Iran-US battle newest: Trump threatens to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s energy crops if Strait of Hormuz just isn’t opened ‘within 48 hours’
President Donald Trump has threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power grid unless Tehran permits traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST,” the president wrote on Truth Social on Saturday evening.
Tanker traffic through the waterway — a vital artery of global commerce — has ground to a halt amid Iran’s de facto blockade. As a result, oil prices have surged beyond the $100-a-barrel threshold and the average cost for a gallon of diesel has risen above $5.
On Friday, Trump criticized NATO allies for refusing to help secure the strait, though he later claimed it would soon “open itself” and dismissed the waterway as being of little importance to the U.S.
The war in Iran, launched jointly by the U.S. and Israel on February 28, has now gone on for three weeks. More than 1,500 Iranians have been killed, according to state media, and 13 U.S. servicemembers have died, the Pentagon has said.
Israeli military conducting strikes in Tehran
The Israeli military said on Sunday that it is conducting strikes in Tehran, hours after attacks on southern Israel.
Late on Saturday, Iranian missiles hit the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad, injuring dozens of people, including children, in separate strikes. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement early Sunday that they targeted “military installations” and security centres in southern Israel.
Israeli military spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, said in a post on X that the country’s air defences were functioning but did not intercept the strikes. “We will investigate the incident and learn from it,” he said.
Israel’s secretive nuclear reactor is about 13km southeast of Dimona. Both cities lie near several military sites, including Nevatim Air Base, one of the country’s largest.
“This has been a very difficult evening in the battle for our future,” Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said in a statement released by his office following the strike on Arad.
“We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts,” the statement said.
Minister says Japan could consider Hormuz minesweeping if ceasefire reached
Japan could consider deploying its military for minesweeping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil supplies, if a ceasefire is reached in the US-Israeli war with Iran, foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi said.
“If there were to be a complete ceasefire, hypothetically speaking, then things like minesweeping could come up,” Motegi said during a Fuji TV programme.
“This is purely hypothetical, but if a ceasefire were established and naval mines were creating an obstacle, then I think that would be something to consider.”
Japan’s military actions are limited under its postwar pacifist constitution, but 2015 security legislation allows the country to use its Self-Defense Forces overseas if an attack — including on a close security partner — threatens Japan’s survival and no other means are available to address it.
Tokyo has no immediate plans to seek arrangements to allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz for stranded Japanese vessels, Motegi said, adding it was “extremely important” to create conditions that allow all ships to navigate the narrow waterway, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil shipments.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told Japan’s Kyodo news agency on Friday that he had spoken to Motegi about potentially allowing Japanese-linked vessels to pass through the strait.
Israel cancels in-person classes for two days as a result of missile strikes
Israeli officials have canceled all in-person classes scheduled for Sunday and Monday.
On Saturday, Yoav Kisch, Israel’s minister of education, said that “frontal learning” will not take place for the next two days as a result of ongoing missile strikes.
Search and rescue underway for crashed Qatari helicopter
The Qatari Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that a helicopter crashed off the coast following a technical malfunction during a routine operation.
A search and rescue operation is underway, officials said.
In photos: Building left in ruins after strikes on Tehran
Photos show civilians and rescue workers standing near the remains of a commercial and residential building in Tehran, which was damaged by strikes.
Israel unleashes barrage of strikes against Tehran
Israel’s military said it launched a barrage of strikes against Tehran on Saturday evening.
In a statement obtained by The Guardian, Israel’s armed forces said they are “currently conducting strikes on Iranian terror regime targets in the heart of Tehran.”
Explosion reported near vessel off the coast of the UAE
An explosion occurred near a vessel off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in a statement on Saturday evening.
“The Master of a Bulk Carrier reported an explosion from an unknown projectile in close proximity to the vessel,” UKMTO said. “All crew are reported safe.”
Iran responds to Trump’s threat, vowing retaliatory strikes on US energy infrastructure
Iran appears to have responded to President Trump’s threat to “obliterate” the country’s power plants if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz.
State news agencies reported on Saturday evening that any attack on Iran’s energy infrastructure would be met with retaliatory strikes on U.S. and Israeli energy assets in the region, according to The New York Times.
US military releases footage of military strikes in Iran
U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, released video footage showing strikes against Iran.
The video, shared on X on Saturday evening, appears to show an aerial view of several vehicles moments before they’re destroyed.
“U.S. forces remain centered on very clear military objectives in eliminating Iran’s ability to project power against Americans, and against its neighbors,” Central Command said.
Brazil’s president delivers blunt appraisal of Iran war, comparing it to US invasion of Iraq
Brazil’s president delivered a blunt appraisal of the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran while speaking at a forum in Columbia on Saturday.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva compared the military campaign, which has gone on for 21 days, to the Iraq war.
“Iran has been invaded under the pretext that Iran was building a nuclear bomb,” the president said. “Where are Saddam Hussein’s chemical weapons? Where are they? Who found them?”
Source: independent.co.uk
