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Pakistan condemns attacks on Iran and retaliatory
Pakistan has condemned Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran and also denounced Iranian strikes against Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement that the attacks on Iran came “at a time when diplomatic efforts were underway to reach a peaceful and negotiated solution” and warned that such actions could undermine regional peace and stability with far-reaching consequences.
The ministry also condemned the death of a Pakistani national in the UAE during the attacks.
Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Sharif said that Pakistan will “always stand with its Saudi brothers and sisters, at all times to come, and under all circumstances.”
Explosion at Dubai landmark The Palm: Witnesses
DUBAI: Two witnesses told AFP they heard an explosion and saw a plume of smoke rising from Dubai's famed man-made island The Palm as authorities reported four injured.
The attack came as Iran carried out retaliatory strikes in the oil-rich Gulf following US and Israeli attacks -- rattling a region long seen as a haven of peace and security.
One of the witnesses said he saw thick black smoke rising from a hotel on the Palm and heard ambulances rushing towards the scene.
The Dubai media office later confirmed an "incident" in a building in the Palm Jumeirah area that resulted in a fire and four people injured.
"Dubai Civil Defence has confirmed that the resulting fire is now under control. Four individuals sustained injuries and have been transferred to medical facilities," it added.
The incident targeting a Dubai landmark shocked residents, and was followed by several bangs heard by Dubai residents and AFP correspondents in the city.
Roughly 90 percent of the UAE's population consists of foreigners and Dubai is its most populated city, long associated with opulence and glamour.
Iran launched strikes on all the oil-rich Gulf countries except for Oman, a mediator in the US-Iran talks. — AFP
Iran closes all universities until further orders: State media
TEHRAN: Iran announced on Saturday the closure of all universities until further notice after Israel and the United States launched strikes against the Islamic republic.
"The Minister of Science announced the closure of universities across the country until further notice," the official IRNA news agency reported. — AFP
Dozens of missiles fired at Israel by Iran
The Israeli military say that that “dozens” of missiles have been fired by Iran at Israel.
While many have been intercepted and no serious injuries have been reported, the missile barrages were continuing after sundown. Israel’s military chief gave an address on national television, warning that the defenses aren’t “hermetic” and the public should obey safety instructions and remain vigilant. — AP
Leading Democrat denounces US strikes on Iran
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia has questioned whether President Donald Trump has learned anything “from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East.”
Kaine has spearheaded bipartisan war powers resolutions to limit Trump’s military interventions abroad.
“For months, I have raised hell about the fact that the American people want lower prices, not more war — especially wars that aren’t authorized by Congress, as required by the Constitution, and don’t have a clear objective,” Kaine said in a statement.
“These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives,” he said.
Kaine also called for the U.S. Senate to “immediately return” to the Capitol and vote on whether to authorize or limit U.S. strikes against Iran. — AP
Egyptian leader speaks with Saudi crown prince
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has spoken by phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman following an Iranian attack in Saudi Arabia.
El-Sissi expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, and stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to “contain the escalation” in the region.
“Continued military escalation will only bring more suffering to the people of the region and undermine development opportunities,” el-Sissi said. — AP
New strikes hit targets near Shiraz
Explosions have been heard in surrounding areas of the major city in the south of Iran, according to the semiofficial news agency Fars news. — AP
Iran's president condemns 'barbaric' attack on school after US, Israeli strikes
TEHRAN: Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday condemned what he described as a "barbaric" attack on a school in the country's south, after US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic.
"This barbaric act is another black page in the record of countless crimes committed by the aggressors," said Pezeshkian in a statement on the attack, which Iranian state media has said killed at least 63 people and wounded dozens more. — AFP
Israel army says currently striking Iran's missile launchers
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it had started a new wave of strikes against Iran's missile launchers on Saturday.
The military "has begun a flyover and is currently striking missile launchers in Iran to thwart the threat posed to the State of Israel," it said, after earlier reporting it had completed a "broad strike" against Iran's defence systems. — AFP