Missiles have been shot down over Dubai after Tehran vowed revenge following the killing of security chief Ali Larijani in an Israeli airstrike.
A loud bang was heard in Dubai, before authorities in the United Arab Emirates confirmed they had intercepted a missile with no injuries reported.
It comes after the Iranian army chief has vowed to launch a “decisive” retaliation after an Israeli airstrike killed Larijani.
“Iran’s response to the assassination of the secretary of the supreme national security council will be decisive and regrettable,” Amir Hatami said after the council confirmed the death of its leader.
Larijani is the most senior Iranian official to be killed by the US and Israel since the assassination of supreme leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it had launched missiles at central Israel “in revenge for the blood of” Larijani and his companions.
At least two people were killed near Tel Aviv in an Iranian missile attack on Wednesday morning. Earlier, Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on Nato, claiming the alliance abandoned the US “in its time of need” by refusing to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian petrochemical facilities in South Pars targeted – Tasnim news agency
Iranian oil facilities in South Pars and Asaluyeh were attacked on Wednesday, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
The agency added that the extent of damage was not yet clear.
Tasnim said petrochemical facilities in South Pars were targeted.
Trump’s Operation Epic Fury was staggeringly arrogant – a nuclear strike would be armageddon
General Sir Richard Shirreff, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Nato, writes:
Equally likely is a protracted attritional fight as Iran keeps up the asymmetric pressure with drones, proxy networks (as in Iraq) and continued economic disruption. America will continue to struggle to translate military success into political outcomes while Iran holds the cards by controlling the Strait of Hormuz.
But don’t rule out escalation. A major maritime and air effort on an occasional basis might be able to escort convoys through the Strait, but if the US is to wrest control of it for any length of time, it is difficult to see how it can be done without securing the coastline, requiring a massive amphibious and land operation.
Additionally, frustrated by Iran’s refusal to capitulate, the US and Israel could expand ground operations to achieve regime change. Trump’s “unconditional surrender” rhetoric and Hegseth’s refusal to rule out ground operations point in this direction.
China will continue pushing for Middle East ceasefire
China will continue mediating to push for a ceasefire and an end to fighting in the Middle East, its foreign minister said.
Wang Yi was speaking during a meeting in Beijing with the UAE presidential special envoy to China, Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
The war should never have happened and had no reason to continue, Mr Yi said according to a foreign ministry statement following the meeting.
Mr Yi also voiced support for the UAE in safeguarding its sovereignty and security.
Watch: Moment Beirut building collapses after Israeli airstrike
Israel kills 10 in intensified attacks on Lebanon, authorities say
Israel intensified its attacks in central Beirut on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people and destroying a 10-storey building.
Shocking footage shows the moment the large block is flattened in seconds by a huge Israeli airstrike.
Strikes rattled Beirut through the night and into morning, targeting the Hezbollah‑controlled southern suburbs, which have been heavily bombarded by Israel since Iran-backed Hezbollah entered the war in the Middle East in support of Tehran.
Late on Tuesday, Hezbollah said it had launched “large salvos of rockets,” as well as drones and artillery fire, into Israel, one of its heaviest barrages of the war. Lebanese security sources said the initial launch included nearly 100 rockets.
The Israeli military said in a statement on Wednesday it had completed an overnight wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, after the group launched dozens of projectiles at Israel on Tuesday.
Watch live: Funeral held for Iranian security chief Ali Larijani killed in Israeli air strikes
In pictures: Thousands line streets for funeral of Ali Larijani
Israel says it has killed Iranian intelligence minister Khatib
Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz has said that Iranian intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib has been killed.
Khatib, a senior cleric and politician, was appointed intelligence minister in 2021, and was reported to be especially close to the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
He previously worked in the office of the former supreme leader Ali Khamenei as Iran’s chief warden, and in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) intelligence department.
Tehran has not yet responded to the claims.
US aircraft carrier to go to port after fire and ‘clogged toilets’
The US aircraft carrier Gerald R Ford, deployed in operations against Iran, is expected to temporarily pull into port after a fire on board, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, the 18th day of the war with Tehran.
The carrier, America’s newest and the world’s largest, is currently located in the Red Sea. It is expected to temporarily go to Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete, the two officials said.
The carrier has reportedly suffered significant problems with its toilet system while at sea, according to US media, which has described clogged systems and long lines to use the bathroom.
The warship has been deployed for nine months, including taking part in operations against Venezuela in the Caribbean prior to arriving in the Middle East. The length of the deployment has raised questions about morale of the sailors on board and the readiness of the warship.
One of the officials said nearly 200 sailors were treated for smoke-related injuries when the fire broke out in the ship’s main laundry area. The fire took hours to bring under control and had an impact on roughly 100 sleeping berths.
Kremlin describes killing of Iranian security official as ‘murder’
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pesko condemned what it called “the murder” of Iran’s leaders in US-Israeli airstrikes, a day after Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency confirmed that Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed in Tehran.
“We unequivocally condemn any actions aimed at harming the health of, or indeed murdering or eliminating, members of the leadership of sovereign and independent Iran, as well as those of other countries, Peskov said when asked about Moscow’s reaction.
“We condemn such actions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Source: independent.co.uk