France’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier strike group will enter the Mediterranean late Friday into Saturday, Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin said, after leaving northern Europe and transiting the Strait of Gibraltar. President Emmanuel Macron announced the deployment to support Cyprus and France’s Gulf Arab allies; France says its operations are strictly defensive and not assisting U.S.-Israeli offensive actions against Iran.
The Israel Defense Forces said they conducted “a broad-scale wave of 26 strikes in the Dahieh area of Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure,” hitting an executive council command center and a facility storing UAVs used against Israel. The IDF said measures were taken beforehand to mitigate civilian harm.
The IDF also reported extensive cooperation with the United States in Operation Roaring Lion, claiming about 80% of Iran’s air defense systems have been destroyed and “near-complete air superiority” achieved. IDF Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir said more than 60% of ballistic missile launchers were neutralized or destroyed, while stressing the threat remains.
A broader wave of strikes targeting Iranian regime infrastructure in Tehran coincided with reported missile and drone attacks across the region. Qatar’s Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted a drone targeting Al-Udeid Air Base. Bahrain reported Iran targeted a hotel and two residential buildings in Manama with no casualties; imagery showed smoke after an Iranian drone was intercepted over Bahrain Financial Harbour. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed a missile and a drone. Kuwait’s army reported air defenses responding to hostile missile and drone attacks that breached its airspace.