Middle East war updates: Trump says Iran will ‘pay the price’ after nation hits back after US strikes

Australian government advisory Smartraveller is warning against travel to Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, UAE, and Yemen.

“The situation in the Middle East region remains volatile,” a Smartraveller statement said.

“There remains a risk of further attacks and escalation.

“If strikes occur in your location, prioritise your safety, monitor events & follow local advice, including shelter in place instructions.”

Smartraveller has also advised travellers to reconsider travelling to Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

US House speaker Mike Johnson is among the many senior American officials who have played down the significance of the strikes on Iran.

He called them “targeted, proportional and defensive in nature”.

Mr Johnson said that he spent several hours in the situation room with US President Donald Trump, Vice President, JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth talking about the war and other matters.

He said that once Iran hit US assets and personnel in the region, their hand was forced.

“We lament that has become necessary,” Mr Johnson said. “We can’t allow that.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has told neighbours in the Gulf that they have a “legal and moral responsibility” to prevent American and Israeli strikes.

In a statement, it “reiterated the legal and moral responsibility of all countries in the region (especially those located along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf) to prevent the US military and Israel from using their territory or facilities to plan, organise, execute, or support hostile actions against Iran”.

with agencies

Afghanistan says Pakistan has launched new airstrikes targeting the country, killing at least 13 people and wounding 14 others.

Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced the airstrikes on Wednesday, which he said targeted the Afghan provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika.

He said the strikes killed 11 children, one woman and an elderly man.

There was no immediate acknowledgement of the strikes from Pakistan.

with agencies

Jordan says it has intercepted and destroyed five missiles launched from Iran that were headed towards the Al-Azraq region in Zarqa province.

The Jordanian military said its air defence systems shot down the missiles before they reached their target, with debris falling to the ground but causing no injuries or damage.

Military engineering teams have since been deployed to secure the crash sites and clear any unexploded remnants.

Jordan’s armed forces said they remain on the highest level of alert and warned they would not tolerate any violation of the country’s airspace as tensions continue to escalate across the region.

Air raid sirens are blaring out for a second time in Bahrain.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed it launched long-range missiles at an airbase in Jordan that hosts US military personnel, saying several key military targets were destroyed.

In a statement, the IRGC said its Aerospace Force fired solid-fuel missiles at the base, hitting four critical sites including hangars used to house F-35 fighter jets and a main command-and-control centre.

The military force described the attack as the culmination of a broader retaliatory campaign, which it claimed also involved strikes on 21 targets at US air and naval bases across the region.

The IRGC further claimed responsibility for the downing of a US MQ-9 drone over Iranian airspace.

Iranian officials said the operation was part of a response to recent US military actions, with the IRGC warning it remained ready to launch a “crushing and decisive” response to any further attacks.

The statement also warned that the US would bear full responsibility for any consequences arising from further escalation in the conflict.

Here’s a look at the massive US military presence spread across the Middle East.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said it responded to US strikes on southern Iran by launching a drone attack on the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

The IRGC said in a statement that clashes were ongoing and warned that heavier retaliatory measures would follow if the US military aggression continued.

The IRGC also confirmed that the US launched attacks against several locations in southern Iran’s Jask, Sirik and Qeshm Island regions.