Breaking Update: Here’s a clear explanation of the latest developments related to Breaking News:Trump says ‘too late’ for talks as Iran hits Gulf energy industry, US missions; Israel ‘invades’ Lebanon– What Just Happened and why it matters right now.
Strikes inside Iran and Tehran’s retaliation against Israel and US military bases across the Gulf marked the fourth day of an escalating West Asia conflict on Tuesday.
The war, triggered by Israeli and US attacks that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has intensified with both sides trading air strikes, fuelling concerns over regional stability and global oil markets.
Israel launches ground invasion of Lebanon: Israeli troops advanced into a border area in southern Lebanon after Israel’s Defence Minister ordered forces to “take control of additional strategic positions in Lebanon”. Military spokesperson Effie Defrin said the aim was to create a buffer zone “between our residents and any threat.”
Iran targets Gulf cities, energy sites: Explosions were reported in several Gulf cities as Iran struck industrial and diplomatic targets across the region. Tehran also targeted US bases in Bahrain and Qatar, prompting evacuation efforts by several governments.
Iran threatens US, Israel with ‘gates of hell’: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) warned of intensified attacks on the US and Israel. “The enemy must await continuous punitive attacks; the gates of hell will open more and more, moment by moment, upon the United States and Israel,” IRGC spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini told state TV.
Iran shuts Strait of Hormuz: The IRGC said it was closing the Strait of Hormuz and warned it would “burn” any vessel attempting to pass through the waterway, which carries about 20% of global oil and gas supplies.
US embassy in Saudi hit: Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said two drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh, causing a fire and minor damage. The embassy said it was suspending consular services in the kingdom.
US strikes IRGC assets: The US military said it destroyed IRGC command posts as well as Iranian air defence and missile launch sites.
Death toll rises in Iran: Iranian state media, citing the Iranian Red Crescent, said the death toll from Israeli and US attacks had risen to more than 787. Tehran said the dealth toll from an Israeli strike on a girls’ school in Minab has risen to 165. The UN human rights chief called for a “prompt, impartial and thorough investigation” into the attack.