The US and Iranian communications regarding the nuclear negotiations are very divergent. In the US, the only people who have brought calm were White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt on Iran: “President Trump’s first option is always diplomacy, but he is prepared to use lethal force when the time is right and when necessary.” And Democratic Senator Tim Kaine: “A war with Iran would be an unmitigated disaster, and Congress must do everything possible to prevent it. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine: I will introduce a war powers resolution to force Congress to address this issue.”
The media’s perspective is different, with reports of an air strike and missiles without a ground attack within hours, all while awaiting the speech by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will brief members of the Senate on the Iranian issue tonight (9:00 p.m. Italian time, February 24), just hours before President Trump’s State of the Union address.
In Iran, the focus continues on an agreement: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi, in an interview with NPR: “Tehran is ready to reach an agreement as soon as possible, and we will do everything necessary to achieve it. A war, if it breaks out, cannot be contained, and we hope we will not find ourselves in such a situation. The US attack on Iran is a real gamble. If an attack or aggression occurs against Iran, we will respond according to our defensive plan. Everyone should know that starting a war is possible, but ending it is not easy. We will begin negotiations in Geneva with complete sincerity and goodwill, and we hope this positive approach will be reciprocated by the American side. The negotiations will continue within the same framework as those held in Muscat and Geneva and through the indirect mechanism of the Omani Foreign Ministry. If there is political will among all parties, I believe an agreement can be reached as soon as possible.”
According to the New York Times: “Thursday’s talks are seen as a last-ditch effort to reach a compromise before President Trump orders a strike. According to sources familiar with the administration’s discussions, the two sides will consider a proposal that would avoid war: allowing Iran to maintain a limited civilian uranium enrichment program. Trump appears far from satisfied with several media reports about Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kaine’s skepticism about resuming strikes against Iran. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated: “Numerous reports from fake news media claim that General Daniel Kaine opposes our war against Iran. The story does not attribute this massive amount of information to anyone and is 100% incorrect.” He then added: “Everything that has been written about a potential war with Iran has been written incorrectly and intentionally. I am the one making the decision.” I would prefer to reach an agreement, but if we don’t, it will be a very bad day for this country and, sadly, for its people, because they are great and wonderful, and nothing like this should ever happen to them.
In Israel, the Israeli State Comptroller is calling on the government to prepare for the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in anticipation of a possible clash with Iran. According to the Jewish newspaper Maariv: “The State Comptroller’s report on the evacuation and absorption of settlers following the October 7, 2023, attack confirms the total chaos in evacuation operations and the lack of coordination with the army, and in some cases settlers were evacuated while they were in danger.” This issue has not been resolved.
Iran is close to concluding a deal with China for the purchase of CM-302 anti-ship cruise missiles, Reuters reports. The missiles, with a range of approximately 290 km, are designed to penetrate naval defenses by flying at low altitude and at high speed. Experts estimate that their deployment will enhance Iran’s strike capabilities and create further risks for US naval forces in the region.
The Egyptian and Qatari foreign ministers affirm the need to intensify joint Arab action to contribute to the restoration of regional security and stability. They also affirm the priority of de-escalation and containing growing tensions in the region.
And now a look at the ongoing military scenarios in the Middle East and Western Asia, updated at 4:30 PM on February 24. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kaine told President Trump and senior officials that a military campaign against Iran could pose significant risks, including the possibility of being drawn into a protracted conflict, Axios reports. US military capacity is sufficient for four or five days of intensive strikes against Iran, the Financial Times reports, citing Israeli intelligence. According to the newspaper, with less intense attacks, military capacity would last a week.
Washington Post: The size of US forces currently deployed in the region is one of the largest in two decades. The US crowd in the region indicates preparation for a military campaign that will last several days without a ground invasion.
Meanwhile, the aircraft carrier CVN-78 Gerald R. Ford is in Suda Bay, Crete, for a multi-day anchorage, allowing the ship to replenish supplies and the sailors aboard to rest before continuing its journey to the eastern Mediterranean, near Israel.
High-resolution Chinese satellite imagery shows that all U.S. Coast Guard vessels have left Bahrain, with at least one Arleigh Burke-class destroyer spotted leaving port. Six F-16CM Fighting Falcon fighters from the U.S. Air Force’s 13th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Wing, based at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan, deployed Monday to Diego Garcia Naval Base in the Indian Ocean, supported by five KC-135R/T tankers from Kadena Air Base. All of these F-16s are designed to carry out “Wild Weasel” missions, also known as Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). Twelve F-22 fighters have begun a flight to the Middle East, accompanied by tankers. The fighters stopped at Mildenhall Air Base in the United Kingdom last week, but have not taken off since then due to a tanker failure.
A satellite image taken yesterday from Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia: 16 American KC-135R refueling aircraft. 6 E-3 Sentry early warning and air control aircraft.
Both pilots died yesterday in a helicopter crash in a market in Isfahan province, Iran. Two civilians on the ground were also killed. An Iranian court has sentenced to death a man arrested during the January protests, his family told Reuters.
Iraq is urging all its students in Iran to leave the country immediately. Meanwhile, tensions are rising with the United States, which has threatened militias if they support Iran.
International coalition fighter jets fly over Deir ez-Zor. The US military has begun evacuating the Qasrak base in Al-Hasakah province, its largest and most important base in northeastern Syria. It is reported that US troops have begun withdrawing from Kharhab al-Jayr air base in Syria. The SDF is taking over.
Local Syrian sources report that an Israeli patrol of seven military vehicles infiltrated the village of Al-Masriyah, in the western countryside of Daraa. Another Israeli patrol of three vehicles entered the village of Al-Ajraf, in the central countryside of Quneitra, and set up a checkpoint.
The Jordanian monarch confirms that his country will not allow its airspace to be violated and that it will not become a battlefield.
The United States has reissued a Level 4 travel advisory for Lebanon, a total travel ban. The US Embassy in Lebanon confirmed it had evacuated government personnel “due to the security situation.” This afternoon, Israel conducted a large-scale machine-gun operation from Jabal Blat toward Yatar Sadik. The Lebanese army issued orders to reinforce a monitoring point in Marjayoun and remain there after an Israeli attack. According to Reuters, “Israel threatened to attack our infrastructure if Hezbollah participated in a war between the United States and Iran.”
According to Israeli media, a US Air Force tanker landed at Ben-Gurion International Airport in Israel.
In Gaza, the total number of wounded arriving in Gaza hospitals in the last 24 hours is seven. Some victims are still under the rubble and on the streets, as ambulances and civil defense teams have been unable to reach them so far. On February 24, a shipment of six truckloads of gas arrived and was distributed to residents.
Israeli forces continue to attack the West Bank: IDF closes Qabr Halwa road east of Bethlehem. Violent clashes erupt as youths resist settler attacks in the “Wad Sa’ir” area, northeast of Hebron. Israeli forces close all entrances to Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. IDF fire hits Nur Shams camp in Tulkarem. The IDF raided more homes and continued to convert some into military barracks during the large-scale assault ongoing since yesterday evening in the town of Turmusaya, northeast of Ramallah. The IDF installed a metal gate under the Deir Dibwan Bridge, east of Ramallah. Two men were arrested in the “Hawara” area of Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, by the IDF.
Israeli Army: A recent report of a ramming attempt near the tunnel checkpoint in the West Bank was received, and forces are now pursuing the perpetrator.
The IDF stormed Airport Street near Qalandia Camp, north of Jerusalem. Clashes erupted in the town of Kafr Aqab and around Qalandia Camp, north of Jerusalem, with the IDF firing stun grenades and tear gas.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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