LIVE: Tensions rise as Iran prepares for attacks on Israel
IN the aftermath of assassination of Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, Iran has vowed to respond in a way never seen before. In the last couple of days, tensions have risen massively across the Middle East as Iran prepares for an all-out attack that Tehran claims will ‘cross all of Israel’s red lines’.
This is a developing story with more to come, stay with us for updates.
UK prime minister calls for de-escalation
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to address his concerns regarding the worsening situation between Iran and Israel. Mr Starmer said the situation in the Middle East is ‘deeply concerning’ and that he has talked to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and explained how caution from all parties is important to prevent further escalation. His tweet is given below:
Iran’s retaliatory strike is imminent: Israeli media
Israel is preparing for some sort of retaliation by the Iranians, by Hezbollah and even perhaps the Houthis in Yemen.
Israeli officials have been speaking anonymously to the Israeli media, saying the attack is imminent based on their intelligence. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has been holding near-daily security and situational assessments on Israel’s preparedness and readiness.
The Israeli military also conducted a drill in the northern part of the country. It was the largest drill of its kind since the war began and essentially simulated a full-out war with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Gallant says that Israel is ready to act in unprecedented ways as they have significant capabilities and that they are ready to make the switch from defence to offence in an instant- Al Jazeera
China supports Iran’s right to defence
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told Iran’s acting foreign minister over phone that Beijing supports Tehran in defending its “sovereignty, security and national dignity”, China’s foreign ministry has said in a statement. Mr Yi also repeated Beijing’s condemnation of the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, saying the strike violated Iran’s sovereignty and threatened regional stability.
Mossad on likely Iran attack
Israeli intelligence says Iran might attack Israel in the next few days. The report termed Thursday, 15th August, as a possible date for Iran’s attack on Israel, Axios reported citing Israeli intelligence officials. This report comes after top IRGC commanders said that a date for the Iranian attack has been confirmed. The intelligence assessment hints that an Iranian attack could come before the Gaza hostage and ceasefire talks scheduled for Thursday. It is worth mentioning that the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad is amongst the best in the world and has obtained highly classified information in the past as well.
Khamenei’s orders will be carried out: IRGC
Iran will carry out an order by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to “harshly punish” Israel over the assassination of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deputy commander has said.
“The supreme leader’s orders regarding the harsh punishment of Israel and revenge for the blood of martyr Ismail Haniyeh are clear and explicit … and they will be implemented in the best possible way,” Ali Fadavi was quoted as saying by Iranian media.
US tells Iran, Israel not to intensify conflict
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday Washington stands against escalation of the Middle East conflict and that the US had communicated to both Israel and Iran not to escalate the dispute. The Pentagon also said the US would not tolerate any attacks against its forces. Mr Blinken said that US officials had been in contact with regional partners in the Middle East and that there was a consensus that no one should escalate the conflict.
Iran clears airspace
Iran has issued warnings in order to clear parts of its airspace for military exercises planned for the 7th and 8th of August; there is a possibility long-range, air-to-air missiles will be tested.
Tehran issues warning to Washington
Tehran has conveyed to Washington that if it defends Israel in the ongoing conflict, then Iran will consider the US bases in its vicinity as legitimate targets.
Iran is moving missile launchers, conducting drills
US officials said Iran is moving missile launchers and conducting military drills, the ‘Wall Street Journal’ has reported.
Pakistan willing to sell Iran weapons
Pakistan expressed its willingness to sell weaponry to Iran at the OIC emergency meeting held in Jeddah on Tuesday. Pakistan expressed its intention to supply Iran with its Shaheen III ballistic missile, which is capable of pulling off medium-range attacks efficiently.
CNN reports Iranian military movement
American intelligence has recorded that Iran’s military is on the move, possibly mobilising to attack Israel, CNN has reported.
Russia supplies arms to Iran
Russia has supplied sophisticated air defence systems and the advanced Iskander missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, to Iran, which is also pressuring Moscow to deliver Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Reuters reported.
Fears of Iran’s strikes cause stocks to plummet worldwide
Fears of Iran’s strikes on Israel have sent stock markets across the globe crashing, markets from Taiwan to the US have reported. Japan, Taiwan, America, India and other countries have reported a sharp fall in their markets as threats of a recession loom in parts of the world.
Iranian Space Command releases ominous video
The Iranian space command released an eerie video today, showcasing Iran’s missile facilities, watch the video below:
The video showcases Iran's underground missile tunnels, often referred to as 'missile cities'
Houthis shoot down American drone
Houthi soldier seen amongst the remains of the American MQ-9 Reaper drone
The Houthis, an Iran-backed group operating out of Yemen has shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone worth $32 million, Almasirah has reported.
The drone was intercepted over Houthi-controlled Saadi region and was subsequently shot down. The Houthis vowed revenge for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh; they are likely to work in tandem with Iran and other Iranian proxies in a massive coordinated attack against Israel.
This is not the first time the Houthis have downed an MQ-9 Reaper drone as they’ve intercepted and downed the same twice before this year, in April and May.
Russian military supply plane lands in Tehran
A Gelix Airlines operated Ilyushin IL-76TD, designated as GLX9810, took off from Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport and landed at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport. The IL-76TD aircraft is a heavy military transport model owned by Gelix Airlines, a Russian company known for its involvement in military logistics.
This specific aircraft, registered as RA-76360, has a history of carrying volatile cargo, recently making trips between India and Armenia as part of a new deal to transport strategic cargo between the two countries. While the contents of the plane remain undisclosed, the dots line up too well for this incident to be dismissed as an ordinary flight.
Iran and Russia are close allies and Moscow condemned the killing of Ismail Haniyeh. Keeping all these factors in mind, as well as the origin of the flight and the history of the plane, it seems plausible that Russia has supplied Iran with arms as the latter gears up for its offensive against Israel.
Jordanian foreign minister visits Iran
Jordanian Foreign Minister Rami Al-Safadi arrived in Tehran to hold talks with the Iranian leadership in a last-ditch attempt to reduce tensions after the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The minister expressed Jordan’s commitment to creating stability and peace in the region and expressed Jordan’s desire for Iran to not retaliate to the murder of Haniyeh.
Jordan condemned the killing of the Hamas leader and is unlikely to assist Israel against Iran this time around; the last time Iran attacked Israel, Jordan had sided with Israel.
Iranian military on the move
Iran’s ministry of defence has asked citizens to not take pictures and videos of military equipment on the roads. Iran is currently moving its military equipment from one place to another, Iran Observer has reported.
Iran deploys communications jammers
Reportedly, Iran has deployed Russia's most powerful jamming communication system, Murmansk-BN, at strategically important locations in anticipation of the after-effects of the retaliatory attacks Iran intends to carry out against Israel.
Israel preparing for attacks
Israel expects a large-scale Iranian strike on military targets in central Israel, with having minutes to evacuate as Tel Aviv expects the missiles to arrive first.
Iran told Arab diplomats that it does not care if the response against Israel results in the outbreak of an all-out war, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Israeli leaders to use special bunker
A highly secure bunker in Jerusalem is now ready to receive members of the Israeli leadership if conditions worsen.