Araghchi warns Israel of ‘heavy price’ after attacks on steel factories, power plant, nuclear sites Rubio says US
A view of a residential building that was damaged by a strike, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran. Photo: Reuters
TEHRAN/
WASHINGTON/
TEL AVIV:
IRGC Aerospace Commander Seyed Majid Moosavi has reiterated a warning to employees of US 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 have been attacked, but there has been no release of radioactive material.
Moreover, explosions rocked areas near the Embassy of Pakistan and the residence of Pakistan’s ambassador in Tehran, as the Iranian capital continued to endure sustained aerial bombardment now in its 27th day.
All Pakistani diplomats were confirmed safe but shaken by the blasts, which struck while Islamabad, alongside Türkiye and Egypt, is actively engaged in shuttle diplomacy aimed at brokering a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
The strikes near the Pakistani mission came at a moment of heightened diplomatic activity. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that the United States and Iran are conducting indirect talks through Pakistan, with messages being transmitted 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 has said in a post on X.
“This time, the equation will no longer be an eye for an eye; wait and see! Employees of industrial companies associated with the Americans and the Zionist regime (Israel) should quickly leave their workplaces to avoid endangering their lives,” he added.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said in a statement on Telegram that the Khondab heavy water complex in north west Iran had been attacked by US-Israeli forces. The IRNA quote an official from Markazi Province as saying there were no casualties.
A second strike hit the Yellowcake production facility in Ardakan, Yazd, with authorities reporting no release of radioactive material beyond the site, according to IRGC-affiliated news agency Fars News.
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 US. Attack contradicts POTUS extended deadline for diplomacy. Iran will exact heavy price for Israeli crimes.”
Earlier, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the country could achieve its goals in Iran “without any ground troops”, stating that the operation was expected to conclude in “weeks, not months”, Al Jazeera reported.
Speaking to reporters following a G7 meeting in France, he said ensuring the Strait of Hormuz remained open to shipping was likely to pose an “immediate challenge” even after the US accomplished its military objectives in Iran.
He said the US would seek international cooperation on a plan to keep the strait open after hostilities end.
“Not only is this illegal, it’s unacceptable. It’s dangerous to the world,” Rubio said of the possibility that Iran would seek to restrict traffic through the strait.
“And it’s important that the world have a plan,” he added.
Rubio also said Iran may decide to set up a tolling system for the Strait of Hormuz.
He also said that weapons destined for Ukraine are not being diverted for use in the war on Iran, “but that could happen.”
The Iran’s foreign minister accused the US 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.
Addressing the session convened in response to the deadly strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, Araghchi said Iran was facing “an illegal war imposed by the US and Israel, two nuclear-armed aggressor regimes.” “This war is unjustified and brutally ruthless,” he added.
The UNHRC session was called after the February 28 strike on the school in southern Iran, which reportedly killed scores of civilians, most of them children, drawing 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.
Ukraine-Saudi Arabia defence deal
Additionally, President Zelensky says Ukraine and Saudi Arabia’s Ministries of Defence have reached an agreement on defence cooperation while in an officially unannounced meeting in Saudi Arabia.
Zelenskyy said on X that the document “lays the foundation for future contracts, technological cooperation, and investment.” He provided no details.
Ukrainian experts in drone combat – with experience of more than four years fighting Iranian drones used during Russia’s invasion – are helping five Middle East and Gulf countries to counter attacks, according to Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian leader said he would meet later in the day with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
UAE
The United Arab Emirates has told the US and other Western allies that it would participate in a multinational maritime task force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The UAE is trying to push dozens of countries to create a “Hormuz Security Force” to defend the strait from Iranian attacks and escort shipping, the report added.
At the same time, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has stated that the Strait of Hormuz is closed, and “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 the American-Israeli enemies is prohibited through any corridor or any destination.
Additionally, several US allies have said they have no immediate plans to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, rebuffing a Trump request for military support to keep the vital waterway open.
The UAE is also working on a UN Security Council resolution with Bahrain to provide any future task force with a mandate, 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 Bahraini draft that would authorise the use of “all necessary means”, Reuters reported earlier this week.
Bahrain’s military says its air defences 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 material damage with no injuries reported, the Kuwait ports authority said on Friday, according to Reuters.
According to Al Arabiya, the Saudi Press Agency, quoting the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense Major General Turki Al-Maliki, said that two drones have been intercepted and destroyed in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
Naftali Bennett criticises Netanyahu
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “does not know how to win in any arena,” criticising the government’s handling of military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, according to Israeli media, Anadolu Agency reported.
“The current government’s political leadership is obstructing the army’s ability to achieve victory across multiple fronts,” Bennett said in an interview with Channel 12, accusing leaders of prioritising political considerations over security needs.
He said the military is facing a shortage of about 20,000 troops, arguing that drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews could help fill the gap but that “the government is avoiding the move for political reasons.”
“The current leadership in Israel does not know how to win in any arena,” Bennett added.
Qatar
Qatar has lowered its heightened security alert after the ministry of interior sent a message to residents saying 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 on phones across the country – the first in a week.
The alert asked people to stay indoors and away from windows, and suggested an incoming 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 strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure at Moscow’s request.
“The Russian Federation has requested closed-door consultations with the UN Security Council due to the ongoing strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran, including educational and healthcare facilities,” said Evgeny Uspensky, spokesman for Russia’s envoy to the United Nations.
(With additional input from News Desk)
