Iran Sends Drones Toward Israel in Latest Escalation of Middle East Tensions

The Israeli military has reported that Iran launched several drones toward Israel, with army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stating that Israel is prepared for their arrival. This comes after heightened tensions between the two countries following an airstrike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals, for which Iran accused Israel and vowed revenge. In a recent incident, Iranian Revolutionary Guard commandos seized an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz. The attack followed a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian consular building in Syria, which killed 12 people, including a senior Guard general.Iran's state-run IRNA reported that a special forces unit of the Guard's navy carried out the attack on the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime, part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. Geneva-based MSC acknowledged the seizure and stated that 25 crew members were on the ship. The White House National Security Council urged Iran to release the crew and vessel, which included Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian, and Estonian nationals.Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on nations to list the Guard as a terrorist organization, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is prepared "for any scenario" and will defend itself against every threat. The US has continued to support Israel despite growing concerns over its war on Gaza. In Iran, officials publicly denied faked text messages urging the public to prepare for an "emerging emergency situation" due to increased tensions.Lufthansa Group has extended its suspension of flights between Frankfurt and Tehran through Thursday and will avoid Iranian airspace. Dutch airline KLM will no longer fly over Iran or Israel but will continue flights to and from Tel Aviv.