Explosions heard, air defenses activated across Iran amid Israeli strikes

The war may have begun as a clash between Israel and the Islamic Republic, but for many Iranians now caught in the crossfire, it has become an intimate reality, marked by both grief and rare solidarity.

Iranians across social media are offering shelter, food, and medical help. Families far from the strikes are hosting refugees, doctors are providing free virtual consultations, and volunteers are caring for the elderly, infirm, and even abandoned pets.

Israeli airstrikes have hit Tehran and other cities with little or no notice, drawing criticism from many Iranians and some international observers.

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The US Treasury on Friday levied its first sanctions on Iran since Israel launched a military campaign last week, targeting entities, one person and a ship allegedly involved in procuring defense equipment.

Spanning continents, the sanctioned entities are based in Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Turkey.

According to the Treasury, the designated vessel is owned by a Hong Kong-based company and carried defense machinery for two previously sanctioned Iranian firms.

“The Treasury will continue to degrade Iran’s ability to produce and proliferate these deadly weapons, which threaten regional stability and global security,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal have raised concerns about the possibility of President Donald Trump ordering a military strike on Iran without first consulting Congress.

“Donald Trump is not a king. He's a president. He has an obligation to consult with Congress,” Warner said in a video posted on his X account.

Jayapal added in a post on X, “The idea that the US would potentially deploy a bunker buster bomb in Iran without Congressional approval ... flies in the face of our Constitution.”

Iran's UN envoy Amir-Saeid Iravani accused Israel of “gross violations of international law”, and urged the UN to take action.

“If the council fails to act now, it will send a message that international law and resolutions apply selectively," he told security council Friday.

Israel's UN envoy Danny Dannon accused Iran of deliberately targeting a hospital, saying the country was a wolf posing as sheep.

"We do not apologize for neutralizing a threat," Dannon told security council. "We're acting where international community hesitated."

Addressing Iranian counterpart directly, Dannon said: “Mr Iravani, you are not a victim. You are not even a diplomat. You are a wolf pretending to be a diplomat and we are done pretending otherwise.”

Hezbollah chief said this week that the group will not remain neutral in the Iran-Israel conflict.

May Farhat reports from Beirut on hopes and fears of ordinary Lebanese.