Oscars tighten security after reported Iranian drone threat

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said he had heard of an alleged plot to stage an attack similar to September 11 and falsely blame it on Iran.

In a post on X, Larijani said Iran opposed such terrorist acts in principle and was not at war with the American people.

He said Tehran was currently defending itself in response to US and Israeli attacks and would do so “strongly and firmly” to punish the aggressors.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot held a phone call to discuss the US-Israeli war on Iran and the wider regional situation, according to the Iranian foreign ministry.

Araghchi said the United States and Israel were the main cause of insecurity in the region and the Strait of Hormuz, and called on other countries to condemn the attack on Iran and avoid steps that could deepen the conflict.

He said Iran remained determined to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security.

Iran’s internet blackout has entered its 16th day and 360th hour, NetBlocks said, with the country now in its third week of severe restrictions and the public still largely cut off from international networks.

NetBlocks also said selected influencers continue to receive whitelisted access while state media report a new wave of arrests targeting Starlink users.

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  Iran keeps loyal voices online as public faces record internet blackout

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the end of the war would depend on guarantees that attacks would not be repeated and on the payment of compensation for damage caused during the conflict.

In remarks to the Arabic newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Araghchi said Tehran was ready to form a joint investigative committee with regional countries to examine attacks on targets in the region.

He said Iran’s operations were aimed only at US bases and interests in the region, adding that Tehran had not targeted any civilian or residential areas in neighboring countries.

Araghchi also suggested that Israel could be behind attacks on civilian targets in Arab countries in an effort to damage relations between those states and Iran.

He added that the United States had developed a drone similar to Iran’s Shahed system, called “Lucas,” which he said had been used to strike targets in Arab countries.

Araghchi warned that if Iran’s energy facilities were targeted, Tehran would respond by striking American companies’ facilities in the region.

He added that no concrete initiative to end the war had yet been presented, but said Iran would welcome any regional proposal that, in its view, could lead to a just end to the conflict.

Addressing speculation about Khark Island – Iran’s main oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf – Araghchi said any attempt to occupy it would be “an even greater mistake than attacking it.”

He also said the Strait of Hormuz remained open to all countries, “except for American vessels and their allies.”

Araghchi said the country’s supreme leader was “in full health” and fully managing the situation, dismissing remarks by the US president who said he had heard Mojtaba Khamenei might not be alive.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia is supplying Iran with Shahed drones for use in attacks against the United States and Israel.

Speaking to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Zelenskiy said it was “100% facts” that Iran had used Russian-made Shahed drones to target US bases.

The Shahed drone, originally developed by Iran as a low-cost alternative to missiles, has been widely used in Russia’s war against Ukraine since 2022. Russia now manufactures its own versions, while similar drone systems have also been adopted by other militaries.