Qatar’s Interior Ministry on Saturday ordered the evacuation of “key areas” of Doha, with residents in central neighbourhoods receiving alerts instructing them to move immediately to the nearest safe location amid Iran’s aerial campaign targeting countries in the Gulf.
At the same time, Iran launched new missiles towards Israel shortly after midnight between Friday and Saturday. No casualties were reported after the projectiles were intercepted by the Israeli military.
The Israeli army said it had carried out around 7,600 strikes in Iran and about 1,100 in Lebanon. In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike on a health centre killed 12 medical workers.
The leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, said the organisation was prepared for a prolonged confrontation.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian militant group Hamas called on Iran to “avoid targeting neighbouring countries”, while acknowledging what it described as Iran’s right to defend itself.
Oil prices also surged as the conflict intensified. Brent Crude closed at $103.14 a barrel, marking an increase of more than 42% since the start of the conflict.
The United States is also reinforcing its military presence in the region by deploying an amphibious vessel and Marines. Washington has additionally announced a $10 million reward for information related to Mojtaba Khamenei, identified as Iran’s new Supreme Leader.