Araghchi warns Israel of ‘high price’ after attacks on steel factories, power plants and nuclear sites Rubio says US
A view of a residential building that was damaged by an attack, amid the conflict between the United States and Israel with Iran, in Tehran. Photo: Reuters
TEHRAN/ WASHINGTON/ TEL AVIV:
IRGC Aerospace Commander Seyed Majid Moosavi has reiterated a warning to employees of American and Israeli industrial companies in the region to leave following attacks on Iran’s 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 Pakistani Embassy and the Pakistani ambassador’s residence in Tehran, as the Iranian capital continued to endure sustained aerial bombardment into its twenty-seventh day.
All Pakistani diplomats were confirmed to be safe but shaken by the explosions, which occurred as Islamabad, along with Türkiye and Egypt, is actively engaged in shuttle diplomacy aimed at brokering a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
The attacks near the Pakistani mission occurred at a time of intense diplomatic activity. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that the United States and Iran are holding indirect talks through Pakistan, with messages conveyed by Islamabad. Dar described the process bluntly: “Dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward.”
“You tested us once before; the world saw again that you yourselves started playing with fire and attacking infrastructure,” Moosavi said in a post on X.
“This time, the equation will no longer be tit for tat; wait and see! Employees of industrial companies associated with the Americans and the Zionist regime (Israel) should quickly leave their workplaces so as not to endanger their lives,” he added.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said in a statement on Telegram that the Khondab heavy water complex in northwest Iran had been attacked by US-Israeli forces. IRNA quotes an official in Markazi province as saying there were no casualties.
A second attack hit Yellowcake’s production facility in Ardakan, Yazd, and authorities reported that there was no release of radioactive material beyond the site, according to the IRGC-affiliated Fars News agency.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Israel of a “heavy price” after attacks on steel factories, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites, among other infrastructure.
“Israel claims it acted in coordination with the United States. The attack contradicts the president’s extended deadline for diplomacy. Iran will exact a heavy price for Israeli crimes.”
Previously, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the country could achieve its goals in Iran “without ground troops”, stating that the operation was expected to conclude 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 shipping 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 once hostilities end.
“This is not only illegal, it is unacceptable. It is dangerous for the world,” Rubio said of the possibility of Iran trying to restrict traffic through the strait.
“And it’s important that the world has a plan,” he added.
Rubio also said that Iran could decide to establish a toll system for the Strait of Hormuz.
He also said weapons destined for Ukraine are not being diverted for use in the war against Iran, “but that could happen.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister accused the United States and Israel of waging an “illegal” and “ruthless” war against Iran during remarks at an emergency session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) today, according to a post shared by Press TV on X.
Speaking at the session convened in response to the deadly attack 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 February 28 school attack in southern Iran, which reportedly killed dozens of civilians, most of them children, sparking widespread international concern and calls for an investigation.
Iran has consistently blamed the United States and Israel for the attack, while both countries have denied deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and say investigations are ongoing.
Defense agreement between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia
Additionally, President Zelensky says that the Defense Ministries of Ukraine and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement on defense cooperation during an officially unannounced meeting in Saudi Arabia.
Zelenskyy said in X that the document “lays the foundation for future contracts, technological cooperation and investments.” He did not provide details.
According to Zelenskyy, 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.
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 would participate in a multinational maritime working group to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The United Arab Emirates is trying to pressure dozens of countries to create a “Hormuz Security Force” to defend the strait from Iranian attacks and escort shipments, the report added.
At the same time, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has declared that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and that “any transit through the waterway will face harsh measures,” according to Iranian state media.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) added that all shipping to and from ports of allies and supporters of US-Israeli enemies is prohibited through any corridor or destination.
Additionally, several US allies have said they have no immediate plans to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting a request from Trump for military support 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 group, but Russia and China could oppose the move, the report added.
UN Security Council members have begun negotiating resolutions to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, including a Bahrain project that would authorize the use of “all necessary means,” Reuters reported earlier this week.
Bahrain’s military says its air defenses have intercepted a total of 154 missiles and 362 drones from Iran since the start of the war.
Additionally, Kuwait’s Shuwaikh port was hit by drones, causing property damage and no injuries were reported, Kuwait’s port authority said on Friday, according to Reuters.
According to Al Arabiya, the Saudi Press Agency, quoting Defense Ministry spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki, said that two drones have been intercepted and destroyed in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
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, Israeli media reported, Anadolu Agency reported.
“The political leadership of the current government is obstructing the military’s ability to achieve victory on multiple fronts,” Bennett said in an interview with Channel 12, accusing leaders of prioritizing political considerations over security needs.
He said the military is facing a shortage of about 20,000 soldiers, arguing that recruiting ultra-Orthodox Jews could help fill the gap, but that “the government is avoiding the move for political reasons.”
“Israel’s current leaders do not know how to win in any area,” Bennett added.
Qatar
Qatar has lowered its security alert after the Interior Ministry sent a message to residents saying that “the threat has been eliminated and the situation has returned to normal,” according to Al Jazeera.
Qatar’s emergency services issued a heightened security alert, sending screeching 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 the Russian state news agency TASS, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will hold closed-door talks on attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure at Moscow’s request.
“The Russian Federation has requested closed-door consultations with the UN Security Council due to ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran, including educational and health facilities,” said Evgeny Uspensky, spokesman for Russia’s envoy to the United Nations.
(With additional contributions from News Desk)
