Share and Follow
Iran has launched a fresh round of missile and drone strikes targeting its Gulf Arab neighbors and Israel, escalating tensions in a conflict that shows no signs of de-escalation. The Iranian government has yet to confirm any casualties from these actions.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Tuesday that Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and General Gholam Reza Soleimani, the leader of the Revolutionary Guard’s Basij forces, were “eliminated” the previous night. The claims from Israel came late Tuesday AEDT.
Amid rising fears of a global energy crisis, Iran has intensified its attacks on several Gulf Arab nations and key oil infrastructure sites across the region. This move has heightened concerns about the stability of energy supplies worldwide.
An Iranian official has stated that Tehran remains firm in maintaining its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital channel for international oil shipping, underscoring the strategic importance of the region.
In response, the Israeli military has launched a “wide-scale wave of strikes” targeting Iran’s capital. Additionally, Israel is increasing its military actions against Iran-backed Hezbollah forces based in Lebanon, further intensifying the regional conflict.
Israel says it has killed two top Iranian officials
Larijani hails from one of Iran’s best-known political families. A former parliamentary speaker and senior policy adviser, he advised the late Khamenei on strategy in nuclear talks with the Trump administration.
Larijani was sanctioned by the US Treasury in January as Tehran violently suppressed nationwide protests. It identified him as being “responsible for coordinating the response to the protests on behalf of the supreme leader of Iran”.
Soleimani also was sanctioned by the US, as well as the European Union and other nations, over his role in helping suppress dissent for years through the Basij.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the killings were aimed at weakening Iran’s government.
“We are undermining this regime to give the Iranian people the opportunity to remove it,” he said.
“It won’t happen quickly or easily, but if we persist, they will have the chance to take their destiny into their own hands.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since succeeding his father, who was killed in the opening day of the war. Israel suspects Khamenei was wounded.
Iranian strikes pressure neighbours and oil markets
Iran kept up the pressure on the energy infrastructure around the region, hitting an oil facility in Fujairah, an emirate in the United Arab Emirates that has been repeatedly targeted. State-run WAM news reported that no one had been injured in the blast from the drone strike.
Also on Tuesday, a tanker anchored off the coast of Fujairah sustained minor damage when it was hit by debris from an interception, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, run by the British military, reported. Nobody was injured.
A man was killed by the debris of a missile intercepted over Abu Dhabi, the eighth person to die in the UAE since the start of the war, authorities said.
Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, have sparked increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.
A handful of ships have crossed through the strait, and Iran has said the vital waterway technically remains open — just not for the United States, Israel and their allies. About 20 vessels have been struck since the war began.
“They are flying, launching missiles, should we just sit back and do nothing in response?” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said on state television.
With oil prices rising, US President Donald Trump said he had demanded that roughly a half-dozen countries send warships to ensure ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz. But his appeals brought no immediate commitments, with many saying they are hesitant to get involved in a war with no defined exit plan and sceptical that they could do more than the US Navy.
More than 1300 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the conflict, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.
Israel did not immediately release details of its attacks on Lebanon, but the Lebanese army said that one of its soldiers died and four more were wounded in an airstrike on the village of Kfar Sir.
Israel’s strikes have displaced more than 1 million Lebanese — or roughly 20 per cent of the population — according to the Lebanese government, which says some 850 people have been killed.
Some Israeli troops have pushed into southern Lebanon, and there are fears Israel is preparing a large-scale invasion.
Israel reported two Iranian salvos early Tuesday fired toward Tel Aviv and an area south of the Sea of Galilee, and then more later in the day. More launches from Lebanon were also reported.
In Israel, 12 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire. At least 13 US military members have been killed.
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.