Israel launched strikes on Tehran and Beirut on Saturday (21 March) as the United States deployed thousands of additional Marines to the Middle East, while President Donald Trump criticised NATO allies as "cowards" over their reluctance to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
The Israeli military said it had targeted sites in Iran and carried out strikes in Beirut on Saturday, as it intensified operations against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia.
The strikes marked the deadliest spillover into Lebanon since Hezbollah began firing on Israel in support of Tehran on 2 March.
Israel also confirmed new strikes on Iran, including in the capital Tehran, according to a military statement.
Key energy infrastructure across Iran and neighbouring Gulf states has been hit, with oil prices rising by around 50% since the conflict began, raising concerns about a global economic shock.
In the United States, United Airlines said it would cut scheduled flights by 5% in the second and third quarters, citing expectations of prolonged higher fuel costs.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, has been effectively closed to most shipping since the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran.
Trump on Friday accused U.S. allies of "cowardice" for declining to assist in reopening the strait.
Several allies, who were not consulted prior to the conflict, have said they would support "appropriate efforts" to ensure safe passage, although Germany and France have stressed that fighting must first stop.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would speak with Trump over the weekend.
Iran is prepared to allow Japanese-linked vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Kyodo News reported on Saturday, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Japan receives around 90% of its oil imports via the route.
The White House said it would waive sanctions for 30 days, allowing the sale of around 140 million barrels of Iranian oil stranded on tankers, in an effort to stabilise global markets.
The administration had previously eased sanctions on a similar amount of Russian oil.
Before launching Saturday’s strikes, the Israeli military said it had issued evacuation warnings for seven neighbourhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon and over one million have been displaced, according to reports.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since the Israeli attack that killed his father, said Iranians had responded with unity and resistance, adding they had "dealt a disorienting blow to the enemy".
A U.S. intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Khamenei's statement raised questions about his condition, noting that his father had traditionally delivered a New Year address.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar wi...
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf...
Spanish authorities are preparing a new site in Ceuta to accommodate hundreds of migrants who remain on the str...
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 4th of September, covering the latest developments.
Two people have been rescued alive from a tunnel in Nepal, nine days after catastrophic floods devastated the country, as rescuers continue searching for survivors.
A unique architectural monument dating back to the 9th to 12th centuries has been discovered in the village of Gargara, in the Korez village commune in Dangara district in Tajikistan.
Japan and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have launched a $9.4 million, two-year project across five Afghan provinces to help former poppy-growing families and expand drug prevention and treatment services.
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that rich history before a wider regional audience.
Israel is ready to move Palestinians from Gaza as soon as the U.S. approves, the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said. He told a conference hosted by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday that there was “no real solution” for Gaza without migration.
Flights between Central Asia and Russia have faced widespread disruption, with aircraft diverted, turned back or cancelled amid restrictions in Russian airspace and conflicting claims from Moscow and Kyiv over aviation safety.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment