A helicopter transporting President Ebrahim Raisi encountered an accident earlier on Sunday in the East Azerbaijan province. | According to initial reports, some of the President’s companions aboard the helicopter have managed to make contact with central authorities, raising hopes that the incident may end without any fatalities. ● The President’s convoy consisted of three helicopters. While two of these, carrying various ministers and officials, successfully reached their destination, the helicopter carrying President Raisi faced difficulties. ● Among those reported to be with President Raisi was Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian. Rescue operations are currently underway, and further details on the condition of the passengers are awaited.

■ ‘Humanity is with Raeisi’: People worldwide pray for Iranian president’s safety (PressTV)
■ Official: Exact location of Iranian President’s helicopter crash identified (Iran Front Page)
■ BREAKING: Iranian president missing in helicopter crash on Azerbaijan border, presumed dead (BNE IntelliNews)
■ BREAKING: Iranian president feared dead after helicopter crash (Politics Nigeria)
■ DEVELOPING: Search underway after helicopter carrying Iran's leader crashes (TRT World)
■ Helicopter carrying pres. Raeisi crashes in East Azarbaijan (Mehr News)
■ What we know so far on Iranian President Raisi's helicopter that made a "hard landing" (The Star, Kenya)

A senior Iranian commander sounds a note of warning addressed to the UK, Germany, and France after the trio deployed their warplanes to defend the Israeli regime against a retaliatory operation staged by Iran last month.

💬 “All criminals should know [this] that their measures and crimes have been chalked up to their accounts,” Qa’ani said. ● “France, Germany, and the UK should not think that they deployed the planes that night and that the issue was over. Yes, that night was over, but they will be held accountable in due course,” he added.

According to Qa’ani, the United States and the entire Western military alliance of NATO contributed all of their military capabilities towards defending the occupying regime against the Iranian operation. “[Up to] seven to eight naval groups were deployed to the Black Sea to prevent the [Iranian] operation,” he said, adding that more than 200 aircraft were also scrambled across the region’s skies during the night of the operation. ● The commander described the aerial expanse, where the operation was conducted, as “the most condensed spot in the world as far as [the issue of] air defense is concerned,” billing the operation as “unprecedented and historically unachievable.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman described as shameful and heinous the attempts by US lawmakers to provide immunity for the Israeli regime’s officials sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over their war crimes.

💬 "“The goal of a group of representatives of the US Congress and the US Senate is to threaten and pressure the prosecutors and judges of the International Criminal Court, to provide immunity for war crimes and genocide by the officials and military commanders of the Zionist regime, and this is a shameful and worrying action,” Nasser Kan'ani wrote in a post on X. ● “This heinous intervention will create a dangerous procedure that is contrary to the goals and raison d'etre of the International Criminal Court in punishing war criminals, while global silence in the face of such threats hinders the implementation of justice and the continuation of crimes against the Palestinian nation,” he added."

■ Rep. senators to ICC chief over Israeli arrests: 'You've been warned' (05/07/24)

Iran's permanent ambassador to the United Nations has denounced Israel’s destabilizing activities in West Asia, urging the UN Security Council to hold the Israeli regime accountable for its atrocities in Gaza and elsewhere. |

💬 “Israel's ongoing destabilized and irresponsible actions and atrocities against the nations in the region are a real threat to regional and international peace and security,” Amir Saeid Iravani said as he addressed a UN Security Council session in New York on Thursday. ● “It is time for the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility and address the real threat to international peace and security. The Security Council must promptly fulfill its duty under Chapter 7 of the Charter in response to Israel's reckless defiance. ● “It must take urgent and punitive measures to compel this regime to stop its genocide and massacre against the people of Gaza and uphold its obligations especially fully implement the UNSC resolutions and legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice.”

He noted that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to expand and escalate the conflict in the region to stay in power, emphasizing that the members of the Security Council must not allow the body to be held hostage to the ambitions of such a "belligerent regime." [...] The Iranian UN ambassador finally stated that the Islamic Republic has no intention of engaging in conflict with the US in the region; however, it will use its inherent right to respond proportionately if Washington initiates military operations against Iran, its citizens, or its security and interests.

■ Iran to launch missiles anywhere in Israel if necessary (Mehr News)

President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran has issued a stern warning to the Israeli regime in the event of any act of aggression against Iranian territory.

President Raisi has sent a pointed warning to West Jerusalem | Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has threatened Israel with annihilation if it attempts to attack Iran again. ● Raisi arrived in Pakistan on Monday for a three-day visit. He addressed the recent tensions between Tehran and West Jerusalem at an event in Punjab on Tuesday.

💬 “If the Zionist regime once again makes a mistake and attacks the sacred land of Iran, the situation will be different, and it is not clear whether anything will remain of this regime,” the state news agency IRNA quoted Raisi as saying.

■ Nothing will remain of Israeli regime if it attacks Iran: Raisi (IRNA)

■ Will have a serious update soon on the F-35/nuclear bomb/EMP over Iran mystery (Pepe Escobar/Telegram)

Robert Inlakesh | Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel was framed in the West as a reckless attempt to spark a major regional war, but in reality, Israel has been attacking Iran for decades. | As is routinely the case with Western-backed wars, the corporate media’s timeline begins at the moment that suits their narrative. We have seen this play out recently, with the attempt to rob the Gaza war of all contexts before October 7, 2023. Similarly, when it comes to Israel’s conflict with Iran, the two have been embroiled in what is referred to as a “shadow war,” the details of which are pretty shocking. ■ While the international media’s attention was riveted on Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Israel, drawing great focus to some 300 drones and missiles used in the attack, no major deal was made of Israel’s strike on April 1 against the consular segment of Iran’s embassy in Damascus, Syria, that killed a dozen people, including seven Iranian officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In this unprecedented act of aggression against Iranian soil, breaking international diplomatic norms, the Israelis were shielded by the U.S. government at the United Nations Security Council, blocking any condemnation of this act.

Video shows the moment Iran's air defense shot down several mini quadcopters near Isfahan. pic.twitter.com/93dwwtAzPz

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) April 19, 2024

Air defenses have reportedly been activated in several provinces of the Islamic Republic | Israel carried out a series of strikes on Iran in the early hours of Friday, multiple news outlets have reported. The news comes less than a week after the Islamic Republic fired a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel. ● Iranian news agency Mehr reported that several explosions were heard around 4 am local time in the skies over the central city of Isfahan. ● IRNA news agency said that air defenses have been activated in several parts of Iran, and that Israel also struck military airfields and a radar site in Syria and Iraq. ● Hossein Dalirian, spokesman for Iran’s civilian space program, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that several drones had been shot down over the city of Isfahan. Iranian TV later said that three drones had been destroyed over the city. ● According to Al Jazeera, Iran has suspended flights at several airports, including Tehran and Isfahan. [...] Reports of the explosions came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Houssein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that Iran's response would be “immediate and at a maximum level,” if Israel takes any further military action against his country. “If the Israeli regime commits the grave error once again our response will be decisive, definitive and regretful for them,” he stated, explaining that warning was sent to the White House via the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.

■ Iran’s Air Defenses Shoot Down Drones in Isfahan and Tabriz, No External Aggression Occurred (Al Manar TV)
■ Iranians mock Israeli strike on Isfahan (Al Mayadeen)
■ Residents: Iranian cities of Tabriz, Isfahan completely calm following blasts sound (IFP News)
■ Israel launched an attack on Iran VIDEO (b92)
■ Israel Strikes Several Sites in Iran - Reports (Sputnik News)
■ Iran destroys several micro air vehicles over Isfahan (Mehr News)
■ Air defense system activated as blast heard in Iran’s Isfahan: Official (IRNA)
■ Oil steadies after surge following reported Israeli attack on Iran (Channel News Asia)
■ Israel Can't Afford Escalation With Iran and Gaza (Ekaterina Blinova)
■ Israel Quietly 'Retaliates' For Iran's Retaliation Attack (Moon of Alabama)

Israel has vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack without saying when or how, leaving the region bracing for further escalation after months of unrest linked to the ongoing war in Gaza. | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday his country would be the one to decide whether and how to respond to Iran’s major air assault earlier this week, brushing off calls for restraint from close allies. ● Israel has vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack without saying when or how, leaving the region bracing for further escalation after months of unrest linked to the ongoing war in Gaza. ● Israel’s allies have been urging Israel since the attack to hold back on any response that could spiral. These calls were repeated on Wednesday during visits by the British and German foreign ministers.

■ Mediators urge Israel for a face-saving response, while Israel outlines 3 scenarios (albawaba.com)
■ Israel 'will make own decisions' in response to Iran attack, says Netanyahu after meeting with Cameron (LBC News)
■ Israel: "The Decision has been made" - Timing is now the issue for Iran Attack (Hal Turner)
■ US and UK Put Air Refueling Tankers up - Middle East . . . For Israel to Attack Iran (Hal Turner)
■ Jordan opened airspace for Israeli jets to counter Iran (The Cradle)
■ Iran warns Israel it knows where its nukes are hidden (RT.com)
■ IRGC warns of 'tit-for-tat' retaliation if Israel attacks Iran's nuclear facilities (PressTV)
■ Iran readies 1000 ballistic missiles, declaring, "We're crazier than you think" (albawaba.com)

Israeli officials say they didn’t see a strike on a high-level Iranian target in Syria as a provocation, and did not give Washington a heads-up about it until right before it happened. | [...] The Israelis had badly miscalculated, thinking that Iran would not react strongly, according to multiple American officials who were involved in high-level discussions after the attack, a view shared by a senior Israeli official. On Saturday, Iran launched a retaliatory barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel, an unexpectedly large-scale response, if one that did minimal damage. ● Even after it became clear that Iran would retaliate, U.S. and Israeli officials initially thought the scale of the response would be fairly limited, before scrambling to revise their assessment again and again. Now the focus is on what Israel will do next — and how Iran might respond.

■ IRGC warns of 'tit-for-tat' retaliation if Israel attacks Iran's nuclear facilities (PressTV)
■ Iran readies 1000 ballistic missiles, declaring, "We're crazier than you think" (albawaba.com)

Iran's deputy foreign minister has warned that the Islamic Republic would respond to any fresh Israeli "mistake" against the country “within seconds.” | Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy foreign minister for political affairs, made the remarks in a televised interview on Monday. 💬 “In case of repetition of another mistake, they should expect a harsher, faster, and more immediate response,” he said. “This time, the Zionists should know this that they will not have a 12-day-long timespace,” the official noted, adding, “The response that they are going to receive [this time around] cannot be measured by [such time standards as] days or hours, but [will come in a matter of] seconds.” On April 1, the Israeli regime committed a terrorist attack against Iran’s diplomatic premises in the Syrian capital Damascus.

■ Israel prepares air force to hit Iran ‘clearly and forcefully’ in response to missile barrage: report (New York Post)
■ Smallest action against Iran to be met with severe response (Mehr News)
■ Iran ready to use weapon never used before (Mehr News)
■ Israeli media: Israel ‘totally defeated’ – and terrified of Iran (Skwawk Box)
■ Another Meeting of Israeli War Cabinet Has Begun - Response to Iran Strike (Hal Turner)
■ Iran's Strikes on Israeli Bases Establish Deterrence (Scott Ritter)

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israel cost up to 5 billion shekels ($1.35 billion) to intercept the Iranian missile attack on Saturday night. | The Israeli newspaper cited Brig. Gen. Ram Aminach, the former financial advisor to the Israeli chief of staff, on Sunday, who confirmed that "the cost of defense last night was estimated at between 4-5 billion shekels ($1.08-1.35B)." ● “One ‘Arrow’ missile used to intercept an Iranian ballistic missile costs $3.5 million, while the cost of one ‘Magic Wand’ missile is $1 million, in addition to the sorties of aircraft that participated in intercepting the Iranian drones,” the financial advisor further noted.

■ Israel's debt borrowing doubles in 2023 due to its war on Gaza (TRT World)
■ Iran Hit Secret Israeli Intel Base at Golan Heights! Smashed by Missile Attack (Hal Turner)

Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani has warned the United States against initiating military action against the country in the aftermath of the Islamic Republic’s recent legitimate retaliatory operation against the “Israeli” entity, Washington’s most treasured regional ally. 💬 “Iran has no intention of engaging in conflict with the US in the region,” Iravani to the United Nations, told a UN Security Council meeting on Sunday. ● “However, if the US initiates military operations against Iran, its citizens, or its security and interests, Iran will use its inherent right to respond proportionately,” he added.

■ Israel's War Cabinet Favors Retaliating to Iranian Attack: Report (NewsMax)
■ Iran Warns “Israel” of Ten Times Harsher Response if Evil Actions Continue (Alahed News)

A regional war in the Middle East will be unavoidable if Israel continues strikes against Iran, former Iranian Ambassador to Germany Seyed Hossein Mousavian told Sputnik.

💬 "The current Iranian retaliation should be the end," former Iranian Ambassador to Germany Seyed Hossein Mousavian told Sputnik. "If Israel repeats attacking Iran and/or the US joins Israel; a regional war would be unavoidable."

■ Iran says concluded retaliatory strikes on occupied territories, warns against Israeli response (04/14/24)
■ Statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with the attack on Israeli territory

The chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Baqeri, says Iran has concluded its retaliatory strikes on the occupied territories, warning of a “stronger” reaction if the Israeli regime responds. | "The operation is over from our point of view, but the armed forces are ready and we will act if necessary,” Baqeri said Sunday morning. ● His remarks came hours after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched extensive missile and drone strikes against the occupied territories in response to Israel’s deadly attack on the Iranian diplomatic premises in Syria early this month. ● Baqeri downplayed the extent of the operation compared to what Iran is capable of, saying that it was merely a punishment and the country’s response to any further military action by the Israeli regime “will be much greater.”

■ Iran Forcefully Retaliates, Subjects Entire Zionist Entity to Attack (Al Manar TV)
■ Russia Expresses 'Utmost Concern' About Potential Escalation in Wake of Iran's Self-Defense Strikes (Sputnik News)
■ Iranian response to be tougher if 'Israel' makes any move: Ghalibaf (Al Mayadeen)
■ IRGC chief: Much harsher response awaits Israel should it attack Iran (PressTV)
■ US worried about 'Israel's' response to Iran's attack: NBC News (Al Mayadeen)
■ Biden tells Netanyahu US will not take part in Israel's counterattack on Iran (PressTV)
■ Tel Aviv confirms key airbase damaged by Iranian strikes (The Cradle)
■ Confirmed Hit: Footage captures moment Iranian missiles strike Ben Gurion airport (albawaba.com)
■ Iran's Retaliatory Attack 'Reestablished Deterrence' to Hold Israel, US in Check (Scott Ritter)
■ Ex-Shin Bet Chief: Bibi Unfit for Office, Leading ‘Israel’ to its Doom (Alahed News)(Nadav Argaman)
■ Iran starts offensive against Israel, dozens of missiles launched (04/13/24)

The special naval forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have seized Israel-linked MSC Aries container ship near the Strait of Hormuz, official news agency IRNA reports. | The ship was impounded by the Sepah Navy Special Force (SNSF) in a heliborne operation and rappelling of forces on the ship's deck, the agency said Saturday. The ship has now been directed towards the territorial waters of our country," IRNA said. The Portuguese-flagged ship, operated by Zodiac Maritime, is owned by Israeli real estate, energy, technology and shipping magnate Eyal Ofer, it added. Zodiac Maritime is part of the Israeli billionaire's Zodiac Group.

■ IRGC seizes Israel-linked ship near Strait of Hormuz (IRNA)

American ships and troops in the Middle East prepared for a likely Iranian attack on Israel on Friday, as US President Joe Biden urged Tehran to think twice. | Iranian leaders have vowed to “punish” Israel for the April 1 airstrike on the consulate in Damascus, Syria that killed seven officers of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, including two of its generals. [...] The Pentagon is moving additional troops and equipment to sites in the Middle East, to “bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection,” an anonymous official said in a background briefing.

■ Russia trolls U.S and Israel with new Ballistic Missile test (The Times of India)
■ Turkey DENIES U.S. Permission To Use Airspace to Attack Iran (Hal Turner)
■ Qatar and Kuwait Forbid US From Using their Bases to Attack Iran (Hal Turner) (12 April 2024)
■ Iran readies '100+ cruise missiles' for possible retaliation against Israel (TRT World)
■ Iran Warns It Will Attack US Forces in Mideast If It Helps Defend Israel (Sputnik News)
■ US Moving More Assets to Mideast to Bolster Deterrence Ahead of Iran Retaliation (Sputnik News)
■ Iran: UN condemnation of Israeli airstrike could have 'obviated' retaliation (04/12/24)

Iran’s mission to the UN has said that the UN Security Council condemnation of Israel’s attack on its consular section in Syrian capital could have prevented the need for retaliation. |

💬 "Had the UN Security Council condemned the Zionist regime’s reprehensible act of aggression on our diplomatic premises in Damascus and subsequently brought to justice its perpetrators, the imperative for Iran to punish this rogue regime might have been obviated," it said on the social media platform X Thursday. Iran has pledged retaliation for the Israeli airstrike that killed seven Iranian military advisors at its diplomatic annex in Damascus along with six Syrians on April 1. [...] "Russia had drafted a press statement condemning the Israeli attack on the diplomatic premises in Syria but was stopped by the insistence of our Anglo-Saxon colleagues," Moscow's UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya told reporters.

■ US missile ship anchors off Israeli coast: Report (Anadolu)
■ US Moving More Assets to Mideast to Bolster Deterrence Ahead of Iran Retaliation (Sputnik News)
■ Qatar and Kuwait Forbid US From Using their Bases to Attack Iran (Hal Turner)
■ France Evacuates Families of Diplomats from Israel; UK Tells Citizens to Leave Israel (Hal Turner)
■ ‘Islamic world will celebrate the destruction of Israel’: Is war inevitable between Tehran and West Jerusalem?

Muslims in Iran and many other countries are celebrating Eid al-Fitr at the conclusion of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, after the new moon of the lunar month of Shawwal was sighted the previous night. | Naqareh drums were played at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the eighth Shia Imam, in Iran's northeastern city of Mashhad on Wednesday morning, and Muslim worshippers who had fasted for a month took part in Eid prayers there and across the country early in the morning of the occasion of the festive event, which marks the end of Ramadan – the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. ● In the capital, Tehran, people gathered at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla (Congregational Prayers Site) to perform Eid al-Fitr prayers. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei led the prayers.

■ Palestinians commemorate Eid al-Fitr amid oppression, genocide (Al Mayadeen)

The Israeli air force is reportedly training to strike “sensitive sites” | Israel will launch strikes against Iran’s nuclear program in the event that Tehran retaliates for the recent attack on its embassy in Damascus, a London-based Arabic outlet has reported, citing an anonymous Western security official. ● Two generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and several other officers were killed in the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus last week. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed that Israel will “receive a slap in the face” in return.

■ Israel Threatens To Strike Iran Directly If Iran Launches an Attack From Its Territory (HuffPo)

Several intelligence sources are confirming "significant activity" at Iran long-range missile sites in the west and north of the country. Retaliation against Israel for bombing an Embassy in Damascus, is pending. | Yesterday, Israel violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations when it bombed a building in Damascus, Syria, directly next to the Iran Embassy! It was the Ambassador's Official residence situated ON the Embassy compound; Iran sovereign territory! ● Several high-ranking Iranian officials were killed in the attack, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi - a commander in the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards. He is the highest-ranking Iranian official killed in an Israeli attack. ● If Iran plans retaliation, it's likely to occur tonight, as it marks the 23rd night of Ramadan, a significant occasion for Shia Muslims. Tonight, however, may prove too soon. Should retaliation not occur tonight, it may coincide with a funeral, a common time for Iranian retaliation. ● Expectations are high regarding Iran's response this time. Iran's Parliament Vice-Speaker Mojtaba Zonnouri cautioned Israel to anticipate retaliation within its borders, stressing that diplomatic missions are considered part of sovereign territory. ● The Israeli Defense Force, after making the attack, was placed on high alert. The U.S. military has started recalling veteran retirees and is ordering them to report for active duty, citing Executive Order 13223 from the Bush administration in 2001.

■ Israel’s war on Gaza live: Troops denied leave as Iran threatens revenge (Al Jazeera)
■ Iranian hardliners demand military response to Israel's attack on diplomatic mission in Syria (The New Arab)
■ Israel Bombs Iranian Ambassador's Residence on Embassy Grounds in Damascus (Hal Turner)(01 April 2024)

Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said it is the sovereign decision of Pakistani government to move forward on Pakistan and Iran gas pipeline project. | She expressed these words while responding to the queries of the media persons regarding yesterday’s US congressional hearing, at her weekly news briefing in Islamabad today. She made it clear that at this point, there is no room for any discussion or waiver from any third party for the construction of the pipeline inside Pakistan’s territory. She said Pakistan has also conveyed to the US authorities the importance of this project for its energy security.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has called for serious practical steps to cease Israel’s raids on the Gaza Strip in his New Year message to Asian countries celebrating Nowruz. | The Iranian president said Nowruz is a message of peace and peaceful coexistence and also a symbol of reconciliation.

💬 “This year, we, the countries of the Nowruz civilization zone, are celebrating this auspicious occasion while the oppressed and powerful people of Gaza are facing the brutal attacks of the usurper Zionist regime, and are also under complete siege, being deprived of having access to basic health and livelihood facilities and are in danger of starvation and famine,” Raisi stated. ● “It is our human duty to use our capabilities to take serious practical steps to stop the attacks of the Zionist regime and send humanitarian aid to the oppressed people of Gaza,” he added in a message addressed to the leaders and people of the countries of the Nowruz civilization zone.

Israel waged its war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Yemen’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned the latest wave of US and British airstrikes against the country, stressing that such attacks will not ever make the Yemeni nation and government backtrack on their pro-Palestinian stances. | The ministry in the Sana'a-based National Salvation Government deplored the most recent assaults on multiple targets in the strategic western province of Hudaydah as well as Sa’ada in the country’s northwest, stating that continuing US-British aggression clearly points to the UN Security Council’s failure to take on its responsibilities.

■ Turkish foreign minister warns of potential escalation in region (Anadolu)
■ US-UK aggression against Yemen ‘alarming threat’ to international peace, security: Tehran (PressTV)
■ US-British aggression targets Hodeidah, Saada governorates in Yemen (Al Mayadeen)
■ US, UK Conduct New Strikes on Yemen's Al Hudaydah, Saada Governorates - Local Officials (Sputnik News)
■ US plans additional strikes on Iranian-linked targets: White House (TRT World)
■ US Refuses to Rule Out Strikes Inside Iran (antiwar.com)

This comes after the US initiated a series of strikes overnight, targeting positions in Iraq and Syria. | Russian Deputy Envoy to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy on Saturday announced that Russia has sought an immediate session of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on February 5 in response to the US' aggression on Iraq and Syria. ● "Russia has just called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to discuss threats to international peace and security from the US strikes against Iraq and Syria. The meeting is expected to be held at 4 pm EST [21:00 GMT] on February 5," Polyanskiy said on X. ● This comes after the US initiated a series of strikes overnight, targeting entities that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) alleges to be affiliated with the IRGC and its allies. According to CENTCOM, US forces struck more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria with numerous aircraft, including long-range bombers that were said to have taken off from the US.

■ Warnings of "exploding the situation" in the region after the US strikes in Syria and Iraq (Al Jazeera)
■ US strikes in Middle East a ‘strategic mistake’ – Iran (RT.com)
■ US hits 85 targets in Syria and Iraq (02/03/24)

The US blamed an Iranian-backed militia group for recent attacks. | The strikes will take place over a number of days, officials said, and weather conditions will likely dictate when they are launched. Iran, meanwhile, has denied any role in the attack which injured 41 other US troops at the military base, known as Tower 22. It comes after a drone attack killed three US soldiers in Jordan, close to the Syrian border, on Sunday.

■ Iran vows strong response to aggression, Raisi says (Amu TV)
■ Iraq’s pro-Iran Al-Nujaba movement vows to keep up attacks on US troops (Malay Mail)
■ US "believes" Iranian-made drone behind deadly attack – Reuters
■ US approves strikes on Iranian personnel and facilities in Iraq, Syria (Al Mayadeen) (RT.com)

The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has warned that Iran “will not leave any threat unanswered” as the United States seeks to escalate tensions in West Asia already inflamed by Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. | Major General Hossein Salami made the remarks on Wednesday, after US President Joe Biden said he had decided how to respond to a deadly attack on a US occupation base, for which he held Tehran responsible. “Sometimes, the enemies make threats. And these days too, we hear some threats in the US officials’ rhetoric,” he said at the final session of the national congress of 24,000 martyrs of Tehran Province.

■ No to war but finger on the trigger (Shahrokh Saei)

Amir Saeed Iravani made the comments in a letter addressed to the UN Security Council's president on Monday. | The letter came three days after his American counterpart, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, wrote a letter to the Council, alleging that "militia groups affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces" were involved in "actions against US personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria." Iravani asserted unequivocally that 💬 "there is no group affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces, whether in Iraq, Syria, or elsewhere that operates directly or indirectly under the control of the Islamic Republic of Iran or acts on its behalf." "Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Iran is not responsible for the actions of any individual or group within the region," Iran's UN ambassador added. Over the past years, Iraq's Resistance groups have been staging numerous strikes against military bases housing American occupation forces in Iraq and neighboring Syria.

■ NATO chief levels baseless accusations against Iran (Mehr News Agency)
■ Crime in Gaza and Punishment in Jordan (Tehran Times)
■ Iran strongly denies baseless US claims of involvement in Jordan op. (Al Mayadeen)
■ Biden ordered: The army is going to war? (b92.net)

Three US army soldiers were killed and at least two dozen service personnel injured after an overnight drone attack, which struck the living quarters of a small US outpost in Northeast Jordan, say officials | Three US army soldiers were killed and at least two dozen service personnel injured after an overnight drone attack, which struck the living quarters of a small US outpost in Northeast Jordan, say officials. They were the first troops to be killed amid months-long airstrikes against US soldiers across the Middle East by Iranian-backed groups during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. ● "US President Biden" condemned the killings in a statement, saying the attack "was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq." The deaths were confirmed by the US Central Command this weekend, mourning 25 service members who were injured during the "one way" drone attack that was dealt to the base, which is located near the border with Syria. [...] The attack took place in the northeast of Jordan near the Syrian border, US Central Command said. American troops have long used the country as a basing point - with some 3,000 soldiers typically stationed there.

■ Iran reacts to attack on US troops on Jordan border (Mehr News)
■ Senators Call for US to Bomb Iran in Response to Drone Attack in Jordan (antiwar.com)
■ Biden May Order Direct Strike on Iranian Officials After Drone Attack Against US’ Jordan Base (Sputnik News)
■ Biden given chilling nuclear warning over attacking Iran after kamikaze drone kills troops (The Mirror)
■ U.S. Sorties Six (6) KC-135 Strato-tankers to UK; for Middle East. BIG Operation coming (Hal Turner)
■ The Tower-22 Strike in Jordan Triggers US, Israel Into All-Front War – The Arabs and Iran Are Ready, the Russians Too (John Helmer)
■ World War 3 Has Already Started; USA Moving Nuclear Weapons to UK; The Real Satanic Power is Zionism; Top Russian Leaders Say They’re Fighting the Antichrist (BattleForWorld)