Reactions and statements from the international community
An Israeli airstrike near the al-Qasmiya Bridge in southern Lebanon wounded RT correspondent Steve Sweeney and a cameraman, according to RT. Lebanon’s state news agency confirmed two journalists were lightly injured in the IDF strike.
In a video message to the people of Iran, Prince Reza Pahlavi emphasized the importance of protecting the country's cultural and natural heritage, warning that opportunists may exploit the current revolutionary situation to plunder or destroy these assets. He called on Iranians to form local groups and join the "Iran Heritage Unit" to safeguard endangered sites and heritage.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Sr.'s body has remained in a freezer for over two weeks, with the Iranian regime hesitant to hold a public funeral. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, remains missing and his whereabouts unknown.
According to the U.S. State Department, 20,000 Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood fighters have been trained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), highlighting Tehran's role in promoting radical Islam in the Middle East and Horn of Africa. The IRGC's Quds Force provides training, weapons, and funds to armed groups in several countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and parts of East Africa, to project Iran's influence and establish an anti-West "axis of resistance."
In just 24 hours, gas prices in Europe surged by up to 35% after Iran attacked the world’s largest LNG complex in Qatar, causing damage and shutdowns at key facilities and raising concerns over supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Wall Street Journal reported that one of Donald Trump's options to reopen the Strait of Hormuz involves deploying the U.S. Marine Corps' 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, consisting of about 2,200 personnel, which is currently en route to the Middle East and could be used to seize Iranian islands along Iran's southern coast.
Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated that the EU supports the Iranian people's desire for regime change but emphasizes that it must occur internally. She also stressed the importance of ending conflicts in the Middle East, comparing it to the need for resolving the situation in Ukraine.
India has deployed more than half a dozen naval warships to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea to escort its oil tankers, ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid concerns over potential Iranian actions. India recently secured the safe transit of two state-owned tankers and is negotiating for several more fuel ships to pass through the strait.
Mohammad Mokhber, advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stated that after the war, Iran must establish a "new paradigm" for the Strait of Hormuz, potentially restricting Western countries' access and impeding the transit of their vessels.
Iran's National Gas Company stated that no casualties were reported and all employees are healthy following yesterday's Israeli attack on the Asaluyeh facilities. However, "IranWire" reported that hundreds of protesting workers from the Asaluyeh region, detained during the Dey-month protests, remain imprisoned in sheds affiliated with the IRGC's Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters without family visits.
President Donald Trump is considering options to secure safe passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, potentially deploying U.S. air, naval forces, and possibly troops to Iran’s shoreline, according to sources cited by Reuters.
On Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned a Barbados-flagged tanker attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, causing the vessel to turn back. Since the commencement of Israeli and American military operations, the Islamic Republic has intensified efforts to disrupt maritime traffic through the Strait, restricting passage for most ships.
