Washington must answer for Israeli strike on Iranian consulate in Syria, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said

Netanyahu’s ‘personal agenda’ is not hostages

“[Netanyahu] has a personal agenda because the longer the war goes on, there won’t be elections. He’s very unpopular. He’s being tried, he has three different trials going on, and he can delay, delay, delay everything as long as the war goes on,” Israeli-American anthropologist and anti-war activist Jeff Halper told Sputnik’s Fault Lines.

The ultimate goal of Israel is to “quietize” the “Palestinian issue” so that it can move on to normalizing relations with the Arab world.

“The Arab peoples do not want to normalize with Israel in any way,” Halper explained. “But the governments… are very interested in normalizing with Israel,” noting that Saudi Arabia had made progress towards that before the October 7 Hamas attack. Unfortunately, Halper does not believe there is a just solution for the Palestinians that Israel will accept.

“You can’t really have a just solution to the Palestinian issue because that means the end of Israel,” Halper began. “So how do we impose an apartheid regime, but sweeten it enough in terms of power for the Palestinian Authority collaborators?”

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US reportedly weighs selling Israel F-15s, JDAM bombs, air-to-air missiles

The US is mulling selling F-15 fighter jets, air-to-air missiles, and precision bombs to Israel as the US ally continues bombing Gaza and is preparing a ground operation in refugee-flooded Rafah, Politico reported on Monday, citing a congressional aide and a person familiar with the discussions.

The two countries are discussing a sale of up to 50 new F-15 fighter jets, 30 AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, and a number of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits also known as 500lbs (230 kg) precision bombs, the report said.

The Biden administration has already notified some relevant congressional committees about its intention to sell the weapons to Israel, but the sale has not been yet formally approved and it could take years to deliver them, the report added.

This decision, if taken, could make other countries question the sincerity of the Biden administration's concern for the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and once again emphasize the US' role in the Middle East escalation.

Russian president Vladimir Putin previously noted that the US discredit in every possible way those countries that insist on an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, on stopping the bloodshed, and are ready to make a real contribution to the settlement of the crisis.

"They [the US] do not need lasting peace in the Holy Land, they need permanent chaos in the Middle East," Putin said.

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❗️Russia has called for a UN Security Council meeting in response to Israel's airstrike on an Iranian consulate in Syria. It will be held on April 2, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

US state of California court rejected Hunter Biden’s request to drop tax evasion charges against him.

In December, prosecutors charged US President Joe Biden’s son with nine criminal charges for allegedly spending money on an "extravagant lifestyle" instead of paying federal taxes. Hunter engaged in a four-year scheme to avoid at least $1.4 million in taxes, prosecutors added.

He also faces tax and firearms charges in the state of Delaware.

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As the situation becomes more desperate for Ukraine, it is only a matter of time before NATO troops start operating “openly” in the country, security and international relations analyst Mark Sleboda told Sputnik’s Fault Lines on Monday. He also predicted that Ukraine will resort to more terror attacks as its troops are forced to step back.

“I think as their desperation grows and Russia’s advances on the battlefield come faster, with more casualties on the Kiev regime side and far fewer casualties on the Russian side,” Sleboda explained. “They will grow more desperate and more panicked and they will continue to do more, shall we say, unconventional, dirty things like terror attacks.”

“Eventually, I'm positive we are going to see NATO member state troops openly–under flag–on Ukrainian soil. I think it’s just a matter of time.”

“[Head of Security Service of Ukraine] Vasyl Malyuk, he admitted, he flat out spoke on Ukrainian TV that yes, we, we did this, we did this… basically everything except for Crocus, they’re basically admitting now. The unwilling suicide bombing attack on the Kerch bridge to Crimea as well,” Sleboda explained. “They admitted to all of these, and these are acts of terrorism, of state terrorism.”

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❗️Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), together with the Federal Customs Service, has blocked the smuggling channel for the delivery of explosives from Ukraine to Russia via EU countries, the agency said.

The FSB said it had managed to stop the smuggling of explosives hidden in church icons from Ukraine to Russia via the territory of several European countries.

One person "involved in committing the crime has been detained," the FSB said.

"All organizers and accomplices of the crime, including foreign citizens, will be put on the wanted list and prosecuted in accordance with Russian legislation," the statement read.

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📹Russian T72 tanks in conjunction with an Orlan-30 drone hit a concentration of Ukrainian infantry trying to launch a counterattack in Avdeyevka.

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🔸Russia strongly condemns Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, calls for UNSC meeting

🔸US reportedly weighs selling Israel F-15s, JDAM bombs, air-to-air missiles

🔸Hidden in church icons: FSB blocks smuggling channel of explosives from Ukraine to Russia via EU

🔸‘A matter of time’: security analyst weighs in on NATO troops’ boots on the ground in Ukraine

🔸What’s the likelihood of Germany providing Taurus missiles to Ukraine?

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❗️Three drones attacked various objects on the territory of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, a representative of the emergencies services told Sputnik.

▪️Six people were injured in a drone attack on the Alabuga special economic zone, the authorities said. The health of the victims is not in danger, three of them have been hospitalized.

▪️The drone attack in Tatarstan was carried out on enterprises in the cities of Yelabuga and Nizhnekamsk, the technological process was not disrupted, the authorities said.

▪️Two drones have hit a dormitory in the special economic zone "Alabuga" in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, leaving six people injured, the special economic zone said.

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Ex-CIA analyst: Russia's FAB-3000 bombs could be 'game changer' in Ukraine conflict

The Russian Ministry of Defense recently announced the start of mass production of the FAB-3000 high-explosive aerial bombs, a multi-purpose munition that can be used to attack a variety of targets, including fortified industrial facilities, underground structures and dams.

These "monstrous" three-ton bombs could prove to be a "game changer" in the Ukraine conflict, former CIA intelligence analyst Larry Johnson told the YouTube channel Judging Freedom.

In particular, Russia could use the FAB-3000 to destroy bridges, including those over the Dnepr River, Johnson said.

"These FAB-3000 kilogram bombs are such that they can actually destroy these bridges. And when you take out a bridge, you're gonna cut off the ability of Ukrainian leadership to supply troops that are east of the Dnepr River. So in a way it’s like surrounding the Ukrainian army without actually having to use military force with a direct confrontation," the former CIA analyst pointed out.

He recalled that the FAB-3000s are capable of "blowing holes in defensive emplacements, so no longer can Ukrainians just hunker down in the trench or a bunker and try to wait out of Russians."

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The Investigative Committee of Russia has announced that it will investigate the drone attack that resulted in casualties in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan.

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'Iran will give decisive and regrettable response' to Israeli attack 'at the right time and place'

"This action showed that Israel does not adhere to any of the principles, rules and international laws. This attack also demonstrates the aggressive nature of Israel, since representative offices, embassies and consulates are considered the territory of this country and this attack is a kind of encroachment on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Ibrahim Azizi, deputy chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told Sputnik.

"Iran will give a decisive and regrettable response at the right time and in the right place. The Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy of the Islamic Council of the Iranian Parliament intends to investigate the issue and send a delegation to Damascus," he added.

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"After repeated defeats and failures against the faith and will of the Resistance Front fighters, the Zionist regime has put blind assassinations on its agenda in the struggle to save itself," said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, commenting on the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

"Having failed to destroy the will of the resistance front, the Zionist regime (Israel) has put blind assassinations back on its agenda to save itself. It must know that it will never achieve its goals and that this cowardly crime will not go unanswered," Raisi said, according to state media.

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The Iranian National Security Council, with the participation of President Ebrahim Raisi, discussed the Israeli attack on the consulate in Damascus.

Tehran called the attack on the diplomatic compound a war crime. During the meeting of the Security Council, "appropriate decisions were made" (which were not reported).

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The Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the death of General Zahedi is one of the main topics in the world media:

The Washington Post:

Israel has carried out strikes in Syria against Iran and its allies for years and throughout its six-month military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. But Monday’s attack stood out both because of its location — in a diplomatic compound, traditionally exempted from hostilities — and because of the seniority of the apparent target.

Reuters:

Israel has long targeted Iran's military installations in Syria and those of its proxies, but Monday's attack was the first time it apparently hit the vast embassy compound itself.

The Jerusalem Post:

Removing Zahedi could be seen as a blow to the management of the Lebanese terror groups’ rocket attacks on Israel.

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