US-Israel Iran War Live Updates

Iranian state media reports that the naval command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has taken credit for a strike against a data storage facility operated by Oracle, a prominent US-based technology company, in Dubai. This development follows a previous statement from the IRGC, in which it claimed to have successfully targeted an Amazon cloud computing hub in Bahrain.

In a stark warning, UN Undersecretary-General for Human Rights Tom Fletcher cautioned Al Jazeera that Lebanon’s precarious situation is marked by ominous indicators, underscoring the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the escalating conflicts.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Araghchi has responded to the recent US-Israeli strike on civilian infrastructure, stating that such actions will not intimidate Iran into submission.
Araghchi’s assertion was made on X, where he posted a photograph of the damaged B1 bridge in Karaj, west of Tehran, which was targeted in the strike that claimed the lives of at least two individuals and left multiple others injured.
In a scathing critique, Araghchi described the US strikes as a manifestation of an enemy’s internal disarray and moral collapse, rather than a strategic move to pressure Iran.

Iran’s Khatam-al Anbiya military command has issued a stern warning to the US and Israel, stating that their understanding of the country’s military prowess is woefully inadequate and that a decisive victory over their adversaries is all but assured.
According to a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency, a spokesperson for the command asserted that the US and Israel’s knowledge of Iran’s military capabilities is severely limited, and that they are woefully unaware of the country’s vast and strategic capabilities.
The spokesperson emphasized that the destruction of several strategic missile production centers and advanced military systems has had little to no impact on Iran’s overall military capabilities, as these facilities are merely “insignificant” compared to the country’s extensive and clandestine military infrastructure.
Iran’s military has vowed to unleash even more devastating and far-reaching attacks, with the ultimate goal of securing a “permanent, definitive, and final” surrender from its enemies.

In a televised address to the American public on Wednesday, President Trump warned that Iran would be reduced to a state of prehistoric ruins if it failed to accept a peace deal that met Washington’s conditions to bring an end to the escalating conflict, now in its fifth week.
The term ‘reduced to prehistoric ruins’ is commonly understood to signify a comprehensive bombing campaign aimed at annihilating a nation’s infrastructure, leaving no remnants of modern civilization intact – including hospitals, schools, universities, industries, businesses, hotels, skyscrapers, or parks.
Such an action, were it to be carried out, would likely constitute a genocidal act under international law, as exemplified by Israel’s tactics in Gaza.
However, neither the threat nor the US’s willingness to engage in such a campaign is a new phenomenon.
In fact, the phrase ‘reduced to prehistoric ruins’ is often attributed to Curtis LeMay, a US Air Force officer who oversaw the destruction of Japanese cities during World War II.
In the early 1950s, US-led forces conducted a carpet bombing campaign against North Korea, resulting in the destruction of 95 percent of its power generation capacity and more than 80 percent of its buildings.
LeMay later advocated for the US to bomb Vietnam back to a ‘state of prehistoric devastation’ during the war in Southeast Asia. In 1972, US President Richard Nixon ordered the carpet bombing of North Vietnam, which was marketed to the American public as the ‘Christmas bombing’ campaign.
Following the September 11 attacks, the US threatened to reduce Pakistan to ‘prehistoric ruins’ if it did not join the war against the Taliban, according to then-Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

A rocket attack in Kiryat Shmona has left two individuals, one 85 years old and the other 34, with non-life-threatening injuries caused by shrapnel, according to a report from Israel’s Channel 12. A photograph taken in the aftermath shows a house in the city with significant damage to its walls.

A devastating aerial assault has struck the town of Kfar Sir in southern Lebanon, resulting in the tragic loss of at least three lives, according to the Lebanese National News Agency. The agency also reported multiple air raids in the nearby towns of Yatar, Harouf, and Zibdine. This latest escalation comes as part of a broader conflict, with Israeli forces intensifying their military operations in Lebanon amidst their ongoing ground invasion of southern regions.

In a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized the need for an immediate halt to military activities, following a warning from former US President Trump that Iran could face significant military strikes in the coming weeks. Mao Ning expressed her concern that escalating conflicts would not serve the interests of any party involved, stating that military actions cannot provide a lasting solution to the crisis.

The far-reaching implications of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran are being felt by South Asian farmers, whose livelihoods are inextricably linked to global events unfolding thousands of kilometres away.
A critical chokepoint in international trade, the Strait of Hormuz, is at the epicentre of the crisis, as one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through this narrow shipping lane, a key ingredient in the production of nitrogen-based fertilisers.
Disruptions to fertiliser supplies can have a devastating impact on crop yields, drive up costs, and push up food prices, posing a significant threat to the region’s agricultural sector.
Pakistani wheat farmer Muneer Ahmad warns that the escalating crisis could have far-reaching consequences for his community, saying, “If fertiliser prices rise, it will affect everyone here.”

Hossein Kermanpour, a spokesperson for Iran’s Health Ministry, has confirmed that the Pasteur Institute of Iran, a renowned medical research centre established in 1920, was the target of a recent attack, resulting in significant structural damage.