Afghanistan is spinning out of control: UN chief
United Nations: Voicing concern that Afghanistan is spinning out of control , UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the Taliban to immediately halt the offensive and asserted that seizing power through military force is a "losing proposition" and can only lead to prolonged civil war and the complete isolation of the war-torn nation.
The Taliban has captured Herat and Kandahar, the country's second and third largest cities. As the Taliban insurgents increasingly gain ground in Afghanistan, some accounts state that 60 per cent of the country's territory is under their control.
There is growing concern that Kabul too could fall into the hands of the Taliban soon.
Even for a country that has tragically known generations of conflict, Afghanistan is in the throes of yet another chaotic and desperate chapter an incredible tragedy for its long-suffering people," Guterres said on Friday.
"Afghanistan is spinning out of control, he said, voicing concern over the grave situation" in the country.
The UN chief called on the Taliban, which is rapidly taking control over provincial capitals across the country, to immediately halt the offensive and negotiate in good faith in the interest of Afghanistan and its people.
The message from the international community to those on the warpath must be clear: seizing power through military force is a losing proposition. That can only lead to prolonged civil war or to the complete isolation of Afghanistan, Guterres said.
He asserted that directing attacks against civilians is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and amounts to a war crime, calling for perpetrators to be held accountable.
The UN chief said he is also deeply disturbed" by early indications that the Taliban are imposing severe restrictions on human rights in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists.
It is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped away from them.
Guterres expressed hope that discussions in Doha between representatives of Afghanistan and the Taliban supported by the region and the wider international community will restore the pathway to a negotiated settlement to the conflict.
Only an Afghan-led negotiated political settlement can ensure peace, he said, adding that the United Nations is determined to contribute to such a settlement, promote the rights of all Afghans and provide life-saving humanitarian help to the ever-increasing numbers of civilians in need.
Guterres said that in the last month alone, more than 1,000 people have been killed or injured from indiscriminate attacks against civilians, notably in Helmand, Kandahar and Herat provinces.
The fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security forces in urban environments is causing tremendous harm, he said adding that at least 241,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes and humanitarian needs are growing by the hour.
With hospitals overflowing, food and medical supplies dwindling, roads, bridges, schools, clinics and other critical infrastructure being destroyed, Guterres said every day, the conflict is taking an ever bigger toll on women and children.
Continued urban conflict will mean continued carnage with civilians paying the highest price, he said calling on all parties to take heed of the conflict's heavy toll and its devastating impact on civilians.
They all must do more to protect civilians. I remind all parties of their legal and moral obligation to take all measures to protect civilians, Guterres said.
Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said in a tweet that she is deeply concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and noted that yet again, civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence.
She underscored that one thing is clear from the country's recent history: durable peace and development will not be achieved militarily.
In response to a question on whether the UN has plans for a complete evacuation of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General said, There [are] always contingency plans for the best case and for the worst case.
"At this point, we are remaining. We're remaining in Kabul. As I said, we have footprints in other parts of the country to fulfil our mandate and help civilians and alleviate the suffering of civilians as much as we can," he said.
Dujarric said at the daily press briefing that due to the conflict across the country, many people are arriving in Kabul and other large cities trying to seek safety for themselves and for their families. The humanitarian community has verified 10,350 internally displaced people who have arrived in Kabul between July 1 and August 12.
Dujarric said most of the displaced people are either renting accommodations or being hosted by friends or family, but unfortunately, a growing number are staying in the open. He said 20 inter-agency assessment teams have now been deployed in Kabul.
As of yesterday, we, along with our partners, have provided food, health, household items, and water and sanitation assistance to some 6,900 men, women and children who have been displaced in Kabul, he said.
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New strikes light up the night in Tehran as Israel vows 'many surprises'
Dubai (AP): The Iran war exploded further late on Saturday as pillars of flame rose above an oil storage facility in Tehran, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised "many surprises" for the next phase of the week-old conflict.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he has ruled out having Kurds join the Iran war. Trump said Kurdish fighters in the region are willing to assist in efforts to topple the Iranian government, but their involvement would make the conflict more complicated.
"The war is complicated enough without having -- getting the Kurds involved," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Iranian state media confirmed the strike on the oil facility as Associated Press video showed the horizon glowing against the night sky. Israel's military confirmed new strikes that shook neighbourhoods in Tehran's east and south but did not comment on targets.
It appeared to be the first time a civil industrial facility has been targeted in the war. State media blamed "an attack from the US and the Zionist regime" at the facility that supplies the capital and neighbouring provinces in the north.
Earlier in the day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised for attacks on "neighbouring countries", even as his country's missiles and drones flew toward Gulf Arab states and hard-liners asserted that Tehran's war strategy would not change.
A rift between more pragmatic politicians looking to de-escalate the war and others committed to battling the United States and Israel could complicate any diplomatic efforts. Conflicting statements emerged from two of the three members of the leadership council overseeing Iran since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the war's opening airstrikes.
Trump threatened that Iran would be "hit very hard" and more "areas and groups of people" would become targets, without elaborating. Already, the conflict has rattled global markets and left Iran's leadership weakened by hundreds of Israeli and American airstrikes.
Along with his apology, Pezeshkian dismissed Trump's call for Tehran to surrender unconditionally, saying: "That is a dream that they should take to their grave."
Iran makes varying statements on attacks
Pezeshkian's message, seemingly filmed in a hurry, underlined the limited powers exercised by the theocracy's leaders over the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which controls the hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting Israel and other countries. It answered only to Khamenei and appears to be picking its own targets.
Pezeshkian's statement said Iran's leadership council had been in touch with the armed forces and "from now on, they should not attack neighbouring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy".
The US strikes have not come from the Gulf Arab governments under attack, but from US bases and vessels in the region.
But hard-line judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, another member of the three-man leadership council, suggested that war strategy will not change.
"The geography of some countries in the region -- both overtly and covertly -- is in the hands of the enemy, and those points are used against our country in acts of aggression. Intense attacks on these targets will continue," he posted on X.
"As long as the presence of US bases in the region continue, the countries will not enjoy peace," Iran's Parliament speaker and a former Revolutionary Guard general, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on X. He called defence policies in line with the late supreme leader's guidance.
Iran's UN mission later suggested, without offering evidence, that strikes on non-military sites "may have resulted from interception by US electronic defence systems".
Late on Saturday, top Iranian security official Ali Larijani asserted in an address carried by state media that "our leaders are united on this issue and have no disagreements with one another".
He also said the leadership council has requested that "arrangements be made" to convene the Assembly of Experts to choose the next supreme leader, but did not say when.
US says more intense bombing lies ahead
Earlier, AP video showed explosions over western Tehran as Israel said it struck a Tehran airport it said was used to transfer weapons and cash to militant groups.
"Tehran is under severe bombardment" and even people far from military and government targets are living in fear, said a university student in western Tehran, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
The US and Israel have battered Iran, targeting its military capabilities, leadership and nuclear programme. The war's stated goals and timelines have repeatedly shifted as the US has at times suggested it seeks to topple Iran's government or elevate new leadership from within.
The fighting has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 290 in Lebanon and 11 in Israel, according to officials in those countries. Six US troops have been killed.
In Lebanon, Israel carried out a commando raid to search for clues about a navigator who went missing 40 years ago that left dozens of people dead and dozens more wounded overnight.
Incoming missiles from Iran had people heading to bomb shelters again across Israel, with no reports of casualties.
Missile lands at US Embassy compound in Iraq
Three Iraqi security officials said a missile landed on the helicopter landing pad in the US embassy complex in Baghdad. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly. An embassy spokesperson declined to comment. There were no reports of casualties.
It was the first reported strike to land in Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone since the Iran war began. Iran and allied Iraqi militias have launched dozens of attacks on US military bases and other facilities in Iraq since then.
Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani called the embassy attack a "terrorist act" carried out by "rogue groups".
Strikes target Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Dubai
US allies in the Gulf have said the Trump administration did not give them adequate time to prepare for the war.
Hours after Pezeshkian's apology, the United Arab Emirates said debris from an aerial interception fell onto a vehicle and killed an "Asian driver". Four people have now been killed in the UAE since the war began. Authorities have said all were foreign nationals.
Sirens sounded earlier on Saturday in Bahrain as Iran targeted the island kingdom. Saudi Arabia said it destroyed drones headed toward its vast Shaybah oil field and shot down a ballistic missile launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts US forces.
In Dubai, several blasts were heard on Saturday morning and the government said it had activated air defences. Passengers waiting for flights at Dubai International Airport were ushered into train tunnels. Long-haul carrier Emirates briefly said all flights to and from Dubai were suspended.
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