United News of Bangladesh

U.S. President Donald Trump said “many countries” would send warships to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open after Iran effectively blocked the vital shipping route during the ongoing war. In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said countries “especially those affected by Iran’s attempted closure” of the strait would deploy naval forces alongside the United States. He mentioned China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom as potential contributors. The strait, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes, has remained largely closed since the conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran intensified earlier this month. Most commercial ships are avoiding the waterway due to security concerns. Trump claimed U.S. forces had already “destroyed 100% of Iran’s military capability” but acknowledged Tehran could still disrupt shipping by launching drones, mines or short-range missiles. He vowed that U.S. forces would keep attacking Iranian positions along the coast to reopen the waterway. Iranian officials rejected the claim that the strait had been fully shut down. Alireza Tangsiri, head of the naval arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the waterway was “under control” but not militarily closed. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strait was only closed to “tankers and ships of enemies and their allies,” not all shipping. He also warned that American vessels had no right to enter the Gulf. Despite the tensions, some ships have passed through the strait. Two Indian-flagged tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas crossed safely on Saturday after Iran granted special permission following talks between Narendra Modi and Masoud Pezeshkian, according to Indian officials. A Turkish vessel was also allowed to pass earlier in the week. The United States is reinforcing its military presence in the region, with about 2,500 Marines and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli heading toward the Middle East. Experts warn there may be no quick military solution to reopening the strait. Even occasional attacks could deter shipping insurers and keep the critical trade route largely closed, threatening global energy supplies and food security.

Iran on Saturday threatened to target infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates for the first time since the start of the war, warning that several ports in the Gulf country could be attacked because they were allegedly used by U.S. forces. Iran’s military command said ports, docks and locations sheltering U.S. forces in UAE cities would be considered “legitimate targets,” urging people to evacuate areas around the facilities to avoid harm. Iranian media specifically mentioned the ports of Jebel Ali, Khalifa and Fujairah. The escalation comes as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran enters its third week, intensifying regional tensions and raising concerns over global energy supplies. The Strait of Hormuz — a crucial shipping route that carries about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil — has effectively been shut down as most commercial vessels avoid the area due to security risks. Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf countries during the conflict, saying it is targeting U.S. assets in the region. Gulf states including the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have reported repeated missile and drone attacks since the war began on Feb. 28. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said American forces had “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, which hosts the country’s main oil export terminal. Iranian authorities reported at least 15 explosions on the island following the strikes but said oil infrastructure was not damaged. Iran warned that any attack on its oil facilities could trigger retaliation against U.S.-linked energy infrastructure across the region. Meanwhile, missile sirens sounded in Tel Aviv early Sunday as Israel reported a new wave of Iranian missile launches. In Iran, at least 15 people were killed in a strike in an industrial area of Isfahan, according to local media, though Israel denied targeting the site. The conflict has also spread across the region. In Iraq, a drone strike caused a fire at an oil refinery near Irbil, forcing operations to halt, while in Lebanon Israeli strikes have killed more than 800 people since renewed fighting with Hezbollah began earlier this month. Authorities say the war has already killed more than 1,200 people in Iran and displaced hundreds of thousands across the region, raising fears of a broader Middle East conflict and severe disruptions to global energy markets.

The Iranian government has reported extensive damage to civilian infrastructure since the start of the war on February 28, with tens of thousands of homes and public facilities affected by US-Israeli attacks. Fatemeh Mohajerani, spokeswoman for the Iranian government, said nearly 43,000 civilian units have been damaged, including 36,500 residential units. Around 10,000 units were hit in Tehran alone. Hamas urges Iran to avoid targeting neighbouring countries She added that 43 emergency units, 32 ambulances, and 120 schools have also been targeted. At least 223 women have been killed, while the number of students and teachers killed has risen to 206. Earlier reports, based on information from the Iranian Red Crescent Society, had noted that 36,500 residential units were damaged since the conflict began. Sources- Al Jazeera

Hamas has urged Iran to avoid targeting neighbouring countries and called on nations and international organisations to work towards stopping the ongoing war immediately, according to media reports. The Palestinian group said it was following the developments in the Middle East with “deep concern,” warning that the conflict threatens peace and security in the region and beyond. In a statement posted on Telegram, Hamas said the US-Israeli aggression against Iran violates international law and international humanitarian law. The group also urged countries in the region to cooperate to stop the aggression. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel and several other countries.   With inputs from BBC

An Iranian missile struck a residential area in central Israel overnight, damaging a building near the city of Shoham, the Israeli military said. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Iranian missiles were detected targeting Israel during the night. Images from the area showed a residential building with its roof torn off following the strike. Members of Israel’s Home Front Command and emergency services were seen at the scene inspecting the damage and assessing the situation.   With inputs from BBC

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has declared that US “hideouts” in the United Arab Emirates are now “legitimate targets” following American strikes on Kharg Island. In a statement reported by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC said it reserves the right to defend Iran’s national sovereignty by targeting the sources of American missile attacks, including shipping ports, docks, and facilities sheltering US troops in some UAE cities. The statement urged UAE residents and nearby populations to evacuate ports, docks, and US military areas to avoid potential harm.  

The Israeli military has said its forces struck Hezbollah command centres in Beirut during airstrikes carried out a day earlier, according to media reports. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes targeted facilities used by Hezbollah in the Lebanese capital. According to the IDF, about 110 command centres linked to the group have been hit since the start of the war. The military said measures were taken before the strikes to reduce the risk of civilian casualties. In recent days, the Israeli army has also issued broad evacuation orders in southern Lebanon, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to leave their homes.   With inputs from BBC

A US strike on Iran’s Kharg Island has significantly raised tensions in the ongoing confrontation between Tehran on one side and the United States and Israel on the other, according to media reports. Kharg Island, located in the northern Gulf, is considered a crucial part of Iran’s oil export system and serves as the terminal for nearly 90 percent of the country’s crude shipments. Its deep waters allow Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) to load oil for export. Analysts say targeting the island is effectively aimed at the core of Iran’s economy because of its central role in oil exports. If US President Donald Trump decides to go further and target the island’s oil facilities rather than only the Iranian troops stationed there, it could push global oil prices even higher. Observers are also concerned about Iran’s potential response. Despite the ongoing conflict, Iran still has the capacity to launch large numbers of low-cost explosive drones targeting Gulf Arab countries and shipping routes. There are also fears that Iran could expand its targets to include key infrastructure in the region, such as desalination plants that supply drinking water to millions of people.   With inputs from BBC

Iran has said oil exports from Kharg Island are continuing normally despite US strikes on the key oil terminal, with no casualties reported, according to media reports. Ehsan Jahanian, political deputy to the governor of Bushehr province in southern Iran, acknowledged the attacks on Kharg Island but said oil exports were “fully under way” and the island’s oil facilities remained intact. He said the process of exporting oil from the Kharg oil terminal was continuing and companies operating on the island were carrying out their activities without interruption, according to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency. Jahanian added that parts of military facilities and Kharg Airport were damaged in the strikes. However, he said no military personnel, oil company employees or residents of the island were injured in the attack and that all sectors were continuing their routine operations.   With inputs from BBC

President Donald Trump said U.S. forces “obliterated” targets on Iran’s Kharg Island on Friday, hitting air defense facilities, a naval base, the airport control tower, and a helicopter hangar, while sparing oil infrastructure. Trump also warned that any Iranian attack on U.S.-linked energy facilities would face retaliation. The strikes come nearly two weeks into the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, amid Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel and Gulf states and Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route. Trump claimed on social media that Iran “wants a deal, but not a deal I would accept.” Iranian authorities reported at least 1,230 dead since the conflict began on Feb. 28, including six members of the same family killed in an airstrike in Eyvan. Iran’s joint military command reiterated threats to target U.S.-linked oil and energy facilities across the region if Iranian energy infrastructure is attacked. Meanwhile, 2,500 additional U.S. Marines and an amphibious assault ship have been dispatched to the Middle East. In Iraq, a separate airstrike killed at least one person in Baghdad’s Karrada district before a missile hit a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy compound. No immediate comment was issued by the embassy. Iraqi authorities condemned the strike as a “blatant violation of all humanitarian values.” The U.S. Embassy, one of the largest diplomatic complexes worldwide, has repeatedly faced rocket and drone attacks by Iran-aligned militias, which have recently intensified assaults on bases hosting U.S. and coalition forces. A drone strike in northern Iraq on Thursday killed a French soldier and wounded others serving with the international coalition. Iranian media reported at least 15 explosions and thick smoke over Kharg Island following the U.S. strikes. Hamas also called on Iran to avoid attacks on neighboring Arab countries, while affirming Tehran’s right to respond to U.S.-Israeli aggression in line with international norms. The conflict has left millions displaced, heightened regional tensions, and threatens global energy security.