Hezbollah claims to have struck
an Israeli command centre
in southern Lebanon
June 13th, 8:21pm
(RT.ru)
Hezbollah reported an attack on the Israeli Army's (IDF)
command centre near the village of Yakhmur al-Shkif
in southern Lebanon.
"The fighters... struck the Israeli army's command centre
near the village of Yakhmur al-Shkif with a strike drone
and achieved a confirmed hit," the movement's press
service reported.
It is noted that the attack was carried out in response
to Israel's violation of the ceasefire agreement.
On the afternoon of June 13, it was reported that the Israel
Defense Forces had carried out attacks on 70 Hezbollah
targets in southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours.
The IDF also announced the interception of
a ''suspicious aerial target'' launched
from Yemen.
______________________________________
Five martyred as Israel strikes
southern Lebanon --- issues
broad evacuation orders
June 13th, 6:16pm
(PressTV)
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have resulted in
the martyrdom of at least five individuals, with
assaults persisting despite a "ceasefire"
brokered by the US.
According to Lebanon’s official National News Agency
(NNA), an airstrike aimed at the town of Maarakeh in
the Tyre district claimed the life of one person.
Ali Badie, the mayor of the Ar-Rihan municipality, was
killed in an Israeli strike on the region within the
Jezzine district of southern Lebanon.
Additionally, three individuals lost
their lives in the towns of Deir
al-Zahrani and Kafr Reman
in Nabatieh district.
In a separate incident, Israeli assaults at dawn - resulted
in the destruction of homes and government structures
in Bint Jbeil, southern Lebanon, as reported by NNA.
Israeli fighter jets carried out two airstrikes
targeting the town of Kouthariyet el Rez
in southern Lebanon.
Furthermore, the Israeli military issued threats to the
inhabitants of 24 Lebanese towns and villages ----
instructing them to evacuate their residences
immediately and relocate “north of the
Zahrani River.”
These forced evacuation orders --- apply to Deir al-Zahrani,
al-Namirieh, al-Sharquieh, al-Dewayr, Harouf, Habboush,
Kfarjoz, Zibdine (Nabatieh), Nabatieh al-Tahta,
Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Kfar Rouman,
al-Mahmoudieh, Sajed (Jezzine),
Reihan, Aaramta, Kfarchouba,
Mlki, Al-Lawiza (Jezzine),
Jarjouh..... and
Arab Salim.
On Saturday, the Israeli military announced that an air raid
alert had been triggered in the northern town of Metula
due to the “infiltration of a hostile aircraft” from
Lebanon, although they did not specify the
resistance group Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, the municipality and city council of Nabatieh in
southern Lebanon have reacted angrily to a report by the
Saudi-owned al-Hadath television news channel on the
existence of Hezbollah tunnels underneath the city.
Al-Hadath asserted in a report on Friday that the Israeli
military had uncovered tunnels underneath the city of
Nabatieh, containing weapons.
The news channel also quoted ''Western sources'' as
saying that the Israeli army believes that ''bombing
the infrastructure of Nabatieh .....will lead to
long-term peace and stability.''
However, the Nabatieh Municipality said in a statement on
Saturday that it considers the Riyadh-based al-Hadath
news channel to be an accomplice, and responsible
for any bombing of the city’s facilities.
“It is not surprising that the news channel serves as a Zionist
regime's mouthpiece, and paves the way for aggression
against our proud and resilient city. This particular
channel has continuously broadcast fake news
---- aimed at creating a hostile atmosphere
against Nabatieh," the statement read.
It added, “What the television news channel has done --- is a
propaganda campaign meant to cover up the Israeli military
aggression, and please its oppressive aggressor sponsors.
We in the Nabatiyeh Municipality emphasize that the
report about the existence of tunnels in the city
clearly attests... to the media bankruptcy of
al-Hadath television news channel, which
aims to destroy the city -------- and find a
justification for the Israeli aggression.”
The Nabatieh Municipality noted that dozens of Arab and
foreign journalists ----- enter the southern Lebanese city
every day, and closely record unfolding developments.
"The activities of Hezbollah forces, would have certainly
caught their attention if they were present in Nabatieh."
The statement underlined... that such allegations are made
only to legitimize the Israeli aggression on Nabatieh, and
raise serious questions about the origin of the claims,
and their authenticity.
The Nabatieh Municipality added it would not hesitate to take
action against al-Hadath television news channel in the case
that their allegations.... came from Israeli sources.
"Nabatieh has been and is, a city with human civilization,
and serves as a metropolis which has brought together
all educational, social and economic groups."
The Nabatieh Municipality and City Council further called
on Lebanon's intelligence apparatus, the government
and relevant authorities to take action against this
"false and biased" report, summon the directors
of al-Hadath news channel in Lebanon, and ---
hold them to account.
________________________________________
MoU signing 'timing not tomorrow',
no Geneva travel plans: Baghaei
June 13th, 3:49pm
(Al Mayadeen English)
Iran's Foreign Ministry outlines the details of a proposed
understanding with the US, saying the talks focus on
ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon.
The text of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) being
discussed focuses primarily on ending the war and will
not include the nuclear file at this stage, Iran’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson
Esmaeil Baghaei said.
In a press statement from the city of Hamadan, Baghaei said
the MoU is focused on “ending the war on all fronts,
including Lebanon,” adding that the understanding
under discussion ---- is not a final agreement
between Iran and the US.
He described it as a framework, outlining broad areas of
disagreement and said it stipulates an end to the war,
rather than resolving all outstanding issues.
'Timing has not yet been finalized'
According to Baghaei, discussions on the nuclear file
are scheduled for a later stage - within 60 days - and
its details won't be addressed in the current phase.
The Iranian spokesperson also said that issues including
attacks on Iranian vessels and matters related to the
Strait of Hormuz are among topics being discussed
at this stage.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Baghaei added that the timing
for signing the memorandum has not yet been finalized,
saying... it may take place in the coming days, and
asserting that: “tomorrow, is not the designated
date.” Yet, he revealed that "there is a strong
possibility that drafting the memorandum of
understanding will be completed in the
coming days."
Baghaei further asserted, "We have no plans to visit Geneva
or any other location in the coming two days, and we must
wait for the exact timing of the signing."
Regarding the finalization of the deal, the spokesperson
urged caution due to the other party's hesitation to
comment on the proceedings.
Separately, he said the only way to achieve regional security
is to end the foreign military presence. He also stated that
the release of Iranian funds would be an integral part of
any understanding.
Strategic partnership, coordination
with Russia, China ------- is ongoing.
For his part, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and
International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said on X that
he discussed the latest developments regarding the
Islamabad memorandum of understanding during
a joint meeting with the Russian and Chinese
ambassadors in Tehran.
Gharibabadi asserted that Iran will continue to strengthen
its strategic partnership, coordination, and cooperation
with China and Russia.
Earlier, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced
that a deal between Iran and the US is closer than ever,
with finalization expected within the next 24 hours.
In a post on X, Sharif said Pakistan is preparing for the
electronic signing of the agreement immediately after
finalisation, to be followed by technical-level talks
next week.
“We are closer to a peace deal than ever before,” the prime
minister wrote, adding that “with finalisation likely
expected in the next 24 hours... Pakistan is
preparing for the electronic signing of the
peace deal immediately after, followed
by technical level talks next week.”
Sharif thanked both Washington and Tehran for their “ongoing
commitment” during the talks, adding that Pakistan supports
their efforts. “We are confident that this historic peace deal
will form a strong foundation for lasting peace,” he said.
These developments follow growing speculation about an
imminent breakthrough after US President Donald Trump
said Thursday that a deal with Iran could be finalized
soon, with a Bloomberg report claiming it might be
as early as Sunday, which Fars denied.
Source: Agencies
________________________________________
The strategic arsenal the US lost
in its war against Iran – and why
replenishment will take years
by Mohammad Molaei
June 13th, 11:28am
(PressTV)
The sheer scale of munitions consumed during the Third
Imposed War is without modern precedent in American
warfare. As reported by The New York Times, within
just the first two days of the military aggression
that began on February 28, an estimated $5.6
billion worth of precision-guided munitions
were expended, a sum that exceeds the
annual military budgets of most
countries in the world.
Over the full 40-day war leading up to the fragile ceasefire in
early April, US forces struck more than 13,000 targets,
many of which required multiple munitions each.
According to the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS), the cost of
the air campaign alone reached
between $11.3 billion in its
first six days and $16.5
billion by day twelve.
The total cost ....over 40 days of full-scale military aggression,
followed by subsequent hostilities in the Persian Gulf region -
amounts to a far greater sum. While the Pentagon estimated
the figure at around $25 billion, independent assessments
place the cost closer to $100 billion.
These figures do not reflect a campaign defined by restraint
or resource discipline. Rather..... they reveal a military
establishment that bet its most advanced precision
arsenal on a war it expected to win quickly – only
to find itself mired in a quagmire of its
own making.
JASSM-ER: Draining the Pacific's first line of strike
No single weapons system reveals the strategic recklessness of
so-called “Operation Epic Fury” more precisely than the AGM-
158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range,
known in Pentagon parlance as the JASSM-ER.
This is not a conventional cruise missile. It is a stealthy, air-
launched precision strike weapon with a range exceeding
600 miles, purpose-built to penetrate the most
sophisticated integrated air defense
systems in the world.
Its operational logic is explicitly tied to high-end war scenarios –
specifically, a potential confrontation with China in the Western
Pacific, where the People's Liberation Army has constructed
the most elaborate anti-access/area-denial architecture in
history. The JASSM-ER is the weapon Washington
designed for its most serious adversary.
And it is largely gone.
At the outset of the war of aggression launched on February 28,
the United States held a JASSM-ER inventory of approximately
2,300 missiles. According to Bloomberg, citing a source with
direct knowledge of the matter, US forces consumed more
than 1,000 JASSM-ERs in the first four weeks of the
campaign alone.
The New York Times, drawing on Department of War sources,
placed total JASSM-ER expenditure over the full campaign at
approximately 1,100 missiles. An additional 47 were fired in
a separate operation to abduct Venezuelan President
Nicolás Maduro.
The order to drain Pacific stockpiles for the Iran campaign,
stripping missiles from US facilities across continental
US & repositioning them to CENTCOM bases and RAF
Fairford in the United Kingdom, was issued at the
end of March, according to Bloomberg.
JASSM-ER
The arithmetic is unambiguous and brutal. Of a prewar JASSM-
ER inventory of 2,300, approximately 425 remain available for
the rest of the world, roughly 18 percent of the prewar total.
In a shorter-range baseline JASSM variant, approximately
two-thirds of total stocks across both versions were
committed to the Iran campaign, according
to Bloomberg.
CSIS calculates that around 25 percent of the total combined
JASSM inventory was expended in just 40 days of combat.
The unit cost of the JASSM-ER is $1.1 million per missile. The
JASSM baseline variant costs $2.6 million per unit at current
procurement figures. The roughly 1,100 JASSM-ERs fired in
the recent war, therefore, represent approximately $1.2
billion in precision strike munitions, consumed in a
campaign that failed to destroy Iran's ballistic
missile infrastructure, did not fracture its
command structure, and did not alter
the strategic balance in West Asia.
Replenishment will not be swift, as per experts. The US Air Force
has procured JASSM variants at an average rate of nearly 500
per year over the past decade, and existing orders in the pipe
line mean that JASSM inventories will recover more quickly
than other systems; CSIS estimates "several months to a
year" for baseline replacement.
However, this timeline assumes no new wars, no additional
campaign consumption, and full US Congressional funding
of the FY 2027 military procurement request, which has
not yet been appropriated.
Tomahawk: A thousand missiles in the 40-day war
The BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM), is the
oldest and most combat-proven precision strike weapon in
the US Navy's inventory, having been used in every major
US military operation since Operation Desert Storm
in 1991.
Its versatility, fired from surface ships and submarines,
capable of loitering and retargeting in flight, with a
range of approximately 1,000 miles, makes it the
Navy's primary instrument of long-range
power projection.
The war against Iran consumed it on
an historically unprecedented scale.
Tomahawk missiles
The Washington Post reported that US naval assets fired
over 850 Tomahawks...... in the first month of the third
imposed war. The Wall Street Journal subsequently
updated that figure to more than 1,000 over the
full pre-ceasefire campaign period.
CSIS's analysis of the first six days alone identified 319
TLAMs expended, representing approximately 10% of
the prewar inventory - in less than a week.
The prewar Tomahawk inventory stood at approximately 3,200
missiles. The expenditure of over 1,000, therefore, represents
roughly 31 percent of the prewar total consumed in 40 days,
more than ten times the annual procurement rate.
The Pentagon.... ordered just 190 new Tomahawks, in 2026, a
figure barely more than half the number fired in the first six
days of the war. The US Navy requested 785 Tomahawks
in the FY 2027 budget, a substantial increase from prior
years, but CSIS projects these will not begin arriving in
US inventories until March 2030, after 34 months of
production lead time.
US Tomahawk inventories will not return to
prewar levels until late 2030 at the earliest.
The cost consequences compound the strategic ones. Each
Tomahawk Block V costs approximately $1.87 million. The
1,000-plus Tomahawks fired in the recent war, therefore,
represent approximately $1.9 billion in naval strike
capability, consumed against a country that, at
the ceasefire --- retained its ballistic missile
launch capacity, its underground missile
production infrastructure, and its ability
to control shipping through the Strait
of Hormuz.
The allied dimension of the Tomahawk shortage adds a further
layer of strategic damage. Japan, which recently completed
modifications on a destroyer to fire TLAMs and purchased
400 missiles as part of its historic shift toward a more
robust conventional deterrent posture against
Chinese pressure, has reportedly been told
that its deliveries ....may be delayed
indefinitely, because the US must
prioritize refilling its own
depleted stockpiles.
Australia has also purchased more than 200 Tomahawks, and
the Netherlands has purchased 175. All these allied orders
now sit in a queue behind US replenishment needs,
weakening the combined deterrent posture of the
US alliance network in the Western Pacific, at
precisely the moment that network is under
the greatest pressure.
The defensive arsenal: Patriot,
THAAD, and interceptor crisis
While the consumption of offensive strike missiles has drawn
significant analytical attention, the depletion of the US's
missile defense interceptor inventory may carry even
more severe long-term strategic consequences.
These systems, including the much-hyped Patriot PAC-3 MSE, the
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), and the Standard
Missiles SM-3 and SM-6... are not interchangeable with cheaper
alternatives. They're the irreplaceable components of layered
missile defense architecture, designed to defeat the ballistic
and cruise missile threats - posed by peer & near-peer foes.
In the Pacific scenario, they are the systems that would need
to protect US forward bases, carrier strike groups, and allied
territory from Chinese ballistic missile salvos in the opening
hours of any war. Instead, they are being consumed in the
Persian Gulf.
The Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor, at approximately $4
million per unit, was among the most heavily used anti
-missile systems in the recent war imposed on Iran.
The New York Times reported that over 1,200 Patriot
interceptors were fired during the aggression. CSIS
estimates that Patriot usage, combined with the
ongoing supply of interceptors to Ukraine, has
left the prewar PAC-3 inventory at critically
reduced levels.
The Army's FY 2027 budget requests 3,203 Patriot missiles, a
procurement figure that reflects the scale of the shortfall, but
CSIS projects these will not begin delivery until May 2029,
with full replenishment of prewar levels taking three or
more years from the present.
Current Patriot production stands at approximately 650
interceptors per year, with roughly half going to allied
orders. Lockheed Martin intends to surge production
to 2,000 per year, but achieving this capacity ----
requires years of facility and tooling expansion.
In the interim, the United States faces a set of allocation
decisions with no good options: prioritize replenishment
of its own depleted stocks, continue supplying Ukraine,
or fulfill the orders of the 17 other countries that
operate the Patriot system and are now
watching their own deliveries
pushed back indefinitely.
Swiss authorities have already threatened to cancel their Patriot
purchase and seek an alternative supplier after being informed
of the delivery delays. The bilateral friction this production
shortfall is generating with allied governments has been
explicitly acknowledged by CSIS ....and represents a
tangible erosion of alliance cohesion at a moment
of acute strategic uncertainty.
THAAD anti-missile system
The THAAD situation is, by CSIS's assessment, the most critical
of all. THAAD is the upper-tier component of the US missile
defense architecture, designed to intercept ballistic
missiles at higher altitudes and longer ranges
than Patriot.
Its interceptors are expensive, scarce, and – as of the ongoing
fragile ceasefire – severely depleted. CSIS estimates that
between 52% and 81% of the prewar THAAD interceptor
inventory was expended in the recent war and related
offensives, building on the roughly 150 THAAD
interceptors already consumed during
the 12-day war in June 2025.
There have been no new deliveries of THAAD interceptors since
August 2023. Deliveries are not scheduled to resume until April
2027 at the earliest. The US Army's FY 2027 budget requests
857 THAAD interceptors and CSIS projects will not complete
the replacement of the usage during the recent war against
Iran .....until the end of calendar year 2029.
Compounding the interceptor shortage is the damage or possible
destruction of multiple AN/TPY-2 radar systems – the targeting
backbone of THAAD batteries – during Iranian retaliatory
strikes on US facilities in the region.
Only 13 AN/TPY-2 radars have been delivered to the US in total.
The loss or degradation of even two or three of these systems
represents a qualitative capability gap that can't be papered
over by procurement requests. The US has also maintained
only eight THAAD batteries in total, a number that was
considered inadequate for simultaneous deployment
in multiple theatres even before the war on Iran
consumed the interceptors from those
batteries at a rate far exceeding the
US production capacity to
replace them.
The ship-launched Standard Missiles present a somewhat less
acute - but still serious - picture. CSIS estimates that SM-3
expenditure in the recent war ranged from 31% to 60%
of the prewar inventory, while SM-6 consumption
ran between 16 and 32 percent.
Both missiles carry production lead times of 36 to 39 months
from contract award to first delivery. Inventories will not
return to prewar levels until early 2029 – despite their
relatively lower use in the 40-day war of aggression
– reflecting the cumulative effect .........of years of
inadequate procurement before the war began.
The cost ledger: What was spent
and what was not gained
The aggregate financial cost of the munitions consumed in the
recent war against Iran, calculated from unit costs and
reported expenditure figures, represents one of the
most expensive failed military campaigns in the
history of modern warfare.
The principal expenditures, based on CSIS data and DOD
reporting, break down as follows. Over 1,100 JASSM-ER
missiles at $1.1 million each account for approximately
$1.21 billion. More than 1,000 Tomahawk missiles at
$1.87 million each, represent approximately $1.87
billion. Over 1,200 Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptors
at $4 million each amount to approximately $4.8
billion. Over 1,000 Precision Strike Missiles and
ATACMS, at between $500,000 and $1.5 million
each, add a further $500 million to $1.5 billion.
THAAD interceptors, along with SM-3 and SM-6 expenditures,
contribute several hundred million more at their respective
unit costs. The aggregate munitions cost of the war runs
to well in excess of $10 billion, and that figure covers
only the missiles, not the operational costs of the
platforms that delivered them, the intelligence
infrastructure that supported targeting, or the
diplomatic capital expended in securing
basing and overflight rights.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth himself, in testimony before the
US Senate Armed Services Committee, acknowledged that
replenishment will take "months and years, depending on
the weapon system." CSIS's assessment supports that
timeline in its conservative form and exceeds it in
the more pessimistic analysis.
The combined picture ------- across all seven critical munitions
categories is that the US will not return to prewar inventory
levels for any of its most critical systems before 2028 at
the earliest, with Tomahawk, THAAD, and Patriot
taking three or more years from the present.
Building inventories to the levels that war planners have
identified as necessary for a high-intensity peer war,
levels that were already considered insufficient
even before the Iran war, will take additional
years beyond that.
The strategic meaning of these numbers transcends the war
against Iran in itself. The JASSM-ER was not designed to
strike Iranian nuclear facilities but to defeat Chinese
integrated air defense systems protecting military
targets in the Taiwan Strait and the South
China Sea.
The Tomahawk was not stockpiled to prosecute a campaign
in the Persian Gulf but maintained as the Navy's primary
instrument of long-range strike in a Western Pacific
contingency. The THAAD interceptors depleted
over Iranian skies were the same interceptors
positioned in South Korea and Guam to
defend against North Korean and
Chinese ballistic missile threats.
They have been moved and
their replacements are
years away.
Even before the war against Iran, as assessments suggest,
US munitions stockpiles were deemed insufficient for a
peer competitor fight in the Western Pacific, based on
the classified war-gaming conclusions of the House
Select Committee on China.
That shortfall is now dramatically more acute. The think tank's
characterization that depleted inventories have created a
"window of vulnerability" for a potential Western Pacific
war is not alarmist rhetoric but a straightforward
arithmetic conclusion --- and drawn from the
procurement timelines & inventory figures
its researchers have calculated --- from
publicly available budget documents.
The implications for Chinese strategic calculations.. are
substantial and not easily dismissed. Beijing's military
planners have observed -- in real time -- that the US
consumed its primary long-range strike inventory
– the very capabilities designed to hold Chinese
assets at risk in a Taiwan contingency – in a
40-day war that did not achieve its
strategic objectives.
They have observed that the combined JASSM and Tomahawk
inventories available for Pacific contingencies are now a
fraction of their prewar levels. They have observed that
THAAD batteries have been stripped from South Korea
– degrading the missile defense coverage of a key US
ally on China's periphery – & that their replacement
is years away.
And.... they have observed that US production capacity,
constrained by decades of procurement at peacetime
rates and manufacturing lead times measured in
years rather than months, can't rapidly reverse
any of these deficits, regardless of how much
money US Congress appropriates.
This is not the profile of a deterrent in robust health, but the
profile of a military establishment that has consumed its
premium, China-specific capabilities in a secondary
theatre without achieving the decisive outcome
that would have justified the expenditure, and
that now faces.... a multi-year period of
structural vulnerability during which
its ability to (credibly) threaten the
use of force in the Taiwan Strait
is materially diminished.
The CSIS report notes with the cautious observation that China
is deeply aware it has no recent combat experience, while the
US military has been engaged in wars on multiple fronts, and
that this experiential differential... may preserve deterrence
until inventories are restored. This, is a thin reed on which
to hang the credibility of US extended deterrence across
the Indo-Pacific.
The deterrent value of operational skill is real, but it is not a
substitute for the physical missiles that a deterrent posture
requires, and Beijing's strategic calculus is driven more by
inventory mathematics, than by assessments of any US'
tactical proficiency.
The production constraint:
Why money can't buy time
The Trump administration has responded to the munitions crisis
with a series of framework agreements with major contractors
– Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing – committing to expand
production capacity across a full range of critical munitions.
Lockheed Martin has agreed to quadruple THAAD interceptor
production capacity --- from 96 to 400 per year. Raytheon has
committed to increasing Tomahawk production to more than
1,000 per year and Patriot MSE output to 2,000 per year.
These are significant capacity targets that, if achieved,
would substantially accelerate inventory recovery...
relative to the current baselines.
But capacity is not production, and production agreements
are not delivered missiles... according to military experts.
The fundamental constraint is not financial but temporal.
Manufacturing lead time for advanced missile systems –
the period between contract award and first delivery –
runs between 34 and 39 months for the most critical
systems. Building new production facilities - as well
as qualifying new supply chains, training additional
skilled labour, and resolving the bottlenecks in
specialized components --- such as guidance
systems and rocket motors, are processes
measured in years, not quarters.
The FY 2027 defense budget, even if fully and promptly
appropriated by a Congress that has not yet voted on
it, will not produce a single additional THAAD
interceptor or Tomahawk before 2030. The
window of vulnerability..... is already
wide open.
Hegseth's own assessment before the Senate Armed Services
Committee, that replenishment will take "months and years,
depending on the weapon system," represents, in the
carefully hedged language of executive branch
testimony, an acknowledgment that the US
has accepted a period of strategic risk in
exchange for a military campaign that
did not deliver the outcome its
architects promised.
The question that US strategic planners cannot answer
to Beijing's satisfaction, is how long that window
remains open ---- and what Beijing's strategic
interests, combined with this window of
opportunity, might produce.
________________________________________
‘Justice will be served after all’:
Iran marks first anniversary
of 12-Day War
June 13th, 12:47pm
(PressTV)
Senior Iranian authorities have marked the first anniversary
of the 12-Day War, which began on June 13 last year - with
unprovoked Israeli air raids that killed several top military
commanders, officials, and nuclear scientists.
Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei wrote on social
media on Saturday that the “amazing national unity” in
Islamic Iran has left the world “astonished
and bewildered.”
“This solid cohesion and unity has brought extra deterrence to
our country,” he said. “We must protect this national solidarity
and not allow ill-wishers to infiltrate the united ranks of the
Iranian nation.”
“Let everyone know: we have absolutely no trust in the
Americans. This distrust stems from historical facts
and events,” he said, hinting at the indirect
negotiations with the US.
Mohseni-Ejei noted that, during the 12-Day War, all components of
Iran’s Armed Forces shone -- under the command of the martyred
Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
On June 13, Israel launched a war of aggression against Iran by
assassinating several high-ranking Iranian figures, including
commanders and nuclear scientists, and civilians.
More than a week later, the United States also entered the war
by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation of
the United Nations Charter, international law, and the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic sites
across the occupied territories as well as the al-Udeid air
base in Qatar, the largest US military base in West Asia.
One year after 12-day war: Iran rises as
regional superpower while US Empire
slips into oblivion
One year after the 12-day imposed war, Iran has emerged as a
regional superpower by defeating the US-Israeli war machine
twice, while the US – humiliated, economically drained, and
stripped of credibility – now desperately seeks a deal to
escape the war and ....avoid a complete collapse.
Mohseni-Ejei added that the “brilliance of these soldiers of the
Imam of the Age and these devotees of Islamic Iran was truly
exhilarating and indescribable,” he said.
He explained that what caused the enemy to miscalculate
was its inability to understand the reality of Iran’s
national power and the unbreakable will
of the Iranian people.
“They thought they could stop the Iranian nation from the path
f dignity and independence through pressure and threats. But
once again, it was proven that our heroic nation, at critical
moments in history, turns threats -- into opportunities to
rebuild and strengthen its power.”
‘Blood of martyrs strengthened national unity’
Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani, head of the Expediency Council,
also took to social media to commemorate the great generals
that were assassinated in the 12-Day War.
“One year later, it has become clearer than ever that Iran’s
enemies, with all their malice and crimes, did not
achieve their evil goals,” he said.
“Although the will of the American and Zionist tyrants was aimed
at weakening and dismantling the Islamic system and creating
division among the Iranian nation, by divine will, the pure
blood of these martyrs further strengthened national
unity and renewed the spirit of resistance and
steadfastness of Iran’s faithful nation
against its enemies,” he noted.
Iran's Armed Forces fully ready to give 'painful,
regret-inducing' response to any threat:
Top commander
The commander of Iran’s highest operational command unit
says the Armed Forces, are fully ready to give a painful and
regret-inducing response to any threat against the country.
Aggression was a betrayal of diplomacy: Embassy
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Vienna also
described the aggression as a “betrayal of diplomacy and
international law.”
The embassy added that “justice, however
delayed, will ultimately --------- be served.”
“The 12-Day War was twelve days of relentless bombing,
twelve days of assassination, and twelve days that
turned Iran’s cities into heartbreaking scenes and
our country’s peaceful nuclear facilities into
symbols of the aggressors’ betrayal,”
the statement read.
“Betrayal of diplomacy, betrayal of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty, and betrayal of every international convention meant
to protect nations,” it said.
The statement added that the two criminal regimes committed
every possible crime in their unprovoked and brutal attack.
“They massacred innocent civilians, many of them children,
for no crime other than having a dream for tomorrow. They
assassinated scientists - who were seeking knowledge,
not war. And they martyred our country’s commanders
and senior officials — the guardians of Iran’s dignity
and sovereignty,” it said.
The embassy criticized the silence of some nations in the face
of these crimes. “Their hypocrisy paved the way for renewed
aggression against Iran on February 28 of this year, as well
as the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza and
Lebanon by the Zionist regime,” it further said.
‘Ready to sacrifice our lives for
ultimate victory of Iran’: Qalibaf
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also
commemorated the anniversary of the start of the
12-day war in a message on his personal X
account on Saturday.
"One year has passed since the first round of criminal attacks
by the Israeli regime and the United States on our eternal
home, Iran. They murdered innocent children and
refrained from no crime or brutality,” he said.
In his message, the speaker emphasized that “following the
example of the heroic and oppressed martyrs of the 12-day
war, we stand ready to sacrifice our lives for the honour
and ultimate victory of dear Iran."
‘Open assault on diplomacy’
Meanwhile, Iran's Embassy in Berlin issued a statement saying
“What happened in those days was not merely an attack on
Iran, but an open assault on diplomacy, a clear violation of
the United Nations Charter, and a disregard for the
fundamental principles of international law."
The statement further noted that "the Iranian nation
“did not surrender to threats and bullying. Relying
on unity, resilience, and national capabilities, it
defended its sovereignty, security, and dignity."
The embassy emphasized that what remains unforgettable
is "the silence of those who deliberately closed their
eyes" to the aggression of June 2025.
It added that the same silence and indifference paved the way
for the repetition of another imposed war, in February 2026,
and those who remained silent, must be held accountable.
___________________________________________________________
New Ankara-Riyadh corridor
fuels Israeli anxiety amid
tensions with Türkiye:
Report
June 13th, 11:06am
(PressTV)
A proposed trade and transport corridor being advanced by
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia ..has raised -- fears among Israeli
officials, who reportedly view the initiative as a potential
challenge to regional connectivity projects backed by
the occupying regime.
On Tuesday, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia signed two memoranda
of understanding to expand cooperation in logistics and
railways as the two countries explore new land routes
connecting the Persian Gulf with Türkiye and Europe.
Neither Türkiye nor Saudi Arabia has publicly
announced final details of the reported
corridor project.
However, according to a report published by Israeli daily
Yedioth Ahronoth, on Saturday, the proposed overland
route would connect Persian Gulf states to Europe
through Syria and Jordan before entering Türkiye
-- bypassing Israeli-occupied territories -- and
reducing reliance on Israeli infrastructure,
including the port of Haifa.
The report said the corridor could emerge as a competitor to
the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a
major trade initiative supported by Israel, the US, India,
and several Arab states.
IMEC has been promoted as a strategic route that seeks to
boost trade links between Asia and Europe through areas
occupied by the Israeli regime.
Israeli officials cited by the newspaper reportedly view the
Turkish-Saudi initiative as a geopolitical and economic
challenge that could diminish Israel's role as a
regional transit hub.
The Israeli media said officials are closely monitoring
developments amid concerns that alternative transit
networks could weaken the strategic importance of
IMEC and Israel's transportation infrastructure.
The development comes amid increasingly strained relations
between Ankara and Tel Aviv, with Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu exchanging sharp public accusations
in recent days.
Erdogan blasts Israeli war crimes - as
Turkish lawyers refer evidence to ICC
Turkish legal experts sent a file of Israel war crimes
evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Speaking to lawmakers in Ankara on Wednesday, Erdogan
said Israel's attacks on Syria and Lebanon had reached
a point where they also threatened Türkiye's security.
He also noted that Israel is seeking to destabilize the wider
Mediterranean region, saying that its "aggression" poses a
threat to the whole world: & must be stopped immediately.
Erdogan further warned that attempts to undermine Turkish
or Turkish Cypriot interests would be met with a "clear
and strong response."
Netanyahu responded forcefully, saying Erdogan is "the
last person who can lecture Israel on morality."
The Israeli premier claimed the Turkish leader has supported
the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, suppressed
political opponents, and pursued policies against Kurdish
groups, while claiming that Israel would continue to “act
decisively” against Iran and its regional allies.
The latest exchange reflects a broader deterioration in
Turkish-Israeli relations since the outbreak of regional
wars involving Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.
NATO member Türkiye has suspended trade with Israel
and has emerged as one of the regime's most vocal
critics on the international stage.