TEHRAN DAILY - 13 MARCH 2026
New Leader Issues First Written Message Demanding Base Closures and Reparations, Threatens Expanded Retaliation; IRGC Executes Waves 43-44 Targeting Israeli Military Sites, US Bases; Millions Rally for Quds Day Amid Intensifying Strikes
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IRGC Launches Wave 44 of Operation True Promise 4 Targeting Israeli Military Sites and US Bases
Press TV reports IRGC executed Wave 44 of Operation True Promise 4 targeting Israeli military sites including Palmachim and Ovda air bases plus Shin Bet headquarters and US bases across West Asia, continuing intensive retaliatory campaign.
Iraqi Resistance Claims Downing US KC-135 Refueling Aircraft Over Western Iraq
Islamic Resistance of Iraq announced downing US KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft in western Iraq and conducting 37 attacks on US bases in region over past 24 hours, marking significant escalation in Iraqi proxy operations.
IRGC Navy Strikes USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier With Missiles and Drones
Press TV reports IRGC Navy targeted USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier with missiles and drones causing damage to vessel, marking direct strike on major US naval asset.
New Supreme Leader Issues First Written Message Vows Hormuz Closure Continues and War Reparations Demanded
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in first written message stated Strait of Hormuz must remain closed as leverage tool, vowed continuation of effective defense, and demanded war reparations for Iranian citizens who suffered in attacks.
DRIVING THE DAY
SUMMARY: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first message 12 March in written form—read by state media presenters without his physical appearance—demanding closure of all US bases in the Persian Gulf under threat of attack, insisting the Strait of Hormuz remain closed as leverage, and requiring war reparations from Washington and Tel Aviv for Iranians who suffered during the conflict. The IRGC announced waves 43 and 44 of Operation True Promise 4 on 12-13 March, with wave 44 targeting Israeli military sites around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as well as US bases across the region using Khorramshahr multi-warhead and Kheibar missiles. Millions of Iranians took to the streets 13 March for International Quds Day rallies expressing solidarity with Palestinians, with massive explosions reported in central Tehran near demonstration sites according to state television. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized the United States for failure to engage constructively on nuclear matters, while Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani warned that if Washington targets Iran's electricity infrastructure, the entire region will go dark. The IRGC threatened protesters with a crackdown even stronger than the January suppression that killed thousands. Iraqi resistance forces claimed to have downed a US KC-135 refueling aircraft in western Iraq, while Iranian state media reported Hezbollah rocket strikes injured 50 Israeli soldiers in northern occupied territories. END SUMMARY.
