Iran President Pezeshkian confirms ‘some countries have begun mediation efforts’

Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday said that “some countries” have begun “mediation efforts” to resolve the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel which also led to the assassination of country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, last week.

“Some countries have begun mediation efforts. Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity and sovereignty. Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict,” Pezeshkian stated in a post on X.

The Iranian President’s comment came as several reports indicated that Iran has launched a new wave of attacks on Israel, using ballistic missiles, including its latest super-heavy Khorramshahr-4.

The country’s semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as saying on Friday that the “22nd wave of Operation True Promise 4 has begun, using a large number of Khorramshahr 4” – missiles that were fired “directly into the heart of the occupied territories.”

Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike targetted on Friday noon a residential building in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon on Friday, according to Lebanon’s official National News Agency.

The report said the strike hit the floor just below the top level of the Maqassed building located near Al-Siddiq Mosque in the city, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ambulances rushed to the scene following the attack, while the extent of casualties or damage was not immediately clear.

Earlier in the day, India time, the United States signalled that its military campaign against Iran will expand in the coming phase of ‘Operation Epic Fury’, with American and Israeli forces preparing to intensify strikes aimed at dismantling Tehran’s military and missile infrastructure.

Speaking at US Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the operation had already inflicted significant damage on Iran’s military capabilities.

He praised CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper and the more than 50,000 American service members involved in the mission.

“In just days of Operation Epic Fury, you and your team have delivered nothing short of devastating precise strikes, taking out the better part of Iran’s navy, making it combat ineffective, neutralising missile sites and launchers, and establishing total dominance over the skies we fly over and seas we fly over,” Hegseth said.

“We are built for this fight, and we are in it to win it,” Hegseth told reporters at a news conference at the CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa.

Cooper said the campaign had entered its sixth day and was steadily degrading Iran’s military capacity.

“We are now starting our sixth day of a historic mission to eliminate Iran’s ability to threaten Americans,” he said.

According to Cooper, US air power has carried out extensive strikes deep inside Iranian territory.

“In just the last 72 hours, America’s bomber force has struck nearly 200 targets deep inside of Iran, including around Tehran,” he said.

He added that US stealth bombers had targeted hardened missile facilities.

“In just the last hour, US B-2 bombers dropped dozens of 2,000-pound penetrator bombs targeting deeply buried ballistic missile launchers.”

American forces also struck Iranian military infrastructure linked to space and missile operations.

“Notably, we have also struck Iran’s equivalent of Space Command, which degrades their ability to threaten Americans,” Cooper said.

US officials said the strikes had sharply reduced Iranian missile and drone activity.

“Ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90 per cent since day one. Drone attacks have decreased by 83 percent since day one,” Cooper said.

Naval operations have also intensified during the campaign.

“You may have heard the president say… that we have sunk or destroyed 24 ships. That was true at the moment — we’re now up over 30 ships,” Cooper said.

“In just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship, roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. And as we speak, it’s on fire.”

The operation is now shifting toward dismantling Iran’s missile production capability.

“The president gave us another task, to raise or level Iran’s ballistic missile industrial base. So we’re not just hitting what they have, we’re destroying their ability to rebuild,” Cooper said.

–IANS