Iran, Israel continue attacks as war escalates

Gas production has been suspended from part of Iran's South Pars field following an Israeli attack on the site on Saturday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

"Due to a fire in one of the four units of Phase 14 of South Pars, the production of 12 million cubic metres of gas from the Phase 14 platform has been temporarily halted until this section of the refinery is brought back into operation," Tasnim said.

The strike had resulted in a fire which the Iranian oil ministry said was later extinguished.

The giant South Pars field, located in the southern Bushehr province, is one of Iran's two main hydrocarbon production facilities.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that he had spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the grave regional situation following Israel's unprovoked aggression against Iran.

In an X post, the premier said: "We agreed such actions are a blatant violation of international law and a threat to regional peace." They also condemned Israel's continued brutality in Palestine."

PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to peace and multilateral diplomacy, including at the UN and OIC.

The prime minister appreciated President Erdogan's leadership and congratulated him on the honour conferred by Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum.

The Iranian Red Crescent and local media reported on Saturday that an Israeli strike hit an ambulance in the country's northwest, killing two people.

Tasnim news agency reported an explosion at a barracks in the city of Urmia, adding "rescuers and ambulances heading towards the barracks came under direct attack from Israel", leaving two people dead.

The Red Crescent confirmed the information in a brief statement of its own. 

Iran's Ali Shamkhani, top advisor to the supreme leader, dies in hospital a day after targeted Israeli attack, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

The Middle East found itself plunged into a perilous new chapter of war following an unprecedented escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran on Friday.

What began as a targeted Israeli bombing raid against Iran's senior military leadership and top nuclear scientists has quickly spiralled into a full-blown conflict, with both sides exchanging significant blows and the future of regional stability hanging in the balance.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to US President Donald Trump for 50 minutes on Saturday, condemning the Israeli military operation against Iran and expressing concern about the risks of escalation, the Kremlin said.

"Vladimir Putin condemned Israel's military operation against Iran and expressed serious concern about a possible escalation of the conflict, which would have unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.

Trump, for his part, described events in the Middle East as "very alarming," according to Ushakov. But the two leaders said they do not rule out a return to the negotiating track on Iran's nuclear programme, Ushakov said.

China's foreign minister Wang Yi held phone calls with his Israeli and Iranian counterparts on Saturday, Beijing's foreign ministry said in separate statements.

Wang told Iran's Abbas Araghchi that China would support Tehran in "defending its legitimate rights and interests", the ministry said, while he told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar that Beijing opposed Israel's actions of "attacking Iran with force", the statements said.

Iranian media has reported that Israel has launched drone strikes targeting LPG storage tanks at the Fajr Jam Gas Refining Company.

The latest round of US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday in Muscat will not take place, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on X on Saturday. Oman has been mediating the talks.

Albusaidi's statement came a day after Israel launched a sweeping air offensive against Iran, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop it building an atomic weapon.

Iranian media on Saturday reported fire breaking out after Israel bombed infrastructure at the South Pars gas field in southern Bushehr province.