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📹 Watch: Extensive damage to Tehran’s Gandhi Hospital following US-Israeli attack
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🇮🇷 Iranian medical workers provide care to children injured in US-Israeli attack on Tehran
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🛰 "The sound of aircraft flying overhead can still be heard": Sputnik reports from Tehran amid missile strikes
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🇺🇸Hegseth says Operation Epic Fury is laser-focused
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🇺🇸Hegseth says the escalation with Iran is not a regime-change war
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🇺🇸Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Operation “Epic Fury,” ordered by President Donald Trump, was the most lethal and precise air campaign in history — declaring, “We didn’t start this war, but we are finishing it.”
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🇷🇺🇶🇦 Putin, Qatar’s emir discuss Middle East crisis and de-escalation efforts
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a phone conversation with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to address the acute crisis in the Middle East, which the Kremlin said was triggered by the US–Israeli actions against Iran.
Key statements:
🔸 Two leaders discussed the escalating situation in the region.
🔸 Both expressed concern over the risk of the conflict expanding and the danger of third countries being drawn in
🔸 They voiced hope that Iran’s retaliatory actions would not harm civilians or civilian infrastructure
🔸 Putin and the emir expressed hope for swift de-escalation and a return to diplomatic settlement efforts in the Middle East
🔸 Qatari emir thanked Russia for its support of regional states amid the current complex situation
🔸 He emphasized that cooperation with Russia across various sectors remains a priority for countries in the region
🔸 Leaders agreed to continue Russian–Qatari contacts through various channels
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🛰 Sputnik correspondent in Tehran reports that new attacks are underway on the city
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🚨 US and Israel undermining Middle East harmony – Russian Foreign Ministry
The Russian Foreign Ministry has voiced concern over the war in the Middle East and called for immediate peace talks.
Key statements:
👉 Washington and Tel Aviv are attempting to derail the process of normalizing relations between Iran and its Arab neighbors
👉 Any attacks on civilian targets — whether in Iran or in Arab states — are unacceptable and must be completely ruled out
👉 Russia calls on all sides to cease fire and take urgent measures to ensure the safety of civilians
👉 The belligerents should seek a political and diplomatic settlement of their differences
👉 Moscow strongly urges all sides to abandon the use of force as a means of resolving disputes
👉 The Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern that US and Israeli attacks on Iran are fueling conflict across the broader Middle East region
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🇶🇦QatarEnergy has halted LNG and associated product output following military attacks on facilities in Ras Laffan and Mesaieed, media report citing company's statement
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🚨IRGC announces 11 wave of missile strikes on Israel under Operation True Promise 4
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📹Tanker involved in an incident while attempting unauthorized passage through the Strait of Hormuz is reportedly sinking
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🚨🇮🇷 Mapping Iran’s missile reach across Middle East
Iran fields a diverse missile arsenal, ranging from short-range tactical systems to medium-range ballistic missiles capable of striking targets up to 2,000 kilometers away.
Explore Sputnik's infographic to see what missiles Iran has in its arsenal—and how far they can reach.
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🇷🇺🚨Putin sends condolences to Iran over Khamenei killing — Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed deep condolences to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and members of his family, Kremlin Spokesman Dmtry Peskov said.
◾️Putin said the assassination was carried out with a cynical disregard for human morality and international law.
◾️He added that Khamenei would be remembered in Russia as an outstanding statesman who made a significant contribution to strengthening friendly relations between Russia and Iran.
◾️Putin also asked Pezeshkian to convey his sincere sympathy and support to Khamenei’s relatives and loved ones, as well as to the government and people of Iran.
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🚨Iran has used Fattah-2 hypersonic missiles for the FIRST TIME in strikes on US bases in the Middle East - Fars, citing a source
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🛰 Sputnik correspondent captures Israeli warplanes striking multiple buildings in southern Beirut
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🇺🇸Hegseth: There are NO American boots on the ground in Iran, but warns the US will "go as far as we need to go"
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🗣 Iranian targeting information is good, exploits US weaknesses: former Pentagon analyst to Sputnik
🔶 "Three weaknesses of all US wars of the past 30 years are dependence on complex centrally managed war management systems, just in time logistics models for very expensive munitions, missiles and platforms, and of course an assumption that if the wars are short, painless and without economic impact back home, foreign and domestic morale and politics are easily managed," said retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski.
🔶 "The IRGC has planned for the one thing the US and Israel cannot handle, and that is a multidimensional defensive war that cost effectively can create and sustain serious tiered costs for the US/Israeli and their allies."
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🚨🇮🇷Ayatollah Khamenei’s wife succumbs to injuries from US–Israeli attack - reports
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🇺🇸Hegseth to Iran: If you threaten Americans, we will hunt you down and kill you
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🤔 Why Strait of Hormuz closure could strike back at US economy
It could destabilize the US economy now that more countries start to clinch trade deals in national currencies, “accelerating the US to a process of decadence that may make it difficult to remain in global leadership in the future,” Brazilian political scientist Domenique Marques tells Sputnik.
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🚨 Children’s playground targeted in Tehran bombing attack
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🚨🇮🇷Iran is ready for a long war, unlike Washington - Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani
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🚨 Vladimir Putin: Groundwork for Iran settlement disrupted by unprovoked aggression
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his UAE counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have discussed developments in the Middle East amid US–Israeli actions against Iran and Tehran’s response, the Kremlin press service said
Key statements
👉 Putin said progress on resolving the Iran issue has been undermined by what he described as an unprovoked act of aggression against a sovereign UN member state, in violation of the fundamental principles of international law
👉 He expressed readiness to assist in stabilizing the situation in the Middle East
👉 Putin noted that Russia has made significant efforts to promote a peaceful settlement regarding Iran’s nuclear program and to seek mutually acceptable compromises
👉 He thanked the UAE president for the assistance provided to Russian citizens in the Emirates
👉 The two leaders agreed to remain in close contact
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🚨 Iran’s missile might vs. America’s arsenal: Who will run out first?
💬 “If the US continues to use its missiles in such a manner, their stockpile will swiftly run out,” Russian military expert Yuri Knutov tells Sputnik, commenting on a recent video of apparently 10 Patriot interceptors downing just one Iranian ballistic missile.
💬 “As for Patriot interceptors, their larger stockpile could be exhausted in around three weeks, especially if 10 such missiles are launched to hit one Iranian air target,” the expert points out.
💬 “So, Iran now has a very important trump card. By strategically using its ballistic missiles and saving the advanced hypersonic Fateh missiles for the final stage, Tehran has a chance to deal a very painful blow to Israel and the US and avenge the surprise attack on the Islamic Republic,” the expert notes.
💬 “Out of a large number of launched missiles, one or two hit their targets, which is a significant result. It creates a psychological effect and, in turn, impacts the enemy’s morale. Therefore, when we talk about Iran’s use of ballistic missiles, this tactic has so far proven effective,” Knutov concludes.
🇮🇷📹Sputnik footage shows aftermath of today's strikes on Tehran
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🇮🇷 Ali Khamenei: Architect of modern Iran and guardian of Islamic identity
Ali Khamenei, the second supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has been killed in an Israeli bombing at the age of 86.
For more than four decades on the front lines of political life—including 36 years as the nation's highest authority—he shaped the destiny of the Iranian people and the wider region.
🔸 The making of a revolutionary
Born into a religious family in Mashhad, Khamenei devoted his youth to Islamic scholarship in Qom and Najaf. His interest in literature, music and poetry set him apart, but his life's mission became Iran's struggle for independence from foreign influence.
An active follower of Imam Khomeini, he endured imprisonment and exile under the Shah's rule.
🔸 Trial by fire
Following the 1979 revolution, his organizational skills were needed at the highest levels: from defense during the Iran-Iraq war to parliament and the presidency. His eight-year presidency coincided with the war's toughest years, when the country's territorial integrity hung in the balance.
He survived an assassination attempt in 1981, but lost the use of his right arm.
🔸 The succession
When Ayatollah Khomeini died in 1989, Iran faced a historic crossroads. Khamenei's authority and foresight ensured continuity. The Assembly of Experts elected him the new leader and constitutional amendments cemented his mandate, opening a new chapter for the Republic.
🔸 Guardian of the revolution
As supreme leader, Khamenei remained steadfast in his commitment to the revolution's ideals: independence, freedom and Islamic law. He balanced the branches of power while strengthening the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a guarantor of sovereignty in a turbulent region.
He championed a "neither east nor west" foreign policy. His principled stand against the US and rejection of unipolarity allowed Iran to steer an independent course despite unprecedented sanctions.
🔸 The reclusive statesman
Remarkably, Khamenei never left the country or gave interviews throughout his decades-long rule – a deliberate retreat from daily politics to focus on strategic vision. He saw his mission as preserving the ideological purity and institutions established by the republic's founder.
🔸 End of an era
For millions of Iranians, Khamenei will remain the face of revolutionary continuity and resistance to external pressure. Whatever the final verdict of history, he has inscribed his name into Iran's story as the man who, for nearly 40 years, charted the path of the nation while striving to preserve its identity in a changing world.
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🇮🇷Interim leadership council formed in Iran after Khamenei’s death
Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council has selected Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as the jurist member of the temporary Leadership Council — alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei — to jointly carry out the duties of the Supreme Leader after the confirmed killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes, pending the Assembly of Experts’ appointment of a new leader.
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🇮🇱📹IDF releases video claiming Israeli Air Force strikes on targets in Tehran during Operation Roaring Lion
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🇮🇷 Iranians gather at Revolution Square in Tehran following confirmation of Ayatollah Khamenei’s death
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