Everything we know on day 6 of the Middle East war

By Jessie Yeung, CNN

(CNN) — As it enters its sixth day, the latest Middle East conflict continues to widen – with the US sinking an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka and NATO forces intercepting an Iranian missile heading for Turkey.

Here’s what to know.

What are the main headlines?

• Warship torpedoed: A US submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka, killing more than 80, according to Sri Lankan officials.
• Turkish interception: NATO air defense systems shot down an Iranian missile hurtling towards Turkey’s airspace Wednesday. This is believed to be the first time NATO forces have intercepted an Iranian missile traveling towards a member country since this conflict began.
• US soldiers identified: On Wednesday night, the Pentagon publicly identified the two remaining service members killed in a drone attack in Kuwait on Sunday. The other four soldiers killed were previously identified on Tuesday.
• Senate vote: Republicans rejected a resolution Wednesday that would have reined in US President Donald Trump’s war powers.
• “Early days”: The US will start striking deeper into Iran and the operation is still in its early days, warned top US officials on Wednesday.
• US objectives: The White House press secretary said the US goals are to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile program, “annihilate” its naval presence, dismantle its terrorist proxies and prevent it from pursuing a nuclear weapon. Regime change was not a primary objective, she said.
• School bombing: The White House didn’t rule out that the US military had carried out a strike on a girls’ elementary school in Iran during the initial joint US-Israeli strikes, which killed at least 168 children, according to Iranian state media.

What’s happening in Iran and Lebanon?

• Overnight strikes: Israel launched its 11th wave of attacks against Iran since the conflict began, with flyover strikes across Tehran overnight into Thursday, targeting military infrastructure.
• Lebanon attacks: Israel also said late Wednesday it has again started striking Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut, without providing details. Israel has battered parts of the country all week, after the Iran-backed military group fired projectiles from Lebanon into Israel.
• Death tolls: More than 1,100 civilians have been killed in Iran since Saturday, according to a US-based human rights group. And at least 77 people have been killed by Israeli bombardment in Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry – including three paramedics.
• Miserable conditions: Many residents in southern Lebanon have embarked on grueling journeys after Israel ordered them to evacuate; some displaced families have been forced to sleep on the streets at night. Many Tehran residents have fled to the countryside, while those who remain shelter at home, living in fear of constant bombardment.
• Next supreme leader: Iran’s top clerics are still working to choose a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by the US-Israel strikes on Saturday. Israel has warned that any new leader would be “an unequivocal target for elimination.”

What’s happening in the rest of region?

• Iran strikes back: Iran launched a fresh barrage of missiles toward Israel overnight into Thursday. It also continues to fire at neighboring Gulf states, which are armed with American weapons and air defenses, although the US says the pace of Iran’s aerial assaults have slowed.
• Death tolls: While the largest death tolls are in Iran and Lebanon, more than two dozen people have been killed elsewhere – by Iranian strikes in Israel and Gulf nations, as well as by US-Israeli airstrikes in Iraq.
• Attack on Amazon: Iran launched a drone attack on an Amazon data center in Bahrain, a state-affiliated news agency reported. Iranian drones have also targeted two Amazon facilities in the United Arab Emirates.
• Oil spill: Oil is leaking from a tanker anchored off Kuwait after a nearby explosion. All crew members are safe, but the spill could cause environmental damage.
• Kurdish-Iranian cooperation: The president of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region and the Iranian foreign minister pledged “cooperation” in a phone call on Wednesday. CNN previously reported that the CIA is aiming to foment rebellion in Iran by arming Iranian Kurds.
• Diplomatic departures: The US authorized non-emergency staff and their families to depart several Middle Eastern countries on Wednesday, and Qatar authorities are evacuating residents living near the US Embassy, after Iranian strikes this week targeted US facilities across the region.
• US evacuations: The first US evacuation flight left the Middle East on Wednesday, after the Trump administration faced backlash for not having an evacuation plan ready. More than 17,500 Americans have returned to the US from the Middle East since February 28, the State Department said late Wednesday.
• Travel disruptions: Israel began reopening its main international airport for incoming flights, with the first of two return flights landing on Thursday. Some flights have departed major Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai and Jeddah, but many travelers are still scrambling to find ways out of the region.

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