Military sites hit in Iran's Bushehr province, official says

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said on Wednesday that airlines should not operate in the airspace of Iran and Iraq until Aug. 31 because of ongoing tensions and the risk of further military action.

The agency said the updated safety bulletin replaces its previous advisory, which expires on Wednesday.

The earlier bulletin also covered Lebanon and advised airlines to exercise caution when flying in the airspace of Bahrain, Kuwait, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

A member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Third Naval Region was killed on Wednesday in Bandar Mahshahr in what the force described as an "enemy" drone attack, according to its public relations office.

The statement said the Guards member was killed while responding to the drones. It did not identify who operated the drones or provide further details.

The reported attack came after the United States said it carried out a new wave of strikes on military targets across Iran overnight, including drone-related facilities and Revolutionary Guards assets, as fighting between Washington and Tehran intensified.

Iran’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that US strikes in Iran’s southern coast were a flagrant violation of a memorandum of understanding with Washington.

It also cited Washington’s decision to revoke a license allowing Iran to sell oil, and what it called violations of Iranian arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz, and continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon as actions that had made parts of the memorandum ineffective.

The ministry warned neighboring countries on the southern shore of the Persian Gulf against allowing their territory to be used for attacks in Iran, saying any cooperation would amount to complicity.

It said Iran’s armed forces would respond to “target the source and origin of aggression.”

The Muslim World League on Wednesday strongly condemned Iran’s targeting of Qatari and Saudi vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, saying such attacks threaten regional security and violate religious values.

Secretary General Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa said Iran’s attacks were part of repeated “criminal practices that violate religious values, international and humanitarian laws and norms, and undermine efforts to restore security and stability in the region.”

The group called on Iran to immediately stop actions that threaten regional security, international navigation and energy supplies.

It also expressed full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and Qatar in measures taken to protect their security, ships and national interests.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that new US attacks on Iran were “absolutely necessary” after Washington accused Tehran of violating the ceasefire.

The US military launched a new wave of strikes in Iran on Tuesday and revoked a license allowing Tehran to sell oil after three tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz.

“When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully react,” Rutte told reporters before a NATO summit in Ankara.