Middle East crisis live: Netanyahu says ‘Iran made a big mistake’; IDF launches fresh strikes on Beirut | Lebanon

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, will lead the Friday prayer in Tehran this week and deliver a sermon that is expected to set the tone for Iran’s strategy against Israel, New York Times journalist Farnaz Fassihi has reported.

Fassihi notes that Khamenei only does this “under extraordinary circumstances”.

Crude futures rose 1.56% on fears of oil supply disruptions in the Middle East. Brent gained 2.6%.

Iran, a member of the organization of the petroleum exporting countries (Opec), is a major oil producer in the region.

“The direct involvement of Iran, an OPEC member, raises the prospect of disruptions to oil supplies,” ANZ Research said in a note, referring to the conflict.

At least five Israeli strikes hit Beirut early on Wednesday

Lebanon said on Tuesday that almost 240,000 people, mostly Syrians, have crossed to Syria since Israel began hitting the country last week with intense air strikes.

Lebanese authorities registered “the crossing of 176,080 Syrian citizens and 63,373 Lebanese citizens into Syrian territory” from 23 September, a report from the country’s disaster management unit said.

Iran’s missile attack on Israel was “totally unacceptable” and should be condemned by the entire world, US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said.

“Initial reports suggest that Israel, with the active support of the United States and other partners, effectively defeated this attack,” Blinken told reporters.

S&P Global has downgraded Israel’s long-term ratings to “A” from “A+”, citing risks to the country’s economy and public finances from the escalating conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The rating agency highlighted concerns over potential security threats, including retaliatory rocket attacks against Israel, which could worsen the economic impact.

We now consider that military activity in Gaza and an upsurge in fighting across Israel‘s northern border – including a ground incursion into Lebanon – could persist into 2025, with risks of retaliation against Israel.”

It comes after fellow ratings agency Moody’s cut the country’s credit rating two notches to “Baa1” last week and warned of a drop to ‘junk’ if the current heightened tensions with Hezbollah turned into a full-scale conflict.

The Israeli military has issued more warnings to residents in Beirut – this time aimed at the Shiyah and Hadath Gharb neighbourhoods.

An IDF spokesperson said residents in a specific building should evacuate.

The IDF has now urged evacuations at five locations, including Hadath Beirut, Haret Hreik and Choueifat Al-Omrousieh.

The Israeli military continues to attack Beirut, with media reporting fires at several locations.

Reuters journalist, Timour Azhari, posted the below image of strikes on Beirut just a few minutes ago,

As the Israeli military continues to attack Beirut, the Lebanese health ministry has issued a new updated on the number of casualties across the country on Tuesday.

Fifty-five people were killed and 156 wounded in Israeli attacks across Lebanon on Tuesday, the health ministry said in a statement.

Nearly 1,900 people have been killed and more than 9,000 wounded in Lebanon in almost a year of cross-border fighting, most in the past two weeks, according to Lebanese government statistics.

IDF issues third evacuation warning in Beirut’s south

Defence secretary Lloyd Austin has said the US is determined “to defend Israel from Iranian aggression.”

In a statement online, Austin said he had spoken with French defence minister Sébastien Lecornu “to continue the close coordination between our countries on the evolving situation in the Middle East.”

The United States remains committed to pushing for a diplomatic solution, avoiding further expansion of the conflict, and to protecting our personnel and facilities in the region.”

Iran’s foreign minister has reportedly held calls with the foreign ministers of the UK, Germany, France and a number of other countries.

Abas Aslani, senior research fellow at the center for Middle East strategic studies said that Seyed Abbas Araghchi told his counterparts that “after two months of restraint, Iran targeted only military and security sites” in Israel.

IDF issues new warning for Beirut

Iran’s president has issued a statement on this evening’s attack on Israel.

Masoud Pezeshkian warned Israel not to enter into a conflict with Iran and described the attack as “only a corner of our power”.

This action was in defense of the interests and citizens of Iran. Let Netanyahu know that Iran is not a belligerent, but it stands firmly against any threat.”