Military of Iran

Iranian state television today featured a man who appeared to be the high-ranking commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Ismail Qaani, in a ceremony for a Revolutionary Guards of Iran commander killed in Lebanon.

Ismail Qaani first became known to the wider Western public in 2020 when he was chosen to replace Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by an American drone outside Baghdad Airport.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has talked with Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, over the phone to discuss the regional issues and bilateral ties amid rising tension in the Middle East.

In the wake of Iran's recent drone and missile assault on Israel, the European Union (EU) and the United States are gearing up to expand sanctions against Tehran. The move, driven by mounting concerns over Iran's aggressive military actions, marks a significant escalation in international pressure on the Iranian regime.

Iran has issued a warning of a robust retaliation should Israel respond to the recent attack with drones and missiles. Mohammad Bagheri, head of Iran's Armed Forces, conveyed this message on state television, cautioning against any support from Washington for Israeli retaliation, which could lead to attacks on US bases.

Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at positions occupied by "terrorist groups" in Syria and Iraq on late Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement.

State media reported that IRGC destroyed a "spy headquarters" and a "gathering of anti-Iran terrorist groups" in Syria with ballistic missiles.

They attempted to set up a base & recruit others in the Turkish occupied Cypriot north, where Cyprus’s internationally recognized authorities have no access – Detainees are “political refugees” with ties to IRGC

As reported by Sky News, the attack destroyed weapons stored in two targets - a training facility and a safe house, the Pentagon and U.S. officials announced.

Israeli media report that high-ranking officials in their country have pointed to the Quds Force, one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), specializing in unconventional warfare and military intelligence, is behind the foiled plot to bomb a Jewish restaurant and an attached cultural and religious center in Athens.

The comments come amid speculation about Washington's possible involvement in a recent drone attack on an Iranian military factory.
"Using the military option at any level means US entering into war," Tehran's permanent mission to the UN told Newsweek on Monday. Iran currently considers such a possibility to be weak, according to the statement.