War in the Middle East: latest developments

The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Iran ready -

Iran is prepared for all possibilities in its war with the United States and Israel, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said, following threats from US President Donald Trump.

"No threat is beyond our preparedness and intelligence," Aref said in a post on X.

- 'Unacceptable' -

Pope Leo XIV said threats to inflict widespread damage on civilian targets in Iran were "unacceptable" -- without specifically mentioning Trump.

"Today... there was this threat against all the people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable. There are certainly questions of international law, but much more than that, it is a moral question," the pope told journalists.

- Kuwait stay-at-home warning -

Kuwait asked residents to avoid going outside from midnight until Wednesday morning, hours ahead of a US deadline for Iran to agree to a deal or suffer major strikes on civilian infrastructure.

- US warns against Hajj -

The United States has urged its citizens to reconsider travelling to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Hajj pilgrimage next month due to security concerns, according to a statement posted by the US embassy in Riyadh.

- UN probe blames Israel, Hezbollah -

Three UN peacekeepers who died in two separate incidents in Lebanon in March were likely killed by Israeli tank fire in one case and by a Hezbollah improvised explosive device (IED) in the other, according to a United Nations probe.

- Trump threats 'deeply irresponsible'

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations criticized Donald Trump's "deeply irresponsible" threats against his country, after the president warned that "a whole civilization will die" if Tehran does not accept US war demands.

- 'Collateral damage' -

The Israeli military expressed regret over "collateral damage" to a synagogue in Tehran caused by an overnight strike it said was targeting a senior Iranian commander.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian media reported that the Rafi-Nia Synagogue in central Tehran had been "completely destroyed".

- 'Very troubled' -

UN chief Antonio Guterres was "very troubled" by Trump's dire warning that "a whole civilization will die" in Iran if the country does not meet an ultimatum to accept US war demands.

- Israel warns Lebanon ships -

The Israeli military urged all vessels in the maritime zone off the coast of southern Lebanon to immediately head north of the city of Tyre, warning that it would operate in the area.

- US journalist's Iraq release -

Iraq's powerful Kataeb Hezbollah armed group announced that it would release US journalist Shelly Kittleson, a week after she was kidnapped in Baghdad.

- Russia, China veto Hormuz resolution -

Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a text already diluted from the green light Gulf states had sought to use force to protect the key shipping lane.

- 'War crime' -

The UN rights chief decried the "incendiary rhetoric" in the Middle East war, warning that deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure was "a war crime".

- Only Trump knows -

"The Iranian regime has until 8PM Eastern Time to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to AFP, when asked if Trump was prepared to use a nuclear weapon, and about a report that Iran had cut off negotiations.

"Only the President knows where things stand and what he will do."

- 'Intensify damage inflicted' -

Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said that the joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran was "approaching a strategic crossroads" and vowed to "intensify the damage inflicted on the regime."

- White House denies mulling nuclear strike -

The White House denied that remarks by Vice President JD Vance about military operations in Iran had contained any suggestion of a US nuclear strike against the Islamic republic.

After Vance said US forces have tools they "so far haven't decided to use" to enforce a dramatic ultimatum from Trump, the White House said on X: "Literally nothing @VP said here 'implies' this, you absolute buffoons."

- Lebanon toll hits 1,530 -

Lebanon's health ministry said that the death toll in more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah had reached 1,530.

The toll includes 102 women and 130 children, as well as 57 heath workers, a ministry statement said, adding that 4,812 people have been wounded.

- Netanyahu claims Iran bridge strikes -

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel struck railways and bridges in Iran "used by the Revolutionary Guards", after Iranian officials reported damage to at least two bridges and railway infrastructure.

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