War in the Middle East: the latest developments

Here are the latest events related to the war in the Middle East on Friday, the 35th day of the conflict triggered by an American-Israeli attack on Iran:

The Israeli army announced “large-scale strikes” on Tehran

The Israeli army announced Friday that it had launched “large-scale strikes” on Tehran, simultaneously with bombardments on the southern suburbs of Beirut.

“In addition to the strikes on Beirut, the Israeli army launched large-scale strikes targeting Iranian regime infrastructure in Tehran,” the statement said.

Middle East: Putin and Erdogan call for a ceasefire, according to the Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, citing the energy crisis that ensued, during a telephone conversation on Friday, according to the Kremlin.

“The leaders emphasized their common positions on the need for a ceasefire as soon as possible and the development of peace agreements taking into account the legitimate interests of all states in the region,” the statement said.

Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut after a warning

Strikes targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday, with the Israeli army, which is fighting Hezbollah in the neighboring country, indicating it was targeting “terrorist infrastructure” after issuing an evacuation call for the area.

An explosion rocked the northern region of Tehran

An explosion shook the northern region of Tehran on Friday, witnessed by an AFP journalist. A plume of gray smoke was observed. At this stage, it was not possible to determine the exact target.

Trump says he can “open” the Strait of Hormuz with “a little more time”

Donald Trump asserted on Friday that the United States could “open” the Strait of Hormuz and “take the oil” with “a little more time,” without specifying how he planned to do so or which oil he was referring to.

Israel claims to have destroyed 70% of Iranian steel production capacities

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Friday that the army had destroyed “70% of Iran’s steel production capacities,” following the announcement by Iran’s two largest steel factories to halt their activities after Israeli-American strikes.

The United Kingdom deploys an anti-drone system in Kuwait

The UK deployed the Rapid Sentry anti-drone system in Kuwait, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned a “irresponsible” nighttime drone attack on a Kuwaiti oil refinery.

Abu Dhabi: 12 injured after attack interception

Twelve people were injured, one seriously, in the projectile debris fall after an interception in Abu Dhabi, authorities said on Friday.

Seven of the injured are Nepali nationals and the other five are Indians. The incident occurred in the Ajban area, near the Zayed military site.