Iran fired two ballistic missiles toward the US-UK military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Saturday, saying the strike demonstrated that “the range of Iran’s missiles is beyond what the enemy previously imagined.” The Wall Street Journal earlier reported Iran launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward the base but that they did not hit it.
The strikes on Saturday were part of a wider escalation between Israel and Iran. The Israeli military said it struck targets in Tehran, Karaj west of the capital, and the central city of Isfahan, and began a wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah positions in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Sirens sounded across Israel as the military responded to missiles said to have been launched from Iran. The Israeli army renewed evacuation warnings for seven neighbourhoods in Beirut’s suburbs; smoke, fires and explosions were reported, though no immediate casualty counts were available.
Iran held funeral processions for Revolutionary Guard spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini, whom Iranian state media said was killed in an Israeli strike the previous day. Iran’s top military spokesperson, Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” worldwide would not be safe for the country’s enemies, raising concerns Tehran could sanction strikes beyond the Middle East. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei praised Iranians’ steadfastness in a Nowruz statement; state media noted he has not been seen publicly since the strikes that reportedly killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The U.S. responded by moving additional forces to the region, including thousands more Marines, while President Donald Trump accused NATO allies of reluctance to help open the Strait of Hormuz and said the U.S. was “getting very close to meeting our objectives” as it considered winding down military efforts—comments that contrasted with requests for further war funding. Washington also temporarily lifted sanctions to allow the sale of Iranian oil already at sea, authorizing the release of about 140 million barrels to try to ease soaring global crude prices.
Other developments: United Airlines’ CEO warned the carrier is preparing for jet fuel to cost the equivalent of Brent crude at USD 175 a barrel and for oil to remain above USD 100 into next year, citing steep recent fuel price rises. Kyodo reported Iran told Japan it was ready to allow Japan-related vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz if Tokyo sought reopening. Rights groups warned a wave of executions may be underway in Iran after three young men, including a 19-year-old wrestler, were hanged this week, the first from among tens of thousands detained after nationwide protests. Separately, an Indian family said a 26-year-old man working in Riyadh may have been killed in a suspected missile attack; official confirmation was pending.
The exchanges mark the deadliest spillover from the Iran war since Hezbollah first fired on Israel in support of Tehran earlier in March, with both sides broadening targets and global concern rising over regional escalation and threats beyond the Middle East.
