Israel-Iran News Live: US moves warships, India issues travel advisory as tension rise

Israel-Iran News Live: US moves warships, India issues travel advisory as tension rise

April 13, 2024

An Iranian crosses the road next to a pro-Palestine poster in Tehran on April 13, 2024.

Israel-Iran News Highlights: Tensions are rising with Israel bracing for an attack by Iran as a retaliation to the airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus last week, which resulted in the killing of a senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ overseas Quds Force and six other officers. While Israel did not claim responsibility for the attack, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had asserted that Israel “must be punished and shall be” for the attack. …Read More

Amid fears of retaliation by Iran, Hezbollah on Friday night fired a barrage of missiles towards northern Israel, reported the Times of Israel. According to the report, around 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel. There were no immediate reports of injuries in the attack. 

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said that he expects Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran to not proceed with it. In his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t”, adding that the US is “devoted to the defence of Israel”. “We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said, reported Reuters. 

 

Follow all the updates here:

Apr 13, 2024 10:59 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Iran must release seized ship ‘immediately’, says White House

The White House has called on Iran to immediately release a British-owned ship it seized near the Strait of Hormuz, reported AFP.

“We call on Iran to release the vessel and its international crew immediately,” said National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson. “Seizing a civilian vessel without provocation is a blatant violation of international law, and an act of piracy by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.”

Apr 13, 2024 9:38 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Air India says closely monitoring situation in Middle East

Amid rising tension in the Middle East, an Air India spokesperson said: “We are closely monitoring the developing situation in the Middle East. Presently, our aircraft will operate on alternate flight paths to and from India- according to top priority to the safety of our passengers and crew.” 

Apr 13, 2024 8:19 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE:  25 crew members on board container ship seized by Tehran

The Italian-Swiss shipping group MSC said in a statement that there were 25 crew members on board the container ship. 

It said MSC Aries has been “boarded by Iranian authorities via helicopter as she passed the Strait of Hormuz at approximately 0243 UTC this morning”. MSC said it is “working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel”. More details.

Apr 13, 2024 7:39 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Iraqi PM heads to Washington

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani has left Baghdad for the United States, his office said today.  He will meet US President Joe Biden as regional tensions flare.

Apr 13, 2024 7:09 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: 17 Indians onboard ship ‘MSC Aries’ seized by Iran

The seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the Gulf has 17 Indians on board and India is already in touch with the Iranian authorities to ensure security, welfare and the early release of the Indians, official sources said on Wednesday, as reported by news agencies. More here.

Apr 13, 2024 6:32 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Tel Aviv accuses Tehran of conducting piracy

Israel has responded to Iran’s seizure of the vessel by saying that it was conducting piracy and should be sanctioned for it, reports Reuters.

“The Ayatollah regime of Khamenei is a criminal regime that supports Hamas’ crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law,” Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said. 

He adds: “I call on the European Union and the free world to immediately declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization and to sanction Iran now.”

Apr 13, 2024 6:04 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Tehran says Israel ‘in complete panic’

An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claims that Israel is panicking over a possible retaliatory response from Iran after a strike in Syria which killed members of its Revolutionary Guards, reports AFP.

“It has been a week that the Zionists are in complete panic and are on alert,” Yahya Rahim Safavi says. “They don’t know what Iran wants to do, so they and their supporters are terrified.” 

Apr 13, 2024 5:06 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: More on the vessel seized

Vessel tracking websites, vesselfinder.com and marinetraffic.com, say MSC Aries is a Portuguese-flagged container ship. Both sites give its last reported position as in the Gulf.

Apr 13, 2024 4:31 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Tehran says Iran will bear consequences for any escalation

Iran will bear consequences if it escalates violence in the region, an Israeli military spokesperson said on Saturday, according to Reuters.

“Iran will bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further,” Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement. “Israel is on high alert. We have increased our readiness to protect Israel from further Iranian aggression. We are also prepared to respond.”

Apr 13, 2024 4:08 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Tehran says it has seized vessel ‘linked to Israel’

Iran’s IRNA reports that its Guards have seized vessel ‘related’ to Israel in Gulf.

IRNA adds that the seized MSC Aries vessel is being transferred to Iran’s territorial waters

Apr 13, 2024 4:02 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: US-Israel stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’, says defence minister

Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant says that Israel and the United States stand “shoulder to shoulder”, despite differences over the conduct of the Gaza war, reports Reuters.

 “Our enemies think that they can pull apart Israel and the United States, but the opposite is true — they are bringing us together and strengthening our ties,” Gallant adds.

Apr 13, 2024 3:47 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Qantas reroutes Perth-London flights

Australia’s Qantas Airways says that it has temporarily rerouted flights between Perth and London amid tensions in the Middle East.

“We’re temporarily adjusting the flight paths for our flights between Perth and London due to the situation in parts of the Middle East,” Reuters quoted a Qantas spokesperson as saying. “We’ll reach out to customers directly if there’s any change to their booking.”

Apr 13, 2024 3:30 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: What Joe Biden said about Tehran’s plan

US President Joe Biden says that Iran will attack Israel sooner, rather than later. In an ominous warning, he told Tehran not to attack the country as the US was devoted to its defense. He also assured Israel of help from the US.

Apr 13, 2024 3:06 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Video shows raid on ship near Strait of Hormuz, Iran blamed

The Associated Press is reporting about a video showing commandos raiding a ship near the Strait of Hormuz by helicopter. Defence officials in the Mideast have blamed Iran for the attack amid wider tensions between Tehran and the West.

Apr 13, 2024 2:28 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Tehran’s highest-ranking officials yet to approve attack

The intelligence assessment is that the attack on Israel hasn’t been approved by Tehran’s highest-ranking officials yet, Bloomberg reports, citing sources.

Apr 13, 2024 2:02 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: British Military issues warning of possible vessel boarding near strait of Hormuz

Israel-Iran News LIVE: The British military issued a warning about the possible boarding of a vessel near the vital Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations provided limited information about the incident in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait. This event comes amidst increased tensions between Iran and the West, exacerbated by a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian Consulate in Syria.

Apr 13, 2024 1:52 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Lufthansa stops using Iran airspace

Israel-Iran News LIVE: German airline Lufthansa said Friday its planes would no longer use Iranian airspace as it extended a suspension on flights to and from Tehran amid soaring Middle East tensions.

Apr 13, 2024 1:45 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Bomb blows up car in Damascus

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Syrian state media reported on Saturday that an explosive device exploded in a car in a posh Damascus neighbourhood, citing a police source. The responsible party for the blast or its intended target remains unclear.

Apr 13, 2024 1:32 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Argentina court blames Iran for deadly 1994 bombing of Jewish centre

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Argentina’s highest criminal court has attributed responsibility to Iran for the deadly 1994 attack on the AMIA Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, labelling it a “crime against humanity.” This ruling, outlined in court documents released Thursday, opens avenues for victims to pursue justice.

Apr 13, 2024 1:18 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Hezbollah rockets Israel

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Hezbollah launched multiple Katyusha rockets at Israeli artillery positions on Friday in retaliation for Israeli strikes in the south.

Apr 13, 2024 12:59 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: US sends reinforcements to Middle East

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Amid escalating concerns of a potential attack on Israel by Iran, the United States announced on Friday that it would deploy reinforcements to the Middle East. 

“We are moving additional assets to the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for US forces,” said a US defence official in Washington, a key ally of Israel.

Apr 13, 2024 12:37 PM IST

Israel-Iran News LIVE: Italy FM phones Iranian counterpart, urges to show restraint

Israel-Iran News Live: Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, engaged in a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, on Friday, urging Tehran to exercise restraint amid escalating tensions with Israel.

“We cannot risk escalation at such an extremely volatile stage. All regional actors must show responsibility,” Tajani said.

Apr 13, 2024 12:24 PM IST

Israel-Iran News Live: How Middle East tension is impacting Gold price?

Israel-Iran News Live: Gold initially reached a new peak but later retreated as tensions in the Middle East added to the demand for safe-haven assets. The price of gold surged past $2,400 an ounce on Friday, marking a significant increase of up to 2.5 per cent, Bloomberg reported. However, it later dipped by as much as 0.6 per cent, retracting from its earlier gains.

Apr 13, 2024 12:11 PM IST

Israel-Iran News Live: Just joined? Know about what is brewing

Israel-Iran News Live: Israel prepares for potential attack amid rising tensions with Iran following the killing of a senior officer in Iran’s embassy in Damascus. Several countries, including India, France, Poland, and Russia, advise against travel to the region, which is already tense due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The White House acknowledges the threat from Iran as real and viable, while the Israeli military urges civilians to stay vigilant without issuing new instructions.

Apr 13, 2024 11:33 AM IST

Israel-Iran News Live: Stocks fall as war jitters spur flight to safety

Israel-Iran News Live: Equity markets suffered losses at the close of a volatile week, driven by reports of Israel preparing for potential attacks from Iran or its proxies using drones and missiles on government installations in the coming days. 

Apr 13, 2024 11:30 AM IST

Israel-Iran News Live: Qantas redirects Perth-London flights to avoid Iran airspace

Qantas will reroute its Perth-London flights to avoid Iranian airspace due to escalating tensions. The Perth-London route will now include a stop in Singapore for refueling, ensuring a full passenger load on an alternate path. Return flights from London to Perth remain unaffected. All other Qantas flights remain unchanged.

Apr 13, 2024 10:32 AM IST

Israel-Iran News Live: India issues travel advisory 

India on Friday issued an advisory urging its citizens not to travel to Iran or Israel amid heavy tensions between the two sides. The ministry of external affairs also asked all Indian nationals living in the two countries to observe “utmost precautions” for their safety.

Apr 13, 2024 10:23 AM IST

Israel-Iran News Live: Qantas Airways diverts Australia-London flight to avoid Iran route amid fears of attack 

Qantas Airways Ltd has temporarily rerouted its direct service from Perth to London as it seeks to avoid airspace in the Middle East amid fears of Iran planning an imminent attack on Israel.

Apr 13, 2024 10:12 AM IST

Israel-Iran News Live: Hezbollah fires missiles towards Israel 

The Iran-backed Hezbollah on Friday fired a barrage of missiles towards northern Israel amid fears of retaliation to airstrike on Iran embassy.