He is the grandson of an influential Shiite cleric, born in Qom — the heart of religious studies in Iran — and raised in a traditional family that embraced the theocracy. But by his late 20s, he had stopped praying and given up on clerical rule. Now, he can barely discuss politics or religion with his siblings and father.

The tech worker, now in his mid-30s, says Iranian society is deeply divided, even among opponents of the Islamic Republic, and he blames one man — Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The supreme leader who ruled Iran for over three decades will be laid to rest Thursday after being killed at the start of the war.

The global chemical weapons watchdog on Thursday reinstated Syria's voting rights at the body, rewarding Damascus for "constructive engagement" with the organization and a willingness to destroy previously hidden stockpiles of toxic munitions.

The decision by the executive council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons underscores a new era of cooperation since the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in 2024, and comes five years after Syria's voting rights were suspended as a punishment for the repeated use of toxic gas by Damascus. It was the first time a member state had been hit with such a sanction.

Sirens blared in Jordan on Thursday, an AFP correspondent reported, hours after Iran's military said it had targeted sites in Gulf countries in retaliation for U.S. strikes.

State broadcaster Al-Mamlaka added: "Alarm sirens sounded in Jordan on Thursday to alert citizens and urge them to follow instructions."

The United States launched new strikes against Iran on Wednesday in a bid to curb Tehran's ability to target shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military said.

People in Bahrain and Kuwait awoke on Wednesday to the now familiar sound of warning sirens and explosions in the distance, as Iranian strikes again dashed hopes of a return to normalcy.

U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace is planning a pilot "humanitarian zone" in southern Gaza which would aim to accommodate tens of thousands of vetted Palestinian civilians, a board official told AFP.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that U.S. forces would strike Iran "hard" in the coming night, after earlier declaring Washington's ceasefire with Iran over at a NATO summit in Ankara.

"We're gonna hit 'em hard tonight," he said before holding talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, saying: "They violate the agreement every day."

An Israeli strike on Gaza just before the kickoff of the Egypt-Argentina World Cup match killed a top Palestinian aid official who was instrumental in efforts to organize public screenings of the game across the enclave, according to local health officials.

The blast turned what was supposed to be a moment of celebration — the live screening of a potential Argentina upset by an Arab team — into a reminder of how the near-daily Israeli strikes across Gaza are continuing to kill civilians despite a truce reached in October.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday the ceasefire with Iran was over, calling Tehran "sick" after Washington launched strikes on the Islamic Republic and Iran said it targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's over," Trump said at a NATO summit in Ankara when asked if the truce with Iran was now finished. "It's just a waste of time dealing with them."

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Ankara Wednesday where he is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of NATO summit, Turkish television stations reported.

The summit of the military alliance, which closes on Wednesday, has brought 36 heads of state together.