7th day of Iran-Israel conflict: Qatar, UK call for de-escalation

KABUL (Pajhwok): Iran and Israel traded further air attacks on Thursday as their conflict entered its seventh day, media reports said.

The hostilities began last Friday when Israel launched airstrikes targeting several Iranian facilities. In retaliation, Iran fired missiles at Israeli territory.

Since then, both countries have continued to attack each other, causing financial losses and casualties on both sides, although precise figures remain unclear.

The worst-ever conflict between the archrivals has raised fears that it will draw in world powers and rock regional stability already undermined by the spillover effects of the Gaza war, Reuters reported.

Iran fired Sejjil-2 solid-fueled medium-range ballistic missiles toward Israel, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement.

Early on Thursday, air defences were activated in Tehran, intercepting drones on the outskirts of the capital, the semi-official SNN news agency reported.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani reiterated on Wednesday the need for de-escalation in the Middle East amid the Israel-Iran conflict.

“Underscoring the deep defence and security relationship between the two countries, the prime minister reiterated the UK’s support for Qatar and discussed how both countries could further support regional stability,” a spokesperson for Starmer’s office said following a call between the two leaders.

According to the BBC, anti-war activists staged protests outside the White House in Washington and also rallied in Los Angeles, chanting slogans against the ongoing conflict.

The United Nations Security Council is set to hold another emergency session tomorrow (Friday) to address the worsening crisis.

Since the onset of hostilities on Friday, Iran has reportedly launched around 400 missiles at Israel.

Iran has reported at least 224 deaths from Israeli strikes, mostly civilians, though this figure has not been updated for several days.

kk/ma