Live: Israel says it will control bridges and area south of Lebanon’s Litani River

Several Gulf countries, including Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, on Friday restricted Eid al-Fitr prayers to mosques, suspending large outdoor gatherings amid heightened tensions linked to the ongoing conflict.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said worshippers should avoid traditional open-air prayer grounds, where large crowds typically gather, "as a precautionary measure", as governments reassess public safety. 

The Israeli military on Friday said that it struck infrastructure sites belonging to the Syrian government overnight in response to alleged attacks against Druze civilians in Sweida, Reuters news agency reported. 

The Israeli military said it targeted a "command centre and weapons in military compounds" in southern Syria, adding it will "not tolerate harm toward the Druze population".

The launch of numerous missiles from Iran was detected over Israel, triggering air defence systems to “intercept the threat”, the Israeli military said on Friday. 

"Warning messages have been sent to members of the public via mobile phones," the military said.

“Enter protected spaces upon receiving the alert and remain in them until a new announcement. Exit from the protected space will be permitted only after receiving an explicit directive,” the military added.

A cyber group calling itself Hanzala claims it has hacked the email account of a senior Israeli-linked official and obtained more than 100,000 confidential messages, Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim News reported.

The group said it had accessed the account of Deborah Oppenheimer, described as a former deputy director of external relations at Mossad and current director of international affairs at an Israeli security institute.

"We have obtained more than 100,000 sensitive emails from his account, which are now available for public download. These documents reveal the true face of Zionism and its network of influence throughout the world," the group said in a statement on social media. 

"From treacherous collaborations to media planning and covert operations designed against nations," the statement added. 

Firefighters in Kuwait were dealing with a blaze at the Ahmadi refinery after one of its units was targeted, the Kuwaiti General Fire Force said.

Authorities did not immediately provide details on the cause of the attack or whether there were any casualties.

In Bahrain, the interior ministry said civil defence crews had extinguished a fire at a company warehouse caused by falling shrapnel from an Iranian attack, with no injuries reported.

An attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility has significantly altered the global gas market outlook, the consultancy Wood Mackenzie said, warning of prolonged disruption to supplies.

The UK-based firm said the damage to the key facility, following an earlier production halt and force majeure declaration, could extend recovery timelines.

“Before the attacks, Wood Mackenzie forecast four to six weeks to ramp up Qatari LNG production to full capacity… The timeline is now expected to extend depending on the extent of damage and required repairs,” the consultancy said.

It added that each additional month of disruption could remove about 1.5 percent from annual global LNG availability.

A fire broke out at Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery after a drone attack, the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said, adding that refinery units were shut down following the incident, AFP reported. 

"The Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery... was subjected early today to several hostile drone attacks, causing fires in some of its units," the official Kuwait News Agency said, adding that "several refinery units were shut down".

Air raid sirens sounded again across Kuwait as the military said it was working to counter ongoing missile and drone attacks, Al Jazeera reported. 

US President Donald Trump joked about Japan’s World War II attack on Pearl Harbor when asked why he had not informed allies such as Japan ahead of strikes on Iran, saying surprise was necessary for military operations.

He made the remarks during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office alongside Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi.

“One thing, you don’t want to signal too much. You know, when we go in, we went in very hard, and we didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise,” Trump said, adding, “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor? OK?”

His comments referenced the 1941 attack that killed more than 2,400 Americans and drew the United States into World War II, as questions persist among allies over coordination following the strikes on Iran ordered nearly three weeks ago. 

Iranian state media reported that images and photos shared online show Iranian Shahed drones and missiles marked with slogans referencing Gaza and Palestinian figures, before being launched toward Israel as part of “Operation True Promise 4.”

The images shared by Press TV included phrases such as “For Gaza’s Journalists”, "for Al-Ahli Hospital",  “Abu Obaida’s voice will not be silenced” and “Sinwar’s path continues”, according to the report. 

Saudi officials believe oil prices could rise as high as $180 per barrel if disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz persist through the end of April, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Prices have been volatile since the war began, with Brent crude briefly nearing $119 per barrel before retreating.

Saudi Arabia has continued exports via its Red Sea port of Yanbu, though analysts warn such facilities could become targets.

Leading European nations, Japan and Canada said they were ready to support efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and to stabilise energy markets, Reuters reported.

According to a joint statement issued on Thursday, the countries condemned what they described as Iran’s actions disrupting commercial shipping and escalating tensions in the Gulf.

In the statement, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada said, “We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces."

"We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817,” the statement added. 

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday said that Israel was the primary cause of the war, accusing it of threatening both regional and global stability.

Speaking at a press conference in Doha alongside Qatar’s Prime Minister and foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Fidan said the conflict had pushed the region into an unprecedented crisis.

“The primary cause of the war is Israel; it has threatened not only our region but global stability,” Fidan said, adding that the escalation had dragged the region “into an unprecedented crisis.”

The United States is accelerating the deployment of thousands of Marines and sailors to the Middle East to reinforce its forces amid the war with Iran, US media reported, citing officials.

The move includes amphibious units deploying ahead of schedule as Washington increases its military presence in the region.

Sailors and Marines have cut short their leave and completed training early to speed up deployment, according to the report.

The build-up could bring the total number of additional personnel in the region to around 8,000 as part of the expanded military posture.

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed multiple drones across the country, including nine over the Eastern Province and another over the northern al-Jawf region, as part of a sustained wave of aerial attacks overnight.

The defence ministry also reported downing additional drones in the eastern region, bringing the total number intercepted over several hours to more than two dozen.

Kuwait said it was confronting a second round of “hostile missile and drone attacks,” with explosions heard attributed to air defence interceptions, while authorities urged the public to follow safety instructions.

In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai’s media office reported successful “air interception operations” with no injuries, without providing further details.

Several Gulf states activated air defence systems overnight in response to missile and drone threats, with the United Arab Emirates urging residents to remain in safe locations as its systems responded to a potential missile attack.

Authorities called on the public to follow official channels for updates and safety instructions.

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed multiple drones in the country’s eastern region, including three within the past hour and 10 over several hours, while Kuwait’s military reported confronting “hostile missile and drone" attacks.

It said any explosions heard were the result of air defence systems intercepting incoming threats and urged residents to adhere to security guidance.