Hardline Iranian newspaper repeats threat on Trump's life

The US military has in recent days deployed long-range bombers at a strategic Indian Ocean airbase amid escalation of tensions with Tehran, a move which presaged major bombing campaigns against Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003.

In an exclusive interview with Iran International, former CENTCOM commander and CIA chief David Petraeus described the deployment as a step toward preparing for military action against Iran if it failed to reach a deal with the Trump administration over its disputed nuclear program.

"They are also steps to show that we are very serious and that you should not do this, and therefore trying to deter Iran from doing what would be unacceptable and would force the United States to take action," he said.

Petraeus said, "There's great concern about how close Iran is to the possibility of having a nuclear weapon. They're literally just one turn of the enrichment process from having weapons-grade uranium. That is something that President Trump has said he will never allow the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon."

Trump has warned Iran would be bombed if it did not agree to a new nuclear deal, prompting Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to say on Monday that the Islamic Republic would deal a "strong blow" in retaliation for any attack.

Iran's retaliation

Iran has threatened to target American interests in the region, including its strategic Diego Garcia naval base in the Indian Ocean if it is attacked by the US.

However, Petraeus says Trump would not stop at a limited attack on the nuclear sites and would go after the Islamic Republic's air defense and missile capabilities.

"You probably have to take out some of the retaliatory capacity of Iran as well because you don't want to just take out the nuclear program and then have them go after the bases where we have forces, and that would then bring in all these other countries, of course," he said.

"This is not just a surgical attack on discrete nuclear capabilities. This is against the retaliatory capabilities, against the defense capability, and that's what has to be done if you're going to carry out this operation."

Plan to destroy Iran's nuclear program

Petraeus said he actually developed the plan to destroy Iran's nuclear program over 15 years ago when he was the commander of the US Central Command.

"It's publicly known that we actually rehearsed that plan one time inside the United States, with all the planes flying all the distances that they would have to fly, the refuelers, all the command and control, the jammers that drop, the munitions that we would drop, and so forth. And it all worked."

"We were prepared one time actually, to set the theater, in other words, to identify all the locations from which the planes would fly, where they would be based. The munitions were in place, the food, fuel, water, etc. All was set. We thought there was a likelihood of this. We told the White House we probably should get more prepared than we were."

'Israel proved it's possible'

Petraeus said Iran currently "does have more effective, more elaborate air and ballistic missile defenses" than in the past. However, he said, "Israel penetrated them twice, showing that that can be done."

Last October, Israeli air strikes against Iran's military sites knocked out the country's last three Russian-provided S-300 air defense missile systems, leaving the country "naked", Fox News reported citing US and Israeli officials.

The surface-to-air S-300s were the last in the Islamic Republic's arsenal after one was destroyed in an attack in April 2024 also likely carried out by Israel, Fox News quoted a senior US official as saying.

Still, Petraeus says Iran has "more retaliatory capability in terms of missiles and so forth, even though Israel dramatically reduced the ability of Iran to make solid fuel rocket engines from several per day to one or two per week."

Bunker busters

The former CENTCOM commander said the US military has bombs like the 30,000-pound GBU-57, aka Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), that "is very accurate and can penetrate very hardened targets".

"It would be used against the most deeply buried hardened targets... you can imagine which target that might be," he said, adding that the use of such bunker busters is "not just possible but would be necessary" in a potential strike against Iran.

Iran’s most secretive nuclear facility, known as Fordow, has been carved deep into a mountain in central Iran, and is reportedly some 90 meters (295 feet) deep. It is also protected by several feet of reinforced concrete.

In 2012, defense experts contacted by Reuters believed the chances of a US strike against Fordow succeeding are slim. However, Petraeus says, "they can do enormous damage and destruction".

“Iran is not giving up,” Dr. Eric Mandel, founder of the Middle East Political Information Network (MEPIN) told Eye for Iran. “Iran's proxies—they may be down—Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis—but they’re not stopping.”

As the US positions aircraft in the Indian Ocean capable of striking Iran’s nuclear facilities, some Iranian officials have warned it will be forced to develop a nuclear weapon.

Iran has stepped up its production of fissile material in recent years, and the UN nuclear watchdog says it could accumulate enough enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon in less than a week.

Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, delivered this message on Monday. “If the US or Israel bomb Iran under the nuclear pretext, Iran will be compelled to move toward producing an atomic bomb,” he said.

Mandel, who regularly briefs members of Congress and national security officials, argued that supporting the Iranian people must become a central pillar of US foreign policy.

“America needs to start saying, we are pro-Iranian, pro-Iranian people, and that it becomes American policy that we want, without boots on the ground, regime change.”

In Congress, the bipartisan bill the Maximum Support Act aims at bolstering dissidents within Iran.

Developed with input from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), the draft legislation envisions funding opposition groups in Iran.

“I'm ashamed as an American who talks about American national security interests that we were not in 2022 standing strong with the protests,” said Mandel.

In that year the nationwide protest movement dubbed Woman, Life, Freedom was sparked by the death in morality police custody of Mahsa Jina Amini, a young woman.

'Window of opportunity'

“There is a closing window of opportunity to strike Iran, which is particularly vulnerable because of the successful Israeli attacks against their defensive anti-missile array," Mandel said, who also advocates a US strike on vital Iranian economic infrastructure.

"There is also a decreasing window of opportunity for negotiations even if
the Iranians believe there is a credible military threat."

A potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine could allow Moscow to deliver advanced weapons systems to Iran. That includes the S-400 air defense system—an upgrade from the S-300 system Israel disabled in an Oct. 26 strike in response to Iran’s October 2 missile barrage on Israel.

Putting the Iranian S-300s out of action opens the door to Israeli or American strikes, possibly on a larger scale. But Iran could rebuild with Russian help.

“Those missile defenses will not be down for much longer,” said Mandel, “not only for S-400s and even more evolved system, but for the SU-35 jets that the Russians have promised. And again, the Russians owe the Iranians because they've been very helpful to them during their Ukraine war.”

Moscow has publicly tried to dissuade Trump from bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities, warning of “catastrophic consequences.”

A European intelligence source said the Boeing 747 with registration EP-FAB operated by Fars Air Qeshm, an airline owned by the powerful military organization, departed Tehran and landed in Port Sudan under flight number W5998 on March 17.

A second source with knowledge of the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the shipment contained military equipment, including various types of drones.

The source added that the cargo was delivered to the Sudanese army.

A transnational paramilitary force, the IRGC spearheads Tehran's influence in the Middle East, including training and arming affiliates including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi militias.

Iran previously used this same aircraft—bearing the same registration number—to fly a similar shipment from Bandar Abbas to Sudan in June/July 2024.

In recent months, multiple open-source investigations have pointed to an increased Iranian military role in Sudan. Satellite imagery published by BBC World Service showed Iranian drones stationed at a military site near Khartoum.

The BBC reported that Tehran had sent Ababil-3 and Mohajer-6 drones, models known for reconnaissance and strike capabilities. Iran has also supplied these drones to armed groups in Iraq, Venezuela, and Russia.

Images have emerged on social media that appear to show Iran-made anian-oduced eh-2 anti-armor missile Saeqeh-2 army positions.

The Sudanese military has been engaged in a two-year-long war against the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group.

Iran’s ties with Sudan have fluctuated in recent years. In 2016 following the storming of Saudi diplomatic sites in Iran by protesters, Sudan severed diplomatic relations with Tehran along with other Saudi allies including the United Arab Emirates.

However, the two countries resumed ties in late 2023, amid the war between Israel and Hamas. In December, Sudan’s foreign minister visited Tehran, and the two governments announced the re-establishment of formal relations.

In February, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Youssef returned to Iran for further talks.

Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had proposed an agreement to Sudan offering a warship in exchange for a permanent base. According to the report, the Sudanese government rejected the offer.

Even so, arms deliveries from Tehran appear to have continued. Bloomberg reported in December that Iran is backing the Sudanese army forces with weapons and drones as Tehran and its ally, Moscow, seek military bases in the Red Sea.

The report said Iran has delivered arms to Sudanese army forces and provided them with dozens of drones, helping tip the conflict against militia opponents but also giving Tehran a foothold in the region.

The resolution, submitted by Iceland, Germany, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, and the United Kingdom, passed with 24 votes in favor, 8 against, and 15 abstentions at the end of the council's 58th annual session in Geneva.

The council said in the resolution that it is alarmed by the widespread violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in Iran, particularly the severe repression of women, ethnic and religious minorities, and the continuing increase in executions.

The resolution condemned Iran’s use of the death penalty to spread fear and silence political dissent. It warned that handing down death sentences for offenses that don’t meet the international standard of “most serious crimes” is a clear violation of global legal norms. Under international law, the death penalty should be reserved only for crimes involving intentional killing.

The council also highlighted the systematic suppression of freedom of expression and assembly, the harassment of journalists, the restrictions on human rights defenders and civil activists, and what it called "the multifaceted violence and discrimination against minorities" as key examples of ongoing human rights violations in Iran.

The resolution extends the mandate of the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran for another year, tasking the role with continuously monitoring the human rights situation, gathering credible documentation of violations, and assessing Iran's progress in implementing previous recommendations.

The special rapporteur is required to present two periodic reports, one to the Human Rights Council and another to the UN General Assembly. The resolution urged Iranian authorities to provide the necessary cooperation and full access for on-site investigations within Iran.

Additionally, the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, initially established following the nationwide protests in 2022-2023, was also extended for a year.

The mission is mandated to collect and systematically preserve documentation, evidence, and reports related to the suppression of protests, including gender and ethnicity-based discrimination, excessive use of force, and widespread violations of protesters' rights. The goal is to prepare evidence for any future independent legal proceedings to ensure accountability for responsible individuals and entities.

The resolution urged Iran to end systemic impunity by reforming its constitution, criminal laws, and its Judiciary to break the cycle of violence and repression. It called for the repeal or overhaul of compulsory hijab laws and the elimination of discrimination against women and minorities.

The council also demanded fair trials, ensuring that courts operate independently under qualified judges.

It further called for lifting restrictions on civil society, journalists, human rights defenders, and labor activists, safeguarding internet access and peaceful assembly, and releasing all individuals jailed for peaceful activities.

Lastly, the resolution pressed Iran to grant entry and access to the UN special rapporteur and the international fact-finding mission, in line with Iran’s formal invitation to UN human rights bodies.

The Iranian government, which dismisses all accusations regarding human rights violations, has not permitted UN special rapporteurs on human rights to visit the country and conduct investigations.

Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, strongly criticized the adoption of the resolution, labeling it a discriminatory act that undermines the council's credibility.

He argued that the resolution wastes the council's resources and diminishes trust in its work, urging a focus on the situation in Gaza instead.

Amnesty International welcomed the extension and broadening of the Fact-Finding Mission's mandate as a "critical, long-awaited response to the persistent demands for justice from survivors, victims' families and human rights defenders in Iran and in exile."

The organization said that by no longer being limited to the 2022 "Woman Life Freedom" protests, the mission can now investigate other recent or ongoing serious human rights violations and crimes under international law.

The UN's decision follows reports by the fact-finding mission documenting widespread human rights violations, including torture and sexual violence in prisons, which they said constitute crimes against humanity.

“It is possible to place the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear activities under full verification, as has been done in previous years,” Pezeshkian told the Saudi leader in their phone call.

He also said that Iran seeks dialogue and rejects any military use of nuclear energy.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has never sought war or conflict, and non-peaceful use of nuclear energy has absolutely no place in our security and defense doctrine,” media in Tehran quoted him as saying.

“We are not seeking war with any country, but we have no hesitation in defending ourselves, and our readiness and capabilities in this regard are at the highest level,” Pezeshkian said, according to a statement from his office.

Pezeshkian also said that Iran is ready to engage in dialogue to reduce tensions based on mutual interests and respect, according to the statement.

In recent days, Tehran has signaled its willingness to engage in indirect talks with the Trump administration, while the US continues to favor quicker, direct negotiations.

“I think it’s better if we have direct talks,” Trump said on Thursday. “I think it goes faster, and you understand the other side a lot better than if you go through intermediaries. They wanted to use intermediaries. I don’t think that’s necessarily true anymore.”

It remains unclear whether Iran has genuinely shifted its position or if President Trump is merely speculating about Tehran’s intentions.

The US administration has continued to escalate sanctions on Iran, aiming to fully halt the country’s oil exports—especially to China. Trump has also threatened that if Tehran does not make concessions, it can become the target of military strikes.