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PremiumIsrael-Iran war news Highlights: The Israeli military has ordered the evacuation of villages and towns in southern Lebanon that are north of a United Nations-declared buffer zone established after the 2006 war. The warning issued on Thursday signaled a possible broadening of Israel’s incursion into southern Lebanon, which until now has been confined to areas close to the border.
As the both sides continue to strike each other, Indian stock market crashed today amid weak global cues as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raised fears of an all-out war between Iran and Israel.
According to Tehran Times, strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs were carried out for the first time using Israeli naval vessels. Iran fired ballistic missiles in retaliation to killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, amplifying tensions in the Middle East that are increasingly marked by “escalation after escalation," as United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres put it.
"Iran made a big mistake tonight and will pay for it," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, adding, “Whoever attacks us, we attack them."
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said that he will not support an Israeli attack on sites related to Tehran's nuclear programme.
Israel-Iran war news LIVE: Britain said two of its fighter jets and an air-to-air refuelling tanker played a part on Tuesday in attempts to prevent further escalation in the conflict in the Middle East, but that the jets did not engage any targets.
"Two Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets and a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker played their part in attempts in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East, demonstrating the UK's unwavering commitment to Israel's security," Britain's Ministry of Defence said on X.
"Due to the nature of this attack, they did not engage any targets, but they played an important part in wider deterrence and efforts to prevent further escalation."
Israel-Iran war news LIVE: Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it had targeted an Israeli unit with an explosive device near a southern border village Wednesday, as the group clashed with Israeli forces entering Lebanon.
"As the Israeli enemy army tried to sneak around the village of Yaroun... (Hezbollah) fighters surprised them by detonating an explosive device," it said, reporting Israeli casualties.
A day after Iran launched 200 missiles, including hypersonic weapons in retaliation to killing of Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, which is battling Hamas in Gaza, is increasing its presence in south Lebanon, raising fears of a wider conflict amid ongoing tensions in Middle East.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the attack was in response to Israel's killing of Hezbollah chief, as well as the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a Tehran bombing in July widely blamed on Israel. READ MORE
Israel-Iran war news LIVE: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will host a call of Group of Seven (G7) leaders later on Wednesday to discuss the crisis in the Middle East, her office said.
"Italy will continue to strive for a diplomatic solution, including in its capacity as chair of the G7. I have convened a leaders' level meeting for this afternoon," Meloni was quoted as telling her cabinet.
Israel-Iran war news LIVE: An Israeli soldier was killed in combat in Lebanon, the army said Wednesday, following an incursion by the Israel army across the border earlier this week to target Hezbollah positions.
"Captain Eitan Itzhak Oster, aged 22... fell during combat in Lebanon," AFP quoted the military statement.
Israel-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that Israel would face a harsh reaction if it did not stop what he called "its crimes".
He was speaking a day after Iran fired waves of ballistic missiles at Israel, and Israel stepped up its war with Tehran's proxy Hezbollah by sending troops over the border into Lebanon.
Israel-Iran war news LIVE: Lebanon's army said Israeli soldiers made a brief incursion into the country's south Wednesday, after militant group Hezbollah reported clashes with Israeli troops in two areas.
"Israeli enemy forces breached the Blue Line by approximately 400 metres (yards) into Lebanese territory" in two areas, "then withdrew a short time later", an army statement on X said, referring to the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel.
Israel-Iran war news LIVE: Accusing United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres of being biased against the country, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he was declaring Guterres as “persona non grata" and said he would be prevented from entering Israel.
Israel-Iran war news LIVE: on Wednesday, the Israeli military said that regular infantry and armoured units were joining its ground operations in Lebanon, stepping up pressure on foe Hezbollah, as it prepared to retaliate against Iranian missile strikes.
Israel-Iran war news LIVE: Israel has vowed to make Iran ‘pay’ for firing a barrage of missiles at its territory, with Tehran warning it would launch an even bigger attack if it is targeted.
"Whoever attacks us, we attack them," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who was at the command and control centre monitoring the interception of Iranian missiles, also vowed vengeance.
Lebanon's Hezbollah says it is clashing with Israeli forces in border town of Maroun El Ras
Israel-Iran war news LIVE: The Kremlin on Wednesday said the situation in the Middle East was developing in an alarming direction and called on all sides to exercise restraint.
Russia had contacts with all sides and condemned any action that caused the death of civilians, reported Reuters quoting Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Israel-Iran war news LIVE: Gaza's Health Ministry says at least 51 people have been killed and another 82 wounded in a large Israeli air and ground operation in the southern city of Khan Younis, reported AP.
Israel's military has yet to comment on the operation, which began early Wednesday. Palestinian residents say ground forces pushed into three neighbourhoods.
Israel-Iran war news LIVE: Lebanon's Hezbollah targeted areas north of Israel's city of Haifa with a large missile salvo, the militant group said on Wednesday.
Security enhanced outside the Embassy of Israel. Iran launched a large-scale attack of over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel last night.
In a telephonic interview with ANI, Israeli defence expert, Brig. Gen (Res) Yossi Kuperwasser said that Israel's aim is to replace the leadership in both Gaza as well as Lebanon, and also emphasised the need to bring Iran back to its "real size" for attaining any "realistic solution" in the conflict.
"A realistic solution is that Hamas and all the Hamas is removed from power in Gaza, that there's a new state of affairs in Lebanon, where the Lebanese state goes back into being the owner of the monopoly of the use of force for its territory, which is not the case now," Kupperwasser said.
"And when Iran goes back to its real size and start being a power...superpower in the Middle East and focuses on improving the living conditions in Iran, the Iranians, not building its hegemony in the Middle East," he said.
We are deeply concerned at the escalation of security situation in West Asia and reiterate our call for restraint by all concerned and protection of civilians. It is important that the conflict doesn’t take a wider regional dimension and we urge that all issues be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy.
Taking to X, it wrote, “Following yesterday’s Iranian attack against Israel, the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi, spoke with the Commander of @CENTCOM, General Michael Erik Kurilla, regarding the current situation.
The IDF and the U.S. Armed Forces cooperated together in defense several days before, during, and after the Iranian attack. The IDF expresses great appreciation for this cooperation and will continue to deepen its relationship with the U.S. Armed Forces, due to our commitment to strengthening regional stability and the coordination between the militaries."
Danish police said on Wednesday they were investigating two blasts that went off near the Israeli embassy in the capital Copenhagen. No-one was hurt in the explosions, which occurred overnight in the "immediate proximity" to the Israeli embassy, police spokesman Jakob Hansen told reporters.
"Nobody was wounded and we are carrying out a preliminary investigation at the scene," police wrote on social media platform X earlier. "It's too early to say if there is a link" between the blasts and the Israeli embassy, Hansen said.
Writing on X, Israel's ambassador to Denmark David Akov said he was "shocked by the appalling incident near the embassy a few hours ago." "We have full confidence in the Danish authorities and the police in their investigation."
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that Tehran has warned the United States against intervening following Iran's attack on Israel.
"We have... warned the US forces to withdraw from this matter and not to intervene," Araghchi told state television, adding that the message was relayed through the Swiss embassy in Tehran.
Former US President and Republican nominee Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that Iran was in “total check" during his tenure. He accused his opponent Kamala Harris of “flooding" the country with “American cash," which has led to the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.
“When I was President, Iran was in total check. They were starved for cash, fully contained, and desperate to make a deal. Kamala flooded them with American cash and, ever since, they’ve been exporting terror all over and unravelling the Middle East," read Donald Trump's latest statement about the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Pentagon press secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Tuesday (local time) that Iran conducted a significant attack against Israel, adding that the US is still assessing it, and the numbers are subjected to change as per updates.
"Iran conducted a significant attack against Israel...launching approximately 200 ballistic missiles. We condemn these reckless attacks by Iran and we call on Iran to halt any further attacks... US Navy destroyers deployed to the Middle East supported the defence of Israel by firing approximately a dozen interceptors against the incoming Iranian missiles," Pentagon Press Secretary Major Gen. Pat Ryder said
UAE's state-owned airline cancelled flights between Dubai and Beirut until Oct. 8.
Air India has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice, as reported by Reuters
Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday that missile attacks by Iran on Israel were "unacceptable", warning against an escalation into "full-on war".
"Iran's attack is unacceptable. We condemn this strongly. But at the same time, we would like to cooperate (with the United States) to defuse the situation and prevent it from escalating into a full-on war," he told reporters.
Hezbollah said Wednesday it clashed with Israeli soldiers who tried to infiltrate into Lebanon, and also targeted Israeli troops across the border, according to statements from the Iran-backed Lebanese group.
Hezbollah fighters confronted "an Israeli enemy infantry force that tried to infiltrate into the village of Adaysseh... and clashed with them", a statement said, adding separately that Hezbollah fighters also targeted Israeli forces at three different points across the border with rockets and artillery
Iran late on Tuesday fired ballistic missiles targeting two military bases of Israel and the headquarters of Mossad, Israel's intelligence service, claimed Iranian state television, citing Mohammad Bagheri, Iran's top military officer.
Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, told Press TV that the Nevatim air base, the Netzarim military facility and the Tel Nof intelligence unit, were hit in the Tuesday night attack dubbed 'Operation True Promise II'.
Iran exercised "self-defence" against Israel and its action is concluded unless the "Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation," Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post on social media platform X early on Wednesday.
He wrote, “Our action is concluded unless Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation. In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful."
Iran told the United States not to get involved following its missile attack on Israel, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as saying on Wednesday.
Taking to X, the Vice President Kamala Harris wrote, “I unequivocally condemn Iran’s reckless and brazen attack against Israel today. Israel, with our assistance, was able to defeat the attack. Our cooperation saved many lives. My commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering. And we will never hesitate to defend U.S. forces and interests against Iran."
