Good morning. Iran fired hundreds of missiles on Israel in retaliation for its attacks on Hamas and Hezbollah – more on that below, along with last night’s cordial U.S. vice-presidential debate.
People take shelter during an air raid siren in central Israel.Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Middle East
Growing fears of a wider war
For about half an hour yesterday, starting just after sunset, Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at cities in Israel, including Tel Aviv. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the assault was retaliation for Israel’s assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran in July, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed on Friday in an air strike just outside Beirut. After Iran’s waves of missiles stopped, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to meet escalation with escalation: “Whoever attacks us – we will attack them.”
The latest: Iran said this morning that its missile attack on Israel was over, barring further provocation. Israel stepped up its bombardment of Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, and sent more ground troops across the border into Lebanon.
The evacuation plans: There are thought to be 45,000 Canadians in Lebanon, though only about 20,000 of them have registered on the government’s “Canadians abroad” site. Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said that 200 Canadians had been evacuated from Lebanon on the weekend, and that another 200 flew out of Beirut to Istanbul yesterday. All told, the government secured 800 seats on Middle East Airlines flights through today for Canadians looking to leave the country. Eric Reguly spoke with a Lebanese boat captain in Beirut whose fleet of yachts had been busy ferrying passengers to Turkey and Cyprus.
The word from Ottawa: Speaking on Parliament Hill yesterday, Defence Minister Bill Blair said he was watching the events in Israel and Lebanon with “increasing concern.” Blair emphasized that Canada is hoping for a ceasefire or a diplomatic resolution, but said that if violence in the region continues to escalate, then “we know that we will be required to do more in order to assist Canadians.”
The word from Washington: National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that U.S. naval destroyers helped Israel fend off Iran’s attack by firing interceptors at the missiles. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said initial reports suggested that Israel and its allies “effectively defeated this attack” and underscored the U.S.’s “commitment to Israel’s defence.”
Iran’s risky calculus: Why attack now? How will Israel respond? And what’s the likelihood that the U.S. is drawn into this conflict more directly? On The Decibel this morning, Menaka Raman-Wilms spoke with Thomas Juneau, an associate professor of public and international affairs at the University of Ottawa who specializes in security in the Middle East.
In photos: See the latest images from the conflict.
Last night's VP debate.Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
U.S. election
Politics as usual
When Kamala Harris and Donald Trump met for a debate three weeks ago, their willingness to shake hands made headlines. At last night’s vice-presidential debate, Tim Walz and JD Vance couldn’t stop shaking hands – before they took the stage, after they were introduced, once the whole reasonably civil and substantive discussion wrapped up. They even seemed aligned on a range of issues, from accelerating asylum claims to better addressing gun violence: The word “agree” was uttered more than two dozen times in just over 90 minutes.
Beneath that cordiality, there were some spiky exchanges on immigration, abortion and, at the very end, democracy. Walz – a little unsteady at times, his aw-shucks folkiness dialled down – asked Vance whether Trump lost the 2020 election. Vance – polished throughout, pirouetting from his own views and his running mate’s record – paused fractionally. “Tim, I’m focused on the future,” Vance said. “That is a damning non-answer,” Walz replied.
Will the evening make a lick of difference to the final 34 days of the race? Unlikely: Both candidates managed their immediate task, which is to do no harm. But based on his performance, far better on a debate stage than in a donut shop, Vance may prove to have a future in politics for a long time to come.
The Wrap
What else we’re following
At home: Another provincial election has kicked off, with Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe and his opponent, NDP Leader Carla Beck, heading to the polls on Oct. 28.
Abroad: Sean “Diddy” Combs may face 120 new lawsuits over alleged sexual misconduct spanning more than three decades.
Shots fired: Within an hour, in separate parts of the city, someone opened fire on the Toronto homes of two executives tied to the waste management giant GFL Environmental Inc. (No one was injured.)
More shots fired: The Liberal government went on the attack against the Bloc yesterday, after appearing to reject their key demand on seniors benefits. “The Bloc Québécois, they’re separatists,” said Minister of Seniors Steven MacKinnon. “They don’t want to admit that their dream of sovereignty and their opportunism would, in fact, make Quebec seniors suffer.”
Fewer showers taken: Hybrid work has changed people’s grooming habits – and their notions of personal time.