US to rush more warships, troops to West Asia as fighting drags on

Starmer greenlights use of UK bases for strikes to neutralise Iranian threats to ships

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An Israeli self-propelled howitzer artillery gun fires rounds towards southern Lebanon from a position in the upper Galilee in northern Israel near the border on Friday | AFP

(AFP)

ON one of the holiest days on the Islamic calendar, Iran fired on Israel and energy sites in neighboring Gulf Arab states, insisting that it can still build missiles and issuing a new threat, to deny safety to its enemies in "parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations" worldwide.

Israel meanwhile pounded Tehran with airstrikes as Iranians marked Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

Drone attacks hit Kuwait's Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery on Friday, causing several fires but no casualties, state media reported, citing sources at the national oil company.

"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.

The US military is deploying three more warships and roughly 2,500 more marines to the West Asia, where there's no end to the war in sight despite three weeks of US and Israeli air strikes that have decimated Iran's military and leadership.