Sawt Falasteen - Iranians mark Eid as Tehran reports strike on nuclear plant

Iran's supreme leader traditionally leads Eid prayers but Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who came to power earlier this month after his father was killed in a US-Israeli strike, has remained out of the public eye.

Instead, the head of the judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, attended prayers at central Tehran's Imam Khomeini grand mosque, which was filled to overflowing, with worshippers flooding the streets outside.

The previous evening, airstrikes had darkened the mood as the city celebrated Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

"The atmosphere of the New Year was spreading through the city. Places like Tajrish or Golestan Shahrak, where I went, were full of well-dressed and beautiful women buying flowers," said Farid, an advertising executive, reached by AFP through an online message.

"The Israeli attacks happening exactly at the moment of the New Year were deeply upsetting. The thought that some people could be dying right at the New Year dinner table was painful."

Iran's key ally Russian President Vladimir Putin sent greetings to Khamenei, "wished the Iranian people strength on overcoming these severe trials and emphasised that during this difficult time, Moscow remained a loyal friend and reliable partner of Tehran".

According to Iran's atomic energy organisation, the US and Israel targeted a plant at Natanz in Isfahan province, which hosts underground centrifuges to enrich uranium for Iran's disputed nuclear programme and was already damaged in last year's June war.

- Nuclear plant -

"Following the criminal attacks by the United States and the usurping Zionist regime against our country, the... Natanz enrichment complex was targeted this morning," the organisation said, in a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency.

No leakage of nuclear materials was reported, it added.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, called for "military restraint to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident", but the UN watchdog confirmed that no increase in off-site radiation levels had been reported.

Asked about Natanz, the Israeli military said it was "not aware of a strike".

After three weeks of a conflict that has sent world energy prices soaring, blocked the Strait of Hormuz oil export route and strained Washington's ties with its closest allies, US President Donald Trump said once again that he was thinking of pulling back.

"We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great military efforts in the Middle East," Trump posted on social media.

The White House press secretary said the Pentagon was looking at four to six weeks to complete its mission.

Nevertheless, according to US media reports, Washington is deploying thousands more marines to the Middle East, in a possible sign of a ground operation, and Iran continues to carry out strikes on both Israel and its oil and gas-rich Gulf neighbours.

After Iranian missile fire at Israel overnight, the Israeli military said it had carried out strikes on what it called "regime targets" in Iran's capital, which has been under bombardment since a US-Israeli attack started the war on February 28.

"This week, the intensity of the strikes to be carried out by the IDF and the US military against the Iranian terror regime and the infrastructure on which it relies will rise significantly," Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

As concerns grow over oil prices and global supply shortages, the US Treasury said it was temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil already loaded onto vessels.

The authorisation allows for the delivery and sale of Iranian crude oil and other petroleum products loaded onto ships before March 20 and will last through April 19.

- Trump demands allies act -

As energy analysts and consumers count the cost of attacks on oil and gas facilities in the Gulf, including the world's largest liquefied natural gas hub, Trump slammed NATO allies as "cowards" and called on them to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has choked the channel, which is crucial for around a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas during peacetime.

"The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it -- The United States does not!" Trump said.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had imposed restrictions on vessels from countries involved in attacks against Iran but would offer assistance to others.

The standoff has sent crude oil prices soaring, with a barrel of North Sea Brent crude up more than 50 percent over the past month and now comfortably more than $105 a barrel.

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B.Khalifa--SF-PST