★U.S.A

1. U.S. Forces Sink Twenty Iranian Warships As Epic Fury Expands

U.S. Central Command said American forces are destroying Iranian mobile missile launchers as they emerge from underground bases while U.S. and Israeli aircraft strike entrances to subterranean missile facilities to trap launch systems below ground. CENTCOM also said U.S. forces have sunk more than twenty Iranian naval vessels, including a Soleimani-class warship, as the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group conducts round-the-clock strike operations during the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury.

2. Senate Backs Trump Iran Strikes Blocks Bid To Limit War Powers

The U.S. Senate voted 53 to 47 to block a bipartisan resolution seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to conduct military strikes against Iran without congressional approval. The vote largely followed party lines and allowed the administration to continue the ongoing military campaign while lawmakers debated Congress’s constitutional role in authorizing war.

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THE GULF

3. IRGC Commander Declares Gulf Operational Zone Threatens Americans Even In Hotels

A senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said the Gulf is an Iranian operational zone and warned U.S. forces to leave the region. The commander claimed no warship can approach within 800 miles of Iran and said American personnel would be pursued even to the hotels where they stay, while stating Iran has not yet revealed the full scope of its maritime capabilities. 

4. Iran Fired More Missiles At Gulf Than Israel

Data published by the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University said Iran launched roughly 500 missiles and 2,000 drones toward Gulf states during the first four days of the war, compared with about 200 missiles and 100 drones directed at Israel across 123 attack waves, with strikes reported against the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Cyprus, and Iraqi Kurdistan.

5. Saudi Arabia Intercepts Cruise Missiles And Drones Near Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles and three drones near Al Kharj about 80 kilometers southeast of Riyadh, with the Saudi Press Agency reporting the cruise missiles were intercepted southeast of the capital while additional drones were shot down east of the governorate, following earlier interceptions that included two cruise missiles over Al Kharj and a drone in the Eastern Province during ongoing regional missile and drone attacks linked to Iran.

6. Qatar Downs Iranian Bombers As Authorities Evacuate Area Near U.S. Embassy

Qatar’s air force said Eurofighter Typhoon jets armed with long range Meteor missiles shot down two Iranian Su-24 bombers over the Gulf after radar detection, marking the first confirmed Iranian aircraft losses since the war began. Qatari officials said five drones and seven ballistic missiles targeting the country were also intercepted. Authorities also evacuated residents living near the U.S. Embassy in Doha as a temporary precaution and arranged alternative accommodations for those affected.

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★ISRAEL

7. Israel Eases Public Restrictions As Iranian Missile Fire Declines

Israel’s Home Front Command said public restrictions imposed at the start of the war with Iran will be partially eased beginning Thursday at noon after a new security assessment. Gatherings of up to 50 people and workplaces will be allowed if shelters are accessible, while schools remain closed. Officials said Iran’s missile fire toward Israel and other countries has declined significantly since the conflict began.

8. Israel Plans Two More Weeks Iran Strikes After 5,000 Bombs

Israeli military officials said operations against Iran are expected to continue for at least one to two more weeks as the Israeli Air Force has already dropped more than 5,000 bombs since the start of the conflict. The IDF said more than 100 fighter jets struck a large military compound in eastern Tehran and destroyed missile launchers, air defenses, and command facilities during ongoing joint operations with U.S. forces.

9. Israel Launches New Wave Of Strikes Across Tehran Infrastructure

The Israeli military announced a new large wave of airstrikes targeting infrastructure across Tehran as part of ongoing operations against Iran. Israeli forces said the strikes targeted regime and military facilities linked to missile operations and security infrastructure, continuing a sustained bombing campaign that has included repeated strikes on Iranian military sites and command facilities since the start of the conflict.

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★IRAN

10. Trump Says Many Potential Iranian Successors Killed In Opening Strikes

President Donald Trump said many potential successors to Iran’s leadership were killed in the opening strikes that targeted senior figures of the Iranian regime, stating that “most of the people we had in mind are dead” while warning that whoever emerges next could still be “as bad as the previous person.” Meanwhile Iran’s Assembly of Experts is preparing to select a new supreme leader as names circulating in political discussions include Mojtaba Khamenei, Hassan Rouhani, Alireza Arafi, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, Hassan Khomeini, and Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri.

11. Second Explosion Reported Near IRGC Naval Base In Bandar Abbas

Large explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas near Bandar-e Bahonar in the First Naval Zone of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to videos sent by a local resident. The blasts mark the second reported explosion near the IRGC naval facilities in the city within days, at a location close to the strategic Strait of Hormuz where key Iranian naval infrastructure is based.

12. Iran Threatens Strike On Israel Dimona Nuclear Facility

Iran warned it could target Israel’s Dimona nuclear reactor if the United States and Israel attempt regime change in the Islamic Republic. An Iranian official said Iran has the capability to strike key Israeli sites and would respond decisively to foreign intervention aimed at toppling the government.

13. China Announces Special Envoy To Mediate Expanding Israel Iran War

China said it will send a special envoy to the Middle East to mediate the war between Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other as the conflict enters its sixth day. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Saudi and Emirati counterparts that escalation benefits no one, praised Saudi restraint, and called for protecting maritime shipping lanes during the ongoing fighting.

14. Azerbaijan Accuses Iran of Drone Attack on Its Territory

Azerbaijan accused Iran of launching two drones that struck near Nakhchivan International Airport, injuring two people. One drone hit the airport area, and another fell near a school. Baku summoned Iran’s ambassador in protest and demanded an explanation, warning it reserves the right to take “appropriate response measures.” Tehran has not yet commented.

15. Iranian Media Highlights Spain Refusal To Support U.S. Iran Strikes

Iranian state aligned media highlighted statements from Spanish officials rejecting claims that Madrid would allow U.S. forces to use Spanish military bases for operations against Iran. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Spain’s position has not changed and that its bases would not be used for attacks, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain would not participate in military action against Iran.

16. Kurdish Militants Prepare Ground Offensive In Northwestern Iran

Militants from several Iranian Kurdish factions are preparing for a possible ground offensive against Iranian government forces in northwestern Iran as U.S. and Israeli airstrikes continue targeting Iranian military infrastructure across the country, opening the possibility of additional fighting on the ground in Kurdish-populated regions along Iran’s northwestern border.

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★LEBANON

17. Israel Orders 250,000 Evacuated As Southern Lebanon Strikes Continue

Israel’s military said it launched a “wave of strikes” across southern Lebanon hours after ordering all residents south of the Litani River to evacuate immediately, a move affecting roughly 250,000 people in more than 150 villages. Earlier in the day, Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem, successor to Hassan Nasrallah, said the group is fighting in defense of Lebanon and its people, stating its attacks are a response to what he described as ongoing Israeli violations and aggression. Qassem said Hezbollah adhered to a ceasefire while Israel did not, and declared the group would continue resisting attacks as fighting and cross border exchanges persist.

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★TURKIYE

18. NATO Intercepts Missile Heading Toward Turkiye As Iran Denies Launch

NATO air defense systems intercepted a ballistic missile heading toward Turkish airspace over the eastern Mediterranean. Turkish officials said the missile crossed Iraqi and Syrian airspace before it was destroyed. Iran’s military denied launching a missile toward Turkiye. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan that the United States supports Turkiye following the interception.

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★IRAQ

19. Iraqi Forces Seize Mobile Missile Launcher Carrying Two Rockets

Iraqi security forces seized a mobile missile launch platform carrying two missiles ready to be launched at a neighboring country in the Zubair area south of Basra. Security sources said the operation was conducted based on intelligence from the Iraqi National Security Service as tensions rise in Iraq following missile attacks on military and security sites during the ongoing regional conflict.

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★ Disclaimer: This publication is a digest of various news sources compiled by the Early Phoenix team and edited by Rania Kisar. The items are curated, concise summaries of news items hyperlinked within each story. The items and summaries presented do not necessarily represent the views of the American Center for Levant Studies.