Israel said to have struck Iran leader election venue

 The Israeli military targeted a building in Qom, a city considered holy in Shi'a Islam, in which the election for Iran's new supreme leader was about to take place, The Times of Israel reported on Tuesday, citing a defense official.

The targeted building allegedly belongs to the so-called Assembly of Religious Experts, which counts 88 members. However, the Mehr News Agency reported that the premises in question are not the body's headquarters and are not used for meetings.

The previous Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the US and Israel's airstrikes on his country.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Israel-said-to-have-struck-Iran-leader-election-venue/65791156

Gold down 5%

 Gold prices extended their downward spiral on Tuesday, dropping 5% over the conflict in the Middle East that does not seem to be de-escalating.

The precious metal went down 5.28% to $5,035.02 per ounce at 9:50 am ET. Meanwhile, silver plunged 11.65% to $79.65 per ounce a minute later, while platinum dropped 10.04% to $2,071.46 per ounce and palladium retreated 6.25% to $1,648.27 per ounce.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Gold-down-5/65791137

China opposes strikes on Iran

 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Tuesday that China opposes the military operation by Israel and the United States against Iran. The two diplomats spoke on the phone at Saar's request, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.

Wang said that refraining from using force in international relations is "in the fundamental interests of all parties, including Israel." He also called on Israel to "take concrete measures" to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/China-opposes-strikes-on-Iran/65785787

IEA to hold emergency meeting on Iran crisis

The International Energy Agency (IEA) will convene an emergency meeting on Tuesday amid the crisis kicked off by the war in the Middle East.

"Given the events in the Middle East & the energy security implications, I convened an extraordinary meeting of @IEA. Member governments today to discuss the oil & gas market situation and options to respond to disruptions," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol stated on his X account.

The move comes as oil and gas prices skyrocket, with Brent surpassing $85 per barrel for the first time since 2024, and European natural gas prices soaring over 33% today.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/IEA-to-hold-emergency-meeting-on-Iran-crisis/65790999

Iranian missiles target central Israel

 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Tuesday that Iran launched several missiles, with one of them falling in central Israel.

"Search and rescue forces are operating in several areas across the country where reports of falls have been received. Crowds in these areas should be avoided," IDF said.

The military previously announced that it was targeting a senior Iranian commander in Tehran and that it completed over 60 attack waves in western Iran to damage Tehran's fire arrays.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Iranian-missiles-target-central-Israel/65785605

Oil production suspended at Iraq's Rumaila field

 Oil production has been temporarily halted at Iraq's Rumaila oil field, the country's largest, as regional fighting disrupts export operations, local media reported on Tuesday.

The shutdown followed interruptions in export operations, causing storage tanks at the field to fill up. With no room left to store additional oil, operators halted output until exports can resume.

Security forces were deployed around key energy facilities near Basra to prevent possible attacks as tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran continue to rise.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Oil-production-suspended-at-Iraq's-Rumaila-field/65785778

Iran doubts usefulness of talks with US

 Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Ali Bahreini declined on Tuesday to comment on possible talks with the United States, as airstrikes by the US and Israel continued. "For the time being, we are very doubtful about the usefulness of negotiation," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed that he could keep the military operation going "forever," as the US military has "virtually unlimited" medium and upper-medium grade munitions stockpiles.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Iran-doubts-usefulness-of-talks-with-US/65786139