SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
Welcome to our live coverage of the war in Iran, as the conflict in the Middle East enters its 5th week.
Here’s what you might have missed overnight, and a recap of some of Saturday’s top headlines:
- Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has told a gathering of US conservatives that he’s ready to lead Iran’s transition, and that he will call on Iranians to rise up when the “right moment arrives”.
- Israeli forces killed three Lebanese journalists in southern Lebanon in an airstrike that Israel’s military said had targeted one of them.
- The Israeli military said it carried out widespread strikes overnight against Tehran, using more than 50 fighter jets to target weapons production infrastructure.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US expected its operation in Iran to conclude in “weeks, not months”.
- The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Israel, marking their entry into the conflict.
- In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced new laws on Saturday to allow the government to use public funds to underwrite private companies buying additional shiploads of petrol or diesel and bringing them into the country.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have confirmed the death of a soldier in southern Lebanon.
Sergeant Moshe Yitzchak Hacohen Katz, 22, was killed, almost two weeks after Israel launched a ground invasion in the area.
Katz was in the Paratroopers Brigade, and originally from New Haven, in the US state of Connecticut, the IDF said in a post on Facebook.
“The IDF sends its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. May his memory be a blessing.”
As Australians face pressure at the fuel pump, Victorians and Tasmanians will get free public transport through April.
Surging petrol prices fuelled by the Iran war have had rippling effects through the economy, leading some experts to float work-from-home considerations. A national cabinet meeting between Australian, state and territory governments will consider a range of options to ease pump pressure on Monday.
On Sunday, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan posted on Instagram, saying that their temporary free public transport offer wouldn’t solve all the problems, but was an immediate step to help Victorians “right now”.
Myki fares are capped at $11.40 a day, meaning a full-fare, five-day-a-week commuter would save $250, or $205 if they use a monthly or yearly myki pass. Myki passes will automatically pause and resume after April.
Shortly after Israel and Kuwait air defences detected Iranian missiles, the United Arab Emirates’ defence ministry says it’s now engaging with incoming drones and missiles.
“The sounds heard in scattered areas of the country are the result of the UAE air defence systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones,” the UAE Ministry of Defence says in a post on X.
Iran has agreed to allow 20 more ships under the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar says in an X post.
Two ships will cross the strait daily, Dar says.
The Kuwaiti military says it is confronting “hostile missile and drone attacks”.
“The General Staff of the Army notes that any explosions that may be heard are the result of air defence systems intercepting hostile targets,” the Kuwait Army posted on X.
“Everyone is kindly requested to adhere to the security and safety instructions issued by the relevant authorities.”
The message comes after Kuwait International Airport was targeted by drone attacks on Saturday, damaging its radar system, state news agency KUNA reported.
The country’s Civil Aviation Authority said there were no casualties and that the attacks were from Iran, its proxies and armed factions.
The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran – targeting Kharg Island and coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz – but it’s unclear if President Donald Trump had or would approve the plans.
US officials speaking anonymously to The Washington Post said potential ground operations would fall short of a full-scale invasion and could instead involve raids by a mixture of Special Operations forces and infantry troops.
There was talk over a possible seizure of Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub in the Persian Gulf, and raids into other areas near the Strait of Hormuz, officials said.
The dangerous mission could expose US personnel to an array of threats, including Iranian drones and missiles, ground fire and improvised explosives.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed 10-year defence agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar and plans to formalise a similar agreement with the United Arab Emirates, as Iran presses an aerial campaign against neighbouring countries.
Zelensky said he signed a deal for more than a year’s worth of diesel supplies on Friday, when he visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE on the weekend.
Ukraine plans to share anti-drone expertise and technology with the Gulf countries, as they face aerial attacks from Iran.
“We are talking about a 10-year cooperation. We have already signed a relevant agreement with Saudi Arabia, we have just signed a similar agreement with Qatar, also for 10 years, we will sign one with the Emirates,” Zelensky told reporters on Saturday.
Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi has warned that negotiating for peace with the current leaders of Iran would only push the threat to Americans down the road, and said he would once again call for Iranians to protest in the streets.
Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s ousted shah, was warmly received during his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas, an annual gathering of Republican activists and lawmakers.
“President Trump is making America great again. I intend to make Iran great again,” Pahlavi told the crowd, who responded with a standing ovation, according to Al Jazeera English.
Opposition industry and sovereign capability spokesman Andrew Hastie, who called himself “pro-American”, has warned the Middle East conflict was straining ties with the United States.
“I’m pro-American, and I have been for a long time,” he told ABC’s Insiders on Sunday morning.
“We can be critical of bad strategic decisions. Iran has been able to hold the whole world economy to ransom,” he said.
Hastie said the war showed “the need for [Australia] to be self-reliant as a nation”.
Middle Eastern airlines have begun lowering airfares for Australia-Europe services to pre-war prices in a bid to revive tourism through key transit hubs, but experts warn the cheap flights are risky and could leave passengers stranded or stuck with travel credits.
Airspace over the United Arab Emirates and Qatar ground to a halt earlier this month as Iran began striking its regional neighbours in retaliation to US-Israel attacks.
Now, Middle Eastern carriers, facing uncertainty as to when hostilities and airspace disruptions will end, have begun aggressively lowering prices for Australians travelling to Europe in an attempt to woo back safety-conscious travellers with deals thousands of dollars cheaper than rival carriers.
But travel experts have warned travellers should think twice before snagging the cheap tickets. Read what they had to say in Elias Visontay’s story here.
