Iran vice president says government has wartime plan in place

Italy’s foreign minister said civilian losses during protests in Iran require a clear response and said he would push for action at an upcoming EU meeting.

“The losses suffered by the civilian population during the protests require a clear response,” Antonio Tajani said in a post on X, adding that he would propose including Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on the terrorist list and imposing individual sanctions on those responsible at a meeting of European foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday.

Israeli airlines El Al, Israir and Arkia said on Monday they would allow customers to cancel flights or receive vouchers, citing uncertainty in the region and the risk that any escalation involving Iran could trigger retaliatory strikes on Israel.

El Al said it would allow cancellations for any reason up to 48 hours before departure at no extra cost for flights bought in the next t Computer wo weeks, for travel through March 17, Reuters reported.

Israir said it was selling flight protection for $35 for bookings made over the next month, covering flights through the end of 2026.

Arkia said it would allow free cancellations up to 48 hours before departure on routes booked through February 9, with passengers receiving a voucher.

“We have gained extensive experience from two complex years of security-related events,” Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz said.

The European Parliament said in a post on X on Monday that it condemned Iran’s brutal repression and stood with people demanding freedom, dignity and democracy.

It called for an end to the crackdown, the release of political prisoners, sanctions on Iranian authorities and for Iran to allow UN investigations.

An independent research group said on Saturday it had identified a large, coordinated social media influence operation it linked to the Islamic Republic, aimed at shaping global narratives and suppressing dissent during the country’s uprising.

Golden Owl, an open-source intelligence research initiative, said its investigation found thousands of coordinated accounts on X and Instagram working in support of the Iranian state, amplifying regime narratives while targeting opposition voices.

The group said it analyzed nearly 8,000 account records on X, identifying more than 7,500 unique accounts operating in what it described as a state-aligned network.

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Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday denied reports that it had sent a message to US envoy Steve Witkoff seeking to delay possible US military action.

“Reports about a message from Araghchi to Witkoff are not true and are part of falsehoods spread by the Zionist regime,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said. He said some media outlets had republished reports attributed to Israeli sources without sufficient scrutiny.

Baghaei added that “the American side also acknowledges that information produced by the Israeli regime should be treated with caution.”

Israel Hayom reported earlier that Witkoff had delivered a WhatsApp message from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and a written assurance from President Masoud Pezeshkian to President Donald Trump in an effort to persuade him to postpone a military strike, citing a senior Israeli official.