Iran hit by sudden earthquake! Major signal from Middle East situation! Iran's Foreign Minister speaks out!

The situation in the Middle East remains tense.

Today, according to Xinhua News Agency, Iranian Foreign Minister Alaghassi said Iran hopes to end the war thoroughly, comprehensively, and permanently, rather than just a temporary ceasefire. Alaghassi revealed that several countries have begun to push for a ceasefire, but Iran is only considering a solution that ends the war outright, not a temporary halt, and demands guarantees that Iran will no longer be attacked and that damages will be compensated.

According to the latest report from CCTV News, on March 21 local time, Iran’s Hamadan Province experienced a 4.0 magnitude earthquake at 3:23 a.m. local time. The crisis management department of Hamadan Province stated that the earthquake’s depth was about 5 kilometers, with the epicenter located approximately 6 kilometers north of Firoozan in Hamadan Province, at the border area between Hamadan and Kermanshah provinces.

Latest Statement from Iran’s Foreign Minister

On March 21, Xinhua News Agency quoted Kyodo News on the 21st, reporting that Iranian Foreign Minister Alaghassi said Iran hopes to end the war thoroughly, comprehensively, and permanently, not just a temporary ceasefire.

In a phone interview with Kyodo News on the 20th, Alaghassi said that U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran are illegal and unjustified acts of aggression, and he hopes the whole world will unite to oppose them. Several countries have begun to push for a ceasefire, but Iran is only considering a solution that ends the war outright. Iran does not accept a temporary ceasefire but demands a comprehensive end to the war, including guarantees that Iran will no longer be attacked and that damages suffered by Iran will be compensated.

Alaghassi also said he does not believe the U.S. is ready for negotiations.

The report also mentioned that Alaghassi expressed willingness to negotiate with Japan and allow Japanese ships to pass through the strategic energy route, the Strait of Hormuz.

It is noteworthy that the spillover effects of the US-Israel-Iran conflict are becoming increasingly evident. According to CCTV News, citing Iran’s Tasnim News Agency on the 21st, Iran has issued a warning to residents of Haimar in the UAE, urging them to evacuate via designated routes.

The report states that Haimar is used for operations targeting Iranian islands and will likely become a target for attack in the near future.

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps posted on social media that if Iranian islands are attacked again from the UAE, Haimar will suffer heavy damage.

According to Xinhua News Agency, in response to the attack on Anzali Port on the northern coast of Iran’s Caspian Sea, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova on the 20th sharply criticized the incident, stating it risks dragging Caspian littoral countries into military conflict.

On the same day, the Russian Foreign Ministry website quoted Zakharova as saying that Anzali Port is an important trade and logistics hub and a key port for bilateral trade between Russia and Iran. The airstrike caused “economic interests of Russia and other Caspian littoral countries, which rely on transportation through this port, to be ‘hurt’.”

Zakharova emphasized that the Caspian Sea has long been regarded by surrounding countries and the international community as a zone of peace and cooperation. “The reckless and irresponsible actions of the aggressors threaten to drag Caspian littoral countries into military conflict.” Russia again strongly urges all parties to cease fire immediately and work towards a political resolution of the Middle East conflict.

The Israel Defense Forces said that on the 18th, Israeli Air Force jets carried out airstrikes on key Iranian naval infrastructure along the Caspian Sea coast, targeting port facilities and dozens of Iranian naval ships docked there. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Iran’s Anzali Port was hit by missile attacks during this airstrike.

Iran Responds to US “Relaxation of Sanctions”

According to CCTV News, on the evening of March 20 local time, Iranian Petroleum Minister spokesperson Saman Ghodousi announced via his personal social media account that Iran currently has no remaining crude oil stranded at sea, nor excess oil available to supply to other international markets. The statements by U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen are purely aimed at creating hope for buyers, providing psychological reassurance, and market manipulation.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced that on March 20, it approved a 30-day authorization allowing the delivery and sale of ships carrying Iranian crude oil and petroleum products. The new license permits the sale of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products already loaded onto ships as of March 20.

Treasury Secretary Yellen said the U.S. is issuing a “narrow, targeted, short-term authorization to allow the sale of Iran’s currently stranded oil at sea.”

Yellen stated, “By temporarily releasing this existing supply for global use, the U.S. will quickly provide about 14 million barrels of oil to the global market. This temporary, short-term authorization is strictly limited to oil already in transit and does not permit new purchases or production activities.”

The ongoing escalation of the US-Israel strikes on Iran has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz shipping, causing a sharp rise in international oil prices and a continuous increase in domestic retail prices for gasoline and diesel.

After the US stock market closed on Friday, media citing sources reported that the U.S. government plans to release approximately 45 million barrels of strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) oil in the first phase, aiming to curb fuel price increases.

This action is part of the total emergency release of 172 million barrels from the SPR, and also a component of the global oil reserve release announced last Friday by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Against the backdrop of supply disruptions and geopolitical risks, markets are closely evaluating whether large-scale use of strategic reserves is merely a “short-term painkiller” or a key factor that could change oil price trends.

Based on information disclosed this Friday, the first batch released by the U.S. accounts for about 26% of its planned total release.

Previously, the IEA announced that its 32 member countries had agreed to release a total of 400 million barrels of strategic oil reserves. This is the largest collective release in IEA history. After the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, IEA members released about 183 million barrels in two separate actions, and this time the scale has doubled.

Formatting: Liu Junyu

Proofreading: Li Lingfeng