Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday claimed that its military has killed Iran’s security chiefย Aliย Larijaniย in overnight airstrikes. Besides, the IDF saidย top Iranian commander Gholamreza Soleimani has also been eliminated in same operation. However, Iran has not yet commented on the reports of any attack on the duo.ย The latest reports came after Iran’s secretary of the Supreme National Security Council issued a message to the Muslim world saying that Tehran remains “steadfast” in its fight against the US and Israel. Earlier, Larijani had expressed disappointment at what he felt as a lack of support from Muslim-majority countries when Iran came under attack.
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Dubai, Doha, Qatar wake up to sound of explosions
In the meantime, the residents of Dubai and Doha, Qatar, woke up to the sound of explosions on Tuesday as air defences worked to intercept new waves of incoming Iranian fire, and Israel launched new strikes on Iran and Lebanon, as the war in the Middle East showed no signs of abating. Dubai, a major transit hub for international travel, briefly shut its airspace as the military said it was “responding to incoming missile and drone threats” around the city.
The Israeli military said early Tuesday it had begun a “wide-scale wave of strikes” across Iran’s capital and was also stepping up strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Israel also reported two incoming salvos before dawn from Iran at Tel Aviv and elsewhere, and said Hezbollah targeted Israel’s north.
UAE briefly closes airspace as Iran launches new attacks
The UAE shut down its airspace early Tuesday as its military reported it was “responding to missile and drone threats from Iran. ” The closure was soon lifted, and not long after, the sounds of explosions could be heard as the military worked to intercept incoming fire.
The snap announcement on its airspace showed the balancing act Emirati authorities face in trying to keep their long-haul carriers, Emirates and Etihad, flying as Iranian attacks continue to target the country. Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry reported intercepting a dozen drones Tuesday morning over the country’s vast Eastern Province, home to oil infrastructure.
In Qatar, the sounds of explosions boomed over the capital early in the day as defences worked to intercept incoming fire. Qatar’s Defence Ministry said later that it had successfully thwarted a missile attack on the city, though a fire broke out in an industrial area from a downed projectile.
Attacks from Iran-linked proxy forces continued in Iraq, as the US Embassy in Baghdad was hit with shrapnel from drones that had been intercepted. The embassy’s air defences were able to shoot down all four drones targeting the facility, according to two Iraqi security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.
A separate strike targeted a house in the heavily fortified Presidential Compound in Baghdad’s al-Jadriya area, the officials said. It wasn’t clear who carried out either attack, but Iran-allied militias have regularly been attacking American targets inside Iraq since the conflict began.
Israel launches new attacks on Tehran
The Israeli military early on Tuesday said it had launched new attacks across Tehran in addition to the Lebanese capital, targeting Hezbollah militants. More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the conflict, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.
Israel’s strikes have also displaced more than 1 million Lebanese – or roughly 20 per cent of the population – according to the Lebanese government, which says some 850 people have been killed. Some Israeli troops have pushed into southern Lebanon, and there are fears Israel is preparing a large-scale invasion.
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