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# Israel launches 'wide-scale' strikes on Iran as Trump says US not ready to make deal to end war

US Citizens Warned to Leave Iraq

BBC News

## Summary

- Israel launches "wide-scale" strikes on targets in western Iran, the Israeli military says

- Iran and Israel traded strikes overnight, while missile and drone interceptions have been reported in Gulf states

- Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump says Iran wants to make a deal to end the war, but he doesn't want to yet "because the terms are not good enough"

- Any hopes the US may have had that its massive firepower would somehow force Iran to sue for peace on Washington's terms have been frustrated, writes our security correspondent

- In an interview with NBC, Trump adds the US has "totally demolished" Kharg Island - Iran's critical oil export hub - but that "we may hit it a few more times just for fun"

- Elsewhere, UK says it is discussing a "range of options" to secure the Strait of Hormuz after the US called for countries to help secure the shipping lane

## Live Reporting

Edited by Matt Spivey and Rorey Bosotti, with Jon Donnison in Jerusalem, Frank Gardner in Riyadh, Barbara Plett Usher in Doha, Nick Beake in Dubai and Wyre Davies in Lebanon

1. ### Iranian capital 'hit hard' overnight, residents tell BBC published at 09:02 GMT 14 March
   09:02 GMT 14 March

   Ghoncheh Habibiazad
   Senior reporter, BBC Persian

   I’ve been hearing from residents in the north, east and west of Tehran who tell me that the Iranian capital was "hit hard" last night.

   "Something exploded nearby and it shook the house to the core. It was never like this. My heart was pounding," said a woman in her 20s in Tehran last night.

   "I was trying to sleep and woke up with the sound of explosion," added a man in his 20s.

   "I didn’t go out at all. It seemed to be such a dangerous day," said a man in his 30s.

   While a woman in her 40s told me:"“It’s like calm before the storm right now."

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2. ### Iran's 'crown jewel' struck by US military - what's the latest?published at 08:53 GMT 14 March
   08:53 GMT 14 March

   Jacob Phillips
   Live reporter

   Image source, Shutterstock
   Image caption,

   Rescuers work at the site of an Israeli air strike in the Haret Saida area of Sidon in southern Lebanon

   On Friday, Donald Trump announced that the US "totally obliterated" military targets in Iran's Kharg Island, which he called the country's "crown jewel".

   The island, situated 22 miles (35km) off the coast of Iran, is a critical economic lifeline for Tehran as one analyst says around 90% of Iran's oil exports pass through the island.

   Iranian state media says there were more than 15 explosions on the island but no damage to oil infrastructure has been reported.

   On Saturday, the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings in western Iran while Tehran's state media says the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps have launched their 48th wave of attacks against Israeli targets.

   Across the Middle East, strikes continued overnight.

   Earlier the US embassy in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad was attacked, with flames and thick smoke filmed rising from the building.

   The Lebanese health ministry says at least 12 medics were killed in the town of Burj Qalawiya when a healthcare centre was hit.

   Meanwhile, residents in the heart of Doha have received phone alerts telling them to immediately evacuate.

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3. ### Smoke billows in aftermath of Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon published at 08:23 GMT 14 March
   08:23 GMT 14 March

   We're seeing some new pictures from southern Lebanon, where an Israeli air strike has caused damage to a building in the Haret Saida area of Sidon.

   It is not clear if there have been any casualties.

   More than 770 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of the war, according to the country's health ministry.

   Image source, EPA
   Image caption,

   Photos show the aftermath of an Israeli air strike in the Haret Saida area of Sidon, southern Lebanon

   Image source, EPA
   Image caption,

   A close-up image shows rescuers at work, as thick smoke billows from the balconies

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4. ### IDF strikes weapons facility in southern Lebanon published at 08:12 GMT 14 March
   08:12 GMT 14 March

   The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) says it has struck a weapon storage facility in southern Lebanon.

   The IDF says it spotted members of Iranian-backed armed group Hezbollah carrying rockets into the facility in the Al-Majadel area on Friday.

   Minutes later the Israeli Air Force struck the warehouse and "eliminated" those Hezbollah members, it says in a post on social media.

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5. ### Iran launches wave of attacks on Israel published at 07:57 GMT 14 March
   07:57 GMT 14 March Breaking

   The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps says it has launched the 48th wave of attacks against Israel, Iranian state media reports.

   The Islamic Republic News Agency says that the attacks have been launched simultaneously with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

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6. ### Israeli military issues evacuation warning for part of western Iran published at 07:36 GMT 14 March
   07:36 GMT 14 March

   The Israeli military has issued an evacuation warning to individuals in an industrial area of the western Iranian city of Tabriz.

   The warning was accompanied by a map outlining the designated zone and says the Israeli army will be "active in this area in the coming hours".

   It said the attack would be similar to recent actions in Tehran targeting Iranian regime military infrastructure.

   It urged people to immediately evacuate the specified area for their safety and well-being, warning that remaining there would put lives at risk.

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7. ### Smoke rises from US embassy in Baghdad published at 07:22 GMT 14 March
   07:22 GMT 14 March

   Media caption,

   Fire at US embassy in Iraq after Iranian strike

   As we reported earlier, smoke has been rising above the US embassy in Baghdad following an attack on the building in the Iraqi capital.

   Reuters and the Associated Press news agencies report that a missile struck the embassy, while the AFP news agency quotes sources saying damage was caused by a drone strike.

   The attack took place shortly after two Iran-backed fighters were killed in strikes on Iraq's capital, AFP also reported, citing several sources.

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8. ### No damage to oil infrastructure on Kharg Island - Iranian state media published at 06:57 GMT 14 March
   06:57 GMT 14 March

   Image source, Reuters
   Image caption,

   A satellite image shows an oil terminal at Kharg Island

   On Friday, US President Donald Trump said the US military had bombed Iran's Kharg Island.

   He said that he did not target the oil infrastructure. The island is a critical economic lifeline for Tehran as one analyst says around 90% of Iran's oil exports pass through the island.

   The Fars News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, says that more than 15 explosions were heard on the island during the US attacks.

   The attacks targeted air defences, a naval base, airport control tower and a helicopter hangar, the agency says in a post on Telegram.

   There was no damage to oil infrastructure on Kharg Island, Iranian state media reports.

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9. ### At least 12 medics killed in Israeli strike in Lebanon, health ministry says published at 06:40 GMT 14 March
   06:40 GMT 14 March

   Wyre Davies
   Reporting from Lebanon

   Reports from southern Lebanon say that more targets not directly related to Hezbollah have been hit in Israeli airstrikes.

   The Lebanese health ministry said that at least 12 medics, including doctors and nurses were killed in the town of Burj Qalawiya when the town's primary healthcare centre was hit overnight.

   Israel has also bombed other civilian infrastructure, including roads and bridges. It has almost doubled the size of its self-declared evacuation zone in the south, urging hundreds of thousands more people to evacuate and head north, where charities and the Lebanese state are struggling to cope with the influx of displaced people.

   Tensions in Lebanon are rising and, with uncompromising language both from Israel and Hezbollah, the fear here is that a wider conflict may be unavoidable.

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10. ### Evacuations in Doha's central district published at 06:13 GMT 14 March
    06:13 GMT 14 March

    Barbara Plett Usher
    Reporting from Doha

    Image source, EPA
    Image caption,

    The skyline of Doha pictured earlier this week

    Qatar's interior ministry made an announcement earlier saying it was evacuating a number of areas as a precautionary measure.

    The nature of the threat is still unknown at this stage, but Qatar did intercept two missile attacks overnight and this morning.

    It seems the aim is to protect places that host US economic interests after Iran said earlier this week these were legitimate targets.

    Locals received phone alerts to immediately evacuate Doha’s central Musheireb district, where offices for Google and American Express are located. Witnesses said some residents rushed to underground car parks for shelter.

    Guards are also said to be stationed at Microsoft’s Qatar headquarters, and the Reuters news agency is reporting that authorities evacuated part of an area that hosts branch campuses of six US universities.

    Elsewhere American embassies remain under threat. Security officials in Baghdad say the mission there has been hit in an attack; and the State Department is ordering non-essential government employees to leave Oman.

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11. ### US embassy in Baghdad struck by missile published at 05:49 GMT 14 March
    05:49 GMT 14 March

    Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Smoke rises above buildings in Baghdad

    Earlier, we started getting details about an attack on the US embassy in Iraq's capital, Baghdad.

    A missile struck the building, causing smoke to rise from the embassy's building, Reuters reported, citing sources, without providing details on the damage.

    Associated Press reports that a missile struck a helipad in the US embassy compound.

    Meanwhile, AFP quotes sources saying a drone struck the embassy.

    The attack took place shortly after two Iran-backed fighters were killed in strikes on Iraq's capital, AFP reported, citing several sources.

    We'll bring you more updates as we get them.

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12. ### Potential troop movements suggests Washington is weighing its options published at 05:28 GMT 14 March
    05:28 GMT 14 March

    Paul Adams
    Diplomatic correspondent

    It’s being widely reported in US media that the American military is sending additional forces to the Gulf, including what’s known as an amphibious ready group (ARG), with up to 5,000 Marines and sailors.

    The amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli will join the substantial armada already operating off the coast of Iran.

    It’s not clear which other vessels will accompany the Tripoli, but an ARG typically includes ships capable of carrying landing craft, as well as large numbers of helicopters.

    The latest deployments suggest the Pentagon is considering an expanded range of options. These could include protecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and conceivably some kind of limited amphibious landing.

    One possible objective is Iran’s tiny Kharg Island, in the northern Gulf.

    Lying 22 miles off the Iranian mainland, Kharg is a vital oil hub, where tankers have been seen filling up with Iranian oil since the war began two weeks ago.

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13. ### More US Marines to be sent to Middle East, reports say published at 05:23 GMT 14 March
    05:23 GMT 14 March

    More US Marines and warships are expected to be deployed to the Middle East, two officials confirmed to CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

    The officials said the reinforcements were to come from an amphibious ready group and its Marine expeditionary unit, with one official adding that the group would be led by the Japan-based USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship.

    The unit headed by the USS Tripoli typically consists of around 5,000 sailors and Marines distributed across several warships.

    The movement of US personnel was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, external.

    The BBC has approached the US military and the Pentagon for comment, though future troop movements are usually not confirmed publicly.

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14. ### Why the US targeted Iran's Kharg Island published at 05:16 GMT 14 March
    05:16 GMT 14 March

    President Donald Trump says US forces have "totally obliterated" all military targets on Iran's Kharg Island.

    In this video, security analyst Mikey Kay explains why the island is so critical for Tehran.

    Media caption,

    Watch: Why Kharg Island is a lifeline for Iran

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15. ### US strikes Kharg Island published at 05:15 GMT 14 March
    05:15 GMT 14 March

    Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Satellite image of Kharg Island on 25 February

    Shortly after boarding Air Force One for Florida on Friday, US President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social that the US military had bombed Iran's Kharg Island.

    "The United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island," Trump said.

    "I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision," he continued.

    In response, Iran's military says oil and energy infrastructure belonging to firms working with the US would "immediately be destroyed and turned into a pile of ashes" if its energy facilities are attacked, local media reported.

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16. ### US attacks Iran's oil export hub published at 05:13 GMT 14 March
    05:13 GMT 14 March

    We have moved our live coverage here, and will continue to bring you the latest developments on the war between the US, Israel and Iran.

    - President Donald Trump says the US has "totally obliterated" every military target on Iran's Kharg Island, and warns he could target oil infrastructure
    - In response, Tehran warns oil and energy infrastructure belonging to firms that cooperate with the US will be destroyed if Iran's energy facilities are attacked
    - Around 90% of Iran's oil exports pass through Kharg Island, making it a critical economic lifeline for Tehran
    - The US embassy in Baghdad has been struck by a missile, according to Iraqi officials
    - Earlier, two officials told the BBC's partner CBS News that the US is expected to send a marine unit and more warships to the Middle East
    - The officials said the reinforcements were to come from an amphibious ready group and its Marine expeditionary unit, with one official adding that the group would be led by the Japan-based USS Tripoli
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