Iran launches ballistic missiles and drones at UAE and Israel: Live

A new series of missiles are targeting the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE’s Ministry of Interior said air defences ‘are now dealing with a missile threat’.

‘Please stay in a safe place and follow the warnings and updates on official websites,’ it added.

Four people have been killed in Iranian attacks on the UAE since last Saturday, the country’s defence ministry said.

The UAE has detected hundreds of missiles and almost 1,500 drones, the vast majority of which have been destroyed, it added.

Explosions have been heard over Tel Aviv as Iran sends a wave of missiles at Israel in retaliation for overnight strikes which left Tehran burning.

‘A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran towards the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,’ the military said.

Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said Iran’s ‘firepower has dropped dramatically all across the region, not only towards Israel’.

The attack comes after Israel bombarded Tehran overnight, hitting oil depots and causing enormous blazes.

Dark clouds of smoke billowed across the Iranian capital on Sunday morning.

A fresh round of rockets have also been sent into Israel from Lebanon, with rocket sirens blaring in in Karmiel, in northern Israel, and in surrounding towns.

The American and Israeli war with Iran today entered its ninth day as violence continues to spread across the Middle East.

If you’re just joining us, here are the main developments:

• A ‘river of fire’ has engulfed Iran after an oil spill ignited Tehran amid ongoing US-Israeli air strikes
• Israel says it will ‘pursue every successor’ of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iran appoints its next Supreme Leader
• Three people are injured from shrapnel at a university in Bahrain following a missile attack as Iran continues to attack the Gulf
• Two border guards have died in Kuwait after the country was hit by a series of missiles and drones – as a huge fire enguls Kuwait City Tower
• Donald Trump criticises Sir Keir Starmer again, telling him ‘We don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won’
• A seaside hotel in Beirut has been hit by Israeli missiles in strike on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards based in the building
• The US has denied claims from Iran that a number of American soldiers have been taken prisoner
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the country has ‘many surprises’ for the next phase of the war

Fire flows through Tehran after oil spill

Iran’s capital erupted into flames as Israel and the US launched a fresh wave of devastating strikes in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The skies over Tehran turned a disquieting red and filled with acrid smoke after several oil and fuel depots were blown up across the Iranian capital.

Huge fireballs could be seen erupting across the city’s skyline, while residents complained of a lingering burning smell in the air, as both the US and Israel doubled down on their pledge to fight until the ‘eradication’ of the Iranian regime.

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Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump have held a phone call to discuss the ‘use of RAF bases’.

It comes after the US President and his allies lashed out at Sir Keir for his refusal to allow the US permission to use them from the start of the war.

The pair spoke about the situation in the Middle East and discussed military cooperation, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

That included ‘the use of RAF bases in support of the collective self-defence of partners in the region’.

‘The prime minister also shared his heartfelt condolences with president Trump and the American people following the deaths of six US soldiers,’ the spokesperson added.

Donald Trump has doubled down on his threats against Iran’s next Supreme Leader, telling them they will not last long without his support.

The country’s next leader has been appointed but the Assembly of Experts, the 88-person deciding body, has not announced who it is.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is widely viewed as his likely successor after gaining the support of the powerful Revolutionary Guards.

Israel has already said it will eliminate whoever takes charge while Trump has demanded the final say.

Speaking today, the US President told ABC News: ‘He’s going to have to get approval from us.

‘If he doesn’t get approval from us he’s not going to last long. We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it.’

Kuwait has been targeted by 234 missiles and 422 drones since the conflict began last Saturday, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

‘This aggression has resulted in a number of victims among citizens and residents, including a young girl, two members of the Kuwaiti armed forces, and two border guards.’

The Gulf nation announced today that two officers died ‘while performing duties’.

Six US troops were also killed in an attack on Shuaiba port.

Meanwhile, an enormous fire engulfed Kuwait City tower following drone strikes in the early hours of this morning.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Information said firefighting teams ‘managed to combat the fire’ by containing it and preventing its spread.

Smoke rises from Kuwait City Tower following a drone attack

The IDF said it has hit the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ space and satellite headquarters in Tehran in a recent wave of airstrikes.

The IRGC HQ served as ‘a reception, transmission, and research center for the Iranian Space Agency, which is affiliated with the regime’s military,’ the Israeli military said.

The headquarters included ‘research facilities as well as a command-and-control structure for the Khayyam satellite,’ which the IDF claims was used by the IRGC to ‘advance terror activities and monitor the State of Israel and countries in the region.’

The IDF also said it hit 50 bunkers of at one of Iran’s internal security bases, a base of the Basij paramilitary force and an IRGC compound.

Donald Trump has blamed Iran for the deadly airstrike that hit an all girls’ school on the first day of the war.

While speaking about the US’s attack with Iran on Saturday on board Air Force One, Trump said American troops had nothing to do with the bombing that killed 175 people, mostly children, on February 28.

Children between the ages of seven and 12, along with staff members, were among those who died, in the school strike in the Iranian city of Minab.

When asked if the US was behind the attack, Trump told reporters: ‘No, in my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.’

A reporter then turned to US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who stood behind Trump as he spoke, and asked if the president’s claim was true.

‘We’re certainly investigating,’ he said before backing up the commander-in-chief.

‘But, the only side that targets civilians is Iran,’ Hegseth continued before Trump made another comment, doubling down on his claim.

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Britain’s dwindling gas reserves mean it has just two days’ worth of natural gas in storage.

The source of energy has dropped from 18,000 GWh last year to just 6,700 GWh now – enough for a mere 1.5 days of demand.

Europe is much better prepared to weather fluctuations in supply, with several weeks’ worth of gas stored up.

Daily Mail reporter Patrick Harrington explains below:

The UAE’s Ministry of Defence said this afternoon that it was responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran.

Earlier, the ministry said it had already intercepted 16 ballistic missiles and 113 drones.