War in the Middle East: latest developments

Here are the latest events in the Middle East war:

- Iran warns countries not to act -

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged other countries to refrain from any action that could widen the scope of the war with Israel and the United States.

In a phone call with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Araghchi called on other countries to "refrain from any action that could lead to escalation and expansion of the conflict", according to an Iranian foreign ministry statement.

- UK calls for de-escalation -

A British minister said it was essential to calm the situation in the Middle East after US President Donald Trump demanded that other nations help protect world oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The "plan now has to be to de-escalate the conflict", Energy Security Minister Ed Miliband told the BBC.

- Iran arrests suspects linked to Israel -

Iranian authorities have arrested at least 20 people in the country's northwest province of West Azerbaijan on suspicion of cooperating with Israel, Iranian media reported.

Authorities have carried out sweeping raids across Iran, arresting in recent days hundreds of people suspected of cooperating with Israel and the United States, the media said.

- Strikes kill at least four in Lebanon -

Overnight strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least four people, Lebanese state media and the government said, as Israel said it was pressing its campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Israel struck "an apartment in a residential building" in a northern district of the coastal city of Sidon, killing one person and causing a fire.

To the southeast of Sidon, in the village of Al-Qatrani, three people were killed in an overnight Israeli strike, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

- Israel launches 'wide-scale' strikes -

Israel's military said it began a broad wave of strikes on western Iran, more than two weeks into the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic.

- Iraq warns of prison at risk -

Iraq warned that drone attacks near Baghdad airport threatened the security of the nearby prison housing Islamic State group suspects recently brought from Syria.

They have been held since in Baghdad's al-Karkh prison, once a US Army detention centre known as Camp Cropper, which is part of Baghdad airport's complex that has been subjected to repeated strikes.

Since the start of the Middle East war, Tehran-backed armed groups have been claiming daily drone and rocket attacks against US bases in Iraq.

- Zelensky fears losing US support -

Ukraine does not want to lose US support for its struggle against Russia as a result of Washington's war with Iran, President Volodymyr Zelensky has told journalists.

"We are showing our willingness to help the United States and their allies in the Middle East" by offering to share Ukraine's drone expertise, and "we strongly hope that as a result of the Middle East, the United States will not turn its back on the question of the war in Ukraine", he added.

- Iran Guards threaten Israeli PM -

Iran's Revolutionary Guards vowed on Sunday to "pursue and kill" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to their website Sepah News.

- Pentagon identifies soldiers killed -

The Pentagon released the identities of six US crew members killed during the crash of a refuelling aircraft in western Iraq earlier this week, which authorities said was not caused by "hostile fire".

The Pentagon said the six members killed in the crash were John Klinner, 33; Ariana Savino, 31; Ashley Pruitt, 34; Seth Koval, 38; Curtis Angst, 30; and Tyler Simmons, 28.

- South Korea evacuates more than 200 -

South Korea is evacuating 204 of its citizens and seven other nationals from the Middle East using a military aircraft, the foreign ministry said, calling the operation "unprecedented".

The evacuees are due to arrive in South Korea on Sunday afternoon.

- Loud explosions heard in Bahrain's Manama -

Explosions rang out over Bahrain's capital of Manama early on Sunday, two AFP journalists said.

Bahrain said it had intercepted 125 missiles and 203 drones since the start of Iran's attacks, which have killed two people in the kingdom and 24 others in neighbouring Gulf nations.]

burs-giv/sbk