
Following Israel's bombing in the wee hours of Friday which damaged strategic military facilities and equipment in addition to killing top rank officers and over 70 people in total, Iran retaliated early Saturday with a barrage of ballistic missiles hitting Tel Aviv, leading to at least two casualties and dozens of people injured.

Israel launched preemptive airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities -including the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, ballistic missile sites, and military commanders to keep the enemy from further developing nuclear weapons.

Washington has authorized the partial evacuation of non-essential diplomats and military personnel from its Middle East facilities, including the embassy in Baghdad and bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, and the UAE, due to heightened security risks stemming from a potential Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, it was reported Wednesday.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian Saturday sacked Vice President Shahram Dabiri after a photo surfaced on Instagram of the latter and his wife on a luxurious trip to Antarctica aboard the cruise ship Plancius. An eight-day trip on that ship can cost around US$ 4,000 per person, it was reported.

Venezuelan and Iranian authorities announced this weekend the signing of an agreement to build a fiber optic factory in the South American country, more specifically in La Guaira, a State just 30 kilometers north of Caracas and home to the country's gateway Simón Bolívar Airport.

Israel finally launched an attack against Iran hitting strategic missile-building capabilities and other key points, it was reported in the early hours of Saturday. Five explosions were heard across Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj. US and Israeli sources said three waves of airstrikes were launched in what was dubbed Operation Days of Repentance. Over 100 planes were involved in the 2000 k.m. attack, including the cutting-edge F-35.

The Foreign Ministers of Venezuela, Yván Gil, and Iran, Abbas Araghchi, held a telephone conversation during which their countries' willingness to expand bilateral cooperation.

London's futures markets showed a 1.96% decline Tuesday for Brent crude oil to be delivered in October amid contracting demand, which drove it to US$ 80.69 as North Sea crude, the European benchmark, fell US$ 1.61 from the last Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) trading. Meanwhile, in New York, the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in the same period fell 2.11% and closed at US$ 76.80.

The Government of Argentina admitted Tuesday that it had received a security alert from Israel about a possible Iranian attack. Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos said Israel expected “a very strong attack from Iran against targets that are friends.” Argentina has already suffered two anti-Jewish attacks in the 1990s.

A full-scale Iranian attack against Israel is deemed imminent both in Tel Aviv and Washington DC alike in retaliation for last week's killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh while in Tehran. US President Joseph Biden was to convene his national security team while Israeli authorities are considering the possibility of switching from a defensive to an offensive strategy.