Iran unleashed a barrage of missiles targeting Israel in the early hours of Thursday, forcing millions of people to seek refuge in bomb shelters as the armed conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran stretched into its sixth day. The attack came shortly after Republican legislators in the US Senate blocked an effort to curtail President Donald Trump's war powers, voting 53 to 47 against advancing a resolution that would have required congressional approval for continued military operations. Only one Republican broke ranks to support the measure, while just a single Democrat voted against it.
The conflict has expanded dramatically in scope, with a US submarine sinking an Iranian warship near Sri Lanka on Wednesday, claiming at least 80 lives, while NATO air defence systems intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile directed at Turkey — marking the first time the NATO member bordering Iran has been pulled into the hostilities. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated, however, that the incident was unlikely to activate the alliance's collective-defence provisions. Iran's official IRNA news agency, citing a military statement, said three missiles had been aimed at Kurdish opposition group headquarters in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Multiple explosions were reported in Tehran on Thursday, with Iranian news agency Tasnim confirming that the country had engaged its defensive systems. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained paralysed, severely disrupting crucial oil and gas supplies from the Middle East. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright acknowledged on Wednesday that naval escorts for oil tankers through the strait would have to wait, as American military resources were concentrated on the campaign to disarm the Iranian regime. Oil prices continued their upward trajectory on Thursday.
Asian stock markets staged a recovery on Thursday following several days of steep declines, while Wall Street closed higher on Wednesday amid cautious optimism that a resolution to the conflict might be within reach. Some market participants pointed to reports suggesting Iranian intelligence had made contact with the CIA about a possible path to ending hostilities, though a source within Iran's intelligence ministry dismissed this as fabricated propaganda. Governments across the globe scrambled to evacuate tens of thousands of citizens stranded in the region, with commercial flights largely grounded across the Middle East, including at Dubai — the world's busiest international airport.
The funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 86-year-old supreme leader killed in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday in an unprecedented assassination of a sitting head of state, has been postponed indefinitely. Iran's Assembly of Experts is expected to announce his successor imminently — only the second leadership transition of its kind since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979. Assembly member Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami confirmed on state television that candidates had already been identified, though he declined to reveal names. Among the frontrunners is the slain leader's son, whose emergence suggests Tehran has no intention of yielding to the US-Israeli military campaign that has killed hundreds and roiled global markets. Israel has vowed to pursue whoever is appointed as the new supreme leader. Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the republic's founder and a prominent reformist figure, is also considered a leading contender.
