US-Israel Iran War Live Updates

Al Jazeera spoke with Andreas Krieg, a renowned expert from King’s College London, to shed light on the current state of Iran’s military capabilities.
According to Krieg, Iran’s military prowess is far from diminished, with its arsenal boasting a substantial level of sophistication. This assertion directly contradicts the US’s claims, which Krieg believes are unfounded. The analyst pointed out that Iran’s military capabilities remain robust, enabling it to launch projectiles into the Gulf and even into Israel, should the need arise. Furthermore, Krieg noted that Iran’s precision in targeting has actually improved due to the weakening of defence systems.

In the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint, Krieg observed that Europe and the UK have come to the realization that the US is no longer a dependable ally. The analyst emphasized that any resolution to the situation must be achieved through diplomatic means, with or without American involvement. In his words, “there is no military way to force this gate open.”

Philippine Foreign Minister Ma Theresa Lazaro has announced a breakthrough in her discussions with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, resulting in a shared understanding on safeguarding the well-being of Filipino sailors. According to a post on X, Lazaro stated that the two nations have made significant progress in their talks, culminating in a positive agreement on seafarer safety and energy security. This development comes after the Philippine government revealed that approximately 7,300 Filipino seafarers were operating in high-risk regions of the Middle East, including the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, last month.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty is set to visit Moscow on Thursday, where he will engage in high-level discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the Iran conflict and broader Middle Eastern issues expected to be key topics of conversation, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

In a recent parliamentary move, Israel’s lawmakers approved a contentious bill that will empower military courts to sentence Palestinians to death for allegedly committing acts of terrorism against Israelis, while exempting Jewish Israelis from facing the same penalty for harming Palestinians. This discriminatory legislation has now drawn sharp criticism from the foreign ministers of eight predominantly Muslim nations: Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The ministers collectively denounced the law in a joint statement, warning that it represents a disturbing escalation of Israel’s apartheid policies and a blatant disregard for the fundamental rights of Palestinians living under occupation. The statement also highlighted the dire conditions faced by Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody, citing credible reports of torture, malnutrition, and systemic human rights abuses. The European Union and several European countries have also voiced their disapproval of the legislation, which human rights groups describe as a cornerstone of Israel’s apartheid regime.

A convicted individual has been put to death by the Iranian government following a conviction for his alleged involvement in a violent assault on a sensitive military facility during a wave of anti-government demonstrations that swept the country in January.
Amirhossein Hatami was found guilty of collaborating in operations that compromised national security, trespassing on classified military installations, and causing damage to and setting fire to government property, according to reports from Iran’s Mehr news agency.
The nationwide protests that took place in December and January resulted in the loss of thousands of lives.

According to an insider within Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an aerial assault has been directed at the 58th Brigade’s main base in the Qayyarah area, situated south of Mosul in northern Iraq.

The Israeli military has issued a statement detailing its recent operations against Hezbollah, citing a series of targeted strikes against the group’s military assets and infrastructure over the past 24 hours.
According to the military, its air campaign focused on destroying key Hezbollah sites, including arms depots and launch pads, while ground troops operating in southern Lebanon identified and neutralized a Hezbollah cell, further disrupting the group’s operations.
In addition, Israel’s naval forces reportedly struck a Hezbollah weapons storage facility in the region, contributing to the overall tally of casualties.
The Israeli military asserts that its multi-faceted assault, conducted from the air, sea, and land, resulted in the deaths of more than 40 Hezbollah fighters over the past day.

Kremlin officials have confirmed that Russia stands prepared to lend its assistance in resolving the ongoing conflict in Iran, with President Vladimir Putin maintaining dialogue with regional leaders, according to Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s chief spokesperson.

Reports from the Iranian Health Ministry confirm that a recent attack severely impacted the Pasteur Institute of Iran, a historic medical research facility dating back to the early 20th century. This incident marks the latest in a series of targeted strikes against Iran’s civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage sites, which Tehran describes as a “systematic and unlawful pattern of aggression”.

According to data compiled by the Iranian Red Crescent Society, the conflict has resulted in significant damage to at least 113,000 civilian sites, encompassing 90,063 residential properties, 21,059 commercial establishments, and 760 educational institutions.

Iran’s cultural heritage has also suffered, with 56 museums and historical landmarks falling victim to the attacks, as per the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Notable sites among the damaged include the 17th-century Chehel Sotoun Palace in Isfahan and the Masjed-e Jame, Iran’s oldest congregational mosque.

Iran’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Reza Salehi Amiri, has denounced these assaults as a “premeditated and calculated attack” on Iranian identity, lacking any legitimate basis. Amiri further lamented the collapse of moral and legal norms governing conflicts.

In a somber display of solidarity, a massive crowd of Iranians converged on Tehran’s streets yesterday to pay their respects to a fallen Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval commander, who lost his life in an Israeli airstrike. The solemn procession served as a poignant reminder of the nation’s unwavering commitment to resistance, despite the United States’ stern warnings. Coinciding with the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Republic’s founding, the event drew attention to the country’s tumultuous history, which began on April 1, 1979, when the revolution brought an end to the 2,500-year reign of the monarchy. As Moussa Nowruzi, a 57-year-old pensioner, eloquently put it, “This conflict has dragged on for a month, but we will persevere, no matter the duration. Our resolve remains unshakeable, and we will resist until the very end.”