Iran urges people to delete WhatsApp; Khamenei vows ‘no mercy to Zionist regime' amid conflict with Israel
Israel has carried out a wave of airstrikes targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites, triggering retaliatory strikes from Tehran. Former President Donald Trump has voiced strong support for Israel, stressing that Iran must not be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons.
1. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday issued a stern warning to Israel, vowing a harsh retaliation for its attacks. His statement came as aerial strikes between Iran and Israel persisted for a sixth consecutive day amid the ongoing conflict. 'We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy,' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote in English on X.
2. "Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces: The operations carried out so far have been a warning for deterrence, and punitive operations will be forthcoming," IRNA News Agency posted on X.
3. A pro-Israel hacking group claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a cyberattack that disrupted operations at a major Iranian bank, marking another escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two nations, Bloomberg reported.
4. Local media reports show that Bank Sepah—sanctioned by the U.S. in 2007 over alleged ties to Iran's nuclear weapons program—is facing operational disruptions. However, the full impact of the cyberattack is still uncertain, according to the report.
5. Iranian state television on Tuesday afternoon called on citizens to delete the messaging app WhatsApp from their smartphones, claiming—without providing concrete evidence—that the platform collects user data to share with Israel, AP reported.
6. In a statement, WhatsApp said it was 'concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most.' WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, meaning a service provider in the middle can't read a message.
7. 'We do not track your precise location, we don't keep logs of who everyone is messaging and we do not track the personal messages people are sending one another," it added. 'We do not provide bulk information to any government.'
8. End-to-end encryption ensures that messages are converted into unreadable code that only the sender and the intended recipient can decode. Even if a third party intercepts the communication, they would only see meaningless, scrambled data that cannot be deciphered without the proper decryption key.
9. Israel's Oil Refineries reported in a regulatory filing to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange that missile strikes by Iran had damaged its pipelines and transmission lines in Haifa, Reuters reported.
We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy.
10. US President Donald Trump held a meeting with his national security team in Washington on Tuesday to address the intensifying conflict in the Middle East, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The meeting has sparked renewed speculation that the US may be preparing to support or join Israel's offensive against Iran.
(With inputs from agencies)
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