Trump and Netanyahu met at the White House this afternoon, 6:30 PM Italian time, and after three hours of talks, Trump said: “Nothing definitive was reached, except that I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be ‘consummated.'” “If possible, I will let Netanyahu know that will be a preference. Otherwise, we’ll just have to wait and see what the outcome is. The last time Iran decided it was best not to reach an agreement, they were hit by the Midnight Hammer—that didn’t work out well for them. I hope they’ll be more reasonable and responsible this time.”
Netanyahu’s office stated: “Prime Minister Netanyahu signed in the presence of US Secretary of State Rubio, joining the Supreme Peace Council.”
Putin does not plan to attend the first Peace Council summit in the United States, scheduled for February 19, presidential advisor Dmitry Peskov told Vedomosti. The Russian leader’s spokesperson added that the matter is being examined by the Russian Foreign Ministry. It had previously been reported that Lukashenko would not attend the Peace Council meeting. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also reiterated Russia’s general absence: “Russia will not be represented at Trump’s Peace Council meeting.” “Moscow will continue to work to formulate its position on this organization.”
Polish President Karol Nawrocki declared that the demand for $1 billion to participate in the Peace Council is disinformation.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in an interview with the Financial Times, said: “The United States and Iran are showing flexibility in negotiations; it is important that the United States is willing to allow Iran to enrich uranium within clear limits. Attempting to include Iranian ballistic missiles in the negotiations will only lead to a new war.”
The Iranian president announced his willingness to allow IAEA inspectors access to nuclear facilities and assured that Tehran has never sought to develop nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the United States is building additional military forces near Iran. Trump confirmed the deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council: “We didn’t send a letter to the Americans, but some Omani friends wrote some things on behalf of the Americans and gave them to us for review in Tehran.”
Also attending the February 11th demonstrations marking the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Republic was 98-year-old Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, president of Iran’s Guardian Council.
In Iran, half a dozen radical reformist figures have been arrested in recent days by IRGC intelligence, including Aminzadeh, Asgharzadeh, Mansouri, Emami, Karroubi, and other prominent reformists. According to some Iranian accounts: “Supposedly, shortly after or during the ‘protests,’ these figures were preparing to issue a joint statement calling on Ayatollah Khamenei to step down and hand over all his powers to a temporary governing council composed of the President (Pezeshkian), the Speaker of Parliament (Qalibaf), and the Chief Justice (Eje’i), and to hold a national referendum on constitutional reforms and essentially abolish the Islamic Republic. But before this could happen, IRGC intelligence became aware of this plan because some of these figures had been wiretapped. Others claim that one of their close associates turned out to be a spy and informed the IRGC of their intentions.”
Hamas published a manifesto and a statement in Persian: “Any attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran is an attack on the entire Islamic world.”
The United Nations has elected Iran Vice-Chair of the 65th Commission for Social Development, with a focus on gender equality, democracy, tolerance, and nonviolence.
In his address to the nation, Ayatollah Khamenei appreciated the Iranian people’s broad participation in the 22 Bahman marches marking the 47th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. He emphasized the need to preserve national harmony and said that these demonstrations are concrete proof that US and Israeli maneuvers have failed.
On February 11, IDF Chief of Staff General Eyal Zamir stated: “October 7, 2023, will remain etched in our hearts. “The incident was remembered as a national disaster and an unprecedented failure, because on that day the army failed in its supreme mission to protect the citizens of Israel.” Israel’s Channel 13 reported: “After completing its investigation, the police investigation unit (Mahash) again informed Prisons Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi that he would be summoned for a hearing before an indictment.”
And now a look at the open scenarios in the Middle East and West Asia region, updated at 3:30 PM on February 12. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon has ordered a second carrier strike group, likely led by the CVN-77 George H.W. Bush, which is currently completing the COMPPTUEX (Composite Training Unit Exercise) exercise and could accelerate it if necessary, to prepare for deployment to the Middle East. The armed forces are preparing for a possible attack on Iran.
Bahrain says that if Iran attacks US bases on its soil, it “will not remain silent.”
The UN Secretary General: “The Syrian president, foreign minister, and interior minister have been the target of five assassination attempts by Islamist groups in the past year.” The company UG SOLUTIONS, which is accused by pro-Palestinian activists of killing Gazans during the famine by monitoring the US-Israeli aid distribution mechanism, plans to expand into Syria to protect energy facilities.
The United States: US Central Command confirms the completion of the withdrawal of its forces from the Al Tanf base in Syria. Syrian army personnel from the Jawlani/al Sharaa government will be deployed.
The IDF has invaded the town of Jabata al-Khashab, in the Quneitra countryside of southern Syria.
In Lebanon, a house in the town of Yaroun is It was damaged by Israeli artillery shelling. A large UNIFIL patrol, accompanied by the Lebanese army, entered Wadi al-Hujair.
Immediate evacuation notice for residents of the Abdul Qader Al-Sheikh building on Ibn Sina Street in Al-Qubba – Tripoli. “Due to the risk of building collapse,” the social media reported. On February 12, Israeli drones targeted various southern airspaces. IDF artillery targeted the area near Tell al-Aziya, on the outskirts of the city of Deir Mimas.
Two AWACS aircraft, a Nachshon Shavit 684 and an Oron 452, from the U.S. Air Force’s 122nd Squadron, tasked with electronic intelligence, aerial surveillance, target database updates, and communications interception, conducted a reconnaissance mission over the Gaza coast and the Mediterranean, monitoring southern Syria, Damascus, southern Lebanon and its coasts, the interior, Gaza, Egypt, and Jordan. The Nachshon Oron 452 is an AEW&C (Command, Control, and Early Warning) aircraft. The Nachshon Shavit 684 intercepts signals, scans, intercepts communications, and jams Radar.
On February 11, a C130 cargo plane was spotted flying east toward Nevatim Air Base in Beersheba (the aircraft is stealthy and off-radar).
The IDF: “On Wednesday, IDF soldiers completed a counterterrorism operation to arrest terrorists from the Menashe Regional Brigade. Throughout the day, soldiers operated in 12 different areas. During the operation, led by ISA intelligence, security forces arrested several members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad organizations, confiscated Hamas funds worth thousands of shekels, and interrogated dozens of individuals suspected of terrorist activities, including those suspected of smuggling people into Israeli territory. In a further operation, soldiers dismantled three illegal structures and confiscated dozens of stolen vehicles. In other operations conducted overnight, soldiers arrested 23 suspects. Soldiers confiscated an AK-47, two pistols, magazines, ammunition, an M4 weapon, weapon parts, and thousands of shekels in funds earmarked for Hamas.
Hamas statement: “Israel continues to block passage through the Rafah crossing and prevents the agreed-upon number of people from exiting. Israel has allowed only 27 percent of the agreed-upon number to enter through the Rafah crossing and subjects travelers to interrogation and torture by Israeli soldiers. We call on mediators and guarantors to force the Israeli authorities to implement the agreements reached regarding the Rafah crossing and to stop violating them.”
The Israeli army: “In a raid carried out last week in the Gaza Strip, , we managed to assassinate prominent Hamas figure “Bassel al-Himoni” from Hebron, exiled to Gaza following the Shalit agreement. He was responsible for a double explosion on two buses in Beersheba in 2004, which killed 16 Israelis and injured 100 others.
On February 12, Palestinians were injured by Israeli army fire outside its deployment areas in Moassi Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip. Two were injured by IDF gunfire in Khuza’a, southern Gaza Strip. Israeli airstrikes east of Gaza City. A hostile reconnaissance flight was recorded at very low altitude over Burj Rashid and its surroundings.
Young men throw stones at settler vehicles near the village of Deir Qaddis, west of Ramallah.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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