Drone attack targets fuel storage at Kuwait airport

The Kuwaiti army says fuel storage tanks belonging to Kuwait International Airport have been targeted by a wave of hostile drones. 

Fire at Bahrain port after Iranian attack

Bahrain's Interior Ministry says an Iranian attack targeted its Salman Port. 

It says the country's Civil Defence Services are taking measures to control a fire sparked by the incident.

Eight killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon

Israeli airstrikes on several targets in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed eight people, according to a toll released by the health ministry.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that a series of Israeli airstrikes had targeted more than 20 towns and villages in southern Lebanon.

"Six people were killed by an Israeli airstrike on the town of Kherbet Selm," the health ministry reported. 

A second strike killed at least two people in Kfar Rumman near the city of Nabatiyeh, it was added.

Reporting with AFP

Trump says deadly girls' school strike was 'done by Iran'

US President Donald Trump has blamed Iran for the deadly strike on a girls' school in the southern Iranian town of Minab.

"We think it was done by Iran," he told reporters.  

"Because they are very inaccurate, as you know, with their ammunition. They have no accuracy whatsoever." 

Neither Israel nor the United States has claimed responsibility for the attack, which Iranian officials say killed at least 150 people. 

A New York Times investigation found the US military was most likely responsible.

'We're not looking to settle' with Iran: Trump

Let's flick back to the US now. 

I mentioned earlier that US President Donald Trump had been speaking to reporters on Air Force One after attending the dignified transfer of six fallen service members

In addition to saying he didn't want Kurdish fighters to join the war, he touched further on a few other points that are worth returning to. 

Trump told reporters the US retains significant leverage over Iran and isn't looking to negotiate with its remaining leadership. 

"We're not looking to settle," he said. "They'd like to settle. We're not looking to settle."

Steve Witkoff, one of the president's top envoys in talks with Iran, said Tehran was not "very amenable" in negotiations before Operation Epic Fury was launched. 

"They told me and Jared [Kushner], we're not going to give you diplomatically what you couldn't take militarily," he said.

"So you know, I think they're going to need a change of attitude."

Reporting with AP

Australia considers Gulf states' request for military assistance

The federal government is considering a request for military assistance from Gulf states targeted by Iranian attacks as the war in the Middle East enters its second week. 

All six Gulf states — Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar — have been impacted by Iranian strikes since the war began, which have targeted civilian infrastructure including airports. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told Insiders the government had received requests from some of those countries for protection against drone and missile attacks. 

"We have been asked and we will consider in accordance with those principles," she said. 

"We are not participating in offensive action against Iran." 

She would not provide details on the type of military assistance being considered, but said the government would be transparent if it accepted the request. 

You can read the full story by Holly Tregenza here.

Today so far

If you're just tuning in, here's a quick rundown on the latest developments in the Middle East war:

  • US President Donald Trump warned "Iran will be hit very hard" today, and that the US and Israel were considering targets they had not previously 
  • Hardline clerics in Tehran vowed they will meet in the next day to choose a supreme leader, after rejecting Trump's demand for a role in picking Ali Khamenei's replacement
  • Iran's Supreme Security Council head said he had received reports that American service members had been captured — a claim US Central Command has denied
  • Australia is considering requests for military assistance from Gulf states for protection against drone and missile attacks
  • Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has apologised to Gulf countries for its attacks across the region, while reaffirming that Iran will not surrender to Israel and the US
  • Flights to Doha and Dubai were suspended due to airspace closures caused by Iranian strikes
  • Further explosions were heard in Abu Dhabi as Iran continued its attacks on Gulf countries 
  • Israel has issued fresh evacuation orders in Lebanon, where authorities say the death toll has climbed to 294
US Central Command denies Iranian claim of captured American soldiers

US Central Command has hit back at Iran's claim American service members have been captured

In a post on X, Iran's security chief Ali Larijani said: "It has been reported to me that several American soldiers have been taken prisoner". 

US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for CENTCOM, says no troops have been taken prisoner. 

"The Iranian regime is doing everything it can to peddle lies and deceive. This is yet another clear example," he said. 

Israel launches wave of strikes on southern Beirut

The Israeli military says it has begun an additional wave of strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut. 

It says it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure. 

US troops captured, Iran's Supreme Security Council head says

The head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council says "several American soldiers" have been taken prisoner. 

In a post on XAli Larijani said the US has claimed the servicemembers were killed in action. 

"Despite their futile efforts, the truth is not something they can hide for too long," he said. 

He did not say where they were captured, or under what circumstances.

The Pentagon has confirmed the deaths of six servicemembers, whose bodies have been returned to the US.