Biden Suggests Israel May Attack Iran's Oil Sites | LIVE

The Times of Israel is reporting that Israel is coordinating with US, its response to Iran. Israel is expected to carry its response within a few days. Tonight, the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will chair a series of high-level meetings to decide how to respond to Iran's attack. 

Residents of northern Israel have been asked to stay near bomb shelter, until further notice. IDF believes that Hezbollah might launch another barrage of rocket attacks. 

The British Airways has decided to suspend London-Tel Aviv flights. The suspension, for now, will last until 26th October. 

"We … have taken the operational decision to cancel our flights to Tel Aviv up to and including Saturday 26 October 2024,” the airline said. 

Today, in a new evacuation order, Israel asked residents of 20 towns in southern Lebanon to leave. All of these towns are north of the Litani river. In other words, they are outside the buffer area UN established at the end of the 2006 war.  

If Israel were to strike Iran’s oil infrastructure in response to the missile strikes, the consequences could be devastating for Iran’s economy and have broader geopolitical repercussions. Here are the likely outcomes:

Severe Economic Impact on Iran:

• Loss of Export Capacity: Destroying key oil production facilities or export infrastructure (such as pipelines, refineries, or tankers) would significantly reduce Iran’s ability to export oil. Given the central role of oil revenues, this would deeply affect the government’s ability to finance itself, leading to budget deficits, increased borrowing, and inflation.
• Hard Currency Shortages: A disruption in oil exports would mean a reduction in the influx of foreign currency, especially U.S. dollars and euros. This could lead to further devaluation of the rial, exacerbate inflation, and drive up the cost of imports, which could spark a domestic economic crisis.
• Social Unrest: Iran’s population has already been dealing with economic hardship due to inflation, unemployment, and sanctions. A sharp reduction in oil revenues could lead to widespread social unrest, as public services deteriorate, unemployment rises, and the cost of living skyrockets.

Global Oil Markets:

• Rising Oil Prices: Iran is a significant player in global oil markets. A disruption in its oil exports would reduce the global supply of crude oil, which could push up prices. This would be felt worldwide, particularly by oil-importing nations. While other oil producers, like Saudi Arabia or the U.S., might increase production to stabilize the market, a significant price spike would likely still occur.
• Tension in the Strait of Hormuz: The Strait of Hormuz is a vital chokepoint for global oil shipments, through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply passes. Iran controls part of the strait and has previously threatened to block or disrupt shipping through it in response to external aggression. Any attack on its oil infrastructure might prompt Iran to take retaliatory actions here, causing major disruptions in the global energy supply chain.

Regional Escalation and Military Response:

• Retaliation by Iran: Iran has significant military and paramilitary capabilities, including missile systems and regional proxies like Hezbollah. A strike on its oil infrastructure might prompt it to escalate its military activities, both directly against Israel and potentially targeting U.S. or allied assets in the region. This could trigger a broader conflict, drawing in regional powers and potentially escalating into a larger war.

US President Joe Biden, whilst talking to reporters at White House, indicated that Iran may strike Iran's oil sites. Earlier, he had said he was against Israel striking Iran's nuclear sites. 

When Biden was asked by reporters if he supported a strike by Israel on Iran's oil sites, he replied by saying ““We’re discussing that. I think that would be a little… anyway”. His comments have caused a spike in oil prices. 

Biden went on to add that there would be no attack today. 

Whilst talking to reporters at the White House, US President Joe Biden said that “we don’t ‘allow’ Israel, we advise Israel”.

He was asked whether he will allow Israel to retaliate against Iran. He also went on to say that nothing will happen today. 

The IDF has stated that 10 rockets were fired from Lebanon, targeting northern Israel. As of now, no injuries are being reported. Some of the rockets were intercepted and some weren't, as per Times of Israel. 

The Swedish intelligence agency, Sapo, believes that Iran may have been behind attack on Israeli embassies in Denmark and Sweden. 

“In part due to the choice of targets and modus operandi, but that is an assumption rather than pure knowledge,” said Fredrik Hallstrom, head of operations at the Sapo agency.

“A short time ago, Air Force fighter jets under the intelligence guidance of the Intelligence Division, attacked targets of the intelligence headquarters of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Beirut, including the unit's operatives, means of collection, headquarters and other infrastructure,” reads a statement from IDF

Russia has begun evacuating its citizens from Lebanon. On Thursday, a special flight left Beirut. The passengers on board were family members of Russian diplomats.

Around 60 of them will land in Russia today. 

The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that the German and Austrian ambassadors were separately summoned in response to what it described as the "unacceptable actions" of both countries in summoning Iran’s diplomatic representatives. Germany, along with Austria, had summoned Iran’s envoys earlier in protest of Tehran's missile strike on Israel.

Aziz Salha, a Palestinian notorious for his role in lynching 2 Israeli soldiers, back in 2000, in Ramallah, has finally been killed by the IDF in Gaza. 

In October of 2000, soldiers Sgt. First Class (res.) Yosef Avrahami and Cpl. (Res.) Vadim Norzhi, took a wrong turn and ended up in Ramallah, West Bank. They were lynched by a mob of Palestinains. 

Salha, became infamous, and some might say famous amongst Islamists, after proudly showing his blood soaked hand to a mob, in excitement. 

Emirates airline has cancelled flights to Iran for three days. Flights to Iraq and Jordan have also been cancelled. 

“Emirates is canceling all flights to/from Iraq (Basra and Baghdad), Iran (Tehran), and Jordan (Amman) on 4th and 5th October due to regional unrest,” the airline said. 

The IDF has rescued a Yazidi girl from Gaza, who was kidnapped by ISIS in 2014. She was just 11 year old when she was kidnapped by the jihadis. 

The woman's name is Fawzia Amin Sido and she has now been reunited with her family in Iraq. 

The Lebanese Red Cross is claiming that 4 paramedics have lost their life as a result of an Israeli strike. A Lebanese soldiers also apparently lost his life, due to the same strike. 

According to a report from the Times of Israel, the IDF has said it is looking into the incident. 

The IDF has revealed that Hezbollah is using the civilian crossing between Syria and Lebanon to smuggle Iranian weapons. The IDF warned that it'll take measures to prevent the terrorist group from acquiring new weapons.

“The state of Lebanon is responsible for its official border crossings and its ability to prevent Hezbollah from [using] these crossings. The IDF urges the Lebanese state to carry out a strict inspection of the trucks passing through the civilian crossings and to return the trucks and vehicles containing weapons to Syria," said Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman.

“If necessary, [the IDF] will not hesitate to act, just as it has done during the entire war,” he added. 

The IDF is calling on Lebanese civilians in 25 locales in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately.

Among the list of cities, towns, and villages is Nabatieh, one of the largest cities in southern Lebanon.

"Hezbollah's activity forces the IDF to act against it. The IDF does not wish to harm you," Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF's Arabic-language spokesman, says in a statement on X.

"For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately. Anyone who is near Hezbollah operatives, their facilities or their weapons, puts themselves at risk," he says.

Adraee says that any house used by Hezbollah for military purposes is a target.

The Lebanese civilians are called to evacuate and head north. "Attention, do not move south! Any movement south could endanger your life," the statement says.
 

Lebanon’s Health Ministry Thursday said that at least nine people were killed in an Israeli strike in central Beirut, as it is also running DNA tests on remains they have obtained to identify others.

The UK government announced further chartered planes on Thursday to help British nationals leave Lebanon in response to the deteriorating security situation amid the conflict with Israel and to meet the demand for a flight chartered earlier this week.

After flight operations were halted, flights in Iran have resumed on Thursday, said Tehran's state media.

Israel's ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, gave a strong statement on Iran amid the rising tensions in the Middle East after unprecedented missile attacks lashed all over Israel and said that ‘Iran will be our responsibility’

The Israel Defense Forces have urged Lebanese residents who have evacuated their homes not to return until further notice.

Britain has urged its nationals to leave Lebanon immediately, as per a global media agency. 

Israel's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, announced that UN Secretary-General António Guterres has been designated as "persona non grata," effectively barring the Portuguese diplomat from entering the country. This decision comes in response to Guterres's remarks following Iran's recent missile attack on Israel.

 Lebanon Minister has claimed that Hezbollah chief Nasrallah agreed to ceasefire before Israeli airstrike killed him.

"5 killed, 8 injured in overnight Israeli airstrike on apartment in Beirut's Bachoura area", said Lebanese health ministry

The Indian equity benchmarks nosedived on Thursday as investor sentiment took a knock after market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India ( SEBI ) issued new rules for futures and options trading to curb speculative trading. Rising tensions in Middle East after Iran attacked Israel with over 200 missiles also added to the negative sentiment on Dalal Street, analysts said. The Sensex fell as much as 1,264 points and Nifty 50 index touched an intraday low of 25,452.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has urged Australians who wish to leave Lebanon to take the first available flight option.

The French Embassy in Iran has asked all its nationals to be wary of the developments in the Middle East and asked them to be careful in their travels to Iran, reports ANI.

Around 100 American citizens and family members leave Lebanon

Multiple airstrikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut overnight, setting fire to some buildings with loud explosions heard from different areas of the Lebanese capital

The Israeli army said on Thursday it was conducting "A precise strike in Beirut".

Amid the ongoing tensions and attacks between Israel and Lebanon, latest reports suggest that the son-in-law of eliminated Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah has also been killed in an Israeli raid in Damascus.

Hezbollah Chief Nasrallah's Son-in-Law Killed

As per the latest reports, Hassan Jaafar al-Qasir, the son-in-law of Hezbollah General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah who was recently eliminated by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), has also been killed in an Israeli raid in Damascus.

President Joe Biden says he will not support an Israeli attack on sites related to Tehran's nuclear programme.  

The answer is no, Biden said Wednesday, when asked if he would support such retaliation after Iran fired about 180 missiles at Israel on Tuesday.

President Joe Biden said Wednesday he will not support an Israeli strike on sites related to Tehran's nuclear program in response to Iran's missile attack on Israel.

Israel pressed forward on two fronts on Wednesday, pursuing a ground incursion into Lebanon against Hezbollah that left eight Israeli soldiers dead and conducting strikes in Gaza that killed dozens, including children.

As Israel vowed to retaliate for Iran's ballistic missile attack a day earlier, the region braced for further escalation