US military sends 2,500 Marines and at least one more ship to Mideast

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — About 2,500 Marines and at least one amphibious assault ship are headed for the Middle East, a U.S. official told The Associated Press.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans, said elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli were ordered to the Middle East. The move marks a major addition of troops to the region.

Earlier in the week, the Navy had 12 ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and eight destroyers, operating in the Arabian Sea. If the Tripoli joins this flotilla, it would be the second-largest ship behind the Lincoln in the region.

While the total number of U.S. service members on the ground in the Middle East is not clear, Al-Udeid Air Base alone, one of the largest in the region, typically houses about 8,000 U.S. troops.

The U.S. military confirmed Friday that all six crew members of an American KC-135 refueling plane were killed when it crashed in Iraq the prior day, bringing the U.S. death toll to at least 13 service members. U.S. Central Command said the crash wasn't related to friendly or hostile fire, and two aircraft were involved, including one that landed safely.

It's the fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft to crash as part of the U.S. military's operations against Iran. Last week, three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire.

Meanwhile, a large explosion rocked a central square in Iran's capital where thousands gathered Friday for an annual state-organized rally to support the Palestinians and call for Israel's demise. Israel warned that it would target the area in central Tehran.

There were no reports of casualties. But the decision to proceed with the mass demonstration that was attended by some senior government officials, and Israel's threat to target the area, underscored the fierce determination on both sides nearly two weeks into a war that rattled the global economy and shows no sign of letting up.

Iran continued to launch widespread missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf states, and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil passes, even as U.S. and Israeli warplanes pummel military and other targets across Iran.

The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon deepened, with nearly 800 people killed and 850,000 displaced as Israel launched waves of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and warned there would be no let up.

In a Fox News interview, U.S. President Donald Trump said the war would end "when I feel it in my bones."

Explosion rocks area of mass demonstration

The explosion in Tehran rocked the Ferdowsi Square area midday, where thousands gathered for an annual Quds Day rally in which they chanted "death to Israel" and "death to America."

Israel issued a warning on a Farsi-language social media account for people to clear the area shortly before the blast. But few Iranians would have seen it, as authorities almost completely shut down the internet. The Israeli military later posted a second message in Farsi, noting the head of Iran's judiciary was at the rally and criticizing Iran for blocking many from seeing their warning.

The hard-liner who leads Iran's judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, was giving an interview on state television at the demonstration when the strike happened. His bodyguards encircled him, as he raised his fist and said Iran "under this rain and missiles will never withdraw."

Israel earlier announced more strikes in Iran targeting infrastructure, and said its air force hit more than 200 targets in 24 hours, including missile launchers, defense systems and weapons production sites.

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In Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that more than 15,000 enemy targets were struck, which is more than 1,000 a day since the war began.

He also sought to address concerns about the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, telling reporters: "We have been dealing with it and don't need to worry about it."

Trump said U.S. forces “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island and warned that the island's oil infrastructure there could be next if Iran interferes with shipping in the strait. The small island in the Persian Gulf is the primary terminal that handles Iran's oil exports.

Hegseth said Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since taking over leadership after his father was killed in a Feb. 28 strike, "is wounded and likely disfigured," without providing evidence or elaborating. Israel suspects Khamenei was wounded at the start of the war.

New Iranian attacks across the region

Iran continued its daily attacks on oil and other infrastructure across the Gulf. In Oman, two people were killed when two drones crashed in the Sohar region, the Oman News Agency reported.

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Oscar Austin shot down an Iranian ballistic missile over Turkey on Friday, a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity. It was the third such interception over the NATO member in the last two weeks. Residents in the city of Adana reported hearing a loud explosion and sirens sounding at Incirlik Air Base, which is used by U.S. forces.

In the latest sign of unease from some close U.S. allies, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a "convincing plan" on how to end the war. He spoke alongside the prime ministers of Norway and Canada at military exercises in Norway.

Fighting escalates between Israel and Hezbollah

An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon hit a health care center in the village of Burj Qalaouiyah, killing 12 doctors, paramedics and nurses, the Lebanese Health Ministry said early Saturday. Rescue teams searched for more victims, it said.

Earlier, at least eight people were killed in a strike on the city of Sidon, the ministry said Friday.

The ministry said 773 people — including more than 100 children and 18 paramedics — were killed since fighting erupted between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants 10 days ago. More than 1,900 were wounded, it said.

Some 850,000 were internally displaced in Lebanon, according to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who launched a $325 million humanitarian appeal during a visit to the country.

Photos from Iran, Israel and Lebanon in the 2nd week of the Iran war