An Israeli strike kills three Lebanese journalists, Lebanon's Al Manar TV reported on Saturday, as the war in the Middle East entered its second month. Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthi rebels earlier claimed responsibility for their first attack on Israel since the start of the war. Read about the day’s events as they unfolded on our liveblog.
Yemen's Houthis announce second missile attack on Israel
Yemen's Houthi rebels announced a second missile attack targeting Israel, after stepping into the Middle East war in support of their ally Iran earlier in the day.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement that the group fired "a barrage of cruise missiles and drones targeting several vital and military sites" in Israel, adding it "coincided with the military operations being carried out by" Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Two drones targeting US embassy in Baghdad intercepted, security officials say
Two drones targeting the US embassy in Baghdad were intercepted by air defences late Saturday, security officials said, the first such attack against the diplomatic mission in 10 days.
One official said the drones were shot down outside the Green Zone, which houses government institutions and diplomatic missions. A second official confirmed an attack by an "explosive" drone had been prevented.
The last such attack occurred on March 18. The influential pro-Iranian armed group Kataeb Hezbollah subsequently said it would pause attacks on the US embassy, extending the five-day ceasefire twice.
Iran allows additional Pakistani-flagged ships to transit Strait of Hormuz
Iran has agreed to allow an additional 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, with two ships permitted to transit daily, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday.
Hundreds of Israelis protest against war, clash with police
Hundreds of Israeli protesters gathered in Tel Aviv and some other cities to protest the war in the Middle East, in unauthorised demonstrations that security forces sought to disperse.
Weekly protests against the war launched by Israel and the United States against Iran on February 28 have been taking place in Tel Aviv and other major cities, initially drawing only a few dozen participants.
Numbers now appear to be rising, though far from the tens of thousands who filled Tel Aviv's streets last year to protest the war in Gaza.
🎥 What could Houthi involvement in the Iran war mean?
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels entered the month-old war in the Middle East on Saturday by claiming a missile launch that Israel said it intercepted.
The Houthis’ entry could further hurt global shipping if they again target vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Red Sea. FRANCE 24's Kethevane Gorjestani brings you this analysis.
Two Iraqi police officers killed in airstrike targeting PMF site in Mosul
At least two Iraqi police personnel were killed and two wounded in an airstrike that targeted a Popular Mobilisation Forces headquarters in Mosul, which was located adjacent to a police facility, security sources told Reuters.
The PMF, known in Arabic as Hashd al-Shaabi, is an umbrella group of mostly Shi'ite paramilitary factions that was formally integrated into Iraq's state security forces and includes several groups aligned with Iran.
WHO says attacks in southern Lebanon kill nine paramedics
The World Health Organization said that nine paramedics were killed and seven others wounded in five separate attacks on health care in southern Lebanon.
The latest incidents struck medical teams in five separate villages, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a social media post.
He added that the repeated strikes have severely disrupted health services in southern Lebanon. Four hospitals and 51 primary healthcare centres are now closed, with several other facilities operating at reduced capacity, he said.
Loud explosions heard in Tehran
A series of loud explosions rattled the Iranian capital, an AFP journalist reported, as the war with Israel and the United States ground on.
The blasts were heard in central Tehran for several minutes, although it was not clear what was targeted.
France's Macron says 'everything must be done' to avoid Iraq being sucked into 'escalation'
Every effort must be made to avoid Iraq being sucked up into an escalation of the Middle East war, French President Emmanuel Macron said after speaking with the head of the country's autonomous Kurdistan region.
Macron posted his message on X after a deadly strike in northern Iraq against the former paramilitary group the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF).
"Everything must be done to avoid Iraq being drawn into the current escalation," he said.
A strike in northern Iraq's Kirkuk killed three fighters from the Popular Mobilisation Forces and wounded four others, the ex-paramilitary coalition said, blaming the US and Israel for the attack.
The fighters from the alliance -- also known as the Hashed al-Shaabi, now part of Iraq's regular armed forces -- were "subjected to a treacherous Zionist-American" attack, according to a PMF statement.
Israel army says struck Iran complex producing naval weapons
The Israeli military said it had struck an industrial complex in Tehran used for the research and development of naval weapons.
"The IDF struck the headquarters of the Iranian terrorist regime's Marine Industries Organization," the military said, adding the strike was part of a wave of attacks conducted overnight from Friday to Saturday.
"This headquarters is responsible for the research, development, and production of a wide range of naval weaponry, including surface and sub-surface vessels, manned and unmanned equipment, as well as engines and weapons."
Foreign media association slams Israeli forces' 'violent assault' on CNN crew
An international media association on Saturday condemned what it described as a "violent assault" by Israeli soldiers who detained a CNN crew in the occupied West Bank this week.
A CNN team was reporting on the aftermath of an assault by Israeli settlers and the establishment of an illegal outpost near the Palestinian village of Tayasir on Thursday when it was detained by Israeli soldiers, the Foreign Press Association said.
"The soldiers aggressively targeted the crew and Palestinian civilians present, pointing their rifles at them," the FPA said, even after the journalists identified themselves. CNN confirmed the details in its own report on the incident, identifying the photojournalist as Cyril Theophilos.
The military said the incident will be probed.
"The soldiers' conduct and statements in this incident do not represent the IDF, go against what is expected of IDF soldiers and will be investigated," military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani wrote on X.
The incident is the second such event involving CNN this month.
🎥 French government annonces target aid to shield economy from soaring fuel prices
Facing soaring fuel prices from the Middle East conflict, the French government has announced €70 million in targeted aid for April, helping transport, fishing, and agriculture. Measures include a 20-cent-per-litre fuel subsidy for small transport businesses and fishing boats, plus zero excise on agricultural diesel. The support is limited, sector-focused, and adaptable, while broader tax cuts are ruled out to protect public finances.
Strike kills Iraqi fighter in northern Kirkuk, security sources say
A strike in Iraq's northern Kirkuk city killed one fighter from the former paramilitary coalition Hashed al-Shaabi on Saturday, a medical and security source told AFP.
Two missiles fired from a fighter jet targeted a base of the Hashed al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilisation Forces -- now part of Iraq's regular armed forces -- near the international airport, according to a security official.
One fighter was killed and four wounded, a medical official said.
🎥 'It's becoming more evident that non-military targets are being hit'
Some 2,000 people have been killed, among them 200 children, since the Iran war started, FRANCE 24's Reza Sayah reports, citing numbers released by Iranian authorities.
"It's becoming more evident that non-military targets are being hit," he says, adding that more than 70,000 residential units and 20,000 businesses have been hit across Iran.
More than 50 health workers killed in Israel-Hezbollah war, Lebanon says
Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said Saturday that 46 rescuers and five medical staff had been killed by Israel since the start of the war with Hezbollah on March 2.
Nassereddine said in a press conference that "the number of martyrs in the health sector... is 51 martyrs... including 46 paramedics and 5 health workers, including nine new paramedic martyrs today".
The minister said the nine medics killed in South Lebanon on Saturday included four from Hezbollah's Islamic Health Committee who were targeted by Israeli strikes while carrying out rescue missions, and five from the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement's Risala Scouts, who were also on duty.
Iraqi PM condemns attack on house of Kurdistan region's president
Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned an attack on the house of the president of the country's Kurdistan Region, the prime minister's office said in a statement.
Al-Sudani spoke to Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani by telephone, it said. The attack occurred early on Saturday, according to security sources.
📰 Read more: A hard regime to topple
As the heads of the Iranian leadership roll, regime change remains unlikely anytime soon. FRANCE 24 spoke to Middle East expert Filippo Dionigi to understand why.
