United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon were injured in an “accident” that occurred near the Lebanese-Israeli border: a Unifil spokesperson declared this, without specifying the nature of the accident. “There was an incident involving peacekeepers near Bani Hayyan and we have injured people,” Kandice Ardiel told AFP, a day after an Indonesian peacekeeper was killed by a projectile of unknown origin that hit a United Nations post.
Fourth missile from Iran towards Turkey intercepted by NATO
The Turkish Defense Ministry said a ballistic missile from Iran was intercepted by NATO air and missile defense systems deployed in the eastern Mediterranean after entering Turkish airspace, without specifying the exact location of the intercept. Today’s missile is the fourth missile from Iran towards Turkey to be intercepted by the NATO defense system since the conflict between the USA, Israel and Iran began while the Islamic Republic has always denied responsibility for the launch of the missiles.
Iran: “Unreasonable US proposals, no direct contact with Washington”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei defined the US proposals, divided into 15 points, as “excessive and unreasonable”. According to the London-based Iranian dissident broadcaster, ‘Iran International’, Baghaei said there had been no direct contact with the United States and the messages received from Washington arrived through intermediaries, including Pakistan. The official added that Iran’s position on the issues under discussion is clear and that Tehran remains focused on its own framework.
“This is not our war and we will not allow ourselves to be dragged into it.” This was stated by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, reiterating his line on the conflict in the Middle East and on the pressure, combined with strong criticism, from American President Donald Trump regarding London’s late and limited support for US military operations. “My position and that of this government does not change, regardless of the pressure on us,” added Sir Keir speaking during an event in the West Midlands dedicated to the launch of Labour’s election campaign ahead of the local elections on 7 May, in which the prime minister risks suffering a harsh defeat, with possible direct repercussions on his leadership in crisis. In his speech, Starmer focused on foreign policy, criticizing on the one hand the right-wing opposition, Kemi Badenoch’s Tories and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, “who wanted the US and Israel to join” the conflict against Iran “without reflecting on the consequences”, and on the other the Greens of Zack Polanski, a rising party to the left of Labour, for “wanting the United Kingdom’s exit from NATO”.
Pasdaran confirm the killing of the Navy chief: “We maintain control of Hormuz”
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has officially recognized the killing of Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Pasdaran Navy. The BBC reports this, citing a statement from the IRGC to the affiliated news agency Tasnim. Israel announced the killing of Tangsiri four days ago, Thursday 26 March. The Revolutionary Guards statement said Tangsiri was “organizing forces and strengthening the defensive shield of the islands and coasts” and died “due to the severity of his injuries.” The statement also states that the forces of the “IRGC Navy”, despite the “absence” of Commander Tangsiri in recent days, have inflicted “devastating blows and maintained decisive control over the Strait of Hormuz”. The IRGC promised in the statement “not to stop until the enemy is completely destroyed.”