Iran Says US Responsible for Any Israeli Attack against it

A picture released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of a squadron of US and Israeli fighters over Ashdod port.
A picture released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of a squadron of US and Israeli fighters over Ashdod port.
TT

Iran Says US Responsible for Any Israeli Attack against it

A picture released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of a squadron of US and Israeli fighters over Ashdod port.
A picture released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of a squadron of US and Israeli fighters over Ashdod port.

Iran warned it would firmly respond to any move threatening its security, saying the US was responsible for any action taken by its ally Israel.

The Israeli army said its Defense Forces and US Central Command (CENTCOM) launched Juniper Oak, a joint drill Sunday focused on air defense, cyber security, intelligence, and logistics.

Some 6,400 US and over 1,500 Israeli troops, over 140 aircraft, 12 naval vessels, and artillery systems are taking part, making it the nations' largest-ever joint drill.

Juniper Falcon is part of the ongoing strategic cooperation between the Israeli and US armies and is complementary to Juniper Oak.

"The exercise will focus on aerial defense, cyber and spectrum, intelligence and logistical scenarios, and will test joint US-Israeli readiness for potential security events," said the Israeli army.

The new maneuvers come amid renewed Iranian-Israeli tension following a drone attack against a military facility on Jan. 29.

Relations between Iran and the West have been strained over Tehran's nuclear program and ita supplying of Russia with weapons and long-range drones in its war against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Iran would take "decisive and serious" actions against security threats and those behind them.

Kanaani indicated that Iran had responded to Israel's attacks against its security, reiterating Tehran's position against any action by the United States and Israel in the region that would compromise its safety.

Washington is responsible for any move by Tel Aviv because the US is Israel's ally and supporter, he asserted, saying the "Zionist entity should consider its turbulent domestic situation."

Moreover, he said Israel was too weak to make a military move against Iran, remarking that it has “tasted Tehran's firm response.”

On Friday, Iran announced that its security forces arrested the main perpetrators of the attack on Isfahan.

"So far, the involvement of mercenaries of the … Zionist regime [Israel] in that act has been proven," reported the state news agency IRNA.

Furthermore, Kanaani said Tehran prioritizes lifting sanctions during negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

He welcomed the Iraqi mediation to restore diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, hoping it would lead to progress in the negotiations between the two countries.

The spokesman addressed regional countries, saying cooperation is the best solution for maintaining security.

Kanaani criticized French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, saying her statements would not affect the course of resolving the issues and misunderstandings between Iran and European parties.

On Friday, Colonna told her US counterpart, Antony Blinken, there must be a stronger "international response" to the threat posed by Iran's ballistic missiles program.

He stressed that the missile program is defensive and based on legal rights, international norms, and principles.



7 more Turkish Soldiers Die from Methane Gas in Iraqi Cave, Raising Deaths to 12

FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies on a passenger ferry with the Bosphorus in the background in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies on a passenger ferry with the Bosphorus in the background in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
TT

7 more Turkish Soldiers Die from Methane Gas in Iraqi Cave, Raising Deaths to 12

FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies on a passenger ferry with the Bosphorus in the background in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies on a passenger ferry with the Bosphorus in the background in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

Seven more Turkish soldiers have died from methane gas poisoning following a cave search operation in northern Iraq, Türkiye's Defense Ministry said Monday, bringing the death toll to 12. The soldiers had been searching for the remains of a fellow soldier previously killed by Kurdish militants.

The troops were searching a mountain cave when 19 of them were exposed to the gas, according to the ministry. Five of the soldiers died Sunday from the colorless, odorless, flammable gas that can cause asphyxiation in sufficient concentration, and seven more succumbed on Monday, Reuters reported.

“We pray for God’s mercy upon our heroic martyrs who lost their lives in this tragic event,” the ministry said Monday, also expressing hope for a rapid recovery for other troops that were affected.

It said Defense Minister Yasar Guler and armed forces' commanders were traveling to the region to carry out “inspections and evaluations” and attend a ceremony as the soldiers were flown to their hometowns for burial.

Speaking at the ceremony, Guler commended the troops' “great courage and sacrifice,” adding: “Our grief is immense and our feelings are beyond words.”

The ministry said the incident took place in the “Claw-Lock Operation region” — a reference to an operation launched against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq in April 2022.

There was no immediate information on the condition of the seven other soldiers who were affected by the gas.

Türkiye and the PKK have waged a 40-year conflict that has often spilled over into Iraq and Syria. Türkiye has set up a series of bases in northern Iraq, where the PKK has been established for decades.

The PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Türkiye and most of the West, announced in May that it would disband and renounce armed conflict as part of a new peace initiative with Türkiye.

Its fighters are expected to begin handing over their weapons over the next few days in the first concrete move toward disarmament.

According to the ministry, the Turkish unit overcome by methane gas had been searching for the remains of an infantry officer killed by “terrorist gunfire” during a search-and-clear mission in May 2022. Recovery teams have been scouring the area for the past three years.

The cave where the incident occurred sits at an altitude of 852 meters (2,795 feet) and had previously been used by the PKK as a field hospital.