Trump official quits over Iran war, Israel kills Iranian commanders : NPR
An Emirates plane prepares to land as a plume of smoke rises Monday following an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates.
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The Israeli military said Tuesday it carried out a targeted strike in Tehran that killed Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, who led a paramilitary militia that plays an important role in domestic security.
The director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he “could not, in good conscience”, support the Trump administration’s war in Iran.
And European leaders once again rejected President Trump’s request for naval assistance to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that has been largely blocked by Iranian attacks and threats of retaliation.
Overnight, Israel reported continued operations in Lebanon and Iran, while the US embassy in Baghdad was attacked again, according to the Iraqi government. Projectiles were fired in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and an oil tanker was hit in Oman.
Health authorities have reported around 1,300 deaths in Iran, 886 in Lebanon and 12 in Israel since the war began on February 28. U.S. Central Command said 13 U.S. service members were killed and about 200 troops injured.
Here are further updates on the situation in the Middle East.
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Senior Iranian officials killed | Lebanon War| Europe’s response to Trump | United States Embassy in Baghdad | Strikes in the Gulf
Israel claims to have killed two senior Iranian leaders in Tehran
Israel claims to have killed two senior Iranian officials: Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and public policy adviser to the Supreme Leader, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary forces.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the killings as part of an ongoing effort to eliminate key regime figures.
Iran did not immediately confirm the killings, but they were believed to be the highest-profile assassinations in Iran since Israel killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top leaders on the first day of the war.
The Basij forces are a volunteer paramilitary militia, a branch of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, which Israel says was responsible for the violent suppression of street protests against the Iranian government earlier this year.
Katz said the military would continue to target Iranian government figures.
—Hadeel Al-Shalchi, Daniel Estrin and Rebecca Rosman
Western leaders warn of ground offensive in Lebanon
In a joint statement, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom warned that a major Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon could have “devastating humanitarian consequences” and risk a protracted conflict. They called for immediate de-escalation and urged Israeli and Lebanese representatives to meaningfully engage with a political solution.
The warning comes as Israel deepens its operations against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military issued a new evacuation warning to residents of the village of Arab al-Jal, asking them to leave a specific building and adjacent structures ahead of what it said was an imminent strike against Hezbollah infrastructure.
The warning is the latest in a series of pre-strike advisories as Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah sites across Lebanon while trying to limit civilian casualties.
The Israeli attack in Lebanon killed 886 people and displaced more than a million people, according to the Lebanese government’s disaster management office.
—Hadeel Al-Shalchi, Rebecca Rosman
Europe rejects Trump’s call for help in the Strait of Hormuz
EU foreign ministers have rejected President Trump’s call for help to open the Strait of Hormuz, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas saying there was “no appetite” among member states.
This position comes after Trump, in an interview with the Financial Timeswarned that “it would be very bad for the future of NATO” if countries failed to control the strait.
“I demand that these countries step up and protect their own territory, because it’s their own territory,” Trump said Sunday aboard Air Force One.
“Whether we get support or not, I can say this, and I’ve told them this: We will remember this,” he said.
But foreign countries reacted cautiously, with several outright rejecting Trump’s request.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected Trump’s demands, telling reporters Monday that he was working with allies on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but that it would not be a NATO mission.
“While we will take the necessary steps to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not allow ourselves to be drawn into a broader war,” he said.
Germany also does not see a role for NATO in monitoring the strait.
“As long as this war continues, there will be no involvement, not even an option to keep the Strait of Hormuz open by military means,” Stefan Kornelius, spokesman for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said in Berlin on Monday.
“This is not our war, we did not start it,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday. We want diplomatic solutions and a quick end.”
Spain and Italy also said they would not send ships through the strait.
US embassy in Baghdad targeted again
The Iraqi government said Tuesday that the US embassy in Baghdad was attacked again, along with an iconic hotel and an oil field, amid continued exchanges between the US military and Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry said a drone struck Baghdad’s Rasheed Hotel, used by Iraqi officials and visiting foreign delegations, causing some damage but no casualties.
Oil tanker hit near Fujairah; Pakistani national killed in UAE by falling shrapnel
The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that an oil tanker near Fujairah, located in the Gulf of Oman, was hit by an unidentified projectile on Tuesday, causing minor structural damage. Authorities said they were investigating and ships were advised to transit with caution.
In Abu Dhabi, authorities said a Pakistani national was killed by falling shrapnel during the interception of a ballistic missile.
Daniel Estrin contributed to this report from Tel Aviv, Hadeel Al-Shalchi from Beirut and Rebecca Rosman from Paris.
