IRGC seizes commercial vessel 'affiliated with Israel'

Rahim-Safavi who was speaking at a memorial service for IRGC officers killed in an Israeli air strike in Damascus on April 1, claimed that Israel has refrained from attacking Rafah area in Gaza, because it awaits an attack from Iran.

"The victory of the resistance front and the Palestinian nation under the leadership of Iran is certain, and the new Middle East will be formed with Iran and the resistance front as the center, contrary to the plans and wishes of America and Israel,"he added.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the strike on Damascus on April 1 that killed seven IRGC officers including two top generals, but Iran’s Supreme Leader vowed to punish Israel for the attack.

In response, Israel’s Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi, said, "We know how to act forcefully against Iran in both near and distant places. We are operating in cooperation with the USA and strategic partners in the region," Reuters reported.

Although US officials warned of an attack on Israel by Iran on Friday, Iran's response so far has been limited to psychological warfare tactics to keep Israeli's on edge.

Follow developments on Iran International's Live coverage of ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, commandos have been doing reconnaissance along the Lebanese coast in preparation for a possible maritime rescue operation.

Defense Secretary Grant Shapps told the Mail that the UK “stands ready” to help any Britons who find themselves stuck in the area. The Foreign Office has recommended that all UK citizens leave Lebanon as a precaution.

US President Joe Biden on Friday issued a warning about a significant risk of attack "sooner than later."

Meanwhile, there are reports suggesting that Iran has advised against US intervention in the region. The evacuation plan, known as Operation Meteoric, will be led by the UK's 'Green Berets' with assistance from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

A team of Marines from 30 Commando has been sent to the area for Operation Meteoric, drawing parallels to the historic Operation Dynamo from 1940, which evacuated Allied soldiers from Dunkirk.

Tensions escalated following an attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus on April 1, reportedly carried out by Israel. Iran has repeatedly threatened retaliation either directly from its territory or deploying its proxy forces in the region.

Recent reports indicate that Iran may use drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, posing a threat to civilian air travel.

In a worst-case scenario, civilians stranded on beaches could be rescued by the UK’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships in the eastern Mediterranean, supported by RAF Typhoon jets stationed in Cyprus.

Shapps assured that the UK is prepared to help its citizens in the midst of rising tensions, even though details of the plans are classified for safety.

Follow developments on Iran International's Live coverage of ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel.

In calls with Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the recent escalation in the Middle East amid Iran’s ongoing threats against Israel.

According to the State Department, Blinken told Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry that “an escalation by Iran would not benefit anyone in the region.”

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According to the State Department, Blinken told Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry that “an escalation by Iran would not benefit anyone in the region.”

The two sides also addressed the conflict in Gaza and discussed ways to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the war-torn enclave and to achieve an immediate ceasefire conducive to the release of all Hamas’s hostages.

Earlier on Friday, Blinken also spoke with Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, stressing “the urgent need to avoid further escalation in the region by Iran,” the State Department said.

Ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel was another pivotal issue addressed in the phone call. In the case of finalization, an at least six-week truce is to be declared in the region which would see the release of Israelis held captive by the Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

Over the past days, there have been widespread and intensive international consultations to prevent the intensification of tensions in the Middle East. Since Israel’s deadly April 1 attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Iranian regime officials have time and again vowed reprisals.

On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and UAE contacted their Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, at the request of the US, in an attempt to persuade Tehran to avoid a direct confrontation with Israel.

Germany's Lufthansa and its subsidiary Austrian Airlines have suspended their flights to Tehran after reports confirmed that Iran’s attack on Israel seems imminent.

Follow developments on Iran International's Live coverage of ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel.

Israelis are in complete terror, awaiting Iran’s retaliatory attack, IRGC General Yahya Rahim-Safavi, chief military advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said late on Friday.
Rahim-Safavi who was speaking at a memorial service for IRGC officers killed in an Israeli air strike in Damascus on April 1, claimed that Israel has refrained from attacking the Rafah area in Gaza, because it awaits an attack from Iran.

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