In the Middle East, a continuous exchange of attacks between two long-standing regional rivals, Iran and Israel, has entered its sixth consecutive day.
The conflict began on Friday with an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear and military facilities, sparking intense tension across the region. There is growing concern that this regional conflict could draw in global superpowers as well.
Here's our live coverage of the conflict for our readers:
Trump tells Putin to end Ukraine war before mediating Iran-Israel
Source: AFP
Israel strikes near Red Crescent building in Iranian capital: statement
[Source: AFP]
World 'millimeters away' from disaster: Russia
The world is “millimeters away from disaster” regarding the threat of a nuclear escalation in the Middle East, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
The spokeswoman said that it was surprising that the world's media did not pay attention to strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, reports Sputnik, a state-owned news agency of Russia.
Trump says 'patience has already run out' with Iran
AFP, Washington: President Donald Trump said Wednesday his patience has "run out" with Iran but added that it was not too late for negotiations.
Asked when his patience would run out, Trump told reporters: "It's already run out. That's why we're doing what we're doing." However, when asked if it was too late for negotiations, he said: "Nothing is too late."
Hundreds of Europeans repatriated from Israel
AFP, Athens: European countries on Wednesday repatriated hundreds of their citizens from Israel as its conflict with Iran raged, their respective foreign ministries said.
Germany was expected to transport some 200 people via a commercial flight chartered in Jordan, its foreign ministry spokesman Christian Wagner said.
A second flight out of Amman was scheduled for Thursday, he added.
In Rome, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said flights had been made available to Italian nationals wishing to leave Israel.
Greece said it had repatriated 105 of its citizens plus a number of foreign nationals.
"The people repatriated were transported to Athens from Sharm El-Sheikh, in Egypt, onboard C-130 and C-27 Greek air force planes," it said in a statement.
Along with Greek citizens and their families, other people on the flight included citizens of Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States, it said.
New series of strong blasts heard in east Tehran: AFP
AFP, Tehran: A new series of strong blasts was heard Wednesday in east Tehran, an AFP journalist said, on the sixth day of the war between arch-nemeses Iran and Israel.
At least five columns of smoke could be seen in the east and southeast of the Iranian capital, according to the journalist, who reported the blasts were heard around 3:50 pm (1220 GMT).
Israel to ease domestic restrictions imposed due to Iran war: minister
AFP, Tel Aviv: Israel will ease domestic restrictions imposed on its population due to the ongoing war with Iran and will "reopen its economy", Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday.
"While we continue our intense fight against Iran until the threats are removed, we will also reopen the economy, ease restrictions, and restore Israel to paths of creativity, activity, and security," Katz was quoted as saying in a statement after approving the changes for most of the country starting Wednesday evening.
Putin makes Iran-Israeli mediation pitch in call with UAE president
The leaders of Russia and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday warned of "extremely negative consequences" from the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict , as President Vladimir Putin pushed himself as a possible mediator.
In a phone call with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Putin "confirmed Russia's readiness to provide mediation assistance to promote dialogue between the parties to the conflict," the Kremlin said in a statement.
The two leaders "expressed deep concern over the continuing escalation of the Iranian-Israeli conflict, which could have extremely negative consequences for the entire region," Moscow added.
Israel launched a massive bombing campaign on Friday that prompted Iran to respond with its own missile and drone strikes.
Russia is close to Iran, having boosted military ties amid its offensive on Ukraine. But Moscow also strives for good relations with Israel.
Putin has held phone calls Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian offering his role as a peacemaker.
Iran's Khamenei says Trump surrender ultimatum 'unacceptable'
AFP, Tehran- Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described on Wednesday as "unacceptable" an ultimatum from US President Donald Trump calling for the nation's "unconditional surrender".
"The president of America in an unacceptable statement explicitly urged Iranians to surrender but we tell him: first threaten those who are afraid of being threatened. Threats will not affect the thinking and behaviour of the Iranian nation," Khamenei said in a speech read on state television.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. | File Photo by AFP/Khamenei.ir Iran has launched more than 400 missiles toward Israel, Netanyahu’s office says
Since Israel launched strikes on Iran last Friday, Iran has launched more than 400 missiles and hundreds of drones towards Israel, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
The strikes have hit 40 sites across Israel, the office said, resulting in nearly 19,000 damage claims submitted to the tax authority.
So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel, more than 800 have been wounded and over 3,800 people have been evacuated from their homes, the office said.
At least 224 people have been killed in Iran since Friday, according to Iranian authorities.
Iran will respond 'strongly' to aggression: ambassador
Iran will respond "strongly" to any aggression from either Israel or Washington, Tehran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said Wednesday.
"We will respond strongly and we will stop aggression from any side, be it Israel or the United States," Ali Bahreini told a press conference.
"And we have given a message to the United States that we will respond very firmly and will stop the aggression by anybody -- including the United States," he said.
Putin eyes peacemaking role in Israel-Iran air war
Vladimir Putin is eyeing the conflict between Israel and Iran as an opportunity to thrust himself to the forefront of the international stage, more than three years into his invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian president has pitched himself as a possible mediator -- though Moscow's closeness to Iran and Russia's invasion of Ukraine raise doubts about what kind of role he can play, experts say.
The assault on Ukraine and the war in Gaza have strained Moscow's traditionally good relations with Israel, home to a large Russian-born community.
At the same time, Russia has deepened military ties with Iran.
Israel says drone downed in Iran
Israel’s military says one of its remotely piloted aircraft has fallen in Iran after being shot at by a surface-to-air missile
“No injuries were reported, and there is no risk of an information breach,” the military said.
The report follows Iranian state media claiming that Iranian forces shot down an Israeli drone and fighter jet.
Israel did not address the Iranian claim about its fighter jet but has previously said none of its fighter jets has been lost in Iranian territory.
Israeli F-35 fighter jet shot down near Tehran
According to a report by the Tehran Times, an Israeli F-35 fighter jet has been shot down near the Iranian capital.
Hossein Abbasi, the governor of Varamin—a city located about 35 kilometers southeast of Tehran—confirmed the incident on Wednesday morning.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that Governor Abbasi stated the country's air defense system successfully brought down the Israeli aircraft, which is one of the most advanced fighter jets in Israel's arsenal.
Beijing says almost 800 Chinese citizens evacuated from Iran
Almost 800 Chinese citizens have been evacuated from Iran since Israel launched military strikes against the country last week, Beijing said Wednesday.
"Currently... 791 Chinese nationals have been relocated from Iran to safe areas," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news conference.
"More than 1,000 other people are in the process of relocating and withdrawing," Guo added.
And some Chinese nationals have also safely evacuated from Israel, he said.
"China expresses its thanks to the relevant countries for providing full support and assistance," Guo said.
Khamenei vows 'no mercy' for Israel leaders
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed on Wednesday that his country would show no mercy towards Israel's rulers, hours after US President Donald Trump demanded Tehran's "unconditional surrender".
"We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy," Khamenei posted on X.
Israel last week launched an unprecedented bombing campaign hitting Iranian nuclear and military facilities, as well as residential areas.
Iran has responded by launching missiles and drones, and early Wednesday said it had fired hypersonic missiles at Israel.
On Tuesday, Trump demanded the Islamic republic's "unconditional surrender" and boasted that the United States could easily assassinate Khamenei.
Use of US bunker-buster bomb looms over Iran conflict
A powerful American bunker-busting bomb is the only weapon capable of destroying Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities, making it President Donald Trump's weapon of choice if he chooses to militarily back Israel.
The GBU-57, a 30,000-pound (13,607 kg) warhead capable of penetrating 200 feet (61 meters) underground before exploding, is missing from Israel's arsenal despite its stated goal of preventing Iran from building a nuclear bomb.
Iran arrests five for 'tarnishing' country's image: media
Iran said Wednesday it had detained five suspected agents of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency on charges of tarnishing the country's image online, Iranian news agencies reported.
"These mercenaries sought to sow fear among the public and tarnish the image of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran through their calculated activities online," the Tasnim and ISNA news agencies quoted a statement from the Revolutionary Guards as saying. They added that the arrests had been made in western Iran.
Iranian official says all border crossings remain open: Report
All land border crossings in Iran have remained open, according to an Iranian official, as foreign nationals living there seek the nearest departure point amid escalating hostilities with Israel.
Javad Hedayati, director general of Iran’s transit bureau, told Tasnim news agency that all borders of the country are open to passengers and freight, and that the border crossings are “being operated normally”.
Israel begins flying home citizens stranded abroad by Iran conflict
A first aircraft bringing home Israelis stranded abroad by flight cancellations resulting from the conflict with Iran landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday, the airports authority said.
"Just a short while ago, the first flight of Operation Safe Return landed at Ben Gurion Airport," a statement said, adding that the flight had been operated by national carrier El Al and brought Israelis home from Larnaca in Cyprus.
Transport Minister Miri Regev said Tuesday that between 100,000 and 150,000 Israelis were stuck abroad, as Israel and Iran traded deadly fire in their most intense confrontation ever.
The ministry said all of Israel's commercial aircraft had been sent abroad to prevent them during the air war with Iran.
Israeli strikes have killed at least 585 people in Iran, human rights group says
Israeli airstrikes struck Iran's capital with intensity early Wednesday, as a widening conflict has reportedly left at least 585 people dead and 1,326 injured across Iran, according to a Washington-based human rights organization.
The group, Human Rights Activists, which previously provided detailed casualty figures during the 2022 protests following Mahsa Amini’s death, reported that of those killed in the Israeli strikes, 239 were civilians and 126 were members of the security forces. The organization cross-references local Iranian reports with a network of verified sources inside the country.
Iran has not issued frequent casualty updates during the conflict and has often downplayed the extent of damage and deaths. Its most recent figures, released on Monday, reported 224 fatalities and 1,277 wounded.
Iranian supreme leader warns: "The battle begins"
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced the beginning of battle in a post on X, declaring, “In the name of the noble Haidar, the battle begins.”
The name Haidar refers to Ali, regarded by Shia Muslims as the first Imam and rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad.
In a separate post on his English-language X account, Khamenei called for a forceful retaliation against Israel. “We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy,” he stated.
Trump demands 'unconditional surrender' as Iran reels
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded "unconditional surrender" from Tehran and warned the United States could easily assassinate its supreme leader as Iran and US ally Israel traded devastating fire for a fifth day.
The comments fueled questions over whether Washington will join Israel's attacks after insisting it had no hand in the campaign.
Israeli warplanes targeted drone and missile sites with at least two waves of strikes in western Iran on Tuesday, the military said.
It also said it had killed senior Iranian commander Ali Shadmani in an overnight strike on a "command centre in the heart of Tehran", just four days after his predecessor, Gholam Ali Rashid, was killed in Israel's initial surprise attack.
US closing embassy in Jerusalem until Friday
The US Embassy in Jerusalem said it will close until Friday and directed government employees to shelter in place as Israel and Iran battle each other.
In a statement posted to its website, the embassy said Tuesday evening the closure was "a result of the current security situation and ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran."
Iran's Revolutionary Guards say hypersonic missiles used to attack Israel
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that hypersonic missiles were used during the latest attack on Israel, as fighting between the archfoes entered a sixth day.
"The 11th wave of the proud Operation Honest Promise 3 using Fattah-1 missiles" was carried out, the Guards said in a statement carried by state television, claiming that Iranian forces "have gained complete control over the skies of the occupied territories".
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