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 reported that 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 that nine drones targeting the kingdom were also 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 after midnight 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 announced Wednesday that 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, claiming scientists were “covertly” developing a key component for nuclear weapons.
– **Drone attack on Dubai’s US consulate**
A drone attack caused a fire near 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**
In response to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, France’s President Emmanuel Macron announced that the country is sending its flagship aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, to the Mediterranean. The carrier has been pulled out of a deployment in the North Atlantic to head for the eastern Mediterranean.
– **US staff allowed to leave Saudi Arabia, Oman**
The US State Department has given its non-emergency personnel and their families in Saudi Arabia and Oman permission to leave, citing “safety risks.” The embassies in both Gulf states confirmed that the department authorized them to depart.
– **Charter flights to help Americans leave**
The United States has arranged charter flights to assist American citizens in leaving the Middle East. US officials have helped secure 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 stated.
– **Trump threatens to cut all trade with Spain**
President Donald Trump threatened to sever all trade with Spain after it refused to allow US planes to use its bases for an attack on Iran. He also criticized Britain for not cooperating more. Spain’s left-wing government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, has stated that bases long used by US forces could only be utilized for activities consistent with the United Nations Charter.
– **US proposes escorts through Hormuz Strait**
Trump announced that 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 stated on his Truth Social platform.
– **Stocks dip in global sell-off**
Seoul shares collapsed more than 12 percent as Asian equity markets experienced panic selling on Wednesday linked to the turmoil in the Middle East, while oil prices rose. US equities joined a global equity rout on Tuesday, driven by surging oil prices, but cut their losses after Trump pledged to safeguard commerce in the Strait of Hormuz.
© 2024 AFP
