According to preliminary data, the total number of high-ranking officials and security personnel of the Islamic Republic of Iran who have died exceeds 40.
Media Photo. Saeed Jalili appointed new Secretary of Iran's Security Council to replace the deceased Ali Larijani
In response to the events, Tehran announced that Saeed Jalili has become the new Secretary of Iran's Security Council according to the decree of Mojtaba Khamenei, replacing the deceased Ali Larijani.
Mutual shelling of energy infrastructure facilities in the region continues. In Qatar, the Ras Laffan industrial zone was attacked the day before, resulting in significant destruction and fires. There were no reports of casualties.
According to the press service of QatarEnergy, there are liquefied natural gas plants in Ras Laffan.
Later, Qatari authorities reported that one of the five missiles launched from Iran fell in Ras Laffan, while the other four were intercepted by the country's Ministry of Defense forces.
Tehran warned of the possibility of attacks on energy facilities in the Gulf countries in response to strikes on the largest gas field.
On Wednesday, Iranian leadership reported a strike on South Pars, which is part of the world's largest gas field shared with Qatar. This was the first strike on Iranian energy infrastructure since the beginning of the conflict with the US and Israel, which, according to the Financial Times, could lead to serious escalation.
According to Iranian officials, four sites of the petrochemical complex in South Pars were damaged and temporarily halted, but the exact scale of the losses is still unknown.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, responding to the attack, threatened strikes on oil and gas facilities in other Gulf countries, specifically mentioning facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, and promised to carry out these attacks in the coming hours.
The strike on South Pars caused oil and gas prices to rise by 5-6%, according to the Financial Times.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud noted: "Iran is mistaken in believing that the Gulf countries cannot respond to its provocations."
At night, Iran struck US bases in Kuwait, the UAE, and Bahrain using missiles and drones, according to Press TV.
Qatar also announced the expulsion of two Iranian attachés, according to the emirate's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As a result of an airstrike from Iran, three private planes at Ben Gurion Airport were damaged, local pro-government media report.
Additionally, Iran plans to impose a 10% tariff on all vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which could bring in $73 billion a year and compensate for losses from US actions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, urging the European Union to use its influence on the US and Israel to stop military aggression. He also discussed the situation with his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi, emphasizing the need for international resolve in condemning the attacks on Iran.
According to information from Reuters, the US may send additional thousands of troops to the Middle East to participate in operations against Iran, while the Pentagon is requesting over $200 billion for military needs. This was reported by The Washington Post, citing its sources.
