Tehran

Israel launched more deadly strikes on besieged Gaza on Thursday as world powers watched nervously whether the country would retaliate against a weekend attack by its arch enemy Iran.

The Israeli army said it had bombed dozens of targets in the Palestinian coastal territory of 2.4 million people, more than six months into the bloodiest ever Gaza war.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron urged the G7 Wednesday to adopt new "coordinated sanctions" against Iran after its weekend attack on Israel, ahead of a meeting with counterparts from the Western-led grouping in Italy.

South Korea and Japan shared "serious concerns" on the recent weakness of their currencies against the dollar and agreed to take "appropriate actions" to counter extreme volatility, the finance ministry in Seoul said Wednesday.

In the wake of Iran's recent drone and missile assault on Israel, the European Union (EU) and the United States are gearing up to expand sanctions against Tehran. The move, driven by mounting concerns over Iran's aggressive military actions, marks a significant escalation in international pressure on the Iranian regime.

Israel and Iran traded threats after Tehran's first-ever direct attack on its arch-foe sharply heightened tensions in a region already on edge after six months of war in Gaza.

The European Union will prepare to expand its sanctions on Iran in response to Tehran's attack on Israel, EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Tuesday after an emergency video conference of the bloc's foreign ministers.

Iran's attack on Israel with more than 300 missiles and drones is a signification escalation of the conflict between the two. For the first time, Iran struck directly at Israel itself, not through proxies. Tehran had given notice that it would respond to the Israeli attack on its consulate in Damascus on April 1.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that further escalation in the Middle East could have "catastrophic consequences," during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi, the Kremlin said Tuesday.

Asian stocks fell and oil prices climbed Tuesday on growing fears of a wider war in the Middle East after Israel's army chief vowed a response to Iran's unprecedented attack on his country at the weekend.

The Islamic world should increase its efforts to stop the Israeli brutality against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, as Türkiye is ramping up its diplomatic push to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.