Lebanon has been sucked further into the regional maelstrom: Israel unleashed a huge wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah bases. Today the Lebanese Health Ministry revealed that the death toll from the latest strikes is 52, with more than 150 injured.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck weapons depots and intelligence headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs (Dahiyeh) and throughout southern Lebanon. These strikes were a direct reaction to the firing of rockets and drones into northern Israel from the Lebanese group Hezbollah what it called "revenge" after Iranian leaders were assassinated. Among the figures reportedly killed in the Beirut strikes was the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad.
Death toll: 3 killed in missile attacks in UAE and Gulf
The war has upended the relative safety of the Gulf states. On Monday, an Iranian missile strike reportedly struck a hotel and residential area in the UAE. Three people were killed, some injured. The UAE, along with Kuwait and Bahrain, has been caught in the crossfire as Iran targets U.S. military assets and their host nations.
In another case, the United States embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was attacked with drones, causing a limited amount of damage, a reflection of the larger theater of war.
Iran Crisis: 787 Dead as Epic Fury Persists
The humanitarian toll of the U.S.-led Operation Epic Fury has been staggering in Iran. The death toll from the four-day campaign had arrived at 787 people by Tuesday afternoon, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
- Nuclear Site Damage: The IAEA has said it has detected “recent damage” to the entrance of the underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant, with no radiological leaks.
- Hit by State Broadcaster: Israeli and American forces apparently “struck and dismantled” the head office of Iran’s state broadcaster in Tehran to shut the regime’s communications.
- Leadership Vacuum: The country has been mired in political and military chaos since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death on Saturday.
- Oil and Air Travel: Worldwide Impact and the Middle East The "war-risk premium" is being felt across the world.
- Oil Prices: Brent crude surged toward $80 per barrel on Monday as Iran threatened to completely block the Strait of Hormuz.
- Travel chaos: Some Dubai and Abu Dhabi carriers have indicated that flights could be resumed to some extent, but hundreds of thousands of passengers are left stranded worldwide as Middle Eastern airspace continues to be extremely volatile.
International Response
The United Nations called for an immediate “end to the sickening cycle of escalation.” In the meantime, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, talked with leaders in Oman and Kuwait today about his worries for the attacks, and for the protection of millions of Indian nationals residing in the Gulf.
