Middle East Conflict: The situation intensified as the influential son of Iran’s late supreme leader moved closer to taking power.US-Israel-Iran War: As the conflict in the Middle East enters its sixth day, new footages from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) and Israel Defence Forces (IDF) showing strikes against Iranian forces and their military apparatus across the Middle Eastern country have gone viral as Operation Epic Fury continues.
The footage by CENTCOM shows multiple precision explosions across desert and urban sites, confirming degraded Iranian air defences. As per the IDF, its Air Force destroyed a ballistic missile launcher in the Qom area, armed and prepared to fire toward Israel.
A defence system in Isfahan designed to target Israeli aircraft was also struck and eliminated in the strike. The IDF said operations are a part of broader campaign to degrade Iran's missile capabilities and strengthen Israeli air superiority in the region.
Earlier in the day, Iran launched a wave of missiles at Israel on early Thursday morning, forcing millions into bomb shelters. Israel is also carrying out heavy bombing in Tehran, news agency Reuters reported.
Republican senators voted against a motion aimed at stopping the air campaign and requiring Congress to authorise the military action, leaving President Donald Trump's power to direct the war largely unbound.
The US Senate voted 53-47 to not advance the resolution, along party lines, with only one Republican voting against the procedural motion and one Democrat supporting it.
Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the US is "accelerating, not decelerating" its war efforts against Iran as more assets head to the region, as the conflict went from Turkey to Sri Lanka after the US torpedo sunk an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, killing at least 80 people and NATO air defences destroying an Iranian ballistic missile fired towards Turkey.
The situation intensified as the influential son of Iran’s late supreme leader moved closer to taking power. His rise signals that Tehran has no intention of retreating, despite a relentless military campaign by Israel and the US that has resulted in significant casualties and destabilised international markets.
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In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said that its forces are locating and striking Iran's mobile missile launchers with "lethal precision".
Qatar Airways has said that its flight operations will remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. The airline stated that it would resume its services only after the Qatari Civil Aviation Authority confirms that the airspace has safely reopened.
Meanwhile, the airline would operate several relief flights starting Thursday to assist stranded passengers. These flights will depart from Muscat to several European destinations, including London Heathrow, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Rome, and Amsterdam besides one flight from Riyadh to Frankfurt.
Passengers are advised to head to the airport only after getting official confirmation from the airline.
The US military has successfully conducted a test launch of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the California coast. The launch, which took place at 11:00 pm PT from Vandenberg Space Force Base, comes at a moment of heightened geopolitical friction, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has postponed a major mourning ceremony for the country's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israel strike over the last weekend. Officials said that more preparations were needed to handle an unprecedented crowd.
"The farewell ceremony for the martyred Imam has been postponed. The new date will be announced later," Iranian state television reported.
As per authorities, the tribute would be held in Tehran before Khamenei's body is transferred to his birthplace, Mashhad, for burial.
The Saudi Arabian Defence Ministry said that air defences have intercepted another drone near the Al Jowf region, Al Jazeera reported. Authorities had shot down 3 drones east of Al-Kharj Governorate before this.
China has told the country's largest oil refiners to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline as the war in the Middle East disrupts the arrival of crude from one of the world's largest producing regions, Bloomberg reported.
China is one of the several major Asian economies that depend on the Strait of Hormuz, where the traffic is currently blocked for energy. In 2025, 57 per cent of China's direct seaborne crude imports came from the Middle East.
