Latest developments in Iran war: Bodies found after Iran warship hit
Dozens of bodies were recovered from an Iranian warship torpedoed by US forces on Wednesday, the fifth day of a regional war sparked by US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
While the sound of explosions reverberated around Jerusalem, Tehran and southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said it planned at least "one or two" more weeks of strikes on Iran.
Here are the latest developments:
- Hormuz oil traffic down 90 percent as Iran claims control -
Oil tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has plunged by 90 percent since the outbreak of the Middle East war, energy market intelligence firm Kpler said on X.
Iranian forces claimed "complete control" of the strait, a vital route for world oil and gas supplies, after President Donald Trump said Tuesday the US Navy was ready to escort oil tankers through the channel.
- Bodies found after US sinks Iranian warship -
"We have collected 87 bodies, and a search is still on for the others who are still missing," a Sri Lankan navy official told AFP hours after an Iranian warship was sunk apparently by a US torpedo.
Sri Lanka is already dealing with some 32 survivors and 61 sailors are still missing, according to the police and navy, after the frigate IRIS Dena sank off Sri Lanka's coast.
- 'Thousands' of targets -
The Times of Israel reported that the Israeli military was planning "at least one or two more weeks of operations in Iran, during which it aims to hit thousands more Iranian regime targets".
Earlier the military said it had begun a fresh wave of strikes on Tehran, as an AFP journalist reported a fresh explosion in the northeast of the Iranian capital.
- Khamenei funeral postponed -
The funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that was due Wednesday evening has been postponed, state television announced, "in anticipation of unprecedented turnout". A new date will be announced later, it said.
Deliberations over who would succeed Khamenei were still going on, it said.
- State media: 1,000 killed -
Iran's official IRNA news agency said Wednesday US-Israeli strikes had killed 1,045 military personnel and civilians since the start of the war. AFP was not in a position to independently verify the toll.
- Lebanon strikes -
The Israeli army said it had begun strikes in southern Lebanon after ordering people living south of Litani river to leave, as the military expanded its campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
Lebanese state media said Israeli forces had entered the southern town of Khiam, about six kilometres from the border.
- Iran targets Israel -
Air raid sirens wailed in Jerusalem after the Israeli military said it had detected two incoming missile barrages from Iran, which the military later said were intercepted.
AFP journalists heard blasts over Jerusalem hours later.
- Turkey warning -
NATO defence systems shot down a missile launched from Iran heading towards Turkey, prompting Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to tell his Iranian counterpart in a phone call that "any steps that could lead to the spread of conflict should be avoided", a ministry source said.
NATO condemned the "targeting of Turkey", but a Turkish official later said it appeared the missile was aimed at a base in Cyprus but veered off course.
- Iran hits Iraqi Kurdistan -
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had hit armed opposition groups hostile to Tehran in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.
- UAE, Qatar intercept missiles -
The UAE said it had shot down three missiles and 121 drones, while Qatar said it had intercepted 10 drones and two missiles.
- Sanchez-Trump spat -
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defiantly said "no to the war" after Trump threatened to sever all trade with Spain for refusing to allow US planes to use its bases to attack Iran.
- Stocks level out -
European stock markets steadied after steep losses across Asian stock markets, where rising oil prices rattled investors.
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J.Quintero--BT