Explosions heard in Tehran and Jerusalem on fifth day of war

Smoke rises from a strike by Iran on Central Israel on Sunday. Photo collected via UNB

Explosions sounded in Tehran Wednesday as Iran's war with the U.S. and Israel entered a fifth day following earlier strikes on an Iranian nuclear site and retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Republic across the Gulf region. 

The explosions around Tehran came at dawn, according to Iran state television, while Israel’s military said its air defenses had been activated to intercept incoming Iranian missiles and explosions were heard around Jerusalem. 

Five days into a war that U.S. President Donald Trump suggested could last a month or longer, nearly 800 people have been killed in Iran, including some Trump said he had considered as possible future leaders of the country. 

Explosions also hit Lebanon, where Israel said it is retaliating against Hezbollah militants. Lebanon’s state-run media reported that at least four people were killed in an Israeli strike that hit a residential complex in the city of Baalbeck. 

Kuwait is targeted again

Kuwait’s military said a new wave of Iranian missiles and drone was targeting the tiny Mideast nation. 

Judiciary chief threatens Iranians who support US-Israeli campaign

Iran’s judiciary chief threatened “those who say or do anything” in support of the U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign targeting the Islamic Republic. 

Gholam Hosseini Mohseni Ejehei’s remarks raised the possibility of those detained facing death-penalty charges, as cooperating with an enemy can carry execution if convicted.

Speaking on state television, he said: “Those who say or do anything in line with the will of America and the Zionist regime are on the enemy’s side and must be dealt with on revolutionary, Islamic principles and in accordance with the time of war.” 

British government plans flight to evacuate stranded citizens

The British government says a chartered flight will take off from Oman late Wednesday to bring back some of the thousands of U.K. nationals in the Gulf. 

It says the most vulnerable will be prioritized for the first of what is expected to be a series of flights. 

The Foreign Office says more than 130,000 British nationals in the Middle East have registered their presence with the government since the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict broke out, though not all are trying to leave. Many of those are in the United Arab Emirates, and the government has advised against trying to travel overland to Oman. 

Commercial airlines are also starting to resume some flights, with Etihad, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic all due to operate flights from the UAE to London on Wednesday. 

Israel says it has shot down a piloted Iranian aircraft over Tehran

The Israeli military said one of its F-35 stealth fighter jets shot down a piloted Iranian Air Force YAK-130 fighter over Tehran on Wednesday. Israel described it as the first air-to-air combat kill of a piloted aircraft by the fighter jet. 

Iran’s top diplomat says Trump betrayed his voters 

Iran’s top diplomat is again criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump as America and Israel continue their airstrike campaign targeting his country in the war. 

Abbas Araghchi said that “Trump betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him.” 

“When complex nuclear negotiations are treated like a real estate transaction, and when big lies cloud realities, unrealistic expectations can never be met,” Araghchi wrote on X. “The outcome? Bombing the negotiation table out of spite.”

The war began Saturday after Israel launched an airstrike killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The U.S. and Iran had held three rounds of nuclear negotiations prior to the start of the war, but no deal had been reached.

An anxious Tehran resident is torn about whether to leave

As the fighter jets roared overhead, those still in Tehran looked anxiously to the skies. 

One man who ran a clothing shop said he didn’t know what, if anything, he could do. 

“It’s very difficult to decide what to do. If I leave the city, how am I supposed to earn money and survive?” said the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. 

“I just hope the Arabs do not get involved. If they do, their missiles won’t be as precise as these.”

Airstrikes reported in other Iranian cities

Airstrikes also were reported in the Iranian cities of Urmiah and Kermanshah. 

Israel says ‘broad scale strikes’ underway in Tehran

The Israeli military said it had begun “broad scale strikes” in Tehran. 

More airstrikes hit Tehran

Airstrikes struck eastern Tehran later Wednesday morning, witnesses said.

Ukraine’s foreign minister discusses situation in Middle East with Saudi counterpart

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Tuesday he discussed the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East and its global security implications with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

Sybiha expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and condemned what he described as Iran’s aggression, saying it threatens regional stability.

He said the two sides discussed the risks of further escalation and the need for diplomatic solutions, stressing that protecting civilians must remain a priority. 

Sybiha noted that Ukraine has firsthand experience with missile and drone warfare, including daily attacks involving Shahed drones. 

He said Kyiv is ready to share its expertise with partners facing similar threats. 

Earlier, he spoke with his Kuwaiti counterpart, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al Sabah. 

“For Ukraine, this threat is not abstract. We face daily missile and drone attacks, including Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russia against our cities and civilians,” Sybiha wrote on X.

Israel says whoever is chosen as Iran’s next supreme leader will be ‘a target for elimination’

Israel’s defense minister on Wednesday threatened whoever Iran picks to be the country’s next supreme leader, saying he will be “a target for elimination.”