Middle East crisis live: Trump says US considering ‘winding down’ war; Iran fired missiles at UK-US base on Diego Garcia

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Intelligence agencies were monitoring Nowruz celebrations successful Iran connected Friday to spot whether Iran’s caller ultimate leader Mojtaba Khamenei would beryllium seen for nan first time since his father’s death, Axios reports.

His father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei antecedently gave a caller year’s address, and it was thought Mojtaba could do nan same. However he only issued a written statement.

It comes arsenic it is 3 weeks without him being seen, since he became ultimate leader.

“We person nary grounds that he is really nan 1 giving orders,” a elder Israeli charismatic told Axios.

Hezbollah has said its fighters person fought pinch Israeli forces successful 2 borders towns connected Saturday.

AFP reported a Hezbollah connection which said nan group had engaged successful a four-hour confrontation pinch Israeli forces successful nan municipality of Khiam.

The connection said present had been “direct clashes pinch forces from nan Israeli force service successful nan municipality of Khiam pinch ray and mean weapons” and rockets.

Israel has killed much than 1,000 group successful Lebanon since Hezbollah launched strikes connected 2 March successful consequence to nan sidesplitting of Iranian ultimate leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The time truthful far

If you are conscionable logging on, present is simply a roundup of today’s news successful nan Middle East conflict. It has conscionable gone 6pm successful Tehran, and 4.30pm successful Tel Aviv. It’s mid-morning successful Washington DC, pinch nan clip having passed 10.30am.

• Iran fired missiles astatine nan US/UK Diego Garcia subject guidelines successful nan Indian Ocean, nan UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The MoD said nan strikes were unsuccessful, and took spot earlier nan UK said nan US could usage its bases for “specific and constricted defence operations”.

• Israel’s defence curate Israel Katz said strikes connected Iran will “intensify” adjacent week. In a connection Katz said location would beryllium a “significant” emergence successful nan attacks.

• Israel and nan US targeted an Iranian atomic enrichment works overnight. The caput of nan International Atomic Energy Agency has called for restraint. Iran said location had not been immoderate radioactive leakage, and nary residents were successful danger.

• The Israel Defence Force claimed it had “significantly degraded” ballistic rocket accumulation astatine a mill successful Tehran pinch airstrikes. It said “dozens” of targets were attacked, including those utilized to nutrient captious parts for missiles.

• Meanwhile nan US subject said Iran’s expertise to frighten ships successful nan strait of Hormuz has been reduced aft it attacked an underground installation that stored cruise missiles. The commandant of nan US cardinal bid said US forces had destroyed intelligence support sites and radar relays.

• Donald Trump has said he is considering “winding down” subject operations against Iran. “We are getting very adjacent to gathering our objectives,” nan US president posted connected Friday connected his Truth Social level successful nan strongest denotation yet that he whitethorn beryllium prepared to soon extremity nan hostilities that began 3 weeks ago.

• More than 20 countries now opportunity they are “ready to contribute” to nan safe transition of ships going done nan strait of Hormuz. It said they were fresh to lend “appropriate efforts” to guarantee safe transition done nan waterway, which is captious to world lipid markets.

• An serviceman was killed successful a drone onslaught connected Iraq’s intelligence office successful Baghdad. The intelligence work blamed “outlaw groups” and said a 2nd serviceman was wounded. It took spot astatine astir 10am section time.

• The Israel Defence Force killed 4 Hezbollah members successful confederate Lebanon overnight, nan subject has said. The IDF posted connected Telegram that a operation of crushed troops and nan Israeli aerial unit killed 1 – and tanks killed 3 more.

• European diplomats person criticised expanding “settler terror” successful nan West Bank, pinch six Palestinians changeable dormant successful settler attacks successful nan area this month. Representatives of 13 European countries including nan UK and France issued a associated connection alongside Canada.

• In nan UK 2 group person been charged, 1 of them Iranian, aft they allegedly tried to participate a naval guidelines successful Scotland which houses nan UK’s atomic Trident submarines. They were arrested connected Thursday.
  

European diplomats person criticised expanding “settler terror” successful nan West Bank, pinch six Palestinians changeable dormant successful settler attacks successful nan area this month.

Representatives of 13 European countries including nan UK and France issued a associated connection alongside Canada.

It called for Israeli authorities to prosecute those responsible.

It said: “We powerfully condemn expanding settler panic and unit by nan Israeli information forces inflicted upon Palestinian communities.

“We are particularly appalled by nan killings of Palestinians complete these past weeks. This unit by settler militias, aimed astatine taking complete onshore and creating a coercive environment, forcing Palestinians to time off their homes, must end.”

Israel’s subject main Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir connected Wednesday criticised nan summation successful settler attacks successful nan West Bank, calling it “morally and ethically unacceptable”.

Israel has claimed it has “significantly degraded” ballistic rocket accumulation astatine a mill successful Tehran aft it carried retired airstrikes overnight.

The Israel Defence Force said it carried retired attacks successful Tehran and deed “dozens” of targets. It said nan accommodation were utilized to nutrient captious parts for nan improvement of missiles.

Among nan accommodation deed were a components retention facility, a rocket substance works and a accumulation site.

The station by nan IDF connected Telegram said: “The IDF will proceed to grow its strikes against nan regime’s weapons accumulation accommodation successful bid to degrade its capabilities to beforehand its ballistic rocket program, which poses a nonstop threat to nan State of Israel.”

Here are immoderate of nan latest images from photographers astir nan Middle East:

Iranian Shia women, including 1 covered pinch nan Iranian nationalist flag, return portion successful Eid prayers astatine nan Grand Mosalla mosque successful Tehran. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Israeli tanks deployed on nan bluish Israeli separator pinch Lebanon. Photograph: Atef Safadi/EPA

Displaced children from confederate Lebanon eat manakish successful nan playground of a schoolhouse turned into a shelter successful Beirut. Photograph: Ibrahim Amro/AFP/Getty Images

Israeli information unit inspect nan harm adjacent Tel Aviv. Photograph: Ilia Yefimovich/AFP/Getty Images

Twenty countries 'ready to lend to ensuring safe passage' done strait of Hormuz

More than 20 countries – including nan UK, Germany, France, Japan and South Korea – person said they would lend to efforts ensuring safe transition successful nan strait of Hormuz, condemning Iran’s closure of nan captious waterway.

The 22 countries, mostly European but besides including nan UAE and Bahrain, said:

double quotation markWe definitive our readiness to lend to due efforts to guarantee safe transition done nan Strait. We invited nan committedness of nations who are engaging successful preparatory planning.

We condemn successful nan strongest position caller attacks by Iran connected unarmed commercialized vessels successful nan Gulf, attacks connected civilian infrastructure including lipid and state installations, and nan de facto closure of nan Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces.

Stefanie Glinski

Israeli defence curate Israel Katz said that strikes will “intensify” successful nan adjacent week, pinch a “significant” emergence successful attacks.

Despite nan war, immoderate Iranians said they were wished to observe Nowruz, nan Persian caller year.

Nowruz – besides celebrated crossed Central Asia, parts of nan Caucasus and among Kurds passim nan Middle East – marks nan outpouring equinox, and is traditionally seen arsenic a clip of renewal, hope, and caller beginnings.

Mohammad, 50, is simply a retired worker of an Iranian automotive company. He celebrates Nowruz each twelvemonth astatine location pinch his wife, Darya, 48, and their 25-year-old daughter, Masiha, and they publication poesy by Saadi. Photograph: M.Mohsenifar/The Guardian

You tin spot nan Guardian’s image essay, pinch photographs by Mohammad Mohsenifar, here:

US subject claims Iran threat to Hormuz 'degraded’

The US subject has said that Iran’s expertise to frighten nan strait of Hormuz has been “degraded” by nan bombing of an underground installation wherever it stored cruise missiles and different weaponry.

Admiral Brad Cooper, commandant of US Central Command said successful video connection posted connected X:

double quotation markWe not only took retired nan facility, but besides destroyed intelligence support sites and rocket radar relays that were utilized to show vessel movements.

He added:

double quotation markIran’s expertise to frighten state of navigation successful and astir nan strait of Hormuz is degraded arsenic a result, and we will not extremity pursuing these targets.

The US-Israel warfare connected Iran is simply a disaster for nan climate, according to an study that finds it is draining nan world c fund faster than 84 countries combined.

As warplanes, drones and missiles termination thousands of people, level infrastructure and move nan Middle East into a gigantic environmental sacrifice zone, nan first study of nan ambiance costs has recovered nan conflict led to 5m tonnes of greenhouse state emissions successful its first 14 days.

The analysis, shared exclusively pinch nan Guardian, adds different furniture connected to reporting of nan catastrophic biology harm being caused by attacks connected fossil substance infrastructure, subject bases, civilian areas and ships astatine sea.

“Every rocket onslaught is different downpayment connected a hotter, much unstable planet, and nary of it makes anyone safer,” said Patrick Bigger, a investigation head astatine nan Climate and Community Institute and a co-author of nan analysis.

“Every refinery occurrence and tanker onslaught is simply a reminder that fossil‑fuelled geopolitics is incompatible pinch a livable planet. This warfare shows, yet again, that nan fastest measurement to supercharge nan ambiance situation is to fto fossil substance interests dictate overseas policy.”

Read nan afloat study here:

As we’ve been reporting, Iran fired 2 missiles astatine nan UK-US subject guidelines connected Diego Garcia.

Part of nan Chagos Islands, Diego Garcia is astir 3,800km (2,360 miles) from Iran and location to an airbase tin of accommodating long-range US bombers.

The land has been astatine nan centre of a governmental statement aft nan UK agreed to cede sovereignty of nan islands to Mauritius and lease backmost nan base.

Russia has condemned nan US and Israel’s onslaught connected nan Natanz atomic enrichment facility.

In a connection reported by Reuters, Russia’s overseas ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova said: “This is simply a blatant usurpation of world law”.

During its penetration of Ukraine and consequent war, Russia has attacked atomic powerfulness plants successful Ukraine, including nan Chornobyl tract which suffered a meltdown successful 1986.

India’s premier curate Narendra Modi has spoken to nan Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian arsenic he “condemned attacks” connected infrastructure successful nan region.

Modi posted connected X, formerly known arsenic Twitter: “Spoke pinch President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian and conveyed Eid and Nowruz greetings. We expressed dream that this festive play brings peace, stableness and prosperity to westbound Asia.

“Condemned attacks connected captious infrastructure successful nan region, which frighten location stableness and disrupt world proviso chains.

“Reiterated nan value of safeguarding state of navigation and ensuring that shipping lanes stay unfastened and secure.

“Appreciated Iran’s continued support for nan information and information of Indian nationals successful Iran.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has called for “restraint” aft Israel and nan US targeted a atomic enrichment installation successful cardinal Iran.

The Iranian Tasnim news agency said nan Natanz tract betwixt Tehran and Isfahan was targeted earlier connected Saturday. It said it had not led to immoderate radioactive leakage, and residents were not astatine consequence (See 09.24am)

A post connected X, formerly Twitter, by nan IAEA connected Saturday quoted its head wide Rafael Grossi and said: “IAEA head wide Grossi reiterates telephone for subject restraint to debar immoderate consequence of a atomic accident.”

Reports of an Iranian rocket onslaught connected nan UK and US Diego Garcia subject guidelines successful Indian Ocean are correct, nan Guardian understands.

The Ministry of Defence indicated that nan grounded strikes (see 7.05am) astatine nan guidelines were earlier nan announcement past nighttime that UK bases tin beryllium utilized by nan US for “specific and protect operations”.

Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford tin beryllium utilized by nan US.

An MoD spokesperson said: “Iran’s reckless attacks, lashing retired crossed nan region and holding hostage nan strait of Hormuz, are a threat to British interests and British allies.

“RAF jets and different UK subject assets are continuing to take sides our group and unit successful nan region.

“This authorities has fixed support to nan US to usage British bases for circumstantial and constricted protect operations.”

Sardar Azmoun has been omitted from nan Iran squad announced for 2 World Cup friendlies games aft Iranian media reports that nan striker had been expelled from nan nationalist team for a perceived enactment of disloyalty to nan government.

Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals successful 91 internationals, was nan astir notable absentee from a 35-man squad named by nan caput coach, Amir Ghalenoei, connected Friday for games against Nigeria and Costa Rica successful nan Turkish metropolis of Antalya.

Azmoun, who plays his nine shot successful nan United Arab Emirates for Shabab Al Ahli, upset nan Iranian authorities this week by posting a image connected his Instagram provender of a gathering pinch Dubai’s ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Iran has launched rocket and drone attacks connected nan UAE aft airstrikes by nan United States and Israel, which killed nan country’s ultimate leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.