Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi has accused the US of being forced to beg China for help to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway in the Middle East. In a statement, Aragchi said that many loopholes have developed in the region under the security umbrella of the US, and instead of preventing problems, it has become a cause of problems.
Aragchi stated that the US is now begging countries like China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others to send warships to help secure the strait. He called on neighboring countries to expel foreign aggressors from the region, as their sole concern is for Israel. Aragchi also said that the Strait of Hormuz is open to everyone except the US and its allies, and that the US has attacked military targets in the region, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The Iranian Foreign Minister warned that if Iranian oil infrastructure or infrastructure is attacked, there will be a clear response, and Iranian forces will target US or related oil, infrastructure in the region. The US news website reported that Israel’s defense missile stockpile has rapidly diminished after Iran’s missile and drone attacks. The US Department of Defense announced that six American airmen were killed in a C-135 air refueling tanker plane crash in western Iraq on Thursday.
UK Energy Secretary Alok Sharma said that they are working with allies to open the Strait of Hormuz. The Bahraini Ministry of Interior announced that five people have been arrested, accused of providing sensitive information to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The tanker tracking platform Tanker Tracker reported the movement of vessels in the region. Pope Francis in his weekly Angelus address expressed concern over the escalating violence in the Middle East. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said that all targets in the region have been hit, using multi-platform, multi-target missiles. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) urged international organizations, media, and civil institutions to counter Islamophobia.
Palestinian officials reported that Israeli soldiers fired on a car in the occupied West Bank, killing four members of one family. Various reports emerged on social media. On March 12, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett released a video message threatening Iran’s Supreme Leader, with his hands seemingly showing five fingers. Bangladesh lifted restrictions on fuel sales before Eid al-Fitr. Israel denied reports of seeking US help to address missile interceptors. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed to have launched 10 missiles and drones at US military bases in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Former Pakistani cricket captain Misbah-ul-Haq praised Sarfaraz Ahmed’s services to Pakistani cricket and awarded him an honorary shield.
