The Middle East is on edge following days of media hype about Iran’s plans to retaliate the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has pleaded with Ali Khamenei to hold back a promised retaliatory attack on Israel.
Two US officials have told Politico that Iran may be reconsidering launching a large-scale attack on Israel.
Moscow has issued a NOTAM that prohibits flight departures from Russia to Israeli airports during the nighttime hours from August 9 to 16.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has blamed Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader, calling the action "a serious infringement" of Iran's sovereignty.
The US @CENTCOM says its forces “successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi missile launcher and one uncrewed surface vessel in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen” over the past 24 hours.
“Additionally, USCENTCOM forces successfully destroyed two Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles over the Red Sea.”
US troops in Syria were attacked by a drone, a US official told Reuters on Friday.
Initial reports do not indicate any injuries, but investigations are ongoing, said the official speaking on the condition of anonymity to Reuters.
In a call with Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.
Blinken told Gallant that escalation is in no party's interest, reiterating his calls to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that would secure the release of hostages and allow humanitarian aid.
Iran’s UN representative has said the country’s potential retaliatory attack against Israel would be “timed and conducted” in a way not to endanger a potential ceasefire in Gaza, seemingly indicating that the response could be less severe than first claimed.
"The Israeli regime has violated our national security and sovereignty through its recent act of terrorism. We have the legitimate right to self-defense,” Iran’s New York based mission stated Friday. “However, we hope that our response will be timed and conducted in a manner not to the detriment of the potential ceasefire.”
The statement also confirmed that “direct and intermediary official channels” have always been open between Iran and the United States.
A drone attack has targeted Kharab al-Jir base, a US military installation in the suburbs of Al-Hasakah in northeastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported, adding that the drone fell inside the military base.
A rocket attack on an Iraqi base earlier injured seven Americans.
Israelis are receiving text messages telling them they will be buried by next week, Israeli news website Ynet reported, amid fears of an Iran-led attack on Israel.
The messages include the recipients' personal details such as full names and cities of residence.
The police have announced they are actively working to trace the source of the messages, which they say are deliberately designed to “induce panic during war.”
IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News, citing an informed source, reacted to Iran International's report about President Masoud Pezeshkian's efforts to dissuade Ali Khamenei from attacking Israel, saying there's a "consensus" among Iran's authorities on avenging Haniyeh's death.
"There is not only no disagreement at the strategic level of the Islamic Republic, but there is also a rare level of determination, unity, and consensus among the country's officials," the source told Tasnim.
"The way Iran will respond will be decided at the highest level, specifically at the Supreme National Security Council, which is chaired by the President," the source added.
On Wednesday, Iran International exclusively reported that Pezeshkian had urgently appealed with Khamenei to abstain from launching an attack on Israel, warning of the catastrophic consequences such an action could have on his presidency.
Pezeshkian cautioned that an Israeli decision to retaliate forcefully against Iran's national infrastructure and energy resources could devastate the Iranian economy, potentially precipitating the country's collapse.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the US was ready to defend Israel with plenty of resources in the region.
"When we hear rhetoric like that, we've got to take it seriously, and we do," he said in reaction to the IRGC deputy commander's remarks.
The British embassy in Beirut has renewed its call for UK citizens to leave the country, as a long-awaited Iran-led attack on Israel looms.