Explosions sent plumes of black smoke over Tehran early Saturday after Israel launched broad strikes and Iran responded by firing missiles, expanding a weeklong confrontation across West Asia that has shown no sign of ending. The Trump administration approved a new $151 million arms sale to Israel, and President Trump said he would not negotiate with Iran without its ‘unconditional surrender.’ Iran’s UN ambassador warned Tehran would take all necessary measures to defend itself.
Associated Press video showed flashes and rising smoke over western Tehran as Israel said it was carrying out a wide wave of strikes. The Israeli military also said it was moving to intercept a new salvo of missiles launched from Iran. Sirens sounded in Bahrain after an Iranian attack targeted the island kingdom. Saudi Arabia reported destroying drones headed for its Shaybah oil field and shooting down a ballistic missile aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts U.S. forces.
Clashes were reported in eastern Lebanon early Saturday when local fighters engaged an Israeli force that landed near the town of Nabi Chit, a Hezbollah stronghold. There was no immediate word on casualties, and the Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Israel has launched repeated airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, areas where Hezbollah is strong but also home to hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 217 people had been killed by Israeli strikes since Monday and 798 wounded. Roads in Beirut were clogged with evacuating traffic as smoke rose over southern districts; two hospitals evacuated patients and staff. Jihan Shehadeh, among the tens of thousands displaced, said families had prayed under trees and slept in cars overnight because there was nowhere else to go.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a television interview that the ‘biggest bombing campaign’ of the war was still to come. He also said the U.S. had given permission to India to buy Russian oil that was already on ships at sea to help ease temporary global supply gaps, praising India for previously halting purchases of sanctioned Russian oil and saying the move was intended to stabilize supplies.
