Iran-Israel Conflict LIVE: Supreme Leader Khamenei Urges Armed Forces to 'Study Enemy Tactics'

 

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a new aid package worth $61 billion for Ukraine, helping to resolve a six-month impasse that left Kyiv's stockpiles low during its war against Russia. This Ukraine aid will be combined with funding for Israel and Taiwan, creating a total foreign assistance package of $95 billion. This development comes as tensions between Iran and Israel appeared to cool, even as the U.S. approved additional military aid to Israel, despite criticism over its ongoing war in Gaza. Iran downplayed Israel's reported retaliation for its recent drone and missile attack, reducing concerns that the escalating hostilities could spark a broader Middle East conflict.

 

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul and urged Palestinians to unite in Gaza. Reports also came in about an explosion at the Kalsu military base in Iraq's Babylon province, which killed one person and injured eight others. The base is used by Iraq's regular army, police, and members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces, also known as Hashed al-Shaabi.

 

In other news, the United States vetoed a Palestinian request for full United Nations membership, prompting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to consider reassessing relations with the U.S. following this setback.

 

Reports of Israeli airstrikes against Iran emerged, with ABC News citing a U.S. official indicating that "sounds were heard over the city" of Isfahan, and Al Jazeera citing Mehr news agency reporting that "several miniature UAVs were shot down." However, there was no confirmation on whether Syrian or Iraqi sites were also hit. The reported strike was a response to Tehran's earlier drone and missile attack on Israel, which caused no casualties. Following the retaliation, Iran fired air defense batteries and temporarily halted flight operations in various cities.

 

Despite this, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian downplayed the strike, stating that investigations were ongoing and there was no proven link to Israel. He described the reported Israeli retaliation as "child's play." Israel's earlier threats to retaliate came after a direct attack on its territory by Iran, which was in response to a presumed Israeli airstrike on Iran's embassy compound in Damascus that killed several Iranian officers.