US-Iran-Israel war: What Has Been Happening
On the day six of the US and Israel war against Iran, the war has been escalating in Iran, and the regional tensions have also been heightened in the Gulf, Lebanon, and Iraq.
Russia has warned against the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping. Fighting is spreading in various Middle East countries. A US submarine has sunk an Iranian warship near Sri Lanka.
In Iran
- The next supreme leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, seems to be the front-runner to succeed the country’s top post after spending years in the inner circle and building up his influence in the establishment, and also proving through his support of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
- Destruction of civilian infrastructure: Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has held the US and Israel responsible for the bombings of 33 civilian places throughout Iran, including hospitals, schools, residential areas, the Tehran Grand Bazaar, and the historic Golestan Palace complex.
- US submarine sinks Iranian warship: A US submarine fired a torpedo and sank the Iris Dena, an Iranian frigate, in the Indian Ocean off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, on Wednesday, thus expanding the war zone. Sri Lanka’s navy said that it had retrieved 87 bodies and rescued 32 persons.
- Kurdish ground offensive: Signs are increasing that Kurdish-Iranian armed groups may have initiated a ground offensive in northwest Iran against the Islamic government.
- Iraqi Kurds Possibly Joining Conflict: US officials have made requests to Iraqi Kurds to help with cross-border military operations, and Kurdish forces in northern Iraq are currently said to be on “standby” to join the conflict against Iran.
- Strait of Hormuz: On Wednesday, the IRGC declared that they had shut down the strait, where maritime traffic has been almost stopped because of Iranian threats to attack ships.
- Strait of Hormuz: On Wednesday, the IRGC declared that they had shut down the strait, where maritime traffic has been almost stopped because of Iranian threats to attack ships.
In Gulf nations
- Saudi Arabia: Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan discussed 'the continuing threats the Iranian regime poses to the stability of the region' and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Iranian drone attack on the US Embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday.
- Qatar: The Qatari government is relocating residents who are living near the US Embassy in Doha. The Ministry of Interior of Qatar has said it is 'a temporary precautionary measure'.
- Diplomatic pushback: Qatar's Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, contacted his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, after a long hiatus since the conflict started.
- Sheikh Mohammed insisted on an 'immediate cessation' of the strikes and accused Iran of trying to involve the neighboring countries in a war that does not belong to them.
- Kuwait tanker explosion: A blast was heard near a tanker that was anchored at a distance of about 30 nautical miles (approximately 56km) southeast of Kuwait's Mubarak al-Kabeer.
- Kuwait tanker explosion: A blast was heard near a tanker that was anchored at a distance of about 30 nautical miles (approximately 56km) southeast of Kuwait's Mubarak al-Kabeer.
In Israel
- Intensifying strikes: The military of Israel has declared a further "wave of strikes" targeting the military infrastructure of Tehran city.
- Military success: According to the US and Western officials, the US and Israel have effectively crippled a large part of Iran's military power. Achieving air superiority, Israeli and US jets, they added, are now able to fly over the territory of Iran without any challenge.
- Domestic impact: The Israeli army has slightly eased the wartime safety restrictions, moving from "essential" to "limited" activities.
In the US
- Congress and War Powers: The US Senate on Wednesday rejected the proposal 53-47 to make the Trump administration obtain the war against Iran through Congress, thereby stopping the bipartisan War Powers resolution.
- Public opinion: There is little public support for the war. The Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that only a quarter of the respondents backed the US-Israeli attacks, whereas 43 percent were against them.
- The administration’s stance: The military strike has been very much defended by the White House. According to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s main objectives are stopping Iran’s nuclear program and sinking its navy. President Trump himself has said that Iran was on the verge of getting a nuclear weapon: "Had we not hit, they would have had a nuclear weapon within two weeks," he declared.
