Airstrikes reported across Iran as IRGC continues retaliatory attacks on US, Israeli targets

Explosions were reported in multiple locations across Iran on Saturday, as the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) continued its retaliatory strikes against U.S. and Israeli targets.

Footage from a China Media Group reporter showed Tehran's air defense system was activating at a high frequency to intercept intruding projectiles on Saturday night.

Explosions were reported in western and northeastern Tehran, as well as several other Iranian cities including Shiraz, Isfahan, and Yazd on Saturday night, according to the reporter.

The latest statistics released by Iran's Health Ministry on Saturday showed that since the United States and Israel launched joint military attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, the number of people injured in U.S.-Israeli strikes had reached 20,984.

Iranian media also shared footage of an Iranian missile penetrating Israel's air defense system and hitting the Israeli city of Dimona. Some reports suggest this action was retaliatory in response to the earlier attack on the Natanz nuclear facility.

The IRGC announced on Saturday the launch of the 72nd wave of Operation True Promise-4, which attacked U.S. and Israeli targets with missiles including Emad and Qadr.

The IRGC also stated on the same day that its new air defense system hit an F-16 fighter jet in central Iran, the third "enemy aircraft" shot down since the start of the conflict.

On Saturday night, Iranian media reported that a passenger ship with a capacity of 350 passengers was attacked near the port area of ​​the Kharg Island, no passengers were on board when the attack occurred.

Airstrikes reported across Iran as IRGC continues retaliatory attacks on US, Israeli targets

Airstrikes reported across Iran as IRGC continues retaliatory attacks on US, Israeli targets

Turkmenistan and China place great importance on cultural exchanges between the two countries, with significant achievements made in the education sector, Turkmen national leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said in Beijing on Wednesday.

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Berdimuhamedov, chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, the supreme representative organ of people's power in the Central Asian country, paid a goodwill visit to China from March 17 to 19.

In an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Berdimuhamedov noted that the two countries have made substantial achievements in cultural and educational exchanges and expect further progress.

"Turkmenistan and China both highly value exchanges and cooperation in the fields of culture, science and technology, and education, and both provide sustained and strong national support for these efforts, which is only natural and logical. This focus is vividly reflected in our various cultural days and themed years, as well as in the mutual visits and performances of artists from both countries, the jointly organized art festivals, and the numerous academic seminars," said Berdimuhamedov.

"The two sides now are actively discussing to establish a Chinese cultural center in Turkmenistan and a Turkmen cultural center in China. I would like to particularly stress the fruitful results in education cooperation. Currently, more than 10,000 Turkmen citizens are studying at various Chinese higher education institutions and educational organizations, and nine higher education institutions plus 10 secondary schools in Turkmenistan now offer Chinese-language programs," he said.

Turkmenistan, China highly value bilateral cultural exchanges: Turkmen national leader