This morning’s Independent and its sister newspaper Independent i both report on the apparent tension between Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak. Netanyahu has reportedly accused Barak of exacerbating tensions with the Obama administration in order to portray himself as a moderating influence. The Independent report claims that the spat is perceived as a sign of impending early elections in Israel.

Meanwhile, all UK broadsheets report protests which took place yesterday in the Iranian capital Tehran, following the recent plunge in value of the Iranian currency, the rial. The Guardian, Times, Independent, Telegraph and Financial Times all report clashes between riot police and protestors, unhappy at the state of the Iranian economy, which is seemingly feeling the strain of international sanctions. The Times reports that police used tear gas on stone-throwing protestors, who were shouting slogans aimed at Iranian President Ahmadinejad, according to the Guardian and Financial Times. Most reports note that the protests come amid rising internal political tensions in Iran between Ahmadinejad and ultra-conservative rivals.

Similarly broad coverage is given to a deadly mortar strike launched from Syria which killed five people in Turkey and the subsequent Turkish response, which struck targets in Syria. The Guardian, Times, Telegraph, Independent and Financial Times all report the exchange, which saw five people killed in the Turkish town of Akcakale. All reports note that the exchange of fire represents the first direct involvement of an outside power in the 18-month old Syrian conflict and that Turkey requested an emergency meeting of NATO ambassadors.

In a related development, all broadsheets cover a coordinated bomb attack which killed an estimated 30 people in Syria’s second city of Aleppo. The Times, Telegraph, Independent, Guardian and Financial Times all report that three car bombs exploded near an army officer’s club in a government-controlled sector of the city. Meanwhile, the Telegraph carries a separate report that a prominent relative of Syria’s President Assad has been seriously wounded after gun battles in the family’s home town between different factions of the ruling Alawite community.

This morning’s Guardian includes coverage of a report by Human Rights Watch, which condemns the abusive system of criminal justice operated by Hamas in Gaza.

In the Israeli media, no edition of Haaretz was printed this morning, due to a one-day strike by workers in protest at impending staff redundancies. Maariv covers its’ own financial problems and those of Haaretz as a front page story.

Meanwhile, foreign news is covered prominently by the Israeli dailies this morning. Yediot Ahronot, Maariv, Makor Rishon and Israel Hayom report on the violence between Turkey and Syria while Yediot Ahronot and Makor Rishon also devote significant column inches to the economic protests in Tehran. The presidential debate in the US is also widely covered in the broadcast media and online.

The possibility of early elections is also a major theme in the Israeli media today. Maariv leads with speculation that former Foreign Minister and Kadima Party leader Tzipi Livni is looking to launch a new centre-left party if Israel goes to the polls. Meanwhile, Yediot Ahronot reports on the latest developments in the spat between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak. After Netanyahu reportedly accused Barak of exacerbating tensions with the United States for political gain, Yediot reports that Barak aides have criticised the Prime Minister for meddling in internal US politics.

In other news, Yediot Ahronot also reports on a large explosion in a Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon yesterday, which is said to have killed a number of Hezbollah members including one senior figure.