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American B-52 bombers arrived in the Middle East on Saturday after Washington announced their deployment as a warning to Iran. The Pentagon said the move aims to protect US personnel and interests in the region. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.
US says Iranian-American held in Iran as tensions high following Israeli attack on country
An Iranian-American journalist who once worked for a US government-funded broadcaster is believed to be detained by Iran for months now, authorities said Sunday, further raising the stakes as Tehran threatens to retaliate over an Israeli attack on the country.
The imprisonment of Reza Valizadeh, acknowledged to The Associated Press by the US State Department, came as Iran marked the 45th anniversary of the American Embassy takeover and hostage crisis on Sunday. It also followed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatening both Israel and the U.S. the day before with “a crushing response” as long-range B-52 bombers reached the Middle East in an attempt to deter Tehran.
The State Department told the AP that it was “aware of reports that this dual US-Iranian citizen has been arrested in Iran” when asked about Valizadeh.
“We are working with our Swiss partners who serve as the protecting power for the United States in Iran to gather more information about this case,” the State Department said. “Iran routinely imprisons US citizens and other countries’ citizens unjustly for political purposes. This practice is cruel and contrary to international law.”
B-52 bombers arrive in Middle East, US military say
American B-52 bombers have arrived in the Middle East, the US military said Saturday, a day after Washington announced their deployment in a warning to Iran.
“B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers from Minot Air Force Base’s 5th Bomb Wing arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility,” the military command for the Middle East and surrounding countries said in a post on social media.
The United States announced on Friday evening that it was sending the bombers, fighter and tanker aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the Middle East.
“Should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people,” Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement on the deployment.
Welcome to our live blog, where we post the latest news on the war in the Middle East. To read all about yesterday’s key developments, click here.
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Iran‘s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday threatened both Israel and the US with “a crushing response” over attacks on Iran and its allies.
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An Israeli military official confirmed on Saturday that a naval commando had captured a “senior Hezbollah operative” in the seaside city of Batroun, Lebanon.
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The World Health Organization said six people including four children were injured Saturday in a strike on a vaccination centre in northern Gaza.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
About casualty figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry:
Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent. For more on the health ministry’s casualty figures, click here.
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