Photo: Leo Correa/AP
On Monday night, the United States and Iran refrained from further attacks after the US airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. At the same time, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in his first public statement after the strikes, threatened to continue punishing Israel, Al Jazeera reports.
“The Zionist enemy made a big mistake, committed a big crime and must be punished. The punishment is being carried out right now,” Khamenei wrote on social media site X. His post was accompanied by an illustration: a burning skull with a Star of David against the backdrop of burning buildings.
On Monday night, residents of Tehran and other cities heard powerful explosions again.
“We heard explosions, some very loud, in the capital Tehran. There are also reports of attacks on the Parkhin facility, a military complex in southeast Tehran. Air defence systems have been activated in Karaj, Shiraz and Tabriz,” an Al Jazeera correspondent reported at 4:00 am local time.
According to him, there is growing resentment among the population – not only over the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, but also over previous Israeli attacks that have caused civilian casualties, including women and children.
“Two weeks for Iran” – Trump’s tactics
According to CNN, citing sources in the White House, US President Donald Trump ordered his advisers to state publicly in advance that a decision on actions against Iran would be made within two weeks. This was done to disorient Tehran.
“The president was irritated that the media reported his allegedly final decision on the strike. So he used the ‘two-week window’ to confuse the Iranians,” CNN notes.
Israel: “Iran has launched new missiles”
According to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), on Monday night, Iran fired a new series of missiles into Israel.
“Recently, sirens sounded in several parts of Israel due to a reported missile launch from Iran,” the IDF said in a statement.
Videos posted on social media showed rockets in the sky over Jerusalem. The population was warned to take shelter, and later the restrictions were lifted.
Thus, the situation in the Middle East continues to be extremely tense.
