Israel-Iran Tensions Highlights: Iran told Putin that Tehran is not interested in escalating war with Israel: Kremlin

US did not have heads-up from Iran about attacks on Israel, Pentagon says

The US was not informed by Iran in advance about its attack on Israel, the Pentagon said on Monday, adding that Washington did not seek a conflict with Tehran.

Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles on Saturday in a retaliatory strike after a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria. (Reuters)

Iraqi Airways announces the resumption of flights between Iraq and Iran

Iraqi Airways announced the resumption of flights between Iraq and Iran, starting Tuesday, Iraqi state news agency said on Monday.

Iraq had announced shutting down its airspace and suspending all air traffic on Saturday, Iraq's transport minister was quoted as saying.

Iran launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday, its first direct attack on Israeli territory in a retaliatory strike that has raised the threat of wider regional conflict. (Reuters)

Iran able to 'handle situation', spare Middle East more tension, says Chinese Foreign Minister

China said that it believed Iran could "handle the situation well and spare the region further turmoil" while safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity, referring to an attack on Iran's embassy in Syria and its retaliatory strike over the weekend.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian via a phone call on Monday that China appreciated Iran's emphasis on not targeting regional and neighbouring countries, on Tuesday.

Wang also said that he noted Iran had described its actions as limited and carried out in self-defence. China strongly condemns and resolutely opposed the embassy attack, and calls the incident "unacceptable", Wang said. (Reuters)

Oil prices rise as Israel weighs response to Iran attack

Oil prices rose on Tuesday amid heightened tensions in the Middle East after Israel's military chief said his country would respond to Iran's weekend missile and drone attack amid calls for restraint by allies.

Brent futures for June delivery rose 46 cents, or 0.5 per cent, to $90.56 a barrel by 0005 GMT. US crude futures for May delivery rose 43 cents, or 0.5 per cent, to $85.84 a barrel.

Oil prices had ended Monday's session lower after Iran's weekend attack on Israel proved to be less damaging than anticipated, initially easing concerns of a quickly intensifying conflict that could displace crude barrels. (Reuters)

Ukraine, Israel aid hit US House floor as separate bills soon

The US House of Representatives will consider aid to Israel and Ukraine as separate legislation this week, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday, more than two months after the Senate passed a bill combining the two.

Leaving a meeting of House Republicans on Monday evening, Johnson said that the narrowly divided chamber would consider four bills altogether that would also include aid to Taiwan, US allies in the Indo-Pacific and US national security priorities. (Reuters)

US President Joe Biden, Iraqi PM meet at White House amid tensions in Middle East

US President Joe Biden and Iraq's Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani said on Monday that they would keep working towards withdrawal of US-led anti-jihadist coalition in the country.

They held a meeting at the White House amid tensions in the Middle East after Iran launched a massive aerial attack on Israel. (AFP)

Zelensky urges for same unity from allies for Ukraine as for Israel

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies on Monday to show the same "unity" towards Ukraine as they did for Israel.

On Telegram, Zelensky thanked allies who had responded to Ukraine's call for more air defences and said that the 'intensity of Russian attacks requires a greater unity'. (AFP)

South Korean President Yoon orders preemptive response to Middle East tensions

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Tuesday that there should be preemptive response to any risk factors arising from the tensions in the Middle East following Iran's attack on Israel. (Reuters)

US House to vote on long-delayed separate aid bills for Ukraine, Israel

US House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday that his Republican-controlled chamber would vote this week on separate aid bills for Ukraine and Israel, after stalling for months.

The US Senate passed a $95 billion package in February that included massive new funds to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia, and a new support for Israel. (AFP)

Iraqi PM calls for restraint in Middle East during talks in Washington as tensions soar between Iran and Israel

US House will consider aid to Israel, Ukraine as separate legislation this week, says Republican Speaker Mike Johnson after a delay of more than 2 months

Netanyahu summons war cabinet for second time in less than 24 hours to weigh response to Iran's attack

Military Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said Israel would respond. "This launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and drones into Israeli territory will be met with a response," he said at the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, which sustained some damage in Saturday night's attack. (Reuters)

Chinese Foreign Minister holds phone discussions with his Iranian counterpart

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi held phone discussions with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian, saying that Iran was "willing to exercise restraint" after its first-ever attack on Israel's territory.

During the discussions, Abdollahian briefed Wang on the April 1 attack on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus. (AFP)

Oil prices beef up, Asian stocks decline due to Israel-Iran conflict

Asian stocks fell and oil prices have risen since Tuesday due to fears of a bigger war in the Middle East after Israel vowed a response to Iran's attack. (AFP)

US NSA Jake Sullivan's visit to India postponed

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has postponed his visit to India this week in view of the evolving situation in West Asia following escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran.

The senior Biden administration official was scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on the progress in implementation of the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) besides other issues.

It was the second time this year that Sullivan has postponed his trip to India. (PTI)

Biden unlikely to cut Iran's oil lifeline after Israel attack

Iran's unprecedented missile and drone strike on Israel is unlikely to prompt dramatic sanctions action on Iran's oil exports from the Biden administration due to worries about boosting oil prices and angering top buyer China, said analysts.

Shortly after Tehran launched its weekend attack - retaliation for Israel's suspected April 1 strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus - House Republican leaders accused President Joe Biden of failing to enforce existing measures and said they would take up this week a series of bills to sharpen sanctions on Iran. (Reuters)

Iran closes its nuclear facilities, says IAEA chief Rafael Grossi

Iran has temporarily closed its nuclear facilities over the "security considerations" in wake of its massive attack on Israel over the weekend, says International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi on Monday. (AFP)

Slightest action against its interests will receive painful response, says Tehran

President Ebrahim Raisi has warned Israel that it will face a "painful response" if it takes the "slightest action" in response to Iran's attack. (AFP)

Israel pushing for more sanctions against Iran

Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that he was urging countries to place sanctions on Iran's missile programme and proscribe its Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation after Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israel.

Katz said that he sent letters to 32 countries and spoke with numerous counterparts, calling on them to "place sanctions on Iran's missile project and declare the Revolutionary Guard a terror organisation, as a way to stop and weaken Iran". (Reuters)

Stock markets fall, oil prices ascend since Tuesday over fears of a wider war

Stock markets fell and oil prices beefed up since Tuesday over fears of a much bigger war in the Middle East after Israel vowed response to Iran's attack. (AFP)

Europe's stock markets fall after Israel vowed response to Iran's attack

Europe's major stock markets sank since Tuesday experiencing losses after Israel's army chief vowed response to Iran's attack. (AFP)

Japan urges Iran to exercise restraint over phone call

Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa urged Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahianon on Tuesday to 'exercise restraint', during a telephone call between the two.

Japan Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa also urged that the safety of navigation be ensured in the region's waters in the call with her Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Japanese government said. (Reuters)

Oil stabilises unveiling China's faster growth as Middle East tensions continue

Oil steadied on Tuesday with support from the data showing China's economy grew faster than expected and Middle East tensions but weighed by concern that US interest rates may stay higher for longer and reduce demand.

Official data from China showed gross domestic product (GDP) in the world's biggest oil importer grew 5.3 per cent in the first quarter, year on year. (Reuters)

Israel's war cabinet set to meet for a third straight day to discuss the response to Iran's attack

Israel's war cabinet is set to meet for the third consecutive day in response to Iran's large-scale missile and drone attack on its territory.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his war cabinet again on Tuesday.

Egyptian Foreign Minister to visit Turkey to discuss Middle East tensions

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is expected to discuss developments in the Middle East and the situation in Gaza with his Turkish counterpart during a visit to Turkey at the weekend, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Tuesday.

Shoukry and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will also evaluate the latest developments in negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, the source said.

-Reuters Inputs

Opinion | Can China play a positive role in mitigating the Iran-Israel conflict?

After years of managing proxy warfare and not engaging in a direct conflict, Iran has attacked Israel’s sovereignty and engaged in a direct conflict. It would be an understatement to argue that the tension in the region which was already very high due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, has exacerbated. Mitigating this will prove to be a major diplomatic challenge too.

China is Iran’s largest trading partner and the biggest buyer of oil. Given the ongoing sanctions by the US, Beijing has been the only option left to Iran, writes Gunjan Singh.

Read the full DH Opinion piece here

British airline EasyJet suspends flights to Israel until October 2024

An easyJet Airbus A320-214 Aircraft.

British budget airline EasyJet on Tuesday suspended flights to Israel until October 27 citing the security situation in the Middle East.

"As a result of the continued evolving situation in Israel, easyJet has now taken the decision to suspend its flights to Tel Aviv for the remainder of the summer season," a spokesperson said in a statement, after the airline on Sunday paused flights to the Israeli city, new agency Reuters reported.

German foreign minister to visit Israel to urge de-escalation

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will travel to Israel on Tuesday for discussions on how to prevent an escalation of tensions in the region following Iran's attack over the weekend.

'Iran's response to any Israeli retaliation would come in 'seconds, not 12 days'

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani on Monday night said Tehran's response to any Israeli retaliation would come in "a matter of seconds, as Iran will not wait for another 12 days to respond".

Iran told Putin that Tehran is not interested in escalating

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told Vladimir Putin by telephone that Tehran's strikes on Israel were limited and that the Islamic Republic was not interested in escalating, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, news agency Reuters reported on Tuesday.

President Putin expressed hope that all sides would show reasonable restraint and so prevent a fall towards a confrontation that could have "catastrophic consequences for the entire region," the Kremlin said. 

Israel hopes its response to Iranian salvo will end 'exchange of blows'

When Israel responds to the unprecedented weekend Iranian drone and missile salvoes, its aim will be to send a message of deterrence to Tehran while drawing a line under this round of hostilities, a senior Israeli lawmaker said on Tuesday.

Among Israeli considerations in planning a counter-strike are the war-wariness of Westerns powers, the risk to air crews from any sorties against Iran and the need to keep focus on the more than half-year-long Gaza offensive, Yuli Edelstein said.

"We'll have to react. Iranians will know we reacted. And I sincerely hope that it will teach them a lesson that you can't attack a sovereign country just because you find it doable," said Edelstein, who chairs the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.

But he added: "I sincerely hope that they will understand that the it's not in their interest to continue this kind of exchange of blows. We are not interested in a full-scale war. We are not, as I have said, in the business of revenge."

Israeli officials say the response to the Iranian attacks will be agreed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet. Edelstein, a former cabinet minister from Netanyahu's Likud party whose role now involves reviewing government decisions, did not make clear to what extent he had been briefed on operational plans.

-Reuters Photo