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.
For decades, Uzbekistan’s cotton industry was primarily associated with the production and harvesting of ...
Leaders from around the world are gathering in New York for the latest session of the United Nations General Assembly, with conflicts in Ukraine an...
Steelmaker ArcelorMittal has it is shutting production at Ukraine's largest steel plant, underscoring the grow...
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan will hold an urgent high-level meeting under a joint defence pact to discuss ways to support the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. The meeting comes as Tehran seeks to distance itself from the rapid advance of its Houthi allies.
World leaders return to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday for the fourth day of the high-level General Debate, with speeches and diplomatic meetings continuing throughout the day.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday, 24 September, for talks focused on trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the war with Iran.
Finland and Sweden deployed fighter aircraft on Thursday after a group of Russian military planes was detected over the Gulf of Finland, the Finnish Air Force reported on Friday (25 September).
Fourteen Kazakh military personnel died after being swept out to sea during a naval training exercise in the western Mangistau region, authorities said on Thursday.
For decades, Uzbekistan’s cotton industry was primarily associated with the production and harvesting of raw cotton.
Iran on Saturday awaited a U.S. response to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the Middle East war after the Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump had rejected the deal.
President Ilham Aliyev has highlighted Azerbaijan’s security, transport connectivity, economic diversification and renewable energy potential, as he addressed the Second Azerbaijan International Investment Forum in Baku.
Yemen's Saudi-led coalition said early on Saturday it had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by the Iran-backed Houthis towards the kingdom.
A developing El Niño in the Pacific could become one of the strongest on record, leading to heavier rainfall and a greater risk of severe flooding in parts of Central Asia, while also worsening extreme weather in other parts of the world.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment