On Friday, US military officials said it was likely that America was responsible for an attack on a girls’ school in Iran, which killed more than 160 people, including scores of pupils.
President Donald Trump said Iran was still pursuing diplomatic avenues to end the war, but the US was not interested.
Meanwhile, Israel claimed it has destroyed the underground bunker of slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Friday. In a statement, the military said that 50 jets and 100 bombs were used on the site.
Italy sending navy vessel on mission to help protect Cyprus
An Italian navy vessel is preparing to sail to Cyprus, a navy spokesperson said on Friday, as part of a joint European mission to protect the island after it came under Iranian fire this week.
The Federico Martinengo frigate will be deployed in the Cyprus area as part of a coordinated mission also involving France, Spain and the Netherlands.
A British Royal Air Force base in Cyprus was targeted on Monday by an Iranian-made drone following the US and Israeli attack against Tehran.
The Italian navy said around 160 crew members will be on board the vessel, which is expected to depart from Italy by Saturday.
Iran says it launches attack on US forces in Bahrain
Iran has launched an attack on US forces in Bahrain, an Iranian military spokesman has said, according to state media.
A surge in oil prices due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East has prompted fears of a new cost of living crisis in the UK.
Experts are warning that rising prices and energy bills could fuel higher inflation, having a knock-on impact on mortgages, savings and spiralling food costs.
Markets are bracing for longer-lasting volatility as the US and Israel continue to strike Iran, with Tehran authorising revenge attacks in countries across the region and impacting the passage of goods through the Strait of Hormuz.
Holly Evans reports:
Iran conflict threatens new cost of living crisis in Britain
Iran fires at civilian neighbourhoods in Bahrain, US says
Iranian forces have fired seven attack drones at civilian and residential neighbourhoods in Bahrain on Thursday night, US central command has said.
Trump says Cuba is ‘gonna fall pretty soon’
Donald Trump told CNN in an interview on Friday that he believes his administration is close to toppling the communist government that has led Cuba, the Caribbean island just 90 miles off the Florida coast, since 1959.
“Cuba is gonna fall pretty soon,” said the president, who spoke with CNN correspondent Dana Bash by phone.
“They want to make a deal, and so I’m going to put Marco [Rubio] over there and we’ll see how that works out. We’re really focused on this one right now. We’ve got plenty of time, but Cuba’s ready — after 50 years,” Trump continued.
Russia providing Iran with intelligence to target US forces, reports Washington Post
Russia is providing Iran with information including the locations of US warships and aircraft in the Middle East, the Washington Post has reported.
The extent of the assistance was not clear but the Post reported that Iran’s military capabilities to locate US forces had been degraded since the onslaught of hostilities.
What is Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and does it operate in the UK?
Four men have been arrested on suspicion of spying on locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community in London for Iran.
While the Metropolitan Police has not said the suspects were working for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military branch has a history of operating inside the UK.
Just this week, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for the UK Government to introduce emergency legislation to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, arguing it is “more desperate and dangerous than ever”.
What is Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and does it operate in the UK?
Trump says thousands of people being moved out of Middle East ‘quietly, but seamlessly’
President Donald Trump has said that the United States is moving thousands of people out of countries throughout the Middle East. “It is being done quietly, but seamlessly,” he said in a social media post on Friday.
Meanwhile the official White House account are posting garbage like this, thinking they are in a low budget Steven Seagall movie.
https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2029741548791853331
Simple fact of life is that Iran is a developed country of over 92 million people. Its economy has persisted sanctions for nearly 50 years. Iran is no backwater.
For the US to think it could effect a decapitation strategy from 40,000 is utterly wishful thinking. Iran has prepared for years. The Islamic Government has all of the structures in place. How could anyone truly think that bombing the country from 40,000 feet and killing an old man could bring the country to its knees.
Well quite frankly it hasn’t. One week on the middle east is in conflicts a waves comprising of thousands of drones and missiles striking counties all around. And now the US is running out of missiles, as are the Gulf states like Qatar, Dubai, Abi Dhabi, Oman, Cyprus who are running low in interceptors. And the costs. Well it seems the interceptors can range from $250,000 to $13,000,000 a pop whilst the highly effective Iranian drones cost circa $40,000 a pop.
Puts into perspective how the Iranians with their drones could just about bankrupt the US or run them out of kit.
And meanwhile one week on the Straits of Hormuz which are passage to over 20% of the worlds oil is closed. World economic chaos beckons with rampant inflation too. But like Tex Ritter Trump and netanayu wanted war, wanted to kick ass, and by jingo they have got it.
And will the approaching economic tidal wave abate with all hostilities stop our will the military and economic chaos continue. I’ll leave the good citizens of Scotland to work that one out, and especially those who wanted war.
And as for the Greenies, isn’t it wonderful that them together with the UK government moved to close down the north sea. And with oil now running short due to the cut off of a fifth of the worlds oil can we look forward to dray horses pulling all our logistic transport, trains, buses and cars. And ambulances pulled by horse – I may exaggerate but if this war does not end in another couple of weeks the impacts here are going to be huge.
But really, without being cynical, do the donkeys care. Look at our political system, the Lord Mandelson’s , the Royal Prince Andrew, the Ghislaine Maxwells, the Epstein’s and even our own two bit Scottish Government in the grubby pockets of whoever pays a buck and you’ll get a snapshot of where we are.
Oh, and West Dunbartonshire Council is apparently going bust. Whoopee – eh! Our promised Golden Era lies before us.