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3. Heavy Attacks hit Tehran as Israel Says War in 'New Phase'

Heavy attacks were reported in Tehran on Friday after Israel said it was hitting "regime infrastructure" in a "new phase" of the war it launched with the United States against Iran.

As the conflict entered its seventh day, its regional repercussions continued -- with Qatar saying it intercepted a drone targeting a US base, and Lebanon reporting the death toll from Israeli strikes had risen to 123.

US President Donald Trump said he was not currently considering sending US ground troops into Iran, after earlier saying he would "have to be involved" in choosing the country's next leader.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed when US-Israeli strikes began Saturday. Trump rejected the possibility that Khamenei's son Mojtaba could succeed his slain father, dismissing him as a "lightweight".

Early Friday, Iranian media reported heavy strikes in the capital, Tehran, shortly after Israel announced it was striking "regime infrastructure" in the city.

Israel's military chief had earlier warned the conflict was moving to "the next phase" and pledged to "further dismantle the regime and its military capabilities".

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also announced "firepower over Iran and over Tehran is about to surge dramatically".

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had fired missiles towards Tel Aviv after an earlier wave of explosions that caused a blaze at a residential building in the central Israeli city.

AFP journalists heard two near-simultaneous waves of explosions in Tel Aviv late Thursday, while rocket trails also lit up the sky in Netanya, further north.

AFP