Tehran targets oil supply, threatens to bring down world economy
(JNS) — Iran on Mar. 11 threatened a “war of attrition” that would destroy the global economy as it targeted oil tankers and neighboring energy infrastructure.
Rear Adm. Ali Fadavi, adviser to the IRGC commander-in-chief, a member of the military’s “war command room” and former deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told Iranian state television that the U.S. and Israel “must consider the possibility that they will be engaged in a long-term war of attrition that will destroy the entire American economy and the world economy.”
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry reported on Mar. 12 that its air defenses intercepted a drone heading toward the Shaybah oilfield.
Earlier on Mar. 12, Iranian attack boats set fire to two Iraqi fuel tankers near the Iraqi port city of Basra. On Wednesday, three merchant vessels were hit near the Strait of Hormuz by “unknown projectives.” One Indian sailor was killed.
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for 20% of the world’s oil supplies, about 25–27% of all seaborne oil trade.
One-hundred fifty tankers sit at anchor outside the Strait, Container News reported on Mar. 12. Before hostilities began on Feb. 28, 140 to 150 vessels transited Hormuz daily. In the first week of March, that number sank to between one and four, reported the news site, which covers the container shipping industry.
2 more Toronto-area synagogues hit with gunfire on Shabbat, raising alarm among local Jews
(JTA) — Two more Toronto synagogues were hit with gunfire on Shabbat, making three struck since March 1.
A shooter fired through the glass doors of Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto, a Modern Orthodox synagogue in the Thornhill neighborhood, at about 11:45 p.m. Friday. Two maintenance workers were still cleaning up from a Shabbat dinner.
Just 30 minutes later, a shooter approached the Orthodox Shaarei Shomayim congregation in North York, about 6 miles south, and fired multiple rounds at the entrance. In both cases, only the buildings were damaged, and no injuries were reported.
Toronto Police Service, led by the gun and gang task force and hate crime unit, are investigating whether the two incidents are connected. As the investigation continues, TPS said it is maintaining an increased police presence around Jewish neighborhoods, synagogues and community institutions.
The shootings come as Jewish security officials warn of possible threats to Jewish institutions connected to the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.
“This is a violent act of intimidation and part of a pattern of emboldened antisemitism that has no place in Toronto,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said in a pre-recorded video statement Saturday morning. “It must be stopped.”
Belgian officials investigating synagogue explosion as possible act of terrorism
(JTA) — Belgian officials are investigating an explosion in front of a synagogue in Liège early Mar. 9 as a possible act of terrorism.
The explosion, which took place at 4 a.m., damaged the door of the historic neo-Romanesque synagogue and blew out the windows of multiple buildings across the street. No injuries were reported.
A range of Belgian politicians, including the prime minister and the mayor of Liège, characterized the explosion as act of antisemitism.
“Antisemitism is an attack on our values and our society, and we must fight it unequivocally,” Prime Minister Bart de Wever said in a statement. “We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Liege and across the country.”
The explosion comes amid a surge of concern about possible attacks by agents associated with the Iranian regime. Iran has a long record of supporting attacks on Jewish targets abroad. Now, with Iran being pummeled at home, watchdogs are warning that it might lash out through its Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, responsible for attacks abroad.
Azerbaijan said Friday that it had foiled multiple terror attacks planned by Iranian agents on Jewish sites. In London, four men were arrested last week for allegedly spying on the Jewish community for Iran, with the intent of planning attacks against the community. And a string of shootings at synagogues in Toronto has ignited concern in Canada, too.
UN Security Council condemns Iran’s ‘egregious’ actions
(JNS) — The 15-member United Nations Security Council on Mar. 11 condemned Iran’s “egregious attacks” against its neighbors by a vote of 13 in favor with none against. China and Russia abstained.
The Council strongly condemned Iran’s attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, expressing firm support for those countries’ sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence.
It specifically denounced strikes on residential areas and civilian infrastructure, demanding they stop immediately. The Council also called on Iran to cease its threats, provocations, maritime trade interference and support for proxy groups in the region.
Bahrain, which this week suffered Iranian attacks that killed one and injured at least 38, introduced the resolution.
“The message is clear,” said Bahrain’s representative, Ambassador Jamal Al-Ruwaie, according to a U.N. statement. “The international community is resolute in rejecting these Iranian unjust, hostile acts that are targeting sovereign countries and that threaten the stability of their peoples.”
Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon also welcomed the Council’s resolution. “Targeting civilians is wrong, targeting cities is wrong, and Iran must stop,” he said.
Spain permanently withdraws its ambassador to Israel
(JNS) — Spain said Mar. 10 it had permanently withdrawn its ambassador to Israel as relations between Madrid and Jerusalem plunged to a new low over the left-wing Spanish government’s opposition to the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran’s regime.
The Spanish government published an announcement in its official gazette that the ambassador’s position had been terminated, Reuters reported. It quoted Spain’s Foreign Ministry as saying its embassy in Tel Aviv would be led by a charge d’affaires for the foreseeable future.
Israel brought its ambassador home last year in protest of Spain’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized the Spanish policy at the time, calling it “antisemitic.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, leading one of Europe’s most anti-Israel governments as he concomitantly faces domestic pressure from ongoing corruption allegations.
The Socialist leader has also angered U.S. President Donald Trump for refusing to let the United States use their military base for strikes against Iran.
