Image source, GPO

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel and the US are "crushing" both the Iranian regime and Lebanon based Shia militia group Hezbollah.

In his first news conference since the two countries attacked Iran, Netanyahu says the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei "cannot show his face in public,” referring to him as “the puppet of the Revolutionary Guards.”

As a reminder, Khamenei has not been seen in public since succeeding his father, although a statement attributed to him was read out by a news reader on state-controlled TV earlier today.

Netanyahu then addresses the Iranian people, saying the “moment when you will be able to embark on a new path of freedom is approaching. We stand by you and help you, but at the end of the day it depends on you. It is in your hands.”

He goes on to refer to Donald Trump as his "personal friend" and says the two "talk almost every day", making decisions on the war "together".

The Israeli emergency services say that "no reports of casualties have been received" after a "shooting towards the State of Israel".

This follows an update from the Israeli military, saying it had "identified missiles launched from Iran" towards Israeli territory.

"Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," it said in the update on messaging app Telegram.

A sperate post on the IDF Hebrew X account advises it is now safe to exit protected spaces.

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva has given a wide-ranging interview to the BBC in which he says the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is safe and currently governing the country.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's PM programme, Ali Bahreini says the election of Khamenei is the “indication of both stability and continuity” of Iran.

He was also asked about the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's most important shipping routes, and its most vital oil transit choke point.

“The Strait of Hormuz is affected by a war situation,” he says. “For that reason, nobody can expect the transits to be normal”.

He says Iran is “not against the peaceful use” of the Strait, and what Tehran is doing is not letting “the United States and Israel to create any threat against us in that region.”

"Iran is defending itself. This defence will continue until the point when the aggressors are stopped. For us, the end of war is when the aggressors stop this war. Iran did not start this war. It was the US and Israel who started this war," he says.

In a new update on social media, the Israeli military says it has "begun a wide-scale wave of strikes” in Tehran.

It says this is targeting the infrastructure of the Iranian regime across the Iranian capital.

Jemma Crew
Business reporter

Wild swings in the price of oil have become dinner table conversation in recent days. It peaked at almost $120 a barrel on Monday, before falling back sharply after US President Donald Trump raised hopes the war would soon end.

It fell - and jumped back up - when the US energy secretary said on X that the US had successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, before deleting the post.

An announcement that dozens of countries had agreed to release a record amount of oil from their emergency reserves did little to move the price down, with reports from recent days of a possible stockpile release having already tempered the rise a bit.

Analysts say the world is experiencing an "energy shock without modern precedent”, which explains the high volatility.

So, what next? At this early stage we don’t know how prolonged the conflict will be or how significant its impact.

But one thing is clear – recent movements have exposed just how much the trade of one of our most valuable commodities depends on transit through a small strait of water in a very volatile, dangerous part of the world.

You can read more here.

Iran's fleet of naval attack drones may cause shipping havocpublished at 18:32 GMT

18:32 GMT

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent

Iran’s apparent use of naval attack drones - sometimes called suicide drones - provides another example of the sort of asymmetry that characterises this conflict, as well as parallels with Ukraine’s war against Russia.

Iran had been developing unmanned naval craft for decades, knowing that its navy might find itself confronting superior - likely American - forces at sea.

With much of its conventional navy now resting at the bottom of the Persian Gulf or Indian Ocean, the use of explosive-laden naval drones was always probable.

They’re designed for one purpose only: to ram into larger vessels at high speed, evading defensive measures and crippling or destroying the target.

Ukraine has developed its own naval drones over the course of the last four years and has used them to devastating effect against Russian ships in the Black Sea.

Iran claims to have huge numbers of such craft.

If it can continue to deploy them without being detected and destroyed, then its ability to create havoc in one of the world’s most important waterways could last for some time.

Image source, Reuters

• Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said Iran will keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel in a statement read on state TV - though he still hasn't been seen in person since the strike that killed his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and there's speculation around his health
• The new ruler also suggested Iran would continue to target US bases in neighbouring countries - UK Defence Secretary John Healey says the UK shot down two drones from a base in Iraq overnight
• In the Gulf, around 20,000 seafarers remain stuck on vessels - our business reporter says says eight have been killed since the conflict began
• Disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has contributed to oil prices breaching the $100 (£75) mark again
• As Israel continues its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the country's health ministry says the death toll has risen to 687
• Israel has launched more strikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Beirut - some hit a few hundred meters from a BBC team in the city

• In Tehran, residents tell BBC Persian the atmosphere remains "extremely suffocating" as a UN refugee agency reports 3.2 million have been displaced inside Iran

Dan Johnson
Reporting from Van, south-east Turkey

After a journey of more than 26 hours from Tehran, the train pulls into Van station in south-east Turkey with almost 300 weary Iranians on board.

Hossein was travelling to see his family in Canada said the journey was exhausting, but that this was the only way he had found to leave the country after flights were cancelled.

“I hope the war will be ended soon... my country is beautiful and they are destroying the country, for what reason I don’t know."

Hossein, an accountant, said he didn’t think the bombing would bring an end to the regime, adding: "They have wrong approach. Rather than negotiate with the government of Iran, they attack Iran. I don't believe they can win."

Another dual Iranian-Canadian national, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that many people are continuing with their normal life and going to work. While he was adamant that civilians weren’t being targeted, he said that “there is this fear that the explosion would be near us and we would be close to the target”.

Many of those arriving were too afraid to speak, telling us that people were watching even on this side of the border.

Those critical of the regime and supportive of US and Israeli military action were particularly fearful - one told me “there are spies everywhere... we don’t know who we can trust”.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has begun a "broad wave of attacks" against infrastructure belonging to the Iran-backed group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

It says the strikes are being carried out "in parallel" with attacks in Beirut, Lebanon's capital.

The statement comes after the IDF issued a warning to residents in Beirut, specifically those in the Bachura neighbourhood, to evacuate immediately.

We're seeing new pictures from Tehran, where air strikes by Israel and the US have reduced some buildings to rubble.

People can be seen inspecting their homes and gathering what remains of their belongings.

Rescue crews with sniffer dogs are also pictured searching through the wreckage.

"I don’t have anything called a routine anymore," one Tehran resident told BBC Persian earlier. "I can’t go cycling or running outside."

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

BBC Persian

More now from BBC Persian, which has heard from an Iranian woman in Karaj.

Today, on the 13th day of the war, "the situation is still the same" as it has been since the start, she says.

But there are more checkpoints now, and though Persian New Year is close, most shops are closed and the city "feels strangely quiet".

Larger shops are open, and although there are no shortages, "prices have risen drastically", she says.

She and many of her friends are taking medication for the stress. "The worst part is that you never know where they might have moved the forces or equipment that are being targeted," she says.

"It could suddenly end up somewhere close to your home, maybe even the street behind you, and without you knowing anything, everything could explode suddenly.

"My cat gets very scared. I made a small place for her inside a closet so she can hide."

She hears from friends in areas where there more strikes - one who lives in the same city has described a strike hitting near their home, shaking the house and shattering the windows, with the electricity cut off for hours.

"The biggest fear is that after enduring all of this suffering, the clerics will still remain in power and the Islamic Republic will still be ruling," she says.

Deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi has denied Iran is laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, days after the US said it had struck vessels equipped to do so operating close to the shipping channel.

"Some countries have already talked to us about passing the Strait and we have cooperated with them," Takht-Ravanchi tells AFP news agency.

But countries which "joined the aggression" against Iran "should not benefit from safe passage", he adds, saying the regime wants to ensure war can't be "imposed" on it again.

He continues: "When the war started last June, after 12 days there was so called cessation of hostilities... but after eight or nine months, they regrouped and they did it again."

Jonathan Josephs
Business reporter

As Iran vows to continue target shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, around 20,000 seafarers remain stuck on vessels in the Persian Gulf.

BBC News understands that eight seafarers have now been killed since this conflict began and three more remain unaccounted for as a result of the attack on a Thai-flagged bulk carrier, the Mayuree Naree.

The welfare of the men and women who move goods around the world by sea will be at the top of the agenda when the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) meets next week.

The emergency meeting in London was called by Egypt, France, Qatar, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and the UK.

However, aside from diplomatic pressure and a statement condemning what’s happening it’s hard to see what action the IMO can take.

It’s regulations require ships to be “sufficiently and efficiently manned”.

So whilst the IMO is trying to coordinate efforts to look after those who are stuck on board with supplies and internet access, they remain sitting targets for further Iranian attacks.

BBC Persian

Image source, Reuters

BBC Persian has heard from an Iranian woman in Karaj - a city just west of Tehran - who has only just been able to access the internet since the first the war began.

"The atmosphere in Iran is extremely suffocating. It has always been oppressive but now fear and terror have been added to it," she says.

"On the first day, when the war started, most of us woke up to the sound of explosions. About an hour later the internet was cut off, and we kept following the news through satellite TV," she says.

Lines for petrol started that same day, she says, and paramilitaries linked to the regime quickly appeared on the streets.

Late that night, it was announced the then Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed, and "all the neighbours were celebrating from their balconies or windows", she says, before paramilitaries returned and people fell silent.

"Every day we receive many SMS messages - warnings, threats, or false news. And every night supporters of the government organise mourning or celebration processions. The whole situation feels like nothing in this country belongs to us, as if we are strangers in our own city," she says.

BBC Persian is the Persian language service of BBC News, used by 24 million people around the world - the majority in Iran - despite being blocked and routinely jammed by Iranian authorities.

Millions displaced inside Iran as people flee citiespublished at 16:35 GMT

16:35 GMT

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent

The latest estimates from the United Nations Refugee Agency point to an alarming rise in the price paid by civilians over the course of just two weeks of war.

It says as many as 3.2 million people have been displaced inside Iran since Israel and the US launched their attacks on 28 February.

Large numbers are fleeing the capital Tehran and other major cities, looking for safety in rural areas. They include many Afghan refugees, some of whom have been living in Iran for decades and often in already difficult conditions.

The US and Israel say they are attacking military and security targets, but these are often inside densely populated areas.

Such is the intensity of Operation Epic Fury that civilians, including many who are deeply hostile to their own government, have been forced to flee an increasingly precarious situation.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have repeatedly urged Iranians to turn on the regime. At the moment people are too busy simply trying to survive.

Theo Leggett
International Business Correspondent

Earlier Donald Trump said that as the world’s largest oil producer, the US makes “a lot of money” when prices rise.

The US is indeed the world’s largest oil producer, extracting more than 13 million barrels per day in 2024.

It also produces large quantities of natural gas. While much of this is used domestically, a significant proportion is exported.

Those exports will sell for a higher price, benefiting US producers. However, the US also imports significant quantities of oil and refined products, notably from Canada but also from Mexico, Brazil and the Middle East.

These will cost more – and that will limit the overall benefits to the economy. Where extra profits are coming in, oil companies and their shareholders will benefit.

However, higher fuel prices will hurt motorists, while businesses will face increasing costs for making or transporting goods.

The death toll in Lebanon has risen to 687 since 2 March, the Ministry of Public Health says.

That figure is up from 634 yesterday and includes 98 children and 62 women.

Officials say 1,774 people have been injured in the same period, including 304 children and 328 women.

Israel has launched a military offensive against Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group which operates from Lebanon, and has launched daily air strikes, as well as pushing troops further into southern Lebanon.

Dearbail Jordan
Senior business and economics reporter

The oil price has risen further this afternoon, ticking up to $101 a barrel, an increase of 10% today.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said earlier that the "lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz" should still be used, in remarks attributed to him and read out on state TV.

On Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that any vessel linked to the US, Israel or their allies would be targeted.

"You will not be able to artificially lower the price of oil. Expect oil at $200 per barrel," a spokesperson said.

Asked if this was possible, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN on Thursday: "I would say unlikely, but we are focused on the military operation and solving a problem.”

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

Iran's Fars News Agency has reported that Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, wife of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is alive.

The agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, says that earlier reports about her death are false.

Iran state TV channel Two had reported on 2 March that Bagherzadeh was killed “at home”, while other Iranian outlets said she was in a coma.

Previously, Iranian media said that Khamenei’s daughter, grandchild and son-in-law were killed.

Khamenei and his wife had six children - four sons and two daughters.

Image source, Reuters

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says Iranian drones pose "no threat" to the US mainland.

It comes after ABC News published a story saying the FBI had warned police departments in California that Iran could "retaliate" for US attacks by "launching drones" from a vessel off the west coast of the US.

"They wrote this based on one email that was sent to local law enforcement in California about a single, unverified tip," Leavitt writes on X.

"TO BE CLEAR: No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did," she adds.

Yesterday, California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was "not aware of any imminent threats" to the state at this time, but was in "constant coordination" with security and intelligence officials.