Iran security chief warns Israel over possible retaliation
Shafaq News- Tehran
Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr warned on Friday that Israel would face a reciprocal response if it targeted Iran's infrastructure.
Earlier, Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported that some Israeli officials want to join the US military campaign against Iran and are awaiting President Donald Trump's approval. The broadcaster said Israeli officials expect exchanges between the United States and Iran to “continue over the coming days.”
US airstrikes killed 17 people and wounded 93 others in Iran over two days despite a memorandum of understanding between the two sides aimed at ending the conflict, according to the latest figures released by Iran's Ministry of Health.
US military officials said around 90 Iranian military targets were hit in the latest strikes, including air defense systems, missile storage facilities, and drone sites.
Iran, however, accused the United States of targeting civilian infrastructure, including bridges and railway lines connecting Tehran and Mashhad in northeastern Iran. The strikes also hit the "vicinity" of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, which had previously been targeted during the conflict, according to an Iranian official.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded by targeting US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain and warned that it would expand attacks if American strikes continued.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the MoU with Iran had "ended," before later revealing that Iranian officials had contacted Washington in an effort to reach a deal, indicating that communication channels remained open despite the military confrontation.
Meanwhile, Qatari negotiators are holding talks in Tehran in coordination with the United States as part of efforts to reduce tensions between Washington and Tehran and revive talks, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the discussions.
The talks focus on mechanisms for implementing a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, as well as addressing issues that contributed to the recent escalation between the two countries, including disputes related to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the source added.
Separately, Axios, citing a US official and sources from several mediating countries, said the absence of new US military strikes against Iran on Thursday reflected ongoing de-escalation efforts.
The report added that the mediators believe Iran's recent attacks in the Strait of Hormuz were carried out by elements within the Iranian establishment opposed to the memorandum of understanding and seeking to undermine it.
