Blasts east of Tehran linked to controlled explosives disposal, official says

The IRGC-affiliated Fars News agency called for Iranian strikes on the ports of Haifa in Israel and Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates in response to a US attack on a railway bridge in northern Iran.

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  A remote bridge shows how US-Iran war is expanding

Fars described the strike on the the Aq Tekeh Khan railway bridge near Aqqala in Golestan province as part of a “war of corridors,” referring to competition over strategic transport and trade routes.

“We must target Haifa and Jebel Ali,” the agency wrote.

The hardline Kayhan newspaper separately called for missile strikes on the King Fahd Causeway, which links Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and on regional oil refineries.

“When the Aqqala bridge is targeted, the King Fahd Causeway should be targeted without prior warning,” Kayhan wrote. “If our refineries are attacked, their refineries should be attacked.”

Kayhan argued that countries hosting US forces should not be treated as independent actors if attacks on Iran were launched from their territory, saying that striking them would amount to striking the United States and Israel.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said a US decision to ease export controls on the United Arab Emirates amounted to official proof that Abu Dhabi supported Washington’s military operation against Iran.

“This is Washington’s official admission and a document of Abu Dhabi’s disgrace,” Gharibabadi wrote on X. “It carries direct international responsibility and legal consequences. The UAE must be held accountable.”

The US Commerce Department said Friday it was upgrading the UAE’s status under export control rules in recognition of its role as a US Major Defense Partner and its support for US national security interests, “including Operation Epic Fury.”

The changes will expand the UAE’s access to US-controlled military, dual-use and advanced computing technology, including drones, AI chips and servers.

Iran repeatedly struck targets in the UAE during the war, with Iranian officials justifying the attacks by citing the country’s hosting of US military facilities and cooperation with Israel.

US President Donald Trump said Friday that 1,000 missiles were “locked and loaded” and aimed at Iran, warning of overwhelming military retaliation if Tehran attempted to assassinate him.

“1,000 missiles are locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to immediately follow, should the Iranian government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting president of the United States of America, in this case, me,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump said orders had already been issued and that the US military would remain prepared for one year, subject to extension, “to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran.” He ended the post with the phrase: “Praise be to Allah!”

The warning followed coordinated Friday sermons and an official statement by Iran’s Friday Prayer Policy Council calling for revenge over the killing of Ali Khamenei.

The USS Boxer amphibious assault ship and its embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit were temporarily sidelined during the early weeks of the war with Iran because of an engine-related malfunction, Newsmax reported on Friday, citing three officials familiar with the incident.

The setback came as the US was imposing a maritime blockade around Iranian ports and weighing options including a possible operation against Kharg Island, the report added.

The report said the Boxer’s main circulation pump, which cools the ship’s engine, failed while the vessel was en route to the Middle East after accelerating its deployment by several weeks. The ship remained at the US-UK base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean while awaiting replacement parts and repairs, leaving Marine forces aboard unable to join planned operations during a critical period.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday the United States violated the memorandum of understanding between the two countries following new sanctions announced by Washington.

“Iran has so far kept its word, unlike the so-called US Treasury Secretary who is violating Para 9 of the MoU. That violation follows other violations and missteps by the United States. Reality check: There can only be mutual compliance,” Araghchi posted on X.