The Times of Israel is liveblogging Wednesday’s events as they happen.
IAEA chief says Iran showing greater willingness to engage in nuclear talks
UNITED NATIONS — UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi says he has sensed a greater willingness by Iranian officials to engage with the agency in a more meaningful way after talks in New York and that he hopes to travel to Tehran in October.
In an interview, Grossi tells Reuters that Iran’s nuclear program is continuing to advance at a regular pace, but that he wants to push ahead in the next few weeks with efforts to lay the groundwork for talks between Iran and the West over its nuclear program.
Macron to meet with Iranian president on UN sidelines
UNITED NATIONS — French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Tuesday with Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the Elysee announces.
Hezbollah confirms senior commander Ibrahim Qubaisi killed in Israeli strike
Hezbollah confirms the death of its senior commander Ibrahim Qubaisi, releasing a statement saying he was “martyred on the road to Jerusalem,” the Lebanese terror group’s term for operatives killed in Israeli strikes.
Air raid sirens sound in Golan Heights due to suspected hostile drone
Sirens are activated in several Golan Heights communities due to suspected hostile aircraft.
Man who staked out Trump at Florida golf course charged with attempting assassination
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — A man who authorities say staked out Donald Trump for 12 hours on his golf course in Florida and wrote of his desire to kill him is indicted on charges that he attempted to assassinate a major US presidential candidate.
Ryan Wesley Routh had been initially charged with two federal firearms offenses. The upgraded charges reflect the Justice Department’s assessment that he methodically plotted to kill the Republican nominee, aiming a rifle through the shrubbery surrounding Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course on an afternoon Trump was playing on it. Routh left behind a note in which he described his intention.
UK calls on British nationals to leave Lebanon amid ‘significant escalation’
Britain says that its nationals should leave Lebanon and continues to advise against all travel to the country, according to the Foreign Office.
“Around 700 UK troops will move to Cyprus in the coming hours, as the government continues to prepare its contingency plans following significant escalation between Israel and Lebanon in recent days,” the office says in a statement.
IDF says drone impacted in Arava desert, no injuries; Iran-backed Iraqi militia claims credit
A drone that entered Israeli airspace from the eastern direction impacted in the Arava desert, according to the IDF.
The military says there are no injuries in the attack. It does not detail if any damage was caused.
Sirens had sounded in the Jordan border community of Sapir amid the incident.
The Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq takes responsibility for the drone attack, saying it launched it at a “target” in the Jordan Valley.
Israeli strike reported near Lebanese coastal towns south of Beirut
Lebanese media report an Israeli airstrike between the coastal towns of Jiyeh and Saadiyat, south of Beirut.
Footage shared by local media outlets purports to show the scene of the strike.
غارة اسرائيلية بين الجية والسعديات pic.twitter.com/Sq7SCSdLeN
— هنا لبنان (@thisislebnews) September 24, 2024
اثار الغارة العنيفة في السعديات pic.twitter.com/o0NtOkkuVQ
— Lebanon Trend (@LebanonTrend_) September 24, 2024
Suspected drone activates sirens in southern community near Jordanian border
Sirens warning of a suspected drone infiltration are sounding in the southern community of Sapir, in the Arava desert, adjacent to the Jordan border.
No further details are immediately available from the IDF on the incident.