US warning of 'surge'

INTENSE Israeli airstrikes pounded the capitals of Iran and Lebanon early on Friday with the US apparently striking an Iranian drone carrier at sea, intensifying its campaign targeting the Islamic Republic's fleet of warships.

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Iran launched new retaliatory attacks in the Middle East at the end of a full week of bombardment, which US defence secretary Pete Hegseth warned was “about to surge dramatically”.

Israel’s military said on Friday morning it had begun “a broad-scale wave of strikes” on Tehran, Iran’s capital.

Witnesses described the Israeli airstrikes as particularly intense, shaking homes in the area. Others reported explosions around the Iranian city of Kermanshah in an area that is home to multiple missile bases.

The Israeli military said strikes have already destroyed most of Iran’s air defences and missile launchers.