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The day so far
A fourth day of strikes between Israel and Iran continues as global leaders meet today at the G7 Summit in Canada.
Here are the top headlines we’ve followed today:
Israel indicated that its attacks on Iran are unfinished, and that it would not rule out targeting the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in interviews with US media today. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Associated Press that Israeli strikes have set Iran’s nuclear program back a “very, very long time” and he would “not be surprised” if the attacks toppled the Iranian government. Speaking on ABC News, Netanyahu added that killing Khamenei would not “escalate the conflict” but rather “end it.” On social media, Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar wrote that he had told the European Union’s foreign minister Kaja Kallas that its military operation in Iran was unfinished and that “Israel will act to complete it.”
Meanwhile, Iran called its counter-attacks on Israel “self-defense” and has appealed to Gulf State leaders for aid asking Donald Trump to help negotiate a ceasefire with Israel. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations told the body’s Security Council that its strikes on Israel are “proportionate defensive operations directed exclusively at military objectives and associated infrastructure”, Reuters reports. Iranian officials have also asked the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to mediate discussions with the United States, Reuters reports.
The United States has relocated refueling aircraft to Europe in order to give Donald Trump military options as hostilities escalate between Iran and Israel, Reuters reports. Reuters and the New York Times also report that the USS Nimitz, an aircraft carrrier, is en route to the Middle East as part of a planned deployment. The news comes even as US senator Tim Kaine introduced legislation to restrict Donald Trump’s war powers.
Group of Seven leaders drafted a joint statement calling for de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict, according to two sources and a draft seen by Reuters. The draft commits to safeguarding market stability, including energy markets, and says Israel has the right to defend itself. Donald Trump does not intend to sign the statement, CBS News reports, citing unnamed US officials.
European countries have begun evacuating their citizens from Israel. Germany will evacuate its citizens via Jordan’s capital Amman, with a charter flight scheduled for Wednesday. Meanwhile, the UK is establishing a system for UK nationals to register their presence in Israel.
Russia believes Iran is exercising its right to defend itself against attack by Israel, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. Russian news agencies also quoted Ryabkov as saying that Russia was discussing the crisis with the United States as well as maintaining contacts with both Israel and Iran.
Updated
