⋯ Syrian sources report an alleged death toll of at least 5, up to possibly a dozen, and 7 wounded in the Israeli strike on Damascus.

An assassination attempt might have been carried out.

⋯ According to Syrian military sources, the Israeli aggression resulted in 5 martyrs so far, including a soldier, and 15 injured civilians, some in critical condition.

A number of civilian homes were either destroyed or damaged, in several neighborhoods in and around Damascus.

IAEA found uranium enriched to 84% in Iranian centrifuge cascade

Inspectors from the UN atomic agency (IAEA) in Iran last week detected uranium enriched to 84% purity, Bloomberg writes, just 6% below the level reportedly needed for a nuclear weapon.

The IAEA needs to determine if it was an unintended accumulation within the pipes of the centrifuge cascades—something that has happened before. The agency is preparing its quarterly report ahead of a Board of Governors meeting on 6 ⁠March.

(Picture: Netanyahu’s bomb diagram at the UN tribune, 2012)

Munich Security conference is a principal event for Russia. Since 1963 the primary goal of this conference was to coordinate western efforts against the USSR, and after convergence period in 1991-2007 the main agenda is back on track.

The summary of all speeches about Ukraine looks like that:
1. No negotiations until major Russian defeat. The scale of the defeat is debatable, for now the borders before 24.02.2022 are a bare minimum for entering the talks. Anyone who expected peace initiatives from the West (yeah, there were such experts) waited in vain.
2. Eventually Ukraine will get all types of lethal means, including planes and missiles. Certain lack of ammunition will be compensated in March. The Ukrainian army switches to NATO equipment, this makes delieveries easier.
3. Everybody believes that Russia is losing the war in Ukraine, and the Kremlin won't respond to Western supplies by serious escalation.

What can I say about all of this. In March 2022 it became clear for everyone that Russia can't change regime in Ukraine. After that the major NATO countries started sending some weapons to Kiev. Russia didn't respond properly for two reasons: lack of resources and weak political will. The absent reaction paved the way for what we see now: endless supplies of weapons, humuliating visits of western politicians to Kiev, like Biden's visit today, new packages of sanctions against Russia etc.

The only thing which can change this is a real victory on the battlefield, a thing many consider almost impossible under present circumstances.

#war_in_ukraine

⚛ The representative of the Iranian atomic agency, Behrouz Kamalvandi, declared this morning:

“The published news stories are bogus and a distortion of facts. The existence of highly enriched particles is a natural occurrence in every enrichment process. For example, in the process of enriching uranium to 20%, [the presence of uranium particles with enrichment levels up to] 47% is observed, and in the process of obtaining uranium at 60%, uranium with higher enrichment is also observed.”

“Iran has never embarked on enrichment at a level above 60%. (...) Publicizing these issues through [Western] media once again shows that, unfortunately, the IAEA has lost its professional and impartial standing since a long time ago.”

(TASS, Mehr News)

🚨 An earthquake was felt in Lebanon about 15 minutes ago.

It originated in Uzunbağ (Turkey) with a magnitude of 6.4, according to earthquake.⁠usgs.⁠gov

⋯ Moment when the M6.4 earthquake struck Hatay province in southern Turkey

⋯ With a magnitude of about 4 in Lebanon, it felt similar to the first disastrous earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on 6 ⁠February.

📹 Footage from an hour ago of civilians in Dekwaneh (Beirut) out in the street.

⋯ Residents gathered in the Beirut's neighborhood of Ras Al-Nabaa.

(Video: @⁠⁠⁠FouadKhreiss)

⋯ It is reported in Acre, occupied Palestine, that the Mediterranean sea has receded by 40 meters. Update: However, the city of Acre denied the reports that have circulated:

“There are no warnings about the occurrence of a tsunami and what is being circulated is false.”

The Israel army hacked a local Syrian TV near the border with occupied Palestine, and broadcasted a threatening message to the locals and members of the Syrian security forces against cooperation with Hezbullah.