US, Iran war live updates: Israel threatens Gaza-like destruction in Lebanon, trades missile strikes with Iran

Iranian outlets are reporting that Mohammad Bagher Zolghar has been appointed the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), according to an official in Iran’s presidential office.

The appointment follows the killing of the previous top security official Ali Larijani on March 17.

The missle was seen embedded in the ground on Tuesday in Hares, West Bank.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has conceded the Iran war will make Australia’s inflation challenge worse, and could be as damaging to the economy as the pandemic and the 2008 global financial crisis.

Dr Chalmers’ comments to business leaders on Tuesday night came as consumer confidence sank to the lowest level since 1973, fuelled by ongoing pessimism in the economy as the effects of the war deepen and after two successive interest rate rises this year.

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Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says the IDF is set to control of southern Lebanon from the northern Israel border up to the Litani River, The Australian is reporting.

“All five bridges over the Litani that were used by Hezbollah for the passage of terrorists and weapons have been blown up, and the IDF will control the rest of the bridges and the security zone up to the Litani,” Katz said on Tuesday.

The hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people who were displaced by Israel’s offensive “will not return south of the Litani River until security is guaranteed for the residents of the north (of Israel).”

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says the IDF will inflict destruction on southern Lebanon similar to that of Gaza to “rid the area” of Hezbollah, according to AP.

Israel will threaten “the Rafah and Beit Hanoun models” on Lebanon, Katz said, in reference to the IDF’s razing of the towns in its offensive into Gaza.

Civilian infrastructure will be subject to the proposed offensive, according to Katz, saying they “serve as terrorist outposts for all intents and purposes”.

The Lebanese Health Ministry says three people have died after an Israeli airstrike on the town of Bchamoun, AP is reporting.

A 3-year-old-girl is among the dead, the ministry says.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has accused Israel of taking advantage of “wartime conditions” to carry out “extensive war crimes against civilians” in Palestine and Lebanon, Al Jazeera are reporting.

In a statement, the IRGC warned of “heavy missile and drone attacks” on Israeli troops in the north of the country as well as near Gaza, launched “without restraint”, if attacks on civilians continue.

A Beirut broadcasting station which the IDF claims was “operating under Hezbollah auspices” has been destroyed overnight, the military claims.

“In the strikes carried out in Beirut, headquarters of the terror organization were targeted, including the headquarters of the ‘Radwan Force’ unit, from which the unit’s terrorists operated to advance and execute terror plots against IDF forces and civilians of the State of Israel,” the IDF said.

“As part of an additional strike carried out in the village of Al-Tiri, a headquarters of Hezbollah terror organization terrorists was struck, which was established within the ‘Noor’ radio broadcasting station. The headquarters was struck while terrorists of the organization operated from within it.

“The Hezbollah terror organization systematically operates from civilian infrastructure in the State of Lebanon, from which it advances terror activity that harms civilians of the State of Israel and endangers civilians of the State of Lebanon.”

The Israel Defence Force says its air defence systems have intercepted a missile from Lebanon which has been claimed by Hezbollah, Al Jazeera is reporting.

It is believed the missile did not impact any residential areas and no injuries have been reported.

The Israel Defence Force says it has struck two Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarter sites including its intelligence orgianisation, as well as storage facilities holding air defence systems.

“The (Israeli) Air Force. . . completed yesterday a broad wave of strikes toward infrastuctures of the Iranian terror regime in the heart of Tehran,” an English translation of an IDF statement said on Tuesday.

“Additionally, throughout the night, the Air Force struck more than 50 targets in northern and central Iran, including sites used for launching and storing ballistic missiles.

“The strikes that were completed are part of the phase of deepening the damage to the core systems of the Iranian terror regime and its foundations.”