Breaking! U.S. military: Military actions will escalate! Iran: Ready for a long-term war!

Middle East tensions remain high!

According to CCTV News, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated on March 5th local time that military actions against Iran will be further escalated.

A spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran said, “We are prepared for a long-term war to punish the aggressors.” Additionally, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani posted on social media on the 5th that Iran is ready to respond to U.S. ground operations.

Furthermore, on March 5th local time, in response to the attack on the Iranian Navy’s “Dena” vessel, the Iranian military issued an official statement condemning the “barbaric attack” carried out by U.S. forces in international waters and vowed to make the enemies of Iran pay for their crimes.

In the global capital markets, early this morning, the Korean stock market experienced intense fluctuations. The Seoul Composite Index briefly fell over 2% during trading, then sharply rebounded and turned positive. As of the time of this report from Cailian Press, the Seoul Composite Index was up 0.11%, with Korean and U.S. semiconductor stocks rising nearly 4%. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix fell about 1%. The Japanese stock market remained weak and volatile, with the Nikkei 225 index dropping below 55,000 points, currently at 54,927, down 0.65% for the day; the Tokyo TSE Index fell nearly 1%, to 3,669 points.

Overnight, the three major U.S. stock indexes all closed lower, with the Dow down 1.61%, the Nasdaq down 0.26%, and the S&P 500 down 0.56%. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell 1.17%. SanDisk dropped over 5%, Lam Research, KLA Corporation, and Applied Materials declined over 3%, Seagate Technology and ASML fell over 2%.

U.S. Defense Secretary: Military actions against Iran will be further escalated

According to CCTV News, on March 5th, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that military actions against Iran will be further escalated, with firepower strikes over Tehran “about to significantly increase.”

Austin said the U.S. military will deploy more fighter squadrons, enhance combat and defense capabilities, and increase bomber sorties, though he did not disclose specific military details. He indicated that in the near future, firepower strikes against Iran and its capital Tehran “will increase significantly,” and that the U.S. is gaining support from more overseas bases.

Austin also said that the U.S. is “just beginning the fight” in its conflict with Iran and will take decisive action. He stated that the U.S. military has sufficient offensive and defensive weapons stockpiled to sustain military operations as needed.

He also expressed regret that the UK initially did not agree to the U.S. using the Diego Garcia base for missions, but the issue has now been resolved, and U.S. forces have begun conducting bomber operations from the base.

On March 5th, it was reported that the U.S. government has ordered the evacuation of personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait. The evacuation order requires staff to destroy sensitive information and clear confidential server data.

U.S. officials said the embassy had been attacked multiple times recently. The U.S. State Department previously announced that operations at the Kuwait embassy have been suspended, and no U.S. personnel have been injured.

After several rounds of air raid sirens sounded in multiple locations, thick smoke rose near the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait on the morning of March 2nd. The embassy issued a statement on its website on March 2nd, urging the public not to approach the embassy due to ongoing missile and drone attack threats and to seek shelter nearby.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard: Ready for a long-term war

According to CCTV News, on March 6th, a spokesperson for the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said, “We are prepared for a long-term war to punish the invaders. The enemy should expect heavy strikes in every wave of operations. Iran’s new weapons are under development and have not yet been used on a large scale.”

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani posted on social media on the 5th that Iran is prepared to respond to U.S. ground operations. He said Iran is aware that some U.S. officials plan to launch ground operations in Iran, but Iran is ready to “shame those American officials at all costs.”

On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in Tehran that as the war launched by the U.S. and Israel rapidly spreads across the region, Iran is prepared to counter a U.S. ground invasion. He also refused to negotiate with the U.S. and stated that Iran has not requested a ceasefire.

Regarding the new Supreme Leader of Iran, Amir-Abdollahian emphasized, “This is entirely a matter for the Iranian people, and no one has the right to interfere.”

On March 5th, Iranian Armed Forces Commander of the Hatem Abiyah Central Command, Abdolahi, issued a statement strongly responding to recent military strikes by Israel and the U.S. against Iran.

In the statement, Abdolahi accused the U.S. and Israel of launching aggression again to cover up previous failures, condemned the military actions that resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, and caused civilian casualties including women and children. He stated that Iran’s armed forces have already inflicted heavy blows on the U.S. and Israel, and that this counterattack will not only continue but also grow stronger.

On February 28th, the U.S. and Israel launched a large-scale airstrike against Iran, resulting in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei and several senior military and political officials. Iran responded with retaliatory strikes on U.S. military bases in the Gulf region and Israel, affecting some Middle Eastern countries.

Sri Lanka to relocate Iranian warship and personnel near territorial waters

According to Xinhua News Agency, Sri Lankan President Dissanayake announced on the 5th that the Sri Lanka Navy is arranging to transfer personnel from the Iranian support vessel “Bushehr” near Sri Lankan territorial waters to Colombo Port, after which the vessel will be moved to Trincomalee in the east.

Dissanayake held a press conference at the Presidential Palace and stated that Sri Lanka will fulfill its international obligations and take necessary measures for humanitarian reasons.

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet spokesman Jayatissa said during a parliamentary discussion that the Iranian warship is not currently inside Sri Lankan territorial waters but is in the exclusive economic zone near Sri Lanka’s maritime boundary.

It is reported that the “Bushehr” is an Iranian logistics support ship with 208 personnel onboard. The ship requested port entry due to engine failure.

Earlier, on May 4th, the Iranian Navy’s “Dena” frigate was sunk by a U.S. submarine using torpedoes in waters south of Sri Lanka after returning from India, with 87 bodies recovered by the Sri Lankan Navy. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated on the 5th that the ship was attacked unprovoked in international waters and that the U.S. “will ultimately regret the precedent it has set.”

(Article source: Cailian Press)