Paris (France) (AFP) – The Israeli military is planning on at least “one or two” more weeks of strikes on Iran, Israeli media reported on Wednesday, the war’s fifth day, while launching a fresh wave of attacks in Lebanon against Tehran-backed Hezbollah militants.
Here are the latest developments:
– **’Thousands’ of targets**
Israeli media said the military was planning “at least one or two more weeks of operations in Iran, during which it aims to hit thousands more Iranian regime targets,” the Times of Israel reported after a briefing with the military. Earlier, the military said it had begun a fresh wave of strikes on Tehran, as an AFP journalist reported a fresh explosion in the northeast of the Iranian capital. The army stated it had struck “dozens” of targets, including security command centres in Tehran and a missile facility in Isfahan in western Iran, and had shot down an Iranian fighter jet over the capital.
– **Guards claim Hormuz**
The Revolutionary Guards claimed Iranian forces had “complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for world oil and gas supplies, warning that any vessels seeking to pass risked damage from missiles or stray drones. President Donald Trump had stated on Tuesday that the US Navy was ready to escort oil tankers through the crucial Gulf shipping route.
– **Khamenei funeral postponed**
The funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that was due Wednesday evening has been postponed, state television announced, “in anticipation of unprecedented turnout”. A new date will be announced later. Deliberations over who would succeed Khamenei were still ongoing, it said.
– **State media: 1,000 killed**
Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported Wednesday that US-Israeli strikes had killed 1,045 military personnel and civilians since the start of the war. AFP was not in a position to independently verify the toll.
– **Lebanon strikes**
The Israeli army announced it had begun strikes in southern Lebanon after ordering people living south of the Litani river to leave, as the military expanded its campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Lebanese state media reported that Israeli forces had entered the southern town of Khiam, about six kilometres from the border.
– **Iran targets Israel**
Air raid sirens wailed in Jerusalem after the Israeli military indicated it had detected two incoming missile barrages from Iran, which the military later stated were intercepted.
– **Turkey warning**
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned his Iranian counterpart in a phone call that “any steps that could lead to the spread of conflict should be avoided,” a ministry source said, after NATO defense systems shot down a missile launched from Iran heading toward Turkey. NATO condemned the “targeting of Turkey,” but a Turkish official later remarked that it appeared the missile was aimed at a base in Cyprus but veered off course.
– **Iran hits Iraqi Kurdistan**
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced they had hit armed opposition groups hostile to Tehran in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region.
– **UAE, Qatar intercept missiles**
The UAE reported it had shot down three missiles and 121 drones, while Qatar stated it had intercepted 10 drones and two missiles.
– **US submarine attack**
A US submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated. Nearly 150 sailors were reported missing and several dead after the frigate IRIS Dena sank off Sri Lanka.
– **Sanchez-Trump spat**
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defiantly stated “no to the war” after Trump threatened to sever all trade with Spain for refusing to allow US planes to use its bases to attack Iran.
– **Stocks level out**
European stock markets steadied after steep losses across Asian stock markets, where rising oil prices rattled investors.
© 2024 AFP
