The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, has ordered a nuclearpowered guided-missile submarine to the Middle East and is telling the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area. The US and other allies continue to push for Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire agreement over the war in Gaza that could help calm soaring tensions in the region.
Israel has been braced for a major attack since last month when a missile killed 12 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Israel responded by killing a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut. A day after that operation, Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran, drawing Iranian vows of retaliation against Israel.
The US has been beefing up its presence in the region. Yesterday, Israel’s air force suspended travel abroad for its service personnel, a military spokesperson said, adding that safety instructions from the military for the general public remained unchanged.
Meanwhile, Tehran’s acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani has said Iran has the “right to an appropriate and deterrent response” against Israel to ensure regional stability, in discussions with his Chinese counterpart, according to state media.
Earlier, the leaders of France, Germany and Britain called on Iran and its allies to refrain from any retaliatory attacks that would further escalate regional tensions.
In a joint statement released yesterday, they endorsed the latest push by the United States, Qatar and Egypt to broker an agreement to end the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas war. The mediators have spent months trying to get the sides to agree to a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release the remaining hostages captured in a 7 October attack in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, as well as Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
Esta historia es de la edición August 13, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August 13, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Fernandes saves ponderous United with extra-time goal
A stray punch got the battle of Britain going, but it took the right boot of Bruno Fernandes to decide it.
Keys overcomes Swiatek power in semi-final thriller
Tennis has seen its fair share of mesmerising performances.
RFU chief executive vows to stay despite bonus row
A defiant Bill Sweeney has vowed to continue as chief executive of England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) until the 2027 Rugby World Cup, even as he faces a revolt within the game over his tenure.
Canelo vs Crawford is the super fight with a twist
Mexican idol and US star set for September meet as fight fixer Turki Alalshikh strikes again,
Consumer confidence in economy falls to new low’
Consumer expectations for the economy have plunged as the government faces continued pressure over public finances.
SLAVE TO THE BEAT
On 'Eusexua', her defiantly weird paean to the Prague rave scene, FKA twigs bends vital new electronic shapes, writes Helen Brown, while rapper Central Cee's debut delivers
Think kink: the distinctions between BDSM and abuse
Olivia Petter talks to sex educators about what differentiates a consensual sexual practice from abusive behaviour, and why it's so crucial for partners to understand these polarities
Air pollution crisis in focus ahead of Delhi's election
Toxic air in India’s capital, population more than 33 million, has become a key political issue,
Lost Tina Turner track casts light on her return to fame
A surprise treasure has been unearthed from Tina Turner's vaults: the previously unheard track \"Hot for You, Baby\", which was intended for use on her fifth solo album, Private Dancer.
Could Britain really join a European customs union?
Europe's new trade official responsible for post-Brexit negotiations has said a \"pan-European [customs] area\" is something the EU could consider as part of \"resetting\" relations between the UK post-Brexit and the EU.
