TAHRAN, (PIC)
The US-Israeli offensive against Iran has entered its 35th day, amid escalating military exchanges, including Iranian missile strikes targeting areas inside Israel, alongside rising regional tensions extending into the Gulf.
US President Donald Trump confirmed the continuation of the military operation, dubbed “Epic Rage,” saying that the strikes will persist in the coming weeks until all American objectives are fully achieved.
In response, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, rejected Trump’s claims, asserting that Iran’s military capabilities remain intact, including its strategic missile production facilities, drone programs, and air defense systems.
Zolfaghari warned of continued military operations, threatening a significant escalation in the near future, with actions he described as “more intense, broader, and more destructive.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported, citing diplomatic sources, that the US informed Israel that negotiations with Iran have reached a dead end.
Economically, the European Union’s energy commissioner warned in statements to the Financial Times that preparations are underway for worst-case scenarios due to the ongoing conflict, predicting that energy prices will remain elevated for an extended period.
On the ground, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had shot down a US F-35 fighter jet over central Iran using an air defense system, confirming its complete destruction. It added that this marks the second aircraft downed within 12 hours.
The IRGC said that the pilot’s fate remains unknown due to the aircraft’s disintegration, describing the operation as a direct response to US escalation.
As part of Iran’s retaliation, missiles struck central Israel, with Haaretz reporting that shrapnel fell in nine locations in the Tel Aviv area.
The debris caused damage to vehicles in the settlement of Petah Tikva and was also reported in Givat Shmuel, with Israeli media indicating that some air defense systems failed to intercept the missiles.
Israeli media also reported that at least one settler was injured as a result of falling missile debris in various parts of central Israel.
