False drone alert in northern Israel
Israeli army spokesperson Ella Waweya falsely claimed that “several interceptor missiles were fired at a dummy target,” following initial alerts regarding a drone incursion overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday in several areas of the north of the country.
The Israeli army had initially reported that interceptor missiles had been launched in northern Israel after a drone had “apparently crossed the Lebanese border," before clarifying that it was actually a false alarm.
US urges its nationals in the region 'to exercise caution'
The US State Department has urged U.S. nationals in the Middle East “to exercise increased vigilance and to be alert to flight cancellations, airspace closures and potential disruptions.”
“Due to tensions in the Middle East, the security situation remains complex and there is a risk of unforeseen escalation,” the State Department said in a statement published on social media and also via the US Embassy in Lebanon.
“Americans traveling to or from the region should monitor updates regarding airport and flight operations. Iran and groups supporting it may target US interests abroad or locations associated with the United States and Americans worldwide, including US companies and other institutions,” it said.
US and Iran exchange attacks; US strikes kill at least 11 people
After launching renewed attacks against Iran on Monday which continued throughout Tuesday, the U.S. effectively ended the month-long lull in hostilities between the two warring countries.
Washington threatened more devastating strikes, with the U.S. military's Central Command saying it had struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air defenses, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communications sites on Tuesday.
Iranian media reported hits on multiple targets near the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway where Tehran has threatened tankers attempting to pass without authorization. It also reported five people were killed and dozens others wounded in a U.S. strike on a wedding celebration.
Iran said it struck U.S. assets in Jordan and Iraq, according to official statements, while Iranian media reports said it also attacked Bahrain. Although the IRGC said it killed a large number of U.S. forces in Jordan, two U.S. officials told Reuters there had not been any casualties, according to initial assessments.
Jordan's armed forces said their air defense systems dealt with 13 ballistic missiles that entered the kingdom's airspace, 10 of which were intercepted and three fell in remote areas. Bahrain said Iranian drones were intercepted and destroyed.
The IRGC also said its ground forces carried out combined missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Erbil in northern Iraq, killing several U.S. personnel. Neither Iraq nor the U.S. had confirmed the attack.
In what could be one of the more significant cases of civilian casualties in the war, five people were killed and 50 wounded at a wedding near Sirik, a coastal area on the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian Red Crescent reported.
The Mehr news agency said a 4-year-old child was among those killed, while the IRNA news agency, citing a provincial official, put the number of wounded at 68.
U.S. officials have yet to comment on the incident.
Read more here.
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Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of news in Lebanon and the wider region.
The U.S. and Iran have exchanged fire for the second day in a row, breaking a month-long pause in hostilities. U.S. strikes have killed at least 11 people in Iran, including five gathered at a wedding celebration.
Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its attacks on southern Lebanon, according to reports from our correspondent in the region.
Catch up on our Morning Brief here, and on yesterday's blog here.
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