IRGC hits Israeli military sites, US bases in major offensive

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has launched the 44th phase of its Operation True Promise 4, targeting a series of key military sites in Israeli occupied lands and US bases across West Asia. 

The IRGC announced Friday that it had carried out a significant military operation in honor of prominent martyrs in the resistance movement, including Iran’s legendary General Qasem Soleimani, Hezbollah's iconic leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and senior Palestinian resistance leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar.

The operation, carried out on the 23rd night of the holy month of Ramadan, targeted various locations in northern Israeli-occupied territories, including Kiryat Shmona, Haifa, and the city of Hadera, as well as US military installations.

The IRGC also said it had struck the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Manama and other American military bases in the region.

The operation was executed with a barrage of precision-guided missiles, including heavy-duty Khorramshahr, Kheiber Shekan, Fattah, Imad, and Qadr missiles, alongside precise drone strikes aimed at enemy positions. 
The operation’s code, "Ya Sadiq al-Wa'ad" (O Keeper of the Promise), refers to the fulfillment of resistance against American and Israeli aggression in the region.

It came shortly after the 43rd phase of the operation with a heavy barrage of Kheibar Shekan missiles, each carrying a one-ton warhead, which hit multiple strategic locations, including Israeli military positions in the occupied Palestinian territories, Tel Aviv, Eilat, and West Al-Quds.

"Areas in the West Bank, Tel Aviv, and Eilat in the occupied Palestinian territories were struck by powerful Iranian missile attacks in this proud operation, commemorating the memory of the martyrs of Tariq al-Quds and emphasizing the strength, particularly that of the commander of the 'True Promise' operations, the martyr Major General Hossein Salami," the IRGC said in a statement.

The martyrs of Tariq al-Quds refer to those martyred in the context of the broader resistance against Israeli occupation while fighting for the liberation of Al-Quds or Palestinian rights.

General Salami was the Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC and had a deep influence on shaping the “True Promise” operations and the Iranian strategy in the region.

The missile strikes were followed by drone attacks aimed at US military bases in Manama, Bahrain, and Erbil, Iraq.

Among the most significant actions in the operation was the downing of a US Boeing KC-130 Stratotanker, which was fueling an Israeli fighter jet during an airstrike. The IRGC reported that all six crew members aboard the tanker were killed in the strike.

In a statement released by its public relations office, the IRGC declared the operation a success and warned that it would continue its offensive until its goals of eradicating Israel and asserting control over Al-Quds are achieved.

The statement also carried a stark warning to U.S. forces: "American soldiers should vacate the area immediately, or we will bury you under rubble in any location, including hotels, tunnels, industrial zones, and underground shelters."

The operation coincided with the lead-up to Al-Quds Day, a day of solidarity with Palestinians.

Power equations changed

Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, a senior aide to the chief IRGC commander, said on Thursday that the US and Israeli forces have suffered heavy blows since the start of Operation True Promise 4.

"Power equations in the region have changed in favor of the Resistance Front, and this transition is the start of the decline of America's hollow dominance in West Asia,” he said.

Meanwhile, commander of Iran's Khatam al Anbiya headquarters Major General Ali Abdollahi said in a Thursday statement that Iranian armed forces will stand to the "last breath" against enemies.

The enemy, he added, will be "forced to pay the price for its crimes."

The statement came in response to the first message of the newly elected Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei.

‘Martyrs’ blood to be avenged’: Snippets from Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s first message

In his first message to the Iranian nation on Thursday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, spelt out his strategic vision for the country.

On February 28, the United States and the Israeli regime started their unprovoked military assault on Iran. Following the aggression, the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was assassinated.

Iran began to swiftly retaliate against the criminal aggression by launching barrages of missiles and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on the US bases in regional countries.

Iran has repeatedly emphasized that it only targets American positions and bases in the region and does not seek conflict with Arab countries.

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