Israel says it kills Iranian minister, will let military hit any senior official it can find
CNA
This appeared to be the first time Israel has publicly stated that it would let the military target enemy officials without seeking special permission from political leaders for missions.
DUBAI: Israel said on Wednesday (Mar 18) it had killed Iran's intelligence minister in the second strike on a top leadership figure in two days, and had authorised the military to target any senior Iranian official it can locate.
Israel also hit central Beirut, destroying apartment buildings in some of the most intense airstrikes on the Lebanese capital for decades, Israel's other front in the war it launched with the United States against Iran.
A day after killing Iran's powerful security chief Ali Larijani in the highest-level targeted killing since that of the supreme leader on the war's first day, Israel said it had killed Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib.
"No one in Iran has immunity and everyone is in the crosshairs," Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
"The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and I have authorised the Israel Defense Forces to target any senior Iranian official for whom an intelligence and operational opportunity arises, without the need for additional approval."
When it comes to social media bans, governments are willing to absorb criticism on feasibility, privacy and civil liberties, experts tell CNA.
BANGKOK: Twenty Thai crew members of a cargo ship that was attacked in the crucial Strait of Hormuz arrived in Thailand on Monday (Mar 16), with three of their colleagues still stranded on the vessel in the Gulf.The Thai-registered Mayuree Naree was
In Berlin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's spokesman said the Iran war has "nothing to do with NATO".
Donald Trump has suggested Washington may delay the planned summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping if Beijing does not help with reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump also said that he may delay his trip to China, saying he would prefer to know Beijing’s position on the issue before the planned visit.
Tehran sent a stern message to its neighbours that it had "ample evidence" that US bases on their territory were being used to launch attacks.
This installment of CNA’s series on the forces powering electric vehicles (EVs) in Asia examines China’s dominance in lithium refining and its impact on the global supply chain.
Sharif Osman Hadi's death set off violent protests in Bangladesh, with angry mobs torching several buildings including two major newspapers deemed to favour India, as well as a prominent cultural institution.
Analysts said that with little time to prepare and Washington's attention focused on the US-Israeli war with Iran, prospects for a major trade breakthrough are limited.
Taiwan's defence ministry said on Sunday that it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft, concentrated in the Taiwan Strait, over the previous 24 hours.
South Korea’s military said that it detected about 10 ballistic missiles fired from North Korea’s capital region toward the eastern sea.
Trump said the US strikes had "totally demolished" most of Kharg Island and warned that more could follow, adding: "We may hit it a few more times just for fun."
In this first part of a series on electric vehicles in Asia, CNA examines how one of Southeast Asia’s largest untapped copper deposits in Mindanao could boost the Philippines’ role in the global EV supply chain.