US blocks Iranian missile barrage as pause in fighting falters | First Thing

US military says it intercepted all Iranian missiles, as fighting threatens to resume. Plus, how Armenians seek to breathe more easily by heading undergroundDon’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.The US military has claimed it knocked down an Iranian missile barrage and worked with Saudi forces to strike sites in Iraq that Tehran-backed militias have used to launch attacks in recent days. In what Washington cast ⁠as “an attempted surprise ⁠attack” by Tehran, Iran had launched ballistic missiles at US forces in the Middle East, shattering a brief pause in fighting. US Central Command (Centcom) said all Iranian missiles launched on Tuesday were intercepted.Why is the US-Iran war a threat to biodiversity? The closure of the strait of Hormuz has created conditions for an extreme global biodiversity threat, with scientists warning that thousands of stranded ships could spread invasive marine species across the world’s oceans once they begin sailing again.Who else did Trump meet yesterday? Trump hosted back-to-back White House meetings with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Netanyahu on Tuesday. The Ukrainian leader was seeking more firepower for his air defenses and said: “We also spoke about diplomacy – it’s important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated.” Continue reading...