‘Mr President give the order’: Israelis hope for US intervention
Overnight, there was a back-to-back commentary and discussion about an imminent decision from the American president. There was euphoria about the possibility the US would use the B-52 bombers that would, once and for all, finish the job.
This morning, just to give you an indication of how much support this has, the front page of Yedioth Ahronoth has a picture of Trump in Air Force One and the headline is “Mr President give the order”.
There is a lot of anticipation for such an involvement that is seen as something that would conclusively end the war to Israel’s advantage. Although there are some voices that say that even if Trump doesn’t give the order, Israel is going to push on – it would take more time – but it can also do what is necessary according to Israeli interests.
Iran trusts Arab neighbours will not allow US to launch attacks from their territories, official says
We’ve been speaking to Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, on the ongoing conflict. We asked him whether Iran would attack US forces in neighbouring countries if Washington enters the conflict.
Baghaei said Iran is “under an attack by a genocidal” regime and it will defend itself with “full force” against Israel’s “war of aggression”.
He says Iran is “for the time being” focused on targeting Israeli territory only and it trusts its neighbours would not allow the US to use their territory for attacks against it.
“Right now, we focus on defending ourselves from attacks from Israel, and that is why we have been very careful, very responsible, very calculated in our response to these attacks. We have targeted military bases, security bases inside the occupied lands, so for the time being, we are focused on that,” he said.
“We have very good relations with Arab countries, and they are very cognisant of the fact that Israel has been trying to drag others into the war. … We are sure our Arab countries hosting US bases would not allow their territory to be used against their Muslim neighbours,” he added.
Under international law, no country has a legal basis to allow a third party to use its territory against another country, and “I trust that the understanding between Iran and our neighbouring countries would not allow any third party to abuse their territory,” he said.
‘Diplomacy never ends’
We have more from Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry. When asked if Iran is willing to engage in dialogue with the US, he said, “Diplomacy never ends,” but added that Tehran no longer trusts Washington.
“This war was imposed in the midst of a diplomatic process. We were supposed to be in Muscat on Sunday, and they started this aggression early Friday. Iran has been all in for diplomacy and dialogue,” he said.
Iran does “not really” trust the US because “no one can imagine in our region, not only in Iran, that Israel started this war without prior green light by the United States,” Baghaei said.
“So I think what is at stake is the credibility of a country that is supposed to be a global power. What is at stake is the international law, international law that has been almost annihilated for the past two years because of all of these atrocities that have been committed in occupied Palestine, in Lebanon, in Syria and elsewhere,” he added. “So I think the whole international community, in particular those who are members of the Security Council, must shoulder their responsibility and act in order to stop this aggression.”
Iran won’t accept ‘imposed war or peace, won’t surrender’: Khamenei
Iran “will stand firm against an imposed war, just as it will stand firm against an imposed peace”, the supreme leader says in a televised address reported by the Tasnim news agency. “This nation will not surrender to anyone in the face of imposition.”
Khamenei also pointed to statements made by Trump, saying those who know Iran and its history “know that Iranians do not answer well to the language of threat”.
“And the Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable consequences.”
