War in Middle East continues to take its toll

已複製連結

U.S. President Donald Trump said "someone from within" Iran's government might be best suited to take power once the U.S.-Israeli war on the country ends.

His remarks came four days into a war that has killed hundreds, nearly all of them in Iran, as well as many of the country's top leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Although Tehran has kept up its retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Israel and across the Gulf - disrupting travel and driving up oil prices - the pace of Iranian attacks appears to be slowing. However the conflict has also spread to Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel, prompting Israeli strikes in Beirut and additional troop deployments to southern Lebanon.

The spiraling nature of the war has raised questions about when and how it would end, and the Trump administration has given various objectives.

Here is the latest:

An Israeli airstrike hit a hotel outside of Beirut, Lebanon's state-run news agency reported Wednesday.

The strike came in Hazmieh, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) southeast of downtown Beirut.

The report from Lebanon's National News Agency said ambulances had been dispatched to the scene.

It did not elaborate in its short report.

Asian shares tumbled Wednesday, with South Korea's benchmark plunging as much as 11%, while oil prices climbed even higher.

Worries over the widening conflict with Iran have hammered most world markets.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 shed 3.4% to 54,346.73.

Japan, like South Korea, depends heavily on imports of oil and natural gas from the Middle East that are now stranded in the Persian Gulf.

Air sirens sounded Wednesday morning across the island kingdom of Bahrain, home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet.

Explosions echoed across the skies of Jerusalem on Wednesday.

Israel's military said early Wednesday that Iran had launched missiles toward the country for the second time in less than two hours.

Israeli air defenses were working to intercept them.

No injuries were reported in the first wave.

Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said it has intercepted two cruise missiles Wednesday morning over the city of Kharj.