Iran's top military command warns
of Israel's 'evil intention' --- to hit
regional energy infrastructures
March 19th, 10:47pm
(PressTV)
Iran's highest operational command unit has warned about an
"evil intent" borne by the Israeli regime to target regional
energy infrastructures so it can falsely implicate the
Islamic Republic and sow regional divisions.
The warning was issued on Thursday by the Khatam al-Anbiya
Central Headquarters, Iran's highest operational command
unit that coordinates operations between the Army and
the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
"As we have previously announced, Iran’s Armed Forces will
target all infrastructure belonging to the United States and
the Zionist regime, and will officially accept responsibility
for it and declare it," Lt Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari said.
Based on reports, however, the Zionist regime is planning to
target energy infrastructure in the region, including the
Aramco facilities in Saudi Arabia.
The regime’s past record of hostile actions supports this
"evil intent" - aimed at carrying out such attacks and
falsely implicate the Islamic Republic in order to
create discord among regional countries,
he concluded.
The comments came amid the Iranian Armed Forces' ongoing
Operation True Promise 4 - in response to fresh unprovoked
Israeli-US aggression against the Islamic Republic.
The reprisal ----- has been taking aim at sensitive and strategic
targets inside the occupied territories, as well as US outposts
throughout the region.
Amid the retaliation, blasts have been reported across
unrelated facilities in the Persian Gulf region's littoral
states, for which --------- the Islamic Republic has
categorically rejected responsibility.
Earlier this month, US journalist and media figure Tucker
Carlson said authorities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia have
arrested agents enlisted with the Israeli spy agency
Mossad ....planning bombings.
Carlson described the incidents as part of a broader
effort ---- to destabilize the Persian Gulf countries.
___________________________________________________
Trump should know
we have surprises
for him and Israel:
Commander says
-- after IRGC hits
F-35 warplane
March 19th, 9:22pm
(PressTV)
A senior Iranian military commander says the Islamic
Republic has surprises in store for US President
Donald Trump, who keeps issuing rhetorical
threats against the country, and the
Israeli regime.
The remarks were made on Thursday -- by Major General Ali
Abdollahi, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central
Headquarters, Iran's highest operational command unit
that coordinates operations between the Army and
the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
"We have previously stated that Trump, the president of the
United States, repeatedly issues warnings in a rhetorical
manner, but he must know that the Armed Forces of the
Islamic Republic of Iran have surprises in store for him
and for the Zionist regime...... as his proxy and
subordinate force," he said.
"Today, one example of these ----- was the targeting of an
advanced fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet," the official
added, referring to an earlier announcement by the
IRGC that pointed to the Corps' successful strike
against one such stealth warplane in central
Iran's airspace.
"They should expect more surprises," Abdollahi added.
The comments came amid the Armed Forces' ongoing
retaliatory Operation True Promise 4 -- that began
moments after the launch of Washington and
Tel Aviv's most recent bout of unlawful
aggression towards the Islamic
Republic ....late last month.
US outposts across the region, including those based
in Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait,
and Saudi Arabia, have faced intense retaliation.
The reprisal has also hit sensitive and strategic targets in
the heart of the occupied territories, including those
lying in the city of Tel Aviv, the holy occupied city
of al-Quds, the occupied port of Haifa, Be'er
Sheva, which serves as the regime's
technological epicentre, and the
Negev Desert.
___________________________________________
Iran warns of no restraint ------ if
infrastructure attacks continue
March 19th, 8:35pm
(PressTV)
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has issued a stern
warning, stating that Iran will exercise no further
restraint --------- if its infrastructure faces
repeated attacks.
In a message posted on his X account on Thursday,
Araghchi emphasized that the response to Israel’s
recent attacks on Iranian infrastructure was only
a fraction of Iran’s capabilities.
The Israeli regime attacked parts of Iran’s fuel
and energy infrastructure in the country’s
south, on Wednesday.
Araghchi noted that the sole reason for Iran’s
restraint, was its adherence to calls
for de-escalation.
“If attacks on our infrastructure are repeated, there
will be no more self-restraint,” Araghchi declared,
adding that any end to the conflict must address
the damage inflicted upon civilian sites.
___________________________________________
IRGC wheels out modern missile
system ....in the 65th wave of
Op. True Promise 4; batters
Israeli and US targets
March 19th, 8:27pm
(PressTV)
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has ushered in
a modern missile system during its implementation of
the 65th wave of its ongoing retaliatory Operation
True Promise 4 in the face of the unprovoked
Israeli-US aggression.
The latest phase went underway on Thursday, with the Corps
deploying the "Nasrallah missile system," which it described
as an upgraded, guided variant of the Qadr missile system,
against various targets in the occupied territories.
Detailing the latest stage, the IRGC's Public Relations Office
identified the Israeli targets ---- as the Haifa and Ashdod
refineries, which are among the largest components
of the Zionist regime’s oil refining sector - along
with a range of security targets and military
support centres in the area.
Additionally, medium-range Qiam & Zolfaghar missiles
were used -- against US assets and interests at the
al-Kharj base, the main hub for fueling F-16 and
F-35 warplanes --- and US reconnaissance
AWACS aircraft ---- in Saudi Arabia.
The other US targets were listed as the Sheikh Isa base, a
command-and-control centre - housing data systems and
combat communications equipment of the US military
in Bahrain ---- and the al-Dhafra base, in the United
Arab Emirates.
The hostile US objects were hit with precision using
medium-range multi-warhead Qadr missiles as well
as Kheibar Shekan, Qiam, and Zolfaghar missiles
employing both liquid and solid fuel systems.
According to the IRGC, the 65th wave of the reprisal took
place as a means of avenging those martyred within the
Corps' Aerospace Force.
______________________________
IRGC debuts multi-warhead ‘Nasrallah’
missile to strike Israel’s oil refineries
March 19th, 7:48pm
(PressTV)
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has launched the
65th wave of its ongoing retaliatory Operation True Promise 4
targeting Israel’s oil refineries, debuting the multi-warhead
“Nasrallah” ballistic missile.
In a statement on Thursday, the IRGC said that the fresh wave
of retaliatory strikes targeted Ashdod and Haifa oil refineries,
which are among the Israeli regime’s biggest refineries,
using Nasrallah ballistic missile system ---- for the
first time.
Nasrallah is the upgraded and the guided version of Qadr
missiles used in previous strikes against US military
assets in the region and targets in the Israeli-
occupied territories.
The 65th wave employed a variety of other domestically
manufactured long-range precision missiles, the
statement said.
The IRGC has so far employed a variety of powerful weaponry
in the latest strikes, including multi-warhead Qadr missiles,
Kheibar Shekan missiles, Emad missiles, and Haj
Qassem missiles.
According the statement, the new retaliatory wave of strikes
also employed medium-range missiles of Qiyam and
Zolfaghar for hitting US military assets in Al Kharj
Air Base in Saudi Arabia, which is the main
logistics and refueling centre for F-16
and F-35 fighter jets ....as well as
AWACS surveillance aircraft.
Furthermore, the same missile targeted Fujairah Sheikh Isa
in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which serves as the
headquarters and the data centre control and the
communication centre of the US military
in the region.
The US terrorist army forces at al-Zafra base in the UAE, which
played a supporting and intelligence role in the attack on Iran,
was also targeted by the medium-range missiles of Qiyam
and Zolfaghar ....and the long-range ballistic missile of
Kheibar Shekan, which carries multiple warheads.
Operation True Promise 4, a sequel to the IRGC's previous
instances of successful reprisal against the adversaries,
began late last month momentarily following the launch
of Washington's and Tel Aviv's latest bout of unlawful
aggression targeting the Islamic Republic.
The IRGC has pledged to sustain the reprisal
until the enemies' “complete defeat.”
______________________________________________
Trump ''forced'' to issue false denial of US
role in Israeli attack on Iran’s South Pars
March 19th, 7:37pm
(PressTV)
US President Donald Trump has said.. he did not know in
advance about Israel's terrorist attack on Iran’s South
Pars gas field, but according to media reports, the
attack was coordinated with the United States.
Three Israeli officials told the Reuters news agency on
Thursday that the Israeli strike was coordinated with
the United States, but would not likely be repeated.
The officials, however, said that Israel was not surprised
by Trump's comments, the agency reported.
The sources described the action as similar to one that
played out after Israel bombed fuel depots in Iran
several days ago.
On Wednesday night, Trump said in a social media post that
Washington "knew nothing about this particular attack" by
Israel, which he said, had "violently lashed out" at Iran
"out of anger --- for what has taken place in the
Middle East".
He said Israel would not attack the gas field again. After
attacks on the world’s largest gas field in Iran, US war
minister Pete Hegseth also said.... that in "that
particular case those weren't our strikes."
On Thursday, Trump says he told Israeli prime minister
Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike any more Iranian
oil and gas fields.
"I told him, ‘Don’t do that,’ and he won’t do that. We didn’t
discuss [it]. We do independent, but get along great. It’s
coordinated. But on occasion he’ll do something, and if
I don’t like it.. and so we’re not doing that anymore,”
Trump tells reporters in the Oval Office alongside
Japans’s visiting prime minister Sanae Takaich.
According to the report, Persian Gulf Arab states had
sought explanations from the Trump administration,
with one country contacting US Central Command.
The command told that country that it was not
informed in advance of the Israeli strike, the
report said.
That country then contacted Trump's special envoy
Steve Witkoff, who said that while the strike was
not a joint US-Israeli aggression, Washington
was informed about it --- ahead of time,
it added.
Prior to Trump's statement, the Wall Street Journal had
quoted unnamed US officials saying the president had
supported the strike on South Pars, as a message to
Iran over its restriction of tanker traffic through the
Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's busiest oil
shipping lanes - but that he did not want to
see further such strikes.
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman said "the Israeli targeting
of facilities linked to Iran's South Pars field, an extension of
Qatar's North Field" was a "dangerous and irresponsible
step". The UAE and Oman also condemned the attack.
The attack on Iran's South Pars gas field drew an Iranian
retaliatory assault on US military bases and its energy
companies ....across the region.
According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon is requesting
an extra large spending budget from Congress, roughly an
additional $200 billion, to fund and resupply the US war
machine - as terrorism against Iran rounds off Day 20.
The US and the Israeli regime have repeatedly sought to
highlight - their close coordination in their joint war of
terrorism on Iran, but authorities on both sides have
claimed that their objectives are not the same.
On Thursday, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi
Gabbard told a House intelligence committee hearing
that while Israel has been focused on "disabling the
Iranian leadership," ---- the US has focused.... on
destroying Iran's ballistic missile program
and its navy.
Senior Iranian officials say - they hold both the US and Israeli
regime responsible for their indiscriminate bombing of
residential areas, schools and hospitals --- during
their ongoing aggression against Iran.
The US and Israel carried out coordinated attacks - while
negotiations were still ongoing, amid reports that some
regional countries endorsed the aggression.
Speaking separately to reporters on Thursday, President
Trump and his extremist war secretary Hegseth didn't
dispute the report.
"We're asking for a lot of reasons, beyond even what we're
talking about in Iran, when this is a very volatile world,"
Trump said. "As far as the $200 billion, I think that
number could move, obviously," said Hegseth.
________________________________________________
US says may ‘unsanction’ Iran as
IRGC regulates Hormuz traffic
March 19th, 6:49pm
(PressTV)
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the United States
may remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded in tankers in
a bid to increase global supplies and reduce the prices in
world crude markets.
Bessent made the comments.... in an interview with Fox
Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” program on
Thursday, saying that “In the coming days, we may
unsanction the Iranian oil that’s on the water.
It’s about 140 million barrels.”
He noted that the addition of sanctioned Iranian oil
into global supplies ...would help push oil prices
down for the next 10 to 14 days.
Oil prices have shot above $100 per barrel for much of
the past two weeks as the US-Israeli adventurism
against Iran has made shipping in the Strait
of Hormuz --- risky for tankers.
Iran has warned it will not allow oil bound for the US,
Israeli occupied territories and their allies to pass
through the strait.
Amid the rising prices, the Treasury was recently forced
to allow the sale of sanctioned Russian oil stranded in
tankers, which reportedly added 130 million barrels
to global supplies.
In his remarks, Bessent said - Washington would take other
measures to boost supply, including a unilateral release of
stocks from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve -- above last
week's coordinated joint G7 release of 400 million barrels.
Experts, however, say the release of oil from the Strategic
Petroleum Reserve (SPR) could contribute to increased
market instability.... since it often risks depleting its
reserves, leaving the US vulnerable during more
severe crises.
International oil prices surged following a US-Israeli attack
on Iran’s South Pars Gas Field on Wednesday, with Brent
crude rising above $109 per barrel.
The Islamic Republic responded - by targeting US-linked
energy companies in the Persian Gulf countries, from
which it is carrying a war of terrorism on Iran.
According to ship tracking data, Iran is allowing a small
but growing number of commercial ships to pass
through the Strait of Hormuz.
Michelle Wiese Bockmann, an analyst at Windward, said
that a growing number of ships.... have been rerouting
via Iran’s territorial waters, suggesting that Tehran
is allowing “permission-based transits, to
friendly countries”.
“Western-affiliated vessels won’t voluntarily come into
Iranian waters, but likely Chinese, Indian and others
will,” Bockmann said in a post on X.
Traffic through the strait, which normally carries about
one-fifth of global oil supplies, has plunged more than
95 percent since the start of the United States and
Israel’s war on Iran.
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi
said on Monday that the strait is “open, but
closed - to our enemies”.
__________________________________
First strike on US F-35: Iran hits
stealth jet in central airspace
March 19th, 5:30pm
(PressTV)
The IRGC says the likelihood of the
US F-35's crash ------- is very high.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has
successfully hit a US Air Force F-35 stealth fighter jet
in central Iran's airspace.
According to a statement released by the IRGC on its
official news website on Thursday, the jet was
struck at 2:50 a.m. local time by the IRGC’s
advanced, modern air defense systems.
"The fate of the fighter jet is unclear and under
investigation, and the likelihood of its crash
is very high," it said.
The IRGC noted - that the interception follows the
successful downing of more than 125 US-Israeli
drones by Iran’s defense systems, signaling
significant and purposeful upgrades in the
country’s integrated air defense network.
Further details on the incident
are still under investigation.
CNN cited sources familiar with the incident - as
confirming: that a US F-35 fighter jet - made an
emergency landing -- at a US airbase in West
Asia after being struck by what is believed
to have been Iranian fire.
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central
Command, confirmed: that the fifth-generation
stealth jet was conducting a combat mission
over Iran --- when it was forced to land. The
incident is currently under investigation,
he said.
This marks the first reported instance of Iranian forces
hitting a US aircraft since the Israeli-US war of terror
on Iran began in late February, with the unprovoked
assassination of Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Both the US and Israel have been deploying F-35s in
the war, with each jet valued at over $100 million.
The alleged emergency landing... comes amid continued
claims from senior US officials regarding the success
of its terrorist operations against Iran.
Extremist US war secretary Pete Hegseth.. boasted on
Thursday morning that the US is “winning decisively”
and emphasized that Iran’s air defenses..... have
been “flattened.”
Hegseth has made numerous controversial statements, in
which he sees the US’ military aggressions.. especially
against Islamic nations, as part of a larger crusade
seeking to bring about Armageddon.
His extremism is reflected ------- in his tattoos, including the
Jerusalem Cross - a religious symbol associated with the
violent Crusades of Europeans to reclaim al-Quds from
Muslims - and the phrase “Deus Vult” (“God Wills It”)
inked on his body - a rallying cry of the Crusaders.
These tattoos... along with his self-published book American
Crusade, which frames the fight against Islam as a modern
-day “crusade,” have, reportedly, sparked numerous
complaints from his service members who see
an apparent connection ...between his
extremist worldview -------- and the
ongoing terrorist war on Iran.
______________________________________________
Muslim leaders call for fatwa
against US-Israeli terrorism
on Iran
March 19th, 4:20pm
(PressTV)
A group of Sunni scholars has condemned the US-Israeli
aggression that led to the martyrdom of Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, and
called on all prominent religious authorities and
institutions to issue a fatwa, to confront the
ongoing war of terrorism against Iran.
The appeal, made on Thursday -- by the secretariat of Sunni
religious seminaries, was addressed to prestigious Islamic
centres worldwide, including Egypt’s al-Azhar University,
the World Assembly of Muslim Scholars, and the
Islamic Jurisprudence Foundation.
The scholars urged these centres to take a firm stance
against the US-Israeli assault and issue a religious
decree (fatwa) obligating Muslims to resist the
aggression ---- and defend Iran.
They also called on the religious authorities of Turkey, Egypt,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Lebanon, Iraq, and Algeria to join the
effort, emphasizing the need for unity within the Muslim
world --- to address this crisis.
“The cowardly assault, which led to the martyrdom of the
Leader, was not just an affront to the Iranian nation but
to all Islamic values and the entire Muslim world,”
the letter stated.
The scholars expressed their belief that the attack targeted
not only the sovereignty of Iran ---- but the dignity of the
Islamic Ummah as a whole.
They underscored, that the attack violated the core principles
of Islamic teachings, which emphasize justice, the protection
of the oppressed, and the defense of sacred values.
“We, the Iranian Sunni scholars, demand that all esteemed
global Islamic centres - unequivocally condemn the US-
Israeli attack - and issue a fatwa against the global
arrogance and the Zionist regime,” the
letter continued.
The scholars emphasized the importance of solidarity in
confronting the forces they believe seek to undermine
Islamic unity and stability.
They stated that the unity of Muslim scholars could act as a
formidable barrier to the conspiracies of Islam’s enemies,
which they view as attempts to destabilize Muslim-
majority nations and sow divisions within
the Ummah.
The letter was issued on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday
marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, which
holds deep significance in the Islamic calendar.
The timing of the letter was meant to galvanize the support
of the Muslim world during a period of reflection,
spirituality, and solidarity.
On February 28, the US and Israel --- launched an unprovoked
military aggression on Iran, targeting various strategic sites
across the country ------- including schools, hospitals, and
sports halls.
These acts of terrorism occurred while diplomatic
negotiations were still ongoing, with several
countries implicitly or explicitly endorsing
the strikes.
In retaliation, Iran launched missiles and drones
targeting sites in Israel and US military bases
across the region.
______________________________________________
Oman's Foreign Minister: The US Made
a Mistake by Getting Involved in a
War with Iran
March 19th, 2:28pm
(RT.ru)
The United States made a huge mistake by allowing itself to
be drawn into a war with Iran. This opinion - was expressed
by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Oman, Badr al-Busaidi,
in a column for The Economist.
He believes that the Israeli leadership convinced the US
of Iran's imminent capitulation after the strikes and
the leader's death. But this - did not happen.
"But now it has become clear that achieving Israel's goals
will require a long-term military campaign, during which
the United States will be obliged to launch a ground
phase," the diplomat writes.
Al-Busaidi called the strikes on Iran illegal -
and Tehran's retaliatory actions inevitable.
He called on America's "friends" to help it get out
of the conflict, as the country had lost control
over its foreign policy.
Earlier, the UK's Daily Mail reported - that
Trump made a mistake by attacking Iran.
________________________________________
