Reactions and statements from the international community
On Friday, March 12, Tehran's Police Station 148, located at the intersection of Enghelab and Palestine streets, was targeted in an airstrike; the account 'Vahid Online' published a video showing the aftermath of the attack.
Images from the funeral ceremony of Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Defense Council and advisor to Ali Khamenei, were published by the state-run news agency IRNA at Imamzadeh Saleh in Tehran. Shamkhani, who survived an Israeli attack during the 12-day war, was killed on March 9 during the Israeli and American attack and was reportedly buried without a head, according to the state-run newspaper Farhikhtegan.
According to Reuters, U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected calls for diplomatic talks with Iran and instead opted to continue military operations aimed at weakening the Tehran regime; meanwhile, Iran's new ruler, Mojtaba Khamenei, has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz and vowed that campaigns against Iran will not succeed.
The Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic responded to the US Secretary of War's comments about Mojtaba Khamenei's apparent absence, stating that Khamenei is fulfilling his duties as per the constitution and will continue to do so.
The IRGC Aerospace Force targeted the UAE consulate in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, with a one-way attack drone. #OperationLionsRoar #OperationEpicFury
On Saturday, March 13, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed that the airstrikes on Kharg Island were launched from areas near Ras al-Khaimah and Dubai using HIMARS missiles. The United States President announced that U.S. military, on his orders, carried out extensive airstrikes on Kharg Island, destroying all Iranian military targets without hitting oil facilities.
Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Sarbali, and Zahra Meshkinkar, members of Iran’s women’s national football team, have withdrawn their asylum requests in Australia and are returning to Iran, according to Iranian media reports.
Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, was decapitated when his body was buried on Saturday at Imamzadeh Saleh in northern Tehran. Shamkhani was killed in an attack on the Leader's residence on the first day of the conflict alongside Ali Khamenei and several other senior Islamic Republic officials.
President Trump announced that the United States and several other countries affected by Iran's efforts to close the Strait of Hormuz will deploy warships to ensure the waterway remains open and safe. The United States has already conducted heavy bombardments along the Iranian coastline and is actively removing Iranian vessels from the strait.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned residents and individuals in the United Arab Emirates to avoid Jebel Ali, Khalifa, and Fujairah ports, claiming these areas have become legitimate targets due to the presence of U.S. military forces and will be targeted soon.
A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber landed at RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom after conducting a bombing run on targets in Iran.
Last night, the US Air Force conducted airstrikes on over 90 targets around Kharg Island, hitting bunkers and other strategic military assets.
