Israel will pay heavy price: Iranian armed forces rep
Iranian armed forces spokesperson Abolfazl Shekarchi has confirmed Israeli strikes on Iranian territory, including residential buildings, and said the Islamic republic's response to the attacks will be heavy.
According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (Irna), Shekarchi said on Friday morning that overnight strikes by the Israeli regime, which he claimed were carried out with US support, would receive a heavy response.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Iran-Israel war 'reaching point of no return'
ISTANBUL: The escalating Iran-Israel confrontation is quickly reaching "the point of no return", Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, as Washington mulled the prospect of entering the war. Iran and Israel have been at war for eight days after Israel, saying the Islamic republic was on the brink of acquiring a nuclear weapon, launched a massive wave of strikes on its arch-rival, triggering an immediate response from Tehran. "Unfortunately, the genocide in Gaza and the conflict with Iran are quickly reaching the point of no return. This madness must end as soon as possible," Erdogan said, warning the consequences could affect the region, Europe and Asia "for many years." "It is imperative that fingers are removed from the triggers and buttons before more destruction, bloodshed, civilian casualties and terrible disaster occurs, that could affect our region, as well as Europe and Asia for years to come," he said. His remarks were made at an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) youth forum in Istanbul ahead of a gathering of OIC foreign ministers at the weekend. Among those due to attend was Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with the ongoing crisis with Israel likely to feature high on the agenda at the two-day talks. Erdogan had earlier warned the war could spark a surge in migration in a phone call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. "The spiral of violence triggered by Israel's attacks could harm the region and Europe in terms of migration and the possibility of nuclear leakage," he said, warning the conflict had "raised the threat to regional security to the highest level." Despite the ongoing bombardments, a Turkish defence ministry source said on Thursday there had been "no increase" in numbers crossing the country's border from Iran. The Turkish authorities have not released any figures. AFP correspondents at the main Kapikoy border crossing near the eastern Turkish city of Van reported seeing several hundred people crossing in both directions, with a customs official saying the numbers were "nothing unusual." During a visit to the frontier on Wednesday, Defence Minister Yasar Guler said "security measures at our borders have been increased."
Barnama
3 hours ago
- Barnama
Geneva Meeting Begins In Bid To Halt Escalating Israel-Iran Conflict
GENEVA, June 20 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- A crucial international meeting aimed at halting the hostilities between Israel and Iran began Friday in Geneva, marking the start of an intensive two-week diplomatic effort to prevent a wider conflict in the Middle East. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul are holding talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to address Tehran's nuclear activities and identify potential diplomatic off-ramps to avoid escalation. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is also attending the meeting, according to Anadolu Ajansi.
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Bigger mess awaits if regime change happens in Iran
ISRAEL increasingly appears eager to oust the leadership that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution but is taking a gamble given the Iranian opposition is divided and there is no guarantee new rulers would be any less hardline, say analysts. By striking targets other than nuclear or ballistic facilities, such as Iran's IRIB broadcaster, expectations have grown that Israel has goals beyond degrading Iranian atomic and missile capabilities and eyes removing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But while United States President Donald Trump has warned "we know" where Khamenei "is hiding", what would follow his removal after over 3½ decades in power is shrouded in uncertainty and risk. European leaders are haunted by the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the Nato-led intervention in Libya in 2011. They resulted in the removal of dictators Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi but also in years of bloody mayhem in both countries. "The biggest mistake today is to seek regime change in Iran through military means because that would lead to chaos," said French President Emmanuel Macron at the end of the G7 summit in Canada. "Does anyone think that what was done in Iraq in 2003... or what was done in Libya the previous decade was a good idea? No!" he said. Analysts say ousting Khamenei and his fellow leaders risks creating a vacuum that could be filled by hardline elements in the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) ideological force or the Iranian military. "Israel's strikes seem more focused on regime change than non-proliferation," said Nicole Grajewski, fellow at the Carnegie Endowment. "Of course, Israel is targeting ballistic missile and military related facilities but they are also targeting leadership and symbols of the regime like the IRIB. "If the regime were to fall, the hope would be for a liberal and democratic government. "However, there is a strong likelihood that other powerful entities like the IRGC could emerge as the replacement," she said. Among the highest-profile opposition figures is the US-based Reza Pahlavi, the son of ousted shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He has declared that the Islamic republic is "on the verge of collapse", accusing Khamenei of "hiding underground" like a "frightened rat". Pahlavi has long called for the restoration of the warm relationship that existed between his late father and Israel, to reverse the Islamic republic's refusal to recognise the existence of Israel. Monarchists would like such a rapprochement to be termed the "Cyrus Accords" after the ancient Persian king credited with freeing the Jews from Babylon. But Pahlavi is far from enjoying universal support inside Iran or among exiles. The nationalism of supporters and his ties with Israel are divisive, especially after he refused to condemn the Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Another major organised group is the People's Mujahedin (MEK), whose leader Maryam Rajavi told the European Parliament on Wednesday: "The people of Iran want the overthrow of this regime." But the MEK is despised by other opposition factions and regarded with suspicion by some Iranians for its support of Saddam in the Iran-Iraq war. "Part of the challenge in thinking about alternatives to the Islamic Republic in case it collapses is that there is no organised, democratic alternative," said Thomas Juneau, professor at the University of Ottawa. He said while Pahlavi "who has by far the most name recognition both in and out of Iran", his supporters "tend to exaggerate his support inside the country". "The only alternative — and this is among the worrying scenarios — is a coup d'etat by the Revolutionary Guards or changing from a theocracy to a military dictatorship." Analysts also warn that a potential — and often overlooked — factor for future instability could be Iran's complex ethnic make-up. Large Kurdish, Arab, Baluch and Turkic minorities coexist alongside the Persian population. Analysts at the US-based think tank Soufan Centre said with the survival of the Iranian regime now viewed as a "strategic failure", the prospect of an "Iraq 2.0" is looming. "The post-regime-change scenario remains unpredictable and could trigger regional destabilisation on a scale greater than Iraq, with global ramifications," they said.
