**Paris (France) (AFP) – The latest developments in the Middle East war:**
– **Second Philippine national killed**
A second Philippine national has been killed in the Middle East war after a missile struck a residential building in northern Israel, according to Manila’s foreign affairs department. The woman was killed in the port city of Haifa on Sunday “alongside her Israeli husband and elderly parents-in-law,” the department said. Israeli rescue services said Monday that the bodies of four people had been recovered from the rubble of a residential building in the city, after it was struck by an Iranian missile the previous day.
– **Israel, Iran trade fire**
Explosions were heard in parts of Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj, Iranian media reported, as the Israeli military said it was carrying out a “wave” of airstrikes on Iran. “Moments ago, explosions were heard in parts of Tehran and Karaj,” local media outlets Fars and Mehr said on Telegram. The Israeli military also announced its air defences were activated to respond to missiles fired by Iran.
– **Saudis down ballistic missiles**
Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed seven ballistic missiles launched toward the country’s east, debris of which fell near power facilities, the defence ministry’s spokesperson said.
– **Two killed in Iraqi Kurdistan**
A drone “coming from Iran” killed a couple in Iraqi Kurdistan after crashing into their home, local authorities reported. Separately, two blasts were heard near Erbil airport, which hosts advisers from the US-led anti-jihadist coalition, in Iraq’s northern autonomous Kurdistan region, an AFP journalist said. Some hours earlier, air defence systems downed four missiles headed towards the US consulate in Erbil, a security source told AFP.
– **UN to vote on Strait of Hormuz resolution**
The UN Security Council is set to vote on Tuesday for a resolution addressing Iran’s threats to the Strait of Hormuz, diplomatic sources told AFP. The latest draft, seen by AFP, demands Iran end its attacks on commercial vessels and halt “any attempt to impede transit passage or freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.” But objections from several veto-holding permanent members have seen the text watered down, and the latest draft does not expressly authorize force. Tehran has virtually closed the key waterway since US-Israeli strikes targeting Iran on February 28, sending global oil and gas prices soaring.
– **Iran slams ‘arrogant rhetoric’**
After US President Donald Trump doubled down on his threats to raze Iran’s infrastructure, an Iranian army spokesman said the “rude, arrogant rhetoric” was not impacting its actions.
– **Trump threatens Iran infrastructure**
Trump told a news conference that “the entire country” of Iran “could be taken out in one night and that night might be tomorrow night,” if his ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 0000 GMT Wednesday was not met. “Every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again,” he said, threatening the same for the country’s bridges. “I mean complete demolition by 12 o’clock (0400 GMT), and it’ll happen over a period of four hours — if we wanted to.”
– **Details on US airman rescue**
Trump and other senior US officials gave details of the high-risk mission to rescue two US airmen who were shot down over Iran, saying more than 170 aircraft and hundreds of troops were involved in the operation. “These two operations reflect our nation’s most sacred obligation to our military service members,” top US general Dan Caine said. “We leave no one behind.”
– **US, Iran reject ceasefire**
Trump and Iran rejected a ceasefire bid from mediating countries, though the US leader called it a “significant proposal.” “It’s a significant step. It’s not good enough, but it’s a very significant step,” Trump told reporters in Washington before his news conference. Iranian state media said the proposal contained 10 undisclosed points, but Tehran “has rejected a ceasefire and insists on the need for a definitive end to the conflict.”
– **Red Cross condemns threats to infrastructure**
International Committee of the Red Cross chief Mirjana Spoljaric warned that “deliberate threats…against essential civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities must not become the new norm in warfare.” “Any war fought without limits is incompatible with the law,” she said, without singling out any country or leader. Trump, asked about potentially committing war crimes by attacking civilian infrastructure, said “I’m not worried about it.” He argued an Iran with “a nuclear weapon” would be worse.
© 2024 AFP
