🚩 Iran’s alleged attack: he IDF is preparing to repel massive attacks from the north and east
🚩 Gaza: IDF continues its ground operation destroying Hamas infrastructure and eliminating militants.
🚩 Lebanon: the Israeli army is attacking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
🔷 Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps disagreed. While the IRGC wants to attack Tel Aviv, the president fears the consequences and suggested attacking Israel’s „secret bases“ in neighboring countries instead (The Telegraph). https://lnk.sk/mvgl
🔷 Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force chief Ismail Qaani says in a letter to new Hamas leader Sinwar that Tehran will avenge the killing of his predecessor. “We are preparing to avenge his blood… This is our duty,” Qaani tells Sinwar about the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh. https://lnk.sk/htc5
🔷 A Lebanese source says an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the southern city of Sidon on Friday killed a Hamas security official from the nearby Palestinian refugee camp. “An Israeli strike targeted a Hamas movement security official while he was inside his vehicle in the city of Sidon,” the source says. https://lnk.sk/jcu8
🔷 Israeli army investigated and dismantled a multi-story underground tunnel approximately 3 kilometers long that consisted of multiple branches in the central Gaza. Inside the tunnel, several rooms, weapons and means for long-term stay used by terrorist operatives were located (video) https://lnk.sk/lnph
🔷 Hamas said demanding release of Marwan Barghouti in first stage of hostage deal Terror group reportedly understands it cannot return to power and sees popular 2nd Intifada leader, serving life for deadly terror attacks, as potential ally to rule Gaza after war. https://lnk.sk/abul
🔷 The International Federation of Medical Students‘ Associations decided to suspend the association of Israeli students due to accusations of genocide in Gaza. Minister of Health Uriel Busso: ”It is a political decision made without any factual basis…, giving a boost to terrorist organizations.” https://lnk.sk/ydh6
🔷 Amid Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s boycott of Israeli goods and threats of invasion, the Israeli Defense Ministry has extended a contract with Dorad Energy, a power plant supplying electricity to IDF bases, despite a 25% ownership by a Turkish businessman close to Erdogan. https://lnk.sk/dtfg
🔵 COMMENT of the day: How Iran Finances Attacks Against Israel
Aviram Bellaishe for Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
Large-scale oil exports enable it to keep financing its anti-Israel activity, despite the many sanctions imposed on the country since 2019 to stop oil exports. Iran counteracts these sanctions with more than 300 tankers registered in foreign countries, which form a „ghost fleet.“ These ships turn off navigation and identification systems and use false registration documents.
China buys 85%-90% of the approximately 1.5 million barrels per day that Iran exports. From the beginning of President Biden’s tenure in January 2021 to December 2023, the ayatollah regime’s revenues from oil exports to Beijing totaled $100 billion. It has been written in the Iranian media that thanks to China, Iran has protection against the sanctions.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in 2023 the Iranian economy grew by 4.7%, led by 19% growth in the oil sector. Iranian oil production grew to 3.1 million barrels per day.
© ICEJ Slovakia; peter.svec@icej.sk