What you need to know
Good morning and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
- Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has been killed by an Israeli strike, Iran’s president confirmed. The Israeli military said Khatib was killed in a “targeted strike in Tehran”.
- The Iranian women’s soccer team has returned to Iran after taking a bus from Turkey to the border, where they were greeted by officials, Iranian media reported. Two players who sought asylum have remained in Australia.
- Facilities associated with Iran’s massive offshore South Pars natural gas field came under attack on Wednesday local time, state media reported.
- In response, Iran issued evacuation warnings for oil facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, saying they had become “direct and legitimate targets” and would be targeted by strikes.
- The price of oil surged another five per cent to more than $US108 a barrel.
- US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told a hearing into worldwide threats the Iranian regime “appears to be intact but largely degraded” since the war began on February 28.
- In Australia, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned inflation could spike above 5 per cent if the Middle East war drags on.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will appoint a national fuel co-ordinator when he meets state and territory chiefs at a national cabinet meeting today.
Qatar blames Israel for ‘dangerous and irresponsible’ gas field attack
Qatar has blamed Israel for an attack on an offshore natural gas field it shares with Iran.
The accusation came from Majed al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry. The Iranian side of the field, the South Pars field, came under attack on Wednesday and was burning.
Al-Ansari called the attack “a dangerous and irresponsible step amid the current military escalation in the region.”
“Targeting energy infrastructure constitutes a threat to global energy security, as well as to the peoples of the region and its environment,” he wrote on X.
“We reiterate, as we have repeatedly emphasised, the necessity of avoiding the targeting of vital facilities. We call on all parties to exercise restraint, adhere to international law, and work toward de-escalation in a manner that preserves the security and stability of the region.”
AP
Trump goads ‘non-responsive allies’ over Strait of Hormuz
As he continues to complain about allies refusing to join the war against Iran, US President Donald Trump has suggested others bear responsibility for the critical oil passage, the Strait of Hormuz.
“I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Strait?’” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social overnight.
“That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast!!!”
Women’s soccer team arrives home in Iran
Iranian media report the national women’s soccer team has returned to the Islamic Republic after several of the players had sought asylum in Australia.
The outlets shared footage of the women entering Iran after landing in Turkey and taking a bus to the border. They were greeted by some officials at the border.
The players emerged from Turkey’s Igdir Airport pulling their luggage and chatted in front of the terminal before boarding the bus. One of them briefly smiled and waved at a TV camera before the bus departed. After a trip of around two hours to the frontier, they went through passport control at the Gurbulak border gate before crossing over into Iran.
Two Iranian female players, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, chose to remain in Australia and have been training with Brisbane Roar.
Five members of the delegation who initially sought asylum later changed their minds.
AP and Reuters
Iran warns of retaliation after gas facilities attacked
Facilities associated with Iran’s massive offshore South Pars natural gas field came under attack on Wednesday, state media reported.
Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency reported on the attack targeting facilities at Asaluyeh in Iran’s southern Bushehr province. They did not immediately elaborate.
Iran shares the offshore field in the Persian Gulf with Qatar, which it has repeatedly attacked during the war along with other Gulf Arab nations.
It wasn’t clear if Israel or the United States had carried out the attack. However, the US has been operating primarily in southern Iran. The US previously attacked Iran’s Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, its main oil terminal.
Iranian intelligence minister killed in Israeli strike
Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has been killed by Israeli strikes, Iran’s president has confirmed.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Khatib’s killing and said that “significant surprises are expected throughout this day on all the fronts,” without elaborating.
Katz said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised the military to kill any other senior Iranian official being targeted without the need for additional approval.
The Israeli military said Khatib was killed in a “targeted strike in Tehran”. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and state television confirmed the killing hours later.
Khatib’s killing follows Israel’s killing of top Iranian security official Ali Larijani and the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force, Gholam Reza Soleimani.
What you need to know
Good morning and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
- Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has been killed by an Israeli strike, Iran’s president confirmed. The Israeli military said Khatib was killed in a “targeted strike in Tehran”.
- The Iranian women’s soccer team has returned to Iran after taking a bus from Turkey to the border, where they were greeted by officials, Iranian media reported. Two players who sought asylum have remained in Australia.
- Facilities associated with Iran’s massive offshore South Pars natural gas field came under attack on Wednesday local time, state media reported.
- In response, Iran issued evacuation warnings for oil facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, saying they had become “direct and legitimate targets” and would be targeted by strikes.
- The price of oil surged another five per cent to more than $US108 a barrel.
- US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told a hearing into worldwide threats the Iranian regime “appears to be intact but largely degraded” since the war began on February 28.
- In Australia, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned inflation could spike above 5 per cent if the Middle East war drags on.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will appoint a national fuel co-ordinator when he meets state and territory chiefs at a national cabinet meeting today.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
