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Just Travel Cover   Reviews

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Reviews 4.5.

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Competitive pricing

Competitive pricing and range of cover options to suit all scenarios and budgets. Easy to buy cover wanted and all documents emailed immediately. Haven't (& hope I never need to) tested how efficient the claims process is, but five stars so far!

Date of experience : January 28, 2024

A great website very easy to use and…

A great website very easy to use and being able to screen your medical conditions is a bonus. Excellent price as well. Booked for myself and all my family. Would highly recommend.

Date of experience : January 26, 2024

The cover might seem cheap

The cover might seem cheap, but the actual policy is with AIG(check their reviews on Trust Pilot). When you need to claim it’s a nightmare.

Date of experience : February 09, 2024

Comparison sites are key to savings.

After paying a large amount of money with our existing travel insurer, and was reasonably happy with the quote because of my husbands pre existing conditions and the overall increase in insurance, then by chance I did a price comparison online and found that 'Just Travel Insurance' could do the same policy for half the cost we had just paid. Luckily we had a fourteen day cooling off period with the company we had just paid and they were very understanding and refunded our monies and cancelled the policy. The moral of this story is always check you have the best price, do the comparison sites.

Date of experience : January 31, 2024

phone call answered quickly

phone call answered quickly. applivation dealt with efficiiently also a fair price

Date of experience : February 01, 2024

Purchased but forgot to register

Purchased but forgot to register. Wished we could have given flight details on purchase .

Date of experience : February 02, 2024

The Go Extra Cover Silver is an…

The Go Extra Cover Silver is an excellent product. Benefits are slightly less than one or two other big providers but their cost is much cheaper. The staff are very helpful and knowledgable. I've used them for past 3 years and will continue to do so. I also monitor their performance against other providers.

Date of experience : January 17, 2024

Used the company many times before , quick and easy to use.

Date of experience : January 24, 2024

Annual travel insurance

The company use a UK call centre and the person I spoke with was very helpful and knowledgeable. The quote given for multi-trip annual travel insurance within Europe was very competitive.

Date of experience : January 10, 2024

Thorough and detailed review of needs…

Thorough and detailed review of needs for myself and my partner. Time taken to explain carefully options and choices along with costs. Rime taken to go through my needs with a pre existing health issue N pressure at all Clearly defined processes throughout phone call. Good service and was recommended by a lady from Cruise 1st

Date of experience : October 29, 2023

Easy to useI …

I found the website very easy to navigate and purchase the cover that I required . I have used this site before and will again.

Date of experience : January 04, 2024

Affordable cover with great service

We have used Just Travel for the past years.Today was renewal day which I wasn't looking forward to given my husband had a heart attack and CABG last year whilst on holiday in Turkey which the insurance we had via Just Travel fully covered. Today Danielle provided great service friendly polite and patient and found us a new policy within our budget providing all the cover we need, even taking time to clarify the medical underwriters on the new policy, thank you. We've recommended Just Travel to many friends and will continue to do so.

Date of experience : July 13, 2023

The first quote I received said that I…

The first quote I received said that I had no health issues, although I had listed one. I saved this quote and decided to do a second one the next day. This time everything was listed for myself and my wife. Although we both have some, minor, health issue I feel we were offered insurance at a reasonable price. It’s quick and easy to enter the information required, but I would suggest you need to check everything before accepting one of the quotes.

Date of experience : August 28, 2023

It all felt very straight forward

It all felt very straight forward . The chap did not treat me like a geriatric idiot. Was chatty but professional . He was not obviously reading from a script. There was a feeling of good personal service which I fear is sadly lacking in so many on line or telephone services. Dread the march of AI. Personal touch is so much better.

Date of experience : May 19, 2023

Recommended to us by ROL cruise specialists

Recommended by ROL cruise specialists, so we thought we’d give them a try. Just taken out a policy for a single trip insurance for hubby and I. It was straight forward going through medical questions and the price was better than another quote I had. Friendly staff, would’ve given 5 stars but I’d have to see how good they are, should we need to claim.

Date of experience : October 03, 2023

well easy website,with everything…

well easy website,with everything straightforward , if you need to contact there is a telephone number plus e mail, and live chat, everything went superbly as usual. use this firm regular, not claimed yet so cant comment on the essential bit

Date of experience : May 29, 2023

MY policy was dealt with On-line and…

MY policy was dealt with On-line and was easy to use

Date of experience : January 19, 2024

Pre existing conditions covered!!

After three days of trying to get travel insurance due to medical issues, not only did I find one with all pre existing conditions covered but also zero excess and very very cheap too. Brilliant service. Definitely recommend

If in doubt give them a shout - I done an online quote for an annual…

I done an online quote for an annual cover for my wife and l - but l wasnt sure l had included our health details I called the number and l was guided through my application. I had missed the health section which we quickly added and completed by application and purchased the policy. As the saying goes better to be safe not sorry.

Date of experience : December 02, 2022

I needed travel insurance to go to…Singapore and Thailand

I needed travel insurance to go to Singapore and Thailand. I have various medical problems I had to declare but lady called Kayleigh dealt with me and made everything extremely easy. She found me a brilliant price and was very pleasant and chatty.

Date of experience : June 08, 2023

Hi there! I'm Maya, your AI travel assistant

Consider me your very own virtual travel agent - share your next trip idea with me, and I'll help create a trip plan just for you. Leveraging ChatGPT and Live the World's travel expertise, I am committed to making your trip unforgettable! Not sure where you want to go yet? Let’s chat about the type of trip you have in mind and I’ll recommend a destination that’s perfect for you. Looking for somewhere to stay? Once we know where you’re headed, I’ll happily recommend hotels based on your budget and travel style.

Are you a travel agency?

With more and more travellers using an AI trip planner for travel planning, don’t get left behind. Get in touch and find out how you can incorporate Maya into your own company, or learn more here.

How to get your itinerary:

Chat with Maya

Collaborate on a draft plan

Get a full trip plan

Save & Share

Imagine having a personal travel agent in your pocket, 24/7. Using AI technology, Maya is your answer to fun, easy travel planning, offering up personalized recommendations, itineraries, and travel advice at no cost to you.

Yes, Maya is your 100% free AI travel planner, at your service!

Maya curates recommendations by asking you a few simple questions about your unique travel style, preferences, and requirements. By answering these questions, you give Maya the ability to make sure every aspect of your trip is tailored perfectly to your wants and needs.

At the moment, Maya is unable to chat offline. However, you can download your full travel plan as a PDF so you can easily access it on the go.

Maya is an AI assistant that can recommend hotels based on your destination, budget, group size, and any specifics you’re looking for in your accommodation.

Once you have selected your hotel, you will be directed to our partner site to make your booking directly. You’ll get the best price available, and Maya will receive a small commission!

Of course! Maya isn’t just a top-notch trip planner, she can also use her travel expertise to recommend destinations that she thinks you will love based on the type of trip you want. Maya can plan your trip from start to finish, all in one place.

Once you have received your full trip plan, you can easily go back and continue chatting with Maya to adjust it to your preferences and schedule. Maya is committed to making sure you’re 100% happy! And if you don’t have time to edit it right away, you can save your plan to come back to later.

Yes once you have generated your full AI trip plan, you can easily share it with your travel buddies via email so you can all start getting excited!

She sure can! Maya is ready to give you 24/7 customer service whether it’s answering questions or giving recommendations.

Yes! Maya is available for travel agencies to implement as their very own white-label AI travel assistant offering 24/7 service to your customers, helping to improve client experience and boost your business. Click here to learn more.

Never run out of things to do! Sign up to our newsletter today, what are you waiting for?

Don't search, just ask Layla. Your AI travel planner.

Other people are asking:

Your travel bucketlist starts here

Roam around is now layla. share where you're headed, and i'll craft an itinerary just for you., change how you travel with ai, layla is your ultimate travel sidekick. yes, she’s powered by ai, but not ai as you know it. forget the endless hours of trip research, she’ll curate personalized ideas for you based on what you actually like, showcasing trip destinations through insta-worthy videos. once you’ve found the right spot, layla will find you the ideal flights and perfect stays, whatever your budget. partnered with skyscanner and booking.com, layla will make your trip planning seamless from dream destination to unforgettable exploration..

Cute things people have said about Layla

Time for a humble brag. sorry, not sorry., “an absolutely amazing app, so much incredible information available, produces fantastic itineraries. great videos, reels etc.”, “fav new app. literally planned a whole trip to thailand for me. she's really funny and i love the bucketlists”, “layla is a fascinating, inspirational ai trip planning tool that can really open my eyes to things i want to see and do.”, “i'm traveling in #bali for a month, and i found out about this platform yesterday.i swear i'm in shock. it's like talking to a human, funny, asks questions for better responses, and knows everything.”, “it was like chatting with that one friend who's been everywhere, done everything, and has the best travel recommendations regardless of which country you are asking for”, names you might know from layla’s travel dream team, i’d be nothing without them (literally)., not just a website, for the ultimate virtual travel agent experience download the free layla app., snap up best flights & hotels, layla will accurately predict the flight prices, and find you the perfect rate for the hotel you’ve been daydreaming of., plan with your friends, create bucketlists and invite your pals to collaborate with you on your trip together, adding hotels you like, places to see and itineraries for your stay., save your chats, travel inspiration comes in waves. each chat you’ve had with layla is saved to your profile to check back on whenever you’re ready to pick up the convo again., bring layla with you every step of the way.

With the Layla app, your travel plans & your curator team are always just a tap away.

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Working With Us

Want to partner with the uk’s best travel insurance provider*.

Just Travel Cover is an award-winning Travel Insurance provider, helping people of all ages find the Travel Insurance they need for peace of mind.

With a panel of insurers and cover for all ages, medical conditions, cruises, winter sports and more, conversion is high and customers leave happy – that’s why we won ‘Best Travel Insurance Provider’ at the Insurance Choice Awards 2023.

At Just Travel Cover we work with a variety of partners across the insurance and travel industries and are always happy to discuss new opportunities.

What type of business are you?

Use the links below to find out more about the different types of partnerships we offer..

Copyright © 2023. Just Travel Cover

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Call: 0800 294 2969

Monday - Thursday 9am - 6pm, Friday 9am - 5.30pm

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Justtravelcover.com is a trading style of Just Insurance Agents Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) number 610022 for General Insurance Distribution activities. Registered in England. Company No 05399196, Victoria House, Toward Road, Sunderland SR1 2QF. Our services are covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service. If you cannot settle a complaint with us, eligible complainants may be entitled to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service for an independent assessment. The FOS Consumer Helpline is on 0800 023 4567 and their address is: Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR. Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

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See our other products: ChatBot - AI bot platform | HelpDesk - support ticket system | KnowledgeBase - help center for website

Convert travel enquiries into bookings

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By clicking "SIGN UP FREE" you create an account and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

Informed customers are more eager to book

When choosing a perfect holiday destination, customers like to gather as much information as possible. Chatting is a quick and easy way of doing that. Providing information on lodging, prices, pet policy or even the weather may determine if a customer chooses one of your trips.

Most customers are on the site for information and the ability to engage them opens them up to dialogue with our agents, eventually leading to better conversion. LiveChat has increased our sales from 10 to 15 percent!

– Greg Fisher, CEO and co-founder of Tripshock

Send your expenses on a one-way trip

You don’t have to spend fortune to offer good customer service. Thanks to LiveChat, travel agents can respond to several enquiries at the same time without breaking a sweat. Try doing that over a phone call! Send your expenses on a one-way journey by having fewer employees handle more enquiries.

We can reduce phone costs, increase time on site and increase conversions by offering suggestions via LiveChat.

Send your offer in a flash

When your visitors ask about travel fees, you don’t have to write the same response over and over again.

LiveChat allows you to save answers to common questions about your offer and send them with only a few of keystrokes. Your visitors will appreciate the swiftness of your response!

We really enjoy the canned response feature which helps our agents answer some of the more frequent questions more quickly.

– Dustin Burke, IT Coordinator at Cabins of the Smoky Mountains

Best solution for tourism and travel services

Measure your efficiency, integral part of the website, be available 24/7, livechat in the travel industry: tripshock.

TripShock gets a double-digit growth in sales by shifting customer service to LiveChat:

“We have increased interaction with our users by 50 percent since implementing LiveChat. Increased interaction has a direct correlation with sales and we see it in our conversions.”

These travel and tourism companies already use LiveChat

Use livechat to help your customers, start chatting with customers within minutes, free 14-day trial, no credit card required..

Airchat: Just Talk 12+

Always someone to talk to, woosh, inc..

• #78 in Social Networking
• 4.3 • 134 Ratings

iPhone Screenshots

Description.

Always someone to talk to.

Version 3.0.6

Bug fixes and improvements

Ratings and Reviews

134 Ratings

Delightfully human. Voice brings posts to life.

Consuming and creating posts on Airchat is refreshingly engaging and stimulating like an in-person conversation. It’s actively being build as we use it, but it’s stable and complete enough to have interactions with others. Looking forward to features, new connections, and inviting friends in the weeks ahead. I’d expect for some accessibility improvements to the design (low contrast text and icons), and to input (all folks may not have voice as a possible input, so an AI or Personal Voice could help connect all users one day), text transcriptions already enable consumption of content for all.

Not accessible.

I can tell accessibility was not thought of before the process of design started, ideally at conception level. Having done an high-level walkthrough the app using accessibility tools, the most I could give the app is 1-star. Anyone using a screen reader will be so confused and disoriented when VoiceOver or TalkBack read through “image” and generated AI alt text is a huge failure. AI will never be the answer for accessibility in any way, shape, or form. So the usual pushing live an inaccessible app is highly disappointing but expected in the eyes of the accessibility and disabled community. Now the devs aren’t to blame. This lies at the top. So the developers at some point will need to go back and take the time to make it accessible, if the company chooses to do so. Which costs money, time, and resources. This is why accessibility should be thought of from the very beginning before design. This app could be a game changer, yet instead falls into the category of just another mediocre app with great potential.

The Next Step

The warmth and intimacy of voice combined with the breadth and detail of Twitter. Start, join, enjoy, or be a fly on the wall to fabulous cocktail party-esqu conversations anytime and anywhere. My new go-to in connecting with new friends and old, birds of a feather and birds of fancy, super cool app and community. A salon/coffeehouse for the modern world, as big or as small as you want it.

App Privacy

The developer, Woosh, Inc. , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

• Contact Info
• User Content
• Identifiers
• Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• Developer Website
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Join travel reporter andrea sachs, environment reporter kasha patel and climate coach michael coren for a live chat on monday at 1 p.m. et..

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How have the parks changed over the years? How is climate change threatening the parks? When is the best time to travel to them? What are our favorite parks? We’ll be answering those questions and more on Monday.

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The longevity vacation: why bar-hopping holidays are out and extreme wellness breaks are in

Would a £35,000 holiday help you live longer or just leave you bankrupt? A surprising number of people are paying to find out

Name: Longevity vacations.

Age: New, but I’ll be older, hopefully.

When? When I die.

Eh? It’ll become clear. Anyway, I’m going on holiday.

Lovely. Club 18-30 , is it? Actually, Club 18-30 no longer exists . In any case, I’m thinking more like 90-120, if you see what I mean.

Not really. Are you going bar-hopping in Magaluf ? Certainly not.

Is it a trip to Vegas? World capital of debauchery. What happens there stays there, you know. No!

Hedonism on Ibiza? No, it’s 2024, not the 1990s! Debauchery is over, darling.

Oh. So where are you going? On a longevity vacation.

A long holiday? No, a longevity vacation.

Right. What’s that? Part of a growing trend for wellness tourism.

Ah, the W-word, that’s what this is about. What does one do on a longevity vacation? Well, I’m going to the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Hawaii where I’ll be having the longevity protocol.

Which is? “A multi-faceted approach that optimises your body’s natural healing mechanisms and balance.” It comprises “cutting-edge therapies such as ozone, stem cells, exosomes and NAD+”.

I don’t know what all of that is, but it sounds cool . Put me down for one – you’ve got yourself a travel companion ! Great! Just one thing: it costs £35,351.

Oh. You could just have a bit of ozone therapy , where they take out some of your blood, dissolve ozone in it, then put it back.

How much? It’s £964. Or there is the cranial release technique , whereby a chiropractor “works to restore proper function to the nervous system and proper balance to body structure”, for only £225. But this is just one very high-end resort; wellness tourism is spreading all over the world. The Global Wellness Institute expects the market to top $1tn (£800bn) this year.

Anything for the less rich? You can get a biological age test for a couple of hundred quid.

Or I could just look in my passport. Biological age, not chronological. It’s about the rate you are ageing physically.

I’m feeling quite old. But I think that’s because, everywhere I look, people are obsess ed with longevity. What do doctors say? “There isn’t a single proven treatment that would prolong the life of someone who’s already healthy,” Dr Mark Loafman, a family doctor in Chicago, told the Wall Street Journal . “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Do say: “On second thoughts, I’m just going to eat healthily, run on the beach and swim in the sea.”

Don’t say: “Party like it’s 1999!”

• Health and fitness holidays
• Health & wellbeing

Most viewed

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Allclear travel insurance, staysure travel insurance, avanti travel insurance.

Just Travel Cover   Reviews

In the Travel Insurance Company category

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.5.

Most relevant

Competitive pricing

Competitive pricing and range of cover options to suit all scenarios and budgets. Easy to buy cover wanted and all documents emailed immediately. Haven't (& hope I never need to) tested how efficient the claims process is, but five stars so far!

Date of experience : 28 January 2024

A great website very easy to use and…

A great website very easy to use and being able to screen your medical conditions is a bonus. Excellent price as well. Booked for myself and all my family. Would highly recommend.

Date of experience : 26 January 2024

The cover might seem cheap

The cover might seem cheap, but the actual policy is with AIG(check their reviews on Trust Pilot). When you need to claim it’s a nightmare.

Date of experience : 09 February 2024

Comparison sites are key to savings.

After paying a large amount of money with our existing travel insurer, and was reasonably happy with the quote because of my husbands pre existing conditions and the overall increase in insurance, then by chance I did a price comparison online and found that 'Just Travel Insurance' could do the same policy for half the cost we had just paid. Luckily we had a fourteen day cooling off period with the company we had just paid and they were very understanding and refunded our monies and cancelled the policy. The moral of this story is always check you have the best price, do the comparison sites.

Date of experience : 31 January 2024

phone call answered quickly

phone call answered quickly. applivation dealt with efficiiently also a fair price

Date of experience : 01 February 2024

Purchased but forgot to register

Purchased but forgot to register. Wished we could have given flight details on purchase .

Date of experience : 02 February 2024

The Go Extra Cover Silver is an…

The Go Extra Cover Silver is an excellent product. Benefits are slightly less than one or two other big providers but their cost is much cheaper. The staff are very helpful and knowledgable. I've used them for past 3 years and will continue to do so. I also monitor their performance against other providers.

Date of experience : 17 January 2024

Used the company many times before , quick and easy to use.

Date of experience : 24 January 2024

Annual travel insurance

The company use a UK call centre and the person I spoke with was very helpful and knowledgeable. The quote given for multi-trip annual travel insurance within Europe was very competitive.

Date of experience : 10 January 2024

Thorough and detailed review of needs…

Thorough and detailed review of needs for myself and my partner. Time taken to explain carefully options and choices along with costs. Rime taken to go through my needs with a pre existing health issue N pressure at all Clearly defined processes throughout phone call. Good service and was recommended by a lady from Cruise 1st

Date of experience : 29 October 2023

Easy to useI …

I found the website very easy to navigate and purchase the cover that I required . I have used this site before and will again.

Date of experience : 04 January 2024

Affordable cover with great service

We have used Just Travel for the past years.Today was renewal day which I wasn't looking forward to given my husband had a heart attack and CABG last year whilst on holiday in Turkey which the insurance we had via Just Travel fully covered. Today Danielle provided great service friendly polite and patient and found us a new policy within our budget providing all the cover we need, even taking time to clarify the medical underwriters on the new policy, thank you. We've recommended Just Travel to many friends and will continue to do so.

Date of experience : 13 July 2023

The first quote I received said that I…

The first quote I received said that I had no health issues, although I had listed one. I saved this quote and decided to do a second one the next day. This time everything was listed for myself and my wife. Although we both have some, minor, health issue I feel we were offered insurance at a reasonable price. It’s quick and easy to enter the information required, but I would suggest you need to check everything before accepting one of the quotes.

Date of experience : 28 August 2023

It all felt very straight forward

It all felt very straight forward . The chap did not treat me like a geriatric idiot. Was chatty but professional . He was not obviously reading from a script. There was a feeling of good personal service which I fear is sadly lacking in so many on line or telephone services. Dread the march of AI. Personal touch is so much better.

Date of experience : 19 May 2023

Recommended to us by ROL cruise specialists

Recommended by ROL cruise specialists, so we thought we’d give them a try. Just taken out a policy for a single trip insurance for hubby and I. It was straight forward going through medical questions and the price was better than another quote I had. Friendly staff, would’ve given 5 stars but I’d have to see how good they are, should we need to claim.

Date of experience : 03 October 2023

well easy website,with everything…

well easy website,with everything straightforward , if you need to contact there is a telephone number plus e mail, and live chat, everything went superbly as usual. use this firm regular, not claimed yet so cant comment on the essential bit

Date of experience : 29 May 2023

MY policy was dealt with On-line and…

MY policy was dealt with On-line and was easy to use

Date of experience : 19 January 2024

Pre existing conditions covered!!

After three days of trying to get travel insurance due to medical issues, not only did I find one with all pre existing conditions covered but also zero excess and very very cheap too. Brilliant service. Definitely recommend

If in doubt give them a shout - I done an online quote for an annual…

I done an online quote for an annual cover for my wife and l - but l wasnt sure l had included our health details I called the number and l was guided through my application. I had missed the health section which we quickly added and completed by application and purchased the policy. As the saying goes better to be safe not sorry.

Date of experience : 02 December 2022

I needed travel insurance to go to…Singapore and Thailand

I needed travel insurance to go to Singapore and Thailand. I have various medical problems I had to declare but lady called Kayleigh dealt with me and made everything extremely easy. She found me a brilliant price and was very pleasant and chatty.

Date of experience : 08 June 2023

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Morning Rundown: Iranian media downplays impact of Israel's apparent strike, multi-state 911 outage raises alarm, and Taylor Swift drops a secret double album

Live updates: Israel assessing damage from limited strike in Iran

What we know.

• Israel carried out a limited military strike against Iran and is assessing its effectiveness and the damage it caused, a source familiar with the situation told NBC News.
• Iranian state media reports that air defense systems were engaged in several provinces and that nuclear sites in Isfahan, in central Iran, are safe. Meanwhile, the state media appeared to downplay the impact of a possible Israeli strike in the country.
• The U.S. was not involved in Israel's strike in Iran, a source familiar with the situation confirmed, adding that Israeli officials notified U.S. officials earlier that a response was coming.
• Flights in Iran resumed with no restrictions today. A state run news agency reported earlier that flights were suspended in the cities of Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz.
• Israel had vowed it would respond to Iran's retaliatory attack Saturday, when Iran fired more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel in its first direct military assault on the country. The strikes did not cause widespread damage or death.
• The Iranian strikes were in retaliation for an Israeli strike April 1 on an Iranian consular building in Syria, which killed two of Tehran’s top generals.

Suspected Iran spy ship sails home

Matthew Mulligan

Ahead of Israel’s response to Tehran’s retaliatory attack, a suspected Iranian spy ship appeared to be sailing home after nearly three years at sea.

The return of the MV Behshad, a cargo ship that U.S. analysts and officials suspect may have provided information and targeting assistance to Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, would remove one possible high-profile target for any Israeli strikes.

Iran has previously warned against targeting the ship, and in a sign of the heightened tensions over possible Israeli targets, a senior Iranian commander warned Thursday that the country could review its nuclear doctrine. 

“If Israel wants to use the threat of attacking nuclear centers to put pressure on Iran, it is likely that the nuclear doctrine and policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be reviewed and the considerations announced previously will be canceled,” Ahmad Haghtalab, the IRGC commander in charge of nuclear security, was quoted as saying by the country’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency.

Read the full story here.

No signs of panic in Israel after strikes on Iran

Raf Sanchez

Paul Goldman

TEL AVIV — Israelis woke up this morning to news that their government had struck back against Iran. In Tel Aviv, there were no signs of panic as people went about their shopping this morning before the start of the Jewish Sabbath at sundown. 

And unlike last Saturday — when the Israeli military ordered schools shut and banned large gatherings — no new restrictions were imposed on the country’s civilian population. 

Anita Bardin, an 83-year-old retired social worker, said she was dismayed that the cycle of escalation between Israel and Iran was continuing.  

“It’s like children’s play in a kindergarten. This needs to stop. Israel and other countries did an amazing job of blocking the Iranian attack so why continue?” she told NBC News. “Call it a win and stop.” 

Like many liberal Israelis, she said feared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was prolonging the war for his own political purposes.

“Bibi is interested only in himself and can’t call an end to the war so he does whatever he needs to survive,” she said using his nickname. “He is dangerous.”

British prime minister reaffirms Israel’s right to self-defense

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defense after Iran's retaliatory attack, and said Britain was working with allies to confirm details of the strike Israel apparently has carried out in response.

“We have condemned Iran’s reckless and dangerous barrage of missiles against Israel on Saturday, and Israel absolutely has the right to self-defense,” Sunak said in London today.

He also said he had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week that “significant escalation is not in anyone’s interest.”

“What we want to see is calm heads prevail across the region,” he said.

'Government of Iran wants to destroy Israel forever,' Biden warned recently

Phil Helsel

In calling for Congress to pass military aid to Israel and Ukraine, President Joe Biden this week wrote that “the government of Iran wants to destroy Israel forever,” as he condemned its April 13 retaliatory attack on the country.

Iran’s attack on Israel with 300 drones and missiles last weekend comes “after years of backing Hezbollah, Hamas and other proxies in their attacks on Israel, including Hamas’s brutal attack on Oct. 7,” Biden wrote on an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

Biden has been pressing the Republican-led House to pass military aid bills to help Israel and also give military assistance to Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.

"If Iran succeeds in significantly escalating its assault on Israel, the U.S. could be drawn in. Israel is our strongest partner in the Middle East; it’s unthinkable that we would stand by if its defenses were weakened and Iran was able to carry out the destruction it intended this weekend," he wrote.

CIA director: Iranian attack on Israel was a ‘spectacular failure’

Dan De Luce

Iran’s missile and drone barrage against Israel last weekend “turned out to be a spectacular failure,” with nearly all of the projectiles failing to hit Israel, CIA Director William Burns said yesterday.

Speaking at an event at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Burns said that the thwarting of the missile and drone assault showed the strength of Israel’s military and that it had “friends” in the world, including the U.S. and other countries that helped, as well.

“It’s a reminder of the quality of the Israeli military,” he said. “It’s a reminder of the fact that the Israelis have friends starting with the United States, but others, as well.”

Analysis: Silence from Israeli government is telling

TEL AVIV — Israel is neither confirming nor denying it was responsible for this morning’s attack on Iran. When approached by NBC News, both the Israeli prime minister’s office and the IDF responded with “no comment.”

There are currently no scheduled plans for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak publicly.

That official silence from the Israeli government is telling. If Israel was seen to be gloating about the strike, Iran’s government would likely face intense public pressure to retaliate.

By remaining silent, Israel is giving Iran space to minimize the incident and plausibly claim there’s no need for escalation. So far, that’s the path Iran is choosing. 

Sometimes what a government says about a military strike can be as important as the strike itself.

Iran says it shot down three small drones over Isfahan

Mithil Aggarwal

Iranian state media said the sound of several explosions in Isfahan province was caused by the destruction of three small drones.

The semi-official Mehr news agency said that no information about the drones was available as of yet and that a search for the wreckage was underway.

The agency said air defense systems had also fired at a “suspicious flying object” over the Iranian city of Tabriz.

Other Iranian state media reported that there had been no casualties or damage, including at the nuclear facility in Isfahan.

S&P cuts Israel’s credit rating on heightened geopolitical risk

Ratings agency S&P Global has cut Israel’s long-term ratings to A-plus from AA-minus after the confrontation with Iran heightened last weekend and amid the already elevated geopolitical risks for Israel.

“We forecast that Israel’s general government deficit will widen to 8% of GDP in 2024, mostly as a result of increased defense spending,” S&P Global said in its statement yesterday, before Israel’s overnight attack on Iran.

The negative outlook reflects the risk that the Israel-Hamas war and the confrontation with Hezbollah could escalate or affect Israel’s economy more than the agency currently expects.

“We currently see several possible military escalation risks, including a more substantial, direct, and sustained military confrontation with Iran,” the statement said.

Oman condemns what it calls ‘Israeli attack’ on Iran

Veronica Lin

The Gulf Arab state of Oman, which serves as a mediator between the U.S. and Iran, condemned what it called the “Israeli attack” on the Iranian city of Isfahan.

It also “condemns and denounces Israel’s repeated military attacks in the region,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Israeli officials largely silent; national security minister calls strike ‘feeble’

Israeli officials have remained largely silent on the country’s response today to Iran’s strikes last weekend, as Iranian officials downplay the impact of the overnight attack.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a member of a far-right party, summed up his thoughts in one word in a post on X : “Feeble.”

Another Israeli politician, Tally Gotliv of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right Likud party, was more celebratory.

“It is a morning where our heads are held high with pride,” she wrote on X , adding, “May we regain our deterrence power.”

Reporters in Iran say life is normal in Isfahan

Video from Iranian semi-official and government-controlled media showed reporters purportedly in Isfahan, the central Iranian city that appears to have been targeted in the overnight attack.

A reporter for the Tasnim news agency said there was no damage in Isfahan, which is home to Iranian nuclear facilities. He did not mention Israel.

“Everything is safe and sound. Nothing is going on,” he said.

U.S. vetoes widely supported resolution backing full U.N. membership for Palestine

The Associated Press

The United States vetoed a widely backed U.N. resolution yesterday that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent.

The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 in favor, the United States opposed and two abstentions, from the United Kingdom and Switzerland. U.S. allies France, Japan and South Korea supported the resolution.

The strong support the Palestinians received reflects not only the growing number of countries recognizing their statehood but almost certainly the global support for Palestinians facing a humanitarian crisis caused by the  war in Gaza , now in its seventh month.

The resolution would have recommended that the 193-member U.N. General Assembly, where there are no vetoes, approve Palestine becoming  the 194th member of the United Nations . Some 140 countries have already recognized Palestine, so its admission would have been approved, likely by a much higher number of countries.

U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the Security Council that the veto “does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood but instead is an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties.”

His voice breaking at times, Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the council after the vote: “The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will and it will not defeat our determination.”

“We will not stop in our effort,” he said. “The state of Palestine is inevitable. It is real. Perhaps they see it as far away, but we see it as near.”

U.N. secretary-general called for ‘maximum restraint’ to prevent wider war

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres had urged all parties to exercise “maximum restraint” to prevent the conflict between Iran and Israel from becoming a wider war.

“One miscalculation, one miscommunication, one mistake could lead to the unthinkable: a full-scale regional conflict that would be devastating for all involved and for the rest of the world,” Guterres said yesterday.

He condemned Iran’s April 13 attack on Israel with around 300 drones and missiles and said it was a “serious escalation.”

Guterres also had condemned Israel’s April 1 strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in Syria, which killed two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders.

The U.N. chief urged all sides to “end the bloody cycle of retaliation,” and said “the moment of maximum peril must be a time for maximum restraint.”

“Let me be clear: the risks are spiraling on many fronts. We have a shared responsibility to address those risks and pull the region back from the precipice,” Guterres said.

Iranian state media appears to downplay impact of strike

F. Brinley Bruton

Iranian state media appeared to downplay the impact of a possible Israeli retaliatory strike in the country.

"Situation normal after air defenses fire at 'suspicious objects' in Iran," a headline on English-language Press TV read.

Press TV also reported "the sound of explosions" near the Iranian cities of Isfahan and Tabriz "after air defense systems fired at 'suspicious objects' early Friday." Israel was not mentioned.

"Important facilities in the Isfahan province, especially nuclear facilities, are completely safe and no accidents have been reported," Press TV said, citing officials.

Tasnim News Agency, the news outlet associated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, posted video from Isfahan showing cars driving around, people getting coffee and flights resuming. 

Video appears to show airstrike over Iran

Video appears to show an airstrike near the city of Isfahan in Iran as Israel carried out a limited military attack in the country, according to a source familiar with the situation. NBC News National Security Reporter Dan De Luce looks at the early response from Iran and Israel.

IAEA: No damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities

The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that there is no damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities after an Israeli strike on the country, but it joined others in calling for restraint.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the agency, “continues to call for extreme restraint from everybody,” the IAEA said on social media platform X .

“IAEA is monitoring the situation very closely,” the agency said. Iranian state media also reported no damage to nuclear facilities in Isfahan and said they were “in complete safety.”

Biden imposes sanctions on Iran after drone and missile attack on Israel

Summer Concepcion

The Biden administration announced new sanctions earlier Thursday targeting Iran’s missile and drone program after its  attack on Israel  last weekend.

Biden said in a statement that the sanctions speak to the commitment he and fellow leaders of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations made to collectively ramp up economic pressure on the Iranian government.

Biden also noted that U.S. allies were issuing additional sanctions and measures in an effort to curtail Iran’s destabilizing military programs. The United Kingdom  announced sanctions  Thursday against Iranian military figures and organizations, and  European Union  leaders also said this week that they  would increase sanctions  against Iran.

“Let it be clear to all those who enable or support Iran’s attacks: The United States is committed to Israel’s security,” Biden said. “We are committed to the security of our personnel and partners in the region. And we will not hesitate to take all necessary action to hold you accountable.”

Hezbollah's second-in-command insists it isn't seeking war

Matt Bradley

Natasha Lebedeva

BEIRUT —  Iran-backed Hezbollah  is determined not to ramp up its monthslong firefight over Lebanon’s southern border, but it will respond in kind to any  Israeli escalation , the political party and militia’s second-in-command said in a rare and exclusive interview.

Naim Qassem faulted Israel and the U.S. for perpetuating  tit-for-tat attacks  that have  killed hundreds  in southern Lebanon and displaced tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border.

The conflict started with Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which killed more than 1,200 people and sparked Israel’s bloody incursion into the Gaza Strip, which has since killed nearly 34,000 people, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

“We didn’t expect the war would last this long because we didn’t think that Netanyahu was that foolish; same for Biden and the other countries,” Qassem said as Israel’s two-front conflict drags into its seventh month.

Iran flights resume after reports of Israel strike

The civil aviation organization that had suspended flights this morning announced that flights have resumed and the situation is normal.

There are no restrictions on domestic and international flights at the country’s airports. 

U.S. Embassy in Israel restricts movement of employees after strike

Acting “out of an abundance of caution,” the U.S. Embassy in Israel said it was restricting personal travel of government employees and their families following reports of an Israeli strike against Iran.

The restrictions are on personal travel outside the areas of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva, the embassy said in a security alert .

“The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem reminds U.S. citizens of the continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness as security incidents often take place without warning,” it said. “The security environment remains complex and can change quickly depending on the political situation and recent events.”

‘A lot will depend on how much damage was done,’ ex-CIA director Brennan says

Intelligence agencies will be trying to determine the scope of the Israeli strike's damage, and whether there are casualties or how many could increase pressure on Iran to respond, former CIA Director John Brennan said.

“‘A lot will depend on how much damage was done inside of Iran,” Brennan, who headed the agency from 2013 to January 2017, said on MSNBC.

Isfahan, a city in central Iran, is a “target-rich environment,” with an air base, a missile production facility and other areas that could be of interest, Brennan said. The city was also attacked before, when a military facility was struck last year, Iran said at the time .

“What CIA is doing right now is trying to determine exactly what that damage is and trying to then see how the Iranians are going to react,” Brennan said.

“And we may know whether or not we’re going to get into this very dangerous escalatory spiral by some of the initial statements that are going to be coming out of Tehran — whether or not they’re going to say, ‘This was ineffective,’ whether the Iranian defense forces were able to repel some of these strikes, even if they didn’t,” he said.

If Iran claims there are a large number of civilian casualties, it could stoke angry reactions and precede an Iranian strike in response, Brennan said.

"I think if there is a lot of blood that was shed in these strikes, the Iranians are going to really feel compelled to be able to respond somehow to Israel," he said.

Israel carried out a limited military strike, source says

TEL AVIV — Israel is assessing the strike’s effectiveness and the damage it caused, a source familiar with the situation said. The strike was carried out early Friday local time.

An IDF spokesman declined to comment on reports of the strike. 

The spokesman said there are no changes to guidelines for Israel’s civilian population.

Congressional reactions start rolling in

Megan Lebowitz

Members of Congress are starting to post reactions on social media.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote , "hearing @khamenei_ir is having a blast today on his birthday," referring to the country's supreme leader's birthday on Friday. Florida's other GOP senator, Rick Scott, wrote that the U.S. "stands with Israel."

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., pointed to Iran's drone and missile launches against Israel and Iran's financial support for Hezbollah and Hamas.

"Israel has a right to defend itself from both direct and indirect forms of Iranian aggression," he said o n X.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., expressed support for Israel while also attacking President Joe Biden and praising former President Donald Trump.

"No one would have ever tested Trump the way they walk all over Joe Biden like he’s irrelevant," she p osted .

Biden has not yet issued a statement in response to the strike.

Strike in Iran comes on its supreme leader's birthday

The strike, which took place Friday local time, happened on the birthday of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

He turns 85.

Tehran's Mehrabad Airport says flights are suspended

The information desk at Tehran Mehrabad Airport said all flights are suspended until 10:30 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET).

Mehrabad Airport is not the international airport in Tehran — it is a city airport.

The website of Imam Khomeini International Airport, just outside Tehran, said all departures were delayed until 10:55 a.m.

Flights were suspended in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, the state media agency IRNA reported earlier.

Tehran vowed 'decisive, definitive and regretful' response before strike

Daniel Arkin

Iran's foreign minister issued a stern warning to the Israeli government earlier today. In an interview with CNN , Hossein Amir-Abdollahian cautioned that Iran's response to any attacks from Israel would be "decisive, definitive and regretful."

"We do not seek to create tension and crisis or increase such situations in the Middle East, and we sincerely hope the Israeli regime does not repeat this egregious error," he added.

Nuclear sites in Isfahan are safe, Iran state media says

Saba Hamedy

State-backed Iranian media Fars reported that nuclear sites in Isfahan are safe amid an Israeli strike on the country.

“Some reports from foreign news agencies about incidents in these facilities is incorrect,” reported the news agency, which is aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Isfahan is in central Iran. A military factory there was attacked last year .

Iran's weekend strike was country's first direct military assault on Israel

Iran’s attack on Saturday marked the first time the country’s theocratic regime has launched a direct military assault on Israel. It came less than two weeks after Israel’s bombing of an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus , Syria, which killed seven Iranian military commanders.

Israel, the U.S. and their allies managed to fend off the Iranian drone and missile attacks, which caused relatively little harm or damage.

U.S. not involved in strike in Iran, source says

Andrea Mitchell

The U.S. was not involved in Israel's strike in Iran, a source familiar with the situation confirmed, adding that there was a pre-notification to the U.S. from the Israelis about the strike.

No comment from Netanyahu's office

Anna Schecter

A source in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declined to comment on the reported strike in Iran.

The Israel Defense Forces spokesman’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Flights suspended from Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, Iran state news says

Flights in the Iranian cities of Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz were suspended Friday morning, the state-run IRNA news agency reported amid reports of a possible strike in the country.

“The flights out of these airports have not been canceled up to this point, they have been suspended. Passengers before leaving, check flight information,” the news agency said on Telegram.

Israel has carried out operation in Iran tonight, source says

Mosheh Gains

Courtney Kube

A person familiar with the situation told NBC News that Israel carried out an operation in Iran tonight.

Separately, Israeli officials notified U.S. officials earlier today that a response was coming.

The Israeli Embassy in Washington declined to comment on whether Israel has launched an attack on Iran.

The CIA declined to comment.

U.S. has said it will defend Israel, not engage in offensive operations against Iran

President Joe Biden told Israeli leaders that while the U.S. commitment to defend Israel is ironclad, the U.S. would not participate in offensive operations against Iran, a senior administration official told NBC News .

U.S. officials have told NBC News that Washington was concerned about Israel’s responding quickly without thinking through the potential fallout.

Iran’s foreign minister warned today of response to any force

Iran “will not hesitate a bit to assert its inherent right to give a decisive and proper response” to any use of force against it by Israel, Iran’s foreign affairs minister told the United Nations today.

Hossein Amirabdollahian said that Iran’s attack Saturday on Israel , which he said was a forced response to Israel's April 1 attack on its embassy in Syria, was over.

“Iran’s legitimate defense and countermeasures have been concluded,” Amirabdollahian said. “Therefore the Israeli regime, the terrorist Israeli regime, must be compelled to stop any further military adventurism against our interests.”

“Certainly in case of any use of force by the Israeli regime and violating our sovereignty, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate a bit to assert its inherent right to give a decisive and proper response to it, to make the regime regret its actions,” he said.

Iran’s attack by drones and missiles was mostly thwarted, but some damage was done in Israel, officials said.

Two Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders — Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Gen. Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi — were killed in the Israeli strike on an Iranian consular building in Syria. Five other Revolutionary Guard members were also killed.

• International

April 12, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

By Chris Lau, Sana Noor Haq, Adrienne Vogt , Matt Meyer and Tori B. Powell , CNN

Our live coverage of Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza has moved  here .

USAID worker killed in Israel, agency says

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

A staff member with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) died Friday in the Israeli port city of Jaffa, the agency announced.

The male staffer was with USAID’s West Bank and Gaza mission, the agency said in a brief statement.

USAID did not provide details on the circumstances around his death or his identity or citizenship.

“He was a dedicated member of our team for more than two decades, and our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues,” USAID said.

USAID is working with the US Embassy to work out details about the fatal incident and its follow-up investigation, it said.

US expects Iran to carry out direct strikes against targets inside Israel, sources say

From CNN's MJ Lee and Natasha Bertrand

The United States currently expects Iran will carry out strikes against multiple targets inside Israel and that Iranian proxies could also be involved in carrying out the attacks, according to a senior administration official and a source familiar with the intelligence.  

The targets would likely be both inside Israel and around the region.

The beginning of a state-on-state conflict between Iran and Israel would mark a serious escalation in the region that the US has hoped to avoid.

US sees Iran moving military assets including drones and cruise missiles, sources say

From Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann

The US observed Iran moving military assets around internally, including drones and cruise missiles, signaling that it is possibly preparing to attack Israeli targets from inside its own territory, according to two people familiar with US intelligence. 

It is not clear whether Iran is preparing to strike from its soil as part of an initial attack, or if it is posturing to try to deter Israel or the US from conducting a possible counter strike on its territory. 

One of the people said the US had observed Iran readying as many as 100 cruise missiles.

Some context: The Iranians want their retaliatory strike on Israel — a response to the Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate last week in Damascus — to be "significant," one of the people familiar with the intelligence said. But they also want to avoid getting embroiled in a direct war with Israel and the US, CNN has reported, which is why US intelligence has assessed that Iran may use its proxy forces to launch the first attack.

Israeli settlers storm village in West Bank and kill at least 1 Palestinian. Here's what you should know

From CNN staff

Hundreds of armed Israeli settlers stormed a village in the occupied West Bank on Friday, setting fire to several homes and cars — and leaving at least one Palestinian dead — in one of the largest attacks by settlers this year, according to Palestinian officials. 

The settlers attacked Al-Mughayyir village, east of Ramallah, raided homes and fired gunshots at residents, according to Amin Abu-Alia, the head of the village council. Videos obtained by CNN show parts of the village burning, with smoke billowing over several buildings and settlers lobbing rocks. Houses and cars are seen completely burnt up, with sounds of gunfire and clashes heard in the background.

Here are other headlines you should know:

• More Israeli attacks: An Israeli airstrike early Friday killed at least 29 people and injured dozens more after troops targeted a house belonging to the well-known Al-Tabatibi family in eastern Gaza City, according to a local health official. Israeli forces also surrounded and attacked the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, wounding several journalists and at least one other person. And in the occupied West Bank, troops killed two Hamas members in a raid on the city of Tubas, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials.
• Hezbollah-Israel clashes: Around 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon on Friday evening, according to the Israeli military. Some were intercepted and the rest fell in open areas, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. Israeli warplanes also carried out several airstrikes on Friday, targeting "military buildings" used by Hezbollah fighters in parts of southern Lebanon, the IDF said.
• Iranian threats: US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday he expects an attack from Iran will happen “sooner than later," with the White House adding that there is a "very credible" threat of Iranian retaliatory strikes against Israel. Additionally, the US Defense Department is moving additional assets to the Middle East region, a defense official told CNN, as the US and Israel brace for the potential attack . Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and US Central Command Commander Gen. Erik Kurilla on Friday discussed preparations for the  potential attack .
• Warnings amid Iranian threats: France , Germany, Canada and the United States are among countries that are warning their citizens not to travel to the region due to the threat of an Iranian attack against Israel.
• Humanitarian aid: The Israeli military does not understand how humanitarian operations work, a top United Nations official said Friday, maintaining there is a "degree of mistrust" that needs to be resolved between the IDF and nongovernmental organizations on the ground in Gaza.
• Sanctions: The European Council has  adopted sanctions  against three Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad entities , in light of "their responsibilities in the brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks" that occurred across Israel on October 7. The US is also sanctioning four leaders of Hamas’ cyber and drone operations based in Gaza and Lebanon, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller announced on Friday. 

US will attempt to intercept launches at Israel if feasible, US officials say

From CNN's Oren Liebermann and Natasha Bertrand

The US will attempt to intercept any weapons launched at Israel if it’s feasible to do so, two US officials told CNN, in an indication of the level of ongoing cooperation between the two militaries before an anticipated Iranian attack .

US Navy forces in the Red Sea have previously intercepted long-range missiles launched from the Houthis in Yemen toward Israel. US forces in Iraq and Syria could also potentially intercept drones and rockets targeting northern Israel, depending on the location from which they’re launched.

Gen. Erik Kurilla, the commander of US Central Command, has been in Israel meeting with the country’s security leadership. On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, met with Kurilla.

There have been a number of conversations where US officials have urged Israel not to escalate the situation in retaliating against Iran, according to one of the US officials. 

Remember: An Iranian attack is expected in response to Israel’s deadly strike of Tehran's consulate in Damascus, Syria, last week.

The Damascus attack was the latest incident to stoke fears of a wider regional conflict breaking out in the Middle East during Israel's campaign in Gaza.

Diplomatic efforts: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has held a slew of calls to foreign counterparts aimed at pressuring Iran not to attack Israel.

The top US diplomat spoke with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Friday, according to a readout from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Blinken also spoke with the Turkish, Chinese and Saudi foreign ministers in recent days, Miller said.

Israeli settlers kill at least 1 Palestinian while storming West Bank village

From CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem and CNN’s Benjamin Brown in London

Hundreds of armed Israeli settlers stormed a village in the occupied West Bank on Friday, setting fire to several homes and cars in one of the largest attacks by settlers this year, according to Palestinian officials. 

At least one Palestinian man was killed when shots were fired by Israeli settlers in the village of Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah, according to the head of the village council Amin Abu-Alia. He said he identified the killed Palestinian as his 26-year-old relative named Jihad Abu-Alia, who was meant to get married this summer.

At least 25 others were injured in the rampage, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, the scale of which has not been seen since hundreds of settlers stormed through the villages of  Turmusayya  and  Huwara  in two separate incidents last year. 

Between 1,000 and 1,200 settlers surrounded the village, and around 500 stormed it just after midday local time on Friday, blocking all the roads in the area, Abu-Alia told CNN.

He added that Israeli security forces informed Palestinian officials that the settlers were looking for a 14-year-old Israeli boy who had gone missing earlier in the day.

They attacked the village, raided homes and fired gunshots at residents, Abu-Alia said. Videos obtained by CNN show parts of the village burning, with smoke billowing over several buildings and settlers lobbing rocks. Houses and cars are seen completely burnt up, with sounds of gunfire and clashes heard in the background.

According to Abu-Alia, the Israeli military arrived at the scene at around 3 p.m. and didn’t stop the settlers from attacking the village. Israeli soldiers allowed them to raid homes, prevented Palestinian residents from moving around and blocked ambulances from reaching the injured, he added.  

Abu-Alia told CNN settlers stole approximately 70 sheep from the Palestinian village.

In response to a question by CNN, the IDF said “violent riots were instigated in multiple locations in the area” following the search for the boy.

Israel says airstrikes targeted Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

Israeli warplanes carried out several airstrikes on Friday, targeting "military buildings" used by Hezbollah fighters in parts of southern Lebanon, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The areas include the Aita al-Shaab and the Taybeh in southern Lebanon, said Avichay Adraee, I DF spokesperson for Arab media,  in a post on X.

"During the day, several shells were fired from Lebanon towards the Upper Galilee region, without causing any casualties. IDF forces attacked the sources of fire," Adraee added. 

The Israeli airstrikes were before the 40 rockets that were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel Friday evening and claimed by Hezbollah.

Biden expects an attack from Iran will happen "sooner than later"

From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg

US President Joe Biden expects an attack from Iran will happen “sooner than later," he told reporters at the White House Friday.

“I don’t want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later,” Biden said when asked how imminent an attack on Israel was.

Asked what his message to Tehran is right now, the president said “Don’t.”

In response to more shouted questions from reporters asking if American troops were at risk, Biden returned to the podium and said that the United States is "devoted” to the defense of Israel. 

“We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” Biden said.

Remember: The United States says it is on high alert for a significant Iranian retaliatory attack following Israel's deadly strike on Tehran's consulate in Damascus last week, raising fears of a wider regional war. There remains a “real,” “credible” and “viable” threat of Iran launching strikes, the White House said earlier Friday, following Israel’s attack on  a diplomatic compound in Syria that killed three Iranian generals.

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Iran air defences activated amid reports of Israeli strike near city of Isfahan — as it happened

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) has "urged" Australians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to leave "if it's safe to do so".

The updated travel advice comes after Iran fired anti-aircraft missiles on Friday amid reports of an Israeli missile strike near the city of Isfahan.

In updated travel advice, DFAT noted "a high threat of military reprisals and terrorist attacks against Israel and Israeli interests across the region".

Look back on our live coverage in our blog below.

• 5h ago 5 hours ago Fri 19 Apr 2024 at 6:48am Minister says Australia 'extremely' concerned about potential for 'further escalation'
• 6h ago 6 hours ago Fri 19 Apr 2024 at 5:46am An apparent Israeli strike puts US President Joe Biden in a tricky spot
• 7h ago 7 hours ago Fri 19 Apr 2024 at 4:56am Australian government updates travel advice for Iran, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

To leave a comment on the blog, please log in or sign up for an ABC account.

Live updates

That is where we will leave our live coverage.

By Claudia Williams

Thank you for joining us. Here is where things stand:

• Sources say Israel launched an attack on Iranian soil on Friday
• Iranian media reported explosions, which an Iranian official told Reuters were caused by air defense systems
• Three drones over the central city of Isfahan had been shot down, according to state media
• A senior Iranian official told Reuters Iran has no plan to strike back immediately
• A source familiar with the situation said the US was notified before Israel's attack
• The attack came days after Iran launched an unprecedented strike on Israel with a barrage of drones and missiles
• Israel's leadership and the military have not commented on the reports

Egypt 'deeply concerned' over Iran-Israel escalation

Egypt's foreign ministry said it was "deeply concerned" about an escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, following reports of an Israeli attack on Iran.

It also warned of the consequences of expanding the conflict and instability in the region.

EU Commission president calls on Israel, Iran to refrain from escalation

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has called on Iran, Israel and their allies to refrain from escalation in the Middle East.

"It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides restrain from further action," she said.

State media says Israeli strike targeted air defence unit in Syria

Israel carried out a missile strike targeting an air defense unit in its south and causing material damage, Syria’s state-run SANA news agency quoted a military statement as saying.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the strike hit a military radar for government forces. It was not clear if there were casualties, the Observatory said.

The Observatory’s chief Rami Abdurrahman said six Israeli fighter jets entered Syria’s airspace and were flying east when they were spotted by the radar.

The warplanes were seen around the time loud noises and drones were reported near a major Iranian air base and nuclear site early Friday.

That area of Syria is directly west of Isfahan, some 1,500 kilometers away, and east of Israel.

Israelis respond to reports of attack on Iran

  Let's take a look at how residents in Israel have responded to reports of the attack in Iran.

"Israel attacked Iran land because we were supposed to... we have no other option beside to react, but this is not the way we want it to be, we want to get back to our routine; our life - to run, to live our life, no more wars, enough." — Tel Aviv resident Moshe Pretz

"We're good, you can look around, we're happy here, not from the attack but I think the situation in the Middle East is complicated but Israel will always win and everybody has to know that. So, enjoy your day and hope people in Iran will understand we are not seeking for war but we are seeking for peace and we want to be here safe, so, understand that." — Pavlo Tzuk from Central Israel

"I am very sad that Israel attacked Iran and I am afraid what will happen now, what will be in Israel." —Israeli resident Edna Reshef

Expert says reports indicate it could be a targeted attack

Samir Puri from King's College London said the reported attack appeared to be no where near the scale of the one that Israel had suffered from Iran.

He said this could indicate that it was a targeted attack.

"If Iran has been struck by only a handful of Israel missiles it might have been a very precisely targeted attempt to strike Iranian military facilities, and in particular, facilities Iran might have used to launch its own attack a few days ago on April 13 against Israel," he told ABC News Channel.

Dr Puri said the great uncertainty was whether there would be further waves of Israeli attacks.

"We can't speak of this as a finished episode necessarily," he said. "It is possible that Israel and Iran might back into their more undeclared way of sniping at each other and of striking blows at each other, which has been going on for years and decades through proxies and more covert action. "The reason why this is such a show stopping and perilous moment is that they have not lobbed missiles and drones at each other from their own territory ever before. "We are really hoping to see that this particular cycle comes to an end and clearly nothing is going to solve Iran and Israel's deep enmity in the region across many, many issues, made even worse by the conflict in Gaza. "But we are just hoping to see that it slips away from this current phase."

Oman condemns reported Israeli attack on Iran

In a statementOman's foreign ministry has condemned the reported Israeli attack on Iranian soil, as well as "the repeated Israeli military attacks in the region".

Oman has been acting as a mediator in the Middle East.

Unnamed Iranian official says there's no plan for an immediate retaliation

A senior Iranian official has told Reuters news agency Iran has no plan for immediate retaliation against Israel after sources said Israel launched an attack on Iranian soil.

"The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed," the Iranian official said on condition of anonymity. "We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack."

Iran's airports and airspace reopen

Earlier we covered that Iran had closed its airports in Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan after the reported attack.

It also cleared flights from the western portion of its airspace for a few hours after the attack, according to FlightRadar24.

State media is now reporting the airports and airspace have reopened.

Minister says Australia 'extremely' concerned about potential for 'further escalation'

Earlier we reported that DFAT had updated its travel advice for   Iran, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories .

Acting Foreign Minister Katy Gallagher has issued a statement following the reports.

"Australia remains extremely concerned about the potential for miscalculation and further escalation of conflict in the region," she said. "This is in no one's interests. "We urge all parties to exercise restraint and step back to avoid a further spiral of violence. "Australia will continue working with partners to try to reduce tensions and prevent further regional spillover."

This was the outcome world leaders were keen to avoid

By Rebecca Armitage

ABC correspondent Isabella Higgins who's currently in Jerusalem, says that after Iran struck Israel last weekend, world leaders have been trying to avoid a tit-for-tat escalation of retaliatory strikes:

"For days, world leaders have been urging calm on Israel, amid fears a major retaliation would drag the region into a serious war. "The Middle East is on the on a precipice … one miscalculation, one miscommunication, one mistake, could lead to the unthinkable – a full-scale regional conflict," the UN's Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. The Israeli Government made it clear they would respond to last weekend's unprecedented missile and drone attack from Iran. Tehran said the barrage was a retaliatory strike in response to the killing of several Iranian leaders in a presumed Israeli air strike on an embassy in Damascus earlier this month — and the matter was now concluded. The US, UK and European Union have been encouraging Israel to accept a package of international economic sanction in response to Iran's attack and avoid a serious military reprisal. Israel's western partners felt this walked the tightrope of deterring Tehran, without further escalation. But Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the nation would do what it felt it needed to defend itself. "They also have all kinds of suggestions and advice, I appreciate it, but I want to make it clear — we will make our own decisions." These decisions appear to be playing out in front of us right now — and the West will be watching anxiously."

Expert says Israel and Iran both in difficult positions domestically, need to show strong response

University of Melbourne Political Sciences lecturer Dara Conduit has told ABC News Channel the way that Israel and Iran are responding speaks to the severity of the situation.

"The government in Israel and the regime in Iran are both in difficult positions domestically and they both have a really strong need to show to a domestic audience that they are responding to this," she said. "Israel, [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu in particular, needed to do this. Domestically he is in a really tight spot and he is very keen to show strength and also to highlight the regional risks that Israel faces."

Dr Conduit said how Iran was reacting was important with it trying to diminish the reports.

"There is a chance that Iranian officials, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will decide we can't accept this and we do need to respond and that is where there is a risk of miscalculation and a risk of mistakes and that is the scary part." she said.

Dr Conduit said she believed both sides were aware that there would not be "any winners of a direct conflict between the two states".

IAEA confirms no damage made to Iran's nuclear sites

An apparent israeli strike puts us president joe biden in a tricky spot.

This is not what the White House wanted, according to Barbara Miller, the ABC's North America correspondent based in Washington DC:  

"The US has been trying to dissuade its ally from retaliating for the Iranian weekend strikes. The message from the administration was that Israel should take the win. With the help of its allies it had repelled the vast majority of the Iranian drones and missiles. The White House announced new sanctions on Iran in a further show of solidarity with Israel. It became increasingly clear however that Israel would act, stoking fears in Washington of an escalating tit for tat situation. From what we know so far this appears to have been a limited action. If that's the case, there will be hope here that Iran may draw a line. An interview Iran's Foreign Minister gave CNN just hours before news of the apparent Israeli action is cause for concern. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told the network Iran would respond immediately and "at a maximum level" if Israel struck.

Unnamed sources say Israel attacked Iran, state media says Iran defence system destroyed drones

Here is a recap of what is being reported as information continues to come in.

Three people familiar with the matter have told Reuters news agency Israel has attacked Iran.

Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones.  

The reports come days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.

One source told Reuters the US was not involved but was notified by Israel before the attack.

Iran's Fars news agency reported three explosions were heard near an army base in the central city of Isfahan.

An Iranian official told Reuters there was no missile attack and the explosions were the result of the activation of Iran's air defense systems.

Iranian state TV said that shortly after midnight "three drones were observed in the sky over Isfahan".

"The air defense system became active and destroyed these drones in the sky," state media reported.

The broadcaster later said the situation in Isfahan was normal and no ground explosions had occurred.

The Israeli military had no comment on the reports.

Iranian spokesman says 'quadcopter' drones shot down

We mentioned earlier that an Iranian government official and state-run TV have suggested sites may have been targeted by drones.

We now have some more information on what has been said.

Hossein Dalirian, who is a spokesman for Iran's civilian space program, said on X that several small "quadcopter" drones had been shot down.

A state television reporter in Isfahan said the same in a live report, saying "several small drones were flying in the sky over Isfahan, which were fired at".

Iranian senior commander says no damage was caused

A senior commander of Iran's army has said no damage was caused in the overnight attack, according to state TV.

He added that the noise heard overnight in Isfahan was due to air defence systems targeting a "suspicious object".

Australian government updates travel advice for Iran, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

By Tom Crowley

In updated travel advice, DFAT notes "a high threat of military reprisals and terrorist attacks against Israel and Israeli interests across the region".

"The security situation could deteriorate quickly, with little or no notice."

DFAT had already advised Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Israel and had warned against travel near Gaza or the West Bank beyond East Jerusalem.

But the request to leave is new.

DFAT warned military attacks could lead to travel disruptions including airspace closures. "Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport may pause operations due to heightened security concerns at any time, and at short notice."

A stronger 'do not travel' warning was already in place for Iran, but DFAT has updated its advice for that country, saying "regional tensions are high, and the security situation could deteriorate quickly with little or no notice."

Australian government officials have been directed not to leave the cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Tehran as a precaution.

'Do not travel' warnings remain in place for Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon.

Australian citizens and permanent residents can register their location and stay in contact with officials via DFAT's crisis registration portal.

Nuclear facility in area where explosions heard

Malcolm Davis, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, has told ABC News the key facility in the area was the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.

As we covered earlier, Iranian state media has described all nuclear sites in the area as "fully safe."

Dr Davis said it was a "harder and deeply buried target" and was one of the core aspects of Iran's potential to acquire nuclear weapons.

"There's also a series of military bases nearby that site as well as well as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps bases in the region," he said.

Dr Davis said Israel could not afford to allow Iran to get nuclear weapons.

"When you look at the size of Israel, the use of a nuclear weapon against Israel by Iran would be an existential threat to Israel itself," he said.

"So, I think that Israel would have every interest in preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons under any circumstances including if necessary through military strikes."

Could this be the beginning of a broader conflict?

Here's what Allyson Horn, the ABC's Middle East correspondent in Jerusalem, says:  

"I'll start by saying you never know what's going to happen in the Middle East – and that very little is still confirmed on this unfolding issue.

But if, as it appears, these are limited, targeted drone strikes on military facilities in Iran, then it would be considered at the lesser end of the responses that Israel could have exacted.

We need to still see what the damage is in Iran, and whether there have been any civilian casualties, because that could change what Iran decides to do next.

Last weekend, Iran launched a missile barrage against Israel — most of it intercepted by the Iron Dome defence system.

And after that Iranian attack, there was a lot of internal pressure from within Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, to hit-back immediately, and strike hard.

That doesn't appear to have happened – it wasn't immediate and it appears the US was given warning ahead of time. And it also appears to be only a few drones launched into Iran, targeting limited military sites.

That's not to say that the Israeli response isn't serious – it is. Israel is still directing an attack on Iranian soil, which in itself will be seen as a provocation. And Iran could decide that it has to respond.

So the threat of escalation is high – and it's real.

But, it could also be seen by Iran as an expected response by Israel – and one that didn't target civilians – therefore lessening Iran's appetite to prompt a wider-regional conflict."

Meta’s battle with ChatGPT begins now

Meta’s ai assistant is being put everywhere across instagram, whatsapp, and facebook. meanwhile, the company’s next major ai model, llama 3, has arrived..

By Alex Heath , a deputy editor and author of the Command Line newsletter. He has over a decade of experience covering the tech industry.

Share this story

ChatGPT kicked off the AI chatbot race. Meta is determined to win it.

To that end: the Meta AI assistant, introduced last September , is now being integrated into the search box of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Messenger. It’s also going to start appearing directly in the main Facebook feed. You can still chat with it in the messaging inboxes of Meta’s apps. And for the first time, it’s now accessible via a standalone website at Meta.ai .

For Meta’s assistant to have any hope of being a real ChatGPT competitor, the underlying model has to be just as good, if not better. That’s why Meta is also announcing Llama 3, the next major version of its foundational open-source model. Meta says that Llama 3 outperforms competing models of its class on key benchmarks and that it’s better across the board at tasks like coding. Two smaller Llama 3 models are being released today, both in the Meta AI assistant and to outside developers, while a much larger, multimodal version is arriving in the coming months. 

The goal is for Meta AI to be “the most intelligent AI assistant that people can freely use across the world,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg tells me. “With Llama 3, we basically feel like we’re there.”

The Meta AI assistant is the only chatbot I know of that now integrates real-time search results from both Bing and Google — Meta decides when either search engine is used to answer a prompt. Its image generation has also been upgraded to create animations (essentially GIFs), and high-res images now generate on the fly as you type. Meanwhile, a Perplexity-inspired panel of prompt suggestions when you first open a chat window is meant to “demystify what a general-purpose chatbot can do,” says Meta’s head of generative AI, Ahmad Al-Dahle.

While it has only been available in the US to date, Meta AI is now being rolled out in English to Australia, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with more countries and languages coming. It’s a far cry from Zuckerberg’s pitch of a truly global AI assistant, but this wider release gets Meta AI closer to eventually reaching the company’s more than 3 billion daily users. 

There’s a comparison to be made here to Stories and Reels, two era-defining social media formats that were both pioneered by upstarts — Snapchat and TikTok, respectively — and then tacked onto Meta’s apps in a way that made them even more ubiquitous. 

“I expect it to be quite a major product”

Some would call this shameless copying. But it’s clear that Zuckerberg sees Meta’s vast scale, coupled with its ability to quickly adapt to new trends, as its competitive edge. And he’s following that same playbook with Meta AI by putting it everywhere and investing aggressively in foundational models .

“I don’t think that today many people really think about Meta AI when they think about the main AI assistants that people use,” he admits. “But I think that this is the moment where we’re really going to start introducing it to a lot of people, and I expect it to be quite a major product.”

Command Line

/ A newsletter from Alex Heath about the tech industry’s inside conversation.

“Compete with everything out there”

Today Meta is introducing two open-source Llama 3 models for outside developers to freely use. There’s an 8-billion parameter model and a 70-billion parameter one, both of which will be accessible on all the major cloud providers. (At a very high level, parameters dictate the complexity of a model and its capacity to learn from its training data.)

Llama 3 is a good example of how quickly these AI models are scaling. The biggest version of Llama 2, released last year , had 70 billion parameters, whereas the coming large version of Llama 3 will have over 400 billion, Zuckerberg says. Llama 2 trained on 2 trillion tokens (essentially the words, or units of basic meaning, that compose a model), while the big version of Llama 3 has over 15 trillion tokens. (OpenAI has yet to publicly confirm the number of parameters or tokens in GPT-4.)

A key focus for Llama 3 was meaningfully decreasing its false refusals, or the number of times a model says it can’t answer a prompt that is actually harmless. An example Zuckerberg offers is asking it to make a “killer margarita.” Another is one I gave him during an interview last year , when the earliest version of Meta AI wouldn’t tell me how to break up with someone.

Meta has yet to make the final call on whether to open source the 400-billion-parameter version of Llama 3 since it’s still being trained. Zuckerberg downplays the possibility of it not being open source for safety reasons. 

“I don’t think that anything at the level that what we or others in the field are working on in the next year is really in the ballpark of those type of risks,” he says. “So I believe that we will be able to open source it.”

• Q&A: Mark Zuckerberg on winning the AI race

Before the most advanced version of Llama 3 comes out, Zuckerberg says to expect more iterative updates to the smaller models, like longer context windows and more multimodality. He’s coy on exactly how that multimodality will work, though it sounds like generating video akin to OpenAI’s Sora isn’t in the cards yet. Meta wants its assistant to become more personalized, and that could mean eventually being able to generate images in your own likeness.

Meta gets hand-wavy when I ask for specifics on the data used for training Llama 3. The total training dataset is seven times larger than Llama 2’s, with four times more code. No Meta user data was used, despite Zuckerberg recently boasting that it’s a larger corpus than the entirety of Common Crawl. Otherwise, Llama 3 uses a mix of “public” internet data and synthetic AI-generated data. Yes, AI is being used to build AI.

The pace of change with AI models is moving so fast that, even if Meta is reasserting itself atop the open-source leaderboard with Llama 3 for now, who knows what tomorrow brings. OpenAI is rumored to be readying GPT-5 , which could leapfrog the rest of the industry again. When I ask Zuckerberg about this, he says Meta is already thinking about Llama 4 and 5. To him, it’s a marathon and not a sprint.

“At this point, our goal is not to compete with the open source models,” he says. “It’s to compete with everything out there and to be the leading AI in the world.”

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