The Israeli military announced that two drones from Yemen were also intercepted on Monday, two days after Iran’s allies, the Houthis, joined the war by firing rockets at Israel, and that Lebanon’s Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel.
Israeli forces launched rocket attacks on what it said were military infrastructure in Tehran and infrastructure used by Iran-backed Hezbollah in Beirut, leaving black smoke billowing over the Lebanese capital.
Turkey’s defense ministry said a ballistic missile launched from Iran entered Turkish airspace before being shot down by NATO air and missile defenses deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.
Tehran has remained defiant in the month-long war, which began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28 and has spread across the region, killing thousands, disrupting energy supplies and hitting the global economy. Most of the dead were in Iran and Lebanon, and many were civilians.
On Monday, Iran confirmed the death of Revolutionary Guards Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri, the latest leader to be killed, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was replaced by his son Mojtaba Khamenei.
The Iranians have effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which about a fifth of global oil and liquid natural gas supplies normally pass.
Iran said on Monday it had received US peace proposals through mediators, following talks on Sunday between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the proposals were “unrealistic, illogical and excessive”.
– Our position is clear. We are under military aggression. Therefore, all our efforts and strength are focused on defense – he said at the press conference.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
