CrossFireArabia
The Public Relations Department of The Iranian Revolutionary Guard stated that its armed forces have targeted the office of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a press statement it stated its: “armed forces targeted the office of the Prime Minister of the criminal entity and the site of the Israeli Air Force Commander with surprise and precise attacks using “Khaibar” missiles.
CrossFireArabia
The Israeli Ministry of Health announced that since the start of Operation “Lion’s Roar” until Sunday, 1 March, 456 people were hospitalized, including 86 who remain in emergency rooms.
Earlier, Israeli occupation hospitals acknowledged the deaths of two people, although the occupation deliberately conceals its losses in an attempt to quell public anger and boost the morale of its soldiers.
Previously, Israeli media reported that the number of injuries in Tel Aviv had risen to 21, including critical and serious cases.
Iran continues to target occupation sites in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as American bases in the region, in response to the American-Israeli aggression launched on Saturday morning against the country, which is still ongoing.
CrossFireArabia
Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative Dr. Mustafa Barghouti says the Israeli army’s closure of hundreds of checkpoints and military gates throughout the West Bank has led to widespread paralysis of public life and created a dire humanitarian and economic situation affecting all segments of the Palestinian population.
Barghouti told Jordan 24 these measures have not only restricted movement but have effectively fragmented the West Bank and isolated cities and towns from one another. Travel between governorates now takes many hours or is often impossible, which, he described as a de facto undeclared curfew imposed on millions of Palestinians.
He pointed out the health sector is among the most severely affected, with patients facing significant difficulties accessing hospitals and medical centers, particularly emergency cases and patients requiring dialysis and cancer treatment. He noted delays in accessing treatment can endanger many lives. Medical personnel also face frequent obstacles while traveling, further weakening the ability of healthcare institutions to perform their duties.
Barghouti also explained that students and teachers face daily obstacles in reaching their schools and universities, which disrupts the educational process and disrupts school attendance, especially in villages and areas surrounded by checkpoints. He added this situation negatively impacts the psychological and social well-being of students and their families.
He emphasized the economic damage is severe, as checkpoints impede the movement of workers and goods and prevent products from reaching markets, causing significant losses for merchants, farmers, and small business owners. He also pointed out that the disruption of internal movement weakens commercial activity and deepens the economic recession, amidst already difficult living conditions.
Barghouti stated that many Palestinian villages and towns have been transformed into closed areas resembling prisons, deprived of the most basic necessities and human services. He stressed that these policies constitute a form of collective punishment and exacerbate the suffering of the citizens.
He called on the international community to intervene urgently to stop these measures and ensure freedom of movement for Palestinians, stressing that the continued closure of checkpoints exacerbates tensions and undermines any opportunities for stability in the region.
Israel has installed 1000 security barriers in the occupied West Bank since 7 October, 2023.
CrossFireArabia
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani affirmed that his country will not negotiate with the United States. He added that US president Donald Trump has plunged the region into chaos with his “false hopes.”
On Monday, Larijani asserted Iran will not negotiate with the United States, noting that Trump “has plunged the region into chaos with his ‘false hopes,’ and is now worried about further losses among American forces.”
In a post on his “X” account, Larijani argued Trump has transformed his “America First” slogan into “Israel First,” sacrificing American soldiers for Israel’s pursuit of power. He continued: “With delusional actions and new lies, Trump is once again making American soldiers and their families pay the price for his personality cult.”
He added: “Today, the Iranian people are defending themselves, and the Iranian armed forces did not initiate the invasion.”
These statements come in response to a report in the Wall Street Journal about an initiative by Larijani to resume talks with Washington, presented through Omani mediators.
These statements also come amidst the ongoing US-Israeli aggression against Iran, which has targeted large areas of the country and resulted in the martyrdom of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and a number of other Iranian leaders. Almayadeen
CrossFireArabia
By Ismail Al Sharif
The weak one is the fool who doesn’t know the secret of his strength – Naguib Mahfouz
During the Al-Aqsa War, while Iran was launching its missiles toward Israel, some were preoccupied with mocking them, describing them as nothing more than “fireworks.” However, the unfolding events and the passage of time proved those missiles were not a fleeting display or a celebratory scene in the sky. The proof is that US President Donald Trump demanded the end of the Iranian missile program, just as he demanded the end of its nuclear program, and even declared that destroying this missile program was among the reasons for the war.
Western and Zionist media, along with the so-called “armchair critics,” have always downplayed the Iranian missile program, claiming that these projectiles caused negligible damage to Israel in the 12-day war, most were intercepted, and those that penetrated air defenses left no significant mark. However, the truth contradicts these claims, as shown by the Israeli press and other independent sources, which explains the insistence on eliminating this program by Trump and Israeli Prime Mine Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the 12-day war, Iranian missiles reached the heart of Tel Aviv, striking hundreds of buildings, while air defenses failed to intercept dozens of these missiles. The Times of Israel reported at least 61 buildings were damaged, and six were later demolished. Haaretz reported an entire Tel Aviv neighborhood was completely destroyed. In Bat Yam, about 30 kilometers from Tel Aviv, at least 200 buildings were severely damaged by a single missile strike.
The attacks were not limited to civilian targets but extended to highly sensitive strategic sites. According to GlobalSecurity.org, citing The Telegraph and satellite radar data, the missiles directly hit several sensitive Israeli facilities, including the Tel Nof Air Base, a logistics base, and an intelligence-gathering center. According to a report published by the Israeli Ynet News, all operations at the Haifa Bay refinery were halted following a direct hit by an Iranian missile. A power station at the same site was also damaged, and three people were killed. The Military Intelligence School at the Moshe Dayan military base was also targeted. In Rehovot, about 20 kilometers from Tel Aviv, the Weizmann Institute of Science was hit, with approximately 90% of its buildings damaged. The institute’s director explained that 22 laboratories were completely destroyed and 25% of the institute’s activities were suspended. Reports indicate that the attack was deliberate due to its connection to military research.
The reality is that Israel possesses vital strategic sites within a small geographical area, an advantage that has become a fundamental vulnerability. It is certain that Iran’s missile arsenal is capable of reaching these sites, to the point where Iran might not even need a nuclear weapon to inflict widespread destruction on the entity.
What if it were able to target more sensitive facilities, such as desalination plants that provide more than 65% of the entity’s water, or oil refineries that supply industry with energy, or power plants? Then the war could be decided in a single strike. While such an escalation could expose Iran to an existential response that might even lead to its annihilation, the strategic loss it would inflict on the entity could be so immense that recovery would take years.
Therefore, analysts generally agree that Iran would be the losing party in this confrontation. However, Tehran’s missiles may hold surprises capable of turning the tables and changing the course of the war. Despite the series of assassinations targeting senior Iranian military leaders, including the Supreme Leader and Chief of Staff, and despite American and Israeli claims of having destroyed a large number of ballistic missile launch sites, Tehran appears confident, as if it is concealing cards yet to be played. If this is true, the confrontation could spiral out of control and defy all calculations.
This piece first appeared in the Arabic Addustour daily.
