Israel hits Tehran, Iran fires missiles at Israel and strikes Iraq as Middle East conflict intensifies with global powers drawn in.
PARIS: Israel announced a large-scale wave of strikes against Iranian regime infrastructure across Tehran on Thursday. Iranian media reported several explosions in the capital as the country activated its defences.
Iran responded by launching a fresh round of missiles at Israel, triggering alerts in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Explosions were heard in Jerusalem, though Israeli emergency services reported no known casualties.
In a separate action, Iran said it targeted the headquarters of Kurdish forces in Iraqi Kurdistan with three missiles. The strikes reportedly killed a member of an exiled Iranian Kurdish group.
An Israeli drone strike in Lebanon killed a senior Hamas official, Wassim Atallah al-Ali, and his wife in a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli. This marks the first reported targeted killing of a Hamas member since the regional war began.
An air strike also hit the Hezbollah stronghold of south Beirut early Thursday after Israel issued warnings. Three people were killed in separate Israeli strikes on vehicles along Beirut’s airport highway.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abas Araghchi accused the United States of an atrocity for sinking an Iranian navy ship off Sri Lanka. “Mark my words: The US will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set,” he warned.
The US Senate rejected a bipartisan resolution aimed at curbing former President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military strikes on Iran. The vote fell short along party lines, with Republicans holding a 53-47 majority.
Australia deployed unspecified “military assets” to the Middle East as a contingency plan, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed. Reports indicated the assets were aircraft.
Spain denied a White House claim that it had agreed to cooperate with US military actions against Iran. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain’s stance on the war “has not changed at all.”
Turkey announced that a ballistic missile launched from Iran towards Turkish airspace was destroyed by NATO defences. A Turkish official suggested the missile was aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus but veered off course.
China said it will send a special envoy to mediate in the conflict, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi urging the US and Israel to cease attacks. Beijing is a close partner of Iran.
Qatar began evacuating residents near the US embassy in Doha as a precaution. The Qatari prime minister also lambasted Iran’s foreign minister, accusing Tehran of trying to drag neighbours into war.
In the Strait of Hormuz, the Omani navy rescued 24 crew members from a container ship struck by missiles. Iranian forces had earlier claimed “complete control” of the vital waterway.
A large explosion hit a tanker off Kuwait, causing an oil spill, according to a British maritime security agency. The master of another tanker reported seeing a small craft leave the vicinity after the blast.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated he could not “rule out participation” in the escalating war, affirming that Canada “will stand by our allies.”
