Paris (France) (AFP) – Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:
– **3,500 targets**
The Israeli military said it had struck more than 3,500 targets across Lebanon since fighting with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militants began.
– **’Provocative action’**
Iran warned against any “provocative action” as the UN considers whether to authorise the use of force to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. “Any provocative action by the aggressors and their supporters, including in the UN Security Council regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, will only complicate the situation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.
– **Hormuz vote delayed**
The UN Security Council has postponed a vote scheduled for Friday on authorising the use of “defensive” force to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks, according to the official program. Bahrain had brought a resolution that, according to the final draft seen by AFP, greenlights member states to use “all defensive means necessary and commensurate with the circumstances.”
– **’Destroying what’s left’**
President Donald Trump warned that US forces have yet to begin “destroying what’s left in Iran,” as he said more of the country’s bridges and energy infrastructure were in his sights. The US military “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, several hours after he said Iran’s tallest bridge had been destroyed.
– **Missiles at Israel**
The Israeli military said in a statement it had “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel,” adding that “defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat.”
– **Fresh Gulf attacks**
Kuwait’s military said its air defences were working to intercept missiles and drones fired towards the Gulf nation’s territory. A drone attack on a refinery owned by Kuwait’s national oil company sparked fires at several of its units, state media said. Bahrain’s interior ministry reported sirens sounding in the country and told residents to head “to the nearest safe place,” without providing further details.
– **Hezbollah rockets**
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said that its fighters targeted at least three communities in northern Israel with rockets, as it keeps up attacks in support of ally Iran.
– **Fresh Iran attacks**
A military statement carried on Iranian state television said that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had launched a fresh wave of attacks on American steel factories in the UAE and Bahrain, as well as an arms factory in Israel. The statement said the latest salvos were in response to attacks on its own steel industries.
– **Pakistan petrol hikes**
Pakistan drastically raised fuel prices in response to spiking global prices caused by the war, the country’s petroleum minister said. Petrol will see a 42.7 percent increase effective on Friday while diesel will be hiked 54.9 percent.
– **US aircraft carrier leaves Croatia**
The USS Gerald R. Ford departed Croatia after docking for five days, the US Navy said, while not specifying a destination. The ship played a major role in US-Israeli strikes on Iran, but sailed to Crete and Croatia following a fire in its laundry facilities on March 12 that injured two sailors and damaged some 100 beds.
– **’Alarming’ displacement risk**
The head of the International Organization for Migration told AFP that there are “very alarming” prospects for prolonged mass displacement in Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah are at war. “There are parts of the south that are being completely flattened…even if the war ends tomorrow, that destruction remains and there needs to be a rebuilding,” Amy Pope said.
– **Fourth Yemen missile**
Houthi rebels, based in Yemen and allied with Iran, launched a fourth missile attack on Israel, after stepping into the war last week. The Israeli military said earlier it had detected a missile launched from Yemen.
– **’Maximum effort’**
Iraq is exerting “maximum effort” to prevent any escalation on its territory, the foreign ministry said, after the US embassy in Baghdad warned of possible attacks in the city by pro-Iran armed groups. Earlier, the US embassy warned that “Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may intend to conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours.”
© 2024 AFP
