Iran says air defense commanders were killed during clashes with U.S. helicopters near Isfahan.

Tucker Carlson:

You can’t murder the innocent. You can’t kill kids and women.

That’s a war crime… but more important, it’s a moral crime.

They pray at the WH not to pray for restraint, but to endorse the murder of civilians.

How do you do that?

Tucker Carlson:

This is the end of something. You’re watching the end of the global American empire.

The unipolar world… is over.

Something once great has become unrecognizable.

Professor John Mearsheimer:

They (the U.S. and Israel) thought shock and awe would bring quick victory, would collapse the regime.

Instead, we’re in a war of attrition.

Iran holds almost all the cards.

We are in desperate straits.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei:

If our infrastructure is attacked, we will react in kind.

We will target similar infrastructure linked to the United States.

This is not voluntary, it is self-defense.

This is not the American people’s war.

IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi on Iran's uranium stockpile:

Even if you move part of it, you could still have amounts… enough for a few warheads.

The vast majority is in Isfahan. There is also some in Natanz.

More than 70%? — perhaps a little bit less.

They have a very big stockpile of highly enriched uranium… very close to military-grade.

IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi on Iran's new underground facility in Isfahan:

Iran itself declared a new facility. We requested access… but never made it there.

Whether it’s empty or operational… we don’t know.

IRGC Navy Command:

Strait of Hormuz will never return to normal, especially for the U.S. and Israel.

The IRGC Navy is preparing operations for a new order in the Persian Gulf.

15 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours after obtaining permission from Iran.

Source: Fars

The rescue mission in Iran was almost derailed after two MC-130 special operations aircraft used in the infiltration “suffered a mechanical failure and were unable to take off.”

That left part of the rescue force suddenly at risk of being stranded inside Iranian territory, creating what one U.S. official described as the mission’s real “holy shit” moment.

With time running out and exposure risk rising, U.S. commanders made the decision to send in additional aircraft to extract the force in waves.

The rescue team reportedly had to wait for several tense hours before the backup plan succeeded.

Once extraction was completed, U.S. forces reportedly destroyed the disabled aircraft on the ground rather than leave sensitive equipment behind.

According to Reuters, the U.S. destroyed:
• 2 disabled MC-130 aircraft
• 4 additional helicopters

Source: Reuters

Under cover of darkness, around 100 U.S. special operations personnel infiltrated deep into Iran and moved through rugged, mountainous terrain south of Tehran.

They climbed a 7,000-foot ridge to reach the stranded airman and successfully made contact.

The officer had reportedly sprained his ankle and was hiding in a crevice on a hilltop, using survival and evasion techniques after ejecting.

Before rescue forces moved in, he had to authenticate his identity to ensure U.S. troops were not being lured into an Iranian trap.

Source: Reuters

Zelensky arrived in Damascus on a Turkish government plane yesterday.

Axios claims that the U.S., Iran, and regional mediators are discussing terms for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to ending the war, though chances of reaching even a partial deal soon are low.

Iranian Embassy in Zimbabwe:

Bahrain, along with the UAE, is pushing the UN Security Council to authorize action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier draft backed by the Gulf states and the US used harsher language that suggested military action, but negotiations softened it after resistance from Russia, China, and France.

Source: WSJ

Africa Warned: Middle East War is Devastating African Economy

A new report by the African Union, AfDB & UN agencies warned the war in Iran is driving 50% oil price surge, weakening 29 African currencies & disrupting fertilizer supplies, while threatening food security & economic stability.

READ MORE