Number of Iranian soldiers killed in Israeli strikes 'expected to rise'; Tehran says it has right to defend itself

Biden hopes Israeli attack on Iran is 'the end'

US President Joe Biden has just said he hopes Israel's strikes on Iran overnight are "the end".

He also said it appears Israel only hit military targets in its attack.

Nineteen killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon in past day - health ministry

At least 19 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon yesterday, the Lebanese health ministry has said.

It brings the total number of Lebanese people killed in a year of conflict to 2,653, according to the ministry.

Yesterday, early morning Israeli airstrikes on a guesthouse in southeast Lebanon killed three journalists working for news outlets considered to be aligned with Hezbollah.

The IDF did not issue a warning prior to the strike, which it says was targeting militant infrastructure, but later said it was being reviewed.

IDF releases photos of Iran strike preparations

The Israeli military has released photos of its air force troops preparing to launch attacks on Iran last night.

"This is how the air force planes took off to carry out precise and targeted strikes against military targets in Iran," said IDF Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee, in a post to X.

Israel said the strikes were in retaliation for "months of continuous attacks" from the Tehran and its proxies. 

Iran playing down attack is good news, says analyst

The fact that Iran is downplaying Israel's strikes on the country is "good news," an analyst has told our US partner network NBC News.

Iran said earlier that the attacks caused only "limited damage in certain areas".

Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow with Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa programme, said that while the full extent of the damage is still unknown, the initial response opens the door to de-escalation.

"By them being dismissive about the damage, it gives them space to say 'that’s done, scores are settled'," he said.

Mr Mekelberg added that the end of any direct conflict with Iran, alongside the killings of leaders in the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups, could open a path to move from military action "to the diplomatic, political sphere".

"Whether Israel and Iran will think like this is a different matter," he added.

Number of Iranian soldiers killed in strikes rises to four - report

The number of Iranian soldiers killed in Israel's overnight attack on Iran has risen to four and is "expected to rise further", Iranian news agency Tasnim News is reporting.

It reports that the conditions of others who are wounded is "critical".

The IDF is still yet to comment on the reports of deaths in its strikes.

Bahrain condemns strikes and calls for immediate ceasefire

Bahrain is the latest Arab nation to condemn Israel's action against Iran.

Its foreign ministry said an immediate ceasefire was needed to protect civilians and reduce regional tensions.

Bahrain has followed other countries in the region, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which have condemned Israel's strikes on Tehran.

Israel withdraws from Gaza hospital and several people detained, health officials claim

A number of people have been detained by Israeli troops at Kamal Adwan Hospital hospital in northern Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

It claimed medical staff and patients were among those being held and that women were being held separately "with no water or food".

Israel's military began raiding the hospital in Gaza's far north Beit Lahiya area yesterday as part of an intense ground offensive which began several weeks ago, forcing the displacement of thousands of Palestinans. Troops have now withdrawn, a day after storming the site.

Medics said at least 44 of the facility's 70-member team had been detained by the army, with 14 later released, including the hospital's director.

The IDF has not responded to the reports.

Kamal Adwan is one of three hospitals in northern Gaza left largely inaccessible by fighting.

Two soldiers reported killed in Israeli airstrikes named

We brought you a report earlier from the Iranian military which said two soldiers were killed in Israel's strikes (see 9.12 post).

The military had little detail earlier, but has since named the soldiers in a statement as Major Jahandideh and Lieutenant Shahrokhifar, without mentioning their first names.

Israel has not commented on the reports of two Iranian soldiers being killed in its airstrikes.

Footage shows damage to Iranian factory

Videos have emerged online showing damage to a factory in the Shamsabad industrial area south of Tehran.

The factory looks visibly damaged in two separate videos verified by our data and forensics team.

According to its website, the Taksaz factory was set up in 1991 to employ "engineering services and manufacturing of equipments".

Germany urges Iran to end 'massive reactions of escalation'

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged Iran to end "massive reactions of escalation" and work towards peace in the Middle East.

In a post to X, Mr Scholz said Israel's attempts to "keep personal injuries to a minimum" in its strikes offered "the opportunity to avoid further escalation".

"My message to Iran is clear: We cannot continue with massive reactions of escalation. This must end now. This will provide an opportunity for peaceful development in the Middle East," he said. 

The UK and US have also warned Iran not to respond to what Israel called "precise and targeted strikes" on Iranian military sites.

Iraqi facilities 'not affected by Israeli strikes'

No Iraqi military, economic or civilian facilities were affected by Israel's strikes on neighbouring Iran, a security source has been cited by the Iraqi state news agency as saying.

Airspace over Iraq was closed and some flights halted shortly after the attack early this morning, but it reopened hours later.

An official in Saudi Arabia said earlier that its airspace was not used during Israel's strikes, while nearby Jordan also said no military planes were allowed to cross its airspace by conflicting regional parties.

-SKY NEWS