Iran has vowed to retaliate fiercely if US President Donald Trump threatens to bomb Iranian power plants, with Tehran warning that critical infrastructure across the region could be “irreversibly destroyed.”
President Trump has said he will order shelling if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully navigable within 48 hours, as the main waterway continues to be disrupted.
Here are the latest developments:
What are the main headings?
Threat of attack: US President Donald Trump has threatened to “attack and destroy” Iranian power plants if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for the world’s energy resources, within 48 hours. The threat marks an escalation in rhetoric from President Trump, who had previously floated the option of attacking Iran’s infrastructure, which he warned would undermine the country’s ability to rebuild. It is also a tacit admission that closing the strait will give Iran significant leverage.
Iran’s response: Prompted by President Trump’s words, Iranian officials and state media have vowed to retaliate if that happens. If Iranian power plants are targeted, critical infrastructure and energy facilities in the Middle East could be “irreversibly destroyed,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in comments posted on Sunday’s X.
Israel’s blow: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Tehran of targeting civilian areas during a visit to the site of an Iranian attack on the southern Israeli city of Arad. At least 84 people were injured in Saturday’s strike, including 10 seriously. Another Iranian missile also hit the city of Dimona, injuring several people and destroying a small building.
Helicopter crash: A helicopter crashed on Sunday morning, killing seven people on board, according to Qatar’s Interior Ministry. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there were three Turkish nationals on board the plane.
US and UK bases targeted: Britain condemned what it called a “reckless Iranian attack” after a missile was fired at the Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean. The joint U.S.-British base is about 3,800 kilometers (2,360 miles) from Iran and can host long-range bombers from the U.S. military. The attempt raised new questions about Tehran’s military capabilities and how far its missiles could reach.
Israel investigates possible comrades-in-arms attack: The Israeli military is investigating whether civilians were killed in a mutual attack in the northern Israeli community of Misgab Am, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. The IDF and emergency response forces initially blamed Lebanon’s Hezbollah for the incident. He would have been the first civilian killed by Hezbollah since the start of the war with Iran. It is unclear why the IDF considered whether it was friendly fire.
Oil prices rise: Oil prices rose on Sunday after Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely in response to President Trump’s ultimatum on resuming oil shipments through the vital waterway. Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, rose 1.69% to about $114.09 per barrel. US crude oil rose 2% to $100.29.
What is happening in Iran and Lebanon?
Israeli wave of attacks: The Israeli military announced it launched a “massive” wave of attacks against Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah simultaneously this weekend, hitting more than 200 targets. In Iran, the Israel Defense Forces said it had attacked dozens of facilities storing weapons and ballistic missiles. It also said it had completed two waves of attacks in Beirut and additional areas of Lebanon, hitting “hezbollah’s main headquarters.” Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanese infrastructure, saying they were “a precursor to a ground invasion.”
Israel: Police officers and bomb disposal experts are working to secure and isolate an “ammunition impact site” in central Israel, police said Sunday. It happened just hours after Iran attacked the Israeli cities of Arad and Dimona.
Rising death toll: More than 18,000 civilians have been injured in Iran and more than 1,330 people have been killed, including at least 200 children, since the war began three weeks ago, according to the latest figures from the Iranian Red Crescent Society and Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations. More than 1,000 people have lost their lives in Lebanon and more than 1 million people have been displaced, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Crackdown: Iranian authorities have arrested 25 people for “spreading rumors, filming damages and sending them to counterrevolutionary networks,” the state-run Tasnim news agency reported. The arrests came days after Iran executed three men in connection with nationwide anti-regime protests earlier this year.
Hormuz comment: The Strait of Hormuz remains open to all but Iran’s “enemies,” the country’s representative to the United Nations Maritime Organization said in a statement on Sunday, shortly after US President Donald Trump gave Tehran 48 hours to open the waterway.
Protecting safe navigation: The United Arab Emirates and Australia are the latest countries to express their willingness to contribute to efforts to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, joining a statement that now includes 22 countries. It was not immediately clear what efforts would be made to secure the vital waterway.
The Blast: An unknown projectile caused an explosion at “close range” on a bulk carrier off the central north coast of the United Arab Emirates, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced early Sunday. “All crew members are reported to be safe,” it added. Since the war began, Iran has attacked several ships friendly to the United States in the strait.
History repeats itself: U.S. Navy ships escorting oil tankers through the Straits bring to mind the so-called Tanker Wars of the late 1980s, which involved some of the same weapons and problems that U.S. escort forces would face today. This provides a lesson that in war things can go awry quickly and unexpectedly, with potentially deadly consequences.
Iranian threat: Iran’s military has vowed to close the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely if the US follows through on President Trump’s threat to blow up a power plant.
NATO works to secure the Strait: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Sunday he was “absolutely confident” the alliance could reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “Europe’s allies and partners around the world have spent the last few weeks making sure we come together. They are starting to consider what we can collectively do as allies and as partners of the United States,” Rutte told Fox News.
