War in the Middle East: latest developments
Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:
- Bahrain arrests -
Bahrain's interior ministry said security services dismantled an organisation accused of links to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and arrested 41 of its suspected members.
Sunni-ruled Bahrain, which has a large Shia population and houses a major US military base, was hard-hit by Iranian attacks on the Gulf.
- Israel orders evacuations -
The Israeli military called on residents of more than half a dozen villages in southern Lebanon to immediately evacuate ahead of expected attacks against Hezbollah despite a truce with Lebanon intended to halt the fighting.
Separately, Lebanon said at least one person was killed in Israeli strikes on the country's south.
- Iran to go to World Cup -
Iran's football federation said its men's national team will take part in the 2026 World Cup this summer, but demanded that joint hosts the United States, Mexico and Canada agree to its conditions amid the Middle East war.
The Iranian football federation (FFIRI) president Mehdi Taj on Friday laid out 10 conditions, including: visas being granted; respect for the national team's staff, Iran's flag and national anthem; as well as demands for high security at airports, hotels and routes to the stadiums where they will play.
- Seafarers' anguish -
Many of the thousands of seafarers stuck on board ships bottled up in the Gulf for more than two months are traumatised by drones and missiles and face grave mental suffering, maritime charities warn.
"They see drones flying, they see missiles flying, and then we see instances where the ships get hit," said Gavin Lim, head of the Crisis Response Network for the Sailors' Society, a UK-based seafarers' charity.
"You can imagine that anxiety and fear building up. 'Are we just bait? Are we going to be a victim so that someone can make a point?'"
- Trump awaits Iran response -
US President Donald Trump told reporters late Friday he was expecting Iran's response to his latest proposal on a deal to end the Middle East war by "tonight".
- US jet fires on tankers -
US forces fired on and disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers that tried to violate the American blockade of Iran's ports, the US military said Friday.
A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet "disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran," US Central Command said in a post on X that included footage of the strikes.
- Hezbollah strikes -
Hezbollah said it launched missiles and drones at military bases in Israel in retaliation for a recent attack on Beirut and ongoing strikes in the south, where Lebanese authorities reported 11 people killed on Friday.
- Hormuz control like 'atomic bomb' -
"The Strait of Hormuz represents an opportunity as precious as an atomic bomb," said Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader.
"Indeed, having in one's hands a position that allows you to influence the global economy with a single decision is a major opportunity."
