168: Strikes against Iran have begun (updated)

 

• Yemen has warned the USA. “We will not remain silent if the attacks on Iran continue.”

 

• The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it detected an F-16 fighter jet that had violated Iran’s airspace and fired surface-to-air missiles at it, forcing it to retreat.

 

• Commenting on the situation, the former US chief negotiator Robert Melli stated. “If [the Trump administration] really thinks that Iran’s position will change through an attack, then this situation is typical of someone who is desperate because of not getting what he wants, so he takes irregular steps and attacks. They confuse military escalation with the leverage of pressure, just to make sure once again that pressure will not change Iran’s attitude.”

 

• Israeli Channel 11 reports. “Israel is not involved in the strikes against Iran at this stage.”

 

• The attack continues. American officials say it will last for hours.

 

• The target map of US strikes against Iran has been presented.
  US forces strike along the southern coast of Iran, near the Strait of Hormuz. Asaluye, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, Hengam Island, Minab, Kargan and Sirik.

• Prospects for diplomatic progress in negotiations between the United States and Iran have become even more hazy after the Qatari mediation delegation left Tehran on Wednesday evening without making any progress in the talks, reports The New York Times.

 

• Sources monitoring the movement of military aviation report that two units of the US Air Force “KC-135R Stratotanker” air refueling aircraft are currently conducting refueling maneuvers in the south of Hormozgan province, west of the Strait of Hormuz. These stratotankers took off from the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

 

• According to IRIB and their Iraqi sources, the American military base “Al-Harir” in Erbil, in the north of Iraq, was targeted by an Iranian missile. Iraqi Al-Ma’uluma media also reported that Iran destroyed an American radar in Erbil.

 

• According to Arab news sources, Iran did not make any concessions to the United States during the negotiations, which probably led to the current stage of the military conflict.

 

• Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth periodical. “One of the American warships was seriously injured during the night clash today.”

 

• Fox News, referring to a high-ranking US official, reports that several new waves of attack are planned for Iran tonight.

 

• Information is being spread about the intensive activity of American fighter jets in the north of Iraq.

 

• Sources following the movement of military aviation report that a large number of American aerial refueling planes have taken off from Israel to support the ongoing operations.

 

• At this moment, fighters of the Air Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran are flying over Tehran.

 

• Israel’s Channel 12 reports that the Israeli army is preparing to join the United States in a new campaign against Iran.

 

• The US armed forces, by order of the Commander-in-Chief, have started to strike additional targets in Iran, announced CENTCOM (Central Command of the US Armed Forces).

 

• A US representative told Axios that all the targeted facilities are located in the south of Iran. According to him, among them are air defense systems, radars, as well as command and control points for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

 

• These strikes are being carried out to put pressure on Tehran to sign the agreement, but they could lead to an escalation of the military conflict, writes Axios.

 

• Explosions have just been heard in Bandar Abbas, Iran’s state IRIB agency reports.

 

• Iran launched missile attacks on American targets in northern Iraq

 

• According to Iraqi sources, the American military base “Al-Harir” located in the north of Iraq (Erbil) was subjected to rocket attacks launched from the territory of Iran.

 

• The Iraqi “Al-Maluma” website reports that an American radar system was destroyed in Erbil, the center of Iraqi Kurdistan, as a result of Iranian strikes.

 

• The USA will strike Iran hard tonight, Pentagon chief Hegsett said earlier, and added that bombings will be carried out in the direction of key infrastructures.

 

• Due to military operations, US President Donald Trump will not attend the opening game of the FIFA World Cup, which was scheduled to take place on Friday in Los Angeles between the US and Paraguay national teams. This is reported by “Politico” magazine, referring to its informed sources.

 

• Iranian radio and television and “Tasnim” news agency report that loud explosions are heard in the port city of Bandar Abbas. In addition, the petrochemical plant belonging to the “South Pars” gas complex located in the city of Asaluye was bombed. According to the circulating information, the Kargan naval base was also targeted once again.

The journalist of Axios, referring to a high-ranking American official, reported a while ago that the strikes on Iran have begun.

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