Últimos desenvolvimentos no conflito no Irão: Israel afirma que ataque aéreo matou o ministro da Inteligência iraniano

Investing.com - Israel announced that it killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib during a night attack.

Iran has not yet commented on this statement. If confirmed, this would be another high-ranking Iranian official killed this week.

Tehran launched a new round of attacks against Israel, claiming these strikes were in retaliation for the killing of Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, two key leaders of Iran’s security agencies. According to The New York Times, citing Israeli emergency services, two people were killed in an attack in Ramot Gan, near Tel Aviv.

On Wednesday, Israel launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon as part of an operation against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. The center of Beirut was also targeted.

Additionally, the US military dropped 5,000-pound bombs on locations along the Iranian coast near the Strait of Hormuz, where cruise missiles capable of attacking ships attempting to cross this narrow waterway are deployed.

According to US Central Command, these strikes aim to eliminate Coastal Defense Cruise Missiles (CDCM), which can fly close to the surface to avoid detection and hit ships with steel-piercing warheads.

Concerns that these missiles might be launched at ships have almost halted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for about one-fifth of global oil flow.

Since the US and Israel launched their offensive against Iran, crude oil prices have surged significantly, with global benchmark prices hovering above $100 per barrel. Gasoline prices at US gas stations have reached their highest levels since 2023, reigniting fears of inflationary pressures that could influence the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policies in the coming months.

US President Donald Trump stated that the US no longer needs international assistance to restart shipping through the strait, believing that the Iranian navy and military have been largely destroyed by US strikes. Earlier this week, Trump called on US allies, including NATO, Australia, Japan, and South Korea, to help Washington reopen the strait—though this appeal was widely rejected.

Trump—facing internal dissent within his administration over the three-week-long conflict, with a senior security official recently resigning—also said he is not afraid of deploying ground forces in Iran. Analysts at Vital Knowledge believe that, besides deploying ground troops, “there are no military options” to reopen the strait.

(This is a developing story. Please check back later for updates.)

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