Tehran, 12 March (H.S.):

A top military adviser to Iran's Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei branded U.S. President Donald Trump Satan himself and the most corrupt and stupid American president in a blistering state television address on Wednesday, vowing Israel's destruction as the U.S.-Iran conflict engulfs the Middle East.

Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior commander and key strategist in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, delivered the remarks amid reports of intensified hostilities, including U.S. support for Israeli operations and Iranian drone strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure.

In the Middle East region, Israel and Iran cannot coexist—one must remain, and that will be Iran, while the Zionist regime is destroyed, Safavi declared, echoing Tehran's longstanding rhetoric.The outburst follows a week of dramatic escalations, with the U.S. releasing 172 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to curb oil price spikes and Trump pledging to finish the job in Iran after an alleged $11 billion war cost in six days.

Safavi's comments underscore Iran's defiant posture despite battlefield setbacks, including strikes reportedly wounding Mojtaba Khamenei.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar