Reuters and Israeli media have reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed, citing unnamed “senior” Israeli officials. There has been no confirmation from Iranian authorities.

Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera correspondent Tohid Asadi said no official statement has been issued in Tehran so far.

He added that Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that, “as far as I know”, the Supreme Leader and other senior Iranian officials remained in good health.

Asadi also pointed to a statement attributed to Khamenei’s public relations office describing the reports as “mental warfare”.

“Of course, this is going to be huge news if it’s true,” Asadi said.

UKMTO said it received multiple reports from ships that VHF Channel 16 broadcasts claimed the Strait of Hormuz “has been closed,” but said it could not independently verify the reports.

The agency warned of significant military activity and an increased risk environment, including potential electronic interference affecting AIS and communications, and noted that such broadcasts are not legally binding closures under international law.

FULL STORY HERE

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is set to speak at the start of the UN Security Council’s emergency meeting on the situation in the Middle East at 21:00 GMT, according to confirmation received.

That is in about four and a half hours.

Iran’s Fars news agency says more than 15 people were killed after a gymnasium in the city of Lamerd, in Fars province, was hit in US and Israeli attacks earlier today.

It said “initial estimates” put the death toll at above 15, adding that children were inside the hall “playing and exercising” at the time of the strike.

The reported casualty figure could not be independently verified.

Keir Starmer said the UK “played no role” in reported US and Israeli strikes on Iran, while confirming British aircraft are flying co-ordinated defensive missions in the region. He said protections for UK bases and personnel have been raised to the highest level and that the government is contacting UK nationals. Starmer chaired an emergency COBRA meeting as Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes.

FULL STORY

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the UK was not involved in US and Israeli military strikes on Iran, insisting Britain “played no role in these strikes”, as he confirmed British forces were operating in the region in what he described as co-ordinated defensive missions.

In a Downing Street statement on Saturday, Starmer said the government had strengthened the UK’s “defensive capabilities in the region” in recent days and that British aircraft were currently active as part of regional efforts to protect allied states and British interests amid rapidly escalating tensions.

“The United Kingdom played no role in these strikes,” Starmer said. He added that Britain stood “in support and solidarity with partners across the region” who were targeted in subsequent attacks.

“As part of our commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region – which we’ve recently taken steps to strengthen,” he said.

“Our forces are active and British planes are in the sky today as part of co-ordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests, and our allies – as Britain has done before, in line with international law.”

Starmer also said the UK had “stepped up protections for British bases and personnel to their highest level”, amid fears that Western facilities could be drawn into a wider confrontation following Iran’s response to the strikes.

The prime minister said the government was also working to support British nationals in the Middle East. “We are also reaching out to UK nationals in the region and doing everything we can to support them,” he said.

The UK statement came after the United States and Israel carried out joint attacks on Iranian targets in the early hours of Saturday, according to reports. Iran has since launched retaliatory missile strikes across the region, in an escalation that has heightened concerns of a wider conflict involving multiple states and armed groups.

Regional security alerts have been raised in several countries, with warnings issued to civilians to follow local guidance as air defence systems are activated and airspace restrictions have been imposed in parts of the region, according to reports.

Starmer’s comments sought to draw a clear distinction between the UK’s defensive posture and the offensive action taken by Washington and Jerusalem, while signalling that British military assets are positioned to help protect allies and UK forces stationed overseas.

He said Britain’s activity in the region was focused on defence, and framed the UK position as consistent with earlier episodes in which the country has supported partners against missile and drone attacks.

The prime minister also reiterated the UK’s longstanding position on Iran’s nuclear programme, saying Iran “must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon”, while urging restraint and a return to diplomacy.

“It is vital now that we prevent further escalation and return to a diplomatic process,” he said.

Starmer chaired an emergency meeting of COBRA on Saturday to co-ordinate the UK response, amid continuing developments and uncertainty over the scale and direction of further military action. The government has not set out detailed operational information about the defensive missions under way, beyond confirming British aircraft are active in the region.

Separately, travel and security advice has been tightened for British nationals in parts of the Middle East as the situation unfolds, with consular outreach under way. The government has not announced any evacuation plans but has urged British citizens in affected areas to remain alert and follow official guidance.

The crisis has also sparked immediate political reaction in Westminster. Opposition figures have taken differing positions, with some voices calling for stronger support for the US and Israel and others raising questions about the legality of the strikes and the risk of escalation. The government has so far avoided direct criticism of the US–Israeli action while emphasising that the UK did not participate.

The fast-moving conflict has raised concerns about the potential knock-on effects for energy markets and shipping routes, as well as the security of UK bases and personnel in the Gulf and elsewhere in the region.

Officials have not said whether the UK received requests for direct operational support linked to the strikes. Starmer’s statement did not address specific bases, but underlined that force protection measures have been raised to the highest level.

The UK has previously taken part in defensive action in response to Iranian drone and missile attacks in recent years, and Saturday’s statement suggested the government is preparing for further attempts to strike allied targets.

With Iran’s retaliation continuing to develop and international diplomatic efforts expected to intensify, Starmer’s government is attempting to maintain a dual message: distancing Britain from the initial strikes, while demonstrating readiness to help defend partners and protect UK nationals and assets.

The government said further updates would follow as the situation becomes clearer.

This is a developing story.

The Israeli military says it has begun a new round of air strikes in Iran, targeting what it described as “missile launchers”.

In a statement, the army said Israeli aircraft were striking launch sites as part of efforts to disrupt further attacks. 

Initial reports indicate Iranian missiles have struck at least two locations in central Israel.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the sites, but no injuries have been reported so far.

The impacts come amid a fresh wave of launches from Iran, with alerts and sirens continuing for hours. Coastal areas including Tel Aviv and Haifa have been among the most affected by warnings.

Multiple waves of explosions were heard across Doha as Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said it intercepted missiles aimed at the country and that all were stopped before reaching Qatari territory. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it began missile and drone operations in retaliation for US–Israeli strikes on Iran, with concerns focused on the nearby al-Udeid Air Base. Qatar has not reported casualties.

FULL STORY

Multiple waves of explosions were heard across Doha on Saturday morning as Qatar said it intercepted attacks aimed at its territory, amid Iranian retaliation targeting US military positions in the Gulf following joint US–Israeli strikes on Iran.

Residents across the capital reported hearing repeated loud blasts, with several interceptions visible in the sky. Plumes of smoke could be seen overhead where incoming objects appeared to have been engaged by air-defence systems, and officials warned of the risk of falling debris despite no confirmed impacts in populated areas.

Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said it had “successfully thwarted a number of attacks targeting the country’s territory” and that “all missiles were intercepted before reaching Qatari territory”. A Qatari official, cited by international news agencies, said at least two Iranian missiles were intercepted over the country.

From the ground in Doha, the pattern of blasts appeared to intensify over the course of the morning. Early sequences sounded like three or four explosions at a time, consistent with interceptions taking place overhead. In later waves, the number of blasts increased, with roughly six or seven heard within a short period, and in one burst around seven or eight distinct explosions could be counted in quick succession.

Some of the later sounds resembled sustained anti-aircraft fire, commonly associated with attempts to bring down unmanned aircraft. Iran fields a large drone arsenal, though there was no official confirmation of the types of weapons used in the attacks on Qatar and it was not possible to independently verify what was intercepted.

The attacks on Qatar were part of a wider Iranian response across the region. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed the start of what it described as missile and drone operations in retaliation for strikes on Iranian targets earlier on Saturday. Media reports and official statements from several countries indicated that US facilities and allied military infrastructure in Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere were also threatened.

One focus of concern in Qatar is al-Udeid Air Base, the largest US military installation in the Middle East and the forward headquarters for US Central Command operations in the region. The base is outside the city but close enough for residents in Doha to see interceptions in the distance and hear the shock of detonations.

The morning’s events follow a major coordinated US–Israeli offensive against Iran launched in the early hours of Saturday. US President Donald Trump described the strikes as “massive” in public comments, while Iranian officials vowed retaliation. Iranian media reported significant casualties in Iran, including claims of dozens killed at a girls’ school in the country’s south; those figures could not be independently verified.

In Doha, the repeated detonations prompted residents to remain indoors and monitor official guidance. While Qatar’s authorities have emphasised that interceptions were successful, the visible smoke trails and bursts in the sky suggested a substantial volume of incoming fire, raising concerns about fragments falling into civilian areas.

Qatar operates Patriot missile batteries, which have previously been used to intercept regional threats, and local and regional reporting said Patriot systems were involved again on Saturday. Qatar has also discussed the potential deployment of the US-made THAAD system, which is designed to intercept ballistic missiles at higher altitudes, though its operational status in the country remains unclear. Defence specialists note that higher-altitude interceptions can reduce the risk of debris reaching the ground, but do not eliminate it.

Saturday’s attack revived memories of a similar episode last year, when Iran launched missiles towards al-Udeid in retaliation for earlier US action. In that incident, most incoming missiles were intercepted, with one reported to have landed without causing major damage. That precedent underscores both the strategic importance of Qatar as a host for US forces and the likelihood that Doha could again be drawn into the direct line of fire during a regional escalation.

US officials have signalled that the initial strikes on Iran may be the opening phase of a longer campaign, potentially lasting at least a week. If so, security officials and residents in Qatar expect further rounds of launches, interceptions and the continuing hazard of falling debris as the confrontation expands.

Qatari authorities have not reported casualties from Saturday’s interceptions. The situation remains fast-moving, with further alerts expected as air-defence activity continues in and around the capital.

Explosions were reported in Iran’s south-western city of Shiraz on Saturday as Iranian officials said at least 70 people had been killed in attacks in the southern province of Hormozgan, and the country’s foreign minister said the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was alive “as far as I know”.

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported several explosions in Shiraz, without immediately providing details on casualties or the locations struck. The reports could not be independently verified.

In Hormozgan province, the head of Hormozgan Medical Sciences told Fars that at least 70 people had been killed and more than 90 wounded in attacks on Minab and Jask. Those figures could not be immediately verified. Earlier reports said an elementary girls’ school in Minab was hit, with more than 50 people reported killed.

The developments come amid a fast-moving escalation in and around Iran following reported US and Israeli strikes across multiple Iranian locations. President Donald Trump has described the operation as the start of “major combat operations”, according to reporting carried by international media. Iran has said it has responded with missile and drone attacks against Israel and US-linked bases in the Gulf.

In an interview with NBC News, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Khamenei was alive “as far as I know”, amid widespread speculation about the leader’s status following strikes reported in the capital.

Araghchi told NBC there was no communication with the United States “as of now” and said that if Washington wanted talks “they know how to reach out to the Iranians”, but added that attacks would have to stop before there was any possibility of negotiations.

He also dismissed Mr Trump’s reported messaging about regime change as “mission impossible”, while saying there remained “a possibility” of reaching a deal that could guarantee Iran’s nuclear programme is peaceful.

Araghchi said “one or two commanders were killed”, but that most officials were alive. He also said Iran does not have the capability to hit the US and would not build missiles that could do so.

In Washington, Republican congressman Thomas Massie said he was “opposed to this war”, writing on social media that US involvement was “not ‘America First’”. He said he would work to force a Congressional vote on any war with Iran, adding: “The Constitution requires a vote, and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.”

The reported casualty figures in Hormozgan are likely to intensify international scrutiny of the strikes and the conduct of the conflict, particularly following the accounts of a school being hit in Minab during school hours. No immediate confirmation was available from the US or Israel regarding the specific incidents reported by Iranian outlets.

Iranian authorities and state-linked media have issued differing tallies throughout the day, and communications disruptions and access constraints have made independent verification difficult.

Further updates are expected as officials in Iran, the US and Israel issue additional statements and as the scale of reported damage and casualties becomes clearer.

Saudi Arabia has confirmed that Iran targeted Riyadh and the kingdom’s Eastern Province, saying the attacks were intercepted and repelled, according to a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

The ministry condemned the strikes, saying they “cannot be justified under any pretext or in any way”. It added that the attacks came despite Iran being aware that the Kingdom had stated it would not allow its airspace or territory to be used to launch attacks on Iran.

Air raid alerts have sounded across Israel after the Israeli military said missiles were detected launching from Iran toward Israeli territory.

In a post on X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said alerts had “been activated in several areas across the country” and that the air force was “operating to intercept and strike wherever necessary to remove the threat”.

In a separate post, the IDF said it had completed an “extensive strike” against Iran’s strategic air-defence systems. An attached statement said one of the targets hit was an advanced SA-65 air-defence system in the Kermanshah area of western Iran.