The sixth day of the war in the Middle East

On the sixth day of the war in the Middle East, the United States and Israel continue bombing Tehran (Iran – 1,200+ dead) and Beirut (Lebanon – 77+ dead), following yesterday’s statement by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Israeli aircraft would soon gain full control of Iranian airspace, allowing them to strike targets and cause “death and destruction all day.” It is noted that, according to the WHO, the United States and Israel have struck 13 health facilities in Iran since the beginning of the war.

Iran launched new drone and missile attacks on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (Israel – 10 dead) and on infrastructure in three Gulf countries allied with the United States: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar (8 + 6 US soldiersdead in the Gulf countries). It also attacked a US tanker in the Persian Gulf (20,000 sailors trapped in the Strait of Hormuz).

Today, for the first time in the context of this war, Iran also struck Kurdish positions in Iraq (2+ dead). According to sources cited by The New York Times, Iranian Kurdish dissidents in northern Iraq are preparing armed groups for a possible invasion of Iran with US support. However, the Kurdish regional government in Iraq denies reports of its involvement.

Also today, two Iranian drones struck Azerbaijan (4 injured), a country that has tense relations with neighboring Iran due to historical and geopolitical differences. Iran denies launching the drones, attributing responsibility to Israel, while Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense announced that “the attacks will not go unanswered.”

In the United States, the Senate (with a Republican majority) voted down a measure to limit the powers of Donald Trump that would have prevented him from ordering further attacks on Iran.

Iran also denied launching a missile toward Turkey after Ankara announced yesterday that a missile targeting Turkish territory had been intercepted from Iran. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described the incident as “serious”; however, activating Article 5 (which states that an attack on one NATO member constitutes an attack on all) is not currently on the table.

In the United States, the Senate (with a Republican majority) voted down a measure to limit Donald Trump’s powers that would have prevented him from ordering further attacks on Iran. The House of Representatives (also with a Republican majority) is expected to do the same today, according to the NYT.

Yesterday’s US submarine attack on an Iranian frigate off the coast of Sri Lanka, in the Indian Ocean (international waters), is the first American torpedo attack since World War II. Of the 180 crew members on board, more than 30 have been rescued, more than 80 bodies have been recovered, and Sri Lankan authorities continue searching for dozens of missing people.

The Spanish government denied yesterday’s US claim that Madrid had changed its stance and would cooperate with the American military in the war against Iran. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt had stated that Spain “heard the president’s message” and agreed to cooperate with the United States, but Spanish Foreign MinisterJosé Manuel Albares firmly rejected the claim.

Sources: Al Jazeera [1], [2], BBC, The New York Times