Iran-Israel war: latest developments

Israel and Iran exchanged fire again on Wednesday, the sixth day of strikes in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East.

Here are the latest developments:

- New missile salvo -

Israel's army on Wednesday said it had detected new missiles launched from Iran, adding that its defensive systems were operating to intercept the threat.

The announcement came after Iran issued an evacuation warning for residents of the Israeli city of Haifa, with state TV subsequently reporting launches of Fattah hypersonic missiles.

The Israeli military later said it was "flying over surface-to-surface missile launch and storage sites... (and) striking those attempting to reactivate sites that have already been hit".

Israel's air defence systems appear to have been largely successful in intercepting the daily barrages of Iranian missiles and drones.

An Israeli military official, who asked not to be named, said that Iran had fired around 400 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones since Friday.

About 20 missiles had struck civilian areas in Israel, the official added.

- Near-total internet blackout -

Iran was in a "near-total national internet blackout", London-based watchdog NetBlocks wrote on X.

Iran announced last week that it was placing temporary restrictions on the internet, with the communication ministry saying Wednesday that heavier limits were being imposed due to Israel's "abuse of the country's communication network for military purposes".

Iranian media later reported that Israel briefly hacked the state television broadcast, airing footage of women's protests and urging people to take to the streets.

Numerous sites and apps have remained at least partially inaccessible.

State television appealed to Iranians on Tuesday to delete WhatsApp from their phones, charging that the messaging app gathers users' location and personal data and "communicates them to the Zionist enemy".

A WhatsApp spokesperson hit back against the claims, expressing concern the "false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked".

- Trump on strikes, talks -

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was considering whether the United States would join Israel's strikes, and said that Iran had reached out to seek negotiations on ending the conflict.

"I may do it, I may not do it," Trump told reporters. "I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate."

Trump said Iran had even suggested sending officials to the White House for talks on Tehran's nuclear program in a bid to end Israel's air assault.

Asked if it was too late for negotiations, he said: "Nothing is too late."

In a televised statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump a "great friend" of Israel, and thanked him "for the support of the United States in defending Israel's skies".

- Khamenei warns US -

Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech read on state television: "This nation will never surrender."

He added: "America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage."

Trump had said on Tuesday that the United States knows where Khamenei is located but will not kill him "for now".

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday his country was committed to "diplomacy" but was acting in "self-defence" against Israel's assault.

- Israel says hit security HQ -

AFP journalists reported hearing blasts across Tehran throughout the day on Wednesday, with smoke billowing over parts of the city.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in the afternoon that air force jets had "destroyed the internal security headquarters of the Iranian regime -- the main arm of repression of the Iranian dictator".

French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to end strikes on targets in Iran not linked to nuclear activities or ballistic missiles, his office said.

- 'Painful losses' -

Foreign governments have scrambled to evacuate their citizens from both countries, with US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announcing plans on Wednesday to get Americans out by air and sea.

Israel's attacks have hit nuclear and military facilities around Iran, as well as residential areas.

Residential areas in Israel have also been hit.

Netanyahu acknowledged suffering "painful losses" on Wednesday, but added: "The home front is solid, the people are strong."

The prime minister's office said Monday that at least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded since Iran's retaliatory strikes began Friday.

Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.

- Putin eyes 'solution' -

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that a deal to end the fighting between Israel and Iran was possible.

He also claimed Israel's strikes on Iran had led to a "consolidation" of support in Iranian society around its leaders.

"We see that today in Iran there is a consolidation of society around the country's political leadership," Putin told foreign journalists, including AFP, in a televised event.

"This is a delicate issue, and of course we need to be very careful here, but in my opinion, a solution can be found," he added, referring to a possible deal that was in the interests of both Israel and Iran.

He had previously proposed to act as a mediator in the conflict, prompting both Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron to question his suitability given Russia's war in Ukraine.