Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, died on Tuesday at the age of 93 after being hospitalized, the Georgian public broadcaster First Channel reported.

The announcement was made outside Tbilisi’s Caucasus Medical Centre by Metropolitan Shio Mujiri, Locum Tenens of the Georgian Patriarchal Throne, according to the report.

Following a deterioration in his health, Ilia II had initially been taken to the Chapidze Clinic and subsequently transferred to the Caucasus Medical Centre. He led the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1977.

Following the news of the patriarch’s death, Georgia declared a national day of mourning.

According to the government decree, state flags will be flown at half-mast on administrative buildings across the country.

Ilia II will lie in state at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, according to Archpriest Andria Jaghmaidze, Head of the Georgian Orthodox Church’s Public Relations Service.

Iranian state media confirmed Tuesday that Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, is dead, hours after Israel said he and another senior official were killed in overnight airstrikes.

“Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, has been martyred,” the Fars News Agency reported on social media.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also confirmed that Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC’s internal security militia known as Basij, has been killed in the strikes.

Larijani is the second most senior Iranian official to be assassinated since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in targeted strikes on his compound on the first day of the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posed a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.

A projectile hit an area near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday evening, however it caused ‌no damage or injuries, Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“The IAEA has been informed by Iran that a projectile hit the premises of the Bushehr NPP on Tuesday evening. No damage to the plant or injuries to staff reported. Director General Rafael Grossi reiterates call for maximum restraint during the conflict to prevent risk of a nuclear accident,” the IAEA said in a statement on X.

The strike came in the third week of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation, condemned the strike. 

Reuters reported citing a statement from Rosatom that radiation levels around the ⁠plant, whose construction was started by a German company in the 1970s and later completed by Russia, ⁠were normal and there were no injuries among staff.

An Iranian “projectile” caused a small fire at an Australian military base in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday but no Australian personnel were harmed, Associated Press reported citing Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The weapon struck a road outside the Al Minhad Air Base near Dubai around 2 a.m. and ignited the fire that damaged an accommodation block and medical facility, Albanese said.

“There was an Iranian projectile (that) hit near that base. I can confirm that no Australian personnel were injured and everyone is absolutely safe at this point in time,” Albanese told reporters in Tasmania state, according to Associated Press.

“There was minor damage to an accommodation block and a medical facility due to a small fire that was created as a result of that projectile hitting on a road leading up to that base,” he added.

Albanese did not say how many personnel were at the base at the time or whether nationals of any other country were present.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posed a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia shot down a ballistic missile targeting the area around Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts American forces and aircraft, Associated Press reported citing the Saudi defense ministry.

Hours later the Saudi defense ministry reported that the military shot down three drones in Saudi airspace.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posed a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.

Two Israeli strikes on residential apartments in central Beirut’s Basta and Zokak Al-Blat neighborhoods early Wednesday killed at least six people and wounded 24 others, Associated Press reported citing the Lebanese Health Ministry.

The strikes, which came without warning, hit areas far from Beirut’s southern suburbs, for which the Israeli army had issued evacuation notices.

3 others were killed in Qennarit.

4 people were killed and 7 wounded in Baalbek, according to NNA news agency.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it hit several Israeli military locations in border areas.

Lebanese health authorities earlier said that 886 people, including 67 women and 111 children, have been killed and another 2,141 injured since Israel began striking what it describes as Hezbollah strongholds amid the war in Iran.

Kuwait’s National Guard announced on Wednesday that its task force shot down seven drones at dawn within its areas of responsibility, Arab Times reported citing official spokesperson Brigadier General Dr. Jad’an Fadel.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posed a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.

Two people have been killed in an Iranian ballistic missile impact in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan, The Times of Israel reported citing the local ambulance service.

Another person was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posed a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s top counterterrorism official has resigned over the war in Iran, urging the president to “reverse course”.

In a letter posted on X, National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent said that Iran posed “no imminent threat” to the US and claimed the administration “started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby”.

“After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today. I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby. It has been an honor serving under the President of the United States and Director of National Intelligence and leading the professionals at NCTC. May God bless America,” Kent said on X, posting his resignation letter.

Asked to comment at the White House, Trump said Kent was a “nice guy”, but “weak on security”.

He also said Kent’s resignation letter had made him realize “it was a good thing that he’s out,” the BBC reported.

The White House dismissed the letter, saying the president had “compelling evidence” that Iran was going to attack the US first.

CNN reported citing two White House officials and a person familiar with the matter that Kent met with Vice President JD Vance on Monday, laying out why he intended to step down over concerns about the war in Iran and presenting his resignation letter.

The person familiar with the meeting told CNN that Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard were in the room as Kent laid out his reasoning, and the White House officials said Vance encouraged Kent to speak with Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, before formally submitting his resignation. One of the officials said he ultimately did so before making his public statement.

The U.S. aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, deployed in operations against Iran, is expected to temporarily pull into port after a fire on board, Reuters reported citing U.S. officials.

The carrier, America’s newest and the world’s largest, is currently located in the Red Sea. It is expected to temporarily go to Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete, according to the report.

The warship has been deployed for nine months, including taking part in operations against Venezuela in the Caribbean ⁠prior to arriving in the Middle East.

The officials, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, did not say how long the Ford was expected to remain in Crete.

One of the officials said nearly 200 sailors were treated for smoke-related injuries when the fire broke out in the ship’s main laundry area. The fire took hours to bring under control and had an impact on roughly 100 sleeping berths.

After the fire initially broke out, the U.S. military had said that there was no ⁠damage to the ship’s propulsion plant and the aircraft carrier was fully operational.

The Ford, ⁠with more than 5,000 sailors aboard, has more than 75 military aircraft, including fighter aircraft like the F-18 Super Hornets.