- The US military announced a new wave of attacks on Iran, it says is aimed at “degrading” Iranian military capability. The strikes come after the US military said it would begin enforcing a naval blockade. DW has more.
- Iran’s top negotiator and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Qalibaf says Tehran had “never welcomed war,” but nevertheless “must always be ready for battle and stand our ground to protect our security and national interests.“
The United States launched a new wave of military strikes against Iran on Wednesday, intensifying its campaign after overnight attacks targeted what the U.S. military described as dozens of Iranian military sites.
The latest operations came just hours after President Donald Trump warned that the United States would continue to strike Iran “very hard” unless Tehran returns to the negotiating table. He also indicated that additional military action could include attacks on Iran’s power plants and key bridges if the standoff persists.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the latest strikes are aimed at degrading military capabilities that Iran has allegedly used to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime trade routes.
The renewed offensive marks another escalation in the ongoing confrontation between Washington and Tehran, following days of military exchanges that have heightened concerns over regional stability and the security of international energy supplies.
The Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the crisis, with military activity in and around the strategic waterway prompting increased caution among commercial shipping operators and international airlines.
Despite the intensifying conflict, U.S. officials have reiterated that the objective of the strikes is to reduce Iran’s military capabilities while maintaining pressure for a diplomatic resolution, according to Washington Post.
The latest developments come amid growing international concern that continued hostilities could further destabilize the Middle East and disrupt global trade and energy markets.
Meanwhile, dw.com quoted Iran’s top negotiator and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Qalibaf as, saying the country had “never welcomed war,” but nevertheless “must always be ready for battle and stand our ground to protect our security and national interests.”
He said the country should also “use the tools of diplomacy and negotiation to achieve and consolidate national interests.”
These comments seemed to cover more or less any eventuality — a continuation or intensification in clashes with the US and its interests in the Gulf region, a return to negotiations, or a mixture of all of the above. He explicitly called for “coordination between the two methods of military and diplomacy.”
Qalibaf said that to separate and choose “either negotiation or war as the only solution” would be a “strategic error” for the country, saying the country needed a multifaceted strategy amid a “complex war” against “the greatest material power in the world.”
He defended the decision to close the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict and referred to a “position of strength” on the matter.
“Today, our national security lies in maintaining the ‘Iranian arrangements’ on the Strait of Hormuz and allowing commercial ships to pass through this waterway as safely and without harm as possible, so that it will create security for Iran,” he said.
Qalibaf made reference to Point 5 of the Memorandum of Understanding with the US and its references to the Strait, saying that it was designed as a “lever” for implementing other Iranian priorities in the tentative agreement. He alleged that the US was trying to “weaken the Iranian arrangements by force” and said Iran must resist this.
The US portrays the latest round of fighting very differently, claiming its strikes are a response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.
