A missile struck a house used by the powerful Iran-backed group Kataeb Hezbollah in Baghdad, Iraq, early Saturday, killing one person and wounding two others, according to Iraqi security sources. The strike occurred at approximately 2:15 am local time, and witnesses reported seeing smoke rising from the city’s centre following loud bangs and ambulance sirens.
The attack comes amid escalating tensions across the Middle East following a series of retaliatory strikes between Iran and Israel, and a wider US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Earlier Saturday, Iranian state media reported a fresh round of missile launches towards Israel, though Israeli rescue workers reported no casualties.
Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement, issued a statement Saturday calling on Iran to refrain from targeting neighbouring countries, whereas reaffirming Tehran’s right to defend itself against Israel and the United States. “While affirming the right of the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to this aggression by all available means in accordance with international norms and laws, the movement calls on the brothers in Iran to avoid targeting neighbouring countries,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported no damage to oil infrastructure on Kharg Island following US strikes, despite President Donald Trump’s claims that the island’s military targets had been “totally obliterated.” Trump had threatened to target oil infrastructure on the island, a crucial hub for Iran’s crude exports, if Tehran continued to block the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian armed forces have warned that any attack on its oil and energy infrastructure will lead to retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure owned by oil companies cooperating with the United States in the region. This warning followed Trump’s announcement of the strikes on Kharg Island.
The conflict is expanding geographically. Qatar’s interior ministry announced it was evacuating “several key areas” after interceptors were deployed over Doha to down projectiles. Explosions were heard in the city’s centre. The US State Department has ordered non-emergency US government employees and their families to leave Oman, citing ongoing threats of drone and missile attacks and disruptions to commercial flights. Two people were killed by a drone in northern Oman on Friday.
A drone attack also took place on the US Embassy compound in Baghdad, striking a helipad, according to Iraqi security officials. There was no immediate comment from the US Embassy. In Lebanon, an Israeli strike on a primary healthcare centre in southern Lebanon killed at least 12 medical personnel, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The US is preparing to release oil from its strategic petroleum reserve to stabilize the market, with early deliveries expected to begin next week. Trump stated on social media that Iran has been “totally defeated” and is seeking a deal he will not accept.
