It will no longer be an eye for an eye: Iran

TEHRAN/WASHINGTON/TEL AVIV:

IRGC aerospace commander Seyed Majid Moosavi reiterated his warning to employees of US and Israeli industrial companies in the region to leave following attacks on Iranian production sites, Al Jazeera reports.

The warning came as Iranian state media said two nuclear-related facilities had been attacked but there had been no release of radioactive material.

Additionally, explosions rocked areas near the Pakistan Embassy and the Pakistani Ambassador’s residence in Tehran, as the Iranian capital continues to come under sustained aerial bombardment, now in its 27th day.

All Pakistani diplomats were confirmed safe but shaken by the blasts, which hit as Islamabad, alongside Turkey and Egypt, is actively engaged in shuttle diplomacy aimed at brokering a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

The strikes near the Pakistani mission came at a time of increased diplomatic activity. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that the United States and Iran were holding indirect talks through Pakistan, with messages being transmitted from Islamabad. Dar described the process bluntly: “Dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward.”

“You have tested us once before; the world has once again seen that you yourselves have started playing with fire and attacking infrastructure,” Moosavi said in an article on X.

“This time, the equation will no longer be an eye for an eye game; wait and see! Employees of industrial companies associated with the Americans and the Zionist regime (Israel) should quickly leave their workplace to avoid putting their lives in danger,” he added.

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said in a statement on Telegram that the Khondab heavy water complex in northwest Iran was attacked by US-Israeli forces. IRNA quotes an official in Markazi province as saying there were no casualties.

A second strike hit the Yellowcake production facility in Ardakan, Yazd, with authorities reporting no release of radioactive material beyond the site, according to the IRGC-affiliated Fars News news agency.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Israel of a “high price” after attacks on steel plants, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites, among other infrastructure.

“Israel claims to have acted in coordination with the United States. The attack contradicts the diplomatic deadline extended by the POTUS. Iran will exact a heavy price for Israeli crimes.”

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the country could achieve its goals in Iran “without ground troops”, clarifying that the operation should end in “weeks, not months”, Al Jazeera reported.

Speaking to reporters after a G7 meeting in France, he said ensuring the Strait of Hormuz remained open to navigation would likely pose an “immediate challenge” even after the United States achieved its military objectives in Iran.

He said the United States would seek international cooperation on a plan to keep the strait open after hostilities end.

“Not only is it illegal, it’s unacceptable. It’s dangerous for the world,” Rubio said of the possibility that Iran would seek to restrict movement across the strait.

“And it’s important that the world has a plan,” he added.

Rubio also said Iran could decide to implement a toll system for the Strait of Hormuz.

He also said weapons intended for Ukraine would not be diverted for use in the war against Iran, “but it could happen.”

Iran’s foreign minister accused the United States and Israel of waging an “illegal” and “ruthless” war against Iran, during a speech today at an emergency session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), according to a message shared by Press TV on X.

Addressing the session organized in response to the deadly strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, Araghchi said Iran was facing “an illegal war imposed by the United States and Israel, two nuclear-armed aggressor regimes.” “This war is unjustified and brutally merciless,” he added.

The UNHRC session was convened after the Feb. 28 strike on a school in southern Iran that reportedly killed scores of civilians, most of them children, sparking widespread international concern and calls for an investigation.

Iran has consistently blamed the attack on the United States and Israel, while both countries have denied deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and said investigations were ongoing.

Defense agreement between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia

Additionally, President Zelensky said that the defense ministries of Ukraine and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement on defense cooperation during an officially unannounced meeting in Saudi Arabia.

Zelensky said on X that the document “lays the foundation for future contracts, technological cooperation and investments.” He provided no details.

Ukrainian drone combat experts – with more than four years of experience fighting Iranian drones used during the Russian invasion – are helping five Middle East and Gulf countries counter the attacks, according to Zelenskyy.

The Ukrainian leader said he would meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later in the day.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates has told the United States and other Western allies that it will participate in a multinational maritime task force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The UAE is trying to push dozens of countries to create a “Hormuz Security Force” to defend the strait from Iranian attacks and escort ships, the report added.

At the same time, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said the Strait of Hormuz was closed and “any transit through the waterway would be subject to severe measures,” according to Iranian state media.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) added that all shipments to and from the ports of allies and supporters of US-Israeli enemies are prohibited through any corridor or destination.

Additionally, several U.S. allies have said they have no plans to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, rebuffing a request for military support from Trump to keep the vital waterway open.

The UAE is also working on a UN Security Council resolution with Bahrain to give a mandate to any future working groups, but Russia and China could oppose the move, the report added.

U.N. Security Council members have begun negotiating resolutions aimed at protecting commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, including a Bahraini plan that would allow the use of “all necessary means,” Reuters reported earlier this week.

The Bahraini military says its air defenses have intercepted a total of 154 Iranian missiles and 362 drones since the start of the war.

Additionally, the Kuwaiti port of Shuwaikh was hit by drones, causing property damage and no injuries were reported, the Kuwait Ports Authority said on Friday, according to Reuters.

According to Al Arabiya, the Saudi Press Agency, quoting Defense Ministry spokesperson General Turki Al-Maliki, said that two drones were intercepted and destroyed in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

Naftali Bennett criticizes Netanyahu

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “doesn’t know how to win in any area,” criticizing the government’s handling of military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, according to Israeli media, Anadolu Agency reported.

“The political leadership of the current government is hindering the military’s ability to achieve victory on multiple fronts,” Bennett said in an interview with Channel 12, accusing the leadership of prioritizing political considerations over security needs.

He said the army was facing a shortfall of about 20,000 troops, arguing that enlisting ultra-Orthodox Jews could help fill the gap, but that “the government is avoiding this move for political reasons.”

“Israel’s current leaders don’t know how to win in any area,” Bennett added.

Qatar

Qatar lowered its heightened security alert after the Interior Ministry sent a message to residents saying “the threat has been eliminated and the situation has returned to normal,” according to Al Jazeera.

Qatar’s emergency services have issued a heightened security alert, sending shrill messages to phones across the country – the first in a week.

The alert asked people to stay indoors and away from windows, and suggested the arrival of a missile or drone.

UN Security Council

According to Russian news agency TASS, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will hold closed-door discussions on strikes against Iranian civilian infrastructure at the request of Moscow.

“The Russian Federation has requested closed-door consultations with the UN Security Council due to ongoing strikes against civilian infrastructure in Iran, including educational and health facilities,” said Evgeny Uspensky, spokesperson for Russia’s envoy to the UN.

(With additional input from News Desk)