Iran Attacks

• Asian stock markets, including South Korea, Japan, the Hang Seng Index, and the Shanghai Composite, plunged on Monday following a period of record AI-driven gains. • Taiwan's Taiex saw a sharp decline, highlighted by a 3% drop in shares of semiconductor giant TSMC, a critical supplier for Nvidia. • The downturn is attributed to a correction after a massive tech rally and heightened geopolitical tensions following renewed attacks from Iran.

Despite Donald Trump’s calls for calm, Israeli military says it struck military targets in central and western Iran in response to attacks by TehranIsrael strikes Iran despite Trump plea as Middle East crisis threatens to escalateHello and welcome to our live coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.Israel launched airstrikes early on Monday targeting central and western Iran in response to missile fire from Tehran, attacks that threatened to drag the wider Middle East back into a regional war.Iran’s attacks appeared to be in retaliation for Israel strikes on Beirut’s Dahiyeh southern suburb area targeting Hezbollah infrastructure despite the truce agreement with Lebanon. Two people were killed and 20 wounded in Beirut, the Lebanon health ministry said.A missile was launched from Yemen towards Israeli territory, the Israeli military said, adding its aerial defence systems were operating to intercept the threat. Israel’s rescue services say there were no reports of casualties or impacts.Oil prices jumped more than 3% after Iran’s strikes, with the price of Brent crude – the international benchmark – rising 3.29% to $96.15 a barrel in early trading on Monday.Iran’s missile barrage was the the first since a fragile ceasefire took effect in early April. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, said US bases and assets in the region were now “legitimate targets”.The strait of Hormuz will be opened but under new conditions to be set by Iran and Oman, including a transit fee, Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, told the Russian newspaper Izvestia – a position Trump strongly opposes.Trump said Netanyahu would have no choice but to accept whatever deal the US negotiated with Iran because “I call the shots”, the Financial Times reported. “He won’t have any choice,” Trump said. “I call the shots. I call all the shots. He [Netanyahu] doesn’t call the shots.” Continue reading...

• Indian stock markets crashed on Monday, with the Sensex dropping 800 points and the Nifty falling below 23,150. • The downturn extended to broader markets, as the Nifty MidCap and Nifty SmallCap indices both declined by approximately 1.5%. • The crash is attributed to geopolitical instability following Iran's attacks on Israel, triggering a wider Asia-Pacific sell-off including South Korea’s Kospi, which plunged 8%.

• Qatar has formally condemned Iranian attacks on civilian targets in Bahrain and Kuwait, labeling the actions a "grave violation" of national sovereignty. • The State asserts that these strikes breach the 1949 Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, specifically the principles prohibiting indiscriminate attacks on civilians. • This diplomatic response highlights the regional instability caused by unprovoked aggression and the urgent need to protect non-combatants from the consequences of armed conflict.

• European stocks and U.S. futures declined on Wednesday following a rise in oil prices for the third consecutive session. • The market volatility was triggered by renewed hostilities in the Gulf after peace talks between the U.S. and Iran stalled. • In contrast, Asian markets remained strong, with stock indexes in Japan and Taiwan reaching record highs driven by a continuing AI bull run.

• Iranian state media announced that talks with the U.S. have halted and warned that "other fronts" are opening, including potential attacks on key waterways. • This escalation follows statements from Donald Trump suggesting the Iranian regime "really wants to make a deal" to resolve ongoing tensions. • Reports from CBS indicate that potential diplomatic arrangements could include sanctions relief or waivers, granting Iran access to billions of dollars in frozen assets.

US Central Command claims targets also included boats trying to lay mines, rattling ceasefire, while Iranians meet with Qatari prime minister in DohaIsrael escalates strikes in Lebanon as Netanyahu vows to ‘crush’ HezbollahWelcome to the Guardian’s continuing live coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.US forces attacked missile sites in southern Iran and boats trying to lay mines on Monday, US Central Command said, as top Iranian negotiators arrived in Doha for talks to end the war.Trump said the enriched uranium held by Iran could be destroyed inside the country, in a process overseen by an international nuclear agency. Experts said his announcement could amount to a major concession to Tehran.Trump also said any deal to end the war with Iran should require certain countries in the region – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan – to sign up to the Abraham accords. The agreements aimed at normalising relations with Israel were brokered by the US during Trump’s first term.Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “crush” Hezbollah in Lebanon, dealing another blow to hopes for a US-Iran deal. Tehran has demanded that any peace accord apply to the fighting in Lebanon as well.Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi praised Hezbollah for the Tehran-backed militant group’s ongoing resistance in Lebanon against Israel. Continue reading...