What we know on the 19th day of the US and Israel’s war with Iran

CNN

By Jessie Yeung, CNN

(CNN) — Israel says it killed Iran’s intelligence minister in a Tuesday night strike on Tehran, a day after it killed two other senior Iranian leaders in strikes on the capital. The attacks demonstrate Israel’s unrelenting push to pick off power-brokers within the regime.

Meanwhile, the US has dropped 5,000-pound bombs on Iranian missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to secure the crucial waterway, which US President Donald Trump had asked for international help to reopen.

Here’s what to know on day 19.

What are the main headlines?

• Intelligence minister killed: Israel said Wednesday that it killed Iran’s Intelligence Minister, Esmail Khatib, in a strike the previous night. Announcing Khatib’s killing, which Iran has not confirmed, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had authorized the military to kill “any senior Iranian official” once an opportunity arises, “without the need for additional approval.”
• Top officials killed: Khatib’s killing comes after Iran on Tuesday confirmed the death of Ali Larijani, its powerful security chief and the highest-ranking Iranian official to be killed since the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war. Israel has also killed the head of the Basij, Iran’s feared paramilitary force. In response, Iran announced a “rapid strike” and “intense” attacks against Israel.
• Gas facility bombed: Iranian state media accused the US and Israel of attacking the South Pars natural gas field – the world’s largest – and other energy facilities on Wednesday, in a significant escalation. If confirmed, this would mark the first attack on Iranian oil and natural gas production facilities in this war.
• US attacks Iran: Meanwhile, the US military said it has dropped 5,000-pound guided bombs designed to penetrate targets deep underground on Iranian missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts said the bombings could be the opening salvo of a three-week campaign to make the waterway – through which one-fifth of the world’s oil ordinarily flows – safe for oil tanker traffic again.
• US official resigns: Joe Kent, a senior Trump-appointed US intelligence official, abruptly announced Tuesday he is stepping down from his post, citing misgivings about the administration’s war with Iran. Trump said Kent’s resignation was a “good thing” because he was “very weak on security.”
• Trump dismisses allies: Trump said the US should rethink its NATO membership as he criticized allies for not helping with the war or in securing the Strait of Hormuz. A string of American partners have balked at Trump’s request to send warships to help transport oil through the strait – though a senior official from the United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it’s open to helping.
• Iranian oil deal: Tehran is in discussions with eight countries outside the Middle East over its offer to grant safe passage to oil traded in the Chinese currency yuan, an Iranian security source told CNN. The source did not identify the eight countries.
• US warship movements: A US Navy warship believed to be carrying Marines and sailors to the Middle East is nearing the Malacca Strait of Singapore as it makes its way to the region, maritime tacking data showed Tuesday. Officials told CNN the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli was being sent to the Middle East, without revealing exactly where it would be deployed or what it would be used for.

What’s happening on the ground?

• Baghdad targeted: Drone and rocket attacks resumed around the US Embassy in Baghdad early Wednesday local time. A hotel in Baghdad, a US diplomatic facility near Baghdad International Airport, and an oil field in southern Iraq were targets on Tuesday. Iran-backed militias claimed responsibility for some of the attacks, saying they were acting in support of Tehran.
• Iran strikes Israel: Israel said early Wednesday it was intercepting a new salvo of missiles from Iran. CNN witnessed what appeared to be a cluster munition over central Israel, with impact sites reported at various cities including Tel Aviv. Two people were killed in central Israel, according to Israel’s emergency response service.
• Hezbollah targeted: Israel continued striking Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Tuesday, including what it called weapons facilities and launch sites. It claimed to have “eliminated several Hezbollah terrorists across southern Lebanon.” A new evacuation order by the Israeli military sparked an exodus of people from the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre overnight into Wednesday.
• Nuclear plant hit: Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said a “hostile projectile” struck the site of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in western Iran on Tuesday, but reported no casualties and no damage to the facility. It did not say which country was behind the attack.

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