Israel-Iran conflict live updates: Iran says UN nuclear watchdog’s report came ‘too late’

Israel’s defence minister has declared that Iran’s supreme leader “can no longer be allowed to exist” after a hospital was hit in an Iranian missile strike.

Welcome to our live coverage of the escalating situation in the Middle East.

Israel’s defence minister warned that Iran’s supreme leader “can no longer be allowed to exist” after a hospital was hit in an Iranian missile strike on Thursday, spiking tensions in the week-old war.

As President Donald Trump dangled the prospect of US involvement, Soroka Hospital in the southern city of Beersheba was left in flames by a bombardment that Iran said targeted a military and intelligence base.

White House sources have since leaked to Bloomberg that the attacks could take place as soon as this weekend.

It comes despite Russia warning the US not to get involved, stressing it “would radically destabilise the entire situation”.

“We caution Washington against even speculative, hypothetical options of this kind,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

Israel, fearing Iran is on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon, launched air strikes against its arch enemy last week, triggering a conflict that has left more than 200 people dead on both sides.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran would “pay a heavy price” for the hospital strike, while Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning for supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed - he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals,” Katz told reporters.

“He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal. Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist.” Hospital director Shlomi Codish said 40 people were injured at the Soroka, where an evacuated surgical building was hit leaving smoke billowing.

“Several wards were completely demolished and there is extensive damage across the entire hospital with damage to buildings, structures, windows, ceilings across the medical centre,” he told journalists at the site.

Meanwhile, a trio of Iranian government planes have landed in Oman as Israel and Iran trade strikes for a seventh consecutive day.

Follow on for more updates.

Originally published as Israel-Iran conflict live updates: Iran says UN nuclear watchdog’s report came ‘too late’