Fourth day of war with the military escalation far from stopping. Donald Trump assures that the United States is achieving its objectives ahead of schedule, although he admits that the operation could last longer than the four or five weeks initially announced. Meanwhile, Iran and its allies intensify attacks and diplomatic tension grows. This is how Carlos Alsina summarizes the news of the day.
Military escalation and Trump warnings
This morning the Iranian Revolutionary Guard claims to have destroyed a United States military base in Bahrain, although what is confirmed is another attack – also carried out tonight – against the American embassy in Riyadh. The United States has responded by destroying the Revolutionary Guard control center, as well as defense spaces and airfields.
Until yesterday, the US president had not clearly detailed what these objectives are. If on Saturday, when confirming Khamenei’s death, he described him as one of the most evil people in history, yesterday he specified that he was referring to his nuclear ambitions and the financing of terrorist groupsnot to the internal repression exercised for decades.
Trump, who a few hours ago seemed willing to talk with the new Iranian leaders, now maintains that the most powerful attack, “the worst wave,” is yet to come. Among the Iranian-backed groups in the region he cites Hezbollah and Hamas. Israel has responded to rockets launched from Lebanon by bombing Beirut and other areas of the country.
The Iranian Human Rights organization HRANA has already raised more than 700 civilians killed in Iran since the beginning of the conflict, 176 of them minors. Thousands of people have fled due to fear of a ground intervention that Israel is preparing.
Diplomatic tension between Spain and the US
The Spanish Government has not commented on Emmanuel Macron’s latest statements, although it has enough to prevent the diplomatic conflict with the United States from escalating after Pedro Sánchez refused to allow the dozen tanker planes from the joint bases in Morón and Rota to refuel there. The aircraft have been transferred to bases in the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, facing the toughest wing of his party, has been especially critical of the Spanish position. He accuses the Executive of being indifferent to the suffering of the Iranian people, points it out as an example of weak European leadership and remembers that it is in times like this when the true nature of allies is tested.
Until yesterday, Sánchez did not condemn the attacks on other countries with which Iran is responding, and he did so through a tweet. Vice President Yolanda Díaz has directly stated that the threat to global security is Donald Trump.
Zapatero appears in the Senate
Zapatero’s appearance in the Senate will not mean a turnaround in the electoral campaign. In that sense, the PSOE emerges unscathed, although the former president left doubts about his relationship with the Analisis Relevante society, linked to his friend Julio Martínez.
He acknowledged that he knew that Martínez worked for Plus Ultra when he hired him as a consultant and that it was he who made it a condition that, in addition to the 70,000 euros gross per yearhis daughters’ communication agency will also be hired. He defended the quality of his reports and, in response to PP deputy Maíllo’s accusation that they were a “copy and paste”, he responded that they were reports prepared from open sources.
