Iran targets British-US base and its main nuclear enrichment site is struck again

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said attacks would “increase significantly" next week, speaking shortly after fragments from an Iranian missile slammed into an empty kindergarten near Tel Aviv.

“The war is not close to ending," said Israel’s army chief, Gen. Eyal Zamir.

The U.S. and Israel have offered shifting rationales for the war, from hoping to foment an uprising that topples Iran’s leadership to eliminating its nuclear and missile programs and its support for armed proxies. There have been no public signs of an uprising, while internet restrictions limit information from Iran.

The war’s effects are being felt far beyond the Middle East, raising food and fuel prices.

It is not clear how much damage Iran has sustained in the U.S. and Israeli strikes that began Feb. 28 — or even who is truly in charge. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since being named to the role.

Iran attempts to hit Diego Garcia air base

U.K. officials did not give details of the strike that targeted the Diego Garcia base Friday, which was unsuccessful. Britain’s Ministry of Defense described Iran as “lashing out across the region and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz."

It’s unclear how close the missiles came to the island. Iran previously asserted that it has limited its missile range to below 2,000 kilometers (over 1,200 miles).

But military experts said Iran may have used its space launch vehicle for an improvised firing. “If you’ve got a space program, you’ve got a ballistic missile program,” said Steve Prest, a retired Royal Navy commodore.

Israel’s army chief, however, said Iran had fired “a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile.”

Britain has not participated in U.S.-Israeli attacks but has allowed U.S. bombers to use its bases to attack Iran’s missile sites. On Friday, the U.K. government said U.S. bombers could use Diego Garcia to attack sites used to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel denies responsibility for attack on Natanz

The Iranian judiciary’s official news agency, Mizan, said there was no leakage after the strike on the Natanz nuclear facility, nearly 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog has said the bulk of Iran’s estimated 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium is elsewhere, beneath the rubble at its Isfahan facility, with a lesser amount at Natanz. The International Atomic Energy Agency said on X it was informed about the strike and looking into it.

Israel’s military said it was “not aware” of a strike by it there. The Pentagon declined to comment on the attack. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said such strikes posed a “real risk of catastrophic disaster throughout the Middle East.”

Later Saturday, Iran said it was targeting Israel’s nuclear program. Rescue services treated several people for shrapnel injuries in Dimona, which houses Israel’s main nuclear research center. Israel is believed to be the only Middle East nation with nuclear weapons, though its leaders refuse to confirm or deny their existence.

The Natanz facility was hit in the first week of the war and several buildings appeared damaged, according to satellite images. It also was targeted in the 12-day war last June.

Global pressure increases on the Strait of Hormuz

As Iran threatens shipping on the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates joined 21 other countries including the U.K., Germany, France and Japan in expressing "readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage.”

The Trump administration announced it is temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil that was already loaded on ships as of Friday, but that does not increase the flow of oil production, a central factor in surging prices. The oil ministry of Iran, which has evaded sanctions for years, replied that it “essentially has no crude oil left in floating storage.”

The head of U.S. Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, asserted that Iran’s ability to attack vessels on the strait had been “degraded." He said 5,000-pound bombs were dropped earlier in the week on an underground facility along Iran’s coast used to store anti-ship cruise missiles and mobile missile launchers.

The U.S. is deploying three more amphibious assault ships and roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the Middle East, an official told The Associated Press. Two other U.S. officials confirmed that ships were deploying, without saying where they were headed. All three spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the military operations.

Gulf countries reported more attacks. A missile alert sounded Saturday night in Dubai. Saudi Arabia said it downed 20 drones over a couple of hours in its east, home to major oil installations.

More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran during the war. In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian missiles and four others have died in the occupied West Bank. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed, along with over a dozen civilians in Gulf nations.

Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants clash in Lebanon

Israel's military said it was conducting a “targeted ground operation” in southern Lebanon and at least four militants were killed. Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with Israeli troops in the southern village of Khiam.

Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1 million, according to the Lebanese government. Hezbollah's civilian assets also have been targeted.

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Lawless reported from London and Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.