Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian downplays the attack, blamed on Israel, which hit central Iran on Friday April 19. “They were two or three quadcopter drones, the ones that children play with in Iran”he says in an interview broadcast Saturday on the American channel NBC. He adds that there will be no Iranian retaliation unless its “interests” are not targeted. On Friday, Iranian state media reported that detonations were heard at dawn near a military base in the Isfahan region. Follow our live stream.
A “bombing raid” in Iraq left one dead and eight injured. L’“blast” took place Saturday on a military base in Iraq housing troops of the national army and former pro-Iran paramilitaries of Hashd al-Shaabi. Authorities were unable to identify those responsible for the bombing. For its part, the Israeli army assured “do not comment on information appearing in foreign media.”
The leader of Hamas in Türkiye. Ismaïl Haniyeh is in Istanbul to meet on Saturday the Turkish head of state, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, long-time supporter of the Palestinian movement. This visit comes at a time when Qatar, which plays a pivotal role in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, has said it wants “reevaluate” his role.
A “freedom flotilla” ready to set sail for Gaza. It intends to leave from the Turkish port of Tuzla in order to force the blockade and bring aid to the population of the Palestinian enclave. At least three vessels carrying 5,000 tonnes of food, drinking water and medical aid are awaiting the green light from the Turkish authorities to weigh anchor.