As Israel’s war against the United States (US) and Iran enters its fourth week, here are the latest headlines about the crisis in the Middle East:
- US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would “destroy” most of Iran’s power plants, starting with the largest, if they refuse to open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
- Iran warned that it would retaliate if the US attacked its power plants and target all US-linked energy infrastructure in the Middle East. In a statement published on Sunday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the Strait of Hormuz would be completely closed if the US carried out threats against its energy facilities, adding that companies with US shares would be ‘completely destroyed.’
- Iran’s representative to the UN maritime agency said the Strait of Hormuz is open to all shipping, except ships belonging to its enemies.
- In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries called for an “immediate and unconditional cessation of all attacks by Iran” and reiterated that the G7 stands ready to take the necessary steps to support global energy supplies.
- Iran fired long-range missiles for the first time since the beginning of the conflict and struck the southern Israeli city of Dimona, which is located near military bases and Israel’s Negev nuclear research center. The International Atomic Energy Agency said it had found no sign of damage to the nuclear facility. The BBC reported that more than 160 people were injured in the attack – some seriously.
