Open Hormuz or Face Power Plant Strikes

The developments signaled that the war was heading in a dangerous new direction as it entered its fourth week.

Facing increasing pressure in his own country to ensure the security of the strait as oil prices rise, Trump gave the ultimatum in a social media post while spending the weekend at his home in Florida.

Trump said he gave Iran 48 hours to open the vital waterway or face a new round of attacks. He said that the USA would destroy “VARIOUS POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE LARGEST ONE FIRST.”

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world’s oceans, is a critical pathway for the world’s oil flow. Attacks on commercial shipping and threats of new attacks have prevented nearly all tankers from transporting oil, gas and other goods through the pass. This has also led to production cuts by some of the world’s largest producers because crude oil has nowhere to go.

Iran’s attacks on Israel came after Tehran’s main nuclear enrichment site at Natanz was hit earlier in the day.

The Israeli military said it failed to intercept the missiles that hit Dimona and Arad, Israel’s largest southern cities near the center in the sparsely populated Negev desert. This was the first time Iranian missiles penetrated Israel’s air defense systems around the nuclear facility.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Galibaf said on

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said more emergency teams were sent to the scene.

“This is a very difficult evening,” he said.

The direct attack in Arad caused widespread damage to at least 10 apartment buildings, three of which were severely damaged and in danger of collapse, rescue workers said. At least 64 people were hospitalized.

Dimona is located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the nuclear research center, while Arad is about 35 kilometers (22 miles) north.

Israel is believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with nuclear weapons, but its leaders refuse to confirm or deny Israel’s existence. The UN nuclear watchdog said it had received no reports of damage to the Israeli center at X or abnormal radiation levels.

A new and dangerous direction in the war Israel’s chief of staff, Gen. Eyal Zamir, said in a statement earlier in the day, “The war is not close to ending.”

Iran also targeted the joint UK-US Diego Garcia military base, located approximately 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) away in the Indian Ocean; This suggests that Tehran either has missiles that can go further than previously acknowledged or is using its space program for an impromptu launch.

The United States and Israel have offered varying justifications for war, from hoping to incite an uprising that would overthrow Iran’s leadership to eliminating Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and its support for its armed proxies. While there are no signs of an uprising, internet restrictions limit information coming from Iran.

The effects of the war are felt far beyond the Middle East; Food and fuel prices are increasing.

It is not clear how much damage Iran suffered from the US and Israeli attacks that started on February 28, or even who is responsible. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since his appointment to this post.

Israel has denied responsibility for the attack on Natanz early Saturday Israel has denied responsibility for the attack on the Natanz nuclear facility, about 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran. Mizan, the official news agency of the Iranian judiciary, said there was no leak.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said most of Iran’s estimated 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium was elsewhere, under the rubble of the Isfahan facility. He was said to be investigating the strike at X.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the attack on Natanz, which was hit in the first week of the war and also during the 12-day war last June. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said such attacks pose “a real risk of catastrophic disaster in the Middle East.”

Iran retaliated hours later.

The United States may use the Diego Garcia base to protect the Strait of Hormuz. British officials did not provide details of the attack that targeted the Diego Garcia base on Friday but failed. The UK Ministry of Defense described Iran as “attacking all parts of the region”.

It is unclear how close the missiles came to the island. Iran has previously claimed to limit its missile range to less than 2,000 kilometers (more than 1,200 miles).

However, military experts said Iran may have used the space launch vehicle for an impromptu firing. “If you’ve got a space program, you’ve got a ballistic missile program,” said retired Royal Navy commodore Steve Prest.

However, Israel’s chief of staff said Iran fired a “two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile.” There was no statement from Iran.

Britain did not participate in the US-Israeli strikes but allowed US bombers to use its bases to attack Iran’s missile sites. On Friday, the British government said bombers could use Diego Garcia to attack sites targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Global pressure is mounting to get shipping back on track As Iran threatens shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates has joined 21 other countries, including the UK, Germany, France and Japan, in expressing its “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage”.

The Trump administration announced that it was temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil loaded on ships as of Friday, but this did not increase oil production, a central factor in rising prices. The Iranian Ministry of Oil, which has been avoiding sanctions for years, said that “there is actually no crude oil left in floating tanks.”

Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, claimed that Iran’s ability to attack ships in the strait has “weakened”. He said a 5,000-pound (2,270 kilogram) bomb was dropped on an underground facility off the coast of Iran used to store anti-ship cruise missiles and mobile missile launchers earlier in the week.

The United States will deploy three more amphibious assault ships and about 2,500 marines to the Middle East, an official told The Associated Press. Two other U.S. officials confirmed the ships were deployed without saying where they were going. All three spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the operations.

Gulf countries reported more attacks. A missile alert was issued in Dubai on Saturday night. Saudi Arabia announced that it shot down 20 unmanned aerial vehicles in its east, which hosts major oil facilities.

The number of deaths in the war in Iran has exceeded 1,500, the state broadcaster reported, citing the health ministry. 15 people died in Israel due to Iranian missiles, and 4 people died in the occupied West Bank. At least 13 U.S. soldiers have been killed, as well as more than a dozen civilians in Gulf countries.

Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah militants clashed in Lebanon. The Israeli army announced that it carried out a “targeted ground operation” in southern Lebanon and at least four militants were killed. Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with soldiers in the southern village of Khiam.

Israeli attacks targeting Hezbollah have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1 million, according to the Lebanese government. Hezbollah’s civilian assets were also targeted.