20/04/2024 07:13
The Guardian
Iranian foreign minister’s comments come as world leaders urged calmIt has gone 10am in Gaza and Tel Aviv. This is our latest Guardian live blog on the Israel-Gaza war and the wider Middle East crisis.But first, here’s a summary of the latest developments:The Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-abdollahian, said on Friday that Iran will respond at an immediate and “maximum level” if Israel acts against its interests, according to Reuters. Amir-abdollahian said earlier that drones reportedly fired by Israel at the Iranian city of Isfahan did not cause “any damage or casualties”, as reported by Iranian media.US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said at the G7 meeting: “We’re committed to Israel’s security”, but added”:“We’re also committed to de-escalating.” Blinken also said that despite the confrontation, the US remained “intensely focused on Gaza”.The US Congress is pushing forward a $95m national security package that would provide additional aid to Israel following Israel’s reported airstrike in Iran. The bill overcame a massive hurdle with the support of Democrats in the House of Representatives. If approved this weekend, it will be sent to the Senate.A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry denounced the US’s veto of a Palestinian request to the UN security council, blocking the world body’s recognition of a Palestinian state. Iranian diplomat Nasser Kanani called the veto “irresponsible” and “unconstructive”.US officials confirmed that Israel carried out airstrikes against Iran, as explosions were reported in the sky over the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz, while the Iranian government sought to play down the scale of the attack.According to Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, speaking later on Friday, the US told the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Capri that it had received “last-minute” information from Israel about a drone action in Iran. Israel’s N12 news channel reported that Israel had also struck targets in Iraq and Syria, and explosions were reported in both those countries. Continue reading...
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