Aerial refueling tankers spotted on flight paths consistent with escorting aircraft from US
Multiple U.S. aerial refueling tankers were spotted on commercial flight trackers flying flight patterns consistent with escorting aircraft from the central U.S. to the Pacific.
B-2 bombers, which are the only aircraft that carry the large bunker buster bombs, are based at an Air Force base in Missouri. It was not clear whether the aircraft being escorted early Saturday were prepared for an operation or merely moving to airbases closer to Iran as a show of force.
The White House and Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment on the flights.
US begins repatriation flights from Israel
The U.S. ambassador to Israel says the United States has begun “assisted departure flights” from Israel, the first time such flights have been offered there since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
Ambassador Mike Huckabee announced the flights in a social media post as the war between Israel and Iran enters its second week. He says U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents can complete an online form for updates.
The U.S. has also told its citizens in Iran who wish to leave to go via Azerbaijan, Armenia or Turkey if they feel it’s safe.
Saudi Arabia condemns ‘blatant Israeli aggressions’ against Iran
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has condemned “blatant Israeli aggressions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which undermine its sovereignty and security, constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms, and threaten the security and stability of the region,” the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.
Speaking at Friday's meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, he called for “the immediate cessation of military operations, the avoidance of escalation, and a return to the negotiation track between Iran and the international community.”
Iran and Saudi Arabia were long regional arch-rivals but have normalized relations in recent years. Riyadh was quick to side publicly with Tehran after Israel launched a surprise barrage of strikes on Iran last week.
Bin Farhan also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The kingdom and France had been set to co-chair a conference in New York this month on the topic, which was postponed due to the outbreak of the Israel-Iran war.
President says Iran will never resign its right to nuclear power
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says his country will never renounce its right to nuclear power, which “cannot be taken away from it through war and threats.”
In a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, Pezeshkian said Iran was ready to provide guarantees and confidence-building measures to demonstrate the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities, according to IRNA, the state-run news agency.
Israel says it and Cyprus foiled a planned attack on Israeli citizens
Israel’s foreign minister says Israeli security services have helped Cypriot authorities foil a planned attack against Israeli citizens on the east Mediterranean island nation.
Minister Gideon Saar posted on X Saturday that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was behind the plot. He thanked Cyprus for its “swift and effective actions” and accused Iran of “deliberately targeting Israeli civilians both in Israel and abroad.”
Cyprus police said Saturday they arrested a man on suspicion of terrorism and espionage. A court Saturday ordered the man, who wasn’t identified, held in police custody for eight days until investigators can complete their probe. Cypriot authorities said they wouldn’t comment further on the man’s arrest for “national security reasons.”
A British Foreign Office spokesman said that U.K. authorities are in contact with the Cypriot government “regarding the arrest of a British man.”
Germany closes Tehran embassy and withdraws staff from Iran
The German embassy in Tehran has been closed until further notice “due to the current crisis situation,” the diplomatic representation wrote on its website.
“Please do not come to the embassy or the consulate building. Appointments that have already been arranged have been canceled,” the embassy said.
Due to the war between Israel and Iran, the German Foreign Ministry said Saturday it has withdrawn all of its embassy staff in Tehran and brought them out of the country.
The embassy is still reachable online for Germans remaining in Iran. On its website, the embassy gives advice on the different possibilities to leave by land via Armenia or Turkey. According to the German Foreign Ministry, there are still about 1,000 German citizens in Iran.
Nasrallah's bodyguard killed in Israeli airstrike on Iran, Hezbollah says
The head of security to the late Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike while in Iran, a Hezbollah official said Saturday.
Abu Ali Khalil, better known as Abu Ali Jawad, was killed after he went to Iran from neighboring Iraq, the official said.
For many years, Abu Ali was seen behind Nasrallah during most of his public appearances.
After Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstike in a Beirut suburb in September, his bodyguard was put in charge of his tomb in Beirut.
The Hezbollah official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the airstrike that killed Abu Ali occurred earlier Saturday.
Erdogan offers to mediate Iran-US talks
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for technical and leadership-level talks between Iran and the United States to resolve tensions, during a meeting with Iran’s top diplomat.
A statement from Erdogan office said the Turkish president also told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a meeting in Istanbul on Saturday that Turkey was ready to take on the role of facilitator.
Erdogan said that the region cannot tolerate another war and said Israel must be “stopped immediately.”
Araghchi was in Turkey to attend a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Iran acknowledges detaining German bicyclist on suspicion of spying
Iran on Saturday acknowledged for the first time it had detained a German bicyclist on spying allegations, likely an effort by Tehran to pressure Germany amid its war with Israel.
The semiofficial Mehr news agency published footage of the unnamed man’s arrest, without saying when the arrest occurred. However, it described the cyclist as being detained in Markazi province, home to the Arak heavy water reactor.
The German news agency dpa reported the arrest took place last year and that the bicyclist is being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, home to Westerners and political prisoners.
The German Foreign Ministry declined to comment Saturday.
Israeli army says it is now targeting Iranian military infrastructure
The Israeli army said it began striking military infrastructure in southwest Iran.
It was unclear what the targeted sites were.
Shortly after, Iranian state media reported that the sound of large blasts was heard in two cities in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan. Air defenses were reported to be activated in both locations.
A large column of smoke had also risen above the port city of Mahshahr, Fars news agency said, while “frightening explosions” were heard in the provincial capital of Ahvaz.
Macron voices deep concern over Iran's nuclear program
The French president said Saturday this happened during a call with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, who initiated the call.
“Here again, my position is clear: Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons, and it is up to Iran to provide full guarantees that its intentions are peaceful,” Macron posted on social media, adding that diplomatic efforts should continue to resolve the current crisis.
“To achieve this, we will accelerate the negotiations led by France and its European partners with Iran.”
Macron said he also asked for the release of two French citizens being held in Iran on espionage charges since 2022.