LIVE Updates: Russia and China Condemn US‑Israeli Attacks on Iran, Call for Ceasefire

Cybersecurity watchdog NetBlocks says Iran’s near-total internet shutdown has now reached its fifth day, with internet use “around 1 percent of ordinary levels”.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has said several drones fired from Iran have hit its territory, one striking a terminal building in Nakhchivan International Airport and another landing near a school building in the village of Shakarabad.

“We strongly condemn these drone attacks carried out from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which resulted in damage to the airport building and injuries to two civilians,” said the Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports 72 killed and at least 437 wounded in Israeli air strikes following cross-border rocket attacks by Iran-backed groups. President Joseph Aoun has urged the U.S. to intervene to halt the escalation, as Israel continues air strikes and issues evacuation orders in southern Lebanon and Beirut suburbs.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has asked the US ambassador to the country to urge Washington to intervene to stop Israeli attacks, according to a statement from the presidency.

Aoun made the request during a meeting earlier with US Ambassador Michael Issa where they discussed the current situation in Lebanon and the Middle East.

Iran threatens to target Israeli embassies worldwide if Lebanon mission attacked

Iran’s armed forces have threatened to target Israeli missions worldwide if Israel attacks Tehran’s mission in Lebanon, a military spokesperson says.

Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesperson of the Iranian armed forces, said live on television, “If Israel commits such a crime, it will force us to make all Israeli embassies around the world our legitimate target.”

Yesterday, Avichay Adraee, an Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli military, said it “warns representatives of the Iranian terror regime who are still in Lebanon to leave immediately before being targeted”, giving them 24 hours to flee.

Sri Lanka Rescues 32 Iranian Sailors From Sinking Warship Off Galle

The Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday said it rescued 32 Iranian sailors from a sinking Iranian naval ship off the southern coast, while several bodies were recovered from the site.

Navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath told reporters that several bodies were also found near the location of the distress signal, though the exact number was not immediately available.

"At this point, it is difficult to give any numbers, but bodies have been found. As they were found closer to the point of distress, it is accepted that they were from the same ship," he said. (PTI)

Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says the US Navy fast-attack submarine used "a single Mark 48 torpedo".

A US official, who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the Iranian ship was the Dena.

The sinking of the Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean illustrates how the US military operation against Iran is stretching far beyond the Islamic Republic's borders. Trump has said that one of the US military's main objectives in the campaign is to wipe out its Navy.

(AP)

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani rejected Iran’s assertion that recent strikes targeted only U.S. assets, stating they hit civilian areas, vital infrastructure, and industrial zones, including near Hamad International Airport, calling it a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) reports that more than 20 Iranian government ships, including a Soleimani-class warship, have been struck or sunk since operations began. Iran has not commented, while Sri Lanka’s navy continues recovery efforts from a previously sunk vessel.

Residents in Shoresh, Israel, took cover in tunnels after alerts warned of incoming projectiles, amid escalating regional hostilities.

Oil tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz have dropped by 90% following US-Israeli attacks on Iran, according to energy intelligence firm Kpler. Some vessels continue to transit the waterway under AIS blackouts despite Iranian military threats and heightened risks.

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Sri Lanka’s navy has recovered 87 bodies from an Iranian frigate reportedly sunk by U.S. forces in international waters. Of the estimated 180 people on board, 32 survivors are hospitalized, while rescue teams continue recovery operations, reports the Assosiated Press.

https://x.com/i/status/2029192235724554561

Sri Lankan authorities report that up to 80 bodies have been recovered from a sunken Iranian vessel in international waters near Galle. The navy and air force are conducting rescue operations, with 32 survivors hospitalized, some in critical condition.

Reported by Minelle Fernandez

Al Jazeera 

Oman Rescues Crew After Cargo Ship Missile Attack

Oman’s navy rescued all 24 crew members from a Maltese-flagged cargo ship attacked by two missiles near the Strait of Hormuz. The crew received medical care and are reported to be in good health.

Iran’s UN mission claimed the U.S. is fighting its war on Iran to benefit Israel, saying Washington has “sacrificed the interests of its own nation” to support Israeli ambitions.

Tehran also warned that the U.S. bears responsibility for global economic fallout from the conflict.