US President Donald Trump has vented anger over media coverage of the war on Iran, claiming observers could “incorrectly think that we are not winning.”
“Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today,” Trump wrote on Friday, adding that killing Iranian forces was an honor for him.
The outburst follows the Pentagon’s confirmation of the loss of a KC-135 refueling aircraft in Iraq. The flying tanker crashed after an incident involving another military fuel transport, the report said. The US Air Force previously lost three F-15E Strike Eagles in what was described as a “friendly fire” incident caused by Kuwait’s military.
Amid global concerns of a prolonged oil supply shortage, the US Treasury temporarily lifted its sanctions on Russian oil shipments that were loaded on tankers before March 12. The partial relief of restrictions applies to around 100 million barrels of oil, according to Kirill Dmitriev, a foreign investment aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Economic restrictions were at the core of the Western attempt to punish Russia after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Amid the crisis in the Middle East, Western European and Ukrainian officials have opposed any reduction of pressure. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned EU members suffering from the price hike that abandoning the sanctions strategy would be a “strategic blunder.”
Brent futures remain highly volatile and continue to trade above the $100 mark on Friday, despite Washington’s attempts to calm the markets.
Here are the latest developments as RT continues to bring you up to date:
- Iranian media claimed that the American KC-135 tanker was downed by pro-Tehran militias, who also attacked a Kurdish base in Iraq earlier in the day, injuring six French troops. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that one soldier died.
- In his first public address, Khamenei announced that Tehran will seek restitution from the US and Israel, threatening to forcibly seize or destroy the aggressors’ assets in case of refusal.
- At least two oil tankers were hit near Iraq’s Umm Qasr port early on Thursday, while the port of Salalah in Oman continued to burn overnight. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain also reported strikes on their oil facilities. Oman evacuated vessels from Mina Al Fahal as a precaution.
- A Pentagon probe into the strike on a primary school in Minab that killed 168 children reportedly found that outdated US targeting data on a nearby IRGC facility likely caused the attack.
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- Western banks began closing Middle East branches after Iran threatened financial institutions in retaliation for the strike on Tehran’s state-owned Bank Sepah, which handles military and IRGC payrolls.
- The FBI has warned the California authorities that Iran planned to launch drone strikes from an unidentified vessel off the West Coast, but local officials have downplayed the alert. Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X: “While we are not aware of any imminent threats at this time, we remain prepared for any emergency.”
