U.S.-Israeli strikes continue across Iran; Iranian drones hit Azerbaijan : NPR

Iranian nationals arrive in Turkey on Tuesday after crossing the Razi-Kapiköy border crossing in Van, northeastern Turkey, on Tuesday, a day after Turkey and Iran mutually suspended one-day crossings at their border as Israeli-US strikes continued to hit the Islamic Republic.

Ali Ihsan Ozturk/AFP via Getty Images

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Ali Ihsan Ozturk/AFP via Getty Images

The war with Iran continued to widen Thursday as Azerbaijan, a key U.S. ally, said drones launched from Iran had struck an airport in its Nakhchivan region, while U.S. and Israeli forces struck more targets inside Iran.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said it demanded an explanation after the drones crashed into the airport’s main terminal and another landed near a school, injuring two civilians.

Also Thursday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that its naval forces had struck a U.S. oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf. The United States had no immediate comment.

The assertion comes as fighting has disrupted commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Traffic on the normally busy route weakened in the early days of the conflict, after Iran declared it closed and attacked some ships trying to pass through.

US Central Command and the Israeli military said they carried out further strikes in Iran overnight. The Israeli military said Thursday its air force had dismantled an armed ballistic missile launcher near the city of Qom that it said was ready to fire on Israel. It also claimed to have struck an Iranian air defense system in Isfahan.

Since the attacks began, more than 920 people have been killed in Iran, according to Iran’s Health Ministry, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and hundreds of people at a girls’ school.

Here are other key updates NPR is reporting on.

To access specific coverage areas, use the links below:

China | Iran | United States and Israel | Lebanon and Qatar | War Powers of the House | American soldiers identified

China calls for resumption of negotiations, appoints envoy

As the conflict widens, China has urged Tehran and Washington to resume negotiations as the war over Iran disrupts global energy markets.

China is the world’s largest importer of oil and gas and has seen crude prices rise 10%, while natural gas prices have risen even more. Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz – through which about a fifth of the world’s crude oil and natural gas typically passes – has all but dried up.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the Saudi foreign minister that “indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable” and that non-military targets should not be attacked.

China announced Thursday that it would send Zhai Jun, who has served in the Middle East as China’s envoy since 2019, to the region to help mediate the conflict. But the Foreign Ministry did not provide further details or specify which countries the envoy would visit.

Iranian Foreign Minister Says US Will ‘Bitterly Regret’ Sinking of Iranian Warship

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the United States of escalating the conflict after the sinking of an Iranian navy ship in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka. In an article on

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the United States was behind the sinking of the Iranian ship and that the vessel, which was hit by a US submarine, was the first to be shot down by a torpedo since World War II.

The Sri Lankan navy said it rescued 32 people and recovered 87 bodies from the sea where the ship sank, the Associated Press reported.

The United States has deployed 50,000 troops, more than 200 fighter jets and two aircraft carriers to the region, according to American officials. CENTCOM Chief Adm. Brad Cooper said this week that U.S. and Israeli strikes hit about 2,000 targets and severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and missile launch infrastructure.

Hegseth to Israeli Defense Minister: “We are with you”

In an overnight phone call, Israel’s defense minister said Hegseth praised the partnership between the United States and Israel in the war against Iran.

During the call, Katz said he expressed condolences for the six U.S. service members killed since the war began, and said Israel would continue to do everything possible to ensure the safety of American troops. Katz’s office said Hegseth urged Israel to “go all the way – we are with you.”

Also Wednesday, a U.S. official told NPR that a U.S. warship in the Eastern Mediterranean shot down an Iranian missile that was headed toward Turkey. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Iran’s armed forces on Thursday denied firing any missiles at Turkey and said they respected the country’s sovereignty.

More than 80,000 people displaced in Lebanon; Qatar evacuates area around US embassy

In Lebanon, humanitarian groups say living conditions for families fleeing strikes in the south, near the border with Israel, are deteriorating. Lebanese officials say more than 80,000 people have been displaced, many sheltering in schools or sleeping in cars, and shelter capacity is limited.

Qatari authorities have evacuated residents from buildings near the US embassy in Doha. In a statement on X, Qatar’s Interior Ministry said the evacuation was “a temporary precautionary measure.”

House vote expected on war powers measure

In Washington, the House is expected to vote Thursday on a measure aimed at limiting President Trump’s ability to expand the war without congressional approval.

The measure is widely expected to be defeated, as a similar effort in the Senate failed to pass on Wednesday. The vote was 47 to 53, largely along partisan lines.

The measure was built around the War Powers Act of 1973, a Vietnam-era law designed to give Congress control over the president’s executive authority in matters of war. It requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of the deployment of U.S. forces in a conflict and to end the deployment within 60 days unless lawmakers authorize it.

Six killed American soldiers have been identified

The Pentagon has released the names of six American soldiers killed since the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel. They were in the army reserve and died Sunday in a drone attack in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

• Captain Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida.
• Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Neb.
• Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
• Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa
• Major Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa
• Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California.

The six Soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, Des Moines, Iowa. The department said the attack remains under investigation.

Daniel Estrin contributed to this report from Tel Aviv, Israel, Durrie Bouscaren from Istanbul, Turkey, Hadeel Al-Shalchi from Beirut, Lebanon, Jennifer Pak from Beijing and Ayana Archie from Washington, DC