Speaking after a consultative meeting of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers in Riyadh, bin Farhan accused Tehran of premeditated hostile actions against its neighbours, both directly and through regional proxies, and urged it to halt further escalation.

“This pressure from Iran will backfire politically and morally and certainly we reserve the right to take military actions if deemed necessary,” he told a news conference.

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said it intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh, with debris falling near a refinery south of the capital. Interceptors were seen launched near the venue hosting the diplomatic gathering as ministers from countries including Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Syria convened.

The strikes marked a significant moment in the conflict, with residents in Riyadh reporting blasts and receiving warning alerts for the first time since hostilities began.

Saudi authorities say the kingdom has faced hundreds of missiles and drones since the start of the conflict, the vast majority of which have been intercepted.

The escalation follows Iran’s vow to target oil and gas infrastructure across the Gulf after what it described as an Israeli strike on its facilities in the South Pars gas field.

Attacks on Wednesday affected energy sites in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, raising concerns over global supply disruptions.The widening conflict, now in its third week, has already driven oil prices higher and unsettled energy markets as critical infrastructure comes under repeated threat.

Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic relations in 2023 after years of rivalry that saw them support opposing factions across the region.

Bin Farhan said Riyadh still preferred diplomacy but warned that continued Iranian actions could eliminate any remaining basis for trust.

“If Iran doesn’t stop immediately, I think there will be almost nothing that can re-establish trust,” he said.

The kingdom’s moon-sighting committee confirmed that Thursday will complete 30 days of Ramadan, with Eid falling the following day, in line with the Islamic lunar calendar.

Eid al-Fitr is observed on the first day of Shawwal, the month that follows Ramadan, and its start is determined by the sighting of the new crescent moon.

Saudi Arabia, which hosts Islam’s holiest sites, is often followed by several countries in announcing the festival date, though others rely on local moon sightings or astronomical calculations.

The announcement is expected to influence Eid observances across parts of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, where communities often align with Saudi Arabia’s declaration.

Countries that did not sight the moon on Wednesday are likely to mark Eid on Friday, while others may confirm based on local observations.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and is observed with prayers, charitable giving and communal gatherings.

Authorities typically prepare for large congregational prayers and increased travel during the holiday period, one of the busiest times of the year across Muslim-majority countries.

The Afghan Taliban government said the strike, which hit a facility in the capital late on Monday as patients and staff were praying ahead of the end of Ramadan, also wounded at least 265 people.

The casualty figures have not been independently verified.The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) told Reuters that 143 people were killed and 119 wounded, offering a significantly lower toll than Afghan authorities.

Relatives gathered at the site on Wednesday, combing through lists and debris in search of loved ones who had been undergoing treatment at the centre.

“We came here looking for our patient, he is missing,” said Mazar, 50, who gave only one name.

“We checked the lists, but his name was not in the list of the living. Maybe he is injured or has been killed.”Afghanistan’s interior ministry said funerals for some of those killed would take place later in the day.

Afghan authorities said the strike hit a well-known civilian rehabilitation centre, formerly a NATO military base known as Camp Phoenix that had been converted into a treatment facility about a decade ago.

Pakistan rejected those claims, stating that its forces had “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure,” disputing assertions that civilians were the primary victims.

Independent experts said verifying the exact nature of the target would be difficult without a third-party investigation, given sharply conflicting accounts from both sides.

The strike marks a sharp deterioration in relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, already strained by cross-border security concerns. The incident comes amid broader regional instability linked to the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, further complicating the security landscape.

Carriers across Europe, North America and Asia reported widespread suspensions, with routes to key destinations such as Tel Aviv, Beirut and Gulf cities either halted or significantly curtailed.

Greece’s Aegean Airlines said it had cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut and Amman until April 22, and to Erbil and Baghdad until May 24, while suspending Dubai routes until April 19 and Riyadh until April 18.

Latvia’s airBaltic halted Tel Aviv services until April 5 and Dubai flights until October 24.

Air Canada suspended Tel Aviv flights until May 2 and Dubai routes until March 28, while Spain’s Air Europa cancelled Tel Aviv operations until April 10.

Air France said it had cancelled flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut until March 21 and to Dubai and Riyadh until March 20. KLM suspended services to Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai until March 28 and paused Tel Aviv flights for the rest of its winter season.

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific said all passenger and cargo flights to Dubai and Riyadh would remain cancelled until April 30, reflecting continued uncertainty in regional airspace.

U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines said flights between New York and Tel Aviv were cancelled through the end of March, with further suspensions extending into August for some routes.Israel’s El Al said regular flights were cancelled until March 21.

Gulf carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways said they were operating reduced and limited schedules respectively following a partial reopening of regional airspace.

Finnair said it had cancelled Dubai flights until March 29 and Doha flights until April 2, continuing to avoid the airspace of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Israel.

Israel said the missiles dispersed multiple submunitions mid-air, complicating interception efforts. The overnight attack killed two people in Tel Aviv, bringing the total death toll in Israel since the start of the war to at least 14, according to Israeli authorities.

Iran described the strike as a direct response to the assassination of Larijani, one of the most senior figures killed since the conflict began more than two weeks ago. Tehran confirmed his death on Tuesday, following earlier Israeli statements that he had been targeted in an airstrike.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which Larijani had previously headed as secretary, said his son and deputy, Alireza Bayat, were also killed in a separate Israeli attack on Monday night.

In a separate development, Iran said a projectile struck near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on Tuesday evening but caused no damage or injuries. The country informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of the incident.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi renewed calls for maximum restraint, warning of the risk of a nuclear accident if strikes continue near sensitive facilities.

The United States and Israel have said their campaign aims in part to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons programme. The strikes have killed multiple senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the opening phase of the conflict.

Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has rejected proposals to de-escalate, according to a senior Iranian official. Speaking at his first foreign policy meeting since taking office, he said it was not the right time for peace and that Iran would continue its confrontation until its adversaries accepted defeat and paid compensation.

The exchange of strikes underscores the intensifying trajectory of the conflict, with both sides expanding targets and rhetoric while international agencies warn of broader regional and nuclear risks.

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that Larijani, 67, died in the strike, while Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said earlier that he had been targeted and killed in an Israeli operation. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the circumstances of the attack.

Larijani, a prominent figure from a clerical family that rose to influence after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, held a series of senior roles across Iran’s political and security establishment.

A former commander in the Revolutionary Guard during the Iran-Iraq war, he later led the state broadcaster and served as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

He was also speaker of parliament for 12 years, consolidating his position as a key intermediary between Iran’s political factions and the office of the supreme leader.

As one of Khamenei’s trusted lieutenants, Larijani played a central role in shaping Iran’s nuclear strategy, which sought to advance atomic capabilities while avoiding direct confrontation with Western powers. He was a frequent interlocutor in negotiations, presenting Iran’s position in public and diplomatic settings.

His portfolio extended beyond nuclear policy to include managing regional alliances and overseeing internal security responses during periods of unrest.

Despite being viewed by some analysts as relatively pragmatic compared to other hardline figures, Larijani was accused by Western officials of involvement in the suppression of anti-government protests earlier this year. The crackdown, which resulted in thousands of deaths, led Washington to impose sanctions on him last month.

Following the launch of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, Larijani publicly accused Iran’s adversaries of attempting to destabilize and weaken the country, while warning against domestic dissent.

His death comes amid intensifying military exchanges that have targeted senior Iranian figures, raising questions about the resilience of Tehran’s leadership structure and the future direction of its security and nuclear policies.

“In a precise strike in Tehran: The IDF eliminated the Commander of the Basij Unit,” the Israeli military said in a statement, adding that Soleimani had led the Basij for the past six years.

It said the operation was carried out by the Israeli Air Force based on intelligence.Israeli media reported that Larijani, a senior figure in Iran’s political and security establishment, was also targeted for assassination, though no confirmation on his status was immediately available.

The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary force operating under Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and has played a central role in enforcing internal security.

Israel’s military said the Basij had led “main repression operations” during recent mass protests in Iran, which it cited as part of the rationale for the strike.

Iran experienced widespread unrest that peaked in January, with demonstrations challenging the clerical establishment. According to rights groups, the crackdown that followed resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests.

The Israeli military said the strikes were part of broader operations that yielded “significant preventive achievements overnight,” quoting Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir.

The targeting of senior Iranian figures in Tehran, if confirmed, would mark a notable escalation in Israel’s operations, extending beyond regional proxy engagements into direct action within Iran’s capital.

There was no immediate response from Iranian authorities regarding the reported strikes or casualties.

The statement marks a further escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, where both sides have intensified military operations targeting senior leadership figures.

Conflicting accounts emergeWhile Israeli officials declared Larijani dead, earlier reports citing Israeli sources indicated that his fate remained unclear following strikes that targeted him, leaving uncertainty over whether he had been killed or wounded.

Iran has not issued any official response confirming his death.Key figure in Iran’s power structureLarijani, a senior political and security figure, has played a central role in Iran’s leadership apparatus, particularly after the reported killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in earlier U.S.-Israeli strikes that reshaped the country’s command structure.

His removal, if confirmed, would represent one of the most significant blows to Iran’s leadership since the start of the current conflict.

The reported strike comes amid a wider Israeli campaign targeting Iran’s military and security elite. Israeli operations have also reportedly killed other senior figures, including commanders linked to the Basij militia, a key internal security force.

The targeting of high-ranking officials signals a strategy aimed at weakening Iran’s command-and-control capabilities as hostilities continue to expand across the region.

The developments underscore the widening scope of the conflict, which has already drawn in multiple regional actors and disrupted energy markets and security dynamics across the Middle East.

With no confirmation from Tehran and conflicting accounts still emerging, the situation remains fluid.

The escalation comes in the third week of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, which has left at least 2,000 people dead and disrupted critical energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Gulf targets hitIranian strikes hit oil and transport infrastructure in the UAE, where a drone struck a facility in Fujairah for a second consecutive day and debris from an intercepted missile fell in Abu Dhabi, killing one person, authorities said.

Rockets and drones also targeted the U.S. embassy in Baghdad in what Iraqi security sources described as the most intense such assault since the conflict began, though U.S. officials said no injuries were reported.Iran’s attacks have also extended to other Gulf states, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, signalling a broader regional response.

Trump remarks and intelligence warnings.Trump said the scope of Iran’s retaliation had come as a surprise. “They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East.

Nobody expected that. We were shocked,” he said.However, U.S. officials and sources familiar with intelligence assessments said the president had been warned before the conflict that strikes on Iran could provoke retaliatory attacks against Gulf allies, particularly if Tehran perceived them as supporting U.S. operations.

There was no pause in hostilities, with Iran launching overnight missile strikes on Israel, demonstrating continued long-range strike capability despite sustained bombardment.

Israel said it carried out a fresh wave of strikes on targets in Tehran and positions linked to Hezbollah in Beirut, and signalled plans for several more weeks of military operations.

Energy and market impactThe widening conflict has kept the Strait of Hormuz largely constrained, as U.S. allies declined to join efforts to secure the waterway.

The disruption has raised concerns over energy supplies, pushed up oil prices and intensified fears of inflation globally.

Babagana Zulum said the blasts caused casualties and injuries, condemning the attacks as “utterly condemnable, barbaric, and inhumane,” though he did not provide a breakdown of victims or identify those responsible.

Security sources and residents said the first explosion occurred at a post office in the city centre, followed shortly by another at the popular Monday market nearby.

Additional blasts were reported at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and in the Kaleri neighbourhood in the eastern part of the city.Witnesses said they saw bodies at the market site, but the number of casualties and the cause of the explosions were not immediately confirmed.

Police spokesperson Nahum Daso Kenneth said security personnel and emergency responders were deployed to affected areas following the incidents.

Authorities urged residents to remain calm and avoid blast sites while assessments and rescue efforts continued.

The attacks came hours after the Nigerian military said it had repelled assaults on the outskirts of Maiduguri by suspected Islamist insurgents.

Militant groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have intensified operations in Borno State in recent weeks, targeting military bases, killing troops and seizing weapons.