(AFP) – Here are the latest developments Tuesday in the Middle East war:
– **US doesn’t ‘need’ help**
US President Donald Trump said “we no longer need” help reopening the Strait of Hormuz, after his request for allies to quickly send warships was snubbed. “We have had such military success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”
– **Israel says Larijani killed**
Israel has stated that Iran’s powerful national security chief, Ali Larijani, was “eliminated” in a night-time strike. Larijani was last seen at a Tehran rally last week. His death has not been confirmed by Iran, which is still reeling from the February 28 strike that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
– **US official quits**
A top US counter-terrorism official, Joseph Kent, resigned to protest Trump launching the US-Israeli war against Iran. “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent, who was appointed by Trump, said in his resignation letter.
– **Three Lebanese troops killed**
Lebanon’s military reported that three soldiers were killed in two Israeli air strikes in the country’s south. Lebanon’s health ministry stated that Israeli attacks have killed 912 people in the country since the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict erupted on March 2, raising a previous toll of 886 a day earlier. Israel launched an air strike near Beirut airport, in the city’s southern suburbs, according to state media. The Lebanese civil aviation authority confirmed that the airport continued to operate normally.
– **Hezbollah denies Kuwait presence**
Hezbollah denied having any members in Kuwait after the Gulf country announced the arrest of 14 Kuwaitis and two Lebanese nationals allegedly affiliated with the group over a “sabotage plot.” Kuwait’s interior ministry reported that the group “aimed to destabilise the country’s security and recruit individuals to join the terrorist organization.” It stated that weapons, camera drones, and communication devices were seized.
– **France offers help when ‘calmer’**
France is ready to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz but only once the crisis is “calmer,” President Emmanuel Macron stated. “We are not a party to the conflict and therefore France will never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context,” Macron said, following Trump’s weekend demand that allies help secure the waterway.
– **Iraq seeks Hormuz passage**
Iraq announced that it is in contact with Iran to try to arrange passage for some of its oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. “Communications are underway with the relevant authorities to authorise the passage of certain oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, in order that we can resume our exports,” Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani told local TV station al-Sharqiya.
– **One killed in Abu Dhabi**
Falling debris from a missile intercept killed one person in the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi and injured two medical staff in Kuwait, authorities reported. Qatar stated that it had intercepted a missile attack after an AFP journalist reported hearing several explosions in Doha. In Dubai, an AFP journalist heard three explosions after authorities warned residents of the United Arab Emirates’ most populous city to “immediately seek a safe place” over “potential missile threats.”
– **BA prolongs cancellations**
British Airways announced that it has cancelled flights to and from Middle East destinations Amman, Bahrain, Dubai, and Tel Aviv through May 31 as the war disrupts the global aviation industry.
– **Iran negotiating World Cup switch**
Iran is “negotiating” with FIFA to relocate the country’s World Cup first-round matches to Mexico from the United States because of the war, according to the country’s football federation.
© 2024 AFP
