Israel and Iran are moving to a war footing, with renewed strikes leading to evacuations, emergency shelter plans and frantic efforts to contain the Middle East conflict.
The Israeli military said it was hitting “dozens more targets” in Tehran, hinting at a lengthy campaign as warplanes bombed military sites, laboratories and a tanker aircraft in Iran. Iranian state media said car bombs had blown up near government buildings on Sunday.
Iran retaliated with missile attacks, prompting Israel to order its citizens to take shelter. Yemen's Houthi rebels also launched missiles in an operation “co-ordinated” with Iran, with sources saying the rebels were considering strikes on US targets.
US President Donald Trump threatened to retaliate with America's “full strength and might” in the event of an attack by Iran. Mr Trump and his fellow G7 leaders are in Canada for a summit that concludes on Tuesday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to several Middle East leaders in a diplomatic push on Sunday, warning that Israel's attacks could “drag the whole region into the fire”. US-Iran talks scheduled to have taken place in Oman on Sunday and intended to ease the situation by peaceful means, did not take place.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at potential regime change in Iran, saying in an interview with Fox News that it “could certainly be the result”. He would not be drawn on reports that Mr Trump vetoed an Israeli strike on Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian government spokesman Fatemeh Mohajerani said metro stations and mosques would be available as bomb shelters for the public from Sunday night, state media reported. It said plans were being made to supply food and medicine as the conflict widens and civilian areas come under attack.
In Tehran, residents heard warplanes and explosions overhead, with one reporting that drones flew “very low” over the capital. Local media said air defences were activated in several areas of the city.
The exchange of fire stretched into a fourth night as sirens and air defences were triggered in both countries late on Sunday. A ban on public gatherings was extended to Tuesday in Israel, which said it had meanwhile begun a strikes on “dozens of surface-to-surface missile targets” in western Iran.
Flights were cancelled across the Middle East. Etihad Airways cancelled flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv until June 22, while Egyptair suspended routes to Beirut, Amman, Baghdad and Erbil. Egyptian authorities held air defence drills nationwide.
The Israeli air force announced late on Sunday that it had struck an Iranian refuelling plane at an airport 2,300km from Israel, in its longest-range strike so far. The Israeli military said it was “operating to establish aerial superiority over Iranian airspace”.
Israel said 14 people had been killed and 400 injured since Friday, when its military launched a surprise attack on Iran that killed several senior military leaders. Israel says it is acting to prevent Iran from advancing a nuclear weapons programme, something Tehran says it has no intention of doing.
Israelis were told to avoid gatherings and minimise “movement in public areas” as sirens signalled incoming fire. The army said about 20 drones had been intercepted, with more Iranian retaliation expected.
“We are removing an existential threat and reinforcing our security,” said Israel's army chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir. Iranian media, meanwhile, reported that at least 128 people had been killed in Israeli attacks on Friday and Saturday.
The conflict could consolidate Mr Netanyahu's hold on power, just days after his coalition had appeared on the brink of collapse over exceptions to military service for ultra-Orthodox men. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the operation against Iran was a “necessity”.
In Israel's first apparent attack on energy infrastructure, Iran's Tasnim news agency said production was partially suspended at South Pars, the world's biggest gasfield. Russia was drawing up plans to evacuate citizens from Iran, as Mr Trump suggested President Vladimir Putin could help to mediate in the conflict.
“Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal,” Mr Trump wrote on social media. He added that “we will have peace, soon".
President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus said his country had been asked to convey “some messages” to Israel, which Iran later denied.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, urged neighbouring Iraq to show “greater vigilance” in preventing Israel from using its airspace for attacks. Iraq, in turn, called on the US to prevent that.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani said his country is “keen to prevent the war from expanding” and assured Mr Pezeshkian of Iraq's solidarity “in the face of the blatant Zionist aggression”.
The Iranian government insists its nuclear activities are peaceful and civilian in nature. UN inspectors said they cannot verify that and the US and Europe have accused Iran of enriching uranium to a level close to weapons grade.
Mr Trump abandoned a deal in 2018 that limited Iran's enrichment. The US and Iran have held five rounds of talks since April to try to find a path to a new accord.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
MATCH INFO
Maratha Arabians 107-8 (10 ovs)
Lyth 21, Lynn 20, McClenaghan 20 no
Qalandars 60-4 (10 ovs)
Malan 32 no, McClenaghan 2-9
Maratha Arabians win by 47 runs
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
