US-Israel Iran War Live Updates

In a bid to alleviate the economic strain of the Middle East conflict, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has allocated €5 billion to support countries impacted by the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. This financial assistance will be directed towards Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, as well as neighbouring economies such as Egypt, Turkiye, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

The EBRD highlighted the far-reaching consequences of the conflict, including trade disruptions, energy and commodity price fluctuations, and a decline in investor confidence. These factors have resulted in significant costs for local populations.

Given the rapidly evolving nature of the crisis, the EBRD has decided to adopt a demand-driven approach to its conflict response investment. This strategy will enable the bank to respond effectively to the changing needs of affected countries.

In addition to its conflict relief efforts, the EBRD has also approved a project aimed at bolstering Lebanon’s retail sector. The bank’s broader objectives include ensuring continued access to employment, financial services, and essential amenities for those affected by the conflict.

A senior official at the UN Development Programme has disclosed to Al Jazeera that the Arab region’s economies have collectively shrunk by 7 percent, with the Gulf states bearing the brunt of the economic impact stemming from the ongoing conflict.

Iranian state news outlet IRNA has announced the passing of Kamal Kharrazi, a prominent figure on Iran’s Council on Foreign Relations, whose life was cut short by the consequences of a US-Israeli air raid during the conflict.

According to Kristalina Georgieva, IMF Managing Director, two countries have turned to the international lender for emergency funding due to the devastating economic and trade consequences of the ongoing conflict. In a recent interview with the AFP news agency, Georgieva revealed that the IMF had evaluated “two requests for emergency financing,” though she refrained from disclosing the identities of the nations in question. The IMF typically offers financial support to countries facing debt burdens, but its assistance often comes with stringent conditions that have been subject to criticism.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), has issued a plea to Israel to rescind an evacuation order that affects a densely populated area in Beirut’s Jnah neighborhood, where two major hospitals are located.
The order in question threatens the Rafik Hariri University Hospital and Al Zahraa Hospital, which are currently caring for approximately 450 patients, including 40 in critical condition, and are at a loss for alternative facilities to transfer them to.
Both hospitals are operating at maximum capacity, with staff treating those injured in the recent strikes that occurred on Wednesday. Furthermore, the area is home to over 5,000 displaced individuals taking refuge in shelters.
In a public statement on X, Tedros emphasized the need for Israel to reconsider its decision and guarantee the safety of healthcare facilities, medical personnel, patients, and civilians alike.

Anita Anand, Canada’s Foreign Minister, has voiced her disapproval of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and Hezbollah’s retaliatory attacks against Israel. In a public statement on X, Anand emphasized that the safeguarding of civilians is an absolute imperative under international law. She urged Israel to acknowledge and respect Lebanon’s sovereignty, while simultaneously calling on Hezbollah to relinquish its arms immediately. Anand expressed Canada’s unwavering support for the Lebanese government’s efforts to reassert its authority and maintain full control over its territory.

A flurry of high-stakes bets on a US-Iran ceasefire by anonymous traders on the Polymarket platform has prompted a chorus of demands for investigation from US lawmakers. According to The Associated Press, a significant number of new accounts – at least 50 – placed lucrative wagers on the ceasefire mere hours and minutes before then-President Trump’s announcement on Tuesday, resulting in substantial profits of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In response, Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres has written to the country’s derivatives regulator, questioning the statistical likelihood of such a winning bet being placed 12 minutes prior to the presidential announcement, and calling for a thorough investigation into the matter.

In a move prompted by a recent drone strike on a key US diplomatic compound in Baghdad, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has requested an urgent meeting with the Iraqi ambassador, according to a statement from the State Department. The US embassy in Baghdad had previously reported that an Iraqi group was responsible for launching multiple drone attacks in the vicinity of the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center and Baghdad International Airport.

A devastating wave of Israeli airstrikes swept across Lebanon, claiming the lives of at least 303 people and leaving 1,150 others injured in the span of a single day. To recap the events of yesterday, a staggering 100 air strikes were unleashed within a mere 10-minute window, unleashing widespread destruction and chaos.

Critics of Netanyahu are seizing on the notion that he initiated the conflict, secured US support without a clear exit plan, and failed to exert control over the war’s trajectory or negotiations, as evidence of his inept handling of the situation. A local official had previously suggested that Iranian pressure led to the Israeli government’s decision to engage in the conflict. This assertion has further fueled the growing discontent among northern Israel communities, who feel neglected by their government’s hasty decision to open a new front in the war against Lebanon.