Iran Attacks Israel Latest News Live: The Israeli Air Force (IAF) announced on Thursday that one of its strikes was aimed at “targets belonging to Hezbollah’s Intelligence Headquarters in Beirut, including terror operatives belonging to the unit.” A day after Israeli troops and Hezbollah militant group engaged in ‘close-range’ clashes in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Thursday that they had killed 15 Hezbollah militant groups in a strike on a municipality building in the region. A separate Israeli airstrike on an apartment in central Beirut has killed nine people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Meanwhile, the IDF has issued a warning to residents of over 20 more towns in southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes immediately.
What’s the ground situation? More than 1,900 people have been killed and over 9,000 wounded in Lebanon in almost a year of cross-border fighting, with most of the deaths occurring in the past two weeks, according to Lebanese government statistics. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said about 1.2 million Lebanese had been displaced by Israeli attacks.
What’s India’s take on the situation? External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Washington DC and India while calling for “restraint by all concerned and protection of civilians.” advised all its nationals to “avoid all non-essential travel to Iran.” Meanwhile, the escalating conflict has increased the risk of trade disruptions, as Hezbollah shares close ties with the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are responsible for the majority of the attacks on ships traversing the Red Sea route.
The head of Hezbollah's media office, Mohammad Afif said they are "only in the first round" following clashes with Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, asserting that the group has sufficient fighters, weapons, and ammunition to counter Israel.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday that the root of the Israel-Iran conflict and the Middle East crisis lies in the presence of the US and certain European countries that "claim to advocate for peace in the region."
In an X post, Khameini said, "If the villainy of the US and certain European countries is removed from this region, undoubtedly these conflicts and wars will be completely eliminated. Then the countries in the region can live together in peace, health, and prosperity."
He added, "The root of the problem in our region, these conflicts and wars, is the presence of those who claim to advocate peace in the region. That is, the United States and some European countries."
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that he was barring UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering the country for his failure to "unequivocally condemn" Iran's massive missile attack on Israel on Tuesday, news agency Reuters reported.
Hezbollah said that it is clashing with Israeli forces in the border town of Maroun El Ras, located about 1 km from Israel.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for residents of 24 villages in southern Lebanon.
This alert follows the initiation of "limited ground operations" near the border aimed at combating the Hezbollah militant group.
The affected villages are located within a UN-declared buffer zone established after the last war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
In its first reaction to fresh escalation of tensions in West Asia, India on Wednesday called for restraint by all sides and said the conflict must not take a wider regional dimension.
"We are deeply concerned at the escalation of the security situation in West Asia and reiterate our call for restraint by all concerned and protection of civilians," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
"It is important that the conflict doesn't take a wider regional dimension and we urge that all issues be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy," it said in a statement
At a time when the conflict between Israel and Iran escalated following Tehran firing a barrage of missiles at Tel Aviv, Indians in the region have been asked to stay “vigilant” and “in touch with the embassy”. The Ministry of External Affairs Wednesday put out an advisory asking “Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran”.
“Those currently residing in Iran are requested to remain vigilant and stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran,” the statement added.
The Houthis in Yemen declared that they would not hesitate to expand their operations against Israel. They asserted that the ongoing support from the U.S. and UK for Israel puts their interests 'under fire'. In their statement, they also claimed to have targeted military posts deep within Israel using "Quds 5" rockets.
AIR ALGERIE
The Algerian airline suspended flights to and from Lebanon until further notice.
AIR INDIA
The Indian flag carrier suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice.
CATHAY PACIFIC
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until March 27, 2025.
DELTA AIR LINES
The U.S. carrier paused flights between New York and Tel Aviv through Dec. 31.
EMIRATES
UAE's state-owned airline cancelled flights between Dubai and Beirut until Oct. 8.
ETIHAD AIRWAYS
Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways said it was re-routing a number of its flights on Oct. 2 in response to airspace restrictions in parts of the Middle East.
FLYDUBAI
The Emirati airline on Sept. 30 cancelled Dubai-Beirut flights until Oct. 7. It also cancelled flights to Jordan, Iraq, Israel and Iran on Oct. 2-3 due to the temporary closure of a number of air spaces.
IRAN AIR
The Iranian airline cancelled all flights to Beirut until further notice, a company spokesman told local media on Sept. 28.
IRAQI AIRWAYS
The Iraqi national carrier suspended flights to and from Beirut until further notice, Iraq's transportation ministry said on Sept. 27.
QATAR AIRWAYS
The Qatari airline temporarily suspended flights to and from Beirut until further notice.
UNITED AIRLINES
The Chicago-based airline suspended flights to Tel Aviv for the foreseeable future due to security reasons.
Concerns over a wider conflict in the Middle East have prompted international airlines to suspend flights to the region or to avoid affected air space.
Below are some of the European airlines that have adjusted services to and from the region-
AEGEAN AIRLINES
The Greek airline cancelled flights to and from Beirut until Oct. 31 and to and from Tel Aviv until Oct. 6.
AIR EUROPA
The Spanish airline cancelled flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 2.
AIR FRANCE-KLM
Air France on Sept. 30 suspended Paris-Tel Aviv and Paris-Beirut flights until Oct. 8.
KLM has suspended all flights to Tel Aviv until the end of this year at least, the carrier said on Oct. 1. It had previously cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 26. The Franco-Dutch group's low-cost unit Transavia cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv until March 31, 2025, and flights to Amman and Beirut until Nov. 3.
BULGARIA AIR
The Bulgarian carrier cancelled flights to and from Israel until Oct. 15.
EASYJET
The UK budget airline stopped flying to and from Tel Aviv in April and will resume flights on March 30, 2025, a spokesperson said.
IAG
IAG-owned British Airways cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv through Oct. 7, the airline said in an e-mailed comment.
Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling cancelled operations to Tel Aviv until Jan. 12, 2025, while flights to Amman were cancelled until further notice.
ITA AIRWAYS
Italy's ITA Airways extended the suspension of Tel Aviv flights through Oct. 31.
LOT
The Polish flag carrier suspended flights to Lebanon until further notice, it said in an emailed comment on Sept. 20.
LUFTHANSA GROUP
The German airline group suspended flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 31 while flights to Tehran have been suspended until Oct. 26 (inclusive). Flights to Beirut will be suspended until Nov. 30.
It said it will avoid Iranian, Iraqi and Jordanian airspace up to and including Oct. 2 amid an escalation of an armed conflict in the Middle East, suspending flights to and from Amman and Erbil.
SunExpress, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, suspended flights to Beirut through Dec. 17.
PEGASUS
The Turkish airline cancelled flights to Beirut until Oct. 7, a company spokesperson said.
RYANAIR
Europe's biggest budget airline cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv until Oct. 26, citing "operational restrictions."
SUNDAIR
The German airline cancelled Berlin-Beirut and Bremen-Beirut flights until Oct.
On Wednesday, France announced that it would send more military resources to the Middle East to address the Iranian threat.
It has also called a United Nations Security Council meeting for later today, following Iran's launch of missiles at Israel.
"Committed to Israel's security, France today mobilised its military resources in the Middle East to counter the Iranian threat," the French presidency said in a statement overnight after an emergency security cabinet meeting to discuss the regional escalation.
"The head of state also reiterated France's demand that Hezbollah cease its terrorist actions against Israel and its population."
Last week, Paris and Washington tried to arrange a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon, just hours before Israel launched airstrikes that killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
The Israeli military said on Wednesday the 36th Division and additional forces are joining the ground operation in Lebanon.
More than 30 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school and institute that was housing displaced people in Gaza, according to official Palestinian radio Voice of Palestine.
Israel has resumed its bombardment of southern Beirut, targeting strongholds of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
At least a dozen airstrikes have hit the area, causing large plumes of smoke to rise. Israel has also issued new evacuation orders, and the suburbs have largely emptied after days of heavy strikes.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it confronted Israeli forces infiltrating the Lebanese town of Adaisseh early on Wednesday and forced them to retreat.
A reporter at Axious news quoted Israeli officials saying that Israel will launch a "significant retaliation" to Tuesday's massive missile attack by Iran.
"Israeli officials say Israel will launch a "significant retaliation" to Tuesday's massive missile attack within days that could target oil production facilities inside Iran and other strategic sites," he wrote on X.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Iran's new attacks on Israel
He reiterated France's demand that Hezbollah cease its terrorist actions against Israel and its population
Macron also wished for Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity to be reinstated in strict compliance with United Nations Security Council resolutions, the French presidency statement said.
According to a Reuters report, Iran said that its missile attack on Israel was over barring further provocation
Iran described the campaign as defensive and solely aimed at Israeli military facilities.
Iran's state news agency said three Israeli military bases had been targeted.
Tehran said its assault was a response to Israeli killings of militant leaders and aggression in Lebanon against Hezbollah and in Gaza.
Iran's General Staff of the Armed Forces said in a statement carried by state media that any Israeli response would be met with "vast destruction" of Israeli infrastructure. It also said it would target regional assets of any Israeli ally that got involved.
At least nine Palestinians were killed and 20 injured in an Israeli air strike on a school and institute housing displaced people in Gaza, Palestine news agency WFA said on Wednesday.
Hezbollah said that it confronted Israeli Defense Force infiltrating the Lebanese town of Adaisseh and forced it to retreat. (Reuters report)
In Washington, US President Joe Biden stated that the United States is ready to help Israel defend itself against Iranian missile attacks.
He ordered the US military to assist the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in neutralising missiles and other airborne attacks from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the White House National Security Council.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan noted that U.S. military forces in the region helped Israel respond to the attack. He said the Biden administration is consulting with Israel on how to proceed. "This is a significant escalation by Iran, a significant event," Sullivan told reporters at the White House. "We have made clear that there will be consequences, severe consequences, for this attack, and we will work with Israel to make that the case."
On Tuesday, Iran launched a series of ballistic missiles at Israel in response to Israel’s actions against Hezbollah allies in Lebanon.
Israel reported that over 200 missiles were fired from Iran, prompting its air defenses to activate and intercept the attacks.
Israeli officials vowed to impose consequences for the assault. Major General Herzi Halevi stated, “We will choose when to collect the price and demonstrate our precise and surprising attack capabilities, as guided by political leadership.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added, “Iran made a big mistake tonight—and it will pay for it.”
On Tuesday, Iran launched a series of ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israel's actions against Hezbollah allies in Lebanon.
Alarms rang out across Israel, and explosions were heard in Jerusalem and the Jordan River valley. While no injuries were reported in Israel, one man was killed in the occupied West Bank, according to local authorities.
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