Iran’s supreme leader calls for ‘security’ to be taken from enemies
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei called on Friday for enemy nations to have their “security” taken away, his latest message to the public.
Khamenei made the remarks in a statement issued on his behalf to President Masoud Pezeshkian after Israel killed Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib.
Khamenei hasn’t been seen since he was named as supreme leader, succeeding his father, the 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the first day of the war on 28 February.
There have been growing comments from American and Israeli officials that Mojtaba Khamenei was hurt in the war.
Iran’s FM told British counterpart UK complicit in US and Israel ‘aggression’
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his British counterpart Yvette Cooper in a phone call that any US use of British bases would be seen as “participation in aggression” against the Islamic republic.
It was not clear when the call with Cooper took place.
“These actions will certainly be regarded as participation in aggression and will be recorded in the history of relations between the two countries,” said Araghchi, according to a statement released on Friday by the foreign ministry.
‘Iran war is Europe’s war’, says former Trump security advisor
Europe’s stance on the Iran war risks US President Donald Trump walking away from the conflict in Ukraine, his former national security advisor, John Bolton, has said, criticising the EU’s reaction to the situation in the Middle East.
In an interview with Euronews, Bolton, who also previously served as the US’ ambassador to the UN, branded the Iran conflict as “Europe’s war.”
Read the full report below.
‘Iran war is Europe’s war’, says former Trump security advisor
Trump’s former national security advisor has slammed European leaders’ inaction on the war in Iran as a “mistake” that invites the US president to halt support…
Iran Revolutionary Guards say spokesperson killed in US-Israel strikes
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Friday that US-Israeli strikes had killed their spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini.
Naini “was martyred in the criminal cowardly terrorist attack,” the IRGC said in a statement on their Sepah News website.
Before his death, Naini issued a statement insisting Tehran was still able to build missiles despite the attacks coming from Israel and the United States.
Iran Guards say missile production continues despite war
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Friday that the Islamic republic has continued to produce missiles despite the war with Israel and the United States.
“Our missile industry deserves a perfect score…and there is no concern in this regard, because even under wartime conditions we continue missile production,” Guards spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini said, quoted by the Fars news agency.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium and manufacture ballistic missiles.”
Israel says it strucK Syrian government targets after attack on Druze
The Israeli military said it struck infrastructure belonging to the Syrian government in response to attacks on Druze civilians in Sweida in southern Syria.
Syria’s state media has not yet acknowledged the attack.
Israel has previously intervened in Syria, saying it was acting to protect the Druze minority.
Qatar says LNG export capacity was reduced by 17% following Iranian strike on key facility
Qatar said it reduced its export capacity of liquefied natural gas by approximately 17% after Iran struck its Ras Laffan energy facility.
The strike caused extensive damage, which is estimated to take up to five years to repair.
Iran intensified its campaign against energy facilities across the Gulf, including sites in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the key gas hub in Qatar, following Israel’s attack on Iran’s main natural gas field on Wednesday.
Israel says it will hold off on further attacks on Iranian natural gas fields
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would hold off launching further attacks on Iranian gas fields following a request by US President Donald Trump.
“Fact number one, Israel acted alone against the Asaluyeh gas compound. Fact number two, President Trump asked us to hold off on future attacks and we’re holding off,” Netanyahu said at a press conference last night.
The Israeli leader also suggested that the war will end “a lot faster than people think,” while rejecting claims that it dragged the US into the war with Iran.
“Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do? come on,” he said.
Israel launches strikes on Tehran overnight
Several explosions were reported across Tehran as Iranians marked Nowruz, the Persian New Year.
The Israeli military said it launched a wave of strikes on Tehran following Iranian attacks at Israel overnight.
Drone attack hits Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery
Drone attacks struck Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery, sparking multiple fires but causing no casualties, according to state medai citing the national oil company.
The oil facility, which can process around 730,000 barrels of oil per day, already came under an Iranian attack and sustained damage on Thursday.
Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery is one of the three refineries in the country.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry also reported that a fire erupted Friday morning after drone shrapnel fell on a warehouse.
Meanwhile, Emirati authorities said air defences were responding to missile and drone attacks early this morning.
