Translated with AI
The UN Security Council will convene for an emergency meeting at 4:00 PM New York time (9:00 PM GMT, midnight Moscow time) to discuss the "situation in the Middle East." France, Bahrain, Colombia, China, and Russia have requested the urgent meeting.
Shortly before the meeting was announced, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the escalation of the conflict in the region. He said the use of force by the US and Israel against Iran, as well as Iran's subsequent retaliatory strikes throughout the region, undermine the foundations of international peace and security.
According to reports from the Persian Gulf countries, explosions were heard in the region and missile interceptions were recorded. Authorities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan reported intercepting Iranian missiles aimed at US military bases on their territory. Some states stated they reserved the right to retaliate but emphasized the need for a measured approach.
Iran has previously struck American military facilities in Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, and Jordan. There were also reports of expected attacks on a base in Iraq. However, there were no confirmed reports of large-scale damage at most facilities. One missile may have hit a maintenance center at the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain, but there were no reports of casualties among American service members.
Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest in the region and used for operations throughout the Middle East, was also mentioned as a possible target. No hits were reported. Jordan claimed to have intercepted missiles aimed at the American base, but did not confirm any direct hits.
UAE state media reported one death in Abu Dhabi as a result of missile debris falling after the interception. Qatar's Interior Ministry stated that the attack did not result in casualties or damage.
In southern Iran, according to the state news agency IRNA, dozens of students were killed in an attack on a girls' school in the city of Minab. No other independent confirmation of this information was provided. Minab was reported to be home to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base.
BBC Verify, a fact-checking service, analyzed satellite images of Tehran taken this morning. According to them, damage was caused to a building in the complex housing the residence of Iran's Supreme Leader. The extent of the damage is impossible to assess, and it is also unknown whether the ayatollah was inside the complex at the time of the attack.
Reuters, citing sources, reported that Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Pakpour, may have been killed in the strikes. This information has not been confirmed. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that almost all senior officials are alive and safe, specifying that two commanders may have been killed, but did not name them. He added that Iran's Supreme Leader and the country's president are alive.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council vowed a "crushing response" to the US and Israeli strikes and declared that the Iranian people would not compromise. Authorities warned citizens of the possible continuation of the military operation and urged calm. Schools and universities in Iran have suspended operations indefinitely, and banks and government agencies are operating at reduced capacity.
Amid the escalation, a number of airlines have suspended flights to Israel, the UAE, and other countries in the region. Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum Airport are temporarily closed until further notice. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airports and to check flight information with their airlines.
The governments of Great Britain, Germany, France, and other countries called for restraint and a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. Russia condemned the US and Israeli operation, calling it an act of armed aggression against a sovereign state.
The UN Security Council will discuss the situation amid ongoing attacks and the threat of further destabilization of the region.
