the war. Iran’s armed forces denied targeting “neighboring and friendly country Turkey,” according to a statement carried by Nour.

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Saudi Arabia continued to thwart attacks on Thursday, saying it intercepted multiple missiles and drones overnight. Strikes have mostly been directed at Al Kharj near Riyadh, where the US has a facility, or the east where Saudi Aramco operates its headquarters.

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The kingdom is diverting millions of barrels of crude to a port on its Red Sea coast, helping the world’s top exporter to maintain supply as the critical Strait of Hormuz remains largely shut.  

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Sirens continued to sound across Israel, but the military slightly eased restrictions on workplaces and gatherings. 

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“We are seeing a decrease in both the number of launches from Iran and the number of missiles in each barrage,” said Israel Defense Forces spokesman Nadav Shoshani. 

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In Washington, the Republican-controlled Senate rejected a Democratic attempt to halt the US strikes on Iran. The House, also controlled by Trump’s party, is expected to vote on a similar measure Thursday.

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Trump has offered shifting explanations for the strikes, reiterating claims that Iran posed an imminent threat and saying the US acted before Tehran could attack Israel or American interests.

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The duration of military operations remains uncertain, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth telling reporters “it could be six, it could be eight, it could be three” weeks before they are wrapped up. He’s due to brief reporters on the status of the war at 4:30pm New York time on Thursday. 

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Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime chokepoint vital for energy flows and container shipping, has slumped, prompting Trump to announce the US would provide insurance guarantees and naval escorts if needed to ensure safe passage for oil tankers and other vessels. 

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While Iran military commander Amir Heydari told state TV on Thursday the strait isn’t closed, traders and analysts still expect it will take weeks before flows can resume meaningfully. 

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Tehran dismissed an earlier report that its Ministry of Intelligence had reached out to the US to negotiate an end to the conflict as “pure falsehood.”

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“We have no trust in the Americans and no intention of negotiating with the US,” Mohammad Mokhber, who was an adviser to Khamenei, told Iran’s state-run television.

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Israel confirmed attacking a building in Iran’s Qom used by the Assembly of Experts — a conclave that will select Khamenei’s successor. A military spokesperson also appeared to acknowledge that, as widely reported, the site was empty at the time and the clerics survived. Iran’s Nour agency said three people were killed in the attack.

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Preparations were under way for Khamenei’s funeral to begin in Tehran on Wednesday, but the ceremony has been postponed to a later date, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. 

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