Israel launches another wave of attacks on Iran as Netanyahu promises 'many surprises' in war

persia rejects ruff’s demands to deliver as state of war in Middle East intensifies

Iranian president issues apology to Gulf states but rejects Trump’s demands to surrender

Canadian evacuation flights out of Middle East start this weekend

Middle East war Day 7: Israeli jets blast Tehran, Iran targets Kuwait

Trump to Iran: 'No deal except absolute surrender'

Smokes rises over southern Beirut after Israeli strikes

Why aren't there reporters in Iran? Answering your questions about war in the Middle East

The U.S.-Israeli war in Iran is entering its second week, with no end in sight. Here's the latest: 

The Associated Press

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday night that Israel has "an organized plan with many surprises" for the next stage of the war with Iran. He added that the goal is to destabilize the regime and allow change.

Earlier Saturday, the Israeli military confirmed that Israel is moving into the second stage of the war on Iran after striking more than 300 targets over the weekend.

Witnesses said a refinery in southern Tehran was targeted by the latest airstrikes — the first time a civil industrial facility has been targeted in the war. The flames lit up the horizon. 

Iran state media in response threatened to hit oil refineries in the northern Israeli city of Haifa.

The Israeli military said earlier Saturday that it also struck a Tehran airport used to help transport weapons to militant groups that Iran supported across the Middle East.

The military said the Mehrabad Airport was used to transfer weapons and cash to militant groups, especially Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel said it destroyed 16 aircraft that were used for

transporting weapons as part of a broad wave of strikes against Tehran overnight. 

The strike also destroyed several Iranian fighter jets.

There was no immediate acknowledgement of the strike on Iran's state media.

The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of $151.8 million US worth of munitions to Israel, bypassing a congressional review that would normally be required. 

The State Department announced late Friday that it approved the sale of 12,000 BLU-110A/B general purpose 1,000-pound (450-kilogram) bombs to Israel. 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined an emergency existed that required the sale to go through immediately and bypassed the normal congressional review process, the State Department said Friday. 

Democratic U.S. Rep. Gregory ⁠Meeks said Rubio's decision showed a lack of preparation for the war on Iran.

"This is an emergency of the ⁠Trump administration's own creation," Meeks said in a statement.

Trump and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth joined the grieving families of the six U.S. Soldiers killed in the war for the dignified transfer of their remains today. 

The sombre ritual that returns the remains of U.S. Service members killed in action took place at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. 

The soldiers were killed in a drone strike at a command centre in Kuwait just one day after the U.S. And Israel launched strikes against Iran. 

Those killed in action were:

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said it has issued a "temporary halt" on removals to Israel and Lebanon "due to the volatile and unpredictable hostilities in the Middle East."

A statement said the pause does not apply to people who are inadmissible on grounds of criminality, serious criminality, international or human rights violations, organized crime or security.

The freeze will be lifted once things stabilize in Israel and Lebanon, and CBSA "will resume removals for individuals who are inadmissible to Canada and have a removal order that is enforceable."

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said 180 Canadians are set to depart on chartered flights from the Middle East today. 

The federal government is also booking around 300 seats a day on commercial flights for Canadians trying to leave the region, Anand said in an update posted on X about Canada's repatriation efforts. 

Bus transportation in Qatar, Israel and Kuwait is also continuing to be arranged when safe to do so, Anand said. 

Anand said officials will also be stationed near the Iranian border to help Canadians who are able to cross with visa requirements and with arranging onward travel. 

The update says the government has now been in touch with approximately 4,500 Canadians looking for help, while 109,000 have registered with Global Affairs Canada. However, the figures are cumulative and also include people who have already departed the region, the update says.

A representative for the UN Refugee Agency in Lebanon said they are seeing Lebanese residents arrive at shelters with little to nothing as Israeli airstrikes have forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. 

Hezbollah on Monday launched missiles and drones into Israel for the first time in over a year, just days after the U.S. And Israeli attacks against Iran began. Israel retaliated with bombardment of southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs.

As of Saturday, the Lebanese government is sheltering around 106,000 people in almost 500 shelters across the country, but the total number of displaced people is estimated to be much higher, as others are finding temporary accommodations with friends or family, said Karolina Lindholm Billing. 

Many said they fled immediately after hearing of the evacuation orders, having lived through the previous wave of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel in 2024, according to Lindholm Billing.

"And now when they heard that attacks were going to start again, they were so afraid," she said. 

"So they left, really, some left just with the clothes they were wearing and nothing more to get out as quickly as possible."

Because people are being forced to escape so quickly, the needs at these shelters are huge, she said. 

"And many of the people are fleeing from areas that are already quite socioeconomically disadvantaged," she said. 

"So it's not that they have money on their accounts and can just go out and buy new items. They're really dependent now on humanitarian assistance."

Iranian attacks have continued in Gulf states today — the same day Pezeshkian offered an apology to neighbouring countries.

Earlier today, Iran's army said its navy carried out drone strikes against Israel, as well as against U.S. Gathering points and bases in Kuwait and Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, Qatar, Bahrain and the U.A.E. Said they've had to intercept Iranian drones and missiles — about eight hours after Pezeshkian offered his apology, which reportedly caused a bit of a stir in Iran. 

Other officials have since affirmed Iran's right to self-defence, and Pezeshkian posted on X that Iran's offensive is "exclusively against targets and facilities that are the origin and source of aggressive actions against the Iranian nation."

Gulf states have become increasingly angry with the attacks they've had to endure, saying they've been forced into a conflict they didn't start.  

Today, the president of the Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, made his first public comments since Iran first launched missiles at the Gulf nation, saying that his country is "in a time of war." He made his comments during a visit with five people who were injured during strikes yesterday.

"The U.A.E. Has thick skin and bitter flesh — we are no easy prey," he said.

The U.A.E., specifically, has intercepted hundreds of drones and missiles, and at least three residents have been killed. More than 110 have been injured.

More Canadians are expected to reach Toronto's Pearson airport today on a flight from Dubai, according to The Canadian Press. 

The federal government had booked 51 seats on an Emirates flight that departed this morning.

Dubai Airports says it has resumed partial operations today, after temporarily suspending them due to safety concerns, according to an update on its website, after explosions were reported nearby.

Some flights are departing out of Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC), but passengers are still urged not to travel to either airport unless their airline has confirmed their flight is still scheduled to depart.

Iranian president issues apology to Gulf states but rejects Trump’s demands to surrender

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to Gulf states that have suffered missile and drone strikes from Iran targeting U.S. Military bases. However, Pezeshkian rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's demand for Iran to surrender. Trump warned in a Truth Social post that Iran will be 'hit very hard' as Iran and Israel continue to exchange strikes.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian took to the airwaves and social media Saturday with a surprising apology to neighbouring nations targeted by Iran's drones and missiles. He said the armed forces had been directed to "not attack neighbouring countries unless attacked first."

What does this mean?

Let's start by identifying who Pezeshkian considers a neighbouring nation. He doesn't specify. Clearly, he's not talking about Israel though. Iran's drones and missiles have targeted Israel all day.

It may be a goodwill effort for Gulf states, such as the U.A.E., Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait, to pressure the Americans to stop the war. Those nations host important U.S. Military bases, from which the attacks are often initiated. 

Many of those nations are furious at Iran, but not exactly impressed with the Americans either.

Pezeshkian may be president, but he does not hold the main power. He is seen as a moderate, not part of the core leadership. Could this be a signal to the Americans that he becomes the contact with whom to discuss the "what after," or perhaps even a play for the leadership himself?

It may all be moot. Reuters reported that hours after the announcement, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said their drones struck a U.S. Air combat center at Al Dhafra Air Base, near Abu Dhabi, though Reuters said it could not verify the report. 

And the deputy head of Pezeshkian's office clarified the president's remarks, saying Iran's military would respond firmly to attacks from U.S. Bases in the region 

Meanwhile Trump has demanded unconditional surrender from Iran — and Pezeshkian is not offering that.

High-profile clerics in Iran are pushing for quick appointment of a new supreme leader following the assasination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the joint U.S.-Israeli military operations last week. It's unclear, however, whether it'll be possible to act fast as war continues to rage in the Middle East.

Right now, a temporary three-man council made up of Iran's president, a senior cleric and the head of the judiciary has assumed the supreme leader's role in the interim, as per Iran's constitution.

An 88-member "Assembly of Experts" is tasked with deciding the next leader.

Trump has said he intends to have a role in selecting Iran's next supreme leader, but Iran has rejected the demand. 

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