Iran war, day 19 – what to know
We’re updating this post as developments happen.
- State media has confirmed the death of Iran’s powerful security chief Ali Larijani after Israel earlier said he had been killed in an overnight strike on Monday;
- Iranian army chief Amir Hatami has threatened “decisive and regrettable” action in response to the killing, while Iran’s foreign minister said repercussions of the war “will hit all”;
- Israel also claimed it killed the head of the IRGC’s Basij paramilitary force – and Iranian state media has reported this is true;
- Iran’s deputy foreign minister told international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn in Tehran that US boots on the ground would be a “reckless” move and that Iran would fight for as long as is needed;
- Asked about that interview, Trump told Sky News he’s “not really afraid of anything” – and told reporters the US is “not ready to leave yet” but will “in the near future”;
- But the conflict doesn’t have total support within Trump’s administration, with a senior counterterrorism official quitting and blaming “pressure” from Israel;
- At least six people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut overnight on Tuesday, while two people have been killed in Iranian strikes on Tel Aviv;
- Iranian media had earlier said Tehran launched a wave of missiles at Israeli forces operating in and around the border with Lebanon in the fight against the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah;
- That comes as Israel said it launched ground operations in Lebanon – a move that the UK and its allies say they are “gravely concerned” by;
- Iran continues to target other Israeli and US sites in the Middle East, including the American embassy in Baghdad;
- The US military says it has targeted Iranian missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz;
- It comes after Trump called on US allies to help secure the strait – which Iran’s Speaker said won’t be reopened – as the price of oil remains above the significant $100 milestone;
- After warning NATO faces a “very bad” future if allies do not help to secure the strait, he said today the US doesn’t need the alliance’s help and “never did”;
- An Iranian nuclear power plant was hit by a projectile overnight on Tuesday, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Iran war day 18: Videos from the ground
Missiles launched towards Israel from Iran, military says
The Israeli military claims to have recently detected missiles fired from Iran towards Israel.
“Defence systems are operating to intercept the threat. In the last few minutes, the Home Front Command has issued a preliminary directive directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas.”
It comes after Israeli emergency responders said two people had died following a missile attack near Tel Aviv overnight.
Naval escorts could make tankers a target, UN maritime chief warns
By Paul Kelso, business and economics correspondent
Naval escorts will not guarantee safe passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz and could even present a target for Iran as it attempts to leverage control of the vital shipping lane, the head of the International Maritime Organisation has warned.
Speaking at the start of a two-day emergency meeting of the UN maritime agency’s governing council in London, secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez told Sky News “de-escalation” was the only sustainable way to restore the flow of shipping.
The Strait of Hormuz, in normal circumstances the conduit for a fifth of global oil demand, has effectively been closed for more than two weeks since the US-Israeli offensive against Iran.
Tehran responded to the assault by attacking tankers and other energy infrastructure, paralysing traffic and triggering a price shock on global energy markets.
US President Donald Trump has called on allies including the UK to provide naval support for tankers to reopen the shipping lane, but Dominguez warned that would not be enough to restore the flow of oil, cargo, fertilisers and food to and from the Gulf.
“The reality is that a ship can still be targeted even with an escort vessel next to it, and it doesn’t really provide the guarantees, not even on insurance or to the seafarers, that trade can continue to come back. It’s not a long-term sustainable solution,” he said.
Asked if he was concerned that a naval convoy could present a target, he replied “absolutely”, and said it was unlikely that traffic would resume without a formal ceasefire.
“I can’t see that because it’s too risky, and I will not be calling on anyone to take the risk to send innocent ships and innocent seafarers in particular through the Strait of Hormuz when there are no guarantees from all the parties involved that it is safe to do so.
“We need to de-escalate the situation. It’s the only solution. And this is why we meet here at IMO. We actually believe and trust multilateralism and dialogues. And that’s how we find solutions.”
The emergency meeting was called by members of the IMO’s 40-strong Council, which includes the UK and the USA, as well as Gulf states that have faced retaliation from Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.
Representatives of Iran and Israel, will be present as observers at the meeting in London, which takes place at the IMO’s headquarters on the south Bank of the Thames opposite the Palace of Westminster.
Describing the Iranian attacks on shipping as “cowardly”, Dominguez said that commercial vessels and their crews had been put at unacceptable risk.
“Shipping should have never been put in this situation. Those are very cowardly attacks on a sector that doesn’t take part in these geopolitical conflicts,” Dominguez said. “The reality is that everybody’s affected, not just the countries in the region.”
Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel – report
Iran has executed a man accused of spying for Israel, according to the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency.
It reported that the man, identified as Kurosh Keyvani, was found “guilty of providing Israel’s spy agency, Mossad, with pictures and information about sensitive locations in Iran”.
In pictures: The impact of Israeli strikes in Beirut
New images show the impact of Israeli strikes in the Lebanese capital of Beirut overnight.
Damaged buildings and vehicles can be seen as emergency personnel visit affected sites.
At least six people were killed in the strikes, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
It said 24 others were wounded after two Israeli strikes – part of a broader wave of strikes on Beirut – hit residential apartments in the city’s Basta and Zokak Al-Blat neighbourhoods.
Watch: Aftermath of Tehran airstrike
Sky’s Dominic Waghorn visits a city block near a security organisation which was destroyed in a large airstrike.
Iranian authorities say 40 people were killed at the site in East Tehran.
Global repercussions of Middle East war ‘will hit all’, says Iran’s foreign minister
Iran’s foreign minister has warned that a “wave of global repercussions” from the war in the Middle East “has only begun and will hit all”.
In a social media post accompanied by a copy of the resignation letter of Joe Kent, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, Abbas Araghchi encouraged more western officials to speak out against the war.
Araghchi wrote:
“A rising number of voices—incl European and US officials—exclaim that the war on Iran is unjust. More members of the international community should follow suit.
“[A] wave of global repercussions has only begun and will hit all—regardless of wealth, faith, or race. Our foe is one.”
For context: Kent quit his role as one of Donald Trump most senior counterterrorism officials on Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience” support the Iran war and claimed the country posed “no imminent threat” to the US.
Iranian army commander vows revenge for killing of security chief
Iran has threatened “decisive and regrettable” action in response to the killing of the country’s security chief Ali Larijani on Tuesday.
The Iranian army commander-in-chief, Amir Hatami, vowed that “the blood of this exalted martyr and other esteemed martyrs will be avenged,” according to state media.
Larijani’s death appeared to have initially been denied by Iran after a note was posted which it claimed he had written.
It was in response to Israel’s earlier announcement that Larijani had been killed in a strike overnight on Monday.
Iran also confirmed the killing of Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani.
Iranian projectile hits near Australian military base in UAE
An Iranian projectile has landed near an Australian military base in the UAE, causing minor damage and a small fire.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the incident, saying the weapon struck a road outside the Al Minhad Air Base near Dubai early this morning.
Albanese said:
“I can confirm that no Australian personnel were injured and everyone is absolutely safe at this point in time.
“There was minor damage to an accommodation block and a medical facility due to a small fire that was created as a result of that projectile hitting on a road leading up to that base.”
Six dead and dozens injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut
Israeli strikes on Beirut have killed at least six people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
It said 24 others were wounded after two Israeli strikes hit residential apartments in central Beirut’s Basta and Zokak Al-Blat neighbourhoods early on Wednesday.
“Human remains have been recovered from the site, and the identities of the victims will be determined once DNA testing is completed,” the ministry added.
The Israeli military had earlier issued an evacuation warning, and the attack was part of a broader wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday.
