Iran rejected the possibility of ending the war in response to statements from Donald Trump. The spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated: “Our capabilities to escalate the conflict are not limited. Security will be ensured either for all or for no one. We decide when the war will end.” He characterized Trump as a “criminal” and called his claims about the imminent end of the war “absurd” and “false.”
On March 9, Trump stated that the conflict with Iran is “practically over,” claiming that Tehran no longer has a navy, communications, or air force. However, on the morning of March 10, Iran resumed shelling in the Persian Gulf, triggering air raid sirens in Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
Key Points:
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran rejected U.S. claims about halting its missile program, announcing plans to increase the number of missiles with warheads weighing over one ton.
- U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran with a “20 times more powerful strike” if it attempts to stop oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, just hours after stating that the war could end “very soon.”
Planet Labs extends the publication deadline for satellite images of the Middle East.
According to information from Bloomberg News, the American satellite services company is increasing the delay in publishing images from the Middle East from four days to two weeks.
Planet Labs expressed concerns that these images could be used by “opposing sides” to attack military personnel and civilians of allied countries and NATO.
Additionally, the company expanded its monitoring area to include all of Iran and nearby military bases of allies, as well as the Gulf States and active conflict zones.
This move has drawn criticism from Iranian state media.
“The American company Planet Labs, after consultations with the U.S. government, announced an unprecedented 14-day ban on satellite images of Western Asia, which critics believe is aimed at concealing the serious consequences of attacks on Israeli and American bases in response to Iran's actions,” reported Press TV.
Drone interception over Israel's northern border: data from Israeli media
Israeli news sources report the interception of a drone over the northern border of the country after sirens sounded in western Galilee warning of a possible UAV incursion.
Israel's Channel 12 later reported that the incident was resolved.
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut urges citizens to stay home.
Americans in Lebanon are advised to “be prepared to stay in place” if they decide not to use available exit options, according to a warning from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
The embassy also advises finding a “safe place in your home or another shelter,” as well as stocking up on food, water, medications, and other essentials.
Lebanon reported that over half a million people have been forced to leave their homes due to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, and Israeli attacks have claimed at least 486 lives.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA), Israeli military aircraft have launched new strikes across Lebanon, including in Srifa, Rihane-Shakra, and the Ain al-Tine heights in the western Bekaa province.
Reports are also coming in of fierce clashes on the outskirts of Khiam in southern Lebanon, where residents are hearing shelling and flare rockets.
Earlier, NNA reported that four people were killed in Israeli strikes on two areas of Bint Jbeil.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reports that at least 486 people have died as a result of the latest Israeli attacks, and 1,313 have been injured.
Disagreements between the U.S. and Israel regarding the war with Iran become more apparent.
Nida Ibrahim
Reporting from Ramallah, occupied West Bank.
Netanyahu has long awaited a U.S. president to initiate a war with Iran, so it is unlikely that he will openly confront Trump.
However, behind closed doors, active lobbying is taking place. From the very beginning, the differing goals of the U.S. and Israel in this war have become evident.
Now these disagreements have become public. Israeli media characterized Trump's statements as “contradictory,” claiming that the president's advisors informed him of failures in the war that did not meet their expectations for a quick collapse of Iran.
According to Israeli sources, advisors suggested that Trump start talking about victory in Iran as a way out of the situation, which, however, does not sit well with Israel, where officials intend to tighten control.
It seems that these disagreements were the reason for the cancellation of the visit by Jared Kushner and Steve Vitkoff, about which there were no public explanations.
Hezbollah reports new attacks on Israeli military facilities.
The Lebanese group Hezbollah claims that its fighters early in the morning shelled the Al-Maliqiya facility in northern Israel, opposite the Lebanese border town of Aitarun.
Additionally, they took responsibility for the rocket attack on a “recently established facility” in Jabal al-Bat near Aitarun, as well as for shelling Israeli troops and an artillery position near El-Abbad in southern Lebanon.
The group also reported a rocket attack on an Israeli facility in Tell al-Hamamese, located south of Khiam.
Saudi Arabia condemns the attack on the UAE consulate in Iraq.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed strong protest regarding the attack on the UAE Consulate General in the autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq.
“Repeated shelling” of diplomatic missions is an “obvious violation” of international law, the ministry stated.
The incident occurred after the UAE called for an investigation, as the consulate had been damaged. No casualties have been reported.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham criticized Washington's allies in the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, for refusing to participate in the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran.
On Fox News, Graham noted that the UAE stated that it is unacceptable to use its territory for attacks on Iran, adding: “This is very disappointing.”
“We need partners willing to take the initiative in a fight that we cannot afford to lose,” he stated.
Graham also expressed a desire for U.S. allies in Saudi Arabia and other countries to “step up and say, ‘This is my fight too.’”
He added: “I have tried to help our Arab friends create a new Middle East. We need to raise the bar on this issue.”
The senator also criticized Spain for its decision not to provide its military bases for U.S. use in the conflict with Iran.
“To our allies: step it up,” Graham urged. “Get our air bases out of Spain. They are unreliable. Move all those planes to a country that will let us use them when we are threatened by a regime like Iran.”
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated that the possibility of relocating American weapons from his country to the Middle East “does not interfere” with South Korea's deterrence strategy.
Lee noted that while Seoul “expressed disagreement” with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea, “at the same time, it is clear that we cannot fully realize everything according to our position.”
The South Korean leader spoke at a cabinet meeting in Seoul, where measures to respond to possible complications arising from the conflict in the Middle East were discussed.
On Friday, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun reported that U.S. and South Korean military officials are discussing the possibility of relocating some U.S. Patriot missile defense systems from South Korea to the Middle East.
The article War in Iran: Tehran promises to use powerful missiles and rejects Trump's negotiations was first published on K-News.
