Rocket-powered projectiles being launched from mobile launcher. PHOTO: ANADOLU AGENCY
Iranian armed forces said on Saturday that it is “likely” the US-Israel war on the country will resume as “evidence shows the US is not committed to any agreements or treaties,” according to Al Jazeera.
“The actions and statements of US officials are primarily media-driven, aimed first at preventing a drop in oil prices and second at extricating themselves from the mess they have created,” Mohammad Jafar Asadi, deputy of the military headquarters, said in a statement carried by Iran’s Fars news agency.
“The armed forces are fully prepared for any new adventures or foolishness from the Americans.”
Iran executes two on espionage charges
Two people were executed for allegedly spying for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad during the US-Israel war on Iran, according to Al Jazeera.
The pair were identified by Fars news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as Yaqoub Karimpour and Nasser Bekerzadeh.
The latter was charged with collecting details of “important government, religious, and provincial figures” and providing information on “important centres” in the Natanz region, where a major nuclear site is located, according to Al Jazeera.
Karimpour allegedly passed sensitive information to a Mossad officer.
Iran announces new maritime rules amid Strait of Hormuz tensions
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced “new rules” over the country’s coastline in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the move comes at the directive of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
The IRGC Navy said it will exercise control over “nearly 2,000 kilometres (1,243 miles) of Iran’s coastline” in these areas, making “this body of water a source of livelihood and strength for the noble people of Iran, and a source of security and prosperity for the region,” according to state-run Press TV on Friday evening.
No further details have been revealed.
Tensions have been running high regarding the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran restricted passage across the strategic waterway in a retaliatory move against the US-Israeli strikes that began on Feb. 28.
A ceasefire was announced on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, followed by talks in Islamabad on April 11–12, but no agreement was reached.
US President Donald Trump later unilaterally extended the truce without setting a new timeframe, at Pakistan’s request.
Since April 13, the US has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the waterway.
