US President Donald Trump has given Iran a 48-hour ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz; Tehran responded with the threat to destroy key infrastructure in the Middle East.
The US President stated that unless Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, his armed forces will strike and destroy all major power plants in the country.
“If Iran does not fully open, without (there being) a threat to the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours from this very moment in time, the United States will strike and destroy their various power plants, starting with the largest,” Trump threatened in a message posted on Truth Social early Sunday morning.
Iran’s immediate response to the ultimatum was, if Washington carries out its threat, the Iranian army will target “energy, technology, information and water desalination” infrastructure in the region linked to Israel and the US.
War enters 23rd day
On the 23rd day of the US-Israel war against Iran, attacks from both sides continue in the Middle East. At dawn on Sunday, the Israeli army announced it had launched strikes “in the heart of Tehran” but provided no further details.
On Saturday, Iran struck southern Israel twice, causing damage and numerous injuries. The first strike targeted a residential area in Dimona, a city in the Negev Desert where a strategic nuclear research center is located, resulting in the injury of about thirty people, one of them seriously.
The second missile attack was launched against the city of Arad, injuring eighty-four people, ten of whom are in serious condition. “This is a very difficult night in the battle for our future,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We are determined to continue to hit our enemies on all fronts,” he stressed.
Iran aims at Israeli nuclear facilities
The fourth week of the Middle East conflict began with attacks on nuclear infrastructure. Targeting Dimona, about five kilometers (about 3.1 miles) from the Israeli nuclear research center, Iran said it was retaliating for Israel’s strike on one of its nuclear facilities in Natanz, south of Tehran. The Israeli military said it had “not been informed” of such a strike, and Israel’s state-run Kan TV reported it was a US operation.
According to Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, “no leakage of radioactive materials was observed” in Natanz, which was also bombed in early March. “No abnormal levels of radioactivity were detected,” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said of the attack on Dimona, after which “there were no indications” of damage to the Israeli nuclear research center.
In the wake of the strikes on Natanz, Iran, and Dimona, Israel, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi called for “maximum military restraint” to avoid the risk of a nuclear disaster.
Missiles against Riyadh
Meanwhile, Iranian retaliation against the Gulf countries continues, as Tehran seeks to destabilize the global supply of hydrocarbons. Today, three ballistic missiles were aimed at the Riyadh region, the capital of Saudi Arabia. One was intercepted and two landed in uninhabited areas, according to the Saudi Defense Ministry, which also reported, much like previous days, the destruction of several drones.
The United Arab Emirates also announced that it was responding to missile and drone attacks from Iran. Tehran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial trade route, has sent oil and gas prices soaring, raising concerns about the global economy.
An “unknown projectile” exploded near a cargo ship sailing in the Gulf north of the Emirati city of Sharjah on Sunday, the UK’s maritime safety agency UKMTO said, adding that the crew was safe. About two dozen countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Britain, France and Japan, have said they are “ready to contribute to the efforts” needed to open the strait.
Hezbollah hits IDF soldiers in North Israel
The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah announced it had attacked Israeli soldiers in Misgav Am in northern Israel. This was shortly after Israeli rescue services reported one individual had been killed as a result of a rocket fired from Lebanon.
“A short time ago, a projectile was detected coming from Lebanon towards a location along the northern border. There are damages and injuries. The incident is under investigation,” the Israeli army initially said.
“Two vehicles were completely burned after a direct hit in Kibbutz Misgav Am: firefighters recovered one dead body from the scene,” the fire department said. Israeli television networks broadcast images showing two vehicles engulfed in flames. According to Israeli journalists, most notably the war correspondent for the Times of Israel, the attack was launched with an anti-tank missile.
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