Ali Khamenei

In Israel has successfully foiled an unprecedented direct attack by Iran, marking a significant escalation in tensions in the region. Sirens blared across Israel as explosions reverberated in key cities during the initial wave of Iran's drone strike, targeting locations including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Dimona.

Israel's foreign minister, Israel Katz, issued a stark warning to Iran, asserting that Israel would retaliate with a direct military strike if attacked from Iranian territory. The threat comes amidst escalating tensions between the two nations following a recent airstrike on Iran's consulate in Syria, which claimed the lives of several high-ranking Iranian officials.

Israel was on alert Thursday after its arch-foe Iran threatened reprisals over a strike in Syria this month that killed two Iranian generals, and as the war against Hamas ground on in Gaza.

Turkish and American top diplomats have discussed on the phone the latest developments in Gaza amid fears of a fresh escalation between Israel and Iran.

According to Turkish diplomatic sources, the phone conversation between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken occurred upon the initiative of the latter.

In the face of escalating tensions in the Middle East, US President Joe Biden has reiterated Washington's steadfast commitment to safeguarding the security of Israel. This affirmation comes amid heightened concerns following Iran's threats in response to an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

Israel's foreign minister threatened yesterday that its country's forces would strike Iran directly if the Islamic Republic launched an attack from its territory against Israel, as tensions between the rival powers flare following the killings of Iranian generals in a blast at the Iranian consulate in Syria.

The violent repression of peaceful protests and discrimination against women and girls by Tehran led to serious rights violations, many amounting to crimes against humanity, a U.N. experts probe said on March 8.

Khamenei called on citizens to vote as soon as possible, stating that, as he said, "both friends and enemies of Iran are watching the turnout," reports Arab News. "Make your friends happy and make your enemies hopeless," Khamenei added.
Preliminary results of the Iranian elections are expected on Saturday.

Polling stations in Iran opened Friday for voting to select members of parliament and a key clerical body, amid fears of a low turnout and with conservatives expected to tighten their grip on power.

Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Friday discussed the fate of Germans held in Iran with her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, her ministry said.

The two ministers held a telephone call with a "particular focus... on German consular cases", the ministry wrote on X, formerly Twitter.