US-Iran War Day 7 LIVE Updates: Iran Targets US Base in UAE, Links It to Deadly Iranian School Strike

The escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran entered its seventh day on Friday, spreading across multiple countries in the Middle East and beyond.

What began with a joint US-Israel strike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has since evolved into a widening military confrontation marked by missile attacks, air strikes, naval incidents and political divisions in Washington.

The death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon has risen to 217, according to the country’s health ministry. Lebanon was drawn into the war after Iran-backed Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel following Khamenei’s death.

Iran on Friday carried out retaliatory strikes against US bases and energy facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Israel, meanwhile, continued air strikes targeting cities in Iran as well as Lebanon.

Israeli strikes hit Beirut as war enters seventh day

The war entered its seventh day after Israeli forces announced a “next phase” in the conflict and carried out air strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to AFP.

Earlier, the Israeli military issued an unprecedented evacuation warning covering the entire area, urging residents to “save your lives and evacuate your residences immediately.” The alert triggered panic among civilians and led to mass evacuations from the suburbs.

Lebanon was drawn directly into the conflict earlier this week when Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel to avenge the killing of Khamenei.

Israel responded with air strikes and deployed ground troops into some Lebanese border villages before expanding operations to Beirut’s southern suburbs, targeting what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure.

Lebanese authorities said at least 123 people have been killed since Monday, with 683 injured and at least 90,000 displaced, according to AFP.

Massive US air campaign targets Iranian missile infrastructure

The United States said it has launched one of its largest strike campaigns against Iranian military infrastructure in recent decades.

US Central Command commander Brad Cooper said American forces struck nearly 200 targets deep inside Iran over the past 72 hours.

“In just the last 72 hours, America’s bomber force has struck nearly 200 targets deep inside Iran. In just the last hour, U.S. B-2 Spirit bombers dropped dozens of 2,000-lb penetrator bombs targeting deeply buried ballistic missile launchers,” Cooper said during a press conference.

The operation, named Operation Epic Fury, is targeting Iran’s missile launchers, drone facilities and infrastructure linked to its ballistic missile programme.

Cooper said the strikes had significantly reduced the intensity of Iran’s retaliatory attacks.

“We’re not just hitting what they have, we’re destroying their ability to rebuild. We will systematically dismantle Iran’s missile production capability for the future,” he said.

US defence secretary warns Iran of prolonged war

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that Washington was prepared for a prolonged military campaign if necessary.

“Iran is hoping that we cannot sustain this, which is a really bad miscalculation for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran,” Hegseth said during a press conference at US Central Command.

“Our commitment to our mission objectives only increases as our advantages continue to increase… We have only just begun to fight and fight decisively,” he added.

Hegseth also dismissed concerns about a possible influx of refugees into the United States due to the war.

Israel says senior Hezbollah commander killed

Israel confirmed that it had killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut during the latest round of strikes.

The Israel Defense Forces said Zaid Ali Jumaa, Hezbollah’s head of artillery operations in southern Lebanon, had been killed in Beirut.

According to the military, Jumaa was responsible for launching thousands of rockets, missiles and drones towards Israeli territory.

“ELIMINATED: Hezbollah firepower management commander Zaid Ali Jumaa in Beirut,” the IDF said in a post on X.

The Israeli military also accused him of involvement in a 2015 anti-tank missile attack in the Mount Dov area that killed an Israeli officer and soldier.

War spreads across Gulf region

The conflict has also affected several Gulf countries, with Iranian missiles and drones targeting cities and military facilities across the region.

According to AFP, 13 people have been killed in Gulf countries since the war began, including seven civilians and an 11-year-old girl in Kuwait.

Bahrain said Iran targeted two hotels and a residential building in the capital Manama, though there were no casualties.

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted three ballistic missiles aimed at an air base, while Qatar said it intercepted a missile over Doha. AFP journalists reported loud explosions and thick smoke rising above the city.

Falling debris from an intercepted drone also injured six people in Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan announced it was withdrawing diplomatic staff from Iran after drone strikes hit an airport and a school in the country’s border region.

Naval incident near Sri Lanka raises tensions

A US submarine earlier sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka, according to Bloomberg.

The attack reportedly killed at least 84 Iranian sailors. Thirty-two crew members were rescued, while more than 100 remain missing or dead.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said it was the first time since World War II that an American submarine had attacked a surface vessel.

Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the country would take control of another Iranian vessel with about 200 crew members in its waters and move it to the northeastern port of Trincomalee amid rising tensions.

Iran death toll rises

An Iranian state-run foundation said the death toll from US and Israeli strikes has risen to 1,230 people, though the figure could not be independently verified.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had not sought a ceasefire and had no intention of negotiating with Washington.

“We do not see any reason why we should negotiate with the US,” Araghchi told NBC News.

He warned that any ground invasion would be disastrous for American forces. “We are confident that we can confront them, and that would be a big disaster for them,” he said.

Latest developments in the war

• Israel struck major cities in Iran and Lebanon, saying it had launched a “broad-scale wave of strikes” on Tehran. Residents reported powerful explosions that shook buildings across the city.

• Iran fired missiles and drones towards Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, targeting countries that host US military bases.

• The United States said it had struck an Iranian drone carrier at sea, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warning the conflict could “surge dramatically.”

• Israel said most of Iran’s air defence systems and missile launchers had been destroyed, while fighting with Hezbollah continued in Lebanon, particularly in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

• In Washington, political divisions have emerged over President Donald Trump’s decision to launch strikes on Iran without congressional approval. The US House of Representatives narrowly rejected a war powers resolution seeking to halt the attacks, with the measure failing 212-219.

• Kuwait’s armed forces said they were responding to incoming missile and drone attacks after Iran targeted US bases in the country, warning that further strikes could follow.