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Iran to target heart of Israel if faced with slightest threat, president vows

On April 15, the Israeli Air Force attacked the outskirts of Damascus where Iranian air defenses and radars were stationed

TEHRAN, April 18. /TASS/. Iran will target the heart of Israel if it faces the slightest threat from the Jewish state, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said, addressing a ceremony dedicated to National Army Day on Monday.

"If you make the slightest move against our nation, our armed forces will target the heart of the Israeli regime," he said, as cited by the IRNA news agency.

According to Raisi, "Israel seeks to normalize its relations with the countries of the region but the slightest move that the Israeli forces take won’t go unnoticed by Iran’s Armed Forces and intelligence."

On April 15, the Israeli Air Force attacked the outskirts of Damascus where Iranian air defenses and radars were stationed. The Dubai-based Al-Hadath TV channel reported that a military convoy carrying Iranian drones to a Hezbollah base had also come under attack.

In September 2020, Israel signed documents normalizing relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which had been brokered by the US. Before the documents were signed, Egypt and Jordan had been the only Arab countries maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel. Sudan and Morocco later also announced the normalization of relations with Israel.

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Middle East conflict

Turkey seeks justice against Israel for genocide in Gaza — Erdogan’s Party

Previously, the media reported that the International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant for former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for presumed war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between October 8, 2023, and May 20, 2024, in Palestine, including in the Gaza Strip

China holds US responsible for disrupted defense ministers' meeting in Laos

Wu Qian stated that the United States must immediately correct its mistakes, "honestly respect China’s main interests, and seek to create favorable conditions for high-level contacts between the military of the two countries"

Residents of Kupyansk, Kovsharovka in Kharkov Region returning to their homes

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Humanitarian situation in Gorlovka harsh as Ukraine targets key infrastructure — DPR head

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US is now at war with Russia, Ritter says

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Press review: Russian air defenses can down Western missiles as EU conducts live exercise

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Lukashenko tells Putin situation is "starting to get tense with Wagner"

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US missile defense base in Poland long among Russian army’s targets — Foreign Ministry

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US uses veto right to block new UN Security Council draft resolution on ceasefire in Gaza

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Ukrainian frontline may 'collapse' under onslaught of Russian forces — BBC

According to the experts, Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s borderline Kursk Region turned out to be a "strategic catastrophe" amid "manpower shortages"

ATACMS missiles unlikely to keep Kiev from losing conflict — American expert

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Russian embassy warns UK about dangers of calling for Moscow’s ‘defeat’

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Zelensky begs ‘for his country to be flattened’ — US journalist

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Russian army pushes Ukraine out of Kurakhovo water reservoir’s north shore

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Canada neglects its sovereignty by approving transfer of land mines to Kiev — diplomat

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US vote at UNSC rejected chance of stopping 'horrific bloodshed' in Gaza, Russian MFA says

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Russia to use revenues from frozen assets of Western investors — Finance Minister

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Russian troops liberate Dalneye community in Donbass region over past day

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West’s decision on missile strikes gives Russia free hand to attack NATO bases — expert

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Ukraine’s former top commander sought to blow up Turkish Stream pipeline, report says

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Russian forces push Ukrainian troops 10 km away from Lisichansk in LPR — expert

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Kiev suffering fiasco on entire front line — aide to DPR head

Igor Kimakovsky said that "if the West is not physically involved in this war, that is, if NATO is not involved, then Ukraine is actually losing"

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Zelensky admits Ukraine can't fight its way back to 1991 borders

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French Foreign Ministry refuses to disclose number of SCALP missiles shipped to Ukraine

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Ukraine, not Russia, posing a threat to the Baltic region — Kremlin

Two underwater cables were damaged in the Baltic Sea on November 17 and 18

Weapons supplied to Ukraine cannot reach Russian territory, Spanish defense minister says

The New York Times reported on November 17 that US President Joe Biden had authorized the use of US-supplied ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles for strikes inside Russia

Putin sends message to those seeking to 'add fuel to fire' before Trump’s return — expert

The likelihood of a direct armed conflict with NATO is increasing because some individuals in the alliance are ready to raise the stakes ahead of Trump’s inauguration, Andrey Bystritsky emphasized

Allowing Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia with US weapons irresponsible — Slovak PM

Robert Fico noted that authorizing the use of long-range weapons for strikes against Russia would not alter the balance of power in the conflict zone

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US decision on missile strikes aimed at provoking Russia, expert says

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US decision on strikes inside Russia stems from malice rather than strategy — journalist

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Newly arrived Ukrainian soldiers rob, loot in Kharkov Region’s Kupyansk

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Russia counts on West's responsibility in nuclear deterrence issues — Kremlin

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Official declines to say if US gives Ukraine targeting data for Storm Shadow missiles

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Soyuz rocket carrying Progress MS-29 cargo spaceship blasts off from Baikonur spaceport

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Press review: Uranium costs soar as Moscow updates nuclear doctrine and US OKs attacks

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NATO supports Ukraine not out of charity but for its own strategic interests — deputy head

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Putin orders protection of critical infrastructure, including Crimean Bridge — Kremlin

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Ukrainian special services assemble unit for sabotage attacks in Kupyansk — official

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Rubicon center drones hit Ukrainian equipment in Russia's Kursk Region

The Russian Defense Ministry released footage showing the destruction of the enemy equipment

Putin confirms Russia’s readiness to assist CAR with security challenges

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Biden's decision to use ATACMS on Russia threatens to kill Americans — Tucker Carlson

The journalist also criticized US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (a Republican representing the state of Louisiana) for "not even mentioning it in public or in leadership meetings" with factions in the lower house of Congress

Moscow-Washington hotline not in use now — Kremlin spokesman

Dmitry Peskov added that there have been no contacts via this new channel lately

Japanese lawmaker praises Putin's restraint amid decision to strike deep into Russia

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell confirmed that the US administration had lifted restrictions for US-supplied missiles to be used for strikes up to 300 kilometers inside Russia