Donald Trump claims a senior defence official urged military action against Iran, revealing escalating tensions and ongoing negotiations in the Middle East.
Trump said that Iran's leadership, along with its air defence, Air Force, and Navy are 'gone'.
Iran striker Sardar Azmoun has been left out of the squad for World Cup warm-ups amid reports of expulsion over alleged disloyalty, sparking controversy.
The IRGC had announced earlier that it was carrying out an intense wave of attacks on US and Israeli positons throughout the region since dawn, using missiles as well as drones.
The Iranian military has asserted that its forces successfully targeted and downed a US A-10 aircraft, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
'Without ground troops the US will not be able to oust the Iranian Islamic regime. Political change does not happen just by using bombs or planes.'
Amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Israeli Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, stated that Israel is willing to cease hostilities if Iran changes its course, emphasising that Tel Aviv has consulted diplomatic channels, including the US and regional partners.
'Much will depend on the position of the United States.' 'It will have to be seen to what extent the US will be more interested in achieving some form of a deal and to what extent Israel will be allowed to continue to carry out both airstrikes and the killing of Iranian officials.'
The strike hit the Kerman Air Base, located about 800 km southeast of Tehran.
According to Hezbollah, it fired a swarm of drones at radar sites and control rooms at the base on Tuesday, describing the move as retaliation for Israeli strikes.
Five members of the Iranian women's football team, who initially sought asylum in Australia, have withdrawn their claims and are returning to Iran.
Iran's state media cited the spokesperson for the Central Headquarters of Iran's military to claim that a United States military refuelling plane was shot down by a missile fired by resistance groups in western Iraq. The spokesperson further told Press TV that all six service members on board had been killed.
'The US landed in this war without planning. The US felt that if they kill Ayatollah Khamenei the people of Iran will come out on the roads and do a regime change.' 'On the contrary, the US bombings on Iran has united the entire nation.'
16 days into the war, US forces were already running out of ground-attack missiles and Israel is about to expend its entire Arrow interceptor missiles by end March. To be sure, the Iranians are watching closely and that explains their defiant stance that 'Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its conditions are met', notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The West Asia conflict escalated sharply as Iran launched missiles towards Israel, while Tehran confirmed the killing of its intelligence minister in Israeli strikes, marking the third assassination of a senior Iranian official in two days.
Earlier, another state media outlet showed a display of part of the IRGC's drone arsenal inside a large tunnel. Coinciding with the release of these visuals, the IRGC confirmed the launch of the 48th phase of its retaliatory campaign.
The IRGC said the barrage targeted several US military facilities in the region, including bases at Sheikh Isa in Bahrain, Juffair in Bahrain, Ali al-Salem in Kuwait and Al Azraq in Jordan.
'I suspect that Bangladesh being given permission stuck in India's official craw, and this story was an attempt to balance the scales by giving the impression that a similar waiver had been given to India as well.'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that recent missile attacks demonstrate Iran's capacity to strike globally, posing a threat to Europe and the rest of the world. He highlighted the need for international action to counter Iran's nuclear and missile programmes.
Taking Kharg would give the US control over virtually all of Iran's oil exports and thus provide significant leverage, notes Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War. It would also put American troops within range of Iran's remaining missiles, drones, and artillery on a piece of real estate that is just eight square miles in size, and just 15 miles from the Iranian mainland.
Iran has launched a fresh wave of missile attacks against Israeli and United States-linked targets as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it fired some of its heaviest missiles in the latest phase of its retaliatory campaign, while Israel Defence Forces alleged that many of the projectiles carried cluster bomb warheads.
The call came before Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed vengeance and urged citizens to continue their fight against the attacks by US and Israel.
The USS Abraham Lincoln has been operating in the Arabian Sea since the end of January.
Sardar Azmoun, one of Iran's top football players, has been expelled from the national team for a perceived act of disloyalty to the government, Iranian media has reported.
Satellite imagery and expert analysis suggest that a deadly explosion at a school in southern Iran last week was likely caused by a United States airstrike that also targeted a nearby compound linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to media reports.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday said that the United States has not ruled out the option of sending troops on the ground in Iran and that military operations in the Persian Gulf nation would end once the objectives of Operation Epic Fury are achieved.
On Saturday, it was reported that a drone strike had targeted the Fujairah Port in the UAE, triggering a fire.
Trump also asserted that US forces had struck hundreds of targets across Iran, including facilities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and air defence systems.
Despite the escalation in US military action, the War Secretary noted that Iran's missile response has declined in the last 24 hours.
To be sure, Trump is furious, as the trajectory of the war is in a state of Zugzwang, as chess players call it. Trump and Netanyahu stare at two choices -- retreat in humiliation and concede Tehran's demands -- recognition of its rights, reparations, and binding security guarantees -- or perish in a quagmire, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
An Iranian state television presenter has labelled the women's national soccer team as "wartime traitors" after the players did not sing their national anthem before their Asian Cup opener against South Korea in Australia earlier this week.
The US embassy in Saudi Arabia and the US consulate in Dubai were reportedly targeted by suspected Iranian drone attacks amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Iran's football federation is in discussions with FIFA about moving their World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico due to concerns about the safety of their players, Iranian football president Mehdi Taj said.
The United States used an array of weapons in the strikes conducted against Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury on Saturday -- which included artificial intelligence services from Anthropic, according to a report by Reuters.
Amid rising tensions, Israel's Defence Minister has issued a stark warning that any leader succeeding Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will be considered a target, as reports suggest his son Mojtaba may be next in line.
Iranian women footballers Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Sarbali and Zahra Meshkehkar, decided to return to their country days after seeking asylum in Australia.
Amidst ongoing conflict, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signals a potential de-escalation by apologising to neighbouring countries while firmly rejecting US President Donald Trump's demand for unconditional surrender.
The US Embassy acknowledged the attack in a post on X, urging Americans to avoid the facility 'until further notice' and announcing that all appointments had been cancelled.
Russia has shared intelligence with Iran that could help Tehran target American warships, aircraft and other military assets in the region, according to United States intelligence assessments cited by media reports, marking the first indication of Moscow's possible involvement in the ongoing conflict. Officials familiar with US intelligence findings said a significant portion of the shared information reportedly includes imagery from Russia's network of surveillance satellites.
Several residents of Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, including students, are stranded in Iran due to ongoing joint strikes by the United States and Israel, prompting calls for government assistance.
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