In a significant development, US President Donald Trump on Monday said he has demanded about seven countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open as Iranian strikes kept slamming into Gulf countries. He said the US is negotiating with countries heavily reliant on Middle East crude to join a coalition to police the waterway where about one-fifth the world’s traded oil normally flows. But European countries demanded to know when the conflict might end as they weighed whether to agree to his call to send warships for that effort.
Israel steps campaign against Iran-backed militants in Lebanonย
The US and Israel on Monday pummeled military targets in Iran’s capital, Israel stepped up its campaign against Iran-backed militants in Lebanon and Iran retaliated with a drone strike that caused no injuries but temporarily forced the closure of Dubai’s airport, a crucial travel hub. The strike on a fuel tank started a fire that was quickly contained.
Tehran, meanwhile, accused the US without evidence of using “ports, docks and hideouts” in the United Arab Emirates to launch strikes on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran’s oil exports evidence Brent crude oil was trading near $105 per barrel Monday.
ย Israeliย army is “determined to deepen the operation
The military’s chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said the Israeli army is “determined to deepen the operation until all of our objectives are achieved.” Speaking on a visit to the northern border, Zamir said “We are preparing for what comes next and reinforcing the Northern Command with additional troops in order to strengthen the forward defensive posture, deepen the damage to Hezbollah, and push the threat away from the communities in the north.”
The army said in a statement that Zamir approved plans for “continued limited, targeted operations”. A military spokesman said earlier on Monday that the army had deployed additional ground troops into Lebanon for what it calls a “limited and targeted operation”.
A Tehran resident said workers paid by the day were struggling especially hard because of the war. The internet blackout also has hammered businesses that normally rely on online sales. “Money has become scarce, people cannot buy things, and businesses are being damaged,” the resident said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from the government.
The streets were busier than at the beginning of the war, he said, because people were growing desperate and needed to earn money. Stores still had food. Fuel was not in short supply. Utilities were still functioning. And people could still withdraw money from banks, he said. But he said people were deeply anxious as the attacks persisted. Even before the war, Iran’s economy had been crippled by international sanctions.
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