Washington (United States) (AFP) – Explosions rocked the Lebanese capital and Israel said it was launching a new wave of strikes on Iran, as the war engulfing the Middle East continued into Wednesday. Here are the latest developments:
– **US Commander Says 2,000 Targets Hit in Iran**
Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads US military forces in the Middle East, said in a video message that nearly 2,000 targets had been struck so far in Iran. “We have severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers and drones,” he said.
– **Explosions Rock Beirut, Other Towns**
An explosion was heard by an AFP journalist in the Lebanese capital Beirut shortly after midnight on Wednesday, as Israel and Hezbollah traded strikes and rocket fire. Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on two towns south of Beirut — outside of Iran-backed Hezbollah’s traditional strongholds — killed six people and wounded eight. Later on Wednesday, Lebanese state media said Israeli strikes hit a hotel in the Beirut suburb of Hazmieh and a four-storey building in the eastern city of Baalbek.
– **Saudi Arabia Intercepts Cruise Missiles**
The Saudi defense ministry said two cruise missiles were intercepted Wednesday over an area south of the capital Riyadh, and state media reported nine drones targeting the kingdom were intercepted. The missiles “were intercepted and destroyed in Al-Kharj” district, a defense ministry statement said.
– **Qatar Says Iranian Spy Cells Dismantled**
Qatar, which hosts a major US military base and has been targeted by multiple Iranian strikes since the outbreak of the war, reported early Wednesday that it had dismantled two spy cells linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Ten suspects were arrested who “admitted during the investigation their links to the Revolutionary Guards and having been instructed to conduct espionage and sabotage activities,” the nation’s official press agency said.
– **Israel Says Launching New Wave of Strikes**
Israel’s military said Wednesday it has launched a “broad wave of strikes” on Iran, after the Islamic Republic launched three separate missile barrages at Israeli territory. Earlier on Tuesday, Israel said it had struck an underground nuclear site in Iran where it said scientists were “covertly” developing a key component for nuclear weapons.
– **Drone Attack on Dubai’s US Consulate**
A drone attack caused a fire by the US consulate in Dubai as Iran ramped up its targeting of American diplomatic missions in the Gulf. Residents told AFP they heard a bang and one said she then saw the blaze.
– **France Deploys Aircraft Carrier**
France is sending its flagship aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the widening conflict in the Middle East, President Emmanuel Macron announced. The Charles de Gaulle carrier has been pulled out of a deployment in the North Atlantic to head for the eastern Mediterranean.
– **US Staff Allowed to Leave Saudi, Oman**
The US State Department has given its non-emergency personnel and their families in Saudi Arabia and Oman permission to leave, the US embassies in both Gulf states said. The department authorized them to leave “due to safety risks,” the missions said.
– **Charter Flights to Help Americans Leave**
The United States said that it had arranged charter flights to help Americans leave the Middle East. US officials have helped arrange charter flights from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates “and will continue to secure additional capacity as security conditions allow,” the State Department said.
– **Trump Threatens to Cut All Spain Trade**
President Donald Trump threatened to sever all trade with Spain after it refused to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran, while he also lashed out at Britain for not cooperating more. Spain’s left-wing government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of Europe’s most defiant leaders against Trump, has said that bases long used by US forces could only be allowed for activities consistent with the United Nations Charter.
– **US Proposes Escorts Through Hormuz Strait**
Trump said the US navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if needed amid the Iran war and ordered Washington to provide insurance for shipping. “If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD,” he said on his Truth Social platform.
– **Stocks Dip in Global Sell-off**
Seoul shares collapsed more than 12 percent as Asian equity markets were hit by panic selling Wednesday on the back of the Middle East turmoil, while oil rose. US equities joined a global equity rout Tuesday due to surging oil prices but cut their losses after Trump pledged to safeguard commerce in the Strait of Hormuz.
© 2024 AFP
