Trump threatens to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if Strait of Hormuz not opened within 48 hours
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday to "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants if the country fails to fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
"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!" He wrote in a post on Truth Social.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor bordered by Iran to the north, through which around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply passed, has become a key flashpoint in the war.
In response, Iran's primary military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned on Sunday that it would strike U.S. and Israeli "energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure" in the region if its energy infrastructure was attacked, according to Fars News Agency.
Iranian IMO representative says ships, except those from "enemies," can pass Strait of Hormuz with coordinated safety arrangements
Iran's representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Ali Mousavi, has said that ships, except those from "enemies," can pass the Strait of Hormuz with prior coordination with Iranian authorities for security and safety arrangements, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Sunday.
He also stressed that international maritime commitments must be paired with respect for Iran's territorial integrity and sovereign rights.
Iran, he noted, is ready to cooperate with the IMO and other countries to enhance maritime safety and protect seafarers.
"Diplomacy remains Iran's priority. However, a complete cessation of aggression as well as mutual trust and confidence are more important," Mousavi said, adding that U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran were at the "root of the current situation in the Persian Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz."
Iran outlines 6 conditions to end conflict: Lebanese media
A senior Iranian official said on Sunday that Tehran is carrying out a pre-planned, multi-phase strategy in response to U.S.-Israeli attacks, while setting six conditions for ending the conflict, Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen reported.
The official, who was not named, said the strategy was prepared months ago and is being executed with "high strategic patience." He added that Iran does not expect a ceasefire soon following strikes on its infrastructure, service facilities, and strategic sites.
Several regional actors and mediators have proposed ways to end the conflict, the official said. But Tehran has laid out six conditions that must be met before any agreement: guarantees against renewed attacks, closure of U.S. bases in the region, compensation to Iran, cessation of hostilities on regional fronts, a new legal framework for the Strait of Hormuz, and legal action against media figures considered hostile to Iran.
6 dead, 1 missing after helicopter crash in Qatar's waters
Qatar's Ministry of Interior said on Sunday that six people have been confirmed dead and one remains missing following a helicopter crash in the country's territorial waters.
In a statement, the ministry said that search and rescue teams had recovered six of the seven people on board, all of whom were confirmed dead.
Specialized teams are continuing intensive search operations to locate the remaining missing person, the ministry added.
According to the statement, the helicopter crashed in the state's regional waters after experiencing a technical malfunction during a routine mission.
Train-bus collision kills 12 in Bangladesh
At least 12 people were killed and about 20 others injured when a train collided with a passenger bus at a level crossing in Bangladesh's Cumilla district early Sunday, local police said.
The accident occurred at around 3:00 a.m. local time in the Padua Bazar area of Sadar South Upazila, when a Chattogram-bound mail train rammed into the bus as it was crossing the railway tracks, police officials said.
Rescue teams rushed to the scene and transported the injured to Cumilla Medical College Hospital.
Authorities have launched investigations into the incident, and several probe committees have been formed to determine the cause of the crash, officials said.■
