Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

Image source, Iranian Red Crescent Society/Reuters

Fatemeh Mohajerani, spokesperson for the Iranian government, says more than 200 students and teachers have been killed since the start of the war.

She adds that 120 schools have been "severely damaged".

Tehran’s landmark Azadi Tower has sustained damage, she says on state TV.

Iran’s minister of education said on 11 March that 206 students and teachers had been killed and 161 injured in the attacks so far, according to a report by official IRNA news agency.

Iran’s Red Crescent Society says that, so far, 42,914 civilian properties have been damaged. Of these, 6,179 are commercial properties and 36,489 are residential, including 10,000 in Tehran.

"Since the start of the war, 160 medical, health, and emergency centres across the country have been seriously damaged by enemy attacks," it adds.

Image source, Getty Images

US President Donald Trump denies reports that five US tanker planes were heavily damaged at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

Multiple media sites reported overnight that the planes were damaged in an Iranian missile strike, but in a post on his platform Truth Social, Trump says that while the base was hit a few days ago, the planes were not "struck or destroyed".

"Four of the five had virtually no damage, and are already back in service. One had slightly more damage, but will be in the air shortly," he adds.

An earlier attack aimed at Eilat, in southern Israel, appears to have hit a building.

Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's ambulance service, says paramedics are providing treatment to a 12-yer-old boy and a 39-year-old man with shrapnel injuries.

The boy is "in serious condition, conscious with injuries to his body", while the man is "in moderate condition with head and limb injuries", a spokesperson for MDA says.

Rotem Basodo, from the service, says he saw "destruction, broken glass, and smoke at the scene".

There have been reports of explosions above Jerusalem, Israel, after its military said Iran had launched further attacks at the country.

One barrage was fired towards Tel Aviv, with another triggering sirens around Jerusalem.

We are working to bring you more details on any potential impact from the strikes.

The UAE's Ministry of Defence says it has intercepted nine ballistic missiles and 33 drones so far today.

It brings the total to 294 ballistic missiles, 1,600 drones and 15 cruise missiles since the start of the conflict.

There have been six deaths and 141 "minor to moderate" injuries over this period.

Earlier, we reported that thick plumes of smoke were seen rising above the UAE's port of Fujairah, one of the largest oil storage facilities in the region, after it was targeted by a drone strike.

The Iranian military has also told UAE residents to evacuate areas close to US targets.

Image source, Reuters

Earlier we reported the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates was targeted by a drone strike.

A fire also broke out at the port after a drone was intercepted by air defences on 3 March, the Fuijairah Media Office reported.

The port sits in a significant location on the Gulf of Oman around 70 miles from the Strait of Hormuz.

The site is one of the biggest maritime service hubs in the world, according to its website, and provides "world class facilities" and equipment to service containers, cargo ships, livestock and cruise ships.

Close to 12,500 vessels arrived at its anchorage in 2022 while more than 4,700 vessels were hosted at the port.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among the few Gulf producers with pipelines designed to partially bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE’s Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline can transport about 1.8 million barrels a day to the port of Fujairah.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key trade artery through which around 20% of the world's oil passes.

Since the beginning of the conflict, numerous ships have been reported to have come under attack in the area and Iran's new supreme leader Thursday said that Iran should keep using the "lever of blocking" the Strait.

About 3,000 or so ships usually sail through the corridor each month. In 2025, about 20 million barrels of oil passed through the strait per day.

It is deep enough for the world's biggest crude oil tankers, and is used by the major oil and gas producers in the Middle East – and their customers.

Image source, Reuters

India says two of its tankers "safely" crossed the Strait of Hormuz this morning and are heading to India.

The news was confirmed in a press briefing by Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

The two Indian-flagged tankers are carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

It comes after Iran's ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, described the two countries as "friends" with "common interests" and a "common fate" on Friday, according to Reuters, citing comments made to the media.

Iran has previously threatened to open fire on any vessels crossing the waterway - a key artery for global energy markets. Traffic has dropped dramatically as a result, causing oil prices to rise dramatically.

• Read more: Tracking the wave of ship attacks that has choked off Strait of Hormuz

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued two updates in the last half hour saying a volley of missiles launched from Iran towards Israel have been detected.

Iran's state broadcaster IRIB has also said on Telegram a new wave of missiles has been launched from Iran towards Israel.

The Iranian Tasnim News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, also reports that a huge explosion was heard in Tel Aviv as Iran's retaliatory strikes hit the Israeli city.

Hezbollah launched missiles towards Israel following the killing of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

This week Israel said it carried out around 70 strikes in Beirut against what it called "terrorist infrastructure" in the city.

The Lebanese health ministry said on Friday that 773 people have been killed since Israel began its offensive on 2 March.

Image source, Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Israel to hold direct talks with Lebanon and has offered to host ceasefire talks in Paris.

In a post on X, he says he has spoken with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, adding that "everything must be done to prevent Lebanon from descending into chaos".

He calls on the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah to not escalate and for Israel to refrain from its "intensive bombing campaign" and "large-scale offensive" which has caused hundreds of thousands of people to flee the bombardments.

"The Lebanese executive branch has expressed its readiness to enter into direct talks with Israel," he says, insisting that Israel should try to reach a ceasefire.

He adds that France is prepared to hold the talks in Paris.

Samantha Granville
BBC News, Middle East

A spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) tells the BBC one of their positions has been hit, "likely by heavy machine gun fire".

They say a fire started following the attack on their base near Meiss el-Jabal, which is situated around 70 miles (114 kilometres) away from the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

"One peacekeeper on his way to the shelter was lightly injured. We have launched an investigation. We remind all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers at all times," the spokesperson adds.

Jacob Phillips
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The US has gone for Iran's economic jugular vein as the conflict in the Middle East enters its third week, writes our security correspondent.

The US says more than 90 military targets on Iran's Kharg Island have been destroyed in overnight strikes. The vital island in the northern Gulf is the terminal for close to 90% of the Iran's oil exports.

Tehran, however, says there has been no damage to its oil infrastructure and no fatalities.

Israel says the attack delivered a "severe blow" to the regime as its defence minister warns the conflict with Iran is now entering a "decisive phase".

Meanwhile, thick plumes of black smoke have been rising from one of the largest oil facilities in the Middle East at the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.

The port is a key location for fuelling ships as it sits just past the Strait of Hormuz - meaning vessels do not need to navigate through it as it remains practically cut off.

Earlier, the US embassy in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, was attacked while Israel continues to trade strikes with Iran and militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Image source, Reuters

US Central Command (Centcom) has just shared further details on last night's strike on the Iranian oil island of Kharg.

US forces hit "more than 90 Iranian military targets" on the island, while "preserving the oil infrastructure", it says.

The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, it adds.

This aligns with earlier comments from Iran, which said oil facilities "remain intact" with exports "fully under way".

The Iranian military says it reserves the right to defend its territory and target US interests in the Middle East, Iran's state media reports.

Colonel Ebrahim Zulfiqari, a spokesman for the Khatam Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces, says Iran has a legitimate right to target American missiles in shipping ports and docks in the UAE as well as US soldiers' "hideouts".

He calls for Muslim people to evacuate cities in the UAE so that they are not harmed.

Image source, Reuters

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says the conflict with Iran is entering a "decisive phase". He made the comments at a situational assessment this morning.

Katz also congratulated Donald Trump on delivering a "severe blow" to Iran's key oil island of Kharg last night, calling it an "appropriate response to the minefields of the Strait of Hormuz".

Earlier this week, the US said it had struck mine-laying vessels operating close to the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has denied it is laying explosives in the shipping channel.

In his comments this morning, Katz added that the Israeli Air Force was "continuing a powerful wave of attacks on Tehran and throughout Iran", but said only the Iranian people can put an end to the conflict by overthrowing the regime.

In the United Arab Emirates, smoke has been seen rising above the port of Fujairah, one of the largest oil storage facilities in the region, after it was targeted by a drone strike.

Elsewhere a fire raged through an apartment building in the Haret Saida area of Sidon, southern Lebanon, following an Israeli strike.

Residential areas of Israel have also been damaged in recent attacks.

The roof of a building in Shoham, central Israel, has been completely destroyed following a strike. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it detected Iranian missiles targeting Israel overnight.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Shutterstock

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a new wave of Iranian missiles had been fired towards Israel at approximately 12:41 local time (10:41 GMT).

It was the first attack in 10 hours.

The IDF has since confirmed that people are allowed to leave protected spaces but is urging the public to continue following safety instructions.

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

Ehsan Jahanian, political deputy to the governor of the Bushehr province in southern Iran, acknowledges US attacks on Kharg Island but says that oil exports are “fully under way” and oil facilities “remain intact” following the strikes.

Jahanian says that “the process of exporting oil from the Kharg oil terminal is fully under way, and the activities of companies based on the island are continuing without interruption”, according to a report by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps)-affiliated Tasnim News Agency.

He adds that “parts of the military facilities and Kharg Airport” were damaged, but that “no military personnel, oil company employees, or island residents suffered casualties in the attack, and all sectors are continuing their routine activities".

US strike on Kharg Island raises stakes in warpublished at 10:49 GMT

10:49 GMT

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent, reporting from Riyadh

In the battle of wills between Tehran on the one hand and the US and Israel on the other, the stakes have just been raised.

The US striking this small but vital island in the northern Gulf is like going for Iran’s economic jugular vein.

Kharg is the terminal for close to 90% of Iran’s oil exports because its waters are deep enough to load that oil onto tankers known as Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs).

If President Trump decides to go one step further and destroy its actual oil facilities – as opposed to just the Iranian troops guarding them – then that is likely to drive oil prices even higher.

More worrying is how hard Iran will hit back. Two weeks into this war it still has the capacity to launch large numbers of low-cost, high explosive drones at its Gulf Arab neighbours as well as at shipping.

It could, potentially, expand those targets to include vital infrastructure like desalination plants that provide drinking water to millions.