Key points
- Missile launched from Iran destroyed by Nato defence systems
- Nearly 150 missing after Iranian warship sinks near Sri Lanka
- Israeli forces have entered the southern Lebanese town of Khiyam
- State funeral for supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei postponed
- Missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday triggered air raid sirens across large parts of Israel
- Hundreds of stranded Irish citizens are expected to board a flight from UAE to Dublin tonight
- More than 15,000 flights cancelled across the Middle East
Key reads
- Miriam Lord: Taoiseach’s Operation Septic Turkey prompts epic levels of fury on Opposition benches
- Michael McDowell: If Putin was wrong to invade Ukraine, Trump is wrong to invade Iran
- Why have the US and Israel attacked Iran? Why has Dubai been hit?
Sri Lanka recovers 87 bodies from Iranian warship sunk by a US submarine
Sri Lanka’s navy said on Wednesday it recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 people from the Iranian warship sunk by a US submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka.
The Iranian vessel that was sunk in the Indian Ocean was the Islamic Republic’s “prize ship”, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said at a Pentagon news briefing.
Hegseth said it was the first sinking of an enemy ship with a torpedo by the US since the Second World War.
Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament that its navy received information that the Iris Dena, with 180 people on board, was in distress and sinking.
The island nation sent ships and air force planes on a rescue mission, he said.
Navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said by the time navy ships reached the location, there was no sign of the ship and “there were only some oil patches and life rafts. We found people floating on the water”.
He said the 32 people rescued were admitted to a hospital in the seaside town of Galle on the Sri Lanka’s southern coast.
The bodies recovered were being brought to land, he said.
Dr Anil Jasinghe, a top health ministry official, said one of those rescued is in critical condition, seven are receiving emergency treatment and others are being treated for minor injuries.
The Iris Dena — one of Iran’s newest warships — is a Moudge-class frigate that patrols in deep water for the Iranian navy.
It is armed with heavy guns, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. It also carries one helicopter.
The frigate was the centrepiece of a two-ship international tour in 2023 that included port calls in countries including South Africa and Brazil.
It was accompanied by the support ship Iris Makran, a converted oil tanker.
The US Treasury Department included both ships on a sanctions designation in February 2023 along with eight executives of an Iranian drone manufacturer that supplied the weapons to Russia for use against civilian targets in Ukraine.
At least 17 Iranian naval vessels have been sunk during the ongoing war, said US Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads the American military’s Central Command.
“We are also sinking the Iranian navy — the entire navy,” he said in a video message. - Associated Press
Cargo bookings suspended
Maersk said on Wednesday it is temporarily suspending most cargo bookings in and out of the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia until further notice.
The Jeddah and King Abdullah ports in Saudi Arabia and the Salalah port in Oman remained operational while the shipping group is also still accepting cargo to and from Jordan and Lebanon. - Reuters
Seat on Government charter flight from Oman to cost €800
Adults hoping to leave the Middle East on Government’s charter flight from Oman are being asked to pay €800 for their seat, but children will travel free of charge, writes Political Correspondent Cormac McQuinn
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said the Government has signed a contract for the charter flight later this week with an expectation that it will carry more than 300 passengers home.
She told reporters: “Our teams an embassies on the ground and here in Dublin are currently contacting those who we feel are most vulnerable who we need to make sure are on these flights but the intention is that this will be the first of many [flights] if they are needed.”
McEntee added: “We need to keep all of this under review depending on the changing environment, the changing safety situation that there is but I’m hopeful that if this can continue at this rate we should be able to get those who want to get home as quickly as possible.”
She said that for most Irish people in the United Arab Emirates the “quickest way home is to get a commercial flight” and airlines are going through their own passenger lists to help those in transit or on holidays.
McEntee said that if the commercial flights can continue in the next couple of days, “you’ll obviously start to see many hundreds of Irish people getting home”.
She said there are Irish people resident in the region who wish to return home as well, and she encouraged them to contact the Department Of Foreign Affairs helpline.
The charter flight is expected to happen “at the end of the week” and she said “we’re looking at a flight of over 300 people”.
Adults seeking a seat on the flight are being asked to pay €800.
McEntee said this is “a substantially reduced charge compared to what the cost of the overall flight is”.
She added: “We’re making sure that children are flying for free as well and the bus that will be needed to transport people [from UAE] to Muscat [in Oman] will be free as well.”
McEntee also said: “Of course if there are people in significant difficulty we will support them. We will make sure they can get on the flight and be able to get home and we can work with them afterwards.”
Médecins Sans Frontières launches emergency response in Lebanon
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) launched an emergency response in Lebanon, following the displacement of tens of thousands of people across the country, as a result of the intense Israeli airstrikes across several areas in Lebanon, a spokesman has said.
On Wednesday, MSF deployed a mobile clinic providing medical consultations and psychological first aid in Saida, southern Lebanon, where some shelters have exceeded capacity.
They also started providing shelters in Beirut with clean water and conducting assessments in Beirut, Rashaya and other areas to scale up mobile clinics and supplies.
Across Lebanon, MSF maintain activities in Beirut, Tripoli, Akkar and Arsal to ensure the continuity of care for the community.
“Displaced people are arriving with the most basic needs, relief items, water, and safe shelter, while ‘evacuation orders’ of entire swathes of southern Lebanon are yet again forcing families to flee, often with nowhere safe to go.”
Flight to Dublin has left the Middle East and second is confirmed for tomorrow
A flight with more than 400 passengers has left Dubai for Dublin and another similar flight is due to happen tomorrow, reports Political Correspondent Cormac McQuinn.
Earlier today, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee had flagged that the commercial Emirates flight would happen.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon she said: “I appreciate the longer this goes on the more challenging and distressing it is for people who want to get home.
“My focus and that of Government’s has been to in so many ways as possible secure flights home for Irish citizens.”
She said the flight from Dubai is en route and “I have confirmation as well that there will be a second flight direct to Dublin tomorrow.”
McEntee added: “I’m in constant engagement with airlines to see how many direct flights we can get to Dublin.”
She said there are Irish passengers on flights to other parts of Europe as well.
Turkey has summoned the Iranian ambassador to Ankara to its foreign ministry, on Wednesday, to convey its protest and concerns over a ballistic missile fired from Iran that was heading towards its airspace, a Turkish diplomatic source said. - Reuters
Israeli air force has dropped 5,000 bombs on Iran in this military campaign
The Israeli air force says it has dropped 5,000 bombs on Iran in its current military operation, which began on Saturday.
In a statement posted on X, it said: “Israeli air force fighter jets continue to deepen their air superiority throughout Iran, with an emphasis on the Tehran area.”
Accompanying the message was a video, which the Israeli military said was footage of a missile strike on an Iranian air defence system in Tehran.
Irish flight bound for UAE has left Dublin Airport
A flight from Dublin to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) departed at 1.30pm on Wednesday, the first departure from Ireland to the Middle East since Saturday when conflict between Iran and the US and Israel broke out.
Dublin airport posted a video of flight EK162 on X, describing it as “a very welcome sight”.
The Government said an estimated 22,000 to 23,000 Irish citizens are in the Middle East region.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said on Tuesday evening that the Irish Government would charter a flight for around 280 people from Oman, a country neighbouring the UAE.
She said this would focus on bringing home Irish citizens in the UAE, particularly those who are non-resident and who are vulnerable.
‘Any threat against a member state is . . . a threat against the EU’
EU internal market commissioner Stéphane Séjourné expressed solidarity with Madrid over Trump’s threats to “cut off all dealings with Spain” over its criticism of the Iran war.
At the end of a press briefing in Brussels, he said, “any threat against a member state is by definition a threat against the EU. This is a competence of the EU trade.
“I want to be very clear here, from this point of view, the EU’s competency on trade is actually dealt with by the commission.” - Guardian
France’s Macron reiterates solidarity with Spain’s Sánchez
French president Emmanuel Macron spoke to Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez to reiterate European solidarity in response to economic threats that target Spain, Macron’s office said on Wednesday.
US president Donald Trump has floated cutting trade with Madrid over its refusal to allow US aircraft to use jointly operated naval and air bases in southern Spain for the offensive against Tehran.
Spain has denounced the US and Israeli bombings of Iran as reckless and illegal. – Reuters
Two Israeli soldiers injured in Lebanon
Two Israeli soldiers were injured under anti-tank fire in southern Lebanon.
They are believed to be the first Israeli personnel to be injured since fighting escalated between Israeli soldiers and Hizbullah militants on Monday.
“Earlier today, two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were moderately injured as a result of an anti-tank fire toward IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli military said in a statement. – Guardian
A spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces was cited as saying Iran will target Israeli embassies worldwide if Israel attacks the Iranian embassy in Beirut, by Iranian media. - Reuters
US ‘investigating’ strike on girls school in Iran
Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, at the Pentagon, said the US is “investigating” the strike on the Iranian girls school that killed more than 160 people.
Hegseth was evasive when asked about the bombing of an Iranian girls’ elementary school four days ago, which killed up to 168 people according to Iran’s state media.
“All I can say, is that we’re investigating,” Hegseth said, while providing no information clarifying whose munition was responsible for the strike.
He, however, said that US forces “never target civilian targets” at his press conference today – Guardian
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz appears heavily disrupted today.
Reuters estimates that at least 200 ships, including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers as well as cargo ships, remained at anchor in open waters off the coast of major Gulf producers including Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, based on data from the MarineTraffic platform.
How Iran could wage a new ‘tanker war’
Tankers ablaze in the Gulf. Tehran warning ships to avoid a key waterway. Western nations struggling to protect commercial vessels. As Iran’s retaliatory attacks target energy shipments in the region, the conflict has recalled memories of the 1980s “tanker war”.
Since the US and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, Iranian forces have warned vessels against passing through the strait, a chokepoint for a third of the world’s seaborne oil trade and a fifth of its liquefied natural gas exports.
Read the full analysis on how Iran could a wage a “tanker war” here.
The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen Dan Caine said on Wednesday, that Iran was firing fewer missiles as the war progressed and added that US strikes will now expand inland inside Iran.
No change in posture of Irish Defence Forces troops in southern Lebanon
There is no change in the posture of Irish Defence Forces troops in southern Lebanon despite the order on Wednesday from Israel for civilians to evacuate much of the area, reports Crime and Security Correspondent Conor Gallagher.
Israel last invaded the region in 2023 and 2024 during its war with Hizbullah. Irish troops with the Unifil mission maintained their positions during that conflict, although they frequently had to take shelter in bunkers due to missile and rocket exchanges.
Since the latest unrest broke out last week, the more than 300 Irish Unifil troops have had to take cover in their bunkers on one occasion. All personnel remain safe and accounted for, the Defence Forces said.
A spokesman for Unifil said peacekeepers witnessed Israeli forces crossing into Lebanon in four areas before returning south. None of these areas are in the Irish area of operations.
Unifil said in the last two days, Hizbullah has fired dozens of rockets into Israel while there has been several air strikes and hundreds of incidents of firing across the demarcation line.
”Unifil remains in constant contact with both the Lebanese and Israeli parties . . . to call for de-escalation. Despite extremely challenging conditions, peacekeepers continue to carry out their mandated tasks under resolution 1701 and will keep reporting developments to the Security Council,” the spokesman said.
“Through our continued presence and the patrols, operational activities and community engagements undertaken by our peacekeepers, we proudly demonstrate our enduring commitment to peace and security in the region.”
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews has said Irish troops are in danger and the the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) must “ensure the safety of all UN troops in south Lebanon”.
“The IDF seems out of control, demanding that all Lebanese residents leave the area or risk their lives.”
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‘America is winning,’ says US defence secretary
Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, took to the podium at the Pentagon to provide an update on the conflict.
“I stand before you today with one unmistakable message about Operation Epic Fury,” Hegseth said.
“America is winning. Decisively, devastatingly and without mercy,” he said.
Hegseth noted that in under a week the US and Israel will have “complete control of Iranian skies”.
“Our rules of engagement are bold, precise and designed to unleash American power, not shackle it,” he said.
He also said the leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate president Trump in 2024 has been “hunted down and killed”. – Guardian
US military responsible for strike on Iranian warship
The United States military carried out a strike that hit an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka’s coast, US officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
One of the officials said it was carried out by a US submarine.
Earlier, Sri Lankan authorities said they had rescued 32 people who were on board the ship and recovered several bodies from the sea.
According to earlier reports, nearly 150 people are potentially missing after the Iranian warship sank near Sri Lankan waters.
The Sri Lankan deputy foreign minister has told local TV that at least 80 were killed in the US submarine strike on the Iranian warship.
The deputy foreign minister also said the ship was heading back to Iran from an eastern Indian port. - Reuters
Starmer not prepared to join war unless there was a ‘lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan’
UK prime minister Keir Starmer says the whole country is worried about the potential for escalation and the impact on their lives in relation to energy.
“We need to act therefore with clarity, with purpose and with a cool head,” he says, adding that the “protection of UK nationals is our number one priority”.
He says the government is taking action by sending reinforcements to Cyprus and allowing the US to use British airfields.
“What I was not prepared to do on Saturday was for the UK to join a war unless I was satisfied there was a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan,” he says. “That remains my position,” he said. - Guardian
Missile launched from Iran destroyed by Nato defence systems
Turkish officials have said a missile launched from Iran toward Turkish airspace was destroyed by Nato defence systems.
In a statement, the Turkish defence ministry said a ballistic munition launched from Iran, which was detected passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace and heading towards Turkish airspace, was engaged by Nato air and missile defence assets in the eastern Mediterranean and rendered inactive.
No casualties were reported at this time.
Nato condemned Iran’s targeting of Turkey, spokeswoman Allison Hart said, on Wednesday.
“Nato stands firmly with all allies, including Turkey, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region. Our deterrence and defence posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defence,” Hart said.
Corbyn tables Bill requiring parliamentary approval for use of UK military bases for armed conflict
Jeremy Corbyn has tabled a Bill requiring parliamentary approval for use of UK military bases and equipment by other nations for armed conflict.
The former Labour leader in a post on X said, “we must learn from the lessons of the past – and stop our Prime Minister from dragging Britain into another catastrophic, illegal war.”
It comes after the prime minister gave permission for the US to use British military bases for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites to protect countries being targeted by Tehran.
The Military Action (Parliamentary Approval) (No.2) Bill would also require the withdrawal of permission to use UK bases where parliamentary approval is not granted.
The Bill, which is expected to be laid later on Wednesday, is co-sponsored by Labour MPs Diane Abbott, John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Brian Leishman, Apsana Begum and Kim Johnson.
It is also co-sponsored by the new Green MP Hannah Spencer, the Green Party’s Westminster leader Ellie Chowns and Independent MPs Ayoub Khan and Adnan Hussain. - Press Association
Nearly 150 missing after Iranian warship sinks near Sri Lanka
Nearly 150 people are potentially missing after an Iranian warship sank near Sri Lankan waters, according to reports.
The Sri Lankan navy rescued 32 people from the 180-crew frigate Iris Dena after it reportedly issued a distress call this morning 25 miles south of the southern port of Galle, Sri Lanka’s foreign minister, Vijitha Herath, said.
A defence official told AFP news agency: rescuers were “keeping up a search, but we don’t know yet what happened to the rest of the crew”.
It remains unclear how many people were on board the vessel, or what caused it to sink. - Guardian
The death toll has risen 1,045 from US-Israeli attacks on Iran, according to state media, Reuters reports.
Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs offered the toll, saying it represented the number of bodies so far identified and prepared for burial.
More than 15,000 flights cancelled across the Middle East
Airlines around the globe are suspending more flights to additional destinations across the Middle East as the expanding war moves into its fifth day.
Qatar Airways extended their service halts into Friday. The disruptions since Iran’s first retaliatory strike are spreading across the region, leading to more than 15,000 flights being cancelled, including at major transfer hubs such as Dubai and Doha, according to data from Flightradar24 and Cirium Ltd.
“Cancellations will grow for March 4th to 6th,” Cirium said in its data release.
The cancellations will reverberate beyond the current period because they leave planes out of position and crew members in the wrong locations. Tens of thousands of passengers are stranded, so many carriers are running special evacuation flights.
In a sign that the situation is improving slightly, the UAE is starting to establish what it called safe air corridors that will allow for as many as 48 flights an hour, the economy ministry said. More than 80 additional flights are scheduled, with a capacity exceeding 27,000 passengers, the ministry said. - Bloomberg
State funeral for supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei postponed
The funeral ceremony for supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that was supposed to take place tonight in Tehran has been postponed.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency published a statement from the Islamic propagation co-ordination council of Tehran province that said the funeral was delayed to allow time for expanded infrastructure due to “overwhelming demand”.
The statement read: The Tehran Grand Mosque was scheduled to host our dear people from tonight for a farewell to the pure body of the martyred cleric and our great Imam, but due to the overwhelming demand from across the country and the widespread desire of the people for a grand attendance at this ceremony, as well as the need to provide the necessary infrastructure, the event has been postponed. Given the high volume of requests to attend this ceremony and the need to prepare adequate facilities to host the people, it was decided that the event would be held at a more suitable time. - Guardian
Qatar’s defence ministry says it intercepted 10 drones and two cruise missiles launched from Iran. - Reuters
Israeli forces enter southern Lebanon
Israeli forces have entered the southern Lebanese town of Khiyam, reports Reuters.
Israeli military says it has begun a wave of attacks in southern Lebanon.
Earlier, an Israeli military spokesperson told residents of southern Lebanon to move immediately to north of the Litani river, in a post on X.
The Israel Defence Forces said it targeted underground weapons depots and headquarters in Beirut belonging to Hizbullah.
“The IDF attacked in Beirut over the past 24 hours, completing another wave of attacks against infrastructure of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah,” it said in a post on social media.
Two fighters wounded in drone strike in Iraq
A drone struck an arms depot in an attack on the headquarters of an Iranian Kurdish opposition group in the town of Dekala in Iraq’s Kurdistan region on Wednesday, wounding two fighters, security sources said.
Iran has long accused Iraq’s autonomous northern Kurdish region of sheltering militant groups involved in attacks against the Islamic Republic, with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in turn repeatedly targeting their bases.
Reuters reported this week, as the United States and Israel pounded Iranian targets, that Iranian Kurdish militias have consulted with the US in recent days about whether, and how, to attack Iran’s security forces in the western part of the country. - Reuters
Oil tanker hit last night in UAE
An oil tanker was hit last night east of Fujairah, in UAE, the UK maritime trade operations centre (UKMTO) has said in an alert to shippers.
“The tanker experienced a loud blast and debris from an unknown projectile was found on deck,” UKMTO said.
The organisation, which verifies and corroborates security issues in the Gulf, said there was “no major damage” and no environmental implications with the funnel sustaining the damage.
The Strait of Hormuz remains open but trade has dropped 80 per cent. - Guardian
Trump ‘does not care’ if Iran participate in this summer’s World Cup
Iran have qualified for the finals of the World Cup, which will take place in the US, Canada and Mexico in June and July.
US president Trump told Politico: “I really don’t care. I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes.”
Iran are scheduled to play all three of their group games in the US, with their opener coming against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15th. - Press Association
Funeral of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to begin on Wednesday
The funeral of Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli air strike last weekend, will begin on Wednesday.
The three-day ceremony at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla of Tehran is scheduled to start at 10pm local time and will see mourners pay their respects to Khamenei’s body, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
He will then be buried in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
The funeral of Khamenei’s predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini, drew over 10 million people in 1989, with eight people killed in the crowd.
Iran’s Assembly of Experts, a council of 88 clerics, is responsible for choosing the next supreme leader, but it remains unclear how it will do so in wartime. Israel attacked the assembly building on Tuesday but Iran said it was not in use at the time.
Ahmad Khatami, a member of the assembly, said on Wednesday they were “close” to a final decision having settled on a list of options, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported. - Bloomberg
EU says no immediate impact on security of gas supply from Iran conflict
The European Union has told its member countries it does not see any immediate effect from the conflict in Iran on the security of natural gas supply, EU officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
No response measures are planned at national or EU level, the officials added.
Saudi Arabia intercepted drone attack
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted a drone attack on Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura, which houses its largest domestic refinery on the Gulf coast.
In brief statements posted online, the Saudi defence ministry said: “Attempted attack on Ras Tanura refinery.
“Initial estimates indicate that the attack was carried out by a drone and did not result in any damage.” - The Guardian
Adidas store in Middle East bombed
The CEO of Adidas said on Wednesday one of the company’s stores in Israel was bombed.
No one was injured in the attack.
“We had one franchise store in Israel which was hit indeed by an attack three days ago,” Adidas’ chief commercial officer Mathieu Sidokpohou told journalists during a press conference.
“Fortunately the store was closed, so we didn’t have any colleague impacted,” he said. “So far, business is not the most important thing for us in that region. It’s people first.”
Many stores in Dubai and other major Middle Eastern shopping hubs shut temporarily or were operating with a skeleton staff.
“We have people currently sitting in shelters,” Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said at the same press conference.
Gulden said Adidas expected to suffer an impact on revenue from closed stores in Middle East and delays on some products sent via air freight through the region.
Syria closes border after receiving Israeli warning
The Syrian land and seaports authority said on Wednesday it has closed its border crossing with Lebanon for departures after it received a warning from Israel that forces may target the crossing.
Arrivals remain open as long as Syrians are fleeing from Lebanon, according to the media official at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing.
Hizbullah says it targeted Israel’s aerospace and aviation company
Hizbullah says it launched a wave of drone strikes against the headquarters of Israel Aerospace Industries in central Israel.
The group said it fired “a swarm of attack drones” against the state-owned Israeli defence and aerospace company “in response to the criminal Israeli aggression that targeted dozens of Lebanese cities and towns”, the AFP news agency reported.
No further details were provided and there was no immediate comment from Israel. - Guardian
South Africa is willing to play a mediating role in Middle East conflict if asked
“South Africa is always ready to play a contributing role, either in mediation or whatever. And if a gap opens or if we are asked, we always live up to our obligations,” said president Cyril Ramaphosa to local media on the sidelines of an energy conference in Cape Town.
“If the opportunity were to open, we would talk and say: there must be a ceasefire. Dialogue is always the best way of ending conflict and then ending the war. And we want this war to come to an end immediately,” he said.
Ramaphosa added that the South African government was doing everything it could to bring home its citizens stranded in the region. - Reuters
European markets calm after Asia panic
European shares avoided the sell-off that had swept Asian markets overnight, even as oil prices rose again amid few signs that the Iran war is likely to end quickly, reports Assistant Business Editor Peter Flanagan.
The benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 had risen 0.1 per cent by 9.20am while Ireland’s Iseq All Share index climbed 0.7 per cent. The UK FTSE 100 slid 0.3 per cent while France’s CAC40 and Germany’s Dax index were little changed. Brent crude oil jumped once more hitting $84 per barrel.
The European market contrasted sharply with Asia overnight, with investors there dumping positions in chipmakers for fear the Middle East war will drive an oil shock that fuels inflation and delays interest rate cuts.
South Korean shares had their worst day since the 2008 global financial crisis while most major indices in the region fell more than 4 per cent.
Suggestion to travel to Oman for chartered flight to Dublin is described as ‘absolutely mental’ for Irish man’s pregnant wife and elderly family members
An Irish man who is stranded in the United Arab Emirates with his wife who is 17 weeks pregnant and extended family has cautioned the public “don’t be believing everything you see on the internet”, reports Vivienne Clarke.
Aaron Bannon Whelan also said he and his family felt they were stuck in no man’s land as the consular responses they have received so far “were kind of copy and paste”.
He described as “absolutely mental” the suggestion that his pregnant wife and her 91-year-old grandfather should be expected to get on a lengthy bus journey to get to Oman for a chartered flight back to Ireland.
“We’ve sent multiple emails, and my mother at home has rang every available embassy and helpline, and just we’re not really getting any responses back from anybody, just a few generic ones here and there, and everything just seems to be kind of copy and paste, so we kind of feel like we’re stuck in no man’s land here, because no one’s reached out really to kind of say look we’re on it.”
Bannon Whelan said they had seen the announcement about the chartered flight from Oman, but they had not received any specific information.
The Embassy had “been more than lacklustre” in terms of communication. “They know who is here. We filled out the form that they’ve asked everyone to fill out and the only response I got back was just confirming my date of birth.
“I understand (that Embassy staff could be overwhelmed), but I suppose the day or two days after, on Monday when the Embassy was supposed to be open, we just got word that it was closed, and here’s a helpline, and we can’t ring this helpline because Irish numbers can’t call while we’re in UAE.”
Bannon Whelan said he was “quietly confident” about getting a flight later in the week.
At least 101 people were missing and 78 wounded after a submarine attack on an Iranian ship off Sri Lanka’s coast, sources in Sri Lanka’s navy and defence ministry told Reuters on Wednesday.
Iran’s assembly ‘close to a decision’ on new supreme leader
Members of Iran’s assembly of experts tasked with choosing a new supreme leader said they are close to a decision.
The New York Times previously reported that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has emerged as the front-runner to replace his father.
For more on Mojtaba Khamenei, read the Irish Times profile here.
UN ‘deeply disturbed’ by child deaths across the Middle East
A committee of UN experts said on Wednesday it was “deeply disturbed” by the deaths of children amid escalating violence across the Middle East, particularly the bombing of a girls school in Iran.
The Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab in southern Iran was hit on Saturday, the first day of US and Israeli attacks against the country. It killed 160 children, UN experts stated. - Reuters
EU expects Trump to ‘honour’ its bloc-wide tariff deal
The EU has hit back at Donald Trump’s threats to halt all trade with Spain over its decision not to allow the US to use its military bases.
“The commission will ensure that the interests of the European Union are fully protected. We stand in full solidarity with all member states and all its citizens and, through our common trade policy, stand ready to act if necessary to safeguard EU interests,” said trade spokesperson Olof Gill.
He continued, “trade between the European Union and the United States is deeply integrated and mutually beneficial. Safeguarding this relationship, particularly at a time of global disruption, is more important than ever and clearly in the interest of both sides.
“The EU and the United States concluded a major trade deal last year. The European Commission expects the United States to fully honour the commitments undertaken in the joint statement of last August.
“The EU is continuing to honour its part of that deal, allow many US goods into the bloc tariff-free, even though the US supreme court ruled Trump’s 15 per cent tariffs on EU goods were illegal,” he added. - Guardian
Reuters reports that Greek F-16 fighter jets took off from a Cyprus air base earlier on Wednesday to intercept a suspect object that was detected close to the island’s airspace, according to two security sources.
Two aircrafts that were preparing to land at Cyprus’s Larnaca airport were diverted while the jets were scrambled, the government source said.
The incident followed a strike by an unnamed Iran-made drone on a British RAF base in Akrotiri in Cyprus on Monday as the US and Israeli air war against Iran continued, and two other drones were intercepted by Cyprus later that day.
Cypriot officials said they believed the drones were fired by Iran-backed Hizbullah in Lebanon.
Trump ‘betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him,’ says Iran’s foreign minister
The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, who headed the Iranian delegation during nuclear talks with US officials before this recent bout of fighting began, said Trump has “betrayed diplomacy” by launching attacks in the middle of negotiations.
In a post on X, he said: When complex nuclear negotiations are treated like a real estate transaction, and when big lies cloud realities, unrealistic expectations can never be met. The outcome? Bombing the negotiation table out of spite. Mr Trump betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him. - Guardian
‘No to war,’ says Spanish prime minister
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez says Spain’s position is “clear and consistent” and the same as it was in response to Ukraine and Gaza.
Madrid opposes “the breakdown of international law that protects us all,” and the assumption that “the world can only solve its problems through conflicts and bombs”.
He says he opposes “repeating the mistakes of the past.”
“The Spanish government’s position can be summarised ... no to war,” he says.
He says Spain’s position is “not at all naive, but consistent”.
“We will not be complicit in something that is bad for the world and that is also contrary to our values and interests simply out of fear of reprisals from someone.”
He says Spain is not alone in this view, which he says is enshrined in the EU, UN, and other international treaties. He says that war would only “benefit a few”, while peace and more prosperity would “benefit us all.” - Guardian
Israel-US strikes on Iran appear ‘inconsistent with international law’, says Canadian prime minister
Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, said the US-Israeli strikes on Iran “would appear, prima facie ... to be inconsistent with international law”.
Initially, he supported the strikes on Saturday, which he now says he did so “with regret”.
Speaking to reporters in Sydney, where he is on an official visit, he said: “We were not informed in advance, we were not asked to participate.”
He continued: “We support efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security.
“Because Canada is taking the world as it is, not passively waiting for a world we wish to be. We do, however, take this position with regret because the current conflict is another example of the failure of the international order.”
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son is front-runner to replace his father
The New York Times reports that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has emerged as the front-runner to replace his father as Iran’s supreme leader, citing Iranian officials.
Israel launches “broad wave of strikes” against government targets in Tehran
Israel said it had launched a “broad wave of strikes” against government targets in Tehran, including the presidential office.
Reuters reports the Israeli military claim to have downed an Iranian fighter jet over Tehran.
A loud blast was reported in the northeast of Tehran this morning, as explosions rocked Iranian cities for a fourth night.
Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon continues, with strikes reported in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, seen as a support base for the militant group Hizbullah.
Iran continues to launch retaliatory strikes, with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps saying it fired about 40 missiles at US and Israeli targets. - Guardian
Several repatriation flights planned for French nationals today
French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said several repatriation flights for French nationals in the Middle East were planned for Wednesday.
“One will depart from the United Arab Emirates, another from Egypt to repatriate vulnerable ones from Israel,” Barrot told France 2 TV.
Barrot declined to say how many people would be on the flights. About 400,000 French nationals are in the region.
Barrot also confirmed that French Rafale fighter jets had taken out Iranian drones targeting the UAE as part of Iran’s strikes on Gulf countries following US and Israeli attacks.
“We have already responded to the request from our partners, particularly the United Arab Emirates, with military capabilities that we were able to provide them. All of this with a simple objective that is strictly defensive: to enable our partners to defend themselves against this aggression that they did not provoke,” he said. - Reuters
Ten flights departing UAE for UK and one repatriation flight organised by UK government
Emirates is operating seven flights from Dubai to the UK while Etihad has two Abu Dhabi departures.
Virgin Atlantic will operate a flight from Dubai to London Heathrow.
British Airways has not restarted its usual flying programme from the region, but will run an evacuation flight to Heathrow from Oman capital Muscat, which it does not usually serve.
The UK government has said it will charter a repatriation flight from Muscat “in the coming days”, but it has been reported there will be no major evacuation of the 130,000 British nationals who have registered their presence in the Middle East.
That means most stranded people are reliant on getting a seat on a commercial flight.
Experts believe it could take weeks to clear the backlog of passengers. - Press Association
At least 30 people rescued from sinking Iranian ship by Sri Lankan military
The Sri Lankan military rescued at least 30 people on board a sinking Iranian ship near Sri Lankan waters, according to officials.
The Sri Lankan navy dispatched a rescue mission after a distress call came from the Iranian ship, a defence ministry spokesperson said.
Sri Lankan foreign minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the injured sailors from the 180-crew vessel were taken to a hospital in the south of the country.
He did not give further details, including what caused the ship to sink, but said Sri Lanka would take appropriate action.
According to local reports, the ship was the Iris Dena, a frigate in the Iranian navy. It had reportedly sent out a distress call off the coast of Galle in the southern part of the country. - Guardian
Israel threatens to assassinate any Iranian leader picked to succeed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, threatened on X on Wednesday to assassinate any Iranian leader picked to succeed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Any leader selected by the Iranian terror regime to continue leading the plan for Israel’s destruction, threatening the United States, the free world and countries in the region, and suppressing the Iranian people, will be a certain target for assassination, no matter his name or where he hides, his post said.
Loud blast heard in Tehran
The Guardian reports a loud blast was heard in eastern Tehran.
Following this, the Israeli military said it has begun a wave of strikes in Tehran. - Reuters.
Talks on Trump’s Board of Peace put on hold, says Indonesia’s foreign minister
Indonesia’s foreign minister said talks on president Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative have been put on hold as diplomatic attention shifts to the escalating Middle East conflict involving Iran, Israel and the US.
Discussions are paused given that “all attention has shifted to the situation in Iran,” foreign minister Sugiono told reporters Tuesday night.
“We are still consulting with our partners and also co-ordinating with colleagues in the Gulf, since they have also been targeted in attacks.” - Bloomberg
More than 470 Chinese citizens evacuated
More than 470 Chinese citizens have been evacuated since the conflict in Iran broke out, Mao Ning, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, told reporters on Wednesday.
US Senate to vote on Trump’s decision to war against Iran
The US Senate is headed towards a vote on Wednesday on president Donald Trump’s decision to embark on a war against Iran.
The legislation, known as a war powers resolution, gives lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out.
The Senate resolution and a similar Bill being voted on in the House later this week face unlikely paths through the Republican-controlled US Congress and would almost certainly be vetoed by Trump even if they were to pass. - Guardian
Hundreds of stranded Irish citizens to board flight from UAE to Dublin tonight
Hundreds of Irish citizens who have been stranded in the Gulf states since the US and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday are expected to be on board an Emirates flight from the United Arab Emirates to Dublin tonight, reports Political Correspondent Harry McGee.
The airline announced on Wednesday morning it will schedule a flight to Dublin from Dubai.
Welcoming the development, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said in a post on X. “Positive development. Emirates have decided to run a flight from Dubai to Dublin later today. We are in close touch with the airline. They will be in direct contact with passengers whose flights were cancelled.”
The planes have capacity of more than 250 passengers.
It the is the first commercial flight to fly to Ireland from the Gulf states since last Friday.
Separately, the Government is in the process of arranging a chartered flight from the region to help evacuate some of the estimated 2,000 Irish citizens.
Iranian missiles launched under operation Honest Promise 4
Missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday triggered air raid sirens across large parts of Israel, with the military saying it was “operating to intercept the threat”.
The order to seek shelter covered Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other areas across the country. It was lifted after several minutes, with no immediate reports of any direct impact.
Israel’s emergency medical service Magen David Adom said it received no reports of casualties.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday they had launched about 40 missiles at US and Israeli targets on the fifth day of war in the Middle East.
“Several hours ago, the 17th wave of operation Honest Promise 4 was conducted with the launch of 40 missiles by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ aerospace forces, towards American and Zionist targets,” a statement read on state TV said, without giving further details. - Guardian
Control of the vital shipping route, the strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday they control the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for oil and gas, and any vessels seeking to pass through the waterway risk damage from missiles or stray drones, Agence France-Presse reports.
“Currently, the Strait of Hormuz is under the complete control of the Islamic Republic’s Navy,” said guards navy official Mohammad Akbarzadeh in a statement issued on Fars news agency.
However, admiral Brad Cooper of US central command contradicted Iran’s claim, saying just hours earlier that the US was sinking “all of the Iranian navy” and had already destroyed 17 Iranian ships.
“For decades the Iranian regime has harassed international shipping. Today there is not a single Iranian ship under way in the Arabian gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman,” he said.
The US navy could begin escorting oil tankers through the strait of Hormuz if necessary, president Donald Trump said on Tuesday, in one of the administration’s most aggressive steps yet to attempt to contain soaring energy prices sparked by the war.
In his briefing, Cooper also said that the number of strikes carried out on Saturday in the first 24 hours of its war on Iran was nearly double that of the “shock-and-awe” strikes on Iraq in 2003, and that nearly 2,000 targets had been hit so far in Iran.
Pakistan has asked Saudi Arabia to route oil supplies through the Red Sea port of Yanbu after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted shipping, the petroleum ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.
Riyadh has assured Islamabad it would support energy supplies and secure deliveries via the alternative route, the ministry said. - Guardian
Farewell ceremony for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Iranians will bid farewell to late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a ceremony in Tehran late on Wednesday, a senior Iranian official told state media.
Hojjatoleslam Mahmoudi, head of Iran’s Islamic Propagation Council, said the farewell ceremony would continue for three days and the funeral procession will be announced later.
The official said the public will be able to pay their respects to the body of the late leader at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall starting at 10pm (6.30pm Irish time).
“The Mosalla (prayer hall) will be receiving visitors and the dear people can attend and take part in the farewell ceremony and mark a strong presence once again,” he said in comments carried by Iranian media. - Reuters
India’s concern over growing conflict
India said it is concerned about the widening conflict in the Middle East and the impact on its citizens in the region, but avoided mentioning the death of Iran’s leader or condemning the US-Israeli joint attack despite criticism from opposition figures.
In a statement on Tuesday, India’s foreign ministry said the conflict could impact the Indian economy given that its trade and energy supplies traverse the region. India has some 10 million citizens who live and work in the Gulf region, the ministry of external affairs said.
“Their safety and wellbeing is of utmost priority,” the ministry said, adding that Indian consulates and embassies are in touch with affected nationals.
The statement stopped short of condemning the US and Israeli strikes on Iran that kicked off the conflict over the weekend and led to the death of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top leaders. - Bloomberg
Repatriation flight chartered for UK Nationals from Oman
The UK government has chartered a repatriation flight from Oman on Wednesday for UK nationals seeking to escape the Middle East amid the conflict in the region.
The foreign office said the flight will depart the country’s capital, Muscat, at 7pm and is available for British nationals, their partners and children under 18 with a valid travel document.
According to the foreign office, priority for the evacuation flight will be given to the most vulnerable and they will contact British nationals in Oman. Anyone who registered their presence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and are now in Oman is asked to register for a place on a flight.
The department asked people not to travel to Muscat International Airport in Oman unless they are contacted by officials, while dependants who are not British nationals will require a valid visa or permission to enter or remain granted for more than three months.
Some 130,000 Britons have registered their presence in the Middle East, as the foreign office said it was working with airlines on more routes. - Press Association
War enters its fifth day
Explosions sounded in Iran’s capital city on Wednesday as its war with the US and Israel entered a fifth day.
The latest attacks followed earlier strikes on an Iranian nuclear site and retaliatory strikes by the Islamic republic across the Gulf region.
Iranian state television reported explosions around Tehran as dawn broke while Israel said its air defences were activated due to incoming missile fire from Iran.
The Israeli military said on Wednesday it conducted a series of strikes across Iran’s capital targeting its security forces.
The Israeli military said it hit buildings associated with Iran’s internal security command, which also has suppressed demonstrations in the past.
Overnight, Israeli strikes on towns near Beirut have killed at least six people, Lebanon’s health ministry said early on Wednesday.
Israel struck the towns of Aramoun and Saadiyat just south of Beirut’s international airport, killing six and wounding eight others.
US-Israeli strikes have killed at least 787 people in Iran, according to the Red Crescent Society.
In Lebanon, where Israel launched retaliatory strikes on the Iranian-supported militant group Hizbullah, 50 people were killed before the latest strikes, including seven children, the country’s health ministry said.
Lebanon’s state-run media reported that at least five people were killed in an Israeli strike that hit a residential complex in the city of Baalbeck.
Kuwait, which had previously reported a single death, said on Wednesday that an 11-year-old girl was killed by falling shrapnel as Kuwaiti forces were intercepting “hostile aerial targets”.
In addition, three people were killed in the United Arab Emirates and one in Bahrain. - Associated Press
Miriam Lord: Taoiseach’s Operation Septic Turkey prompts epic levels of fury on Opposition benches
“Despite coming under heavy Opposition pressure to condemn Donald Trump for riding roughshod over international law when he ordered missile strikes on Iran, the Taoiseach managed to stay on the right side of saying everything apart from openly denouncing the difficult man he is due to visit in the White House in a couple of weeks’ time.
“Micheál did this by repeating the phrases “rules-based international order” and “multilateral rules-based order” as many times as possible while criticising some of his critics for their reticence when it came to deploring the actions of other countries guilty of similar breaches and, in some cases, far worse transgressions.”
Read Miriam Lord’s full column here.
Iran sends drones and missiles across the Gulf as up to 2,000 Irish seek route home
Iran broadened the scope of its drone and missile strikes on US allies across the Gulf on Tuesday, as US president Donald Trump and leading White House officials continued to offer contradictory accounts about the rationale for getting involved in a volatile conflict that has killed an estimated 800 people, Keith Duggan reports.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 Irish people stranded in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar due to related flight cancellations have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs as they seek a route home.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee on Tuesday night said the Government was working to finalise a first charter flight that would depart from Oman in the coming days if the security situation permits.
