By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - The United States is pressing Sri Lanka's government not to repatriate the survivors from the Iranian warship it sank this week, as well as the crew of a second Iranian ship that is in Sri Lankan custody, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters on Friday.

A U.S. submarine sank the IRIS Dena warship in the Indian Ocean about 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka's southern port city of Galle on Wednesday, killing dozens of sailors and dramatically widening Washington's pursuit of the Iranian navy.

The United States insists it attacked Iran to curb "direct threats" from the Islamic republic, but legal experts say the dangers cited by Washington do not justify war under international law.

US and Israeli forces launched a massive air campaign against Iran on February 28, with Washington saying it aimed to curb nuclear and missile threats from Tehran. Yet the war has also decapitated the country's government, and President Donald Trump is now demanding "unconditional surrender."

When blasts rolled across Dubai as air defences intercepted Iranian missiles overhead, Marion Kuria froze as a tremor ran through her building.

Then, like countless African migrants in the Gulf, she went back to work, driven by a need for income and with few alternatives to turn to.

The 36‑year‑old Kenyan, who has spent seven years in the city's retail sector, told AFP she felt the shock "in her spine".

"The anxiety was extremely high," she said.

By Pesha Magid

JERUSALEM, March 6 (Reuters) - Israel has been bombing parts of western Iran to support Iranian Kurdish militias who hope to exploit the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran to seize towns near the frontier, according to three sources familiar with Israel's talks with the factions.

The notion of an offensive by Iranian Kurdish forces based in Iraq gained attention on Friday when U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters it would be "wonderful" if they crossed the border.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Friday "unlawful attacks" across the Middle East and warned that the situation could spiral out of control as the conflict spreads to multiple countries.

US and Israeli forces launched a massive air campaign against Iran on February 28. Iran has retaliated with strikes against Israel and Gulf countries.

Washington said it aimed to curb nuclear and missile threats from Tehran but it has also decapitated the country's government, and President Donald Trump is now demanding "unconditional surrender."

Only nine oil tankers, cargo and container ships, some of which at times concealed their position, have been recorded crossing the Strait of Hormuz since Monday, according to MarineTraffic data analysed by AFP.

After three ships were attacked on Sunday, at least three tankers and a vessel carrying gas have crossed this chokepoint, a key shipping lane virtually shut by the war in the Middle East.

Nearly 20 percent of the world's crude oil and about 20 percent of liquefied natural gas (LNG) usually transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

March 6 (Reuters) - The United States will respond to Iranian attacks on civilians throughout the Middle East, the leader of the U.S. Central Command, Brad Cooper, said on Friday.

Cooper said that Iran has attacked 12 different countries since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on the Islamic Republic last week, including firing seven attack drones at civilian, residential neighborhoods in Bahrain on Thursday night.

"This is unacceptable and will not go unanswered," Cooper said in a statement.

From Kurdistan in western Iran to the shores of the Gulf and in Tehran, AFP reporters have spoken to Iranians throughout the week to build a picture of their lives under daily US and Israeli bombardment.

Most spoke of anxiety, but also frustration about rising prices and, for opponents of the government, fear about a crackdown that has seen checkpoints and armed security forces patrol the streets.

Ukraine is preparing to despatch military drone specialists to Gulf states to help them fend off Iranian-designed drones -- something the Ukrainian army has been doing since the start of Russia's invasion.

The military assault launched in February 2022 spawned a cat-and-mouse game of aerial drone warfare that has forced both sides to constantly innovate -- or perish.

Moscow has dramatically scalled-up the production and sophistication of its drones, based on Iranian-designed Shaheds drones that Tehran has launched at Israel and Gulf states over the last week.

As US and Israeli war planes pummel Iran with daily strikes, witnesses say that civilian deaths, damage to infrastructure and anxiety are mounting while security forces remain an intimidating presence on the streets.

Millions of Tehran residents spent another stressful night on Thursday-Friday as huge explosions shook the city and lit up the sky, making it impossible for many to sleep, AFP correspondents said.