THE latest developments in the Middle East war: US rescue mission Iran’s military said a US operation to rescue a missing airman from a downed fighter jet had been “completely foiled”, hours after President Donald Trump announced the crew member had been recovered in a “daring” operation. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for the Iranian military’s central command, said two C-130 military transport planes and two helicopters were destroyed during the operation. Trump, in a social media post, said “dozens” of US aircraft took part in the rescue operation and that the crew member was injured “but he will be just fine”. The other crew member from the downed warplane was rescued on Saturday.
Israel targets Beirut
The Israeli military said it had begun striking Lebanon’s capital Beirut to take out “Hezbollah infrastructure sites”. Shortly after, an AFP photographer in Beirut saw a missile hit a building and Israeli warplanes flying at low over the city. Lebanese state media said a building in south Beirut was hit.
Lebanon urges Israel talks
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun renewed a call for negotiations with Israel, saying he wanted to spare south Lebanon from destruction on the scale seen in Gaza. “It is true that Israel might want to do in southern Lebanon what it did in Gaza,” Aoun said in a televised address, after Israel launched airstrikes and a ground offensive.
Israeli warship targeted
Hezbollah said it had targeted an Israeli warship off the Lebanese coast with a cruise missile, the first such claim by the group since the start of the war. The Israeli military said it was “not aware” of the attack.
Abu Dhabi plant ablaze
Authorities in Abu Dhabi said they were battling fires at a petrochemical facility caused by falling debris, as Iran pressed an aerial campaign against its Gulf neighbours.The emirate’s media office said work at the plant had been suspended to allow the damage to be assessed.
Aluminium threat
The UAE’s defence ministry said its air defences were responding to missile and drone attacks after Iran said it was targeting “aluminium industries”.
AFP
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