Paris (France) (AFP) – Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday they had “complete control” of the crucial Strait of Hormuz and Israel launched fresh strikes on Iranian and Lebanese targets as the Middle East war continued into its fifth day.
Here are the latest developments:
– **Iran says ready for long haul**
Iran has no intention of negotiating with the United States and can continue the war for “as long as we want,” Mohammad Mokhber, a senior aide to late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told state TV. The country’s judiciary chief, meanwhile, warned anyone aiding Iran’s enemies would “be dealt with decisively and severely,” after the United States and Israel called on Iranians to rise up against the Islamic republic’s authorities.
– **More Israeli strikes in Tehran**
The Israeli military said it had begun a fresh wave of strikes on Tehran on Wednesday, 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 had shot down an Iranian fighter jet over the capital.
– **Iranian frigate sinks off Sri Lanka**
Sri Lanka reported that an Iranian navy frigate with 180 crew sank just outside the island’s territorial waters after an explosion. No information was immediately available on the cause. The Sri Lankan foreign minister stated that 32 “critically wounded” sailors had been rescued from the warship, the IRIS Dena, after it issued a distress call at dawn. A search for the remaining crew was ongoing.
– **G7 finance meet planned**
France announced it was planning a meeting of G7 finance ministers on the crisis for early next week, with central bankers also in attendance.
– **Spain PM hits back at Trump**
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hit back at President Donald Trump’s criticisms of Madrid’s refusal to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran. “No to war,” he said in a televised address, a day after Trump threatened to sever all trade with Spain. An EU spokesman remarked that the bloc was “ready to act” to safeguard its interests.
– **Canada questions US-Israeli strikes**
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that the US-Israeli strikes on Iran “would appear, prima facie…to be inconsistent with international law.”
– **Guards claim control of Hormuz**
The Revolutionary Guards asserted that 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. Trump indicated on Tuesday that the US Navy was ready to escort oil tankers through the crucial Gulf shipping route. The Guards claimed they had also launched more than 40 missiles at US and Israeli targets in a new wave of strikes.
– **Khamenei funeral set**
Iran will hold a three-day-long state funeral starting on Wednesday evening for Khamenei, as announced by state TV. The late ayatollah, the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, was killed in the US-Israeli strikes that sparked the war on Saturday.
– **’Target’**
Following the funeral’s announcement, Israel’s defence minister warned that any successor to Khamenei would be a “target for assassination.”
– **Gulf stocks tumble**
The Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock exchanges reopened sharply lower on Wednesday after a two-day trading suspension due to Iran’s missile and drone attacks across the Gulf. Dubai fell 4.7 percent while Abu Dhabi’s ADX dropped 3.5 percent shortly after markets opened. Stock markets across Asia were also affected by panic-selling, with Seoul shares collapsing more than 12 percent. Oil prices rose.
– **Sirens ring out in Israel**
Missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday triggered air raid sirens across large parts of Israel, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. There were no immediate reports of casualties, though shrapnel caused a fire near Jerusalem, according to Israeli media.
– **Israel expands Lebanon strikes**
Israel expanded its air strikes in Lebanon, targeting areas around the presidential palace near Beirut and other areas south of the capital, as well as strongholds of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, resulting in at least 11 deaths, according to officials and state media.
– **US staff allowed to leave Saudi, Oman**
The United States announced that it had ordered non-emergency staff at its consulates in the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Karachi to leave the country over “safety risks” and granted permission for staff to leave missions in Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, and Oman.
© 2024 AFP
