US-Iran war live updates: Israeli airstrike kills three Lebanese journalists; Exiled prince says he will call on Iranians to rise up at the ‘right moment’

Welcome to our live coverage of the war in Iran, as the conflict in the Middle East enters its 5th week.

Here’s what you might have missed overnight, and a recap of some of Saturday’s top headlines:

• Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has told a gathering of US conservatives that he’s ready to lead Iran’s transition, and that he will call on Iranians to rise up when the “right moment arrives”.
• Israeli forces killed three Lebanese journalists in southern Lebanon in an airstrike that Israel’s military said had targeted one of them.
• The Israeli military said it carried out widespread strikes overnight against Tehran, using more than 50 fighter jets to target weapons production infrastructure.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US expected its operation in Iran to conclude in “weeks, not months”.
• The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Israel, marking their entry into the conflict.
• In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced new laws on Saturday to allow the government to use public funds to underwrite private companies buying additional shiploads of petrol or diesel and bringing them into the country.

Experts warn that the Iran-backed Houthis have the potential to create a disastrous economic shock around the world.

If the Houthis ramp up their role in this conflict by targeting vessels in the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Red Sea, it would not only further push up oil prices but also destabilise “all of maritime security,” said Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group, a research institution. “The impact would not be limited to the energy market.”

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels entered the month-old war in the Middle East on Saturday, claiming a missile launch that Israel said it intercepted.

As Iran strangles the Strait of Hormuz, countries have scrambled for alternative routes. Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is particularly crucial as it controls traffic for vessels heading to the Suez Canal through the Red Sea. To get around the Strait of Hormuz closure, Saudi Arabia is sending millions of barrels of crude oil a day through the chokepoint.

About 12 per cent of the world’s trade typically passes through that waterway, including oil, natural gas, grain and everything from toys to electronics.

AP

Washington: The war in Iran is set to last weeks longer and the Islamic Republic may seek to permanently toll the Strait of Hormuz, Marco Rubio has said, sending markets tumbling on fresh fears of a prolonged conflict.

Speaking in France, where he met G7 counterparts, the US secretary of state pressured American allies – including those in the Indo-Pacific, such as Australia – to take the helm on protecting the crucial shipping passage.

“After this thing ends, and we’re done with our objectives, one of the immediate challenges we’re going to face is an Iran that may decide that they want to set up a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

“Not only is this illegal, it’s unacceptable, it’s dangerous to the world. And it’s important that the world have a plan to confront it.

“The United States is prepared to be a part of that plan. We don’t have to lead that plan, but we’re happy to be a part of it.”

Read the full story from US correspondent Michael Koziol here.

Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has told a gathering of US conservatives that he’s ready to lead a transition away from the Islamic Republic and said when the “right moment arrives” he will call on the people of Iran to rise up.

Pahlavi spoke for nearly 30 minutes at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Dallas where he was interrupted several times by applause and cheers.

He praised President Donald Trump for initiating the military action against Iran’s current government.

The biggest crowd reactions came when he asked the crowd if they could envision Iran turning into a friend and ally of the United States.

Israeli forces have killed three Lebanese journalists in southern Lebanon in an airstrike on Saturday that Israel’s military said had targeted one of them.

Lebanese television news channel Al Manar said its reporter Ali Shoeib and reporter Fatima Ftouni, from Lebanese pan-Arab broadcaster Al Mayadeen, were killed when their vehicle was hit. Lebanon’s information minister later said Ftouni’s brother, Mohammed, a cameraman, had also been killed.

Israel’s military said in a statement it had killed Shoeib, whom it called a “terrorist”, in a targeted strike, accusing him of being part of a Hezbollah intelligence unit, and said he had reported on locations of Israeli soldiers in Lebanon.

The statement, which also accused Shoeib of “incitement” against Israeli soldiers and civilians, did not mention the other journalists or provide evidence to support its assertion that Shoeib was a member of a Hezbollah intelligence unit. Hezbollah, which controls Al Manar, denied the claim.

Welcome to our live coverage of the war in Iran, as the conflict in the Middle East enters its 5th week.

Here’s what you might have missed overnight, and a recap of some of Saturday’s top headlines:

• Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has told a gathering of US conservatives that he’s ready to lead Iran’s transition, and that he will call on Iranians to rise up when the “right moment arrives”.
• Israeli forces killed three Lebanese journalists in southern Lebanon in an airstrike that Israel’s military said had targeted one of them.
• The Israeli military said it carried out widespread strikes overnight against Tehran, using more than 50 fighter jets to target weapons production infrastructure.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US expected its operation in Iran to conclude in “weeks, not months”.
• The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Israel, marking their entry into the conflict.
• In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced new laws on Saturday to allow the government to use public funds to underwrite private companies buying additional shiploads of petrol or diesel and bringing them into the country.