JERUSALEM -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday that its air force shot down an Iranian fighter jet over Tehran as part of an ongoing U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran.
In a statement, the IDF described the downing of the Iranian YAK-130 as a "historic first," marking the first time a fighter jet of this specific type has been shot down in combat anywhere in the world. (Israel-Iran-Fighter Jet)
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ANKARA -- The Turkish Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that a ballistic projectile allegedly launched from Iran was successfully intercepted by NATO air and missile defense units deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In a statement, the ministry said the ballistic projectile was detected after launch from Iran and tracked as it transited Iraqi and Syrian airspace before turning toward Turkish airspace. (Türkiye-Iran-Missile)
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TEHRAN -- A senior cleric and member of Iran's Assembly of Experts said on Wednesday that the country will select its next supreme leader soon, with candidates determined.
Seyed Ahmad Khatami made the remarks in an interview with state-run IRIB TV four days after Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in a U.S.-Israeli attack on the Iranian capital Tehran. (Iran-Supreme Leader-Election)
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BAGHDAD -- A sudden drop in gas supplies at a major power plant in southern Iraq triggered a total collapse of the national electricity grid across the country on Wednesday evening, according to the Iraqi Electricity Ministry.
A statement by the ministry attributed the blackout to a technical malfunction caused by a sudden fuel shortage at the Rumaila gas power plant in Basra province. (Iraq-Iran-Blackout)
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BEIRUT -- At least 20 people were killed and 283 others injured in Israeli attacks across Lebanon over the past 24 hours, raising the casualty toll since Monday to 72 deaths and 437 injuries, Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operations Center at the Ministry of Public Health said Wednesday.
The escalation has also triggered a wave of displacement, with the number of displaced people rising to 83,847, or 18,033 families, according to figures released by Lebanese authorities. (Lebanon-Israeli Attacks-Casualties) ■
