- 'Humanitarian disaster' -

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that "a humanitarian disaster is looming" as a result of Israeli evacuation orders that are causing a massive displacement of the population.

Residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut and of the south of the country, both Hezbollah strongholds, have fled in large numbers following unprecedentedly wide evacuation orders from the Israeli military.

- 'Transparent and impartial' -

The United Nations rights chief called for "transparent and impartial investigations" into an alleged deadly strike on a school in Iran, urging Washington to move "very quickly" with its announced probe.

"What we have asked for is obviously prompt, transparent and impartial investigations, which we understand has been announced by the United States of America," Volker Turk told reporters in Geneva, stressing that "we need this to happen very quickly and we need to also make sure that there is accountability as well as redress for the victims".

- Kuwait casualties -

Kuwait's defence ministry said 67 army personnel have been injured since the beginning of Iran's retaliation campaign -- the highest number by far of any Gulf military.

- Israel targets 'regime infrastructure' -

Israel said it had launched a wave of strikes on Tehran, targeting "regime infrastructure" in a "new phase" of the war.

AFP journalists in Tehran heard loud blasts in parts of the city and Iranian media reported heavy strikes.

An Iranian official said at least 20 people had died in US and Israeli strikes in the southern city of Shiraz. AFP could not independently verify the toll.

- Blasts over Tel Aviv -

Several blasts were heard over Israel's commercial hub of Tel Aviv, AFP journalists reported, after the military said it had detected new missiles launched from Iran.

"A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said.

- Missile alerts by phone -

Residents of Dubai received an Emirati interior ministry alert on their phones urging them to shelter from potential missile threats, AFP correspondents reported.

"Due to the current situation, potential missile threats, seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building and steer away from windows, doors and open areas," the alert read.

- Saudi, Qatar thwart attacks -

Saudi Arabia said it destroyed three drones east of Riyadh as well as three missiles launched towards an air base.

Some Western embassy staff in Riyadh meanwhile were told to shelter in place, diplomatic sources said, following an attack on the US embassy compound earlier this week.

Qatar also said its air defences foiled a drone attack targeting the US air base at Al-Udeid, Washington's largest military facility in the Middle East.

- UK arrests Iranian 'spies' -

Four men were arrested in London on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service by spying on locations and people linked to London's Jewish community.

One was Iranian and the three others had dual UK-Iranian nationality.

- No US boots in Iran -

President Donald Trump said late Thursday it would be a "waste of time" currently to consider sending US ground troops into Iran.

"It's a waste of time. They've lost everything. They've lost their navy. They've lost everything they can lose," he told NBC by telephone, adding that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's remark that Tehran was ready for a US or Israeli ground invasion was a "wasted comment".

- Australians involved -

Three Australian military personnel were on board an American submarine that sank an Iranian navy ship off Sri Lanka this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, as part of a training arrangement.

- Bahrain hotel struck -

Bahrain said Iran had struck a hotel and two residential buildings in the capital Manama, correcting a previous announcement that two hotels and one residential building were hit.

- Lebanon toll -

The Lebanese health ministry said the death toll from Israeli strikes has risen to 123 since the country was drawn into the regional war earlier this week, with the latest count including a new wave of strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.

State media said that Israel had launched overnight strikes on several towns in the east and also targeted the eastern town of Dours at dawn.

- Trump backs Kurds -

Trump said he would approve of any offensive by Iranian Kurdish fighters, saying: "I think it's wonderful that they want to do that, I'd be all for it."

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