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Aleppo, putting them out of action, Syrian state media said on Friday. Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) cited a military source to report that the missile strikes happened «simultaneously» at 13:50 (local time), causing material damage to the airstrips, which resulted in them being «out of service.» «The Israeli latest aggression comes in the framework of the occupation authorities' continued policy, based on aggression and violation of the international law and the UN convention,» Syrian foriegn Ministry said in a statement as cited by its state media agency. Israel has so far not commented on the strikes on the Syrian airports. Al Jazeera publication quoted Syrian television channel Sham FM as stating that Syrian air defences were activated in response to the attacks on both airports. Damascus and Aleppo airports not only handle civil aviation but also host military bases. Israel has in the past carried out strikes on targets in Syria, including its airports as part of operations believed to be aimed at disrupting Iranian supply lines, Al Jazeera reported. The attacks on the two Syrian airports come ahead of a planned visit by Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who on Thursday departed from Tehran for Baghdad and is scheduled to proceed to Syria and Lebanon later. Before his departure, Amirabdollahian addressed reporters in Tehran, stating that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is the primary source of crises in West Asia, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported. The Iranian minister, on his arrival in Beirut, said if the Israeli bombardment of Gaza continues, the war may open on «other fronts».

By Humeyra Pamuk and Daphne Psaledakis

President Biden on Tuesday showed appropriate outrage at the wanton slaughter by Hamas this weekend, and his pledge of support for Israel is welcome. But there was a crucial word missing from his remarks at the White House: Iran. Tehran is Hamas’s terror master, and its assault on Israel exposes the failure of his Iran strategy.

Israel-Hamas war dragged on to the sixth day, many countries, including India, are making arrangements to repatriate their citizens from Israel. In a show of solidarity, US Secretary of State has arrived in Israel.

WARNING—GRAPHIC FOOTAGE: The Punaro Group CEO Gen. Arnold Punaro (ret.) discusses the attacks on Israel from Hamas and reacts to the White House being grilled over refreezing the $6 billion from the Iran prisoner swap deal.

Iran on Tuesday claimed that it played no role in the attack launched by Hamas last Saturday that took Israelis by surprise but there is no denying the fact that Tehran over the years has increased its support and appeal across the Arab world that is dominated by people who profess Sunni sect of Islam. The world's biggest non-Sunni country has become a key factor in the West Asian fault lines creating its proxy groups in Lebanon and Yemen and backing Hamas to take on Israel over the last few decades. It is no secret that Tehran has exploited sentiments and presence of the Shia population in some Gulf states. While the USA and Israel have not yet directly blamed Iran for the October 7 carnage, Tehran came out openly in support of Hamas for carrying out the attacks against Israel.

Iran had helped Hamas plot the rocket attack on Israel and approved of the assault during a meeting in Beirut last week, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal. Coming back to the Pentagon Chief, he noted that Tehran has backed Hamas which launched a coordinated ground, air and sea assault from Gaza on Saturday for years.

Investing.com — Oil prices edged lower Tuesday, handing back some of the previous session’s hefty gains as traders digest the possibility of a wider impact from the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that Tehran had not been involved in the Hamas group's weekend attack on Israel, but he hailed what he called Israel's «irreparable» military and intelligence defeat. In his first televised speech since the attack, Khamenei said «we kiss the hands of those who planned the attack on the Zionist regime». «This destructive earthquake has destroyed some critical structures (in Israel) which will not be repaired easily… The Zionist regime's own actions are to blame for this disaster,» said Khamenei. Iran has long backed the Hamas group, which controls the Gaza Strip and rejects Israel's right to exist. Israel said earlier on Tuesday it had re-established control over the Gaza border and was planting mines where militants had toppled the barrier during their bloody weekend assault, after another night of relentless Israeli air raids on the enclave. The United States said on Monday Iran was complicit in Hamas' assault on Israel, though it said it had no intelligence or evidence pointing to Tehran's direct participation.

Investing.com — Gold settled above the mid $1,800 level on Monday in response to the Israel-Hamas war, but the rally in the safe-haven would depend on how far the crisis expands to impact oil and other global markets, analysts said.

Investing.com — Crude prices were up 4% Monday as the latest Middle East crisis  reintroduced geopolitical risk into the oil trade in a way unseen in years, resetting markets that just days ago were depressed more by concerns over the global economy.

Hopes that oil supply might ease a bit next year, and inflationary pressures with it, are fading after Saturday’s shock attack on Israel. On Monday, Brent crude futures rose about 4% to $88 a barrel as traders sized up the potential impact on global supply of a new war in the Middle East. Neither Israel or Palestine are major oil producers, so there isn’t an immediate effect.

Investing.com — Oil prices climbed sharply Monday as the escalating violence in the Middle East raised concerns about the security of future crude supply.

Catch Israel-Palestine War Live Updates here The fallout of Israel-Hamas war on the global economy may take time to become clear but would become more severe if the conflict spreads to the rest of the Middle East, especially Iran, which is both a major oil producer and supporter of Hamas. “It’s too early to say" what the implications may be, though oil and equity markets may see immediate fallout, Agustin Carstens, general manager of the Bank for International Settlements, said in a presentation to the National Association for Business Economics, Reuters reported.

Joe Biden's $6 billion prisoner-swap deal with Iran is now under the spotlight after militant group Hamas, long backed by Iran, staged one of the bloodiest attacks on Israel in years. Some Republicans are trying to link Biden to attack. Nikki Haley, one of the Republican presidential candidate for 2024 polls, alleged that allowing Iran access to the billions of dollars improves its budget situation, letting it use the money elsewhere. «Let's be honest with the American people and understand that Hamas knows, and Iran knows they're moving money around as we speak, because they know $6 billion is going to be released. That's the reality,» she said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has however said that there is not evidence yet of «Iran directed or was behind this particular attack, but there’s certainly a long relationship.» Fighting between Israel and Hamas militants continued for the third day, which is likely to drag on. More than 1,100 people have been killed in Palestinian group Hamas's surprise assault on Israel on Saturday and Israel's retaliation.

Hamas assault on Israel has opened up a new front in the US election campaign as Republicans accuse President Joe Biden of being soft in his defense of Israel and in his handling of Iran. «I think this is a great opportunity for our candidates to contrast where Republicans have stood with Israel — time and time again — and Joe Biden has been weak,» Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said Saturday on Fox News. Americans will choose a new president and control of Congress in November 2024, with Biden, 80, seeking another term in a race that looks likely to pit him against former president Donald Trump as the Republican candidate. Trump used the stunning Hamas attack by land, sea and air at dawn Saturday to target Biden. «The Israeli attack was made because we are perceived as weak and ineffective and with a very weak leader,» he said. Other Republican presidential hopefuls, like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former vice president Mike Pence, also dimissed Biden as weak. A stern-faced Biden gave a short speech from the White House on Saturday to stress firm US support for Israel. «Today, the people of Israel are under attack, orchestrated by a terrorist organization, Hamas,» Biden said. «In this moment of tragedy, I want to say to them and to the world and to terrorists everywhere that the United States stands with Israel.

Lebanon's Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli military positions in the disputed Shebaa Farms on Sunday, saying it was acting «in solidarity» with the Palestinian people after an unprecedented attack by Hamas gunmen from Gaza into Israel. Israel responded with barrages of artillery into southern Lebanon. No casualties have been reported. Backed by Iran, the Shi'ite group has risen from a shadowy faction established during Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war to a heavily armed force with big sway over the Lebanese state.

Robert Malley, a prominent figure in the Biden administration, had been suspended from his role, leaving many wondering what had transpired. Malley was a key player in shaping the Democratic Party's Middle East policy and had previously been involved in diplomatic efforts with Iran during the Obama era.

Syria's defence minister left a graduation ceremony there. Civilians and military personnel were killed in the attack on the military academy in the central province of Homs, Syria's defence ministry said in a statement, adding «terrorist» groups had used drones to carry it out.

prisoners sought by the U.S. in a swap with Iran were freed Monday and headed home as part of a deal that saw nearly $6 billion in Iranian assets unfrozen. Despite the deal, tensions are almost certain to remain high between the U.S.

hackers targeted satellite, defence, and pharmaceutical companies worldwide to gather intelligence and perhaps build up domestic production in these industries amid heavy US sanctions. Since February, the hackers have successfully breached several organisations by applying a simple hacking technique, indicating the high level of determination from Tehran's hacking teams, according to Microsoft.