The United States imposed sanctions on October 16 on individuals and companies that it said are part of a sanctions evasion network that funnels millions of dollars to Hezbollah in part through sales of illegal amphetamines.

The action targets three individuals and four Lebanon-based companies linked to Hezbollah's "finance team." The individuals have registered companies in their own names in order to conceal Hezbollah's interest in the activities, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

"The companies in turn provide Hizballah potentially lucrative business opportunities while also providing them access the formal financial system," according to the department.

The sanctions build on designations imposed in September on other individuals and entities linked to Hezbollah's corporate network. Those sanctions targeted Hezbollah finance officials who the department said masquerade as ordinary Lebanese business owners, as well as several of their companies.

The Treasury also placed sanctions on three individuals involved in the production and sale of the amphetamine known as captagon, who it said have funded the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and its allies, including Hezbollah.

"Today's action underscores (Hezbollah's) destabilizing influence within Lebanon and on the wider region, as the group, its affiliates, and its supporters continue to finance their operations through covert involvement in commercial trade and the illicit trafficking of captagon," Bradley Smith, acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in the statement.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement that the sanctions were imposed in support of the objectives of the Illicit Captagon Trafficking Suppression Act passed by Congress last year and signed by President Joe Biden in April.

The law requires the president to impose sanctions on foreign persons "determined to engage in activities or transactions to contribute to the illicit production and proliferation of captagon."

Miller said the "dangerous and highly addictive amphetamine harms communities and countries across the region and beyond and is a source of funding for the Syrian regime and its backers, including Hezbollah."

He said Hezbollah continues to launch rockets into Israel, further destabilizing both Lebanon and the region, and the United States remains steadfast in its commitment to "disrupt Hezbollah's access to the international financial system and its various methods of generating revenue, which the Iran-backed group uses to fund its violence."

"We will also continue to target the illicit captagon trade in the region, which has become an illicit billion-dollar enterprise operated in part by senior members of the Syrian regime," he said.

The sanctions freeze any assets held by the individuals and companies in U.S. jurisdiction and bar U.S. persons from conducting business with them.

The United States has said it will deploy an advanced antimissile system and around 100 soldiers to operate it to Israel, a key ally.

The Pentagon said on October 13 that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system will bolster Israel’s already formidable air defenses. It is unclear when the system and the U.S. soldiers will arrive in Israel.

What Is THAAD?

The THAAD is one of the most advanced and powerful antimissile systems in the U.S. arsenal.

Israel currently uses several systems developed with the United States -- the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow -- to intercept rockets, drones, and missiles at different altitudes and distances.

The THAAD system has advanced radar, which detects missiles from longer distances. Its interceptors also have a longer range.

“It is a far superior antimissile system,” said Hossein Aryan, a Britain-based defense expert. “Its range is vastly [more] extensive” compared to Israel’s air defense systems.

Why Is The U.S. Sending THAAD To Israel?

The U.S. decision came after Iran fired around 180 ballistic missiles on Israel on October 1, an attack that some experts say exposed vulnerabilities in Israel’s air defenses.

Aryan said Iran’s attack prompted Washington to boost Israel’s antimissile defense capabilities in the event of “another potential attack from Tehran.”

Tehran’s massive missile barrage -- its biggest-ever direct attack against its archenemy -- was in response to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and its recent assassinations of key Iranian allies in the region.

Israel downplayed the damage caused by Iran’s attack. But satellite imagery appeared to show around 30 ballistic missiles landed in and around the Nevatim air base in southern Israel. The images show damage to buildings and craters on the runway at the base.

The Nevatim base houses U.S.-made F-35 fighter planes. Experts say Iranian missiles only narrowly missed some of the fighter planes stationed in the base.

Meanwhile, one missile landed close to the headquarters of Mossad, Israel’s spy agency, in Tel Aviv, causing a deep crater.

Israel has vowed a severe response to Iran’s missile attack.

Meanwhile, a drone attack by Hezbollah, the armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, killed four Israeli soldiers in a base on October 13.

Shashank Johsi, a visiting fellow at Kings College London, said Washington is deploying the THAAD system “because it anticipates that Israel's retaliation to the recent Iranian missile barrage will be a large and significant attack.”

That, in return, is “likely to prompt yet another Iranian strike,” he said.

Joshi, who is also the defense editor of The Economist magazine, said Israel has a range of options, from striking Iranian weapons facilities to targeting its leadership or nuclear sites.

“Whichever option it chooses, Iran's leadership is likely to retaliate in force,” he said.

At least one person was killed in a fire at the Pars Petro Shushtar refinery in Iran's Khuzestan Province, state media reported on October 15, as efforts to control the fire are ongoing. A local authority attributed the cause of the incident "to a tanker collision with gasoline tanks" and said the incident is under investigation. IRNA quoted a local official in the province as saying that several people were also injured. "Firefighters on the scene are trying to bring the fire under control," the official added.

A former journalist for RFE/RL who returned to Iran after many years abroad has been arrested in Tehran, a source told RFE/RL on October 15.

Reza Valizadeh, a dual Iranian-U.S. national, was arrested about three weeks ago and is facing charges, including cooperation with Farsi-language media abroad, one of his relatives told RFE/RL.

Iranian officials have not yet commented on Valizadeh's arrest.

Valizadeh left his job as a staff member at RFE/RL’s Radio Farda in November 2022 and stayed abroad for some time.

In his last post on X on August 13, Valizadeh said he had traveled to Tehran on March 16.

The post says that he had "half-finished" negotiations with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ intelligence organization, but in the end he returned to Iran after 14 years on his own responsibility and "without a letter of trust, even verbally."

It is not clear under what circumstances he wrote this post.

A large number of Iranians with dual citizenships have been arrested by the security agencies and charged with committing various crimes. Many of their properties have been seized or blocked, and in some cases their family members inside Iran have been pressured to force these people to return to the country.

Iran is accused of putting pressure on foreign governments to implement its demands by illegally arresting or "taking hostage" foreign nationals, including dual citizens.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry on October 15 summoned the ambassador of Hungary over EU sanctions against seven individuals and seven entities linked to Iran. Iran summoned the ambassador to condemn the sanctions, which were announced on October 14. Hungary currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union. The ministry announced in a statement Iran's "strong objection" and said "resorting to illegal and coercive methods such as sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran is not acceptable in any way and will lead nowhere." EU foreign ministers approved the new sanctions after Kyiv's Western allies accused Tehran of sending ballistic missiles to Russia to aid in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions, reported in an exclusive by RFE/RL's Radio Farda last week, target companies and individuals accused of being involved in the transfer of the weapons to Russia, including the country's flagship carrier Iran Air, as well as airlines Saha Airlines and Mahan Air.

Senior officials from around Eurasia have begun meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit under tight security in Islamabad amid a surge in violence by various separatist groups in Pakistan.

Thousands of security officers had the capital locked down on October 15 as seven prime minsters -- including from longtime ally China and the foreign minister of archrival India -- began to discuss security issues, regional cooperation, trade, and financial integrity among the 10 member states.

Early on October 11, unidentified gunmen shot and killed 21 coal miners in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province, which has been rocked by a series of militant attacks since the start of the year.

Baluch separatist groups, such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), designated as a global terrorist organization by the United States, are engaged in fighting against the Pakistani government.

Pakistan's northwest has also recently experienced a surge in militant violence.

On October 10, militants opened fire on a police vehicle in the city of Tank, killing two officers. Within hours the military said it had killed four militants in North Waziristan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

In other recent violence in the country, two Chinese citizens were killed in a large blast near the airport of Karachi that the Chinese Embassy called a "terrorist attack." The blast was claimed by the BLA.

The attack took place late on October 6 and it targeted a convoy of Chinese employees of the Port Qasim Electric Power Company Limited that was traveling from the airport, the embassy said. The Chinese citizens were working on the construction of two coal-fired power plants in Pakistan.

Member countries of the SCO, formed in 2001 by Moscow and Beijing, include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, and Iran.

India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, while Iran became a member in 2023 and Belarus in July 2024.

Leaders from India and Pakistan are not expected to meet during the SCO summit.

Foreign ministers from the European Union have approved new sanctions against seven individuals and seven entities linked to Iran after Kyiv's Western allies accused Tehran of sending ballistic missiles to Russia to aid in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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The sanctions, reported in an exclusive by Radio Farda last week, target companies and individuals accused of being involved in the transfer of the weapons to Russia, including the country's flagship carrier Iran Air, as well as airlines Saha Airlines and Mahan Air.

Individuals sanctioned include the deputy defense minister of Iran, Seyed Hamzeh Ghalandari; prominent officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps's Quds Force (IRGC-QF); IRGC Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters; and IRGC Aerospace Force Space Division, as well as the managing directors of the EU-listed companies Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries (HESA) and Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO).

The United States, Britain, France, and Germany accused Iran of sending ballistic missiles and related technology to Russia for use against Ukraine more than a month ago, sparking consultations among European allies on the matter.

"Today’s designation includes individuals and entities responsible for the development and transfer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), missiles, and related technology to Russia in support of its war of aggression against Ukraine, and to armed groups and entities undermining peace and security in the Middle East and the Red Sea region," the council said in a statement on October 14 .

Those targeted are subject to an asset freeze and travel ban to the European Union. Additionally, the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, with those listed is prohibited.

Iran Air has direct flights to several cities in Europe, including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Paris, and Milan.

The new EU sanctions come just a few days after Peter Stano, the EU's chief foreign policy spokesman, told RFE/RL that he was "optimistic" about the EU's relationship with Iran.

Stano stressed that EU relations with Iran "have been at an all-time low for a long time" and noted that the most recent reason is Iran's support for Russia in its illegal invasion of Ukraine by supplying drones and more recently missiles.

Domestic repression in Iran, arbitrary detention of EU citizens, and uranium enrichment are other factors that have caused the Islamic republic's relations with the EU to become "complicated" and "sensitive," according to Stano.

Human Rights Watch has condemned Iran’s controversial new law that increases prison terms and fines for women and girls who breach the country's strict dress code in the wake of the mass Women, Life, Freedom protests that followed the death of a young woman while in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation.

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The Hijab and Chastity law mandates sentences of up to 10 years in prison for those who are deemed to be dressed “inappropriately” in public.

The law, which was approved by parliament in September 2023, came into force after its approval by the Guardians Council, a conservative legal body.

“Rather than responding to the Woman, Life, Freedom movement with fundamental reforms, the autocratic government is trying to silence women with even more repressive dress laws,” said Nahid Naghshandi, acting Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The hijab became compulsory for women and girls over the age of 9 in 1981, two years after the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

For women, unacceptable coverings are defined as “revealing or tight clothing, or clothing that shows parts of the body lower than the neck or above the ankles or above the forearms,” according to the new law.

For men, it has been defined as “revealing clothing that shows parts of the body lower than the chest or above the ankles, or shoulders.”

Naghshandi warned that the new law “will only breed fierce resistance and defiance among women in and outside Iran.”

The renewed focus on the mandatory hijab came after Iran was swept by monthslong mass protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police in 2022 for an alleged hijab violation.

French President Emmanuel Macron told Iranian counterpart Masud Pezeshkian that it was Tehran's "responsibility" to help ease tensions in the Middle East, where the Iran-allied Hezbollah and Hamas militant groups are engaged in fighting Israeli forces. Macron underlined "the responsibility of Iran to support a general de-escalation and to use its influence in this direction with the destabilizing actors that enjoy its support." Hezbollah is an armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon and has been targeted with a massive Israeli air and ground campaign over recent weeks. It is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hamas is deemed a terror organization by the United States and the EU. The Iranian presidency also reported on the call, mentioning efforts to reach a cease-fire but using belligerent language toward Israel.

Amirhossein Maghsoudloo, a popular and controversial Iranian rapper known by his stage name Tataloo, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on a variety of charges, a judiciary spokesman said on October 13.

Court spokesman Asghar Jahangir told a news conference that the performer had been sentenced to five years on charges of insulting sanctities and 10 years for encouraging corruption and prostitution.

It was not immediately clear if the sentences would run concurrently or consecutively. Jahangir said he would be required to begin his sentence immediately.

Tataloo's works -- considered provocative and Western in style -- are not officially permitted in the country, with authorities saying he lacks pertinent certificates from the Culture Ministry.

Hard-liners in Iran often condemn performers who they accuse of offending the conservative Islamic nation's moral standards and corrupting the youth.

Tataloo, 36, who at times has used his music to criticize Iran's human rights record, had lived in Istanbul since 2018 but was extradited to Iran by Turkish authorities in December 2023. He has been detained in Iran since his extradition.

Tataloo's trial began in March on charges of promoting obscenity, publishing propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and disseminating obscene content.

In a statement last month, the case investigator cited Tataloo's expression of regret, stating the rapper had written a repentance letter while also expressing his desire to marry, start a family, and pursue music in a more accepted manner.

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The information could not be verified, but the admission, if true, likely saved the performer from a much harsher potential sentence.

The rapper, known for blending rap, pop, and R&B and for his distinctive tattoos, has been a polarizing figure in Iran.

He previously released a song in support of Iran's nuclear rights, which coincided with the breakdown of a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

In 2020, Instagram shut down the rapper's account after activists and Instagram users reported him for inappropriate posts asking underage girls to join his "team" for sex.

Tataloo had been briefly jailed in 2013 for distribution of his banned music to foreign-based satellite channels and for two months in 2016 for insulting a judge during a court hearing.

Iranian media reported in December 2023 that Turkish police had arrested Tataloo on charges of insulting members and staff of the consulate in Istanbul over a complaint by the Iranian consulate.

Fars News Agency reported that Tatlou was charged with setting up a gambling house; encouraging, enticing or threatening people to obtain or facilitate pornographic content; inciting and persuading people, especially the younger generation, to commit crimes against chastity and sexual deviance; and encouraging people to commit corruption and prostitution.

With reporting from ISNA and dpa

Four Israeli soldiers were killed and dozens were injured, seven critically, when a "swarm" of Hezbollah drones hit an army base near the northern Israeli town of Binyamina in one of the bloodiest attacks on the country since October 2023.

Hezbollah is an armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military early on October 14 said the attack took place at an army base some 60 kilometers north of Tel Aviv. It did not immediately provide further details.

CNN had earlier reported that the United Hatzalah rescue service said it had "provided assistance to over 60 wounded people in various conditions -- some of them in critical, serious, moderate, and light condition."

National emergency service Magen David Adom (AFMDA) said at least 67 people were injured in the attack in Israel's Haifa district.

Hezbollah -- which is considered a terrorist group by the United States, although the EU has only blacklisted its armed wing -- claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had launched a "swarm of attack drones" at a military training camp in Binyamina.

Iran-allied Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and drones into Israel but, because of Israel's sophisticated air-defense systems, most have been shot down or have caused little damage and few casualties.

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Earlier in the day, angry UN peacekeepers said Israeli forces had smashed into a gate of one of their bases in Lebanon, causing about 15 minor injuries.

"At around 4:30 a.m., while peacekeepers were in shelters, two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the position's main gate and forcibly entered the position in the Ramia area," said the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), adding that the Israeli forces left after about 45 minutes.

Israel later claimed the tanks had come under fire when they crashed into the base gate.

The action came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said UN peacekeepers must "immediately" pull out of the combat zone in southern Lebanon and directly addressed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"The time has come for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and from the combat zones," Netanyahu said, accusing Guterres of making UNIFIL soldiers "human shields" and "hostages of Hezbollah."

"Mr. Secretary-General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm's way. It should be done right now, immediately," he said.

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Would An All-Out Israel-Iran War Send Oil Prices Skyrocketing?

UNIFIL is a 9,500-strong mission created in 1978 tasked with monitoring a cease-fire that ended a 33-day war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah.

Forty nations that contribute to UNIFIL said in a joint statement on October 12 that they "strongly condemn recent attacks" on the peacekeepers. The United States and European leaders have demanded Israel stop firing at the peacekeepers, with U.S. President Joe Biden on October 12 saying he was "absolutely, positively" telling Israel to stop.

Fears of an all-out regional war grew as signs indicated Israel could be preparing to launch a direct strike on Iran in retaliation for Tehran's massive missile strike on Israel on October 1.

Biden on October 13 said he had ordered the Pentagon to send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and troops to Israel as part of U.S. efforts "to defend Israel."

Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said the system will help bolster Israel's air defenses following Iran's missile attacks. The THAADs are similar to Patriot missile systems but can cover wider areas and require about 95 soldiers to operate, analysts say.

"It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias," Ryder said.

SEE ALSO:

Living Under The Threat Of Hezbollah Rockets In Northern Israel

The French presidency on October 13 said President Emmanuel Macron, in a phone call, told his Iranian counterpart, Masud Pezeshkian, it was Tehran's "responsibility" to back efforts to lower tensions in the Middle East. The Iranian presidency also reported the call, saying the sides discuss ways to end the conflict but also using heavily belligerent language toward Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on October 13 said Tehran was prepared for a "war situation," although he stated his government desired peace.

"We are fully prepared for a war situation. We are not afraid of war, but we do not want war. We want peace, and we will work for a just peace in Gaza and Lebanon," he said while on a visit to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Israeli warplanes hit a 100-year-old mosque in a village of Lebanon near the border early on October 13, a day after a marketplace was hit in the southern city of Nabatiyeh, according to Lebanon's official National News Agency.

Lebanon's Health Ministry reported deadly strikes in other areas of the country, including one on a Shi'ite Muslim village in a mostly Christian mountainous area.

Hezbollah said it launched rockets at Israeli forces inside Lebanese territory on October 13 as ground troops conducted incursions into the country's south.

A Hezbollah statement claimed it targeted a "gathering" of Israeli forces in the village of Maroun al-Ras "with artillery shells."

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Hezbollah fired hundreds of projectiles from Lebanon into Israel on October 12 as Israelis celebrated Yom Kippur, an important holiday on the Jewish religious calendar.

The escalation comes as Israel is also conducting fresh attacks in Gaza and is expected to strike Iran in retaliation for a missile attack earlier this month.

Palestinian medical officials said on October 13 that an Israeli strike killed a family of eight and wounded seven others in the central Gaza Strip.

The attack late on October 12 hit a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing a couple and their six children, who ranged in age from 8 to 23, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where the bodies were taken.

Israel continues to strike what it says are militant targets in Gaza nearly every day for more than a year into the war with Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the United States and European Union.

The Israeli Army said in a statement on October 13 that forces operating throughout the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours had attacked about 40 targets and killed dozens of militants.

SEE ALSO:

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Both Hamas and Hezbollah are allies of Iran. Israel has repeatedly said it will respond to Iran's missile attack on October 1, which Tehran said was launched in retaliation for Israel's military operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the killings of a string of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

Washington believes Israel has narrowed down targets in its potential response to military and energy infrastructure, NBC reported on October 12, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

There is no indication that Israel will target Iran’s nuclear facilities or carry out assassinations, the NBC report said, adding that Israel has not made final decisions about how and when to act.

Araghchi said there would be "no red line" for Iran in defending its citizens from the potential strikes.

"While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests," Araghchi wrote in a post on X on October 13.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP

Iran has banned passengers from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on all flights, after near-simultaneous attacks last month in which the communication devices exploded across Lebanon and Syria. The new regulation applies to both cabin and hold luggage, a spokesman for the Iranian aviation authority told the ISNA news agency on October 12. Passengers are still allowed to take their mobile phones on board. Thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia exploded in September. Hezbollah, an armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah and Iran blamed the brazen attacks on Israel. At least 39 people were killed and around 3,000 were injured, some seriously. Most were Hezbollah members.

Tehran has delivered two Iranian-made satellites to Russia for launch into orbit, according to the Tasnim news agency, which is linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The report on October 12 said the satellites were "developed by a private-sector company," but it is a continuing sign of close cooperation on technical, scientific, and military matters by Moscow and Tehran. The report said the Kowsar satellite was designed for precision agriculture and mapping, while Hodhod is an Internet-related communications satellite. No launch date was specified. Russia sent Iranian satellites into orbit in February and in 2022, sparking concerns from Washington. A Washington Post report citing anonymous Western intelligence officials claimed Russia "plans to use the satellite for several months or longer" to assist its war efforts in Ukraine before allowing Iran to take control of it. Iran denied the allegations and said it would maintain control of the craft at all times.

The Iranian Supreme Court has lifted the death sentence against imprisoned labor activist Sharifeh Mohammadi and referred her case "for reconsideration," her lawyer said on October 12. Mohammadi, 45, was sentenced to death in July, accused of membership in an independent labor union and a banned Kurdish separatist group based in neighboring Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region. Her family has said she was not affiliated with any political organization inside or outside the country. The sentence sparked widespread condemnation from civil and political activists. Lawyer Amir Raeesian told the Sharq news outlet that the Supreme Court "overturned the sentence of my client...and referred the case to the same branch for reconsideration." To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.

Hezbollah on October 12 said it had fired a number of missiles and drones at an Israeli military base south of Haifa and at the outskirts of Tel Aviv as Israelis celebrated Yom Kippur, the most important holiday on the Jewish religious calendar.

Hezbollah -- an armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon -- said its forces targeted "the explosives factory there with a salvo of...missiles" in the Haifa region, while it said it sent a swarm of drones toward Tel Aviv, the economic center of the country.

The Israeli military confirmed that Hezbollah fired hundreds of projectiles from Lebanon into Israel over Yom Kippur, which ended at sundown on October 12.

"Throughout the weekend of Yom Kippur, approximately 320 projectiles that were fired by the Hezbollah terrorist organization crossed from Lebanon into Israel," the military said in a statement.

Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party.

Israel has meanwhiile faced a of barrage of diplomatic criticism over a second strike at a United Nations peacekeeping position in Lebanon.

Two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were hurt in the incident, the UNIFIL mission said on October 11.

The Israeli military said it had fired at "an immediate threat" around 50 meters from the UNIFIL post.

SEE ALSO:

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On October 10, two Indonesian soldiers were hurt when Israeli tank fire hit a watchtower.

The UN peacekeeping force said in a statement that the incident occurred at its headquarters in the town of Naqoura, adding that Israeli forces also fired on a nearby bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system.

The incidents sparked condemnation from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Israel's Western allies, prompting the Israeli military to pledge to carry out a "thorough review."

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it hit some 280 "terror targets" in Lebanon and in the Gaza Strip over the weekend.

"Among these targets were underground terror infrastructure sites, weapons storage facilities, military command centers, terrorist cells, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites," a statement read.

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on October 12 traveled to Beirut, condemning what he called Israel's "crimes."

He met Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who said his government's priority was "to work toward a cease-fire," according to Lebanon's official National News Agency.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on October 11 that Washington was still working to prevent a larger war in the Middle East and urged Israel to protect civilians after 22 people were killed in strikes on two buildings in central Beirut.

"We continue to engage intensely to prevent broader conflict in the region," Blinken told reporters after an East Asia summit in Laos, adding that it was "vitally important" for Israel to ensure that civilians are protected during the conflict.

Lebanese sources said at least one senior Hezbollah figure was targeted in the attacks, which were the third on Beirut since Israel started a military campaign in southern Lebanon last month against the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia, sparking fears of an all-out regional war.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV reported after the strikes that an attempt to kill Wafiq Safa, a top security official with the group, had failed. It said that Safa had not been inside either of the targeted buildings.

Safa heads Hezbollah's liaison and coordination unit responsible for working with Lebanese security agencies, security sources said.

With reporting by AFP

The United States on October 11 issued additional sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry in response to its October 1 attack on Israel, the Treasury Department said.

The new sanctions are designed to increase financial pressure on Iran and limit the ability of its regime to earn money from oil sales that can be used to undermine stability in the region and attack U.S. partners and allies, the Treasury Department said in a news release.

"In response to Iran's attack on Israel, the United States is taking decisive action to further disrupt the Iranian regime's ability to fund and carry out its destabilizing activity," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

The sanctions target Iranian efforts to channel revenues from its energy industry into deadly and disruptive activity, including development of its nuclear program, the proliferation of ballistic missiles and drones, and support to "regional terrorist proxies with dangerous consequences for the region and the world," Yellen said.

"We will not hesitate to take further action to hold Iran accountable," she added.

The department said its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating 10 entities in multiple jurisdictions and identifying 17 vessels as blocked property for their involvement in shipments of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products in support of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Triliance Petrochemical Company.

In addition, the U.S. State Department is designating six entities and identifying six vessels as blocked property for transporting or trading petroleum products from Iran.

"Collectively, these actions target a significant portion of the shadow fleet of tankers and illicit operators that move the Iranian regime's petroleum exports," the Treasury said.

NIOC was designated in October 2020 for its financial support to the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Triliance was designated in January 2020 for facilitating the sale of Iranian petroleum products from NIOC.

The sanctions freeze any assets the targeted entities and ships hold within U.S. jurisdiction and bar U.S. persons from any dealings with them.

The European Union will move ahead early next week with new sanctions against individuals and entities linked to Iran, sources told RFE/RL on October 11.

According to three European sources who spoke with RFE/RL on condition of anonymity, the sanctions are expected to be agreed on October 14 and likely will include Iran Air.

One source noted that EU ambassadors had already given the package a preliminary green light on October 9.

"Yes, sanctions on Monday in response to the shipment and more sectoral sanctions likely after that," another source told RFE/RL, referring to the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia.

"I have zero indication that there is any reluctance," the source said.

After the United States, Britain, France, and Germany accused Iran of sending missiles to Russia more than a month ago, the three European countries announced their plans to place sanctions on Iran Air, the state-owned airline.

At the time, the German Foreign Ministry told RFE/RL that work had begun to consult with European allies on the matter.

Iran Air has direct flights to several cities in Europe, including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Paris, and Milan.

The possibility of new EU sanctions comes just a few days after Peter Stano, the EU's chief foreign policy spokesman, told RFE/RL that he was "optimistic" about the EU's relationship with Iran.

Stano stressed that EU relations with Iran "have been at an all-time low for a long time" and noted that the most recent reason is Iran's support for Russia in its illegal invasion of Ukraine by supplying drones and more recently missiles.

Domestic repression in Iran, arbitrary detention of EU citizens, and uranium enrichment are other factors that have caused the Islamic republic's relations with the EU to become "complicated" and "sensitive," according to Stano.

The Japanese group Nihon Hidankyo, an organization of Atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki who advocate for the abolition of nuclear weapons, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

In making the announcement in Oslo on October 11, Norwegian Nobel Committee chief Joergen Watne Frydnes said it was "alarming" that "new countries appear to be preparing to acquire nuclear weapons, and threats are being made to use nuclear weapons as part of ongoing warfare."

“It is very clear that threats of using nuclear weapons are putting pressure on the important international norm: the taboo of using nuclear weapons,” Frydnes said when asked at a news conference if rhetoric from Moscow surrounding nuclear weapons and its invasion of Ukraine had played a part in the committee's decision.

Frydnes did not mention any specific countries, but his comments come at a time when countries such as Iran have raised fears of nuclear proliferation. Tehran says it is developing its nuclear capabilities for civilian purposes, but its foes say it is looking to produce atomic weapons.

In addition, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has further heightened concerns about the risk of nuclear war given Moscow's announcement that it plans to review its doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons and its deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus -- the first relocation of such warheads outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.

"The committee is drawing attention to a very dangerous situation in the world, with relations between China and the U.S., and between Russia and the U.S., the most toxic since the end of the Cold War," said Dan Smith of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which noted that at the start of 2024, the nine nuclear-armed states possessed an estimated 12,121 atomic weapons.

"If there is a military conflict, there is a risk of it escalating to nuclear weapons," Smith added.

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The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize isn't the first time an anti-nuclear group has been recognized.

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. Before it, Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, which works to reduce the role nuclear arms play in international politics, won in 1995.

The prize also comes as conflict ravages the Middle East, with fears focused on Iran. More than three dozen Iranian hard-line lawmakers on October 10 demanded the government revise its nuclear doctrine to pursue atomic weapons.

In a letter to the Supreme National Security Council, they said Western powers could not control Israel, thus making nuclear weapons "Iran's option to create deterrence."

Nihon Hidankyo was chosen from among 286 nominees -- 89 of which were organizations.

Last year, the prize, which comes with an 11 million Swedish krona (just over $1 million) award, went to imprisoned Iranian women's rights activist Narges Mohammadi.

Russian President Vladimir Putin used a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Masud Pezeshkian, to cement their growing bilateral ties that have raised concern in the West as war rages in Ukraine and the Middle East.

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The two leaders met in Ashgabat on the sidelines of a conference in the capital of the tightly controlled Central Asian country of Turkmenistan on October 11. It was the first of two meetings between the men, with another scheduled at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24.

It was the first of two meetings between the two, with another scheduled at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters ahead of the meeting that while the talks will focus on bilateral relations, "the situation in the Middle East definitely will not be ignored and will also be on the agenda."

The meeting was the first between the two since Pezeshkian assumed office on July 30 after winning an election to succeed his hard-line predecessor, Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.

Relations between Moscow and Tehran have strengthened since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"Pezeshkian is trying to gauge to what extent Iran can rely on Russia for help," Touraj Atabaki, professor emeritus of Middle East and Central Asia social history at Leiden University in the Netherlands, told Radio Farda.

"Russia wants to stand with Iran due to Iran's support in its war on Ukraine but Moscow doesn't want to darken its relationship with Israel further and cut all ties," he added.

Since the early months of the Ukraine war, Russia has been accused of using Iranian-made Shahed and Mohajer-6 drones, many of which have been found after being shot down over Ukrainian cities and battlefields.

Iran initially denied arming Russia before relenting and admitting that it had supplied a "limited number of drones" to Moscow before the war.

Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Tehran continues to deny that its drones are being used by Russia against Ukraine. That has not stopped the United States and the European Union from imposing sanctions on Iran for helping Moscow.

Last month, the EU said it had "credible" information provided by allies suggesting that Iran has supplied short-range ballistic missiles to Russia to help Moscow wage war in Ukraine.

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Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East have been heightened since Tehran launched some 200 missiles at Israel on October 1, saying the attack was in response to the killing of Tehran-backed militant leaders and a general from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Israel has vowed to launch a "deadly, precise, and surprising" attack on Iran in retaliation, while it continues to pound targets in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip that it says are aimed at Iran-backed proxies.

At least 30 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded on October 11 by Israeli strikes in Jabalia in northern Gaza, according to the territory's civil-defense agency.

The recent spiral of violence was sparked by the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas that killed around 1,200 people and saw some 250 taken hostage. Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

The fighting in Gaza prompted another Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, to fire missiles into Israel in support of Hamas. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party.

The Israeli military has launched massive air strikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon in response, as well as a ground incursion into southern Lebanon intended to destroy the Iran-allied militant group, whose political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.

Israel faced condemnation on October 11 after its forces fired at what it said was a threat near a UN peacekeeping position in Lebanon. Israeli soldiers had responded to "an immediate threat" around 50 meters from the UNIFIL post, the military said.

"An initial examination indicates that during the incident, a hit was identified on a UNIFIL post...resulting in the injury of two UNIFIL personnel," the statement added. The army pledged to carry out a "thorough review."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the firing as "intolerable" and "a violation of international humanitarian law," while the British government said it was "appalled" by reports of the injuries.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he was "absolutely" asking Israel to stop firing at UN peacekeepers, while the French, Spanish, and Italian leaders issued a joint statement expressing "outrage."

French President Emmanuel Macron renewed his call for an end to exports of weapons used by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, while saying the UN peacekeepers had been "deliberately targeted."

In Iran, more than three dozen hard-line lawmakers on October 10 demanded the government revise its nuclear doctrine to pursue atomic weapons.

In a letter to the Supreme National Security Council, they said Western powers could not control Israel, thus making nuclear weapons "Iran's option to create deterrence."

Iran has been hit with waves of crippling economic sanctions for its nuclear program, which has seen a sharp increase in its uranium enrichment capacity after the United States under former President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 landmark deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that restricted Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions.

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purposes, but government officials caused alarm recently by saying it could change its "nuclear doctrine" if it is attacked or its existence is threatened by Israel.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that Washington was still working to prevent a larger war in the Middle East and urged Israel to protect civilians after 22 people were killed in strikes on central Beirut.

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Blinken spoke a day after Israeli air strikes targeted two buildings in Beirut, one of which completely collapsed.

"We continue to engage intensely to prevent broader conflict in the region," Blinken told reporters after an East Asia Summit in Laos, adding that it was "vitally important" for Israel to ensure that civilians are protected during the conflict.

Lebanese sources said at least one senior Hezbollah figure was targeted in the attacks, which were the third on Beirut since Israel started a military campaign in southern Lebanon last month against the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia, sparking fears of an all-out regional war.

Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV reported after the strikes that an attempt to kill Wafiq Safa, a top security official with the group, had failed. It said that Safa had not been inside either of the targeted buildings.

Safa heads Hezbollah's liaison and coordination unit responsible for working with Lebanese security agencies, security sources said.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah kept up its rocket fire into Israel on October 10, with the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) saying that several drones heading toward Israel had been intercepted.

Earlier on October 10, an Israeli strike on a school in the Gaza Strip killed at least 27 people, Palestinian medical officials said. The Israeli military said it had carried out a "precise strike on terrorists" who had a command-and-control center embedded in the school.

"This is a further example of the Hamas terrorist organization's systematic abuse of civilian infrastructure in violation of international law," an Israeli military statement said.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU, has denied such accusations. People who had been sheltering at the school said the strike hit a meeting of aid workers and injured 54 other people.

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Israel has continued to strike at what it says are militant targets across Gaza as it battles Hamas militants, even as the war broadened to include Hezbollah in Lebanon amid rising tensions with Iran.

In a separate incident on October 10, the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon said an Israeli tank fired on its headquarters in the town of Naqoura, hitting an observation tower and wounding two peacekeepers. The nationality of the injured peacekeepers was not released.

The UN peacekeeping mission -- known as UNIFIL -- said in a statement that Israeli forces also fired on a nearby bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system.

The Italian Defense Ministry summoned Israel's ambassador in protest, and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told a press conference that "hostile acts committed and repeated by Israeli forces against the base...could constitute war crimes."

Crosetto added that Italy has asked for an official explanation "because it was not a mistake."

The French Foreign Ministry said that while no French soldiers were injured in the incident, it also demanded an explanation.

With reporting by Reuters

At least 22 people were killed and 117 others injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported on October 10 after an Israeli strike on a school sheltering Palestinians in Gaza killed dozens of people.

Lebanon's state news agency NNA reported two evening air raids in central Beirut. The first targeted an eight-story building and the second a four-story building that completely collapsed as a result of the strike, NNA said.

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A Lebanese security source quoted by Reuters said at least one senior Hezbollah figure was targeted in the attacks, which were the third on Beirut since Israel started a military campaign in southern Lebanon last month targeting the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia and sparking fears of an all-out regional war.

Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV reported after the strikes that an attempt to kill Wafiq Safa, a top security official with the group, had failed. It said that Safa had not been inside of either of the targeted buildings.

Hezbollah kept up rocket fire into Israel on October 10. The military said several drones heading toward Israel were intercepted.

Earlier on October 10 an Israeli strike on a school in the Gaza Strip killed at least 27 people, Palestinian medical officials said, while a separate Israeli strike hit UN peacekeeper headquarters in southern Lebanon, prompting Italy to summon the Israeli ambassador.

The Israeli military said it carried out a "precise strike on terrorists" who had a command and control center embedded in the school.

"This is a further example of the Hamas terrorist organization's systematic abuse of civilian infrastructure in violation of international law," a military statement said.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU, has denied such accusations. People who had been sheltering at the school said the strike hit a meeting of aid workers and injured 54 other people.

Israel has continued to strike at what it says are militant targets across Gaza as it battles Hamas militants even as the war broadened to include Hezbollah in Lebanon amid rising tensions with Iran.

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Palestinians Count The Toll Of Israel's Devastating War In Gaza

In a separate incident on October 10 the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon said an Israeli tank fired on its headquarters in the town of Naqoura, hitting an observation tower and wounding two peacekeepers. The nationality of the injured peacekeepers was not released.

The UN peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL said in a statement that Israeli forces also fired on a nearby bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system.

The Italian Defense Ministry summoned Israel's ambassador in protest, and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told a press conference that "hostile acts committed and repeated by Israeli forces against the base...could constitute war crimes." Crosetto added that Italy has asked for an official explanation "because it was not a mistake."

The French Foreign Ministry said that while no French solider was injured in the incident, it also demanded an explanation.

The Israeli military announced earlier on October 10 that it had eliminated another important Hezbollah member as it kept up its attacks against the Iran-backed group.

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Adham Jahout, a member of Hezbollah's Golan Terrorist Network was killed in an air strike in the area of Quneitra in Syria, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said.

Jahout was relaying intelligence from Syrian regime sources to Hezbollah and facilitating operations against Israel in the Golan Heights, the IDF said.

Israel annexed the Golan Heights after capturing them from Syria during the 1967 Middle East war. The annexation has not been recognized by most countries.

Separately, the Israeli military said on October 10 that it had eliminated two Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon and its warplanes attacked munitions depots in the Beirut area and in southern Lebanon. It did not immediately reveal the identities of the two commanders.

Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its party, which has seats in the Lebanese parliament.

The latest strikes came as the United States, Israel's main ally, warned against bombardments in Lebanon similar to those that caused large-scale destruction in Gaza as Israel retaliated against Hamas following the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that left more than 1,100 people dead.

Israel's bombardment of central and northern Gaza in recent days has killed dozens of people and trapped thousands in their homes, Palestinian officials say.

• RFE/RL
• Reuters
• AP

Israel on October 7 marked the somber anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed more than 1,200 people and took some 250 hostages. Some 100 hostages remain in captivity, many of whom are believed dead. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU. 

"There should be no kind of military action in Lebanon that looks anything like Gaza and leaves a result anything like Gaza," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told journalists on October 9.

The warning came after U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized in a call on October 9 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the need for a diplomatic arrangement for the return of both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the border.

The United States warned Israel on October 9 against launching a military action in Lebanon like the one it has conducted in Gaza, and U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the need for a diplomatic arrangement for the return of both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the border.

Biden also condemned Iran's ballistic-missile attack on Israel on October 1, a White House statement said.

Biden "affirmed Israel's right to protect its citizens from Hezbollah, which has fired thousands of missiles and rockets into Israel over the past year alone, while emphasizing the need to minimize harm to civilians, in particular in the densely populated areas of Beirut," the statement said.

U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized the need for a diplomatic arrangement for the return of both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border in a call on October 9 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said.

Biden also condemned Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1, a White House statement said.

Biden "affirmed Israel’s right to protect its citizens from Hezbollah, which has fired thousands of missiles and rockets into Israel over the past year alone, while emphasizing the need to minimize harm to civilians, in particular in the densely populated areas of Beirut," the statement said.

Biden spoke with Netanyahu earlier about Israel's plans to retaliate against Iran for a missile attack last week, according to statements from both the White House and the Israeli prime minister's office on October 9.

The White House statement said Biden and Netanyahu "agreed to remain in close contact over the coming days both directly and through their national security teams."

The call comes amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, an armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.

The Middle East has been on edge awaiting Israel's expected response to Iran's largely ineffective missile attack, which Tehran carried out in retaliation for Israel's escalation in Lebanon, including the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a video published on Israeli media that Israel's response "will be deadly, precise, and above all surprising."

Biden last week said he would not support Israel striking Iranian nuclear sites as part of its retaliation. He also said that, if he were in Israel's shoes, he would think about alternatives to striking Iranian oil fields.

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Israel has faced calls by the United States and other allies to accept a cease-fire deal in Gaza and Lebanon but has said it will continue its military operations until Israelis are safe.

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller warned on October 9 that Israel must avoid conducting military operations in Lebanon like those it has conducted in Gaza.

"I'm making very clear that there should be no kind of military action in Lebanon that looks anything like Gaza and leaves a result anything like Gaza," Miller told journalists.

The White House statement said Biden and Netanyahu discussed the urgent need to renew diplomacy to release the hostages held by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU. Biden also discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the White House said.

Israel’s bombardment of central and northern Gaza in recent days has killed dozens of people and trapped thousands in their homes, Palestinian officials said.

Hezbollah, a group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its party, which has seats in the Lebanese parliament.

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The call between Biden and Netanyahu took place as Israeli forces stepped up their ground offensive against Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon.

On October 9, Hezbollah said in a statement that its fighters had used artillery and rockets against Israeli troops near the Lebanese border village of Labbouneh.

In a separate statement, the group said it engaged in combat with Israeli forces as they "attempted to infiltrate the border town of Blida" in southeast Lebanon.

The Israeli Army said early on October 9 that it had intercepted two projectiles fired from Lebanon as air-raid alarms sounded in and around Caesarea, a coastal city south of Haifa.

The latest fighting comes as fears grow of a larger conflict in the region after Israel also claimed that the successor to Nasrallah has likely been "eliminated."

Gallant said on October 8 that Hezbollah was an "organization without a head" and there's no one left to make decisions.

Netanyahu later echoed those comments, saying, "We've degraded Hezbollah's capabilities."

"We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah's replacement, and the replacement of the replacement," Netanyahu said.

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Hashem Safieddine, a top Hezbollah official and a cousin of Nasrallah, was widely expected to be named to the group's top position, but his whereabouts and condition remain unknown since an October 2 Israeli strike on a suspected Hezbollah leadership meeting.

Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine's fate, although unidentified members have told various media that the group had lost contact with him since the attack.

Safieddine has been declared a global terrorist by the United States.

The prospect of an all-out war in the Middle East increased after Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel on October 1.

Israel has threatened retaliation, fueling concerns of a disruption to the flow of oil and gas from the energy-rich region.

Global oil prices have already soared 9 percent since Iran's attack, which came amid Israel's yearlong war in the Gaza Strip and its invasion of southern Lebanon earlier this month.

A full-scale conflict between Israel and Iran could upend the international energy supply and send shock waves throughout the global economy, experts warn.

"Major disruption of regional oil and gas exports is likely to have a material impact on the global economy," said Farzan Sabet, senior research associate at the Geneva Graduate Institute.

'Act Of Aggression'

Israeli media reports suggest the country could target Iran's nuclear sites or its oil or gas installations.

U.S. President Joe Biden cautioned Israel against hitting oil facilities in Iran, one of the world's biggest producers. Iran has warned that any attack on its infrastructure would "provoke an even stronger response" from Tehran.

If Israel carries out a major attack against Iran's oil or gas facilities, Tehran could "resort to placing pressure on important transit chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz," Sabet said.

Iran has for years threatened to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil supply flows.

"The Strait of Hormuz is critical to the global economy," said Neil Quilliam, an energy policy and geopolitics expert at London's Chatham House think tank.

Qatar, one of the world's biggest producers of natural gas, also uses the Strait of Hormuz for its exports.

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There are also concerns that Tehran could target oil installations in neighboring countries if it is attacked by Israel. Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Iran are among the world's top oil-producing states.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian, during a trip to Qatar last week, met with senior officials from the Gulf Arab states. The officials sought to reassure Iran of their neutrality in the conflict between Tehran and Israel, according to reports.

Sabet said any Iranian retaliation against a possible Israeli attack that affects global energy prices or trade would be "viewed as an act of aggression and lead to further pressure on Iran."

Quilliam said Israel is likely to strike targets that will "hurt the Iranian regime and affect the country's economy" rather than impact global oil markets.

'Feel The Price Hike'

In recent decades, there have been major energy price hikes following the Arab oil embargo in 1973 and the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979.

Those events led to major gas shortages in some countries and endless lines for drivers filling up their cars.

But experts said even a major disruption to the flow of oil and gas from the Middle East stemming from an all-out Israel-Iran conflict would not cause the global economy to spiral out of control. That is largely due to the rise of the United States as a major oil and gas supplier as well as the decreasing global reliance on fossil fuels.

"Western consumers will feel the price hike at the pump," Sabet said. "[But] it will be much less than it might have been in a previous era."

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He points to how repeated warnings about the disruption of commercial shipping in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen have not resulted in significant consumer inflation in the West.

But Sabet says a major disruption to the flow of oil and gas from the Middle East would have "an outsized effect" on the Chinese economy.

Beijing imports an estimated 1.5 million barrels of oil a day from Iran, accounting for 15 percent of its oil imports from the region.

Sabet said increased energy prices for China would "filter through the supply chain to the manufactured goods the country exports to the United States, Europe, and elsewhere" and potentially result in "more inflation for consumers."

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 8 announced an agreement that will see Russian border guards withdraw from the Armenian-Iranian frontier checkpoint as of January 1, 2025.

Under the deal, Armenian border guards will take over full operation of the checkpoint, with Yerevan's troops to also be involved in guarding the border with Turkey along with the existing Russian forces.

For decades, Armenia's frontiers with Turkey and Iran have been guarded solely by Russian troops.

This development signals a shift in Armenia's security arrangements, as agreed to in May, when the two leaders decided that Russian forces would withdraw from certain regions of Armenia, though they would remain deployed along Armenia's borders with Iran and Turkey.

It comes as Yerevan increasingly distances itself from its longtime ally following dissatisfaction with the role of Russian peacekeepers in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Armenian authorities have criticized Russia for failing to prevent Azerbaijan's rapid offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, which ultimately resulted in Azerbaijan regaining control over the region after nearly three decades of ethnic Armenian rule.

Following Azerbaijan's military success, the ethnic Armenian separatist government in Nagorno-Karabakh dissolved, leading to further discussions between Yerevan and Baku to establish a lasting peace.

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Pashinian announced at the Commonwealth of Independent States summit in Moscow on October 8 that Armenia was prepared to sign a draft peace agreement with Azerbaijan by the end of the month.

The proposed agreement includes mutual recognition of territorial integrity, a commitment to refrain from territorial claims, respect for noninterference, and the establishment of diplomatic relations, marking a potential resolution to the long-standing conflict between the bitter rivals.

Experts say this would represent a major step toward stabilizing the region after years of tensions.

With reporting by Reuters, TASS, and Interfax

Israel has claimed that the successor to slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has likely been "eliminated," while U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called Tehran the greatest adversary of the United States.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 8 said that Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, was an "organization without a head."

"Nasrallah was eliminated -- his replacement was probably also eliminated," Gallant told officers at the military's northern command center without providing details.

"There's no one to make decisions, no one to act," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later echoed those comments, saying, "We've degraded Hezbollah's capabilities."

"We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah's replacement, and the replacement of the replacement," Netanyahu said.

Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.

Hashem Safieddine, a top Hezbollah official and a cousin of Nasrallah, was widely expected to be named to the group's top position, but his whereabouts and condition are a mystery since an Israeli strike hit a suspected Hezbollah leadership meeting on October 2.

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Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine's fate, although unidentified members have told various media that the group had lost contact with him since the attack.

Safieddine has been declared a global terrorist by the United States.

Meanwhile, Harris told CBS TV's 60 Minutes program in an interview that she considered Iran to be the greatest adversary of the United States.

"Iran has American blood on their hands," she said. "And what we saw in terms of just this attack on Israel, 200 ballistic missiles, what we need to do to ensure that Iran never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power -- that is one of my highest priorities."

Harris -- the Democratic presidential nominee who will face Republican Donald Trump in the November 5 election -- declined to speculate on whether the United States would take military action itself should proof be uncovered that Iran is building a nuclear weapon.

Tehran has denied it is building such weapons and says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.

The comments came as the battered and bloodied leadership of Hezbollah suggested it might be ready to negotiate a cease-fire with Israel

Deputy leader Naim Qassem, in a televised speech, for the first time did not suggest that ending the war in Gaza was a precondition to reaching a truce with Israel in Lebanon.

Qassem said the group backed an effort by Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, to reach a deal to halt the fighting.

Late on October 8, the Syrian government said that seven civilians were killed in an Israeli air strike in Damascus. A war monitor said the strike targeted a building used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah.

Israel did not immediately comment and the reports could not be verified.

The Israeli military said earlier on October 8 that it had killed another senior Hezbollah commander, a day after marking the somber anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people.

Suhail Husseini, who was responsible for overseeing the logistics, budget, and management of Hezbollah, was killed in a targeted attack on October 7, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

"Husseini played a crucial role in weapon transfers between Iran and Hezbollah," the statement said, adding that he was also in charge of distributing advanced weapons to the group's members and for its "most sensitive projects" that included operations against Israel.

The IDF said Husseini was also a member of the Jihad Council, the supreme military body of Hezbollah.

There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.

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The Israeli announcement came after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets on October 7 into Israel, where President Isaac Herzog led a national moment of silence to mark the start of last year's Hamas attack, which started at Kibbutz Reim in the south of the country.

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.

In Washington on October 7, President Joe Biden condemned Hamas on the anniversary, while also stating again the U.S. administration's commitment to reaching cease-fire agreements to end fighting in both Gaza and Lebanon.

"On this solemn anniversary, let us bear witness to the unspeakable brutality of the October 7 attacks but also to the beauty of the lives that were stolen that day," Biden said in a statement.

In Jerusalem, relatives of the some 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity, out of a total of 250, gathered outside Netanyahu's residence and stood in silence as a siren wailed in a gesture of protest against what relatives say is the failure of the government to secure their loved ones' release.

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The conflict in Gaza is still raging while Israel is now fighting on a second front in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.

Following the October 7 attack, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza that has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas. Some 90 percent of the population of Gaza has been displaced and large areas have been destroyed by Israeli bombardments.

The Israeli military said on October 7 that over the past year it has bombed more than 40,000 targets in Gaza, found 4,700 tunnel shafts and destroyed 1,000 rocket launcher sites.

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Israel in recent weeks has been carrying out air strikes across Lebanon, including Beirut, and has staged a ground invasion into south Lebanon in its drive to wipe out Hezbollah's capabilities and leadership.

In the attacks, Israel killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah and dozens of other leaders of the group.

On October 6, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters that Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force -- the overseas arm of the IRGC -- had also not been heard from in recent days since traveling to Lebanon.

Tel Aviv’s campaign against Hezbollah prompted Iran to respond by attacking Israel with a large wave of rockets that were largely shot down by Israeli air defenses without causing substantial damage, but the attack renewed fears of a larger regional conflict.

Gallant on October 6 threatened Iran that it might eventually find itself looking like Beirut or Gaza -- which has also been battered over the past year -- if Tehran attempts to further harm Israel.

With reporting by CBS and AP