Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated Thursday that his country is prepared for a potential ground invasion by U.S. Troops, as the conflict in the region continues to escalate. He also dismissed any possibility of negotiations with the United States and indicated Iran has not sought a ceasefire.
Follow the latest information this Friday in our live coverage here:
The repatriation of Belgians will not begin today
According to information from VRT, Belgium will not be able to begin the repatriation of Belgian tourists present in the Middle East this Friday. The reason? Our country has not received the necessary authorizations from Egypt to fly over its airspace.
Normally, a military plane would have embarked Belgian tourists in Oman with a stopover in Egypt. But the African country failed to provide the authorizations in time. The plane therefore cannot make its journey.
The operation is therefore postponed by one day.
Sri Lanka has taken control of an Iranian warship
Sri Lanka took control of an Iranian warship Friday after evacuating the crew who reported engine trouble, two days after the U.S. Military sank an Iranian frigate.
A senior government official said that 204 sailors aboard the IRIS Bushehr were transferred to three Sri Lankan navy ships and are now housed in a military camp near Colombo, the capital.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake authorized the Iranian ship to enter the island’s territorial waters after it signaled a breakdown in one of its two engines. Dissanayake explained he made the decision to save lives, as the sailors on board feared their vessel might be targeted like the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, sunk Wednesday by the U.S. Military.
“We jealously defend our policy of non-alignment while ensuring that humanitarian values and the saving of lives remain our top priority,” Dissanayake said Friday on X. “As a state, Sri Lanka is ready to support any initiative aimed at ending hostilities and upholding the principle of humanity.”
The Sri Lankan navy has recovered 84 bodies of Iranian sailors, 32 others have been rescued, and search operations continue for the 64 crew members still missing.
Iran: several deaths in an attack in Shiraz
Several people were killed Thursday evening in a missile attack on the city of Shiraz, in southern Iran, the official Irna news agency said Friday.
“Thursday evening, a park located in the Zibashahr district of Shiraz was targeted by a missile attack carried out by the criminal American-Zionist regime,” Irna wrote on Telegram.
“According to rescuers, several citizens were killed or injured,” the agency added, in a rare mention of casualties in the province, specifying that “rescue and debris removal operations are continuing.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli army began Friday a series of large-scale strikes on Tehran, saying it was targeting the infrastructure of power, as part of what it presents as a modern phase of its conflict with Iran.
Several Iranian media outlets, including state television Irib, reported early Friday of a series of explosions in different neighborhoods of the capital, notably in the east and west. The Israeli army said it was targeting “the infrastructure of the regime” as part of a wave of “large-scale” strikes.
Lebanon: a state media reports Israeli air raids in the south of the country
The Lebanese official news agency Ani reported Friday morning of Israeli overnight strikes in southern Lebanon, without reporting any casualties at this stage.
According to the National Information Agency, these strikes, carried out by Israeli warplanes, targeted the localities of Srifa, Aita Alshaab, Touline, Alsawana, and Majdal Selm.
Another strike targeted the village of Dours, on the outskirts of Baalbek (east), early Friday, according to the same source.
Hezbollah in Lebanon claims rocket and artillery fire towards Israel
Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia pro-Iranian movement, claimed Friday to have fired artillery and rockets towards Israeli positions near the border.
“In response to the criminal Israeli aggression that hit dozens of Lebanese towns and villages, including the southern suburbs of Beirut, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance launched an attack (…) with volleys of rockets and artillery fire,” Hezbollah wrote in a statement.
At the time of the attack, around 02:10 (00:10 GMT), alarm sirens sounded in the Israeli towns targeted, without any casualties or damage being reported.
Etihad will resume some commercial links with Abu Dhabi this Friday
Etihad Airways will resume some commercial links with Abu Dhabi this Friday and for ten days, the Emirati airline announced on its website. Departures and arrivals to and from Brussels are not included in the list.
Between March 6 and 19, Etihad will again serve 25 destinations, including European (London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Zurich…) and Asian (Bangkok, Hanoi, Seoul…), Arab (Riyadh, Cairo…) and American (New York, Toronto) cities.
Passengers who had their trip previously canceled due to the war raging in the Gulf region since Saturday will be rebooked on these flights “as soon as possible,” the company said. They will be contacted by Etihad. The company will also put new tickets on sale.
The company specifies that it has taken this decision “in consultation with the competent authorities and after a thorough assessment of safety.” These flights will only be operated if “all safety criteria are met,” it insists.
Etihad Airways normally operates a daily round trip between Brussels Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar or Dubai are important airport hubs between the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Their activities have been disrupted since the Israeli-American attack on Iran on Saturday. The Islamic Republic retaliated by targeting its neighbors in the Gulf, which host U.S. Military forces. Most of these countries have closed their airspace.
Some Emirates planes still left Dubai on Thursday, while Qatar Airways suspended its operations in Doha until further notice.
Revolutionary Guards announce missile fire towards Tel Aviv
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced Friday that they had fired missiles and drones towards Tel Aviv, Israel.
“The operation includes a combined attack of missiles and drones, as well as the launch of a barrage of Kheibar missiles, targeting targets located in the heart of Tel Aviv,” according to a statement from the Guards cited by the official Irna agency.
Qatar says it intercepted a drone attack on Al-Udeid base
Qatar affirmed Friday that it intercepted a drone attack targeting the Al-Udeid American base, the largest U.S. Military installation in the Middle East.
“The Qatari Emir’s air defense forces successfully intercepted a drone attack targeting the Al-Udeid air base,” the Qatari Ministry of Defense said.
Israeli army says This proves hitting “regime infrastructure” in Tehran
The Israeli army affirmed early Friday that it was carrying out large-scale strikes targeting “the infrastructure of the Iranian regime” in Tehran, with Iranian state television reporting a series of explosions.
“Israeli Defense Forces launched a wave of large-scale attacks against the infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime in Tehran,” the source indicated.
Iranian state television Irib, for its part, reported “several explosions heard in the west and east of Tehran.” The Israeli army said it was targeting “the infrastructure of the regime” as part of a wave of “large-scale” strikes.
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted 3 missiles targeting an air base
Saudi Arabia intercepted three missiles heading towards Prince Sultan Air Base, which houses U.S. Military personnel, the government announced early Friday.
“Three missiles heading towards Prince Sultan Air Base were intercepted and destroyed,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense said.
The source subsequently announced that a drone had also been intercepted in the Al-Kharj sector.
This area, located about 60 kilometers southeast of the capital Riyadh, is where Prince Sultan Air Base is located.
Beirut and Abu Dhabi targeted
On Thursday, tensions continued to spread across the Middle East. Missiles fired from Iran were intercepted over Israel, explosions were reported in Abu Dhabi, and the Israeli army called on residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut to evacuate.
The human toll continued to rise, and the conflict is now significantly disrupting maritime and air traffic in the Gulf, where thousands of sailors and passengers remain stranded. The escalating conflict underscores growing regional instability and the potential for wider repercussions.
National Security Council
In Belgium, a National Security Council (CNS) meeting was held to assess the consequences of the conflict. Prime Minister Bart De Wever indicated that the government was focusing on three priorities: the safety of Belgians in the region, the impact on national and international policy, and the economic repercussions, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz. Security around several embassies in Brussels has also been reinforced, while no deployment of soldiers in the streets is planned at this time.
Dozens of Belgians have begun to be repatriated from the Gulf. Some have already been able to abandon the region via flights organized by Luxembourg from Oman, and other returns are being prepared. A total of 51 Belgians are to be evacuated thanks to this cooperation. Belgian military flights are then to bring them back to Brussels, at an announced cost of 600 euros per passenger.
Trump says he must “be involved” in Khamenei succession
Donald Trump affirmed that he must be involved in the selection of a successor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, explicitly rejecting the possibility of succession by his son Mojtaba Khamenei. The U.S. President explained that he would not consider this option acceptable and that he wanted to see a leader emerge who could bring “peace and harmony” to Iran.
