Main Points
- China and Pakistan have called for an immediate end to the US-Israel war on Iran and for peace talks as soon as possible, as they agreed to boost their co-operation with Tehran
- US president Donald Trump has said the UK and other countries who did not assist with attacks on Iran should ‘go get your own oil’, adding that France ‘has been very unhelpful’
- Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said the war was ‘beyond the halfway point’ but the country is prepared for ‘weeks’ more of fighting in Iran
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they will target US companies in the region as of April 1st in retaliation for attacks on the country, state media reported
- Oil prices were set for a record monthly rise on Tuesday
Key Reads
- Fintan O’Toole: Trump is like a child pulling the wings off flies – all means and no end
- Are Irish peacekeepers at risk in Lebanon?
- Is Trump about to abandon plans to reopen Strait of Hormuz?
Two-thirds of Americans believe Trump should end Iran war
Two-thirds of Americans believe the US should work to end its involvement in the Iran war quickly, even if that means not achieving the goals set out by the Trump administration, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Some 66 per cent of respondents to the poll, conducted from Friday to Sunday, voiced that view, while 27 per cent said the US should work to achieve all its goals in Iran, even if the conflict goes on for an extended period. Six percent did not answer the question.
Among Trump’s Republicans, 40 per cent supported ending the conflict quickly even if it did not achieve US goals, while 57 per cent supported a longer involvement. The month-long war has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands of people and has hit the global economy with soaring energy prices, fuelling global inflation fears.
A total of 60 per cent of respondents said they disapproved of US military strikes on Iran, while 35 per cent approved in the survey of 1,021 people.
- Reuters
Fuel supply ‘not a matter we’re concerned about right now, today’ - Darragh O’Brien
Energy Minister Darragh O’Brien has said he is not currently worried about fuel supplies in Ireland or the European Union.
“The fuel supply is not a matter that we are concerned about right now, today.”
Speaking on RTÉ’s Prime Time, O’Brien ruled out fuel rationing and said people “should carry on as they normally do”.
Slovakia is the only country in Europe to have introduced fuel rationing, to date, since the start of the Middle East war.
“We’re not in that space at all yet, and I don’t expect us to be, and that’s not being complacent about it, because we have to continue to monitor this on a daily basis,” O’Brien said.
“The situation does change daily. Our supplies in Ireland are good, they’re robust. I’ve engaged with our agencies on that on a daily basis, so there is no fear on supply at this stage.”
Noting that Ireland and other member states have “brought forward measures just in the last week in relation to supporting the most vulnerable, in relation to excess duty reductions and in relation to setting aside levies”, O’Brien said EU-wide measures will be examined next week.
The Irish Government last week cut the excise duty on a litre of diesel by 20 cents and by 15 cents on a litre of petrol.
O’Brien said the impact of the Middle East war “will be long term” and served as a reminder that Europe needed to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and accelerate its renewable energy efforts.
US journalist kidnapped in Iraq
An American journalist was kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday and authorities are searching the city for her, two police officials said.
The Iraqi interior ministry confirmed the abduction of a woman journalist but did not disclose her nationality. The ministry said one suspect was arrested and efforts were ongoing to free the journalist.
Police officials who declined to be named later identified the victim as Shelly Kittleson.
Middle East news site AL-Monitor said Kittleson is a US freelance journalist based in Rome who has covered several wars in the region and contributed articles to the outlet.
A State Department official said the US is tracking reports of the kidnapping but declined to provide further details, citing privacy and other considerations.
The official added that the Trump administration’s top priority is the safety and security of Americans.
The police officials said Kittleson was seized by four men in civilian clothes and taken in a vehicle. – Reuters
Fifa expects Iran to take part in World Cup
Fifa expects Iran to be a participant in this summer’s World Cup, even as the country’s request to move to change its group stage games appears to have been denied.
Iran’s participation in this year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada was in doubt once the Middle East conflict between Israel, the United States and Iran started in February.
Two weeks ago, Iran’s soccer federation requested that the country’s World Cup group state games be moved to Mexico, with federation president Mehdi Taj saying Iran would “boycott the United States, but not the World Cup”.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino told Univision on Monday that no schedule changes will be made.
“We want them to play; they are going to play in the World Cup,” Infantino told the Spanish-language network. “There are no Plans B or C or D; Plan A is the only plan.”
Iran was selected in Group G along with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. The team is scheduled to face New Zealand at Los Angeles on June 15th, Belgium at Los Angeles on June 21st and Egypt at Seattle on June 26th.
“We live in a complex geopolitical situation ... but our work is to unite,” Infantino said. “We know it is a complicated situation, but we will work to be sure that Iran plays in this World Cup in the best conditions.”
Officials from Iran have expressed safety concerns for the team’s travelling party while in the US. The alarm was heightened after Donald Trump said of Iran’s team: “I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”
Just last week, Iranian state television reported that Iran has banned the nation’s sports teams from travelling to “hostile” countries. The report singled out an upcoming game for an Iranian club team at Saudi Arabia but did not specifically mention the World Cup. – Reuters
Iranian foreign minister in touch with Witkoff
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told Al Jazeera he has been receiving direct messages from US special envoy Steve Witkoff, but said they do not constitute “negotiations”.
The messages include threats or exchanged views delivered through “friends”, he added.
Araqchi did acknowledge that some security discussions are taking place via Pakistan.
Regarding threats made by the US, Araghchi said the Iranians are waiting to see if “adversaries” attack. If they do, he said Iranian forces will be waiting for them.
Araqchi also said Iran has not yet responded to the 15-point plan proposed by the US to end the war. He reiterated that Iran, in general, isn’t looking for a ceasefire, but rather a comprehensive end to the war.
Israel is forging new alliances with ‘important’ countries – Netanyahu
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Israel is forging new alliances with “important” countries in the region to counter what he described as the “Iranian threat”.
Speaking in an address, Netanyahu did not specify which countries were involved, or give further details. – The Guardian
US flying B52 bomber missions over Iran
At the Pentagon’s public briefing earlier, General Dan Caine, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said the US military had begun flying B52 bomber missions over Iran.
“Over the past 30 days, we’ve struck more than 11,000 targets. Given the increase in air superiority, we’ve successfully started to conduct the first overland B-52 missions, which allow us to continue to get on top of the enemy,” Caine said.
The US military remains focused on “interdicting and destroying the logistical and supply chains that feed” Iran’s missile, drone and naval shipbuilding programs, Caine added. – The Guardian
France ‘surprised’ by Trump’s comments about Israeli planes
France said it was “surprised” by Donald Trump’s comments singling out Paris for not authorising planes headed to Israel fly over its airspace, saying the decision was in line with French policy since the start of the war on Iran.
“We are surprised by this tweet. France has not changed its position since day one [of the conflict] and we confirm this decision,” French president Emmanuel Macron’s office said.
Trump had said in a post on Truth Social earlier that France had been “very unhelpful” and that the United States would “remember”.
He wrote: “The Country of France wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory. France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the “Butcher of Iran,” who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!”
A western diplomat and two sources familiar with the matter said the refusal happened over the weekend and was the first time France had done this since the war started. Israel had wanted to use France’s airspace to transport US weapons for the war, the sources said. – Reuters
Oil supply shock caused by Iran war ‘probably worst ever’, Taoiseach warns
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the oil supply shock caused by the US-Israeli attack on Iran was “probably the worst ever,” as he sounded alarm over the supply and inflationary impacts on the global economy.
He also said there will be “ongoing advice in terms of conservation of energy” with the government “urging people to use it as wisely as possible.”
Speaking in Warsaw alongside Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk, Martin said: “It’s very serious, and the supply shock is probably the worst ever, much more severe than even in the 1970s supply shock. On two fronts, inflation, inflationary impacts, and on supply implications.
“We’ve set up a subgroup to look at the supply issue and there will be ongoing advice in terms of conservation of energy and urging people to use it as wisely as possible, and that is being kept under constant review.
“On the economic impacts, we are concerned ... We are very conscious that this could go on, no one is quite certain what is round the corner, so we have to be cautious in terms of how we intervene. But we are very concerned in terms of secondary impacts on economy ... and that is why we would urge that the war would end.”
Martin said, as well as the economic implications, the war was “causing too much death”. – The Guardian
Israeli strikes kill six in Gaza Strip, medics say
Israeli strikes killed at least six people in the Gaza Strip in separate attacks on Tuesday, health officials said.
Medics said an Israeli air strike in Jabalia, north of the enclave, killed at least three people earlier in the day, while another air strike killed a father and his son in Khan Younis, in the south.
Later on Tuesday, an Israeli air strike against a group of Palestinians near a police checkpoint in the Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip killed at least one person and wounded eight others, health officials said.
There was no Israeli comment on any of the incidents.
Hamas and Israel have traded blame for violations of a ceasefire agreed last October. The Gaza health ministry said Israeli fire has killed at least 700 people since the ceasefire. Israel said four soldiers were killed by militants in Gaza over the same period.
Israel, along with the US, is also now engaged in a conflict with Iran, while Israeli forces have also invaded southern Lebanon in a new campaign against Iran-backed Hizbullah.
Hamas’ October 7th, 2023, attacks on Israel killed 1,200 people, and 251 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s two-year-long campaign has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gazan health authorities. The conflict has spread famine, demolished most buildings, and displaced most of the territory’s population, in many cases numerous times. – Reuters
Martin and Tusk criticise Hungarian foreign minister’s ‘very sinister’ backchannel talks with Russia
Taoiseach Michéal Martin and Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk have strongly criticised the latest disclosures on Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó’s relations with Russia, calling his conversations with his Moscow counterpart “repulsive” and “sinister.”
The two leaders met in Warsaw on Tuesday afternoon.
Earlier today, a group of five European media outlets published what they said was a phone call between Szijjártó and the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, discussing their plan to amend the EU’s sanctions list to Moscow’s liking. The investigation also alleged further contact between the minister and Russian officials.
Martin and Tusk said the tone of the recorded conversation showed “unacceptable” and “deferential tone” from the EU country’s minister, with the Taoiseach saying it “confirmed what many suspected” about Hungary “doing the bidding for Russia” within the bloc.
In unusually strong comments, Tusk said: “What we have heard, and what we had already suspected, is merely a confirmation of the deeply disturbing political dependence of Viktor Orbán’s government and his foreign minister, Szijjártó, directly on the authorities in Moscow.
“It has been a long time, if ever, since I have heard something so disheartening. What these recordings have revealed is more than just the political dependency of the Budapest government on Moscow; it has exposed just how unacceptable and bizarre this relationship truly is.
“A foreign minister of a European nation – a member of the European Union – reporting to the Russian foreign minister on the completion of a task and asking for patience because he knows he still has several more tasks to carry out? One could hardly imagine anything more repulsive.”
Martin joined in, adding: “I think it is a very sinister development. It confirms what many suspected that the Hungarian government has been doing the bidding for Russia within the European Union for quite some time.
“The deferential tone in the conversation was alarming, and it really is a very serious situation that within the European Union you have that type of behaviour and it is very revealing of the relationship between the Hungarian government and the Russian government ... It’s unacceptable.” – The Guardian
Canada PM says Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon is illegal
Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon is illegal, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney told reporters on Tuesday.
“It’s a violation of their territorial sovereignty ... so we condemn it,” he said. – Reuters
WHO Tehran office damaged in strikes
The Tehran offices of the World Health Organisation have been damaged following strikes on the Iranian capital over the last two nights, director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.
Investigation into UN peacekeeper deaths suggest roadside explosion as cause
Initial findings of an investigation into the deaths of two Indonesian peacekeepers in southern Lebanon point to a roadside explosion striking their convoy, the United Nations peacekeeping chief said on Tuesday.
The two peacekeepers with the Unifil force were killed on Monday near Bani Hayyan in south Lebanon and two other soldiers were wounded in the blast. Another Indonesian soldier was killed overnight Sunday into Monday when a projectile exploded near one of the group’s positions.
“Unifil is conducting investigations to determine the circumstances of these reprehensible developments,” Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of UN peacekeeping, told a UN hearing into the situation in Lebanon, where a new war between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hizbullah erupted on March 2nd.
Speaking to reporters earlier at the United Nations, Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, blamed the deaths of the two peacekeepers near Bani Hayyan on Hizbullah.
Asked about Danon’s statement, Unifil spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said: “We invite them to share their evidence with our investigative team.”
Danon said Hizbullah launches rockets from civilian infrastructure within the villages, right next to UN positions, “putting peacekeepers directly in the line of fire.”
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the killing of the peacekeepers, saying that such attacks were “grave violations of international humanitarian law ... and may amount to war crimes.”
“There will need to be accountability,” he added in a statement. – Rueters
Iran to begin retaliatory attacks on US companies in Gulf
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday they will target US companies in the region as of April 1st in retaliation for attacks on Iran, state media reported.
The 18 companies listed in the IRGC’s threat included Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel, IBM, Tesla and Boeing.
“These companies should expect the destruction of their respective units in exchange for each terror act in Iran, starting from 8 PM Tehran time on Wednesday, April 1st,” the IRGC statement said. – The Guardian
UK to send additional air defence equipment to Middle East allies
Britain plans to send additional air defence equipment to help its allies in the Middle East as Iranian attacks continue, UK defence minister John Healey said on Tuesday as he visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.
Healey held talks with allies where they discussed the Strait of Hormuz and further UK-Gulf co-operation on regional security, Britain’s ministry of defence said.
The UK will deploy Sky Sabre, a ground-based air defence system used by the British Army, in Saudi Arabia, a statement said.
The deployment of British Typhoon fighter jets in Qatar, where the UK operates a joint squadron with Qatar, will be extended, Healey said.
“I pay tribute to the heroic efforts of our partners across the Gulf in protecting their nations. We will stand by our long-term partners in the Middle East and continue to push for a swift resolution to this conflict,” Healey said in a statement. – Reuters
What has happened so far today?
- The US hit the central Iranian cities of Mahallat, Zanjan and Isfahan as Tehran struck a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Gulf.
- Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said the war was “beyond the halfway point” but the country is prepared for “weeks” more of fighting in Iran.
- Further strikes have been reported elsewhere in the Gulf in the United Arab Emirates, including in Dubai, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and in Israel.
- China and Pakistan called for an immediate end to the war and for peace talks as soon as possible, as they agreed to boost their co-operation on Iran.
- US president Donald Trump said the UK and other countries which did not take part in strikes against Iran should secure the Strait of Hormuz themselves, suggesting its allies will “have to start learning how to fight for yourself”.
- Israel will destroy all homes in Lebanese villages near the border and 600,000 people who fled the south will not be allowed home until northern Israel is secure, the country’s defence minister said.
- US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the next few days in the conflict will be decisive, claiming there had been major desertions from the Iranian armed forces.
- Tánaiste Simon Harris said “Ireland’s current priority is to see a de-escalation and an end to this war” and that the country has roughly 90 days’ worth of fuel supplies stockpiled.
- Oil prices were set for a record monthly rise on Tuesday.
Lebanon preparing for long-term displacement of hundreds of thousands of people
Lebanon is preparing for the possibility that hundreds of thousands displaced by Israeli strikes and evacuation orders will not return home in the long term, Lebanese social affairs minister Haneen Sayed said on Tuesday.
Sayed spoke to Reuters after Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said the military would destroy all homes along Lebanon’s border with Israel and bar 600,000 residents who fled southern Lebanon from returning to their villages.
More than one million people have fled their homes and another 1,200 have been killed in Israeli strikes since March 2nd, when Lebanese armed group Hizbullah pulled Lebanon into the regional conflict by firing into Israel.
“Long-term displacement is something we are concerned about, of course. We hope it does not happen, but as a government, we have to prepare and think about it,” Sayed said on Tuesday.
The Lebanese government is considering options, including cash-for-rent programs and “physical places where people might go”, but is not planning to construct camps at this stage, she said.
“And it all depends on how much of a land grab the Israelis will insist on, and of course, it’s totally unacceptable for us. I mean, this is a huge violation of our sovereignty, and we will do everything we can to ensure that this doesn’t happen, whatever we have in our means,” Sayed said. – Reuters
Oxfam describes Israel’s new death penalty law as ‘horrifying act of violence’
In response to the Israeli Knesset passing a bill mandating the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, Shaista Aziz, Oxfam’s Campaign Engagement Lead said: “This bill is another horrifying act of violence which proves the system of institutionalised discrimination and systematic oppression of the Palestinian people.
“The Israeli government has granted itself another means to dehumanise, suppress and kill Palestinians. Israel is violating international law.
“This new law effectively ensures that the death penalty in Israel will apply only to Palestinians, even as the illegal Israeli occupation has lately seen a surge in the co-ordinated attacks and executions of Palestinians by settler militias and military.
“Israel holds more than nine thousand Palestinians in its jails – many unlawfully and subject to inhumane conditions, starvation and torture as state policy.
“Governments must now use all political and economic tools at their disposal to pressure the Israeli government to immediately row back on the decision.
“All red lines have been crossed, including fast-tracked annexation and mass forced displacement, entrenching a one-state reality of an illegal prolonged occupation.”
China and Pakistan call for immediate end to Middle East war
China and Pakistan called for an immediate end to the war in the Middle East and for peace talks as soon as possible, as they agreed to boost their co-operation on Iran.
The two countries outlined a joint initiative “for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region”, after a visit from senior Pakistani officials to Beijing.
Both countries have sought to mediate in the Middle East to prevent the conflict from escalating, with Islamabad saying it is ready to host “meaningful talks” between the United States and Iran.
Pakistani foreign minister Ishaq Dar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and agreed to “strengthen strategic communication and co-ordination on the Iran situation and ... make new efforts towards advocating for peace”, Beijing said.
Dar’s ministry later said the two sides had agreed on a five-point plan, starting with the “immediate cessation of hostilities” and the “start of peace talks as soon as possible”.
Spain’s prime minister labels Israel’s death penalty law ‘step towards apartheid’
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez condemned as a “step towards apartheid” Monday’s approval by the Israeli parliament of a law that would impose death sentence for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks by military courts.
“It is an asymmetrical measure that would not apply to Israelis committing the same crimes. Same crime, different punishment. It’s another step towards apartheid. The world cannot stay silent,” Sanchez, one of the most vocal supporters of Palestinians among western leaders, wrote on X on Tuesday.
Spain has been embroiled in a diplomatic standoff with Israel since Madrid’s sharp criticism of the Israeli government during the 2023-25 Gaza war, which it labelled as genocide. Israel’s officials have called Spain’s stance anti-Semitic on several occasions.
The rift worsened this month after Spain’s opposition to the US-Israel attacks on Iran, leading Madrid to permanently withdraw its ambassador to Israel on March 11th.
On Monday, Israel’s parliament passed the law making death by hanging a default sentence for Palestinians convicted in military courts of deadly attacks, fulfilling a pledge by prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s far-right allies.
Over 200,000 people crossed from Lebanon to Syria from March 2nd to 27th
The UN’s refugee agency has said that over 200,000 people crossed from Lebanon into Syria between March 2nd and March 27th as residents fled from the renewed Israeli war on Lebanon.
Nearly 180,000 of those who crossed into Syria were Syrians returning to their country, in addition to more than 28,000 Lebanese people, the agency said.
However, the Syrian government has restricted the entry of Lebanese people unless they have residency in Syria, a Syrian spouse or parent, or other exceptional circumstances, leaving many effectively stranded.
“Most are people fleeing the intense Israeli bombardments. They arrive exhausted, traumatised and with very, very few belongings,” UNHCR’s representative in Syria, Aseer Al-Madaien, told a UN briefing in Geneva by video from Damascus.
Many Lebanese people fear Israel is attempting to separate southern Lebanon from the rest of the country in advance of a large-scale invasion.
This would mean many people displaced from their homes, following evacuation orders across large areas of southern Lebanon, would have nowhere to return to. – The Guardian
Nine people killed in Lebanon on Monday
The Lebanese health ministry said yesterday that nine people had been killed and 137 others injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the past day.
It said the latest figures brought the death toll from Israeli attacks since March 2nd to 1,247, with 3,680 other people reported injured.
Hizbullah has fired almost 5,000 drones, rockets and missiles at Israel during the conflict, says military spokesperson
Israeli military spokesperson Lieut Col Nadav Shoshani said that Hizbullah had fired almost 5,000 drones, rockets and missiles at Israel during the conflict.
The Israeli military also announced a new wave of strikes it said were targeting Hizbullah infrastructure in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The war is the second major conflict between Israel and Hizbullah since 2024.
Israel dealt Hizbullah heavy blows in the last war, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah and thousands of its fighters.
The Lebanese health ministry has reported that 1,247 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, including 124 children and 52 medics.
Sources told Reuters last week that more than 400 Hizbullah fighters had been killed.
The Israeli military has reported that 10 of its soldiers have been killed in fighting with Hizbullah, a group founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982 to export the Islamic Revolution and fight Israeli forces who invaded that year. – Reuters
Israel to destroy ‘all houses’ near Lebanon border, defence minister says
Israel will destroy all homes in Lebanese villages near the border and 600,000 people who fled the south will not be allowed home until northern Israel is secure, the defence minister said on Tuesday.
Israel Katz reiterated Israeli plans to establish a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, saying that it would maintain control over a swathe of territory up to the Litani river once the war with Iran-backed Hizbullah group ended.
More than 1.2 million people have been displaced and another 1,200 have been killed in Lebanon since Israel launched an offensive against Hizbullah on March 2nd, ignited by the group’s decision to open fire in support of Tehran in the regional war.
“At the end of the operation, the Israel Defense Force will establish a security zone inside Lebanon – a line of defence against anti-tank missiles – and will maintain security control over the entire area up to the Litani river, including the remaining Litani bridges,” Katz said in a statement.
Israeli forces would eliminate Hizbullah’s elite Radwan fighters who infiltrated the south and destroy all weapons, he said. Displaced residents would not be allowed to return south of the Litani “until the safety and security of residents of northern Israel is guaranteed”, he added.
“All houses in villages near the Lebanese border will be destroyed, in accordance with the model used in Rafah and Beit Hanoun in Gaza, in order to permanently remove the threats near the border to northern residents,” he said. – Reuters
Since October 2023, 72,285 Palestinian people have been killed in Israeli attacks
Israeli air strikes killed at least five people in the Gaza Strip in two separate attacks on Tuesday, health officials said.
An Israeli air strike killed at least three people in Jabalia, in the north of the territory, while two other people were killed in another air strike in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to medics.
In its latest update, Gaza’s health ministry said at least 72,285 Palestinian people have been killed and 172,028 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7th 2023.
At least 709 Palestinian people have been killed in Israeli attacks since a ceasefire came into effect in October 2025, according to the ministry, whose figures the UN generally find reliable.
Most of the people killed have been civilians and the true death toll is likely much higher given the number of those still buried under rubble across the Gaza Strip. – The Guardian
US claims to have hit 11,000 targets in past 30 days
US joint chief of the staff Dan Caine says the US is delivering precision strikes against manufacturing nodes “deep within Iran”.
He says around 11,000 targets have been hit in the past 30 days.
The US “continues to assert dominance over the Iranian navy,” he adds.
Caine said more than 150 ships have been “taken out”.
France refused Israel use of its air space
France did not allow Israel to use its air space to transport American weapons to be used in the war against Iran, a western diplomat and two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.
The sources said the refusal, which happened at the weekend, was the first time France had done this since the start of the conflict in Iran.
Neither the French presidency nor the foreign ministry were immediately available for comment. – Reuters
Ireland’s priority to see de-escalation and end of war, says Tánaiste
Political Correspondent Cormac McQuinn reports: In relation to the conflict in the Middle East in general, Tánaiste Simon Harris said: “Ireland’s current priority is to see a de-escalation and an end to this war.”
He said that aside from the economic implications of the conflict the “human impact” of the war is real and he referred to the killing of children at a school in Iran and the death of three Indonesian peacekeepers in Lebanon.
Harris said the war is “escalating” adding: “we’re hearing a lot of talk about people wanting to end this and people wanting to end this quickly and we’re seeing none of that backed up by evidence.
Asked about talks with Iran, Hegseth says the US “would much prefer” to strike a deal but “in the meantime, we’ll negotiate with bombs”.
Hegseth concludes by reiterating that the mission will “end on our terms” and picks up on Trump’s talking points earlier today about America’s Nato allies.
He says: “We remain committed to a conflict that ends on our terms. In the president’s terms, there’s no doubt about that. And as far as Nato’s concerned, that’s a decision that’ll be left to the president.”
“That really needs to change and the international community really needs to speak with a much stronger voice to try and bring about that change.”
Next few days in Iran war will be ‘decisive,’ says US defence secretary
The next few days in the Middle East conflict will be decisive, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth told a briefing on Tuesday, saying there had been major desertions from the Iranian armed forces.
“We have more and more options, and they have less ... in only one month we set the terms, the upcoming days will be decisive,” Hegseth said. “Iran knows that, and there’s almost nothing they can militarily do about it.”
Hegseth, citing intelligence, said the strikes were damaging the morale of the Iranian military. This, he said, was triggering widespread desertions, key personnel shortages and causing frustration among senior leaders.
“If Iran is wise, they will cut a deal,” says Hegseth, adding that president Donald Trump “doesn’t bluff”. He refers to the Iranian regime as a “new regime” and says that regime change “has occurred” in Iran.
Hegseth also said he had visited troops in the Middle East on Saturday to witness the military operation against Iran.
Ireland has around 90-days of fuel supplies stockpiled, says Tánaiste
Political Correspondent Cormac McQuinn reports: Ireland has around 90-days of fuel supplies stockpiled according to Tánaiste Simon Harris, who said he has not been briefed on any concerns over aviation fuel stocks.
It comes amid the ongoing energy crisis caused by the war in Iran.
Harris, the Minister for Finance made the remarks as he spoke to reporters in advance of the Annual Savings and Investment Forum in Dublin on Tuesday.
He said he is “not aware” of any acute issues in relation to aviation fuel and added: “In general when it comes to our supply of energy and stocks we have about 90 days. In general as most countries do.”
However, he added: “While the challenge in relation to supply is not currently in this part of the world – and indeed most of the energy we get is not from the part of the world where the current conflict is – the longer this conflict goes on the more pronounced the energy crisis becomes and it’s hard to see how Europe and therefore Ireland remains immune from some of those impacts.”
He said he expects to speak to other Coalition leaders about the situation tonight and “We’ll take stock again at Cabinet tomorrow”.
Harris noted that European Union energy ministers are meeting today and said: “this is all part of the ongoing monitoring of the situation.”
He set out how the International Energy Agency told EU finance ministers last week that there were two oil crises in the 1970s and a gas crisis after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and “This current energy crisis as of today is already greater than all three combined and then some.”
Harris said the conflict is not over yet and “there is no room for complacency.
He said the Government has brought in measures “to try and help people in the here and now” mentioning the cuts to excise on petrol and diesel and extension of fuel allowance payments but added “we also have to broaden the toolkit in terms of the measures that we consider in the time ahead.”
Harris said a lot of households “want to know what can they do in their own house to increase their own energy resilience” and he cited grants for retrofitting for energy efficiency and solar panels.
“This is the way we ultimately crack the reliance on dirty fossil fuels that we’re dependent on from far-flung parts of the world,” he said.
King Charles to visit US
King Charles will make a state visit to the United States in late April, Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday, a high-profile trip that the British government hopes will help to repair relations with president Trump, damaged by the Iran war.
Charles and his wife Queen Camilla will visit the US in a long-planned trip to mark the 250th anniversary of the country’s independence from British rule, before the couple pay a visit to Bermuda.
“Their majesties’ programme will celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States,” Buckingham Palace said, adding the trip was being made on the advice of the British government.
It will be the first state visit by a British monarch since 2007 when Charles’ mother Queen Elizabeth made what was the fourth such US trip of her reign. – Reuters
Iran must stop ‘unacceptable attacks,’ says European Council president
The European Council president Antonio Costa said he had spoken on the telephone with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and urged him to engage on the diplomatic track and ensure the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Costa also said he had told Pezeshkian that Iran must stop what Costa described as “unacceptable attacks” on countries in the region.
“I urged for de-escalation and restraint, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the need for all parties to fully respect international law. The loss of innocent lives, including in the Minab school, is deeply regrettable,” Costa said in a post on X.
‘France has been very unhelpful,’ says Trump
In another post on Truth Social, US president Trump said, “The country of France wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory.
“France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the ‘Butcher of Iran,’ who has been successfully eliminated! The USA will REMEMBER!!! President DJT.”
Trump tells UK to secure Strait of Hormuz and ‘go get your own oil’
US president Donald Trump said the UK and other countries which did not take part in strikes against Iran should secure the Strait of Hormuz themselves.
Trump said countries which “refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran” should “build up some delayed courage, go to the strait and just take it”.
In the latest sign that his Middle East campaign has severely damaged long-standing relationships, Trump suggested its allies will “have to start learning how to fight for yourself”.
The UK was the only country named in a post by Trump on his Truth Social platform.
He wrote: “All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the US, we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.
“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the USA won’t be there to help you any more, just like you weren’t there for us.
“Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil.” – PA
Four killed following US-Israeli strikes in Iran
At least four people have been killed and 26 others injured in the Iranian city of Zanjan, according to ISNA news agency, citing Ali Sadeghi, a provincial deputy governor, following US-Israeli air strikes.
The Husseiniya Azam, a key religious site used for ceremonies and gatherings, in Zanjan was also damaged, particularly parts of the dome and minarets.
Iranian state television said the site was “was damaged following the enemy’s morning attack on the Ferdowsi street” in Zanjan, an industrial provincial capital located about 320km northwest of Tehran. – The Guardian
‘Horrific’: Killing of three UN peacekeepers in Lebanon likely constitutes a war crime, says Tánaiste
The killing of three UN peacekeepers in Lebanon is “horrific” and could be deemed a war crime, the Tánaiste has said.
Simon Harris was speaking after three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed in the south of the country in recent days amid rising tensions in the region after Israel and the US began bombing Iran more than four weeks ago.
Israel has launched a ground invasion of Lebanon while targeting the Iranian-backed militant group Hizbullah.
On Sunday, Indonesian peacekeepers were hit when a projectile exploded near a village in south Lebanon.
The Irish Government has said that all Irish peacekeepers deployed on a six-month UN mission to the region are safe and accounted for.
Harris said: “I would fully agree with the comments at the UN yesterday that attacks on peacekeepers could quite likely constitute war crimes, absolutely.
“It’s obviously a matter for others to determine exactly what happened in any situation, but what I know is three peacekeepers have been killed in the last 24 hours, or just more than that.
“It’s horrific, and any killing of a peacekeeper, it does constitute a war crime.”
He also said the law passed by the Israeli parliament to expand the scope of the death penalty was “horrifying” and “despicable”.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said she was particularly concerned about the de facto discriminatory nature of the bill as it relates to Palestinians.
“Ireland doesn’t support the death penalty, firstly, but the idea that you’d apply the death penalty to anybody based on their ethnicity or nationality is particularly horrific,” Harris said.
He said he remains committed to a ban on Israeli settlements located in illegally occupied Palestinian lands, and that McEntee was working with the Attorney General on the Occupied Territories bill in order to ensure they can “get it right” and “operationalise” it. – PA
Foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy and UK ‘deeply concerned’ over Israeli death penalty law
The foreign ministers of the UK, Germany, France and Italy have expressed “deep concern” over an Israeli Bill, now passed into law, that would impose the death penalty on Palestinian people convicted of fatal terror attacks.
In a joint statement, shared on X by the British foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, this morning, they said: “We, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, express our deep concern about a Bill that would significantly expand the possibilities to impose the death penalty in Israel and that could be voted into law next week.
“We are particularly worried about the de facto discriminatory character of the Bill. The adoption of this Bill would risk undermining Israel’s commitments with regards to democratic principles. The death penalty is an inhumane and degrading form of punishment without any deterring effect.
“This is why we oppose the death penalty, whatever the circumstances around the world. The rejection of the death penalty is a fundamental value that unites us. We urge the Israeli decision makers in Knesset and government to abandon these plans.”
The statement was published a day before the new law passed its final reading in the Knesset – the Israeli parliament – by 62 votes to 48 on Monday.
The measure has been condemned as discriminatory by European countries and rights groups. – The Guardian
Israel will establish a buffer zone inside southern Lebanon and maintain control over the entire area up to the Litani river, Israel’s defence minister has said.
Four people injured in Dubai after drone intercepted
Four people in Dubai were wounded when debris from an intercepted drone fell into a residential area and loud explosions could be heard later from another attack on the city. – AP
Massive fireball seen in sky as US strikes Iranian city
The US has hit the central Iranian city of Isfahan, sending a massive fireball into the sky as Tehran struck a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Gulf.
US president Donald Trump, who has been insisting there is progress in diplomatic talks toward a ceasefire, shared video of the attack on Isfahan, with fiery explosions lighting up the night sky.
Isfahan is home to one of three sites earlier attacked by the US military in June and some of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely stored or buried or there. – AP
Israel prepared for weeks more of fighting in Iran, says Netanyahu
Israel is prepared for “weeks” more of fighting in Iran, a military spokesman said on Tuesday after Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said in an interview the war was “beyond the halfway point”.
Liet Col Nadav Shoshani told reporters the decision is up to political leaders. But “we are prepared to keep operating for weeks to come. We have the targets for that, the munition for that, the manpower for that, and it’s up to the leadership to decide,” he said.
Iranian desalination plant out of service since air strike attack
One of the desalination plants on Iran’s Qeshm Island has been out of service since being hit by an air strike, an official from the health ministry told Iranian media on Tuesday, without saying when the strike occurred.
“Drinking water on Qeshm Island is provided by desalination plants. One of the desalination plants on Qeshm Island was targeted and is completely out of service as it is not possible to repair it in the short term,” the ministry’s head of the environmental and occupational health centre said, according to the news outlet Borna.
Iran said earlier in March that a desalination plant on Qeshm Island was targeted in air strikes. – Reuters
Rationing not likely in Ireland, says Fuels for Ireland chief
Vivienne Clarke reports: “If Donald Trump, Binyamin Netanyahu and the supreme leader of Iran kissed and made up at lunchtime today, we would still have a problem going on for a long period of time, months, possibly years because 5 per cent to 10 per cent of the world’s global refining capacity has been impacted by the war,” chief executive of Fuels for Ireland Kevin McPartland has said.
Every attack on a refinery or a terminal is adding up the delays, he told Newstalk Breakfast.
For every attack there will be pipes and machinery that will have to be rebuilt, all of which takes a long time, he said.
McPartland added that supply and prices were two different issues.
At present supply was not an issue, but the issue was “can we afford it?”
This was going to be an issue for a long time, he warned.
He did not think rationing was likely.
“I recognise that high fuel prices are really hurting people, but Ireland is a wealthy country. We’re in a far better situation than a lot of others because for at least a period of time, cash will be king. If we can afford it, we can get it.”
Public urged to follow safety instructions amid missile and drone attacks on UAE
In a post on X, when translated from Arabic, the United Arab Emirates ministry of defence said the missile and drone attacks originated from Iran and confirmed that the sounds heard in various parts of the country are the result of the UAE air defence systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.
It urged the public to remain calm and follow the safety and security instructions issued by relevant authorities.
It also said: “Do not approach, touch or photograph any debris or fragments that have fallen as a result of successful interceptions and allow relevant authorities to assess the situation.”
Eight people injured by falling munitions fragments in Israel
Israel’s emergency services said this morning that eight people with minor injuries were evacuated to hospitals in the Tel Aviv area, where police reported falling munitions fragments after an alert for incoming Iranian missiles.
Six of the injured were treated in the city of Bnei Brak, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service. – The Guardian
Iran warns of death penalty
People accused of spying or co-operating with “hostile states” could face the death penalty and confiscation of all assets under a recently enhanced law, an Iranian judiciary spokesperson said, a month into the war with the United States and Israel.
Even sharing photos or videos that could aid enemy targeting may be treated as intelligence co-operation, the spokesman added.
Iranian media have reported more than 1,000 arrests over the month, related to individuals accused of filming sensitive locations, sharing antigovernment content online or “co-operating with the enemy”.
The judiciary spokesman said the legislation, passed last year, applies to operational, intelligence and certain media activities deemed to support hostile governments, notably the US and Israel.
He warned those creating “fear” through misinformation could face prison terms, with penalties increased in wartime.
He added that authorities have issued about 200 indictments in such cases and were working with security bodies to identify and seize assets linked to suspects, stressing there would be no leniency in enforcing the law. – Reuters
Italy denies US aircraft access to military base
Italy denied US military aircraft bound for the Middle East permission to land at a base in Sicily, newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on Tuesday.
The move risks inflaming tensions with Washington, which has criticised European allies for not supporting its war with Iran.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Monday the US may need to reassess its relationship with Nato after the war is over.
The US flight plan was submitted without authorisation or consultation with national authorities and was forwarded after US planes were already airborne, the newspaper reported, without saying how it obtained the information.
Italy’s military checks found the flights were not routine or for logistics purposes, hence outside existing bilateral agreements.
The flights therefore required approval and parliamentary oversight, Corriere said.
A representative for Italy’s defence minister wasn’t immediately available for comment.
Italy’s move came as other countries, such as Spain, closed airspace to American flights involved in the US war in Iran, expanding an effort to distance itself from the conflict.
EU tells members to prepare for ‘prolonged disruption’ to energy markets
European Union governments should prepare for a “prolonged disruption” to energy markets as a result of the Iran war, the bloc’s energy chief has told countries’ ministers in advance of an emergency meeting on Tuesday.
In a letter to ministers, seen by Reuters, EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen said although the fallout on Europe’s energy supplies is currently contained, governments are “encouraged to make timely preparations in anticipation of a potentially prolonged disruption”. – Reuters
US-Israeli attack kills 11 people in Iran
A US-Israeli attack on the Iranian city of Mahallat last night killed 11 people and injured 15 others, the Tasnim news agency has cited a deputy security officer as having said.
Four residential units were destroyed in the attack, in which three children were killed, according to the report.
Role of Unifil mission ‘more important than ever,’ says Irish Defence Forces
Vivienne Clarke reports: Comdt Alex Quigley from the Defence Forces press office has said that the recent moves by Israel to cut off southern Lebanon from Beirut will not have an impact on the current rotation of Irish troops on Unifil duty and their deployment will conclude in May as planned.
While there may be restrictions on movement if Israel continues to destroy bridges across the Litani river, Irish troops had already proved they were more than capable of completing their rotation, he told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland.
Unifil has aviation and maritime forces that can assist in “movement and manoeuvrability” and the Irish Defence Forces have good equipment, he added.
The Irish troops had been well trained for this mission. “They’re where they need to be. They’re surrounded by very well-trained individuals who also are there.”
Quigley encouraged families of the troops to have comfort in the fact that “our highly professional soldiers are doing their job where they need to be for the eyes and ears for the international community.
“Our personnel are highly trained and highly prepared for these missions. So before they go, they undergo a three-month mission readiness exercise.
“What is happening right now is part of their job, and we have the force protection measures in place to mitigate against that risk.”
Apart from the “occasional disruption” to framework operations, the personnel of the 127th Infantry Battalion are patrolling every single day.
“If the volatility in the region does rise, they may go into bunkers, but that would only be for maybe like one hour, two hours at a time.”
The role of the Unifil mission was more important than ever now, he said, given the ongoing conflict.
Iranian parliamentary committee approves plan to impose tolls on Strait of Hormuz
Iranian state media reported that an Iranian parliamentary committee had approved a proposal to collect a toll on vessels travelling through the strait of Hormuz.
The strait will be closed to ships from the US, Israel and countries that have been involved in sanctioning Iran, according to a Telegram post from the Fars news agency, which said that Iran will have a “sovereign” role in the implementation of the new system.
The proposal, approved by Iran’s parliament security committee, would reportedly require agreement from other countries next to the strait.
It is not clear how much the toll on vessels will be.
US president Donald Trump warned yesterday that if a deal was not struck with Iran – including to reopen the strait of Hormuz shipping lane – US forces would destroy “all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinisation plants)”.
The strait’s closure has sent global energy prices soaring, including in the US where residents are being hit hard by surging gas prices and farmers face higher fertiliser costs and falling commodity prices. – The Guardian
The United Arab Emirates defence ministry said its defence systems are dealing with missile and drone threats from Iran.
Pakistani foreign minister to discuss Iran during China visit, Chinese ministry says
China’s foreign minister and his Pakistani counterpart will discuss the situation in Iran during the latter’s visit to China on Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry said.
The two countries have similar positions on major international and regional issues, a spokesperson for the ministry said in a press briefing.
Two Chinese vessels successfully pass through Strait of Hormuz
Two container vessels belonging to the Chinese shipping giant Cosco have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz as they have exited the Gulf, ship tracking data indicates.
The two vessels were the CSCL Indian Ocean and the CSCL Arctic Ocean.
They passed close to the Iranian-controlled island of Larak and are bound for Port Klang in Malaysia.
Iran has effectively blocked the vital waterway but allowed a trickle of ships through from nations it deems “non-hostile”, such as Thailand, China, Pakistan and India. – The Guardian
Israel reviewing deaths of Indonesian peacekeepers
Israel’s military said it was aware of the reports regarding the two incidents where three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed and said they were being reviewed thoroughly to determine whether they resulted from the military’s activity or Hizbullah’s. – The Guardian
Indonesia condemns attacks on its peacekeepers
Indonesia’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that it condemned the attacks in southern Lebanon on March 30th “in the strongest terms”, adding that they reflect the deteriorating security environment in the region.
It said that ongoing Israeli military operations have placed UN peacekeepers in Lebanon at grave risk.
The attacks over the weekend killed three Indonesians, the foreign ministry said.
Indonesia’s foreign minister has called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting and “for a swift, thorough and transparent investigation” into the “heinous attack”. – Reuters
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia respond to drone and missile attacks
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said it has intercepted and destroyed ten drones over the past hours and eight missiles launched towards the Riyadh area and eastern region.
Early this morning, Kuwait said its air defences were responding to hostile missile and drone attacks.
Neither Saudi Arabia nor Kuwait said where the drones or missiles came from. – The Guardian
Iran executes two men convicted of attack on government building
Iran executed two men convicted of links to the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran and involvement in multiple attacks, including firing launcher weapons at a government building, the judiciary news outlet reported on Tuesday.
On Monday, two other men linked to the same opposition group were executed. – Reuters
Macron due in Japan for talks dominated by Iran war
French president Emmanuel Macron arrives in Japan on Tuesday for a visit that initially aimed to strengthen partnerships in nuclear energy and space innovation but will now be dominated by the Middle East war.
Macron will hold talks with prime minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday and “the crisis in the Middle East will be at the heart of discussions”, the Élysée Palace said in advance of the trip.
It added that the two leaders would discuss “how we can try to find common solutions”, reports Agence France-Presse.
Japan depends on the Middle East for 95 per cent of its oil imports and has had to dip into strategic stockpiles to temper the impact of rising fuel prices since the start of the war.
Economy and finance ministers of G7 countries, which include France and Japan, said on Monday they stood ready to take “all necessary measures” to ensure the stability of the energy market as they tackled the economic consequences of the war. – The Guardian
Japan and Indonesia pledge deeper ties amid energy concerns
Japan and Indonesia have agreed to step up co-ordination on energy security, Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi said on Tuesday.
“In light of the Iran situation, the strategic importance of resources and energy security is once again being recognised globally. Indonesia is a major resource-rich nation,” Takaichi said alongside Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto after they met for talks in Tokyo.
The summit came as the US-Israeli war on Iran squeezes oil and gas supplies vital to Asia.
Indonesia is the world’s biggest exporter of thermal coal for power generation, supplying about half of global exports, Reuters reports.
It is also a major liquefied natural gas exporter, with roughly a quarter of its shipments bound for Japan. – The Guardian
Israel finishes ‘another wave’ of strikes in Tehran
The Israeli military says it has “just completed another wave of strikes” targeting Iranian regime infrastructure in the heart of Tehran.
The post on social media also said the military “continues to deepen the damage” to the infrastructure. – The Guardian
Oil prices soar to record monthly increase
Oil prices were set for a record monthly rise on Tuesday while Asian shares were headed for their steepest fall in six years, capping a tumultuous month as the war in the Middle East stoked fears of higher inflation and slower growth.
Bonds were headed for their largest decline in months, owing to the hawkish sea change in the global outlook for interest rates, while the dollar was on the cusp of its strongest gain in eight months.
A month into the war, investors continue to be confronted by a barrage of headlines as tensions and attacks between the US, Israel and Iran escalate.
“It appears markets have gone from just mechanically trading headlines ... into a little bit more of a fear mode, taking risk off the table,” said Vishnu Varathan, Mizuho’s head of macro research for Asia ex-Japan.
Markets turned a little more upbeat after the Wall Street Journal reported that US president Donald Trump told aides he is willing to end the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed.
Nasdaq futures were up 0.73 per cent and S&P 500 futures rose 0.84 per cent. EUROSTOXX 50 futures advanced 0.35 per cent, while DAX futures gained 0.48 per cent.
Brent crude futures pared gains and were last up 0.24 per cent at $113.05 a barrel, on track for a 56 per cent rise this month, the largest on record.
US crude was little changed at $102.98 a barrel, though it was still headed for a monthly rise of roughly 54 per cent, the most in nearly six years.
Why Donald Trump is like a child pulling the wings off flies
In his opinion column today, Fintan O’Toole addresses Donald Trump’s strategy against Iran. He writes that everyone with the slightest interest in the history of modern warfare knows that mass bombing doesn’t work.
“Short, sharp, decisive – this is the illusion that lured the present US president into his disastrous war on Iran,” writes O’Toole.
“The wide gap between ambition and outcome – this is the measure of his folly. That gap is an abyss into which human lives are hurled: as of last Sunday, according to the independent Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 236 children had been killed by US and Israeli bombing. But it is nonetheless a strategic void.”
Four Israeli soldiers killed in southern Lebanon
The Israeli military said on Tuesday four soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon, where its forces are clashing with the Iran-backed Hizbullah.
An Israel Defence Forces statement named three soldiers from the same battalion who “fell during combat” and a separate statement said another soldier – who had not yet been publicly named – had died in the same incident, Agence France-Presse is reporting.
Another soldier was severely wounded and a reservist moderately wounded, a second statement said.
Giant oil tanker off Dubai hit by Iranian strike
Iran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Monday, as Donald Trump warned the US would obliterate Iran’s energy plants and oil wells if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz.
The strike on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi is the latest in a string of assaults on merchant vessels by missiles or explosive air and sea drones in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28th.
The month-long conflict has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands, disrupting energy supplies and threatening to send the global economy into a tailspin.
Crude oil prices briefly spiked anew after the attack on the tanker, which can carry around 2 million barrels of oil worth more than $200 million at current prices.
Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship’s owner, said the attack happened early on Tuesday, causing a fire and hull damage, but there were no reported injuries.
Authorities in Dubai later said they had been able to bring the fire under control following a drone attack on the tanker. No injuries have been reported, they said.
