Iran’s president urges BRICS to ‘play role’ in stopping attacks on Iran (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

Pezeshkian has said that since India currently chairs BRICS, it should help halt aggression against Iran

Iran has reportedly fired long-range ballistic missiles toward the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean – about 4,000km from the Islamic Republic’s territory – in what local media described as a demonstration of Tehran’s extended strike capability.

The missiles did not hit their target, with reports saying one failed mid-flight while another was intercepted by US naval defenses.

Separately, US-Israeli strikes hit Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment complex, one of the country’s main uranium processing sites, with international monitors reporting no increase in off-site radiation levels.

The escalation comes as Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel was determined to “decapitate [Iran’s] commanders and thwart its strategic capabilities,” warning the intensity of strikes would “significantly escalate.” Iran’s armed forces vowed the war would continue until further attacks on the country are removed from the “criminals’” agenda.

Here are the latest developments:

• US President Donald Trump has ruled out pausing the conflict, saying American forces “knocked out everything” and insisting “you don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side.” 
• Russian President Vladimir Putin has described Tehran as “a loyal and reliable partner” in a Nowruz message released by the Kremlin.
• Iraq has declared force majeure on foreign-operated oilfields after disruptions to tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz cut southern crude output from about 3.3 million barrels per day to roughly 900,000 bpd, Reuters reported, citing oil ministry officials.
• Drone strikes sparked a major fire near a US-linked military complex in Baghdad, while Iran said its drones also targeted military infrastructure at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, including fuel depots and aircraft refueling sites.

Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.