US-Israel-Iran War Live News Updates: Trump Lashes Out At Allies; Systematically Crushing Iran, Says Netanyahu

Asian shares were sharply higher this morning after US stocks soared to their best day since last spring on renewed hopes that the Iran war could soon end. South Korea's Kospi surged 5.2% to 5,312.45 in early trading, while Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rose 3.5% to 52,840.67. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was up 1.9% to 8,641.30.

The renewed optimism came after US President Donald Trump said the United States will be done attacking Iran probably in two to three weeks, and that the US "will not have anything to do with" what happens next in the Strait of Hormuz.

(Source: AP)

Israel's military said very early on Wednesday morning that it had killed a senior Hezbollah commander and another senior leader in two separate strikes in the Beirut area.

(Source: AP)

Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran, hitting Tehran in the early morning.

The Israeli military said it launched strikes targeting what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel plans to control the area south of the Litani River — some 30 km north of the border.

Israel invaded southern Lebanon after Hezbollah began launching missiles into northern Israel days after the outbreak of the wider war. Many Lebanese fear another prolonged military occupation.
 

NATO allies Spain and France have either forbidden or restricted use of their airspace or joint military facilities for the US for the war. They, along with other nations, have agreed to at least assist in an international coalition that would keep the Strait of Hormuz open once the conflict ends, but the specifics of their involvement and the health of the coalition itself remain unclear.

France and the UK sought to downplay Trump's rhetorical salvos, with Macron's office expressing surprise: "France has not changed its position since day one."

British Defence Secretary John Healey said the US is a key ally despite criticism from his American counterpart and noted that the UK is doing its part to help Gulf nations defend against Iranian attacks.

(Source: AP)

As Trump has ratcheted up his criticism, particularly against NATO allies, for not joining the US and Israel in the war and being slow to respond to its consequences, top members of his administration have followed suit. 

Hegseth argued that the US did “the heavy lifting on behalf of the free world” to deal with the threat from Iran and that other countries that depend on oil normally flowing through the strait should be aware that getting shipping moving is "not just our problem set going forward."
 

Israel opposition leader Yair Lapid criticised Netanyahu's speech as "arrogant", accusing him of having accomplished just one thing -- "dismantling us from within".

Lapid made the comments in relation to the controversial budget passed by the government, which appeases large segments of the Jewish communities that do not serve in the army, and also on the passing of death penalty bill.

Contending that Iran is "weaker than ever" and Israel "stronger than ever", Israel President Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that the campaign against the Islamic republic "is not yet over". He also claimed that Israel had awakened the world to the dangers posed by Iran with most of the leaders quietly acknowledging but some also acting against it.

Touting the strong alliance with the US, the Israel leader said the combined forces had dealt "crushing blows" to the Iranian regime which is 'shaken' and "sooner or later, it is destined to fall".

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the joint Israel-US campaign was "systematically crushing" the Islamic regime while removing existential threats to the Jewish state.

Addressing the nation in Hebrew ahead of the Jewish festival of Pesach (Passover), Netanyahu stressed that “sooner or later” the Iranian regime will fall, while Israel creates “new alliances with important countries in the region” against the shared threat emanating from Tehran.

The Israel prime minister did not mention any country but in the passing simply said he hopes that “soon, I will be able to tell you more about these vital alliances”.

US President Donald Trump entered his war of choice against Iran without consulting global allies, but as he weighs an exit from the conflict, he is making it clear that he is expecting the world to help him fix the unintended damage that it has caused.

Trump is taking an increasingly annoyed tone toward Europe's lack of support for the US-Israeli war effort. He also is giving short shrift to the fact that his decision contributed to disrupting the flow of oil to global markets through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has managed to largely choke off even as Trump insists that Iran has been "decimated."

The president started his Tuesday by fuming on social media at two of America's closest allies — France and Britain — while calling on the world to “Go get your own oil!” and “start learning how to fight for yourself.”

(Source: AP)