Israel says military operation in Iran will continue

Ahmad Alamolhoda, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative in Iran’s northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi, said on Friday that Iranians should not be alarmed by the deaths of commanders, nuclear program officials, or the loss of social assets.

“The enemy wants to frighten us through psychological and military operations. Fear leads to weakness, but the people have not wavered,” he said during Friday prayers sermons.

Echoing Khamenei’s recent remarks delivered from a bunker, Alamolhoda called on citizens to continue their normal lives.

“Why should we evacuate cities? That’s exactly what the enemy wants—to disrupt your daily lives so you abandon the field,” he said.

The Israeli military said on Friday that its Barak air defense system successfully intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), marking the system’s first operational use by the Air Force.

Tehran is prepared to discuss limitations on uranium enrichment but will "undoubtedly reject" any proposal for zero enrichment, particularly in light of ongoing Israeli military strikes, Reuters reported.

Citing a senior Iranian official, the report said Iran is awaiting a concrete initiative from the E3 (France, Germany, and the UK) on the nuclear issue and emphasized that the role of European powers is now more crucial, as Tehran is not willing to engage directly with the United States under current circumstances.

“The situation has changed. Europe must step up,” the official added.

Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokesperson of the Iranian government, said the ongoing internet restrictions were implemented to protect citizens and counter cyberattacks amid what she described as psychological warfare and digital threats by Israel.

She said ministers are working around the clock with the president and key cabinet members inspecting infrastructure and public services on the ground.

Authorities warned that national internet services could replace global access if necessary and urged citizens to rely solely on state media and domestic messaging apps for news.

Mohajerani added that any perceived insult to the Supreme Leader would trigger a "widespread reaction" from the public.

Foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, along with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, held a lunch meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday, Reuters reported.