Iran seized the relevant ships, and Israel was on high alert

The situation in the Middle East has aroused global concern.

According to US media and Israeli media reports on the 12th, US intelligence shows that Iran may launch an attack on Israel within 48 hours. According to the report, Iran is moving military equipment such as drones and cruise missiles. On the 12th, several departments of the Israeli government held a meeting to formulate countermeasures. The diplomatic departments of many countries and embassies and consulates abroad have also recently issued announcements reminding their citizens not to travel to Israel, Iran and other countries unless necessary.

According to the latest reports in the Iranian media, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized a cargo ship linked to Israel in the Persian Gulf. According to the IANA news agency, the ship is currently heading to Iranian waters.

On April 1, local time, the consular section building of the Iranian Embassy in Syria was attacked by Israeli missiles, and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed that seven members were killed in the attack, including two senior commanders. Iran had previously warned that it would be "punished".

Affected by the situation in the Middle East, the global market has fluctuated significantly. U.S. stocks fell sharply overnight, and assets such as gold, crude oil, and bitcoin also fluctuated sharply.

Iranian media: Iran seized an Israeli-linked vessel near the Strait of Hormuz

On the 13th local time, Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported that the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized a cargo ship related to Israel near the Strait of Hormuz. According to the IANA news agency, the ship is currently heading to Iranian waters.

It was reported that the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship, called "MSC Aries", was linked to the London-based company "Zodiac Maritime", which is owned by an Israeli named "Eyal Ofer".

An Israeli spokesman said Israel was on high alert

On the 13th local time, IDF spokesman Hagari issued a video statement saying that if Iran chooses to further escalate the situation, it will bear the consequences.

Hagari said Israel is on high alert and ready to protect Israel from further attacks by Iran. The IDF, together with its allies, will take the necessary measures to protect the Israeli people.

Military Adviser to the Supreme Leader of Iran: Israel is already in a state of panic

According to Iranian media reports on the 13th local time, Safavi, the military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei, said on the 12th that Israel's military attack on Rafah has been temporarily stopped so that it can respond to Iran's "retaliatory actions that I don't know when and where."

Safavid said Israel has been in a state of panic and alert for a week.

The building of the consular section of the Iranian Embassy in Syria in Damascus, the capital of Syria, was hit by a missile attack on the 1st of this month, killing many people, including senior commanders of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran said the attack was carried out by Israel, warning it would be "punished."

The Israeli government met to discuss a response to a possible Iranian attack

Fearing that Iran may be about to launch a retaliatory attack on Israel, several departments of the Israeli government held a meeting on the 12th to formulate countermeasures.

On the 12th local time, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said that Israel's wartime cabinet held a meeting on the same day, and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu asked for an assessment of the current situation in response to a possible retaliatory attack by Iran. According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu is also scheduled to hold an emergency meeting with various Israeli government departments later on the 12th. The Israeli Minister of National Security's Office issued a statement on the same day, saying that the Israeli fire and rescue department and the police department also held a meeting on the 12th to discuss the response plan to the Iranian attack.

• The Secretary of Defense met with the commander of the U.S. Central Command

On the 12th local time, Israeli Defense Minister Gallant met with the visiting US Central Command Commander Kurilla. The parties discussed Israel's preparations in response to a possible Iranian attack.

• Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Army: The Israeli Army is ready to respond to any situation

On the same day, IDF Chief of Staff Al-Halevi gave a comprehensive assessment of the Israeli army's readiness to respond to "all scenarios." Al-Halevi said that the Israeli military is ready to respond to any situation, continues to closely monitor the situation on Iran and other fronts, and is ready to coordinate and cooperate with the US military to deal with existing and potential threats.

Many countries issue Iran travel warnings, and the United States urges Iran to "don't do it"

Germany and Austria issued travel warnings on the 12th, urging their citizens to leave Iran as soon as possible. Countries such as India and France also called on their citizens not to travel to Iran and Israel on the same day.

On the same day, US President Joseph Biden said he thought Iran could launch a retaliatory attack on Israel "soon," while urging Iran "not to" launch an attack.

"Leave as soon as possible"

The German Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the 12th that the current tension between Israel and Iran has a "risk of sudden escalation" and does not rule out the possibility of affecting "land, sea and air communication routes". The statement also warned that German citizens are at risk of being "arrested", especially those with dual Iranian-German citizenship.

The Austrian Foreign Ministry similarly urged its citizens to leave Iran later on the 12th.

On the 11th and 12th, India, France, Poland, Russia, and the United States all issued statements calling on their citizens to pay attention to the current security situation in the Middle East and not to travel to countries such as Iran and Israel.

German Lufthansa announced on the 12th that in view of the current situation, the company will continue to suspend flights to and from Tehran until April 18.

Austrian Airlines, part of the Lufthansa Group, has taken similar grounding measures. The company said on the 12th: "We continue to assess the situation in the Middle East and maintain close contact with relevant departments for this purpose." According to Reuters, Austrian Airlines is currently the last airline in Western Europe to operate routes to and from Iran.

"Don't do it"

U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters at the White House on the 12th that he would not divulge security information, but he believed that Iran might launch a retaliatory attack on Israel "soon."

When asked by a reporter what Biden thought about it and said to Iran, Biden said: "Don't (launch an attack). ”

According to Biden, the United States is "committed to defending Israel" and will help defend Israel, and "Iran will not succeed."

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said on the 12th that the Israeli and US militaries have conducted a situation assessment on a possible Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel to ensure that the two sides closely coordinate their actions. At the same time, he stressed that Israel's air defense system is "not foolproof" and that the Israeli population "should be on high alert for a potential Iranian attack."

Earlier on the 12th, John Kirby, the coordinator of strategic communications at the White House National Security Council, told reporters that Iran was reportedly about to launch an attack on Israel, and that the threat was "real" and "possible", but he did not disclose when the attack might occur.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on the 12th, the U.S. military has rapidly deployed warships to protect Israeli and U.S. forces in the region, hoping to prevent a direct attack by Iran that may be launched as early as the 12th or 13th. However, the report quoted an Iranian source as saying that while plans to attack Israel are being discussed, the final decision has not yet been made.

According to a report by the Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency on the 12th, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian recently criticized some Western countries for the attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria, avoiding condemning this violation of international law and conventions, and instead continuing to support the "atrocities of the Israeli regime".

The global market is shaken

Affected by the situation in the Middle East, the global market has been greatly shaken.

On April 12, local time, U.S. stocks fell sharply, as of the close, the Dow fell 1.24%, the Nasdaq fell 1.62%, and the S&P 500 fell 1.46%. The 11 major sectors of the S&P 500 fell across the board, with bank stocks falling across the board, and JPMorgan Chase fell 6.43%, the biggest drop since June 2020.

Gold prices fluctuated violently, with London gold rising nearly 2.5% to $2,431.78 an ounce, setting a new all-time record. It was down 1.25% at $2,343.285 an ounce at the end of the session. COMEX gold futures closed down 0.53% at $2,360.2 an ounce, up more than 3% at one point during the session.

International oil prices also fluctuated sharply, and the price of crude oil futures in New York rose by more than 3% intraday, and finally closed up 0.51%.

The U.S. dollar index rose sharply, rising 0.69% on the day.

The virtual currency market has also shaken significantly. Bitcoin briefly fell near $65,000 before rebounding above $67,000, according to CoinGlass data.

In the past 24 hours, nearly 300,000 people have liquidated positions in the virtual currency market, with a total amount of $940 million.

Comprehensive CCTV news client related reports

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Proofreader: Liu Rongzhi

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