Iran-Israel tension ‘escalating every minute’, US President Joe Biden says ’will support...’ | 10 updates

As Israel is bracing for a direct and unprecedented attack by Iran and the tension is escalating between the two countries ‘every minute’, US President Joe Biden said that America will stand with Isreal and  ‘Iran will not succeed’. 

An assault from Iran has emerged as one of the expected outcomes by the Jewish state and its allies, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg; and further warned ‘a bombardment with drones and precision missiles could come within the next 48 hours’.

Check the 10 latest updates here: 

• US President Joe Biden said while responding to whether an ‘Iranian strike was imminent’ said, “I don’t want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner rather than later.”
• Asked what message he’d give to Iran, Biden said, “Don’t.”
• “We are devoted to the defense of Israel,” Biden said. “We will support Israel, we will defend, help defend, Israel and Iran will not succeed.”
• As per reports, the US is preparing defenses and moved additional military assets to the region while intensifying diplomatic efforts to rein in hostilities, the people familiar with the matter said. 
• Meanwhile, a video seen by The Associated Press shows commandos raiding a ship near the Strait of Hormuz by helicopter Saturday, an attack a Mideast defence official attributed to Iran amid wider tensions between Tehran and the West.
• The video showed the attack earlier reported by the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. It had offered no details about the boarding in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah. Though the AP could not immediately verify it, it corresponded to known details of the boarding and the helicopter involved appeared to be one used by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which has carried out other ship raids in the past.
• A direct Israel-Iran conflict would significantly rachet up hostilities in the Middle East, where tensions have been rising since Israel began its war against Hamas in Gaza in October, after the Iran-backed militant group invaded the country and killed about 1,200 people, a Bloomberg report cited
• Meanwhile, oil jumped to the highest level since October on the news, rallying as much as 2.6% to top $92 a barrel. Futures have surged 19% this year with the war adding risk premium to the market.
• According to commodity market experts, gold and silver prices are skyrocketing despite the rise in the US dollar rates and the US Treasury yields, which is because of the rise in demand for gold and silver as a safer haven. They said that the immediate reason for the rise in the safer haven demand is escalating tension in the Middle East on Iran-Israel war buzz.
  (With inputs from agencies)