US, Iran war updates: Fears of militias, PM announces fuel powers, Israel’s first missile attack from Yemen

That concludes our rolling coverage of the Middle East war for today.

Thank you for joining us as we brought you the latest as it happened.

Check back in tomorrow for more updates.

More than 1400 civilians — including at least 217 children — have been killed in Iran in the first month of the war, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

The conflict, which erupted on February 28, has triggered a relentless bombardment campaign across the country.

The Israeli military says it has dropped more than 12,000 bombs on Iran, including 3600 on capital Tehran.

US Central Command says it has struck more than 9000 targets.

Targets have included police stations, militia bases, military facilities, universities, safe houses and suspected ammunition sites.

The US is ramping up its military presence in the Middle East, with the USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier set to deploy to the region.

The massive warship — effectively a floating airbase capable of carrying more than 80 aircraft — recently completed pre-deployment training and could soon join operations linked to the conflict involving Iran.

Multiple US officials say the carrier and its strike group are being positioned under Central Command as tensions escalate.

At the same time, guided missile destroyers USS Donald Cook and USS Mason have departed the US en route to the region, while another warship, USS Ross, has also left port, though its destination has not been disclosed.

The moves signal a significant build-up of American firepower as the war continues to intensify.

Five people have been injured after a ballistic missile was intercepted by air defences in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emeriates.

Abu Dhabi Media Office reported that five Indian nationals had been hurt by falling debris near the Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi.

It said emergency services were responding to two fires in the area.

Thailand has made a deal with Iran to allow its oil vessels safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

“An agreement has been reached to allow Thai oil tankers to transit safely through the Strait of Hormuz,” , Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said.

He said the development would alleviate concerns over fuel imports.

A missile reportedly fired from Yemen towards Israel has raised fresh fears the Middle East conflict is expanding.

If confirmed, it would mark the first launch from Yemen since the war erupted — a significant escalation.

The development comes just hours after Iran-aligned Houthi rebels warned they were ready to act if attacks on Iran and the so-called “axis of resistance” continued.

The group did not specify how it would intervene but its entry into the conflict would dramatically widen the war.

The Houthis have previously shown they can strike targets far beyond Yemen and disrupt major shipping routes in the Red Sea, while Iran-backed forces in Lebanon and Iraq have already joined the fighting triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Tehran weeks ago.

Gulf nations have sounded the alarm over fears Iran-backed militias could launch attacks across the region, raising the risk of wider instability as the Middle East war escalates.

In a rare joint statement, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Jordan condemned strikes on their territory, blaming direct attacks from Iran and operations carried out by proxy groups it supports.

Kuwait revealed that it had already foiled a plot to assassinate state leaders, arresting six suspects believed to be linked to Hezbollah — one of Iran’s most powerful regional allies.

Iran has long relied on proxy militias to extend its influence, with groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen forming a key part of its strategy, alongside networks operating in Iraq and Syria.

But since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February, Gulf states say the threat has shifted closer to home — with missile and drone attacks, along with suspected sleeper cell activity, fuelling fears the conflict could spill deeper into the region.

A worker has been hurt in a drone attack on Oman’s Salalah port.

Officials said that a crane was also hit but had had limited damage.

Oman had served as a mediator between the US and Iran before the war.

Israel’s military says it has detected a missile launch from Yemen, marking the first such incident since the conflict began.

The strike comes after Iran-backed Houthi forces warned they could join the fighting.

In a statement, the military said it had “identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, aerial defence systems are operating to intercept the threat”.

The alert was issued early Saturday as the war entered its second month.

It follows reports that Iran launched multiple missile barrages at Tel Aviv the previous day, triggering air defence systems and warning sirens late Friday and into Saturday.

At least 12 US troops have been injured in an Iranian strike on a military base in Saudi Arabia, with two in serious condition, a US official confirmed to Reuters. Earlier reports from Wall Street Journal suggested 10 personnel had been wounded.

The attack targeted Prince Sultan Air Base, a key US military installation in the region.

The incident follows the death of US Army Sergeant Benjamin N Pennington, 26, who was wounded at the same base earlier this month and died days later.

Since the conflict began, 13 American troops have been killed. More than 300 service members have been wounded, although the US Army said most have since returned to duty.