Netanyahu vows Tehran pays as extra troops despatched into Lebanon: Israel-Iran newest

Iran launches barrage of missiles on Israel as explosions heard across Tel Aviv

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed revenge on Iran as the conflict in the Middle Eastthreatened to spiral out of control.

Netanyahu warned Tehran would “pay a price” after it fired around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday evening following an Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

Millions of Israelis rushed to shelters before explosions caused by Israel’s iron dome air defence system intercepting Iranian missiles lit up the night skies above Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said hypersonic missiles had been used for the first time in the attack. In April, Tehran launched around 300 missiles and drones at Israel.

It comes as Israel announced that regular infantry and armoured units were joining ground operations in southern Lebanon, stepping up pressure on Hezbollah.

The addition of infantry and armoured troops from the 36th Division, including the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armoured Brigade and 6th Infantry Brigade, suggests that the operation has moved beyond limited commando raids.

Images this morning showed Israeli airstrikes raining down on areas over the border in Lebanon.

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UK defence secretary in Cyprus ahead of possible Lebanon evacuation

UK defence secretary John Healey is in Cyprus discussing details of a possible evacuation of Britons still in Lebanon.

Additional soldiers have been sent to an RAF base in Cyprus in case a military evacuation is needed.

Defence Secretary John Healey meets members of the Royal Navy onboard HMS Duncan, in the eastern Mediterranean, during a visit to Cyprus
Defence Secretary John Healey meets members of the Royal Navy onboard HMS Duncan, in the eastern Mediterranean, during a visit to Cyprus (Yui Mok/PA Wire)
Defence Secretary John Healey is piped aboard HMS Duncan, in the eastern Mediterranean
Defence Secretary John Healey is piped aboard HMS Duncan, in the eastern Mediterranean (Yui Mok/PA Wire)
Tom Watling2 October 2024 11:51

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Saudi Arabia hopes for de-escalation in Middle East, economy minister says

Saudi Arabia is hoping for de-escalation and dialogue, economy minister Faisal al-Ibrahim said on Wednesday, when asked at a conference in Berlin about the situation in the Middle East following Iran’s missile attack against Israel.

Al-Ibrahim called the escalation unfortunate but said it was very hard to avoid discussing.

“We hope that wisdom will prevail, de-escalation will happen, dialogue will come into place and more collaboration will be seen globally, but also regionally for us to address these challenges,” he said.

People check the site of an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon
People check the site of an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon (AP)
Tom Watling2 October 2024 11:32

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Hezbollah says ‘we are only in the first round’ following clashes with Israeli troops

Hezbollah is “only in the first round” following clashes with Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, the militant group’s media chief Mohammad Afif has said.

He added that the group has enough fighters, weapons and ammunition to push back Israel.

An Israeli airstrike hits an area in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel
An Israeli airstrike hits an area in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel (AP)
Tom Watling2 October 2024 11:30

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Iranian supreme leader Khamenei speaks on day after Iran launched missile attack on Israel

Iran’s religious supreme leader has spoken out a day after he ordered the launch of nearly 200 missiles at Israel.

Greeting a crowd in Tehran, the Iranian capital, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that “all the regions problems are because of the interference of the US and its allies”.

A handout photo made available by the Iranian supreme leader office shows Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei greeting the crowd during a ceremony in Tehran, Iran
A handout photo made available by the Iranian supreme leader office shows Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei greeting the crowd during a ceremony in Tehran, Iran (EPA)
(EPA)
Tom Watling2 October 2024 11:21

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Hezbollah says it is clashing with Israeli forces infiltrating Lebanese border town

Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants are clashing with Israeli forces infiltrating the border town of Maroun Al-Ras, the militant group said in a statement on Wednesday.

Artillery is fired by the Israeli army into Lebanon, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, as seen from Jish, northern Israel
Artillery is fired by the Israeli army into Lebanon, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, as seen from Jish, northern Israel (REUTERS)
Tom Watling2 October 2024 11:09

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British father in Israel films wave of Iran missiles filling sky

British father in Israel films wave of Iran missiles filling sky

Footage taken from the ground in Israel shows explosions over Kibbutz Hatzerim after Iran launched missiles into the country on Tuesday, 1 October. Simon King, a 60-year-old British-Israeli father living in the Kibbutz near Be’eri, described seeing “orangey-white” explosions across the sky before finding shelter in his safe room with his children. Tehran fired around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday evening following an Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Explosions caused by Israel’s iron dome air defence system intercepting Iranian missiles lit up the night skies above Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Tom Watling2 October 2024 11:09

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I was on the road with Harris as Iran-Israel news broke. It got weird

Tom Watling2 October 2024 10:58

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Egypt condemns ‘dangerous’ Israeli escalation in southern Lebanon

Egypt’s cabinet has condemned what it called a “dangerous” Israeli escalation in southern Lebanon and rejected any attempts to impose a “new situation” on the ground that violates Lebanese sovereignty, according to a statement released on Wednesday.

Tom Watling2 October 2024 10:40

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In pictures: Israel airstrikes hit Beirut

A woman carries a cat past a destroyed building at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb of Shayyah
A woman carries a cat past a destroyed building at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburb of Shayyah (AFP via Getty Images)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon (AP)
Smoke billows at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb of Hadath
Smoke billows at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburb of Hadath (AFP via Getty Images)
Tom Watling2 October 2024 10:26

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More than 200 Chinese citizens evacuated from Lebanon, state media says

More than 200 Chinese citizens have been safely evacuated from Lebanon by the government, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

Tom Watling2 October 2024 10:13

Source: independent.co.uk