Morning update
Good morning, Middle East Eye readers,
Overnight and early on Wednesday, the US and Iran exchanged attacks, raising concerns over a renewed conflict in the Middle East.
US Central Command (Centcom) said it targeted various Iranian air defence, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran hit back at American bases across the region - including in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Below are some of the latest developments:
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that the country's army would respond to any US hostility. "Leave our region if you want to be safe," Araghchi said in a post on X.
American House Speaker Mike Johnson said that he and several cabinet members were earlier notified of the Trump administration's decision to launch strikes targeting Iran. He told reporters that the action was "proportional and limited", and was in response to "unjustified Iranian aggression".
Iran's foreign ministry stressed that countries in the region - especially those in the Gulf - had a "legal and moral responsibility" to prevent the US military and Israel from "using their territory or facilities to plan, organise, execute, or support hostile actions against Iran".
US President Donald Trump was reportedly not keen on attacking Iran earlier on Tuesday, according to The Wall Street Journal. In a phone call with the newspaper, he downplayed Iran's downing of a US helicopter. He later changed his mind after military suggestions made by War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine.
Israel launched renewed strikes in southern Lebanon, particularly targeting the city of Tyre, despite UN warning of a "deteriorating" humanitarian situation in the city. On Tuesday, at least 11 people were killed in the city and its surrounding areas.
