2:58 PM MSTHezbollah leader Naim Qassem issued a statement affirming Hezbollah’s unwavering support for Iran against Israel. It called Israel “the arrogant tyrants, led by America.”“We are not neutral. Therefore, we declare our position in support of Iran, its leadership, and its people — and we will act as we see fit in confronting this treacherous American-‘Israeli’ aggression,” said Qassem in a statement.Qassem said President Donald Trump’s “threat of aggression” against Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is “an attack on all the peoples of the region.”In recent days, the Iranian-backed militant group has shown its symbolic support for Iran. Notably, they will be hosting a solidarity event in Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday to demonstrate their support for Iran.2:42 PM MSTThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that an Israeli strike on a retired nuclear facility in Arak, Iran, resulted in damage to the part of the plant responsible for producing heavy water. Heavy water is crucial in moderating nuclear reactions and cooling reactors. “It is now assessed that key buildings at the facility were damaged, including the distillation unit,” said Rafael Grossi, Head of IAEA. Grossi has reported that there have been no substantial radiological incidents as a consequence of the Israeli attacks in Iran so far. However, there is “the potential for a radiological accident with the dispersion in the atmosphere of radioactive materials and particles.”2:15 PM MST Today, the hacking group Predatory Sparrow released the source code and internal documents of Iranian cryptocurrency exchange Nobitex. This group, which recently claimed cyberattacks on an Iranian bank and the exchange, also stated it drained at least $90 million in digital assets from Nobitex on Wednesday. Predatory Sparrow accused Iran's regime of utilizing the platform to bypass sanctions. Nobitex, however, reported losses closer to $100 million.Predatory Sparrow in a post on social media said, “ASSETS LEFT IN NOBITEX ARE NOW ENTIRELY OUT IN THE OPEN.” .1:54 PM MSTPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has the capacity to achieve all its objectives regarding Iran's nuclear facilities independently. Netanyahu stressed that whether President Donald Trump participates is entirely his decision.During a rare Thursday evening interview with Israel's public broadcaster Kan, Netanyahu clarified that while regime change in Iran is not a stated goal of the Israeli campaign, it could potentially be the result.1:01 PM MSTOver 700 patients were at the Soroka Medical Center when the Iranian missile strike occurred today, according to the facility. Approximately 80 people, including half of the staff, sustained injuries that the hospital described as “mild or stress-related.”Numerous patients have been discharged or transferred to other medical facilities. Approximately 300 patients remain at the hospital and it is closed to non-urgent admissions.12:19 PM MSTQuestioned about public confidence in President Trump’s adherence to a two-week deadline, given similar past promises concerning the Russia-Ukraine war, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the timeline. Leavitt characterized the conflicts as two “very different, complicated, global conflicts.” Leavitt attributed the current challenge to the Biden administration’s perceived weakness, arguing it failed to negotiate a peace settlement between Kyiv and Moscow.“Now we have American strength again,” said Leavitt.“With respect to Russia and Ukraine, because of that American strength and the president’s leadership, we have seen these two sides engage in direct negotiations.”10:54 AM MSTCanada plans overland evacuations for citizens stranded in Israel and Iran as the conflict continues.With airspace severely restricted, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced that Canada has deployed extra consular staff. These personnel are now in place across Israel, the West Bank, Armenia, Jordan, and Turkey to help Canadians leave the region.Canadians currently in Israel or Iran should register with Global Affairs Canada, Anand stated, to receive critical updates on the security situation and evacuation options..10:32 AM MSTAccording to CBS News, President Donald Trump decided to destroy Iran's Fordow nuclear site to prevent the country from rapidly developing a nuclear bomb.Sources indicated that while reviewing strike options, Trump had not finalized a decision on attacking the underground uranium enrichment facility.Trump reportedly concluded that the facility must not continue operating, even though he remained open to allowing Iran to disable it itself.“He believes there’s not much choice. Finishing the job means destroying Fordow.”10:06 AM MSTJoin Vivian Bercovici, Canada’s former ambassador to Israel, tonight on the Hannaford show at 7 pm MST. She was on the scene at the Soroka Hospital, which Iran targeted with a missile strike..9:57 AM MSTPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Soroka Hospital, which was targeted by an Iranian missile strike. Netanyahu shared a video on Twitter/X featuring the mayor of Be’er Sheva and Israeli health minister. “We are hitting with precision the targets of the nuclear and missile programs, and they’re hitting a hospital,” said Netanyahu..9:13 AM MSTApproximately 22,000 tourists have registered with Israel's Tourism Ministry seeking to leave the country. Israel’s airspace remains closed nearly a week after fighting began, except for special flights dedicated to bringing stranded Israelis home, which started on Wednesday. These inbound flights are not yet authorized to carry passengers outbound for security reasons. The ministry added that of the roughly 40,000 tourists in Israel when the war started, about 32,000 remain. Some tourists have managed to escape by land into Jordan and Egypt..7:57 AM MSTIran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claims that “Almighty God” is on the side of Iran and will grant them the victory in the conflict with Israel..7:41 AM MSTIsraeli Defence Minister (IDF) Israel Katz said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “cannot continue to exist.”Katz called Khamenei “the modern Hitler.”“I compare it to the scenario in which, during the horrific Holocaust, if the state of Israel had existed and a strong Israel Defence Forces had existed, and we knew we could send the IDF into a bunker to capture the enemy of the Jewish people, Hitler, in order to thwart his plan to annihilate the Jews, we would have done it,” said Katz.“We would have sent the IDF, extracted him, and eliminated him. And just like that, correspondingly, I see the current situation — Khamenei is the modern Hitler.”7:29 AM MSTPresident Donald Trump said that he presented an “ultimate ultimatum” to Iranian leaders, demanding the dismantling of their nuclear program.Also, Trump clarified that he has not made a final decision regarding potential strikes against Iran.7:22 AM MSTIsraeli officials vowed intensified strikes against Tehran after an Iranian missile attack struck a key southern hospital, causing significant damage.The attack on Soroka Medical Centre resulted in "extensive damage" to multiple areas, according to hospital officials. Approximately 40 people were injured, with most suffering minor injuries, according to Hospital Director Shlomi Codish.While Iran claimed it was targeting nearby military and intelligence headquarters, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared he had ordered the military to "intensify strikes against strategic targets in Iran and government sites in Tehran." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Israel would "exact the full price."
