— Americans also killed in Qatar
By Irum Saleem
US-Israel attack on Iran has left over 200 killed including 50 schoolgirls and hundreds injured.
In response Iran targeted US bases in tge Gulf. There are unconfirmed reports that several Americans were killed in Qatar airbase of the US.
United States President Donald Trump says the US has begun “major combat operations” in Iran after Israel also said it had launched missile attacks against the country.
Iranian media reports, citing the Red Crescent, say at least 201 people have been killed across 24 provinces.
Iran has retaliated, targeting Israel and US assets in multiple Middle East countries, including Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Multiple explosions have been heard in Iran’s capital, Tehran, while blasts have also been reported in several other locations across the country. A strike on a school in southern Iran has killed more than 80 people, according to state media.
Several countries across the region have shut their airspace amid the exchange of attacks.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmail Baghaei says Iran’s actions are in self-defence.
“We are facing another unprovoked act of aggression, an egregious act of aggression that is imposed on Iranians”, Baghaei told Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi.
“And we have every right, in accordance with international law… to defend ourselves with all might. So that’s what our armed forces are conducting right now. They are defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran against this barbaric act of aggression.”
We also have a statement from Chile’s Foreign Ministry, which has expressed “concern for the grave military escalation in the Middle East”.
“The government of Chile condemns the attacks against Iran perpetrated by the United States and Israel, as well as the response of the Iranian regime against Israel and the Gulf countries,” it said.
“These actions, in a highly tense regional context, could have consequences for the stability of the region and international security.”
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Yemeni rebel group, has called the US-Israeli attacks on Iran “cruel, blatant, criminal, and barbaric, and without any right”.
The Houthis are one of the militia groups that Iran supports throughout the region.
“We are on alert for any necessary developments. There is no concern about the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding this aggression, because it is powerful, its position is strong, and its response will be decisive”, the statement continued. It did not mention whether or not the Houthis would join the conflict on Iran’s side.
“It is Iran’s legitimate right to target military bases belonging to Americans who are participating in aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran”, the statement added.
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It is expected to be a very busy Saturday afternoon here at the UN headquarters in New York, where the Security Council will hold an emergency meeting at 4pm local time (2100 GMT).
This meeting was requested primarily by China and Russia, but Bahrain and Colombia, two elected members of the council, also signed on, pushing for the meeting.
It’s highly unusual for the Security Council to meet in open session on a weekend. It has only happened 10 times in the last five years, and only twice on a Saturday.
So these emergency meetings on weekends are saved only for the most urgent of matters. Clearly, this is one of them.
We are also being told that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to attend the meeting and deliver opening remarks.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs has announced the cancellation of Taraweeh prayers – a night prayer performed during Ramadan – in all mosques until further notice.
As we’ve been reporting throughout the day, several waves of explosions have been heard in the sky above the Qatari capital, Doha.
Now Qatar has announced the suspension of all public events, gatherings and entertainment at hotels and tourism sites until further notice.
It also halted all Ramadan tents and iftars, which hotels and tourist venues typically host for companies, government entities and the public during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged the Islamic world to act urgently to prevent further escalation in the Middle East, according to remarks carried by Anadolu news agency.
Erdogan said he will accelerate diplomatic efforts to establish a ceasefire and return to the negotiating table, and that he is “deeply” concerned about the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which he said “began with Netanyahu’s provocations.”
“We also find Iran’s missile and drone attacks against our brotherly countries in the Gulf unacceptable, regardless of the reason”, he added.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Red Crescent Society has told Mehr news agency that US and Israeli attacks have hit 24 of Iran’s provinces, killing at least 201 people and wounding 747 people.
The spokesperson said that more than 220 Red Crescent teams are present at the targeted sites, and rescue operations continue.
In their joint statement, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Foreign Minister Anita Anand warned the regional situation remains volatile and directly appealed to Canadians in Iran and neighbouring states to “shelter in place”.
“Canadians in the wider region should follow local advice and take all necessary precautions”, the statement added.
The statement described Iran as the primary “source of instability” in the region, accusing it of sponsoring “terror” and maintaining an egregious human rights record, and insisting Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.
“Despite diplomatic efforts, Iran has neither fully dismantled its nuclear program, halted all enrichment activities, nor ended its support for regional terrorist proxy groups”, the two added.
“Canada stands with the Iranian people in their long and courageous struggle against Iran’s oppressive regime.”
US intelligence agencies and the UN nuclear watchdog have not found evidence that Iran is actively seeking an atomic weapon, as Iranian officials insist they don’t seek to make a nuclear bomb.
