Paris (France) (AFP) – Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:
– **Iran energy sites hit** – Iranian media reported on Tuesday that Israeli-US strikes targeted two gas facilities and a pipeline, hours after US President Donald Trump stepped back from his threat to attack power infrastructure. In an interview with state TV, Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said that Iran is less vulnerable to attacks on energy infrastructure because it was spread out, with 150 power plants across the country.
– **Six killed in Iraqi Kurdistan** – A rocket attack in Iraq’s north killed six Iraqi Kurdish security personnel, with two missing and 22 wounded, a security official told AFP. There was no indication of who was responsible for the strike.
– **Wounded in Tel Aviv** – Six people were wounded in Tel Aviv, where police reported several impact sites after the military warned of incoming missiles from Iran. Earlier, Iranian state media announced a fresh salvo of missiles was headed towards Israel on Tuesday morning, after an earlier barrage hit a building in the north.
– **Two killed near Beirut** – An Israeli strike on Bshamoun, a town south of Beirut which lies outside of the traditional strongholds of Iran-backed Hezbollah, killed at least two people, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
– **Iraq deaths** – A strike in western Iraq on Tuesday killed 15 fighters, including Saad Dawai al-Baiji, provincial commander and head of operations in Anbar for the former paramilitary coalition Hashed al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF). The PMF is now part of Iraq’s regular army but also includes some pro-Iranian groups.
– **Syrian base targeted** – Syria’s army said Monday that one of its bases in the northeast was targeted by a missile strike from neighbouring Iraq, while an Iraqi official said a local armed group was behind the attack. The Iraqi official, requesting anonymity, told AFP that “an Iraqi faction fired seven Arash-4 rockets, an improved version of the Grad rocket, towards a base in the Hassakeh region”.
– **Trump-Netanyahu call** – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had spoken with Donald Trump and that the US president believed the countries’ military gains in Iran could be converted into a negotiated agreement that protected Israel’s interests. “President Trump believes there is a chance to leverage the tremendous achievements of the (Israeli military) and the US military in order to realise the war’s objectives in an agreement — an agreement that will safeguard our vital interests,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. Earlier, Trump announced he had shelved plans to attack Iran’s power plants in a stunning about-turn, sparked by what he said were “very good” talks with unidentified Iranian officials to bring an end to the war.
– **Beirut suburbs hit** – Israel attacked the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs hours after the Israeli army issued a warning for residents of the area to evacuate, saying it was “striking Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut”. AFPTV’s live broadcast showed a cloud of smoke over the southern suburbs, which are considered a stronghold of the Iran-backed militant group.
– **Pakistani, Iranian leaders speak** – Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he had spoken with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on “the grave situation in the Gulf region” and promised that Pakistan was committed to playing “a constructive role in advancing peace”.
– **’David’s Sling’ malfunction** – A malfunction in Israel’s “David’s Sling” aerial interceptor system had allowed two Iranian ballistic missiles to strike the south of the country, wounding dozens of people over the weekend, the military confirmed. The system is a key component of Israel’s multi-layered air defence shield.
– **Israel hits Guards’ site** – The Israeli military said it struck a site in Tehran belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and used for directing battalions of the Basij paramilitary force. The hit came days after Israel announced it had “eliminated” the intelligence chief of the Basij in a strike that also killed the force’s top commander, Gholamreza Soleimani. Israel has been targeting the Basij force as part of efforts to undermine the Iranian authorities’ grip on power.
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© 2024 AFP
