The attacks launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28 are continuing on their ninth day. Explosions were heard overnight in Iran, Lebanon, and Gulf countries. New waves of attacks were launched in the morning hours.
Iran front
The Israeli army announced on Sunday morning that it had launched a new wave of airstrikes against various military targets across Iran. In the statement, it said the attacks targeted “military facilities throughout Iran.”
Netanyahu: We have a methodical plan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement that operations against Iran would continue, stating: “We have a methodical plan that includes surprises to eliminate the Iranian regime and pave the way for change.”
According to statements from the Israeli army, Iran also carried out multiple missile attacks toward Israel throughout the day. Sirens sounded in northern and southern Israel, and it was reported that missiles were launched from Iran in at least four waves. Israel’s air defense systems reportedly intercepted most of the missiles, and according to initial assessments, there were no casualties.
Iran: More than 200 Israeli and US targets hit
Ali Mohammad Naini, spokesperson for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, said the Iranian army, at its current operational tempo, “has the capacity to sustain an intense war for at least six months.” Iranian officials claim that since the beginning of the war, more than 200 US and Israeli targets in the region have been struck.
Oil depots targeted in Tehran
According to an Iranian official, the United States and Israel struck four oil depots and a logistics facility used to transport petroleum products in and around Tehran during the night. At least four people were reported killed in the attacks.
Keramet Veyskarami, an official from the Iranian National Petroleum Products Distribution Company, said in a statement to state television that five facilities were damaged but that the fires had been brought under control.
Claim of US soldiers captured
Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, claimed in a social media post that some US soldiers had been captured by Iranian forces.
Larijani wrote: “I have been informed that some American soldiers have been captured. However, the Americans say they were killed in the fighting. They will not be able to hide the truth for long.”
US Central Command soon issued a statement rejecting the claim and said that Iran had not captured any American soldiers.
Warning from Pezeshkian to neighboring countries
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also issued a warning to neighboring countries. In a message broadcast on state television, Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran wants good relations with regional countries but said: “However, if any country’s territory is used to attack Iran, we will be forced to respond.”
Gulf front
On the ninth day of the war, tensions also continued to escalate in Gulf countries. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry announced that three people were injured after fragments of missiles launched from Iran fell in the country. It was also reported that a university building in the Muharraq area suffered material damage.
Iran had previously stated that it targeted the US naval base in Juffair, Bahrain, claiming the base had been used in an attack on a desalination facility in Iran.
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates also announced on Sunday that they had been targeted by new missile and drone attacks. Kuwait said in particular that fuel depots at the international airport were targeted.
The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense announced that air defense systems had been activated against missile and drone threats coming from Iran. The ministry said the explosion sounds heard were the result of interception activities by the defense systems.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said that a drone attack targeting the diplomatic quarter in the capital Riyadh had been intercepted. Officials stated that the attack caused no casualties or material damage.
Lebanon front
Southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut continue to be bombed by Israel. The Israeli army announced that it had carried out a “precision operation” in Beirut targeting commanders of the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. The Israeli military claimed that the targeted individuals had played a role in planning attacks against Israel.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, at least four people were killed in an attack on the Ramada Hotel in the coastal tourist area of Raouche in Beirut. Israeli attacks from Saturday night to Sunday morning reportedly killed a total of 12 people across the country.
The Israeli army also issued an evacuation warning for areas south of the Litani River and called on the Lebanese state to disarm Hezbollah, warning that “harsher measures” would be taken otherwise.
Hezbollah responded by calling on civilians living in the Israeli cities of Nahariya and Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel to leave the area.
Meanwhile, an Israeli special unit conducted a nighttime operation in the Nabi Chit area of the Bekaa Valley in an attempt to find the remains of Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who disappeared in Lebanon in 1986. The operation failed, and airstrikes carried out in the area reportedly killed 41 people.
According to Lebanese media, more than 300 people have been killed in Lebanon since Monday, March 2.
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