Iran’s defiant message to US, Israel
United States President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News, hinted at the possibility of talks with Iran, but it depends on the terms. He also warned that if Tehran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz, it would be hit 20 times harder.
We do not fear you: Iran to Trump
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani has given a strong response to Trump, saying that Iranians are not scared of Washington.
“The Iranian people do not fear your empty threat. Those greater than you have failed to eradicate them … So beware, lest you be the ones to perish,” Larijani told Trump in a post on X.
You are under an illusion: Pezeshkian mocks US, Israel
In a similar statement, President Masoud Pezeshkian said those who wish for Iran’s destruction are under an illusion. “Through the trials of history, no power has ever succeeded in erasing this storied name. Anyone who entertains the illusion of destroying Iran knows nothing of history. Aggressors have come and gone; Iran has endured,” he said.
30 arrested for spying on Iran
Iran has arrested 30 people for alleged spying, collaborating or acting as operational agents for the US and Israel, Tasnim news agency cited its Intelligence Ministry.
The ministry said one of the arrestees is a foreign national who allegedly passed sensitive security information to two Persian Gulf governments, which then supplied that information to the US and Israel
The remaining 19 are described as “field and media operatives linked to anti-government elements and contacts of Israel.”
Rockets from Lebanon crash into Central Israel
Several Israelis have suffered minor injuries after rockets fired from Lebanon crashed into Central Israel. In a statement, the Israeli army said most of the rockets were intercepted, but two projectiles landed in different areas without prior warning.
Meanwhile, several Israeli media outlets reported missile impacts in the central Beit Shemesh area shortly after the military said it had detected incoming missiles from Iran.
The Times of Israel reported that medics were heading to the scene, though no casualties had been reported so far.
Iran lashes out at the European Union, calls it ‘hypocrit’
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei lashed out at the European Union of “hypocrisy and double standards” after its Chief Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen and Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas criticised Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel.
In his X post, Baqaei pointed out the EU’s “indifferent” stance against Israel as it continues to commit genocide in Gaza, attacks in Lebanon and other countries. “But now that Lebanon resists, suddenly you remember ‘international law’. The European Union could not claim to speak for its own Europeans who are loudly condemning Israel’s crimes,” he shared on social media.
Earlier, Kallas said that Hezbollah’s decision to attack Israel would endanger the entire region. “Israel has the right to self-defence under international law,” he had said.
IRGC targets US soldiers, Israeli military bases
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it targeted US soldiers based at al-Dhafra airbase, near Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain’s Jufair airbase as well as Israel’s Ramat David airbase and Haifa’s civilian airport.
“Waves of strikes at the US and Israeli targets using three types of missiles and one type of hypersonic missile. The hidden missile launchers of the Zionist army in ‘Bnei Brak’ east of Tel Aviv, were struck by powerful Iranian missiles”, the statement added.
Bodies of Iranian sailors to be repatriated
According to a statement, the repatriation is being carried out with the efforts of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the cooperation of the Sri Lankan government.
The announcement comes days after the vessel was sunk during a US attack last week. Media reports had earlier suggested that Washington had urged Sri Lanka not to repatriate the bodies of the Iranian sailors.
US claims to have sunk over 50 naval ships
The United States Air Force General Dan Caine said that US has sunk over 50 Iranian naval vessels in the first 10 days of war. Addressing the press, he said, “We have been consistently targeting Iranian mine-laying vessels, which have either sunk or been destroyed,” he claimed.
Iran has said the country’s women’s football team will be welcomed home “with open arms” after their Asian Cup campaign in Australia.
In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei urged the players to “come home” hours after five members of the squad reportedly sought asylum in Australia following the team’s exit from the tournament.
“To Iran’s women’s football team: don’t worry – Iran awaits you with open arms,” Baghaei wrote.
The statement came shortly after the office of Iran’s general prosecutor said the remaining members of the team had been invited to return to the country “with peace and confidence”. The remarks were reported by Tasnim News Agency.
Australia’s decision to grant visas to five players came amid uncertainty over the team’s safety after they stood in silence during Iran’s national anthem before their opening match on March 3.
Putin speaks with Iran’s President
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has spoken by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to Russia’s reported TASS news agency, citing the Kremlin.
During the call, the Kremlin says Putin “confirmed his principled position in favour of the earliest possible de-escalation of the conflict and its resolution through political means.”
US sees surge in Islamophobic social media content: Report
A notable rise of Islamophobic content is being witnessed on social media in the United States, a study by the US Center for the Study of Organised Hate (CSOH) finds.
According to the report, on February 28 alone, when the conflict between US-Israel and Iran began, users posted more than 25,300 Islamophobic remarks. “The dataset inspected original posts, quotes and replies containing Islamophobic content from January 1 and found the reach of such posts expanded significantly once reposts are included, to more than 279,000 mentions of Islamophobic content,” the report said.
UAE intercepted eight missiles, 26 drones
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it detected nine missiles and 35 drones on Tuesday, where one fell into the sea and 26 drones were intercepted.
