US-Israel Iran War Live Updates

In a series of coordinated strikes, Hezbollah militants launched a multipronged assault against Israeli military targets in both southern Lebanon and northern Israel, according to the Lebanese Shia group’s assertion.

Reports from Iran’s Health Ministry have confirmed that a recent attack severely impacted the Pasteur Institute of Iran, a historic medical research facility dating back over a century. This incident marks yet another assault on Iran’s critical infrastructure and cultural heritage sites, which Tehran describes as a “systematic and unlawful pattern of aggression.”
According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, the cumulative effect of US-Israeli strikes has resulted in extensive damage to over 113,000 civilian sites, encompassing 90,063 residential properties, 21,059 commercial establishments, and 760 educational institutions.
Iran’s cultural heritage has also suffered significantly, with 56 museums and historical landmarks falling victim to the attacks, as per the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Notably, the Chehel Sotoun Palace in Isfahan, a 17th-century architectural marvel, and the Masjed-e Jame, Iran’s oldest Friday mosque, have both sustained damage.
Iran’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Reza Salehi Amiri, has characterized these assaults as a “premeditated and deliberate attack” on Iran’s national identity, devoid of any legal justification. Amiri further lamented the erosion of moral and legal norms governing conflicts, stating, “We are witnessing a complete breakdown of the rules that once governed the conduct of war.”

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

Israel’s military has announced a significant escalation in its operations against Hezbollah, stating that its multi-pronged assault on the group’s strongholds has resulted in the deaths of more than 40 fighters over the past day.
According to the military’s latest briefing, Israeli warplanes conducted a series of precision strikes against Hezbollah’s key installations and logistical hubs, including armories and launch sites, while ground troops engaged in a targeted operation to dismantle a Hezbollah cell in southern Lebanon.
Additionally, the Israeli Navy participated in the operation, successfully targeting a major Hezbollah arms depot in the region. The military emphasized that its campaign, which employed air, sea, and land assets, was designed to disrupt Hezbollah’s capabilities and dismantle its infrastructure.

In a move that has sparked widespread condemnation, Israel’s legislative body recently approved a contentious bill allowing military courts to impose the death penalty on Palestinians who have committed acts of violence against Israelis. However, the law does not extend the same penalty to Jewish Israelis who have committed similar offenses against Palestinians. This disparity has drawn fierce criticism from the international community.

A joint statement from the foreign ministers of eight Muslim-majority nations – Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – has denounced the legislation as part of a broader pattern of discriminatory practices that perpetuate a system of apartheid and deny the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories. The statement also expressed deep concern over the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, citing reports of torture, malnutrition, and the denial of basic human rights.

The European Union and various European countries have also voiced their disapproval of the law, which rights groups have characterized as a key component of Israel’s apartheid system.

A convicted individual, identified as Amirhossein Hatami, has been put to death by Iranian authorities for his role in an attack on a sensitive military facility during the January protests, according to reports from Iranian media outlets.

Hatami was found guilty of collaborating in activities that compromised national security, infiltrating restricted military areas, and causing damage to government property through arson, as per information provided by Iran’s Mehr news agency.

The nationwide protests that swept Iran 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 attack has been launched against a key facility of the 58th Brigade in Qayyarah, a district situated south of Mosul in northern Iraq.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty is set to visit Moscow on Thursday, where he will engage in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks are expected to cover a range of pressing issues, including the conflict in Iran and its broader implications for the Middle East, as well as the two countries’ bilateral relationship, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Philippine Foreign Minister Ma Theresa Lazaro has reported a successful phone conversation with her Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi, resulting in a mutual agreement on safeguarding the well-being of Filipino sailors. According to Lazaro, the understanding was reached through a continuation of previous discussions, with a focus on ensuring the safety of Filipino seafarers and the security of the country’s energy supply. This comes after the Philippine government revealed that approximately 7,300 Filipino sailors were stationed in high-risk areas of the Middle East, including the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman.

Al Jazeera spoke with Andreas Krieg, a renowned expert from King’s College London, who shed light on Iran’s military capabilities.
According to Krieg, Iran’s military prowess has not diminished despite US claims to the contrary. He emphasized that Iran’s arsenal remains substantial, with the country retaining some of its most advanced weaponry.
Iran’s ability to launch projectiles into the Gulf or even Israel is still intact, as Krieg noted. Moreover, Iran’s precision in targeting has actually improved due to the weakening of defensive systems.
In the Strait of Hormuz, a growing consensus among European and UK officials is that the US is no longer a dependable partner. Krieg stressed that any resolution to the situation must be diplomatic in nature, with or without American involvement.