Tehran: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was the primary target of Saturday’s Israeli-US strikes on Tehran. Iran’s Supreme Leader may have escaped, having reportedly been shifted to a safer location. However, Iran did suffer crucial losses.
According to Reuters, Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour are believed to have been killed in the attacks, two sources familiar with Israel’s military operations said.
Iran, having retaliated with attacks on different Middle East cities like Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Bahrain, said it had so far fired only its “scrap missiles” and will soon unleash weapons that are not expected by adversaries.
“Tehran has only fired scrap missiles so far. It will soon unveil unforeseen weapons,” Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Jabari was quoted as saying by Iranian media.
As the conflict escalated during the course of Saturday, the Indian government expressed deep concern.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said New Delhi was closely monitoring the rapidly evolving developments in West Asia, and stressed on the need for restraint.
“India is deeply concerned at the recent developments in Iran and the Gulf region. We urge all sides to exercise restraint, avoid escalation, and prioritise the safety of civilians,” MEA said in a statement.
As has been its consistent stand on all military conflicts, India emphasised that dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable path to de-escalation.
India also reiterated that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be respected.
Air India, IndiGo suspend Middle-East flights
Air India and IndiGo were left with little option but to suspend flights to several Middle-East destinations as hostilities between the US, Israel and Iran resulted in widespread airspace closures, with Dubai shutting its airport.
IndiGo announced all flights to and from the Middle East have been cancelled till further notice.
SpiceJet cautioned that some of its services could be impacted because of airspace closure in Dubai.
