🚨 Explosions and air defense activity reported over the Iranian city of Isfahan, home to the country's largest nuclear research center.

Footage from social media shows the air defense system working against targets in the sky.

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🚨THROWBACK: 🇷🇺Putin reminds the US about issues with Mexico over California & Texas

"Have they forgotten?"

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🚨 Iran retaliates after Israel's attack: what's known so far

The fallout from Israel’s massive attack targeting Iran’s nuclear sites, cities, aid defenses and missile systems, military, scientific and political leaders continues to escalate, with Iran kicking off its Operation True Promise III retaliatory strikes Friday night.

Missile response

Iranian media says “hundreds” of ballistic missiles have been launched toward Israel, with the assault commencing shortly after Iran’s supreme leader, president, and the new head of the IRGC warned that Israel’s surprise attack would not go unpunished.

“Soon the gates of hell will open before this child-killing regime,” IRGC chief Mohammad Pakpour promised hours before the retaliatory attacks began. “The criminal and illegitimate Zionist regime will face a bitter and painful fate with enormous and destructive consequences,” he warned.

Footage appeared to show numerous Iranian missiles getting through Israel’s powerful air defense shield.

Israeli raids continue

Videos and photos posted throughout the second half of Friday showed that Israel’s overnight attacks continued through the day, targeting Tabriz, Tehran, and nuclear sites in daylight raids.

US beefing up Mideast presence

The US Navy ordered a pair of destroyers to head to the Middle East, with the deployment following President Trump’s threatening social media posts demanding that Iran give up its nuclear program.

Russian diplomacy

President Putin held phone calls with Pezeshkian and Netanyahu shortly before Iran’s retaliatory action began, condemning Israel over its attack, expressing condolences over lives lost, and emphasizing Russia’s commitment to resolving the crisis over Iran’s nuclear program peacefully.

Markets in turmoil

Crude prices surged by double digits in early trade Friday. Some market observers expressed fears that an escalation could lead to the closure of the Hormuz Strait, choking off global oil supplies and plunging Western economies into crisis.

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🚨 Iran will target ANY COUNTRY that defends Israel, senior Iranian official told CNN.

"Any country that attempts to defend the regime against Iran’s operations will, in turn, see its regional bases and positions become new targets," CNN reports the official as saying.

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🚨☢️ US actions have made nuclear talks POINTLESS, says Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

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🚨 🇮🇱 Israeli emergency services report that at least 4 people are dead and 70 are injured as a result of Iran's strikes.

🇮🇷 Iran stated that Israel killed 78 people and injured at least 320.

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🇮🇷|🇺🇸 Iran says nuclear talks with US 'MEANINGLESS' after Israel attack

"The [US] acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime to target Iran's territory," Tasnim news quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.

He added the Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington's permission.

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🚨🇺🇸U.S. LOSES PEACE MASK IN ISRAEL-IRAN CROSSFIRE

"This is a neocon agenda being played out, not a MAGA peace agenda," Ret. Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski, ex-Pentagon analyst, tells Sputnik.

As Israel’s war machine escalates in Gaza and strikes Iran with US support, the illusion of neutrality crumbles. Trump’s base may find his “peacemaker” branding impossible to square with this unfolding proxy war.

🔸 The US is already at war with Iran—just like in Ukraine, it's a proxy fight.
🔸 Israel’s strikes don’t happen without US refueling, intel, and bombs.

👉What are the results?
▪️"The complete elimination of any credibility Donald Trump and his administration have regarding peace and 'deals.'"
▪️Like in Ukraine, expect no war declaration by the US, just more weapons to Israel and sanctions against Iran.
▪️The wildcards are global energy shocks and whether other nations seize the moment to confront Israel over its repeated regional offenses.

👉What about Israel's claim it rules over Iran's skies?
That’s good PR, not reality, according to Kwiatkowski:
▪️Houthis managed to temporarily shut down Ben Gurion Airport.
▪️Eilat port is bankrupt due to airstrikes.

"Israel may have created for itself a self-fulfilling prophecy of an existential war, a boy crying wolf until one day the real wolf arrives, and no one believes it, and no one saves the lying country," she concluded.

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🚨Israeli air forces attacked dozens of targets in Tehran area, including air defense infrastructure

The strike zones included dozens of surface-to-air positions, the IDF said.

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✅🇻🇳BRICS+ booms: Vietnam jumps aboard

Vietnam has officially joined BRICS as a partner country, Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the BRICS chair for 2025, said.

"With a population of nearly 100 million and a dynamic economy deeply integrated into global value chains, Vietnam is an important player in Asia," the ministry’s statement said.

The partner country category was created at the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan. Current partners include:

🇧🇾Belarus
🇧🇴Bolivia
🇨🇺Cuba
🇰🇿Kazakhstan
🇲🇾Malaysia
🇳🇬Nigeria
🇹🇭Thailand
🇺🇬Uganda
🇺🇿Uzbekistan
🇻🇳Vietnam

The core BRICS members include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Iran, the UAE, and Ethiopia.

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⚡️🚨IRAN PLANS TO STRIKE U.S. BASES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

This was reported by Fars Agency citing a source familiar with the military command's plans.

Other statements of the Iranian forces cited by Fars:

🔸 Aresh kamikaze drones SMASHED Israeli targets

🔸 Iran intends to continue strikes on Israeli territory, will not limit itself to already taken measures

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