Middle East crisis live: Iran threatens Israel over further ‘adventurism’; explosion hits military base in Iraq

From 1h ago

Iran will respond at a ‘maximum level’ if Israel acts against its interests, says foreign minister

The Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-abdollahian, said on Friday that Iran will respond at an immediate and “maximum level” if Israel acts against its interests, according to Reuters.

In an interview with NBC News, Amir-abdollahian said, speaking through an interpreter:

If Israel wants to do another adventurism and acts against the interests of Iran, our next response will be immediate and will be at the maximum level.

His comments follow reports of an Israeli strike on Iran early Friday.

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The latest figures from the Gaza health ministry, which is run by Hamas, said 37 Palestinians were killed and 68 injured in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours.

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According to the statement, at least 34,049 Palestinians have been killed and 76,901 have been injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October.

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The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants.

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One member of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces was killed and eight injured in an explosion at its command post on the Kalso military base 50 km (30 miles) south of Baghdad, a military statement said on Saturday, reports Reuters.

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There were no drones or fighter jets detected in the airspace of the Babylon area before or during the blast, the military confirmed in a statement.

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Several people were wounded in a “bombing” overnight Friday on an Iraqi military base housing pro-Iranian paramilitaries, two security sources said, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

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The explosion hit the Calso base, where former pro-Iranian paramilitary group Hashed al-Shaabi – now integrated into the regular army – are stationed, an interior ministry source and a military official told AFP.

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The ministry of interior official said the attack had killed one person and wounded eight others, while the military source reported three Iraqi military personnel had been wounded.

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In a statement, Hashed al-Shaabi said the attack had inflicted “material losses” and casualties, without specifying the number of wounded.

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The organisation said an “explosion” had hit its premises on the base and that investigators were sent to the site.

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Responding to questions from AFP, the security sources would not identify who was responsible for the attack, or say whether it had been a drone strike.

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The ministry source said:

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The explosion hit equipment, weapons and vehicles.

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There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

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US congress has pushed a $95bn national security aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other US allies closer to passage.

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The package would provide additional aid to Israel after an airstrike in Iran that the US attributed to it.

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A key procedural vote gained approval on Friday to move ahead with the bill, with the Democrats joining Republicans in a rare assist, Associated Press (AP) reported.

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Aid for the international conflict between Russia and Ukraine has received faltering support from far-right conservatives, threatening the bill’s passage. The legislation would also provide humanitarian support to Taiwan and Ukraine.

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With the latest procedural obstacle cleared, the bill could be approved by the House this weekend and then sent to the Senate.

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In an interview with NBC News, Amir-abdollahian said, speaking through an interpreter:

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If Israel wants to do another adventurism and acts against the interests of Iran, our next response will be immediate and will be at the maximum level.

\n

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His comments follow reports of an Israeli strike on Iran early Friday.

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It has gone 10am in Gaza and Tel Aviv. This is our latest Guardian live blog on the Israel-Gaza war and the wider Middle East crisis.

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But first, here’s a summary of the latest developments:

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The Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-abdollahian, said on Friday that Iran will respond at an immediate and “maximum level” if Israel acts against its interests, according to Reuters. Amir-abdollahian said earlier that drones reportedly fired by Israel at the Iranian city of Isfahan did not cause “any damage or casualties”, as reported by Iranian media.

US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said at the G7 meeting: “We’re committed to Israel’s security”, but added”:“We’re also committed to de-escalating.” Blinken also said that despite the confrontation, the US remained “intensely focused on Gaza”.

The US Congress is pushing forward a $95m national security package that would provide additional aid to Israel following Israel’s reported airstrike in Iran. The bill overcame a massive hurdle with the support of Democrats in the House of Representatives. If approved this weekend, it will be sent to the Senate.

A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry denounced the US’s veto of a Palestinian request to the UN security council, blocking the world body’s recognition of a Palestinian state. Iranian diplomat Nasser Kanani called the veto “irresponsible” and “unconstructive”.

US officials confirmed that Israel carried out airstrikes against Iran, as explosions were reported in the sky over the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz, while the Iranian government sought to play down the scale of the attack.

According to Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, speaking later on Friday, the US told the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Capri that it had received “last-minute” information from Israel about a drone action in Iran. Israel’s N12 news channel reported that Israel had also struck targets in Iraq and Syria, and explosions were reported in both those countries.

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Key events

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Paul Scruton, Lucy Swan, Iona Serrapica and Alex Olorenshaw have created a visual guide to Friday’s events in Iran via graphics, video and satellite images.

You can take a look at it here:

At least 34,049 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes since 7 October, says health ministry

The latest figures from the Gaza health ministry, which is run by Hamas, said 37 Palestinians were killed and 68 injured in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours.

According to the statement, at least 34,049 Palestinians have been killed and 76,901 have been injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October.

The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants.

Member of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces killed and eight hurt in base blast, military says

There were no drones or fighter jets detected in the airspace of the Babylon area before or during the blast, the military confirmed in a statement.

‘Bombing’ hits Iraq military base, security sources say

A soldier stands guard outside a hospital in Hilla where people injured in an alleged bombing overnight on an Iraqi military base are being treated. Photograph: Karar Jabbar/AFP/Getty Images

The ministry of interior official said the attack had killed one person and wounded eight others, while the military source reported three Iraqi military personnel had been wounded.

In a statement, Hashed al-Shaabi said the attack had inflicted “material losses” and casualties, without specifying the number of wounded.

The organisation said an “explosion” had hit its premises on the base and that investigators were sent to the site.

Responding to questions from AFP, the security sources would not identify who was responsible for the attack, or say whether it had been a drone strike.

The ministry source said:

The explosion hit equipment, weapons and vehicles.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry condemned the US’s veto of a Palestinian request to the UN security council, blocking the world body’s recognition of a Palestinian state, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Iranian diplomat Nasser Kanani called Washington’s veto “irresponsible” and “unconstructive”.

US House pushes ahead with $95bn foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

US congress has pushed a $95bn national security aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other US allies closer to passage.

The package would provide additional aid to Israel after an airstrike in Iran that the US attributed to it.

A key procedural vote gained approval on Friday to move ahead with the bill, with the Democrats joining Republicans in a rare assist, Associated Press (AP) reported.

With the latest procedural obstacle cleared, the bill could be approved by the House this weekend and then sent to the Senate.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to weigh in on the Israeli strikes in Iran on Friday, telling reporters during a press briefing that the Biden administration was going to avoid commenting on the subject altogether.

As per Reuters, the attack appeared to target an Iranian air force base near the city of Isfahan, deep inside the country, but without striking any strategic sites or causing major damage.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken said the US had not been involved in any offensive operations.

Additionally, the Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-abdollahian said that Tehran was investigating the overnight attack on the country, adding that so far a link to Israel had not been proven as he downplayed the strike, according to Reuters.

Hossein Amir-abdollahian told NBC News the drones took off from inside Iran and flew for a few hundred meters before being downed.

They’re … more like toys that our children play with, not drones.

It has not been proved to us that there is a connection between these and Israel.

He added that Iran was investigating the matter but that media reports were not accurate, according to Tehran’s information.

Amir-abdollahian said that the drones reportedly fired by Israel at the Iranian city of Isfahan did not cause “any damage or casualties”, as reported by Iranian media.

Iranian media and officials described a small number of explosions, which they said resulted from air defences hitting three drones over Isfahan in central Iran in the early hours of Friday.

They referred to the incident as an attack by “infiltrators”, rather than by Israel, obviating the need for retaliation.

Amir-abdollahian warned that if Israel retaliated and acted against the interests of Iran, Tehran’s next response would be “immediate” and at the “maximum level”.

But if not, then we are done. We are concluded.

Iran will respond at a ‘maximum level’ if Israel acts against its interests, says foreign minister

In an interview with NBC News, Amir-abdollahian said, speaking through an interpreter:

If Israel wants to do another adventurism and acts against the interests of Iran, our next response will be immediate and will be at the maximum level.

His comments follow reports of an Israeli strike on Iran early Friday.

Opening summary

It has gone 10am in Gaza and Tel Aviv. This is our latest Guardian live blog on the Israel-Gaza war and the wider Middle East crisis.

But first, here’s a summary of the latest developments:

The Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-abdollahian, said on Friday that Iran will respond at an immediate and “maximum level” if Israel acts against its interests, according to Reuters. Amir-abdollahian said earlier that drones reportedly fired by Israel at the Iranian city of Isfahan did not cause “any damage or casualties”, as reported by Iranian media.
US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said at the G7 meeting: “We’re committed to Israel’s security”, but added”:“We’re also committed to de-escalating.” Blinken also said that despite the confrontation, the US remained “intensely focused on Gaza”.
The US Congress is pushing forward a $95m national security package that would provide additional aid to Israel following Israel’s reported airstrike in Iran. The bill overcame a massive hurdle with the support of Democrats in the House of Representatives. If approved this weekend, it will be sent to the Senate.
A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry denounced the US’s veto of a Palestinian request to the UN security council, blocking the world body’s recognition of a Palestinian state. Iranian diplomat Nasser Kanani called the veto “irresponsible” and “unconstructive”.
US officials confirmed that Israel carried out airstrikes against Iran, as explosions were reported in the sky over the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz, while the Iranian government sought to play down the scale of the attack.
According to Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, speaking later on Friday, the US told the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Capri that it had received “last-minute” information from Israel about a drone action in Iran. Israel’s N12 news channel reported that Israel had also struck targets in Iraq and Syria, and explosions were reported in both those countries.

The Guardian

USA News Hub