The number of people killed in five days of US-Israeli attacks against Iran has topped 1,000, state media says.As the conflict engulfs the region, Turkiye says a ballistic missile fired Iran was destroyed by NATO air and missile defence systems in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The target of the missile was not immediately clear.
US and Israel aren’t necessarily 100% aligned on demands for Iran
While the United S and Israel will continue to coordinate their war on Iran, they are not perfectly aligned when it comes to their demands of the Islamic Republic, an analyst says.
“The Trump administration has certainly insinuated through its messaging to the Iranian people that it would like to see a regime change in Iran but is still – at least in its public statements – prioritising the destruction of the nuclear programme, ballistic missiles and Iranian support for terrorism,” said Jason Campbell, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.
Israel, however, has been “much more assertive in calling for regime change”, Campbell told Al Jazeera from Washington, DC.
As the war continues, there may well be “some splits between the Israeli and American prerogatives” as how many of these objectives can be “achieved solely through air operations…is very much in question,” said Campbell.
Photos: Unexploded projectile in outskirts of Qamishli, eastern Syria
A boy walks away from an unexploded projectile that landed in an open field in the outskirts of Qamishli,
US claims it has struck or sunk more than 20 Iranian ships
US forces have struck or sunk more than 20 ships belonging to Iran’s government since the start of operations, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has claimed.
In a statement, CENTCOM said it had added a Soleimani-class warship to the list after an attack overnight.
As we previously reported, the US has also said it sunk an Iranian warship in international waters. Sri Lanka’s navy said it had recovered at least 87 bodies.
There was no immediate comment from Iran.
Anger in Spain over lack of European solidarity against Iran war
There is outrage in Spain, not just because the United States is essentially embargoing Spanish trade, but also the statement – or the lack of it – from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, sitting beside the US president when he made those remarks about Spain.
It’s worth noting it was France and Germany that led the charge in 2003 when the Europeans decided the US declared an illegal war on Iraq, based on flimsy evidence.
Now, it is only the Spaniards who essentially stood up and said: “If the principles of Venezuela, Greenland and Ukraine are to be applied equally – then this war does not have any legal footing.”
And that’s why the US president is going after the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
European leaders expect to stand united on the principles that join them, rather than being coerced into whatever position taken by US President Donald Trump.
Qatari PM receives call from Iran’s foreign minister, rejects claims attacks did not target civilian sites
Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, has received a phone call from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
A statement by the Qatari Foreign Ministry said Mohammed firmly rejected Iran’s claims that Iranian forces have targeted US assets in the Gulf country and not civilian infrastructure.
During the call, the Qatari prime minister stressed that “the facts on the ground clearly show that the attacks struck civilian and residential areas inside the State of Qatar, including the vicinity of Hamad International Airport, vital infrastructure, and industrial zones housing liquefied natural gas production facilities,” according to the statement.
These acts “constitute a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and of the principles of international law”, it added.
Civilians fleeing Iran gather at main Turkish border gate
I’m in the eastern city of Van by the Iranian border. There are three main crossings between Turkiye and Iran, and this is the most popular one.
The two countries share a 530km (330-mile) border, much of it mountainous, and this crossing is usually very active.
Normally between 1,000 and 1,500 people cross here each day because there is constant trade between the two countries, but today, it has been very slow. Most of the people crossing appear to have dual citizenship.
We learned there was a technical failure on the Iranian side – a problem with their server – and around 1,000 people were waiting. That issue now appears to have been resolved, and we have started to see more people crossing.
Some travellers may continue on to Istanbul or Ankara, and many people here say they are leaving Iran to escape the war.
Oil tanker traffic through Strait of Hormuz down 90%: Energy intelligence firm
Oil tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has plunged by 90 percent since the outbreak of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, according to the energy market intelligence firm Kpler.
Iranian military officials have said they completely choked off traffic in the crucial waterway, through which one-fifth of the world’s crude oil supplies transit, but Kpler said some vessels are risking the dangerous route.
“Unlike several other vessel segments where movements have largely ceased, some tankers are still travelling east and west through the strait with a number of voyages occurring under AIS blackouts,” Kpler analyst Matt Wright said, referring to the marine traffic tracking system.
Most of Tehran’s residents have fled the Iranian capital
The number of civilians killed in US-Israeli attacks since Saturday is 1,000 now. About 5,000 have been wounded so far, according to medical authorities.
Iran is paying a heavy price in this war. Wave after wave of attacks have been conducted. We understand three-quarters of Tehran residents have left.
A farewell ceremony for Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran has been postponed for logistical and organisational reasons.
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