US aircraft carrier strike group arrives in Middle East

The move was planned before the fall of the Assad regime, an official said.

Rebel forces in Syria captured the capital Damascus and toppled the regime of President Bashar Assad in a lightning-quick advance across the country.

Meanwhile, the ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group. The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza.

Tensions also remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides.


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IDF lifts some Golan Heights restrictions

The Israel Defense Forces lifted some restrictions in the occupied Golan Heights on Wednesday.

This comes as its attacks on Syria slowed. Israeli airstrikes on Syria since Monday have targeted naval bases, military warehouses, ammunition depots, aircraft and military airports.

The IDF said it destroyed 80% of the former Assad regime’s military.


World Central Kitchen fires dozens of workers in Gaza to maintain its work

Aid organization World Central Kitchen has fired dozens of its workers in Gaza, saying it was necessary to maintain its operations in Gaza. The group did not comment on Israeli accusations that the workers were affiliated with terror groups.

"This should not be taken as a conclusion by WCK that the individuals are affiliated with any terror organization. Prior to receiving the results of the COGAT security check, we had no reason for concern regarding any of these individuals and, because Israel does not share intelligence with aid organizations, we do not know the basis for Israel’s decision to flag these individuals. However, we felt this step was necessary to protect our team and operations," WCK said in a statement.

The group said its two options were to either end its work in Gaza or agree to Israel's request to cease ties with the workers.

"This decision protects Palestinian children and families that come to eat at our sites. Balancing safety with our mission to serve is a responsibility we take very seriously. Despite these challenges, we remain focused on our mission. We praise our team in Gaza for feeding everyday, making the impossible possible," WCK said in a statement.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky


Israel launches 480 strikes in Syria in 48 hours

The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday evening that it conducted about 480 strikes across Syria within the previous 48 hours, hitting most of the country's strategic weapon stockpiles.

Earlier Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the navy destroyed the Syrian fleet at anchor overnight. Dozens of sea-to-sea missiles were also destroyed in strikes on naval facilities in the Mediterranean port city of Latakia, Katz said.

Israel has also deployed ground troops both into and beyond a demilitarized buffer zone that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria for the first time in 50 years.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti


Syria rebels will not succeed, Khamenei says

In his first public comments since the fall of Bashar Assad's government, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran and its regional allies will continue fighting against the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East despite setbacks for Iran in the region.

In a Wednesday morning speech in Tehran, Khamenei said the collapse of Bashar Assad's government -- of which Iran was a major patron -- was the product of a "joint" American and Israeli plan. "We have evidence -- this evidence leaves no room for doubt," he added.

Without naming Turkey, Khamenei said that one "neighboring state of Syria" also played an obvious role in the developments, but "the main conspirator, the main planner and the main command room are in America and the Zionist regime."

Iranian leaders have previously described the Syrian opposition forces that toppled Assad as "terrorists" or "rebels," but Khamenei on Wednesday did not use such words.

"Each of these fighters has a purpose," he said of the armed groups. "Their goals are different, some are seeking to seize territory from northern Syria or southern Syria."

The U.S., he added, "is seeking to strengthen its foothold in the region."

"Time will show that, God willing, none of them will achieve these goals," the ayatollah continued. "The occupied areas of Syria will be liberated by the zealous Syrian youth; do not doubt that this will happen."

Khamenei said that the Iranian-led "Resistance Front," meanwhile, will grow stronger despite its recent setbacks in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

"The more pressure you put on it, the stronger it becomes," he said of the grouping. "The more you fight them, the wider it becomes, and I tell you, with the power of god, the scope of resistance will encompass the entire region more than ever before," he said.

-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian