Iran-US war: Amid the ongoing conflict between Iran-Israel-US, Iranian president Pezeshkian was spotted on Tehran streets as Iranians greeted and snapped photos with the President while he joined the massive Quds Day rally in the nation.
Iranian media said President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had both attended the rally in a gesture of defiance. Quds Day is observed on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, a date that changes each year according to the Islamic calendar, mentioned a report by WANA News Agency.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump warned that US was going to be hitting Iran “very hard over the next week,” as Iran’s conflict with US and Israel entered its second week last Saturday, 7 March.
To date, 2000 people have been killed due to the war, most of them in Iran, but many also in Lebanon and a growing number in the Gulf, reported Reuters.
Israel-Iran-US conflict
Iran launched retaliatory strikes after US and Israel jointly attacked the Islamic Republic on Saturday, 28 February – which also killed former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Explosions were reported across Gulf cities – including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, among other key West Asian hubs – which are also home to US military bases.
On Friday, 13 March, Iranian Press TV said a woman had been killed by an airstrike close to a rally in Tehran for Quds Day.
The Israeli military said its air force had struck more than 200 targets in western and central Iran over the past day, including ballistic missile launchers, air defence systems and weapons production sites.
Earlier, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly vowed to continue the attacks in his first public statement since succeeding his father – Ayatollah Khamenei. He vowed to avenge those killed in the war, including in a strike on a school in Minab that reportedly killed 168 girls. Khamenei said Iran would “obtain compensation” from its enemy, referring to the United States.
He also said that leverage of closing the Strait of Hormuz should be used, reported news wire AP.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking over leadership, and the written statement was read by a state TV anchor.
