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The United States says the ongoing war with Iran could last several weeks, with officials estimating the campaign may take around four to six weeks to achieve its objectives. White House officials said Washington is making progress in the conflict and believes its operational goals, including gaining control of Iranian airspace, could be completed within that timeframe. US President Donald Trump has also said the military campaign was initially projected to last four to five weeks, though he warned it could extend longer if necessary depending on developments on the ground.

Reports say Saudi Arabia has begun quiet back-channel talks with Iran as tensions escalate across the Middle East. The discussions are believed to be aimed at preventing further regional escalation amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

An oil facility in Iraq’s Burjesia area was targeted for the second time on Friday, according to local reports.

Fresh explosions were reported in Tehran after Israel carried out a pre-dawn attack targeting sites in the Iranian capital. Residents reported loud blasts and rising smoke across parts of the city as the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States continues to escalate.

A missile that struck an elementary school in southern Iran may have been fired by US forces during a strike on a nearby Iranian military facility, according to reporting and analysis cited by The New York Times. The incident took place in Minab, where the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school was destroyed during the early phase of US-Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian military sites. Satellite imagery and video analysis suggest the school was hit at the same time as strikes on a nearby Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval base. Preliminary findings from a US military investigation cited by media reports indicate American forces were likely responsible for the strike, though officials stress the probe is ongoing and final conclusions have not been reached. The attack reportedly killed more than 150 people, many of them schoolchildren, according to Iranian officials, though the numbers have not been independently verified. The United States has said it does not deliberately target civilian sites and that the incident is under investigation.

Tensions are rising in Iraq’s Kurdistan region amid the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. The region has seen growing security concerns as the war continues to spill across multiple fronts in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump said he would be “all for” an uprising by Iranian Kurdish separatists. The remarks come as Kurdish regions along the Iran–Iraq border remain sensitive flashpoints during the ongoing escalation. Kurdish militant and separatist movements have long operated in border areas between Iran and Iraq, with tensions periodically rising between Tehran and Kurdish groups in the region.

Geopolitical analyst Elijah J. Magnier has spoken about the escalating crisis in West Asia and the evolving US position on Iran. Magnier said that at the start of the conflict, US President Donald Trump appeared to favour regime change in Iran. According to Magnier, Washington’s approach has since shifted, with Trump now seeking influence over Iran’s future leadership selection. The analyst argued that such an outcome is unlikely to happen given Iran’s political system and internal dynamics.

The United States is reportedly considering lifting sanctions on Russian oil to ease a growing supply gap in global energy markets. The move is being discussed as policymakers assess options to stabilise oil supply amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

US President Donald Trump says American defence firms will ramp up production of what he described as “exquisite class” weapons. The announcement came as the United States looks to rapidly expand military manufacturing amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran. Trump said US weapons production is being scaled up significantly, with defence companies moving to increase output and build new manufacturing capacity. The president added that new production plants for advanced weapon systems are already being constructed. He also said the United States aims to reach the highest levels of weapons output quickly, stressing that the munitions being used in operations against Iran come from what he described as a “virtually unlimited supply".

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Israel has launched massive strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and across Lebanon as the Iran war expands to a new front. The IDF says hundreds of Hezbollah targets have been hit, while the fighting has already displaced around 100,000 civilians. Fears are growing that Lebanon could become the next major battlefield in the widening Middle East conflict.

Smoke was seen rising from a hotel in Iraq’s Kurdistan region shortly after the United States warned that Iran-backed fighters could target hotels in the area. The incident occurred in Iraqi Kurdistan, where several hotels are known to host foreign nationals and international staff.

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Israel’s military says Iran has used ballistic missiles armed with cluster munition warheads during the ongoing conflict. According to Israeli officials, the missiles split in the air and release multiple smaller explosive bomblets that scatter across a wide area.

Reports say Saudi Arabia has begun quiet back-channel talks with Iran as tensions escalate across the Middle East. The discussions are believed to be aimed at preventing further regional escalation amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

Azerbaijan says it has foiled an alleged terror plot linked to Iran, claiming that members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were planning attacks in the country.

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