Iran rejects US claims on missile capability as regional attacks intensify

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has rejected US claims that its missile programme has been destroyed, saying Tehran continues to deploy missiles in greater numbers and with warheads weighing more than one tonne.

The statement comes as tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States escalate across the Middle East. Iranian forces have continued launching missiles and drones targeting Israel and US-linked assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

In Bahrain’s capital, Manama, at least one person was reported killed following an overnight strike, while two people were killed in central Israel after Iranian missiles hit residential areas.

Meanwhile, heavy bombardment struck Tehran overnight, with reports describing some of the most intense attacks since the war began. At least 40 people were killed near the city’s Risalat Square.

The escalation comes as Israel and Hezbollah continue to exchange fire across the Lebanon border. Lebanon’s health ministry says the death toll from Israeli strikes has risen to 486 people, with more than 1,300 others injured.