US-Iran War: Escalating his administration’s military posture, United States President Donald Trump has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran, threatening attacks on the country’s power infrastructure if Tehran does not reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz without conditions.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said: “If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!”
The threat landed as the conflict entered dangerous new territory.
What Israeli officials said
Israeli officials said that Iranian forces had for the first time fired long-range missiles, expanding the risk of attacks beyond West Asia, even as an Iranian strike injured dozens of people not far from Israel’s nuclear site, Reuters reported.
Iran launched two 4,000-kilometre-range ballistic missiles at the US-UK military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said. The Israeli military said it was the “first time” Iran had used long-range missiles since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28.
“These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range reaches European capitals – Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range,” Zamir said in a statement.
A source at Britain’s Defence Ministry said the attack had occurred before the government gave specific authorisation on Friday (March 21) for the US to use British military bases to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites, Reuters report added.
US-Israel-Iran War
More than 2,000 people have been killed in Iran since the US and Israel began their attacks. In Israel, 15 people have been killed in Iranian strikes since the war started.
Late on Saturday, Iranian missiles hit the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad, injuring dozens of people, including children, in separate strikes. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement early Sunday that they targeted “military installations” and security centers in southern Israel.
Israeli army spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a post on X that the country’s air defences were functioning but did not intercept the strikes. “We will investigate the incident and learn from it,” he said.
Israel’s secretive nuclear reactor is about 13 kilometers southeast of Dimona. Both cities lie near several military sites, including Nevatim Air Base, one of the country’s largest. “This has been a very difficult evening in the battle for our future,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office following the strike on Arad.
“We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts,” the statement said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
