The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday said it had thwarted an imminent missile launch from Iran, sharing a video of the operation on X. According to the Israeli military, operatives from Iran’s surface-to-surface missile unit were preparing a launcher for an immediate strike toward Israel when the threat was identified.

Britain on Saturday said Iran must never be permitted to develop nuclear weapons and indicated it stands ready to protect its interests after US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

“Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that is why we have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution. As part of our longstanding commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East, we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently bolstered. We stand ready to protect our interests,” the spokesperson said.

As a siren pierced the Saturday morning calm in Bahrain, Asif (name changed) and several other Indian nationals found themselves facing an unprecedented situation. As the US and Israel attacked Iran, Tehran retaliated by targeting American assets across the Gulf countries. Bahrain was also not spared. In a video interaction with India Today, Asif, who is from Haryana, shared disturbing visuals and firsthand details of the unfolding security situation in Bahrain.

President Donald Trump on Saturday said that his primary concern is securing ‘freedom’ for the Iranian people, following a joint US-Israel military strikes inside Iran.

“All I want is freedom for the people. I want a safe nation, and that’s what we are going to have,” Trump told The Washington Post in a brief phone interview shortly after announcing “major combat operations” in a video message.

Jordan’s state news agency reported that the military intercepted two ballistic missiles on Saturday that were headed toward Jordanian territory. Authorities said they received 12 reports of falling debris and shrapnel across multiple areas, including the capital Amman and the cities of Irbid, Zarqa, Madaba, and Jarash.

The Israeli military on Saturday said it had detected another wave of missiles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory, according to news agency Reuters. Authorities activated air defence systems and instructed civilians in affected areas to move to protected shelters as the incoming barrage was tracked.

Dubai Airports on Saturday suspended all flight operations at Dubai International Airport until further notice in view of the ongoing tensions in the Middle East following a joint strikes by the US and Israel against Iran, the state media office said.

No immediate timeline was provided for the resumption of services.

Long lines snaked outside petrol pumps across Iran as residents rushed to fuel up, while many families began leaving major cities in search of safer areas, witnesses said. The strikes by the United States and Israel have triggered widespread fear and uncertainty nationwide.

“We are scared, we are terrified. My children are shaking, we have nowhere to go, we will die here,” news agency Reuters quoted a 32-year-old mother of two from the northern city of Tabriz, where explosions were among those reported, as saying.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency committee and is expected to hold calls with allies in the coming hours, news agency Associated Press reported.

A UK government spokesperson said London does not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict and reiterated Britain’s support for a negotiated solution to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Officials also clarified that the UK was not involved in the US-Israeli strikes.

Israel banned public gatherings, shut schools and workplaces and moved hospital patients to underground facilities on Saturday as Tehran launched missiles towards Israel in retaliation for a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran. Defence Minister Israel Katz declared a state of emergency across the country, warning the public of Iranian missile and drone attacks.

(With inputs from Reuters.)

While the US and Israel planned to strike Iran, one thing was confirmed. Iran would retaliate against any strike with all its might. That’s what Iran did on Saturday, after being attacked by Israel and the US. Aware of that, the Trump administration reportedly positioned the world’s largest warship ever built, the USS Gerald R Ford, off the coast of Israel near the port city of Haifa. It is believed to be serving as a defensive “shield” against Iranian retaliation.

An Air India Express flight from Mangalore to Dubai that had already been pushed back was called back to the parking bay after the airspace shutdown, with passengers subsequently deboarded. In a separate development, another Air India Express flight from Mangalore to Doha was diverted to Mumbai following the closure of the airspace due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East following US-Israel strikes on Iran.

Authorities also indicated that Navi Mumbai airport is open to receive flights in case of emergencies. However, if international flights make emergency landings there, passengers will not be allowed to deboard as customs and immigration infrastructure is not yet operational.

The death toll from an Israeli-US strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran has risen to at least 40, Associated Press reported, quoting state-run IRNA news agency. The report also claimed that at least 45 others were wounded in the attack, which took place in Minab in Hormozgan province. The city is home to a base of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

European Union leaders on Saturday called for restraint and renewed regional diplomacy, stressing the need to ensure nuclear safety as tensions escalate.

“Ensuring nuclear safety and preventing any actions that could further escalate tensions or undermine the global non-proliferation regime is of critical importance. We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa said in a joint statement.

Iran on Saturday said US-Israeli airstrikes in the country’s south killed at least 24 people, including students, at a girls’ school, marking the first confirmed fatalities from the ongoing military campaign. State-run IRNA news agency reported that the strike took place in Minab, located in Hormozgan province. The city hosts a base of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Another wave of blasts was heard in the Qatari capital, Doha, a witness told news agency Reuters. There was no immediate official confirmation on the cause of the explosions or any reports of damage and casualties. The development comes amid rapidly escalating tensions in the region after the US, along with Israel, launched an attack on Iran earlier today.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday expressed deep concern over the rapidly escalating hostilities between the US-Israel bloc and Iran, calling for urgent action to protect Indian citizens in the Middle East.

“The rapidly escalating hostilities between US-Israel and Iran are deeply concerning. The safety and security of every Indian citizen across the Middle East must be our highest priority. I urge the Government of India to take immediate and proactive measures to safeguard our people,” the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.