The United States and Israel say they are moving to the next phase of their war with Iran, with a significant escalation in military action. The United States Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, said the level of firepower directed at Iran was set to increase dramatically, while Israel announced a broad scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure in Tehran. The head of United States Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, said operations were focused on destroying Iran's current and future missile capabilities.

Iran has continued to retaliate, launching missiles that several Gulf states, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, say they have intercepted. The conflict has contributed to rising global oil prices, prompting the United States to ease its embargo on Russian oil.

In other developments, President Trump has dismissed his Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem. Separately, scientists in Britain have uncovered new insights into Stone Age diets, and experts are examining new methods to determine whether a Stradivarius violin is genuine or fake.